Chapter 2: The Search
Haruhi Fujioka was very observant when it came to anyone except herself. Only her chores and studies could pull her attention away from other stuff. Of course, she wasn't much for socializing unless it involved greeting a friend from the market or on her way home. Now she was getting involved in someone's love life because of a blond kitten and her blond senpai's overzealous nature. But she was the only commoner in the entire school-- she had no mind for pedigrees or the thought needed to join two people together for a reason that was not love. She simply knew that some things happened and sometimes they worked out for the better...while other times, not so much. Life could be cruel and the rich usually had the "get out of jail free" card up their sleeves.
Sighing, the disguised female wandered down the hall, looking for...someone. Anyone that might not already have a fiance or already like someone else...and would give the creepy occult-master Nekozawa Umehito half a chance before he used his dark speech to frighten them away. Seriously, what was she doing there? She had a test in her law-studies class that she needed to study for. Not to mention her regular homework. And the housework wasn't going to do itself. There was a sale at the nearby grocer. Luckily, her father had the late shift so supper didn't need to be ready at the usual time.
But still... she was the last person who could help anyone with romance. Remembering the whole Arai-fiasco, she decided that enough was enough and turned to get her stuff and go home. She could still make that sale if she hurried. Haruhi felt her normal apathy fall into place until the sound of a single violin caused her to stop in her tracks and moved towards the sound. 'This isn't the music department...' she thought as she spotted the sign. 'Auditorium...' She carefully entered the room and stayed in the back as the stage was only occupied by a single young lady who was dancing as she played the violin. Lilac hair was pulled away from her face and flowed down her back as she spun, a white tank top and black pants replaced the normal yellow dress and white stockings. Dark flats covered her feet and did nothing to impede her movements--in fact, she appeared more graceful.
Haruhi really meant to stay in the back but found herself being drawn closer to the unknown female. When she realized that she may be intruding on the girl's practice and shouldn't be spotted in case it would stop her, Haruhi did the only thing she could, she sat down in the middle row. Her mind told her to leave but her body wouldn't agree. And soon, her mind was enthralled yet again by the music and movements of the purple-haired girl, all thoughts of homework and housework were momentarily shoved to the back burner of her brain..
At the final draw of her bow, the dancer sighed and walked to a bottle of water in the corner of the stage, taking a drink. Haruhi understood the need for a break-- she had worked very hard and shown a lot more stamina than most of the boys in her club. Figuring she may as well ask this girl if she was looking for love, the brunette was getting up when she noticed that the musician looked like she was talking to someone beyond the stage curtains. Curiosity peaked, Haruhi moved to the side until she could see the other person.
'Nekozawa?!' the pseudomale thought in surprise. True to form, the dark prince of Ouran was talking to the lilac-haired girl and didn't seem to be scaring her off. Even with that look on his face, the one he wore when he said something really creepy, the girl didn't appear phased. In fact, the she smiled and laughed with him, not at him, as she put her violin away.
Nekozawa got a strangely serious look on his face. He looked at the yellow cat puppet on his hand before it seemed to nod and he removed it to sit it down nearby. Then the young man held out a hand to the girl in an invitation to dance. She appeared to be surprised before she nodded with a smile and they began a waltz with no music.
Haruhi had never seen any two people dance without music before but it was obvious that it worked well with these two. There was no stepping on each other's feet or going the wrong way. The dark senpai expertly led his dancing partner and held a conversation with her at the same time. Haruhi couldn't hear what was being said but the girl's pale cheeks flushed as a small smile lit up her features even more. Clearly the words were not insulting or too creepy for her to accept.
'Is there any reason for us to keep going? I mean, they seem to get along well and he hasn't scared her off yet. I'm sure they will get together without any help.' Haruhi locked eyes with the cat puppet and blinked. Was it... it looked sad to her? How was that possible? It was just fabric!
The door to the auditorium burst open, flooding the previously darkened area with light. An ungodly screech left Nekozawa and he fled to the darkness on the side of the stage. The lilac-haired girl was left on the stage alone and glaring towards the door. "Tamaki-san..."
"Hotaru-chan!? Have you seen, Haruhi-kun?! He's been gone for so long and daddy misses his little girl!!" Haruhi sweatdropped at the Freudian slip.
"Tamaki-san, you're misgendering people in your club again... besides, he's right there. You couldn't have sent a text message or something? You scared Umehito-san away..." Hotaru pouted as she turned away to grab her violin case. She stopped when she spotted Beelzenef. "He even left his deity behind..." She picked it up, ignoring the screaming Tamaki, and followed Nekozawa's rapidly fled trail to return his property.
Tamaki hugged Haruhi tightly, caught somewhere between happiness and pure terror. Haruhi sighed within the confines of his arms, ultimately bored and wishing she could just go home already. Unfortunately, with the Suoh son, there was no such thing as a mission accomplished within the first day and he forced her to follow him back to the club room to discuss with the others any positive candidates for Umehito Nekozawa's potential princess.