One hundred and fifty-seven imported jungle plants. Eight tropical birds, including a macaw and toucan. Thirty four tropical butterflies, fifteen reptiles, and seventeen amphibians. Twelve pounds of assorted tropical fruits and a special selection of fresh cut hibiscus and camellia flowers. The humidity had to be increased by sixty percent for at least three hours, and the lighting had to be increased to accomadate for the temporary canopy.
"I need those air conditioning units up and running!" Hanako shouted over the clamoring staff members. She ducked as one of the parrots swept across the room, squawking happily at its newfound freedom. "Who let the parrot out before show time?" Themed days were always the worst for her. The technical aspects far outweighed the ideation stage, and Kyoya held club activities to the same standard as his business ventures. In other words, nothing short of perfection was considered passable. "Two minutes until doors open!" she hollered, as the finishing touches were put in place. "Where is Haruhi?"
"Dunno," the twins shrugged, dressed in identical Balinese costumes.
"I don't have time for this today," Hanako groaned as she skimmed over the checklist. "Has anybody seen the python?"
"Over here!" one of the crew members called back to the girl, pointing out the massive serpent coiling around one of the tree trunks. Hanako made her note and continued down the list.
"Costume check!" she hollered as the minutes counted down. One by one, the hosts passed her by her for their inspections. Tamaki started the line as usual, modeling for her as if he was on the runway.
"Ah, what do you think, Hanako? Don't I make a dashing Balinese prince?" Tamaki squealed with excitement as she approved his attire. The twins followed, shoulder to shoulder in their matching garments.
"I still wish you'd let me design a costume for you," Kaoru remarked as Hanako scrutinized his parasol.
"You know I can't dress up for these things," Hanako replied with a laugh, moving to conduct the same inspection on his twin.
Hikaru scoffed and opened his parasol as he moved into place, "You're no fun, Hanako." Kaoru sighed and bumped her shoulder with his own playfully before catching up to his twin with a soft look in his amber eyes.
"Hana-chan! Look at me!" Honey sang as he raced around Takashi's shirtless frame, arms spread out as if he was playing airplanes. The smile came back to Hanako's face at the familiar antics. Takashi stepped up with his expression as flat as ever. He wore a golden sash woven with a geometric pattern across his shoulder and tucked through his belt.
"Mitsukuni," he chided gently, "you forgot your garland." The taller boy affectionately placed the wreath of flowers around his cousin's neck, and the blonde beamed with glee.
"Hana-chan! Did you pick the flowers this time? Look how pretty they are! Here, smell them!" Honey thrust the red blossoms into her face, and she inched back as their stamen tickled her nose.
Takashi took hold of Honey's arms and drew them back carefully, giving Hanako room to breathe. With the red petals out of her view, her gaze fell on Takashi's toned chest. The theme suited him. Tall, dark, and all planes and muscles, his schedule was always the most packed on tropical days. Quickly, she averted her eyes and nodded, busying herself with her clipboard. The wide grin faltered on Honey's face as Takashi ushered him to their places silently, eyes stormy and mouth set in a hard line.
Finally, Kyoya brought up the end of the line. He checked over Hanako's list while she fussed over his costume. "Do you really have to wear the glasses with every theme?" she questioned, noticing that, from the shoulders up, Kyoya looked no different than he usually did. His hair was as tidy as ever and his glasses rested high on the bridge of his nose.
"What kind of glasses wearing character would I be without them, Hanako?" he retorted, approving her completed checklist and taking the final place behind Tamaki.
Hanako stepped around them, checking their symmetry and props. Everything had to be perfect, and, as usual, it was. Pleased with the picture before her, she pulled out the ornate golden key from her pocket and turned towards the door. "Everyone ready?" she asked.
"Ready!" the collectively replied.
"Then we're open for business," she declared as she unlocked the door to the music room and retreated to her own position just out of frame.
Just after she unlocked the doors, the golden door knob turned. The door opened slowly with a creak, and Hanako sighed. The hosts greeted Haruhi in unison, practically shimmering under the lights. Haruhi's shoulders dropped and her expression soured as she surveyed her surroundings. A toucan landed gracelessly on the crown of her head.
"You finally made it, Haruhi," the twins remarked. "You're so late."
"I could be wrong, but my calendar says it's still early spring," the new host said dryly, clutching her calendar in her hands.
"Huddling under a kotatsu table, fearing the cold is nonsense!" Tamaki declared, dancing out of his seat. "And, besides, the heating system we have is… the best." Hanako heard Haruhi's tired groan as Tamaki struck a pose.
"Do you have a problem with the way we run our club, Haruhi?" Kyoya questioned. "Be careful what you say. You owe us eight million yen, remember?" Haruhi groaned in horror at the reminder, and Hana shook her head as she moved to the bar, pulling out a shaker to prepare drinks for the guests who would be arriving soon. Tamaki opened his fan with a flourish, dancing as he boasted about the Host Club's brilliance to Haruhi.
"We have to be sure that those butterflies don't escape into the rest of the school," Hanako commented to Kyoya at the bar, mixing up the first chilled servings of tropical drinks for their guests.
"The room is at a much preferable climate for all the animals on loan for the afternoon," Kyoya assured her. "We've got nothing to worry about. Besides, the mosquito nets you had hung up earlier should keep everything inside. Any word on that delivery we're expecting today?"
"It should be here by the end of the day. I'll let you know when it arrives."
Kyoya nodded and made a note in the clipboard. Hana poured a glass full of passion fruit and mango juice, her attention sliding to Tamaki, who now had his arm draped over Haruhi's shoulders, declaring, "Oh, yes! We've turned this place into nirvana. A balmy, tropical island of everlasting summer!"
"That's funny, 'cause I feel a massive chill right now," Haruhi deadpanned before shoving off the club president's arm. "Would you get off me, senpai? I've got work to do."
"Looks like Tamaki's taken a liking to her," Hana commented with amusement, her caramel colored eyes glittering as she watched Haruhi shake off Tamaki's efforts to maintain her attention.
"It certainly looks like it," Kyoya responded.
Haruhi stomped to Hanako at the bar and sighed heavily, leaving behind a teary eyed blond for Kyoya to console. "Sorry about that, senpai," Haruhi apologized to the woman whose sleeves were rolled up to her elbows.
"Don't worry about it," Hana waved off her apology, "and don't listen to Kyoya-sama. It really isn't going to be that bad here. You'll have paid us back before you know it."
Despite Hana's laid back demeanor and confidence, Haruhi couldn't help but doubt that her time with the Host Club would pass quickly. "I sure hope you're right. Anyway, is there anything I can help you with right now?"
"If you wouldn't mind taking over here, I'll get the guests checked in. They should be arriving soon," Hana glanced down at the silver watch on her wrist. "Your costume's in the dressing room. If you're going to change, you better get it done now before the ladies get here. The recipes and instructions are on the bar for our drink menu today."
"Nah, I think I'm fine in this, senpai, you go on ahead," Haruhi walked around the hut and took Hana's place as the other girl pulled down her sleeves and threw on her jacket. She really hated tropical theme days. It was one thing to run around in a suit all day, but it was a whole other sweaty monster to wear the two piece set in the high humidity. Nonetheless, as guests started to arrive at the door, Hana smiled and welcomed the young ladies, whose eyes sparkled in awe as they took in the wonderful escape that the Host Club had prepared for them.
"Tamaki-sama's looking forward to meeting with you today," Hanako beamed at the trio who had reserved his first appointment of the afternoon. "Don't forget to try a drink from our specialty menu today, prepared by our very own Haruhi Fujioka." Hana left the girls in Tamaki's care and returned to the doorway where a line of enthusiastic young ladies admired the hosts' costumes and the foliage surrounding them. Sighing heavily and twisting her hair into a bun at the top of her head, Hanako thought to herself that it was going to be one of those days that seemed to last forever.
As the guests for the day were situated with their respective hosts, Hanako returned to her post at the bar, encouraging Haruhi to serve the drinks to each table while she washed the tableware and prepared new orders. Kyoya stood on the other side of the counter as she worked, and they observed the activities at the different stations. As usual, each host was engaging in his usual routine, and their guests were left on the edge of their seats at the displays.
"The guests seem to be even more worked up than they usually are," Haruhi commented dryly, delivering a tray of used dishes to the temporary kitchen.
"Showing some skin proves popular with the ladies," Kyoya explained.
"So, are you the one who came up with this tropical paradise idea?"
Hanako wiped down a newly cleaned glass as Kyoya answered Haruhi's question, "I have no decision-making authority. All the club's policies have been laid out by the club's king, Tamaki. But, I guess there's no harm in admitting to casually slipping a Bali photo book onto his desk."
Hana smiled knowingly, placing the delicate glass on a shelf and moving to rest her elbows on the counter and leaning in between the two hosts. "All of our special events are designed to craft an unforgettable experience for the guests. Our sales always go up a little bit whenever we offer a theme at the club. So, it's not just for the sake of being ostentatious."
"Of course," Kyoya added, handing the clipboard back to his assistant, "none of it would be possible without Hanako. She handles all the details and makes the arrangements with the school." Haruhi turned to look at the pair. Kyoya pointed at something on the clipboard with a pencil, and Hanako nodded seriously as she listened to what he was saying. They were the brains and muscle behind the Host Club, and Tamaki was its beating heart. Hanako knew that Haruhi was put off by Kyoya's indirect methods of influencing the club's decisions, but the truth was that decision-making made Tamaki happy. Over time, they had just learned that their king needed a guiding hand to keep them under budget and within reason.
"Hana-chan!" Honey called out across the floor as the security guard set down another tray of emptied dishware on the bar, "Come cut this pineapple for us!" He sat on his cousin's shoulders and held a ripe pineapple over his head excitedly.
Hana smiled at his silliness. She really did give in to him too easily. Ever since he had perfected that sweet, big eyed entreating expression, her resolve had been considerably weakened. If it wasn't for the towering, stone faced host who was always at his side, she really would give him everything that he asked for. Her gaze slid to Mori's face quickly, and the spell that Honey's cuteness cast over her was broken. She smiled and brought a knife to their table, carefully wrapped in a table napkin, "I'm sure that Mori-sama is more than capable of cutting a pineapple for you." The girls at the table giggled to themselves as they imagined the handsome boy feeding his cousin.
She avoided catching his eye as she placed the utensil on the table. Honey pouted, dissatisfied with her solution, "Hana-chan, it's so hot in here. You should sit down with us and put a cold towel on your face! Here, I'll help you!" With considerable grace, he leapt down from Mori's shoulders and dunked a napkin in a glass of ice water, giggling gleefully as ran to her.
Hana sighed as the wadded up cloth dripped onto the floor. Honey's hand wrapped around her wrist, and he started to tug her towards his section. "Hana-chan," he whined as she made no efforts to follow him, "come on!"
"Mitsukuni," Mori said sternly, approaching his cousin and taking the soaking wet napkin from his other hand, "you have to wring it out first." The tall host twisted the napkin over a concealed flower pot, and the girls squealed in excitement when Mori's arm muscles flexed momentarily with the motion. Hana's head dropped considerably out of her incredulity. Blood gushed from the guests' noses while they stared in admiration at the host. From the doorway, a crowd of spectators from the hallway spilled in and screamed as they admired the show. She really hated tropical days.
"Excuse me, Honey-sama," Hanako gently removed herself from the shorter boy's grasp. With her usual indulgent smile in place, she placed the napkin on the top of his head and said, "I have to keep an eye on the doors right now. Maybe next time."
Making her way back to the door, Hana herded the few girls who had spilled in to the club room back out. They protested and wriggled against her, but she was stronger and somehow managed to juggle all of them as they tried to get past her. The host club was the top rated club at school, and it was one of the most expensive clubs to join. Unfortunately, that meant that they needed to have more security active during their club activities than the other organizations at the school.
"Ladies, I'm sorry, but you all know the rules," Hanako said for the hundredth time that week. "If you want preferential reservations please join as regular members. All non-members are placed on a waiting list and will be notified when a session with our hosts is available on the calendar, and special event tickets go on sale the week before the event. For an additional charge, you can upgrade your membership."
Once again, she was met with the defeaning shrieks of her clubmates' fans as they wailed for their school idols. They pushed against her, and Hana was forced to shut the door in their faces. Wiping the sweat from her brow she slid down onto the floor and sighed heavily, thinking to herself that she didn't get paid enough.
She got back to her feet and started to walk the perimeter of the club room. She counted the animals as she saw them. If they lost any of the fauna in the school, the zoology and entymology clubs would have her head. Not to mention, their relationship with the Ouran Zoological Gardens would be damaged beyond the repair of a generous donation. Satisfied, Hana went back to her post at the bar and passed the clipboard back to Kyoya once he joined her after his own appointment for the day.
"Haruhi's getting popular," Hana remarked, reading Kyoya's added notes over his shoulder. The cross-dressing host was currently sitting with a group of admirers, one of the guests tilting the natural rookie's face up by her chin. "Oh, she's caught Kasugazaki's eye." Her's amusement elicited a small smile from Kyoya as Tamaki gagged and blanched at the display.
"Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Hanako, would you please go check if those new Ginori tableware sets arrived? I'd like them to be added to the inventory before the end of the day."
"Of course," Hana set her towel on the counter and slipped out of the balinese wonderland to the main kitchen. The temperature in that room was much more comfortable, and Hana took a deep breath, enjoying the cool, crisp air filling her lungs. She found the packages left for them just outside of the door, each box marked with bold letters declaring the contents fragile. As usual, the school's staff had left the boxes stacked on dollies for her to move the packages into the club room more easily. Carefully, Hanako wheeled the boxes into the kitchen and started to unpack the delicate pieces one by one.
She was a personal fan of Ginori. She recalled shelves lined by colorful pieces not too unlike the ones that she was counting now. It was a strange collection for a middle aged man to display so proudly in his study, and even stranger considering that man's legacy was the world's top security firm. Those pieces had been sold off with the rest of her family's estate. She had no idea where they were now. Hanako shook the nostalgia from her mind and focused on the task at hand. She didn't want them to be stuck at school late at night again. They still had work to do, and the longer she kept them there, the more difficult it would be for Kyoya to wake up the next morning.
She finished counting and exchanging the pieces in the cabinet just ten minutes after the host club closed its doors for the day. When she returned to the floor, the music room had been returned to normal. "Oh, you've finished?" Kyoya held his hand out for the clipboard without looking up from his computer screen.
"Perfect condition as usual. There's one more set that should be coming in tomorrow," she reported, handing it off to her employer. Hana scanned the room and saw that Tamaki had situated himself alone by the window, staring into space with a tabletop kettle heating up beside him. "Did you handle the clean up?" She took her place behind him and read the laptop's screen from over his shoulders.
"Well, we certainly couldn't leave the room in such a state," Kyoya replied. "Besides, you had your hands full." He was too considerate of her, and he tried to hide it behind his dismissive attitude. She smiled to herself as he worked on the budget for the club's party, pretending that she didn't know he had gone out of his way to help her complete her club duties for the day.
"There you are, Hana-chan," Honey sang as he dragged Takashi to their makeshift conference table. The third year students were dressed in their uniforms now, and shortly after their appearance, the twins and Haruhi emerged from the dressing room as well.
"Is it time for the meeting?" Haruhi asked.
"How long is this gonna take?" Hikaru wondered as he and Kaoru took their places at the table across from Haruhi and the pair of cousins.
"That depends on how efficiently we can plan," Kyoya replied with an menacing aura radiating from him despite his polite smile. "Shall we get started? Now, we've decided that this will be a classic black tie, formal event. We still have to discuss the music, food, and itinerary for the evening. Naturally, Hanako will be handling all security concerns, but we still have to finalize our plans with the vendors."
"Based on the RSVPs that we received from our guests," Hanako flipped back to the numbers she had counted on the clipboard. Sudden, loud slurping filled the room, and the assistant paused until it stopped. "We will have around three hundred young ladies and two hundred and seventy…" another round of slurping caused her to stop again. "Gentlemen," she finished her sentence with an annoyed tick.
"Hey boss," Kaoru called, equally annoyed with their president "why don't you stop eating that commoner's ramen, and come over here to help us with the party planning?"
"Does it really bother you that Princess Kasuga has taken a liking to Haruhi?" Hikaru added.
"He shouldn't be surprised," Kyoya commented without stopping his work. "She's had the illness for a while now, hasn't she? Hanako, can you double check the menu that the caterers sent over? We have to accommodate for common dietary restrictions."
"What illness?" Haruhi questioned as the assistant flipped through the clipboard to that file. Hikaru and Kaoru filled in beside Hana to answer Haruhi's question, explaining the host-hopping condition that befell Kasuga.
"Usually our customers choose a favorite host and then see them regularly. However, Princess Kanako tends to change her favorites on a regular basis," Kyoya contextualized.
"Kyoya-sama, we don't need that many people on the waitstaff," Hanako pointed out to him as Honey joined the conversation.
"Oh, you're right. Make sure to let them know before their office closes."
Suddenly, Tamaki slammed his hands on the table and yelled fiercely, "Shut up! I couldn't care less!" Honey ducked behind Hana's figure to avoid being blown away by the wind of Tamaki's fury. Hanako ignored the scene developing before her and focused on the work that, once again, fell to her and Kyoya for completion.
"The twins will take care of the costumes for the event as usual, and I've been in touch with the bakery for the desserts," Hanako stated.
"Did you hear back from the florist?"
Hanako showed him the arrangment sample that they had emailed, "I told them not to hold back on any of the details."
"It's time you started dressing like a girl!" Tamaki declared. Hanako glanced at the blonde, curious about what he was going on about this time.
"Leave him be," Kyoya sighed, calling her attention back to their work.
Smugly, Hanako leaned over his shoulder, "You're so mean to him, Kyoya-sama." The vice-president ignored her and the noise around them, focusing on the details that had to be worked out.
"We'd never get any work done if we played along with him everytime," Kyoya said in exasperation.
"And yet," Hana mused playfully, "here we are." Tamaki threw the picture of Haruhi from middle school up on the wall, and the hosts gathered to scrutinize it. She was just as incredulous as the boys, looking between the picture of Haruhi from middle school and the host standing apart from them. Haruhi was pretty, there was no doubt about it, and even while looking like a boy the younger girl was undeniably cute. Yet, when she had approached them, even Hanako hadn't recognised her as a girl.
"The day before school started one of the kids in my neighborhood got some gum in my hair," Haruhi explained in a deadpan voice. "It's a real pain to get gum out of long hair, so I decided to cut it all off. I didn't care if I looked like a dude." Tamaki leapt over to Haruhi with tears in his eyes.
Thoughtfully, Hana ran her fingers through her long black locks of hair. That was a fair point. "Maybe I should get my hair cut," she mused, turning to Kyoya. "What do you think?" He looked at her critically as she tilted her head to one side and judged the weight of her hair.
"Don't you dare," Kaoru protested, tugging on the length of her locks, "Mom would kill you."
"Momma!" Tamaki's wail drew their attention before Kyoya could answer. "Haruhi's using those dirty boy words again!"
"I'm sorry, but who is 'momma'?" Kaoru questioned.
"Based on club position, I assume it's me," Kyoya concluded.
"How strangely appropriate," Hanako mused.
"Look, I don't see what you're crying about. Working as a host, I can pay back more of my debt," Haruhi rationalized to the club president who had sunken to the floor weeping. "It'll never happen if I'm just an errand boy."
"She's right," Hanako agreed, looking over the numbers. "She'd be in debt for life." Speaking of Haruhi's role, Hanako wondered how much their new member was prepared for the formal event they were going to be hosting. A scene of Haruhi knocking over more expensive ornaments played in the security guard's mind, and she paled in horror. That kind of embarrassment just could not happen.
"Hate to change the subject," Hikaru voiced, "but do you have formal dancing experience? You'll need it at the party."
A sheen of nervous sweat covered Haruhi's face, "Uh, no, but the party doesn't have anything to do with my quota, right? I'm not interested in going to event, so if I could be excused…"
At that, Tamaki found his second wind and got back to his feet, his gaze sharp and trained on Haruhi. "Definitely not," their king stated. "A refined gentleman must know how to dance. If you want to live the life of a host that badly, you're going to have to show us how far you're willing to go, Haruhi. I order you to master dancing the waltz in one week, and you will demonstrate it for us at the party. Or I'll tell the entire school that you're a girl and knock you back down to errand boy."
"Hanako, please arrange dance lessons for Haruhi with Princess Kasuga," Kyoya instructed, immediately resigned to the task Tamaki had set out for the girl.
"Really?" she asked her employer with a knowing smile. Kyoya ignored her and intently typed away on his computer. Amused, Hanako approached Haruhi, thinking that it was just a moment ago he said that they couldn't play along with Tamaki every time he had a whim.
"Senpai," Haruhi moaned to the older girl, "this must be blackmail."
"It won't be a problem if you get your lessons done by the end of the week," Hanako said as she led the honors student to dressing room to take her measurements. "Besides, you don't really care if the school knows your gender, right? You just don't want to be demoted." Haruhi laughed uncomfortably at her senior's observation while Hanako dropped the length of a tape measure from the top of Haruhi's head. "Tamaki does have a point, though. You can't get out of these kinds of things if you're going to be a host, and it's expected of students at Ouran to participate in balls and dances regularly. In the long run, it's a skill that will benefit you."
"I never thought about it like that," Haruhi said, sneaking a glance at the other girl. Hanako wrote down Haruhi's height on her clipboard and started to take another measurement from Haruhi's shoulder.
Hana smiled, and her caramel colored eyes were warm and full of affection when she looked at Haruhi, "They're really not that bad when you get to know them."
"Negida," a hesitant voice called. Hana looked up from the table that she was wiping down and saw a group of girls from the first and second year classes sitting together and sipping tea from the new sets that arrived the previous day.
Leaving her tray at that table, she glided over to the other girls, who seemed surprised by her approach. "Yes? Can I get you anything?"
"Ah, no, thank you," the girl who was speaking avoided her eyes, and Hanako patiently waited for her to get to the point. "We were just wondering, where are the hosts?" The club room was considerably less crowded, and the twins were the only ones out and entertaining the few guests in attendance.
Hana offered her a reassuring smile, "Haruhi is taking the day to prepare for the party, and the others are using their time off to help. We apologize for the inconvenience, but if I recall, you'll all be in attendance at the event this evening. The hosts will be happy to make it up to you."
"Thank you," the girl responded with a light blush on her face as she admired the pleasant expression on Hanako's face. With a curteous bend at her waist, Hanako took her leave and carried the tray to the back section of the room where Haruhi and Kasuga were practicing the waltz. Hanako scowled as she observed what was going on. Dodging Mori and Honey who spun across the floor and ignoring Tamaki's gloom by the window, she made her way to Kyoya who was sitting at the table by another window.
"Just because it's a slow day," she said, picking up the clipboard from beside Kyoya, "doesn't mean you should let them slack off."
"It isn't in our club's nature to be so diligent," Kyoya reminded her. She sighed, knowing that he was right. They were the elite and wealthy, and before the host club, they hadn't done so much as take their own dishes to the kitchen before.
"I've finalized security for the event," she informed him. "Did you have a chance to look it over?"
"I did. It looks good. Have you had any trouble relaying your plan to the other security teams?" Her plan allowed for individually contracted body guards to keep a watchful eye on the students they were responsible for and utilise the school's security team as well as the Black Onion's delta team. On paper it looked quite feasible, but Hanako had run into trouble with some of the older and more experienced people in her field before. Kyoya's watchful gaze searched for any sign of irritation or exasperation in his assistant's expression, but her face betrayed nothing.
"They're all cooperating. Are you concerned?" she wondered, picking up on his worry through his intense scrutiny of her face.
"Not at all," he said flippantly, closing his computer and rising to his feet. "Actually, I'm more anxious about that teacup set that we're waiting on. I was expecting it to be here by now. Hanako, would you please turn off the music? I don't want Honey-senpai to break anything if they keep that up." He pointed at the cousins who were still spinning playfully across he floor even though Haruhi and Kasuga had stopped their lesson for the day.
Dutifully, Hanako went to the control panel for the speakers and took out the CD with the waltz recording. Honey cried out in protest as Takashi stopped dancing, and the dizzy boy wobbled across the floor. "Hana-chan! I don't feel so good," Honey wailed.
"Sit down," she advised him gently, "I'll get you some water." Hana quickly ducked into the kitchen and poured a glass of water for Honey. Sometimes she wondered how the young prodigy could be so careless about the consequences of his playing. Even if he had an image that he wanted to maintain, he had to be more self-awareness than that. Hanako returned to the floor and placed the glass on a corner table with a coaster, "Drink it slowly, and don't get up until you feel better. Honey-sama, I really don't want to clean up the floors again today." She patted his hair gently before checking her watch and heading to the front of the room and their main door. Just as she anticipated, there was a student standing outside at the exact estimated delivery time.
"Please come in," she greeted. "Were you waiting long? The others are in the back." Hanako stepped aside and held the door open for the student who had his arms full with the final delivery.
"No, I just got here when you opened the door," Suzushima assured her, striding into the club romm as she closed the large door behind them. "Hello! I'm here with the new teacups you ordered."
"Ah. Thank you very much," Kyoya replied. Hanako followed Suzushima, and Kyoya handed her the clipboard as he greeted the other student. "Every item you've chosen for us has been extremely popular with the ladies. I'm quite impressed."
"Well, that's good to hear," Suzushima's smiled graciously at the praise, still cradling the box of porcelain.
"So, do you sell tea sets?" Haruhi asked, joining them and taking the box from Suzushima. Hanako made a note on the clipboard to confirm the time of the delivery.
"No, I'm just a regular student," Suzushima said. "Can't you tell by the uniform?"
Kasuga started to laugh, but it came out forced, "Oh, Haruhi. You're so funny." Hanako turned around to look at the young lady who had her back to them. "I can't blame you for not knowing." Kasuga turned around and smiled, "After all, he doesn't really look like an heir to a first class company."
Hana looked back at Suzushima when he shifted beside her, recognizing Kasuga now that she had turned to face them. Hana's stomach tightened with discomfort as she realized what was going on. "First-class company?" Haruhi repeated.
"His family's business," Kyoya explained, "the Suzushima Trading Company, deals primarily in the importing of tableware. They currently have the top market share in the country." Hanako kept her attention between Suzushima and Kasuga, whose expressions had become wistful the longer they maintained eye contact. Hanako caught Kasuga lower her head despondently as Kyoya continued to explain the relationship the club had with the young heir. "He has a great eye for fine china. Don't you, Suzushima?"
Hana's stomach flipped at the too casual tone Kyoya used to address the boy, and she thrust the clipboard at her employer's torso in annoyance. He took it from her and smiled despite his clenched teeth. "You think?" Suzushima was slow to recover from his watching Kasuga, and Hanako melted into the background of the club room as she observed. "I've still got a lot to learn, but thank you."
"Aren't you leaving next month to study abroad in England?" Hanako heard Kyoya ask, but her gaze was glued on Kasuga, whose expression only dampened as she heard the words. Hana crossed her arms and wondered why Kyoya had to be the way he was, knowing that their shadow king wasn't asking innocently.
"Yes, I am. Well, I'd better go now," Suzushima hurriedly walked past the doors beside Hanako, and she heard the door close at the front.
So, Hanako thought to herself as she leaned against the marble, it's like that, huh?
"I get the feeling you and that guy are close," Haruhi commented to Kasuga, who had been approached by a now more active Tamaki. Kasuga yelped and turned around as a shudder racked her visibly.
"Don't be ridicuous! We hardly know each other!" Kasuga's protests were far too fervent and far too empty. Hanako grit her teeth as she watched from the background. "What makes you say that, Haruhi? Now if you'll please excuse me. Take care."
Kasuga left in a hurry, and Hanako caught the pink tinge to her cheeks as she made her way to the door. Hanako swallowed thickly, the denials that Kasuga voiced somehow stuck in her memory. Honey sang Haruhi's name and caused the girl to yelp, and Hanako looked up from the tiled floor, wondering what the commotion was. "Guess what? They do know each other!" Honey declared cheerfully, "Suzushima is Kasuga-chan's fiance."
Hanako scowled more deeply as Honey revealed the nature of their relationship. Tamaki crossed his arms disapprovingly, "Kyoya, how long have you known about this?"
"About the two of them being engaged?" Kyoya lifted the dual clipboard and binder from under his arm, "Well, as you know, I conduct general searches on all of our customers. The two of them were childhood friends. It seems that their engagement was arranged by their parents." Hanako already knew that. After all, she had been the one to conduct the search, but she couldn't help the way that her blood left her face or the way she kept staring at the rose colored tiles under her feet when she heard the background story that seemed to be too common amongst children of the elite. "I didn't think the information would benefit us, so I disregarded it."
"I see."
"Toru Suzushima. Outstanding grades, fair social status. He's ordinary looking, but he's reliable," Kyoya summarized the report that Hanako had compiled for him when they first decided to conduct business with the boy. "If I had to fault him for anything…"
"He doesn't have much presence," Hikaru chirped in.
"And he's faint hearted," Kaoru added.
"So in other words,' Kyoya concluded, "he's boring."
"Suzushima is a good boy. Right?" Honey asked childishly.
"Yeah," Mori's simple response set off the already rapid beating of Hanako's heart, and she suddenly felt as if her pulse was stuck in her throat.
"All right, everyone," Tamaki spoke, and Hana already knew what he was going to say. "We'll have to work on our strategy."
"Which one?" the club members questioned in unison with the exception of Hanako who continued to listen in from against the wall.
"Men, it is our responsibility as members of the elite Ouran Hos Club to make every girl happy!" Tamaki declared.
"Absolutely not," Hanako finally spoke up, interrupting the energetic atmosphere saturating the club. The boys and Haruhi all turned to acknowledge the girl in black whose caramel gaze regarded them coolly. "It's not our place to get involved with personal matters like this. Kasuga and Suzushima are handling their affairs the way that they want to. It's best to just leave them alone."
Haruhi noticed that the boys' expressions had softened under Hanako's fierce glare, and she recognized the guilty look on some of their faces as they processed what Hana was saying. "I agree with Hanako-senpai," Haruhi stated. "Isn't this too invasive?" She looked at Tamaki in particular, knowing that he was their ring leader, and their king's violet eyes were gentle and full of knowing as he met Hana's intense gaze unflinchingly.
"That's not really the case," Tamaki told her in a soft, reassuring voice. "The two of them…they have things that they need to say to each other, but the way they are right now is stopping them. She deserves to be happy, and we can help."
'You can't know that Suzushima and Kasugazaki want the same things," Hanako protested heatedly, louder than what was usual from the girl.
"Hana," Kyoya surprised Haruhi with the familiar name that he spoke beside her and a stern edge to his collected tone, "let it go."
For a moment, nobody in the room spoke and a tense air settled over them as Hanako regarded them with a dark expression. Haruhi started to say something to clear the atmosphere, but Hanako stiffly bowed to them and said, "Excuse me." She stood up straight and strode past them to the kitchen, avoiding their gazes as she left.
The hosts were left in silence, and Haruhi was reeling from the strange scene that had just taken place. It had seemed so sudden, and she wondered why everyone had reacted the way that they had. Kaoru sighed and shoved his hands in his pocket, saying, "I got it." He followed Hanako into the kitchen, and Haruhi wondered what was going on. Taking in the guarded looks on the others' faces and noticing that Hikaru was watching his brother through narrowed eyes, she decided that maybe this wasn't the best time to ask.
Hanako heard the kitchen door open and close, but she didn't look up. She knew it was Kaoru. The hosts were idiots, but even they knew that there wasn't anyone else in the room who she would talk to after what had just happened. "Don't even try to convince me that he's right," she warned him, folding a tablecloth that had just come out of the dryer. "You can't change my mind."
"Wasn't gonna try," he shrugged and joined her at the laundry basket, picking up a napkin and folding it the way he knew she like them to be put away. "I was just going to ask if you have a dress for the party. Mom has a few designs that I think you'd like." He was trying to keep the conversation casual, an attempt to move past the brief conversation she had just had with Tamaki.
"You know I'm not going for the fun of it," she reminded him, seeing through him immediately. Even after everything she had just said, he was too meddlesome to leave a topic like that alone.
Kaoru frowned. It had been a point of contention between them ever since she had started working for Kyoya's family. Every time that they had an event like that, she would be there on the sidelines, and every time, they would try to convince her that she was more than just their security personnel. "You deserve to have a good time, too," Kaoru pointed out, creating another stack of table napkins. Hanako caught him glancing at her, but she didn't say anything in response to the reminder he gave her so often. They folded the rest of the napkins and tablecloths in silence, and when they were done folding everything in the basket, they put the stacks into the storage cabinets along the wall.
"You don't have to be on board with everything we do," he said, breaking the silence between them, "but I want you to know that we're just trying to make a girl happy. We'd do the same for you if we had the chance."
They had so much history with her, and Kaoru knew that each of the hosts cherished her in their own way. The moment that she had lost everything, there hadn't been anything for them to do for her. He wondered if she knew that about them when some of them didn't even know it themselves.
Hana couldn't fault him for trying to help her see what they were trying to do. After all, the host club didn't just exist to make the girls who visited them every day after school happy. They weren't the only ones who the club made happy, and Hanako couldn't blame them for wanting to share the happiness that they had found in each other with the rest of the school. It just wasn't their place to get involved in something that was between two people.
"I know, Kaoru," she finally answered him in a voice exhausted beyond her years. She looked older, then, and he felt that he was getting a glimpse of the person she tried so hard to hide behind those dark lenses of hers. Kaoru reached out for her shoulder, wanting to show her some support. He wanted to remind her that she wasn't alone in this path that she had decided to follow.
The door to the kitchen opened before he could comfort the older girl. "Hey, it's time to go," Hikaru's voice sounded from the doorway. Kaoru dropped his hand and turned to look at his brother, sighing when he saw that Hikaru had already started walking away.
"Go ahead," Hanako said to him. Kaoru ran out of the kitchen to catch up with his brother.
Hikaru thought about the way Kaoru had chased after Hanako and his brother's outstretched hand when he just saw them. "What was that about?" Hikaru asked coldly.
Recognizing Hikaru's tone, Kaoru shrugged innocently, "It was nothing." Together, the twins walked to their car matching each other step for step, both of them feeling that there was a space between them that had been empty for too long.
A/N. I've had this idea in my head for quite a while now, and I've decided to work on it more. Right now there's a lot taking place during episodes, but as the story progresses, it will become more independent and feature more scenes outside of the series. Please let me know what you think :)