Shards

"I feel like everyone is making a really big deal out of this. Sure, I haven't exactly been going around telling everyone that I grow a tail if I try and take a bath, but I haven't been hiding it or anything. I told you guys, and you were all fine with it."

"Haruhi, you really kind of shouldn't exist."

"What Hikaru means is that some might not react kindly to having what they've been taught as truth challenged."

"Right, and besides, you're our toy. If anyone else knew, they'd try cosying up to you."

The three were eating their lunches in the rose garden today, hoping to avoid any of the more devoted guests that might disrupt them. They'd done this before, and the twins seemed entirely certain they'd be able to direct them all out. Not to mention how essential it was that the topic of choice today be kept secret.

"Really guys, no one is even going to notice or care that I don't have some swim lesson."

In response, they only shrugged and attempted to feed her some real food.

As it turned out, Haruhi was correct, no one would've noticed this discrepancy.

...Had it not been for the fair few enemies that had yet to make themselves apparent.

Turned out, having some very rich people with certain connections hate you was not entirely the easiest way to go through life. Especially when this rich person with connections had decided that the best course of action was to get you far away from Ouran.

Eliminate a threat, so to speak.

Fujioka Haruhi was his rival in love for the hand of the fair lady, and he would have to defeat him.

Then again, no need to get his hands dirty.

Directly.

No need to directly dirty his hands.

Hagiwara Manaka was a quiet girl, Shy, really.

She was pretty enough, and she had no qualms in regard to her physical form. Sometimes she wished she were a tad taller, than perhaps the large yellow dress would feel less like an upside down mushroom, and more like the intended shape.

Though, her shortness did have its perks.

For example, during the parties that she occasionally had to attend from a young age, she had been able to melt into the world. Her family was rich enough, making money as one of the leading fishing industries, but they were hardly anything special in the world of Ouran. The seven year old her hardly spoke at all, and people were far too occupied with their plastered on faces and syrupy sweetness.

Once, she had seen an Ootori in action.

The father's face was empty as his gaze leveled the youngest son.

If she remembered correctly, the boy was about her age. Twelve at the time, he was already quite the charmer. The children and adults had separated naturally to interact with those closer to their age while the parents did as one does at such functions. After having gone through these sorts of things 3 times before and going to school with some of these people for some years, she had a decent grasp on them.

Some were spoilt braggarts, talking about their family's companies in loud voices to all the others.

Others were quieter and mostly chatted with the friends they had made through age old alliances.

Then there were the select few like Ootori Kyoya.

He was perfect in every way, really. Never a fowl word or a stray glance to be perceived as rude. Even as a child he had been consistently pristine, his speech accompanied by an even smile. Not overly large, but always there. Relaxed. Learned.

Sometimes looking at him gave Manaka headaches.

Sometimes she would feel a hint of resentment at her parents for making her take pictures and dress up.

After all, they weren't dolls, they were children.

Though it seemed that Mr. Ootori had failed to realise that.

Sometimes she thought of just how lucky she was, and it almost made her oh so much sadder.

"I really don't think this is a great idea."

"It'll be fine, besides, hadn't you heard? The host club has added a new member!"

"That's lovely, but must I attend?"

"Manaka, he's the scholarship student! I have to talk to him, find out how the other side speaks and acts! You wouldn't want me to be alone, would you?"

"Fine..."

She was glad she had her, but she couldn't help but feel sour when Ruka took the two of them to places designed specifically to make her uncomfortable.

Ootori was the vice president of the club.

He was different now, in some ways. The way he stood off to the side of the club and watched, something he never would have done before. He turned and faced her, smiling and allowing his shoulders to slope more. The shift in his frame was somehow far more welcoming.

"How may I help you ladies today?"

"We'd like to see your newest host." Ruka told him

"Haruhi is currently with another client, but if you ladies would like I could arrange for you to wait with our resident cute type until he can provide his undivided attention?"

"Yes, that will do just fine."

"It is a pleasure to serve you princess Yokoyama. The same of you Mademoiselle?"

She blinked and nodded before following the two others where two third years currently had only one guest.

"Do have a good time now."

Then he was gone.

He had changed.

She wasn't sure why, but he was better now.

Sure, he still had a perfect smile and was flawlessly put together, but... suddenly, it was like he had a reason.

When she finally get to Haruhi, she is pleasantly surprised.

Haruhi seemed to pick up that she was more here for her friend than for him, and wasn't all that interested in asking him questions like Ruka was. He didn't attempt to force her into a conversation, but he didn't ignore her either.

His smiles were for her just as much as the girl at her side, and when Ruka told a story about how Manaka had once read a whole series while misreading one of the most famous characters names, he looked directly at her and shrugged.

"I can't say I haven't done similar, sometimes you just get too lost in the story."

Haruhi was a good person, or at least a tremendous actor. When all was said and done, she didn't think she would mind seeing him again. He felt like a friend.

The bell signaling the switching of guests chimed, and Haruhi stood.

"I'm really sorry ladies, but I have to see my next client now. I hope you'll visit me again sometime!"

"Well, really we onl-"

Manaka cut Ruka off, and ignored her surprised look afterwords.

"Yes, I'd really like that."

Then Ruka was walking her down the hall while holding both her hands and fawning over how absolutely adorable she had looked.

"I'm not asking that much! Just find something on Fujioka, he's got to have some skeleton. I'm paying you, aren't I?"

The boy was insufferable.

Ridiculous, really.

Sure, his so called 'allegiance' was easily won with a quick glance at Daddy's bank account, but that didn't make the job itself any easier. Fujioka was spotless, clean as a whistle. After skimming his records, he ignored student IDs and little stuff like whatever the squirt did for his 4th grade talent show, he had found only a straight A student with no infractions on record. Hell, the only thing Fujioka didn't manage to ace was sports.

Course, he was partially assuming that. His job lied mostly in school finances. He'd managed to talk to his homeroom teacher, and gotten his hands on his file with the excuse of having to check his scholarship amount for something.

Suppose he'd just have to bullshit his way out of this.

"The boy has always had high grades, and has gotten into no notable trouble. However, if you'd really like to dig deep and stretch the rules, he never took certain sports mandatory here at Ouran. Nothing to get him expelled over, but it could show others he does not belong here."

"Perfect! What sports?"

Really, how many required sports even existed at Ouran? They didn't expect these heirs to be soccer geniuses, just that they were smart enough to marry good and provide the next generation of genes.

"Well, he has no swimming courses recorded?"

"That's it?!"

The hell else do you expect...

"I'm sure the ladies would love to see someone from a club like his in such a state of undress. All the girls watch as the kid flops."

"What if he can swim?"

"Then I suppose you'll just have to figure that out on your own, won't you? I'm sure there is a faculty member besides me that you can pay off as well to point it out, that's not my department. Then you'll just have to hope the kids not some sort of natural born fish."

He hadn't expected his brief 'employer' to go as far as he had.

Poor kid.

A/N: *sniff*Is that? *sniff sniff* a chapter that isn't just a written episode? *shivers* weird... haven't seen one of those in a while.

How convenient is it that the faculty dude didn't check her ID, am I right?

Yes, the character looking for dirt on Haruhi will have his name revealed, I've just used a lot of names lately and I wanted to slow my role. Faculty dude does not have a name, he's just a tired dude who wishes he weren't looking at the same numbers every day. God, if only he had listened to his Mother's advice in high school.

Sorry if the bits from Manaka's point of view were hard to understand, but keep in mind she believes Haruhi to be a guy. I really mostly created her for the sake of seeing everything happening from a different point of view, I figured it might be refreshing.

...Plus she doesn't know everything happening, so you only know what you need to know at this moment.

Word count for actual chapter is 1,579

-Lucas_Gilbert