Chapter 9: Mission—Intolerable
When school was let out, Kira was prepared to spend her Friday night watching movies and staying up late. She never admitted it to anyone, but she was afraid of going to the ball the Host Club was holding. She hated wearing fancy dresses and heels and make-up was too complicated. It made her face feel heavy and too-powdered. Maybe, she thought deviously, I could tell Kyoya I'm sick and I won't have to go. However, she did feel bad as soon as she had that thought. It wouldn't be right to leave him hanging. She loved him too much.
Before Kira could walk out to the parking lot, a limo rolled up in front of her and blocked her way. It took all Kira she had not cuss the person out. For the past few days, Kira was trying to go through anger management in a twelve-step program and one was not to yell at anyone who made you mad. Biting her bottom lip, Kira's smile looked more like a lockjaw. Suddenly, the tinted window of the limo rolled down and in the seat sat Tamaki, Kira's current bane of existence.
"Mission successful," said a mischievous voice from her right, and she looked over to see Hikaru almost shoulder to shoulder with her.
"Dear God!" she cried out, jumping a bit in surprise. "What the fuck is going on here!?"
Ignoring her, Tamaki looked over at her left and said, "Grab her." She could see the sparkle in his eyes and hear the smile on his face.
Before Kira could comprehend anything, two pairs of hands grabbed her by the underarms and picked her up off the ground like she was nothing but a stuffed animal. The door to the limo opened and the twins tossed Kira in before getting in themselves. Now Kira felt more fury than before. How dare they kidnap her like this! They had no right to do this! She felt like a kidnapping victim. All she needed to complete that feeling was for them to tie her up and gag her. She fell forward and landed next to Tamaki, who was preening at his success.
"What is this!?" she demanded loudly, her lips a few inches from Tamaki's ears. "What the hell are you doing, Tamaki Suoh!?"
Tamaki was unfazed by Kira's shouting and gave her a gleeful look. "We're going shopping," he announced like his word was law, smiling to infuriate her further.
"For what!?" she shouted, waving her hands around emphatically.
"For a ball gown, of course," replied Tamaki as if it was the most obvious thing ever.
It took a few seconds for the words to sink in. Suddenly, Kira's eyes widened and a shadow fell across her face, resembling Kyoya a bit. Tamaki did look a little afraid but he didn't back down. Now, she really hated Tamaki! She wanted to slap the smile off his face.
"You can't make me!" she cried out, flushing angrily. "I have my rights and I should call a lawyer!"
"Oh, come now, Kira-chan," cooed Tamaki playfully, smiling again. He even had the audacity to pinch her cheek like she was a small child. "It's just shopping for a dress. It's not that bad."
"Not that bad?" repeated Kira in disbelief, biting her bottom lip in a nervous fashion. "I hate shopping, Tamaki! Especially when it's for dresses!" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him.
"Oh, come, come, come, Kira," he practically sang out, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "don't you want to look pretty for Kyoya? I know you would look nice in a dress. Now, do you want a dress made from France or England?" His violet eyes were wide with excitement.
"What's the difference?" asked Kira in a deadpan voice, not seeing the big picture. As she said that, she removed herself from his arm.
She almost wished she never said anything because Tamaki and the twins keeled over like they had a heart attack. What did she say? What drama kings…
"You mean," squealed Kaoru, placing a hand on his chest, "you don't know the difference between the two styles?" Seriously, that was what they were freaking out about?
"But you're a girl," whined Tamaki, looking victimized. "Girls know all about fashion!" He sounded a bit affronted like he did when Haruhi's real gender came up and he referred to himself as "daddy".
"That's a stereotype," remarked Kira dryly, shaking her head. "Not all girls know about fashion. I happen to be one of those girls." Sometimes, that did bug her because her mom would always ask her what looked best when she was going to a fancy dinner party or meeting. No matter how many female friends she had back in the States, the concept of fashion went right over her head.
Instead of looking further victimized, the twins and Tamaki looked like they pitied her, which pissed her off again. Suddenly, the three engulfed her in a tight group-hug embrace. She found herself pressed against three bodies. Her wind pipe was being crushed and they were squeezing the stuffing out of her. Since her arms were immobilized, she couldn't smack them and wished she could.
"Oh, you poor girl…" cooed Hikaru sweetly, stroking her hair like she was a kitten.
"No wonder you don't know fashion," cooed Kaoru in the same sweet tone Hikaru used, nuzzling into her cheek. "You've lived in a commoner world for so long and had no idea of fashion. Poor baby…" What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Kira developed an urge to beat the crap out the three of them. Just because she lived in a middle-classed world didn't mean she was dirt poor. Those idiots were so dumb. Kira wondered if they sniffed glue as kids. Just tough it out and then you can ditch them at the mall, she was thinking as they crushed her some more. That is, if I don't kill them first.
…
As soon as the car stopped in front of the store, Kira didn't wait for anyone to open the door and just walked out, slamming it behind her. She stormed into the mall, not waiting for the boys, and decided to make her way up to the women's section. As she went up the escalator, however, Tamaki and the twins weren't far behind as they ran after her. They tried to apologize but she ignored their attempts at it. When they got off the escalator, the boys literally steered Kira into the women's section of the store.
Kira saw the dresses near the intimates and had to admit they were beautiful. There were dresses of many designs, colors, and styles, but Kira didn't know how to pick one. Of course, the twins, whose mother was a fashion designer, knew exactly what to look for. The two pulled Kira into the direction of lovely French gowns and started pulling one dress after another off the shelves. One dress, a pink strapless number, caught Kira's eye. It was incredibly lovely and stylish but she couldn't afford it.
"Guys," she said in a defeated way, "I can't pay for a dress. They're all so expensive…"
The twins threw their arms around Kira in a playful chokehold. "Oh, Kira," they said in unison, laughing at her seemingly naïve words.
"We're here to pay for it," continued Kaoru, ruffling her hair.
"Since you make Kyoya happier," said Hikaru, smiling, "it's the least we can do."
Despite being annoyed of the three boys who kidnapped her, Kira couldn't help but smile. She was honestly very touched that they were willing to go through such lengths to make her and Kyoya happy. She opened her mouth to express her gratitude but then she saw Tamaki's face twist into a look of pure terror.
She looked over her shoulder and saw three girls walking towards them. The oldest one was tall and had short dark brown hair and pale blue eyes but, instead of dressing feminine, she wore a fancy suit. The second girl had long wavy light brown hair and dark brown eyes and she wore a fancy frock. The third girl, the youngest, had dark brown hair cut in a bob and black eyes and she wore a dress longer than the light brunette. The three girls looked incredibly angry and Tamaki hid behind Kira as if for protection.
"Oh, no!" groaned Hikaru, placing a hand to his forehead.
"Not them!" Kaoru groaned, mimicking his twin's action in rubbing his temples.
Stepping up to the plate, Tamaki forced a smile and approached the girls nervously.
"H-hello, ladies," he greeted them nervously, "it's nice to see you three again."
The oldest girl gave him a contemptuous glare before shifting her gaze to Kira, who stared back without saying a word. "What are you three pigs doing with this young maiden?" she asked in a surprisingly low voice.
"They've taken me dress shopping," replied Kira tonelessly, giving the girl a once-over. "It's for a dance at Ouran."
Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her wrist and she was pulled into the tall girl's side. More gob-smacked than irritated, Kira couldn't utter a syllable. What were these girls doing? She didn't want to be kidnapped…again.
"Men shopping for dresses are utterly demeaning!" shouted the tall girl, holding Kira firmly to her side. "It is a disgrace to womankind!"
Regaining herself, Kira pushed back from the tall girl and shook her head. "Hold on a minute," she protested to save the boys' skins. "I needed a dress and I'm pretty fashion-blind so these boys volunteered to help me. Hikaru and Kaoru's mother is a fashion designer so they know what to look for."
"Men are utterly useless," said the shortest girl in a high-pitched voice. "They don't know anything of women and they oppress them."
Kira gave the girl an odd look. "You know, if it wasn't for men, you three wouldn't even be here," she remarked in a sharp way.
Taking advantage of their silence, Kira went off on the girls and their apparent dislike for men. "Look, I can't pretend that all men are angels," she said coldly, "but I know if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here, and neither would you three. It's true, some men are repressive and cruel, I dated a boy who raped and impregnated me, but I know most men are good. If you find the right one, you'd agree with me. Men are wired differently from girls. They need time to take in our emotional outrages and mood swings. If you are just patient with them, like any other person, you would understand that they aren't that bad."
"We believe relationships should be based on equality," argued the tall girl in a quiet yet passionate tone. "And yes, that includes relationships with the same sex. We understand each other more because we're the same sex."
"That's great and all," interrupted Kira, not willing to back down, "but opposites attract too. I'm not a big supporter of gay rights but you can't just dismiss men like they're nothing. We live in this world because of them. A man and a woman make life. You can't have a child without an egg or a sperm. Two eggs and two sperms would provide a child nothing. That's why opposites attract in some ways."
"Well," sniffed the youngest girl, "we women have had it with all the female repression. Men are just power-hungry beasts."
"What repression?" demanded Kira, hands on her hips. "Back then, women weren't considered much except home keepers. You girls live in a privileged era. There are women in the middle east who don't have the right to speak out, so before you go bitching about repression and shit, think about the people who don't have the right to speak out."
"All men are just egotistical, brain-dead jerks," said the girl with the light brown hair. "Benio knows more than you think."
"You tell them, Chizuru," said the small girl with a look of pride on her face.
Suddenly, Kira's eyes flashed and her body began trembling. "I really hope you aren't referring to my dad when you say that," she hissed, clenching her fists tightly.
"Like we said," said Chizuru, crossing her arms over her chest, "men are just useless. They can't do anything right."
"Shut up!" shouted Kira, causing a few heads to turn. "My father is a great man, and an even greater father and husband! He works his ass off every day to make sure we get fed and he is an honorable man! The fact that you label men useless doesn't make you any better than the men that repressed women! If you want true equality, you should start by respecting men's existence because without them, you wouldn't here!"
There were a few moments of silence but then Benio smiled and stared at Kira. "I like outspoken girls like you," she said in husky tone, causing shivers to go down Kira's spine. Suddenly, she came over and cupped Kira's face like a lover would. "You know, there's always room for women like you at Lobelia's. You should just leave the boys in the dust and follow us."
"Look, girl," said Kira, pushing Benio's hand away from her face, "first of all, don't touch me, secondly, I like Ouran, and thirdly, I'm not a lesbian. I already have a boyfriend—a hot, hot, loving boyfriend who I love with all my heart—and I know that's not gonna change. Now, I'm not against gay people but if you start harassing me again, I will not hesitate in requesting a restraining order."
Benio looked a little hurt but she brightened immediately. "Don't worry, my dear," she said almost lovingly, "we'll get you away from those pigs as soon as possible. For now, adieu." With that, the three women twirled away like ballerinas, leaving Kira and the three boys in silent confusion.
The three boys shuddered in unison and Kira's mouth fell open.
"Wow," she finally said in a steady voice. "I mean, wow. I have gay friends back in America but that Benio…I have never felt so violated by a woman in my whole entire life. What the hell was that about?"
"They're the girls from Lobelia's Academy," replied Tamaki quietly. "It's an all-girls school and the most popular club there is the Zuka Club. Those three girls, Benio, Chizuru, and Hinako, are the only members who make up the club but they are extremely popular there. They tried to recruit our Haruhi into the school too. Ultimately, she decided to stay at Ouran because of career goals. But they won't give up until Haruhi's out of high school."
Kira nodded, digesting this information. "No wonder they share contempt for men," she said. "They go to a one-gender school and were trained to be feminists on drugs. I mean, in my country, there were feminists in the seventies but they never said men were useless, even the lesbian women never said that."
"Yeah," replied Hikaru, hands on his hips. "Those girls show us a lot of contempt but we don't let it faze us. They're just…"
"I know," answered Kira, understanding what Hikaru meant. "Come on, let's get this dress shopping over with, shall we?"
…
After five dresses, Kira tried on the lovely pink dress that she had her eye on and it fit her like a glove. It hugged her curves gently and made her feel like a princess. The three boys smiled at her with doe eyes and she couldn't help but smile back. She felt so beautiful right now. Even during her prom at home, she had never felt so pretty before.
"You look pretty, Kira," said Hikaru, giving her a thumbs up. "This dress was made for you."
"You look like a pretty princess," commented Kaoru, smiling at her widely. "Don't you think, boss?"
Tamaki gave her a genuine smile and nodded. "Kyoya is very lucky to have someone like you," he said gently. "I know looks don't matter but you two were so meant for each other. My Tama-senses tell me so."
Kira giggled and looked at her feet bashfully. "Thanks, guys," she said shyly. "Are you sure you want to pay for this? It's, like, forty-eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-five in yen. That's five hundred dollars where I come from."
"Of course we can pay for it," replied Tamaki, hugging her shoulders. "Consider it an early wedding gift."
"Huh?" was her aghast response.
Tamaki caught himself. "Never mind," he said quickly. "Um, let's go pay for this. You should change back into your regular clothes. We'll buy it while you change."
"Okay," she replied, unzipping the dress. "Thanks, guys…but don't think you're off the hook for kidnapping me."
The three boys smiled as she disappeared into the changing room. The dress was draped over the closed door and they took it to the register to ring it up. As Kira got dressed into her school clothes, she wondered if Kyoya could dance better than her. She was no dancer and it would be a shame if she ripped the hem while trying to dance. Don't worry about that now, she thought, shaking her head. He loves me, even if I can't dance.
Shaking the thoughts away, Kira stepped out of the dressing room, fully clothed, and walked over to meet the boys. As the four walked away together with the dress, Kira smiled and realized that it was great to have friends like them, even if they were a bunch of idiots. But they're my idiots, she thought fondly as she walked with them.
At last, it seemed that she truly started to like the boys and they liked her too because that was what friendship was about.
A/N: Crappy way to end it but next is the dance! We'll finally see some dancing action! Oh, and we met the Zuka Club! Bear in mind that I don't really like the Zuka Club. I mean, good God! Anyway R&R!