I smell a shitshow. And not a little one. I too a quick look around the room and couldn't find Kasanoda anywhere. Where could he have gone? He just got here. There's no way he would've left already…would he? Before I could have another comprehensible thought, that Beni-bara chick had me in her arms, cradling me like a baby.

"You don't need the host club, my dear," Beni-bara insisted, "This is nothing but a wasteland of unnecessary testosterone."

This was new. I've dealt with major bitches in the past, but never one so persistent as this one. But that didn't mean I couldn't adapt. Whether a man, a woman, or someone in between, I could work them all. You wanted proof of my skill, Tamaki? While you're pissing yourself in corner, I'm about to save your bacon. Watch and learn, boys. I'm about to bring in a while whale. I turned up the innocent gleam in my eyes, playing the damsel in distress Beni-bara wanted to see. That way, she could be the white knight she wanted to be. Feed into their fantasy.

"You…" I softened my voice, "You really think so?"

"Of course I do," she held me tighter, turning into absolute goo. Got her, "You deserve so much better than this, Reila."

"I don't know," I played hard to get. I could see it all over her face. Beni-bara didn't want me slipping through her fingers. Haruhi was bad enough. Fool her once, "What do I deserve, Beni-bara?"

"You need a firm, yet loving hand," Beni-bara put her hand to my cheek. Reflexes told me to slap her away, but instincts told me to settle my ass down. I mean, I'm still getting bad touch vibes, but I could handle it, "Someone to guide you out of this vile cesspool and into a much more…feminine environment. Where you'll be amongst your own kind and away from these idiots."

"And where would I find such a place?" This bitch was eating it up.

"Why, Lobelia Academy, of course," she told me, presenting the idea like I just won a cruise, "It is there where you'd find the illustrious White Lily League, better known as the Zuka Club. And you, my darling Reila, are already on good terms with the club's president."

"I am?"

"That's right," Beni-bara moved in closer. If I didn't know any better, I'd think this bitch wanted to kiss me, "And that's me. We can start your transfer paperwork as soon as possible. So…? What do you say, Reila? Are you ready for your new, better life of sisterhood?"

"I think so," I kept up my meek façade, "But Beni-bara…? Can I ask you a question?"

"Ask all the questions you want," she allowed, running her hand down my back. Immediately, my skin tightened up.

Yet, I looked up at her with all the sparkle in my eyes I could muster up and a smile on my face. Now that Beni-bara was feeling comfortable (a little too comfortable, if you ask me), it's time to pull the trigger, "Who in the fuck do you think you are?"

"Excuse me?" Beni-bara gasped, dropping me. Fortunately, I had reflexes like a cat.

"You think you know me," I got up, "But you don't. You think you know what's best for me. You don't. You have yourself so high up on a pedestal that the littlest push would send you falling down. Well, consider me that push. Because bitch, you need a fucking ego check. Mori, could you get my bamboo staff from the kendo room, please?"

"No," Mori turned me down.

"Alright," I let it go, "Fair enough. That's for your own safety."

"Aww," Beni-bara wasn't backing down. I had to give her credit for that, "She has to overcorrect for what they've already done to her. You don't need to play up to their desires anymore. We'll begin your transfer and by Monday morning, you'll be enrolled at Lobelia Academy."

"No," I stood my ground, itching to throw a punch, "You won't."

"Yes," she grabbed my wrist, "We will. Now, I don't want to have to deal with your insolence. I know it's merely a phase and it's these morons' faults for traumatizing you already, but I promise it'll get better."

Alright. I tried to play nice. I tried to behave myself. I really did. With my free hand, I grabbed her wrist back. And much, much tighter, "Look, bitch. Let me go and walk away before shit gets ugly. Because if it does, it will not end well for you. Walk away and leave them alone."

"Or what?" Beni-bara scoffed. She could fake it with the best of anyone, but not with me. I could see it in her eyes. She's scared. And she's right to be.

"Don't worry about it," I smirked, "Besides, if I do have to whip that out, it's so much better if it's a surprise for you."

"I don't understand," she let me go, "They're idiots, Reila. Why are you so quick to defend them?"

"Because they're idiots with hearts of gold," I explained, "I never thought I really had much for a type, but I think that might be mine. Now, back the fuck up, leave, and never come back. We don't want you here. You don't want to be here."

I don't think anyone had ever told Beni-bara no like that before. She stood frozen in thought. But then, she stayed quiet and walked out with her friends behind her. Well, looks like that mess is cleaned up. Now, for the other one. I might be the host club's new cash cow, but I needed to get off the milker for today. Bigger fish.

"Hey, Rei," Tamaki stopped me, finally out of his mini fear coma.

"What?" I let out a heavy sigh with too much on my mind.

"Thank you," he smiled, "Is it safe to say that the host club is under your protection?"

"Absolutely," I nodded, "On one condition."

"Anything."

"I get today off," I demanded, "I don't have hosting in me today. I've already done enough."

"Go ahead," he allowed, "You've earned it. But are you ok with hosting twice a week? Mondays and Fridays?"

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes, "I guess. Does this mean you're going to leave me alone for the weekend, too?"

"It depends on what kind of shenanigans we may get into," Kyoya stepped in, "But we'll make sure to call before we storm your penthouse."

"How did you know I lived in a…" I wasn't going to ask, "Never mind. I have some shit to take care of. I'll see you guys on Monday."

"Bye, Rei-chan!" Honey chimed, latching himself onto my leg. Ok…He's alright.

"Bye, Honey," I peeled him off me, giving him back to Mori.

"Hey!" the twins whined, "Why is it when he hugs you, it's fine, but when we do it, it's not?"

"Because I can't punt you two across the room as an escape route," I shrugged, "Not that I'd ever do that to you, Honey. You're safe."

"Yay!"

And just like that, I left my new group of morons to their devices. Right now, I had one moron in particular that I needed to find. For my sake, I just hope he hasn't taken off. Luckily, I caught him before he had the chance to, "Kasanoda!"

"What?" I think I caught him off guard. Because he just jumped ten feet out of his own skin, "Oh…Rei…"

"What happened back there," I started.

"Hold on," Kasanoda stared me down, studying me closely, "You're…A girl?"

"Yeah," I shrugged, "So?"

"Well…I…" he looked away from me, his cheeks turning color, "I have to go."

"We need to talk," I demanded, trying my best to stop him.

"Not right now, Rei," Kasanoda got on his bike, "I can't right now. I have to go."

"But…!" And there he went. But you were my ride home, you asshole…It's fine. I had two legs that worked. I could walk home.

But my chest hurts. Why does my chest hurt? It's not a physical pain, but something deeper than that. Why does my chest hurt? Maybe I could walk this off. Get out of my head a little bit. It's not like I could call Daddy to vent. He's still probably asleep and I wouldn't wish Daddy on little sleep on my worst enemies. I gave Roy the rest of the day off, so I was a man on an island here. Maybe that walk home will clear my head.

I don't understand. He was fine this morning. He was fine ten minutes ago. He was fine all week. I rode bitch on his motorcycle and he was fine then, too. If that's the case, then what went wrong? Where did we fuck up? I thought we were getting to be really good friends, but something went sideways. Was me being a girl really that big of a hinderance?

On my way home, I stopped at a convenience store and got a pint of ice cream. If anything, a little sugar will make me feel better and get me out of this weird ass funk. And what went better with that ice cream than changing into my pajamas as soon as I walked in my door? For the first time, I felt like I finally had an honest to God friend. Not someone who hung around me for protection or was friends with me because of who my family was on either end of the spectrum. Someone that actually liked hanging out with me. And now…I feel like I lost that friend.

All because fucking Beni-bara had to barge into the host club today like she was Queen Shit and ruin everything. Maybe I should've kicked her ass into next week. My specialties may lie in blunt objects, but my hand to hand wasn't half bad either. I could've snapped her pencil neck over my knee if I wanted to. When she had me by the wrist, I could've made sure she lost her hand. But I didn't want those assault charges. Not today. I had shit going on after school. At least I thought I did.

Later on in the night, it had gotten to be about six o'clock. The magical hour of the day where my tummy starts to get a case of the rumblies. Dinner didn't sound like a half bad idea. Or maybe even just a snack. That ice cream didn't hold me over very well. I got up from my pity party on the couch and threw the empty pint away. Now, food. I didn't feel like cooking. Not that I really had anything to cook. I didn't want to go down to the ramen shop. Not tonight.

Knock, knock.

Who the hell…? I didn't think Roy would be here already. He was just about to go out on his date with Yumi. Maybe it's the building manager and some shit's going wrong with the building's plumbing? I wouldn't think so. My plumbing was working just fine. Unless mine was separate from the rest of the building. I doubt it. If that's the case, then who the hell would be at my door? I grabbed my present from Daddy out of its case and kept it on me. She sure was a beaut. She'll never replace my favorite knife, but I'll keep her. Although, I wasn't expecting my actual company.

"Kasanoda…" I gasped, "Hey."

"At least I got the right floor this time," Kasanoda grumbled, staring down at his feet, "I didn't remember if you said you were on the very top floor or on one of the top floors."

"Penthouse means the very top floor where I come from," I told him, "What are you doing here?"

"You said we needed to talk," he reminded me, "So, let's talk."

"Really?" I wasn't exactly prepared. In all honesty, I thought he wanted to call this off. But I wasn't going to turn him away. Not now, "Yeah. Sure. Come in. Is it cool if we talk here?"

"Yeah," Kasanoda walked in, his eyes about to pop out of his head, "And this is all yours?"

"Yep," I nodded, "Home sweet home away from home."

"So," he sat down, making himself comfortable on my couch. In his defense, it is a hella comfortable couch, "You're a girl."

"Last time I checked," I looked down my shirt. Still nothing. Dammit! Oh well. Seventeen, "There was a mix-up when they sent me my uniform before school started and I didn't have the time nor inclination to get a different one, so I just kept the one I've had. My driver is trying to get me a different one, but I figured it'd just throw people. I don't want to deal with that fucking headache. If it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one to think I'm a dude."

"Clearly," Kasanoda pointed out, "The host club girls swoon over you."

"What can I say?" I shrugged, "I'm cute."

"Don't say that!" he snapped, still unable to make eye contact with me, "No! That's not what I meant! I mean…"

"Kasanoda, relax," I giggled, taking his hand, "You are thinking way too hard about this. I'm still me. I'm still the girl that couldn't order her ramen and got pissed at her calculus homework."

"And kicked the shit out of Morinozuka-senpai?"

"The very same," I confirmed, "Which reminds me…"

I took my knife out of my pocket and tossed it on the coffee table. It's not like I'm going to need that anymore. And I think I might have scared Kasanoda even more, "What the fuck were you doing with a knife?"

"I'm a girl that lives alone," I told him, "You don't think I won't have a way of defending myself when I'm not expecting company at my front door?"

"What brought you to Tokyo anyway?" he tried to push himself a little more.

"Daddy wanted me safe," I spun my knife around on the table, "I'm all he's got left. Of course, he'll want me safe."

"So…" Kasanoda remembered, "When you said your mom was his lawyer…"

"She died when I was nine," I explained, "That's what happens when the family business is what it is."

"And…" he got nervous again, "What exactly is the family business?"

"Well," I laid my head on the arm of the couch, "Since we're being honest here, I might as well tell you. I'm the daughter of a major mafia boss back home. My family owns a quarter of New York City."

"Isn't New York City massive?"

"Five boroughs."

"And it's all yours?"

"Not all of it," I clarified, "Some of it. We're not the only family that runs New York."

"Damn," Kasanoda seemed impressed. As well he should be. Getting that much of the city came through years of back breaking work…and a little…brute force, "Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he wondered, "About you being a girl?"

"You are awfully fixated on that," I noticed, "It shouldn't matter. So, my full name is Reila. Everyone calls me Rei, except for Daddy sometimes. And Mama called me Reila a lot, too. It felt foreign when Beni-bara kept calling me Reila. But like I said, Kasanoda, I'm still me. That hasn't changed."

He still had a hard time looking at me. Alright. Learning curve. But then, he grew the stones to open his mouth, "Have you eaten?"

"Does a pint of strawberry ice cream count?" I asked, knowing damn well that it didn't.

"No."

"Then, no, I haven't."

Without another word, Kasanoda got up from my couch and fished his bike keys out of his pocket, "Go get dressed."

"What?" I gave him a look, not sure how to take that.

"You heard me." Well, if someone didn't just grow the big dick, "Go get dressed."

"Why?" I didn't budge. He's not the only one here that can be a little bit of an asshole.

"I said we'd hang out tonight," Kasanoda grumbled, "So, let's go. Besides, I doubt you have anything here to eat and I'm not letting you starve."

"Ok." The awkward moron with a heart of gold, huh? I shook the thought out of my head and went into my closet. It's still pretty warm outside, so a pair of shorts wouldn't be too nuts, right? The black ones I wanted to wear on the first day of school wouldn't be a half bad idea. And thanks to that mix of Spanish and Italian blood I had, I never have to worry about looking too pasty.

Top…Top…I kind of wanted to go with the black one. No. I don't need to be head to toe in black. Take the girl out of New York, but taking New York out of the girl…? Never fucking happening. I settled on an old white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. I know how cold those winds can get. I'd much rather feel that on my legs than my arms. And if shit goes sideways, I'd rather have road rash on my legs. After one last look in the mirror, I could say without a doubt, fuck me, I look hot. God bless.

Maybe I should tone it down. Heaven forbid I give the poor boy a heart attack. For a brief moment, I considered putting on a pair of jeans instead, but it's too damn hot. Not to mention, hiding my best feature? Fuck that. I got legs for days. Thanks, Mama. I'd switch the jacket up for a sweater, but for safety reasons, I'll keep my leather jacket. Sorry, Kasanoda. Looks like I'm taking you to the emergency room tonight. Hopefully not, but Daddy always told me to prepare for the worst.

"Well?" I walked out, "Good enough?"

"Uh…" a little trail of blood trickled out of Kasanoda's nose.

"Oh, shit, dude," I got a warm washcloth out of my bathroom and took care of it, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," he murmured, "I'm ok. Totally fine."

"Are you sure?" I giggled, "Because the nosebleed says you're full of shit."

"Really," Kasanoda took the washcloth from me, "I'll be fine. But thanks."

"Kasanoda," I settled him, "Relax. You don't need to try so hard."

"Who said I was trying?" The vein in your forehead and your bloody nose betray you, "Come on. It's already getting late."

"It's barely six," I checked the clock, "Ok, six-thirty. How old are you?"

"Sixteen," he told me, "Do you trust me?"

"Do you want the smart answer or the honest one?"

"Either one."

"Sure," I smiled, grabbing my little blue backpack off the kitchen counter, "Shall we?"

"Yeah." The elevator ride down was quite to no one's surprise. But once we were in the lobby, everything started getting weirder.

"Hey, Kasanoda," I got on the back of his motorcycle, "Where are we going?"

"I don't know," he started the engine, "Figured I'd decide on the way."

Something tells me we're not going to the ramen shop. When I wrapped my arms around Kasanoda's waist, his body tensed up. I had a feeling that any attempts I make of helping the situation would only make it worse. Although, out of nothing but sheer neck muscle exhaustion, I laid my head on his shoulder blades. And strangely enough, his tension started falling. I told him to relax. And now, he's finally listening to me.

The two of us wove in and out of Tokyo traffic, passing neighborhood after neighborhood without a single care in the world. At least I think so. Kasanoda had pulled the stick out of his ass. Although, when we hit highway, I started to get nervous. I knew almost nothing about the surrounding area of Tokyo, but right now, I didn't care. Kasanoda wouldn't do something stupid like take me to the outskirts of town and leave me with no way back, would he? No. He knows I'd be able to tear his balls off his body and show them to him. We'd be fine.

Honestly, I didn't really care where we were going. I sat on the back of his bike with my face in his shoulders, content with the world. I've never had such a beautiful silence before. The world outside of the city was so still. Is this what people mean when they talk about slowing down? When they talk about getting away from it all? Because a girl could get used to this kind of peace. Don't get me wrong. My heart needed to beat to the pulse of the city, but this? This isn't too bad either.

A couple hours went by with a blink of an eye. We pulled over somewhere I never knew existed. It seemed like an entirely different world. Definitely not in Tokyo anymore. That's for damn sure. When I got off the bike, my legs turned to pudding. Having a decent amount of steel between the legs for two hours straight with no breaks will do that to a person. And of course, dumbass me took one step and fell into the gravel.

"Are you ok, Rei?" Kasanoda helped me up.

"Yeah," I brushed myself off, "I'm fine. Where the fuck are we?"

"Welcome to Hakone," he greeted me, "I used to come here a lot when I was younger and the old man wasn't as much of a dick."

"Did we really just drive two hours out of town for food?" I wondered.

"Did you have anything else going on tonight?" Kasanoda retaliated, "Come on. I know a place right on the lake with really nice views."

"Ok," I forced back a smile, "Hey, Kasanoda…"

"What?"

"Are we…" I couldn't help myself, "Are we good?"

I think my question might have caught him off guard a little bit. Because the skitter of gravel gave him away. Then, if I didn't know any better, I think he might have smiled, "Yeah. We're good. We never weren't. Come on. I'm fucking starving. We just drove two hours out of Tokyo and I haven't eaten since lunch."

Who was I to keep him?

A/N: Goddammit, Kasanoda. Why does he have to be so cute? Or am I projecting my love and admiration for Kento Yamazaki (the cutest little fucking bean to ever be) onto Kasanoda after watching Death Note drama crack? Probably both. A little bit of both. Also, I don't have ovaries left. It's all his fault. Cute little shit…How dare he…? What was I talking about again? Oh, yeah! Update!

So, we had a lot go down here. Kasanoda found out Rei's a lady (and still took her out anyway. Two hours out of the city.). Rei told Beni-bara to fuck herself. She got an afternoon off from the host club, but she's going to be a part time host. And Friday, we're going to get a little surprise on the Rei/Kasanoda front. Well…Not with them per se, but it'll be happening in their near vicinity. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go over here and not do anything. See you next chapter! xx