After that first night the host club quickly became regulars at the Darumaya, having dinner after club activities and badgering Kyoko with questions. Determined not to let them get to her she called up all the service professionalism she learned at the Ryokan and kept her professional mask in place; amusing the twins who made it a game to see whether they could make it crack. (They came close but no cigar) She even kept it on in school as the hidden hostility among the girls was now very much in the open with her new found familiarity with the other hosts. The girls who weren't involved before were now seething at the thought she had somehow gotten close to the rest of the club, calling her the Maid Scholar as her mannerisms resembled a highly trained servant instead of the glittering actions of the other princesses of the school. She studiously avoided them and often sneaked out to explore the school grounds. The elegant exterior setting her heart beating as she imagined fairy royalty playing in the manicured hedges.
*Come play with us today, Kyoko-chan* called the wind fairies
*The flowers are especially blooming today, Kyoko-chan.* Called the flower fairies
In the midst of these imaginings Kyoko would relieve herself of the day's stress. Playing with the fairies was now her favorite part of going to this school. She had become an expert at avoiding her classmates and knew just where to go to avoid the fan girls, her years as the bastard's best friend coming in handy. Though a part of her wondered if it was her fate to be hated for her perceived closeness with blond idiots. Tamaki's insistence in asking her about her commoner background and commoner lifestyle cemented her view of him as a world-class moron. At least Sho was aware of those with different backgrounds as badly as he might treat them, Tamaki just spouts off things like she was the star of her own comedy show with the twins goading him on while treating her like their own personal servant. Just the thought of the spoiled trio (the other were annoying but had manners) was enough to set her off, ruining her play. That is until she spotted her fellow commoner hiding among the hedges.
"Fujioka-san, what are you doing here?" Kyoko asked looking around for the 1st-year's trouble making club mates. She liked Haruhi; she was one of the not so troublesome ones. She also had found out from serving them in the restaurant that the twins were the brunette's "best friends" and that prior to her arrival the Host club would barge in her fellow scholarship student's life almost as much if not more than they were currently barging in hers. The difference being she was actually being paid to serve them, the often mentioned 8 million debt the doe-eyed scholarship had and the circumstances around it made Kyoko's heart go out for him and had her studiously avoiding going to the Third Music Room even more than before. Who knows what she might accidentally break in there. Who keeps a 8-million vase just laying around to knock into?
"Ah! Kyoko-senpai" Haruhi replies, her big eyes looking straight at the merit scholar. "I'm just playing kick the can with some of my friends." Haruhi liked the older girl if not for her professionalism at the face of stupidity, certainly for her deftness at dealing with the club's antics so far. She hadn't even been to the club room yet but the guys had already barged in to ask her point blank if she was destitute. Haruhi had to admire the fact that Kyoko's smile hadn't slipped once when responding to that. The girl really had nerve to deal with the hosts. She also felt sorry for her. On one hand, Haruhi was glad the hosts weren't scrutinizing her life anymore like some sort of commoner art gala but on the hand she couldn't help but feel bad for the orange-haired 2nd year to be stuck with Tamaki-senpai 50 percent of the day, both in class and after-school must be the worst. At least she only had the twins to deal with.
"Oh, that's nice." Kyoko commented mildly surprised that the rich brats as she called them would play such a game. Maybe their fascination was genuine?
"Aah, Kasanoda really wanted to play, so here I am. Honestly it's nice being outside for a change" The first year shrugged. "Wanna join?"
"Um, that's…." But before Kyoko could reply they were interrupted by a group of girls rushing in.
"Haruhi!" One of the girls screamed coming closer to the pair. "Found you!"
"What are you doing here?" Another one of the girls asked looking down at the merit scholar.
"Yeah, stay away from our Haruhi-kun, commoner." The third girl spat glaring daggers at Kyoko.
"Now girls.." Haruhi starts but is quickly rebuffed by Kyoko
"It's ok,Fujioka-san. " Kyoko answers, slipping on her Nakai-persona. "I was just about to leave, anyway" Quickly bowing to the girls. She intones "Ladies." and swiftly turns on her heel to walk away. Appearing dignified and uncaring about the glares aimed at her perfectly straight back.
Haruhi watches her leave then swiftly turns to the girls unaware of the other hosts coming towards them. "Don't you think you're being too hard on her." She starts ''I mean...I'm a commoner too you know."
"Yeah, but you're really cute Haruhi. Nothing like that plain and boring girl over there." Girl one answers.
"Uh-huh, plus you're a guy so it's only natural for you to hang out with other pretty guys. For a girl like her to spend so much time with you guys and hold your interests is weird plus it destroys the whole purpose of the host club."
"Does it now?" Haruhi asks her fringe covering her eyes. The other hosts now at the scene are wondering what to do. No one expects the brunette scholar to take the belittlement well.
"Yeah, the host club was meant for rich young and beautiful guys to entertain cute princesses like us, not spend time with some girl with no background or connections like her."
At this Haruhi loses it and screams. "That's not right! I..." Right before she could lash out though Kyoya cautions her with the use of her name. She quickly decides to instead stomp off but not without giving a penetrating look to each of the girls watching them squirm under her gaze.
Attempting to settle things down Tamaki steps in "Now,calm down everyone. Haruhi simply dislikes anyone bad-mouthing his friends." His thoughts a whirl as he tries to spin things without scaring the girls completely off. The other host put their two cents in.
"Yeah, Haru-chan and Ko-chan get along so of course he'd be mad."
"Uhn" Mori grunts
"In fact," Kyoya continues, "I think we all would be mad if someone bad mouths our friends wouldn't we?" His evil gentlemen smile in place he proceeds to alternatively chide and charm the three jealous culprits. (somewhere an overly tall consummate actor feels a kindred spirit)
*I just don't get it* Haruhi thinks to herself walking across the grounds. *I never experienced those kinds of problems when I joined the host club. I mean aside from that one girl Princess Ayo-something the other students just took it in stride. Is it really cause they think I'm a boy?* Haruhi with her lower consciousness of gender norms ponders the problem. * I mean ignoring the whole 'cute' thing would the girls really treat me that way if they find out I'm a girl? Surely they can see that they're employing a double standard.* Somehow Haruhi manages to stumble upon her fellow scholarship student once again, the other girl having decided to pull out her Sho dolls in frustration. Her dark murmuring gave a decided eeriness to her surroundings. Haruhi takes this in stride with her usual unflappability.
*Well,I certainly think she's not plain or boring that's for sure."
Bravely walking towards the dark aura Haruhi once again calls out. "Kyoko-senpai."
Snapping out of her funk Kyoko looks up "Fujioka-san." she replies, putting down the doll.
Haruhi wonders what it's for and why it seemed oddly familiar. Setting the thought aside, Haruhi approaches. "Hey, listen, forget about what the girls said. I think you're plenty interesting. The way you manage to handle the host club at your part time job is plenty cool."
"Thank you Fujioka-san but I know what I am. Plus that doesn't change the fact I'm a girl. The girls in this school would never accept me being close to their beloved hosts as such." Kyoko mutters her dark mood worsening.
"Do you really believe that?" Haruhi asks wondering once again why gender has to be such a big deal.
"I know that. Why?" Kyoko asks, curious why it shouldn't be the case. It was the same thing in middle school, girls that get close to the school idols get burned especially if there were plain Janes like her.
"Oh nothing," Haruhi starts but one look at Kyoko has her deciding to say something that might shed light to this whole situation, "just can you keep a secret?" And with that she proceeds to tell Kyoko about the biggest secret in Ouran. Unraveling a mystery that had been in the back of many people's heads and cementing the mutual admiration of the two scholarship students.
Meanwhile in the Third Music Room
"Gentlemen. I have a plan." Tamaki starts drawing on the large whiteboard behind him, the words 'Kyoko's acceptance and eventual integration plan' written in bold. "We need to get the school to stop hating on Kyoko and accept her as our new commoner project."
"Yeah, that's gonna be a tough sell boss. All the girls basically hate her." Hikaru comments looking at the whiteboard.
"And why do you have 'pours a great cup of tea' and 'scary chef' encircled?" Kaoru adds next to his brother.
"I just like the way she pours it, that's all." Tamaki defended himself pouting at their comments, "Plus that Taisho of hers is definitely terrifying. Did you see him when we asked if we could visit her place after work? He looked like he was gonna fillet and fry us and serve us with the specials."
"True," Hikaru responds. "Then again anyone would be suspicious of a bunch of guys visiting a girl's place late at night."
"Yeah, think before you act like a creep, boss."
"I am not a Creep!."
"You know," Honey chimes in, " it's really sad that all those girls ganged up on her like that without getting to know her first. Ko-Chan is really nice. She even found a way to serve us cake even when it wasn't originally on the menu." Thinking of all the times Kyoko managed to serve them even with all their ridiculous requests and questions."
"Hmm."Mori grunted.
"Still doesn't change the fact that she's plain." Hikaru states.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Kyoya interjects holding up a picture of a beautiful girl in a deep red kimono. The hosts gather around the Shadow king wondering at the picture he's holding.
"How would you boys like to perform a bit of magic."
Author's note: I was always surprised how little the girls were jealous of Haruhi aside from the very first episode everyone was quick to latch on to the cute commoner emphasis on cute. My theory is that the Host club did deliberate steps to stop any unease about Haruhi getting close to them, something Fuwa Sho with all his self-involvement was never able to do for Kyoko. Here Kyoko actually starts getting friends who care for her well-being and will stand up for what's right. To be honest it's this potential camaraderie that had me writing this fic in the first place. Plus this time Haruhi actually tells her secret instead of being found out in some bizarre twist.