Chapter Two:

Meeting The Strange Newcomer!

……..

"Hey, it's that transfer kid," Hikaru spoke up, causing Kaoru to stop along with him. The pair of them watched with wide eyes as he approached Haruhi. He began to speak to her, both of them smiling kindly as they seemed comfortable.

"Should we tell?" Kaoru asked. Both he and Hikaru exchanged looks that only the two of them could understand before they heard Tamaki approach from behind with Kyoya.

"Who's that?" Tamaki asked, watching curiously as the transfer student and Haruhi continued.

"New student who transferred," Kyoya responded, also looking up to see the interaction. Tamaki's mouth fell open as he turned to him with a horrified expression.

"The-the one that everyone's talking about? The one with the Yakuza?!"

"Yeah, he's the one," Hikaru answered him. Tamaki opened his mouth to say something but stopped when the student began to head toward them.

"Quick Kyoya, he's coming this way! What do we do? Do we confront him and ask how he knows our precious Haruhi? Now that I look at him, he looks rough, like a gang member. What if he's blackmailing Haruhi and she owes him mountains of debt!" Tamaki ranted, flailing his arms around in a panic. He cleared his throat before turning to the twins.

"Alright men!" He continued. "Our Haruhi is in danger, and it is our duty as her friends and fellow club members to protect her from this evil! We need to form a plan and figure out a way to stop this man from taking advantage of her!" Hikaru and Kaoru saluted to him, both of them saying simultaneously:

"Yes, sir!"

"Honestly, I think you're taking this a bit too far, Tamaki," Kyoya spoke up, the glare from his glasses hiding his eyes as he mindlessly wrote in his book. "And besides, if he is a member of a gang it would be unwise for us to cause him any problems. At least not until we figure out which gang he belongs to."

"You think I'm part of a gang?" The said man spoke up, causing Tamaki to jump and back away along with the twins, who were holding a cross that seemingly popped out of nowhere. Riku gave him a sincere smile before holding out his hand.

"You're Tamaki, right? Haruhi told me a bit about you. You're the King of this club?"

Tamaki immediately relaxed, a blush coming to his face as he began to wriggle around.

"The King you say? Well…if Haruhi said so…" He then trailed off, seeming to go off into a trance as the twins began to shake him, whispering:

"Don't fall for it, boss!"

"Yeah, he's trying to appeal to your stupid needs. He's brainwashing you!"

Tamaki violently shook his head, coming out of his trance as he tried his best to glare at Riku as he pointed at him.

"You're right! You, sir! What is your relationship with our dear Haruhi? And no lies or tricks!"

Riku stared at him with a blank look before responding.

"We're just friends. We knew each other in junior high for a bit. I helped her around with her classes."

Tamaki blanked.

"You…helped her with her classes? But why do you look like a mob member out to collect people's protection money?"

Riku reached up to rub the back of his neck, seeming embarrassed.

"Well, I went through a phase, you could say. But if you're that worried about me being a gang member, just ask Haruhi. A lot of people said the same thing back then."

Tamaki glared at him for another moment before grabbing the twins and Kyoya, forming a huddle.

"What do you think men? If Haruhi trusts this man, then he must be an alright person. What are the chances he's threatening Haruhi, Kyoya?"

"None. Haruhi and her father have never been threatened or forced into anything in their entire lives. However, I was able to dig up some information about him after hearing he was coming here."

"Why didn't you tell us before?! And why'd you look him up anyways?"

"Well, he caught everyone's attention after being the 2nd commoner to make it into Ouran after Haruhi. He got nearly perfect scores on every entrance exam, doing better than 97% of the students already here."

Tamaki and the twins looked over their shoulders to watch Riku with wide eyes, who was currently studying a teacup he had picked up with a frown. They quickly looked away when he glanced up at them.

"Really? That guy?" Kaoru questioned as Hikaru nodded his head in agreement.

"Come now, we're being rude. After all, he is a guest here despite being male. Isn't this a safe place for all?" Kyoya asked with a smile before leaving the huddle, approaching Riku with a neutral smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. You're Riku Tokura, correct?" Kyoya asked him, holding out his hand. They shook as Riku replied.

"Sure am. You must be Kyoya Ootori. You and your family are quite famous in the healthcare business."

"Oh? I see you've done your research."

"And I see you have as well. Honestly, I couldn't deny my interest when Haruhi told me about this club. I guess you could say I dug a bit into the club's members before coming here. I wanted to see who was watching over her here." He had a smile on his face but his voice was hard, causing Tamaki and the twins to shiver. He must have noticed the tone of his voice because he quickly waved his hands, adding:

"Oh, I didn't mean to make you nervous! Truthfully, I didn't find anything suspicious, but I thought it'd be best to meet you all myself." He then turned back to Kyoya, who was watching him with slightly narrowed eyes. "Anyways, I was wondering if I could request Haruhi. If she isn't already busy of course. I'd hate to take her away from her guests."

"She'll be available in just a few minutes. That is if you don't mind sharing her with other guests. We are running a host club after all."

"Don't mind at all."

"Perfect, though we will have to kick you out if you disrupt or bother any of the other guests. You understand."

"Completely." Riku then turned back to Tamaki and the twins, who had been watching their conversation intensely. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you all. I hope we get to know each other more." He said before moving away, sitting on a couch near where Haruhi currently was. Tamaki let out a sigh of relief before saying:

"Thank goodness. He doesn't seem like he wants to cause any trouble. Still! Hikaru, Kaoru! You both will be in charge of watching him until he leaves!"

"What? Why us?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah, you're the only one who wants to watch him. Don't drag us into this. Besides, who knows what he'll do if he catches us spying on him?" Hikaru added, both of them turning away with their hands behind their heads. With streams of tears falling down his face, Tamaki turned to Kyoya.

"Kyoya…what do I do? Everyone else has forsaken me."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him. Besides, I think you're missing the most important thing."

"What's that?"

"He knows Haruhi's a girl. Who knows what he'll do with that information."

"Y-you're right! That's it! I'm going to take it upon myself to watch over him during his stay here! Yes, it's perfect, this is a job only the King can do!"

"As long as you don't shy away from your duty as a host."

"Right again Kyoya. I need to find a way to watch him as well as entertain my guests."

"Why not pair up with Haruhi for the day? 2 hosts entertaining one group might not be a bad idea."

"Brilliant! Alright, it's settled! Operation: Spy on the Strange Newcomer has begun!" Tamaki said with a determined look before heading to Haruhi, smiling at her.

"Oh, Haruhiiii! How would you feel about hosting together today? It's not often you get to work side-by-side with the King after all."

"No," Haruhi replied flatly. Tamaki fell over, his hands on the ground as he began to mumble incoherent words under his breath as what seemed to be a dark aura drifted off of him. Slightly annoyed, Haruhi turned back to her guests, waving them off with a warm smile as they departed. She then turned to look at Riku, who was watching Tamaki with a small frown as he began to melt into the ground below him. Riku looked up as Haruhi waved him over and he climbed to his feet, taking a step toward her before stopping.

He then turned to Tamaki and crouched down beside him before saying:

"Hey, King, I know Haruhi denied your gracious request to join her, but I would enjoy your company." He then glanced at Haruhi with an unreadable expression as she let out a big sigh. Tamaki immediately sprang up, a look of surprise on his face as he looked at Riku.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?"

Riku climbed to his feet, giving Tamaki a wide grin as he held out his hand.

"'Course not. Any friend of Haruhi's is a friend of mine." He then gracefully pulled Tamaki up, whose face had turned a light shade of pink. Riku then patted him on the shoulder before moving to sit opposite Haruhi, leaving the seat beside her open for Tamaki, who took it while staring at Riku.

"So, how the hell did you end up in a host club, Haruhi? I never saw you as one to entertain."

"Well, I ended up breaking an expensive vase that was worth a lot of yen. I'm working as a host to repay it."

"Smart idea, but the one thing I don't get is why you're entertaining girls when you're-"

"HAHA! Yes, because he's such a shy and reserved boy! Who would have thought Haruhi would be such a wonderful host!" Tamaki interrupted, waving his hands around wildly. Riku stared at him, then at Haruhi, then at their uniforms before something seemed to click in his mind.

"Right. Yes. Haruhi has always been such an awkwardly quiet male. With male genitals." Riku emphasized the pronouns, nodding his head in understanding as both he and Tamaki gave each other a thumbs up.

It's like they both share the same, singular brain cell. Haruhi thought to herself, watching them with a tired look.

"Haru-chan!!" All three of them turned to see Honey running toward Haruhi with a big smile and Usa-chan in his hands. "Haru-chan, come and have some cake with me!"

"Oh, Honey-senpai! I was talking to a friend of mine. This is Riku." Honey then turned to him, seeming to study him for a moment before grinning.

"Hi, Riku-chan! Everyone calls me Honey, and this is USA-chan!" He said to him, holding up his bunny. Riku stared at Usa-chan before leaning forward.

"What a cute bunny." He said, seeming to honestly mean it. Honey's eyes widened before the smile came back to his face.

"Here, can you watch him for me? I wanna grab some cake so I can join you and Haru-chan!!" Before Riku could respond Honey handed him Usa-chan, taking off with Takashi after smiling once again.

"You like bunnies?" Tamaki asked after a bit, watching as Riku carefully moved Usa-chan so that he was sitting comfortably on his lap.

"Yeah…outside my old house a mother made a nest in my backyard. I kept an eye on them. I guess you could say I grew attached." He lifted Usa-chan before smiling softly at the bunny.

"E-excuse me?" They turned to see one of the guests standing there with another girl. They were facing Riku, seeming to be captivated by him. "You're Riku Tokura, right? The student who just transferred here?"

"Oh, yes," Riku replied, setting down the bunny to smile at the girls.

"I never got the chance to introduce myself. I'm-"

"Harada Kohaku. You're in my Mathematics class."

"You remembered my name?"

"'Course I did. It'd be hard to forget a face like yours." The girls both blushed, causing Tamaki to violently stand up.

"Alright, I've finally decided on what to do with you," Tamaki said with a mischievous grin. Haruhi gave him a skeptical look as he pointed dramatically to Riku.

"Riku, I would like to officially invite you to become a member of the Host club!!"

The whole room fell silent as Tamaki grinned confidently at Riku, who had gone still. He opened his mouth but was interrupted when some loud laughter came from around the room before the sound of mechanical engines rang out. Renge rose from the middle of the floor, her hands on her hips as she continued.

"Well well, what have we here? A new student is being welcomed into the Host club! And not just any student, the second commoner to be beckoned into the noble Ouran Academy! The notorious Riku Tokura was said to be part of an infamous Yakuza gang before leaving their ranks, wanting to achieve his dream of completing school and becoming a functioning member of society! What drama!!"

"Tamaki-senpai, please don't try to rope him into your shenanigans!" Haruhi objected as Renge also came over to discuss the issue.

"What do you think, Renge? As a manager, I would love your opinion on this matter."

"What about us?" Hikaru and Kaoru objected, seeming to come out of nowhere. Renge and Tamaki ignored the twins as they both stepped forward to move closer to Riku, who was watching them quietly.

"Hm. There's no denying his hidden charm beneath that rough exterior." Renge commented, narrowing her eyes. "Of course, we can't tweak any of his looks. It would ruin the 'Type' I have in mind for him. Riku Tokura, from now on you'll be known as the Delinquent Type!!" Renge took a step back to give him some space, a proud look on her face as they waited for his response.

Riku leaned over his knees, his arms now wrapped around his stomach as if he was in pain.

"Riku? Are you alright?" Haruhi asked him, quickly hurrying up to him to see if he was alright. He then lifted his head before he burst out in hearty laughter. Still laughing a bit, he climbed to his feet before handing Usa-chan to Honey, giving him a little pat on the head afterward. After his laughter died down he turned to Tamaki, a smile on his face.

"I appreciate the invitation, King, and I-" He cut off for a moment before pulling his phone from his pocket. "Sorry, I need to take this real quick." He said before stepping a bit to the side. Hikaru, Kaoru, and Honey all ran up to Tamaki, all of them trying to say different things at the same time, making a mumble-jumble of words.

"You're going to let him in, boss? What about the whole Operation: sneak around and spy thing? I thought you didn't trust him!"

"Yeah! You went on a whole rant about him being a dangerous man and everything!"

"Hey Tama-chan, if Riku-chan stays, can I share my cake with him? Me and Usa-chan like him and want him to stay! Can he, please?"

Ignoring the loud ruckus they were making, Haruhi moved around them and to Riku, who was talking softly to someone over the phone. She waited for him to finish before she said:

"You know, you don't have to join up. A bit of a warning though, I think they've grown to like you, especially Honey-senpai. They're pretty stubborn. If you want me to tell them to leave you alone, just say the word."

"Heh, yeah…look, I gotta go. Something at home came up."

"Of course! I meant to ask earlier, but how's your grandma? Me and my dad miss her cooking, and I still haven't been able to get that cookie recipe from her."

"I was just about to ask if you wanted to come over tomorrow. There's no school and my grandmother's been wondering about you ever since we left town. You can bring your dad too if you like." Haruhi smiled.

"I'd love to." He smiled back.

"Great! I shall see you tomorrow then. I've gotta skedaddle now." He ruffled her hair before heading to the music room door.

"WAIT!!" Tamaki yelled after him, momentarily getting away from the other club members who were harassing him. "So, what do you think?! Are you up for joining us? It'll be fantastic to have a new member and is bound to be exciting for everyone! And you seem to already be getting along with some guests and club members. Honey-senpai seems to like you."

"Hm. It wouldn't be bad to have some new people to talk to, I suppose."

"Perfect! We can start-"

"But I'll have to decline." Tamaki's smile faded a bit as Riku explained.

"You're all very nice, and you guys seem to be close. I'm glad you guys have been taking care of Haruhi since she's been here. She always had a hard time opening up to people in junior high, but she seems to be happy here. I wouldn't want to impose."

"But she seems happy with you too. And any friend of our dear Haruhis' is a friend of mine." Tamaki added that last part with a smile.

"Heh, touché. I'll think about it, King." And after that, Riku left, giving Tamaki one last grin before disappearing behind the door.