As Monday classes ended and the final bell rang dozens of female students, dressed in the yellow dresses that were Ouran High School's uniform, rushed towards the schools third music room. Inside awaited the school's host club, a group of seven male students who entertained the young ladies of the school. Today however was a special day, today was to be a special event. About once every month or so the seven young men would cosplay for their clients, and although none of the girls knew what this events theme was, there was much speculations.
When they arrived at the large double doors into the music room however, the doors were locked with a small sign hung from the handles reading that the club would be delayed for opening due to preparations. The girls waited calmly but spoke in hushed gossip about what was awaiting them on the other side until the audible click of the doors unlocking caught their attention. The young ladies looked at one another until a third year decided to open the door, she gasped at what she found inside causing the rest of the girls to push up around her to see.
Inside, not ten feet from the door, stood the front to an old saloon that looked like it could have come out of any western movie. The building was complete with a large sign reading saloon over the door, hitching posts and water troughs for horses, and a set of batwing doors. The girls stepped forward and pushed through the swinging doors, once inside they paused to let their eyes adjust as the interior of the saloon was a lot darker.
"Howdy partners." Came a voice in a horrible accent. Stepping forward into view was Tamaki dressed up as a cliché sheriff. He wore an oversized white cowboy hat with a golden star pinned in the middle, he had on denim jeans and button up shirt with white gloves, boots, riding chaps, pistol belt, and vest. The vest had a matching gold star as the hat and almost everything was covered in fringe. "Welcome to Ouran Saloon, I'm the sheriff around these parts. You can call me Sheriff Suoh or Sheriff Senpai if you like. I'm here to keep the peace so dontcha be goin around an causin trouble now ya hear."
The girls swooned at the sight of the Host Club President dressed as the old west picture of justice. None of them would think of causing trouble and bringing down the iron fist of the law in this old-time roleplay, well maybe they'd fantasize about it.
"And I, the deputy, will help to uphold the peace." Came Hunny-senpai's higher pitched voice from Tamaki's side. The small senior was dressed up as Woody from Toy Story, and his stuffed bunny was wearing a little black and white striped shirt with a bandit's mask. This brought out many shrieks of joy from the ladies as they took in the Lolita's appearance.
"Yes, here at the Ouran Saloon you will have a chance to live out the experience of the wild west." Said Kyoya as he walked up from behind the two lawmen. The Vice president was dressed a lot more refined than the other two, his outfit being more historically accurate. He wore dark grey slacks secured with a black pistol belt over black cowboy boots. A vest that matched his slacks was worn over a white dress shirt with sleeve garters covered his lean frame, and a grey bowler hat sat perched on his head. Even his normal oval glasses had been replaced with smaller round spectacles. "We have arranged several activities to make sure you get your money's worth in today's special cowboy themed event."
He gestured to one corner of the saloon which held the bar, behind the wooden counter stood Haruhi dressed up as a bartender with a fake mustache. From what could be seen she wearing black slacks with a brown gun belt, a white dress shirt with sleeve garters under a red vest. She smiled with a sheepish grin at the clients and gave a slight bow. "We have a fully stocked bar." Kyoya continued. "Alcohol free of course, but for authentic reasons we have named the usual drinks after various liquors. You will find a key on any menu of what drink is which."
"At the other end we will have old time entertainment." Kyoya continued with the tour, he gestured to where a small stage and piano were set up. The curtains were currently drawn on the stage hiding what the actual entertainment would be, but anticipation of the crowd was already high. There were several tables strewn about the open space for the ladies to sit and gave a good view of the stage.
"Alright ladies, please fill free to mingle and get some refreshments. Haruhi, Tamaki, Hunny-senpai, and I will be posted around the saloon and around ten minutes we will begin the first activity starring your favorite set of twins." The shadow king said with a smile. He excused himself and calmly walked over to the piano. Within seconds an upbeat tune that could be found in any old western began to fill the air.
The female students began to spread out into the area, the largest portion going to where Tamaki was stationed. The president was standing it a heroic pose, his holsters were the only ones of the group that actually had something in them. In this case it was pair of twin toy pistols that the blonde rapidly drew and spun on his fingers. He expertly began to perform tricks with them, spinning them this way and that.
"Remember my princesses, don't try this at home." Tamaki said confidently to the applause of his fans who swooned and complemented him on his skill.
Another group surrounded Hunny-senpai who had set himself at a table close to the bar, he was shuffling a deck of playing cards and inviting the girls who were up for a challenge to join him in a game of go fish. Several of the yellow dressed beauties decided to join in the fun while others made their way to the bar.
The cross-dressing host gave the ladies a bit of a forced smile as they sat down at her bar, she was rather happy with the outfit she'd been assigned. Especially with what the other option the twins had pushed forward, but there was one annoying problem with this one. The mustache itched and made her want to sneeze. Gritting her teeth, she tried her best to ignore it before asking her patrons what they would like to drink.
After a few minutes, most of the girls had cycled through the bar to get their drinks and were now sitting at the provided tables. All that was left at the bar was some of Haruhi's regulars, and as they were content at the moment, she was polishing some of the cups.
"So Haruhi, how was your date with Mori-senpai?" Yuki, one of Haruhi's classmates, asked. Haruhi couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up slightly, but a soft genuine smile formed under the curse fake hair piece.
"It was a very lovely evening, I enjoyed myself quite a lot." She responded timidly which drew out some coos and sighs from all the girls at the bar.
"Where is Mori-senpai now?" Another girl asked just realizing she hadn't seen him yet. "Is he not here today?"
"I personally haven't seen him today, but Kyoya has assured me he is here and will be participating in the club." Haruhi said, her smile fading just a bit. She'd been hoping to see him this morning but hadn't got the chance. "I'm told he will be apart of the final event."
"Oh, how exciting. I can't wait to…" One of the girls was saying before she was cut off by Kyoya as he stopped playing the piano. The sudden silence drew the attention of the patrons as the shadow king stood to address the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Ouran Saloon is proud to present. All the way from class A-1, The Hitachiin Sisters!" Kyoya called before the curtains pulled back to reveal Hikaru and Koaru. The twins were dressed as saloon girls in feathery cocktail dresses, one in a light blue and the other orange. They smiled and wave at all the girls who were gushing, one or two even fainted at the sight. Kyoya began to play a tune on the piano to which the twins began a sing and dance routine that they'd clearly been practicing.
Haruhi couldn't help but grimacing at the twins, not for what they were doing. The two were actually doing a very good job and performing, no she had grimaced because they'd originally pushed for her to be in one of those horrible dresses as well. Tamaki had jumped on board with the idea whole heartedly, and if it hadn't been for Kyoya putting his foot down saying that Haruhi was needed as the bartender, then she probably would have been stuck up on stage.
After several song and dance routines had gone by did the next even start. It was sudden but well timed. The batwing doors to the saloon flew open, the brighter lights from outside shining in around the tall, broad-shouldered figure standing in the doorway. Kyoya stopped playing and the combination of silence and light had every person in the room turning to look at the figure. Without a word the stranger walked forward towards the bar, the doors flapping close behind him.
It was clearly Mori-senpai but all the girls and hosts remained quiet as he strode up to the bar and sat at an empty stool. The big man had on a flat top brown hat and a good portion of his outfit was hidden beneath a poncho. Haruhi picked up on the outfit immediately, the twins had obviously taken much inspiration from Clint Eastwoods character in the good, the bad, and the ugly. What caught her off guard was his facial hair.
Unlike the despicable hair piece that was attached to girls' upper lip, Mori-senpai had as strong 5 o'clock shadow. It gave the wild host a more rugged appearance, accentuating his masculine features. Haruhi couldn't help herself but to stare at him as he sat before her, she'd never seen him with facial hair before. Or any of the hosts for that matter, Ouran High had a strict policy on shaving for the male students. Mori-senpai's whiskers looked natural, she desperately wanted to touch them to see if they were real. He must have not shaved since their date to get it like that.
It took the large man clearing his throat to snap Haruhi from her stupor, she'd forgotten that she was roleplaying as the bartender for a second. With a crimson face she greeted the new customer. "Welcome to the Ouran Saloon. What can I get ya. Um.. partner?"
Takashi on the other had was glad he was a rather stoic individual as he suppressed the urge to smile and even laugh at how adorable Haruhi's costume and awkward disposition was. "Bourbon." He said in his deep voice but adding a bit of a gruff sound to it. Haruhi began to get a the 'bourbon', which was just iced tea in a short glass.
Across the room Hunny couldn't help but grin as he got ready for his part. The whole saloon was quietly watching the interaction between the two hosts so he had no problem moving over next to Tamaki.
"Sheriff!" The shortest host called out catching everyone's attention as he held up a wanted poster for all to see. Drawn on the poster was a picture of Takashi as he looked now. "Isn't that the most wanted bandit around these parts, Mori the kid?"
"Good eye my most trusted deputy." Tamaki said with a large grin staring down the big senior. "And as Sheriff it is my duty as the law in this town to bring in this man in for his many crimes. Mori the Kid, I challenge you to a duel."
Takashi turned his head to look at the sheriff with a convincing glare. He grabbed his drink from Haruhi and stood to walk over to stand face to face with Tamaki. In one swift motion Takashi downed his drink and looked the club president right in the eyes. "I accept."
The tension was high in the saloon, all the girls watched the scene play out with bated breath. Most had a worried or dreamy expression on their faces as they waited to see what would happen next.
"Your attention if you please." Kyoya called out. "It would seem that our brave sheriff has finally encountered the legendary bandit. Ladies please make your way out to the front of the saloon where the final event with take place."
It didn't take long for all the patrons to exit out front where a man stood in front of a small table. Haruhi recognized him immediately; it was John who'd drove for Mori-senpai and her on their date. She hadn't got his last name, but he had been very polite, curiosity on what he was doing here began to eat at her.
"As most of you have figured out our last event will be a duel between our brave sheriff and the outlaw. Mr. Freyr here will be instructing and supervising the event. Mr. Freyr you have the floor." Kyoya continued as Tamaki and Takashi approached the man.
"Ahem. Thank you Master Ootori." John said in his gravely heavy accented voice. "Before we begin, I shall go over the equipment and safety of this event. Before me on the table there are two revolvers, these are replicas used in movies. They are made to look and sound like real firearms, albeit much quieter as not to cause hearing damage. They fire small paint balls instead of actual ammunition. With that said you will treat them as though they are real firearms and follow the basic rule of firearm safety. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot, always keep them pointed in a safe direction, and always treat them as if they are loaded. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir." Takashi and Tamaki said in unison, the later of the two looking a little nervous.
"Excellent." John continued as he held up a mask. "During the duel you will wear one of these at all times, the paint ammunition is generally harmless but can cause serious injuries to the eyes. I have set up a small target to practice with before we begin. Master Souh would you like to go first?"
"Of course." Tamaki said acting more confident than he felt. He looked over at that target, a simple bullseye. John loaded several rounds before handing the gun over to the club president.
"As I've said before this is much quieter than an actual firearm but I still recommend that the observers please cover their ears." John reiterated and was glad to see the majority of the ladies and some of the hosts follow is directions.
Tamaki held the revolver awkwardly in his hand, unsure of foreign object. Sure, he had been doing all those tricks earlier but those were toys, fakes. This was a real gun, or at least the closest thing to a real gun he'd ever held. As he looked it over trying to figure out how it worked, he accidently stroked the trigger causing it to discharge. The president jumped but played it cool for the ladies as though he had meant to do that. All the yellow dress girls cooed in amazement as a small red splat had appeared in the center of the bullseye. It was extremely lucky for an accidental discharge, but it boosted his ego. "Bullseye!" Tamaki cheered, "As the sheriff with perfect aim I will bring this criminal to justice."
The girls cheered at Tamaki's acting and gave him a standing applause, the prince gave a dramatic bow removing his hat, he looked up and gave the crowd a wink which almost caused a few girls to faint. He stood tall and redonned his hat, he stepped to the side and gestured for Takashi to step forward for his turn.
"Pardon me, Master Suoh." John said quietly to the president of the Host club so only he could hear. "Would you like to practice a bit more; we still have time."
"No need Mr. Freyr." Tamaki said confidently. "I already hit the bullseye."
It looked as though the large man wanted to argue, but decided it wasn't his place. He took the pistol back from Tamaki and placed it on the table before grabbing the slightly larger framed revolver. Takashi stepped forward and took the weapon from his employee, once free from his duty the John returned to the side of the table. "Proceed when ready." John instructed.
Takashi held the pistol in his right hand gingerly as he tested the weight and balance, he cocked and de-cocked the old pistols hammer several times and checked the chambers of the cylinder.
"Go Mori-Senpai!" Haruhi cheered, "You can do it." Satisfied he raised the pistol and fired a single shot, a paint splatter appeared low and to the left on the target. He'd missed the bullseye by several inches. He re-cocked the weapon and fired five more times, the paint pellets impacting in almost the exact same spot every time. Takashi looked down at the now empty weapon in thought and nodded before handing it back to John.
"Would you like me to adjust it sir?" John asked as he took the weapon back.
"No, it is fine." Takashi said. "I'll just Kentucky windage it." John nodded and stepped back to reload the two guns.
"Good try Mori-Senpai." Tamaki said with a smile, he was a bit upset that the tall senior had been cheered on by Haruhi but was satisfied that he was the better shot. "With a bit more practice you'll be as good as me." Takashi thought about that for a moment the simply nodded in agreement.
"Alright, shooters." John said loudly getting everyone's attention. "Don your protective masks and get to your positions, I will then bring you your firearms and explain the rules." Both Host's did as they were instructed and once their guns were safely secured in their holsters did John continue.
"The rules are as follows; it is a minute to five pm, when the clock chimes you will draw your pistols and shoot. Once it is over you will reholster your firearm and remove your hand from it, understood?" Both participants nodded and took up a fighting stance. The last minute until five seemed to drag on as the room was deathly quiet as everyone waited in anticipation. The audience held their breaths as the seconds ticked by.
The grandfather clock chimed and within a split second the room echoed with the sound of a gunshot. Girls gasped and cried out as Tamaki fell back onto the floor, gun clattering from his hands. Takashi stood tall, his revolver outstretched in his hand. He'd moved incredibly, unbelievably fast. He returned his revolver to its holster and glanced to the crowd.
A murmur broke out and he picked up key phrases such as: "Tamaki lost?", "I thought the good guy was supposed to win?", and "Was that supposed to happen?" Takashi had gone off script, he glanced at Mitsukuni. Their eyes met and the small senior nodded in understanding.
"Sheriff are you alright?" He called hopping up and running to Tamaki's aid. As he did so Takashi reached up and grabbed his chest just above his heart, when he pulled his hand away it was covered in red paint. He gasped and fell forward onto his knees then face first onto the ground. "Sheriff, you're alright." Honey cheered drawing the crowd's attention over to him and Tamaki.
Tamaki had stood, his protective mask no longer on his face. The president dusted himself off and gave a bow to the audience. He pulled out of the bow to reveal there wasn't a drop of red on him. "Another victory in the name of Justice." He said with a smile which brought up a cheer and a round of applause from the clients. They all rushed him asking him questions and he was lost in the crowd. Haruhi; however, ran over to Takashi who was standing back up. A fact that didn't go entirely unnoticed in the room.
"Are you alright?" The crossdressing host asked as she got to him.
"I'm fine." Takashi responded with the ghost of a smile, he handed off his pistol to John who had already retrieved Tamaki's firearm.
"Excellent shot sir." John said in a whisper as he took the piece and walked away.
"What does he mean, Mori-senpai?" Haruhi said confused. "I thought you lost, I mean it looked like you had won at first but then…"
"He was acting." Said Hunny-senpai as he appeared practically out of nowhere next to Haruhi. The girl jumped slightly then looked down at the senior, he was holding a safety mask in his hands. There was a red paint splatter in the middle of the googles. "Takashi was supposed to lose, he's playing the villain after all. Problem is I don't think Tamaki could have hit him if he had wanted too."
"Then how?" Haruhi stammered as she looked at the red stain over Takashi's heart. The big senior raised a finger in front of his mouth to indicate silence then opened his other hand to show a crushed paint pellet for only her to see. It donned on her then, they had staged the whole thing. She nodded in understanding.
"And that concludes today's events." Kyoya said stepping up to the groups to get everyone's attention. "We are now closing up but be sure to pick up a copy of the cowboy album on next Monday's Host club. We will be returning to our normal schedule on Wednesday and don't forget to sign up for the upcoming summer dance then."
This is the end of the cowboy installment; I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, but I would be lying if I didn't say I struggled writing it. I am happy with the ending but the beginning and middle feel very rocky to me. But that's what this fanfic is supposed to do, push me out of my comfort zone and help me grow. As usual please comment, review, and critic. Well be back to a regularly scheduled romance next chapter.