Tamaki and Kyoya were in Kyoya's bedroom discussing Tamaki's idea for a Host Club when they started high school the following year.
Sprawled across the bed, Tamaki looked up at the ceiling and pondered aloud, "I know I want to invite the Hitachiin twins. There's just something about those two that would be very alluring to the ladies." He rolled over and looked for his best friend's reaction.
Kyoya was seated at his desk typing on his laptop as he hummed and replied, "I guess I can see how the ladies would be attracted to the devilish, bad-boy type. Who else are you considering?"
Tapping his lip with his finger, Tamaki said, "I'd love to have Honey-sempai in the Host Club."
"What's his appeal? Athleticism?" Kyoya asked, not looking up.
"No, I see him more as the cute, lolli-shouta type," Tamaki replied.
"We are talking about the same Honey-sempai who is in charge of the Karate Club, correct?" Kyoya affirmed.
"Oh yes, but I can tell that he really loves sweets and cute pink bunnies," Tamaki declared.
"Really?" Kyoya responded skeptically.
"Just you wait and see," Tamaki said with a nod of finality. "The only problem is Mori-sempai."
"And how is Mori-sempai a problem exactly?" Kyoya demanded.
Tamaki waved his hands back and forth in a warding gesture. "Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he seems to scare the ladies. Those that I've asked about him, call him 'wild' and shudder in fear."
Kyoya chuckled. "I believe you have misinterpreted the ladies' reactions. They are not shuddering in fear, but quivering in delight."
Puzzled, Tamaki asked, "Why would they quiver in delight when he can be so intimidating and scary?"
"Ah yes, you weren't here at the time, so you wouldn't know about where he got his 'wild' reputation," Kyoya mused. "Let me tell you what happened when he was just an elementary third year…"
OHSHC
Even in elementary school, Morinozuka Takashi was studious, efficient, and responsible. So when a teacher needed a student to run an errand, he was always their first choice.
"Morinozuka-kun, please take this note to Sensei Takamura in the Middle School," Sensei Kawaguchi requested.
Takashi stood up from his desk and walked to the front of the classroom to retrieve the note from his teacher. He bowed respectfully before heading out the door on his errand. "The quickest route to Sensei Takamura's classroom is through the courtyard," he thought.
Successfully completing his errand, he headed back through the courtyard to return to class before dismissal for lunch. Just as he passed the fountain, he heard a girl cry out. Looking around one of the hedges that surrounded the fountain, he saw a middle school girl on the ground with four high school boys circling her like starving dogs around a juicy bone.
Three of them backed away while the tallest boy squatted down. "Look what we've caught," he taunted cruelly. "A little lost kitten. I could have some real fun with a cute little kitten like you." He reached forward to caress her cheek and she slapped his hand away.
Drawing his fist up to backhand her, he growled, "Now you'll get it you little..." He was startled when his fist failed to connect with the girl but was caught by a small hand that pushed him off-balance.
Takashi placed himself between the high school boys and the middle school girl. "That's no way to treat a lady," Takashi stated.
Helping the tallest student up, the shortest boy sneered, "Go away, baby. This doesn't concern you."
Brushing himself off, the tallest one snarled, "You'll pay for that!" Then he turned to his friends and said, "Get him!"
The girl covered her face, afraid to watch the four high school boys beat up an elementary boy. When the sounds of fighting ceased, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she shrank away.
"It's okay. They won't bother you anymore," a soft voice whispered. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Morinozuka Takashi."
She moved her hands from her face and saw he was holding out a hand to help her up off the ground. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I'm Otori Fuyumi."
"Very nice to meet you, Otori-sempai." He pulled out a handkerchief and used it to gently dust off her uniform.
She glanced over at the four high school boys who lay on the ground groaning and whimpering.
Nodding his head in satisfaction that Fuyumi was once again presentable, Takashi offered her his arm and said, "Please allow me to escort you to class."
Fuyumi's hands were trembling slightly as she took Takashi's offered arm.
Once they reached her classroom, Takashi opened the door and allowed her to enter. Rather than turning to leave, he approached the teacher's desk and bowed. "If I may speak with you for a moment, Sensei Ito?" he asked politely.
With a scowl, the teacher stepped into the hall. "Well?" he demanded.
Takashi bowed respectfully again and related the details of the situation that led to his escorting the young lady to class.
Sensei Ito's expression softened. He pulled a pen and notepad from his pocket. After scribbling a brief message, he handed the folded paper to Takashi. "Please give this to your teacher."
"Yes, Sensei," Takashi replied as he took the paper and headed back to his classroom.
Opening his classroom door just as the chime sounded for lunch, Sensei Kawaguchi looked at him with a cocked eyebrow that seem to say, "What took so long?"
Holding out the note, Takashi bowed respectfully and presented it to her. She took the note and gestured for him to return to his seat while the others were dismissed to lunch. After reading the note, she smiled and nodded to him to convey that she approved of the reason for his tardiness and he was dismissed as well.
Just after the class was called back into session after lunch, there was a knock on the classroom door. A security guard approached the teacher and they spoke in hushed tones briefly. Then the teacher handed the security guard the note from Sensei Ito.
"Morinozuka-kun, you are to report to the Chairman's office," Sensei Kawaguchi announced.
Takashi followed the security guard without question or comment. They were waved to the Chairman's inner office as soon as they arrived. Inside, the Chairman sat behind his desk and the four high school boys were seated on the sofa, smirking.
Ignoring the quartet on the sofa, Takashi approached the desk and bowed respectfully. Then he waited for the Chairman to speak.
"Morinozuka-kun, I am disappointed in your behavior today. You know that fighting is not allowed. I have called your parents and we will discuss the ramifications of your actions as soon as they arrive," the Chairman stated. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Takashi tipped his head to one side as if seriously considering the matter. Finally he asked, "Suoh-sama, have their parents been called as well?"
"Yes, they have. And they will be allowed input into your punishment," Chairman Suoh replied. He waved to a chair on the opposite side of his office from the sofa where the quartet sat. "Please sit quietly and wait."
Settling into the indicated chair, Takashi meditated on his situation. "Obviously, they claimed that I started it and it will be my word against theirs. There was a witness, but I would never ask Otori-sempai to talk about it."
The quartet grew restless and started to fidget when the security guard who escorted Takashi, handed the Chairman a note.
Chairman Suoh told them to sit still and be quiet. After Yuzuru finished reading, he had a whispered conversation with the security guard, who immediately left the office.
About half an hour later, the secretary opened the door and announced, "The parents are here, sir."
"Is my other guest here as well?" Chairman Suoh asked.
The secretary nodded and the Chairman said, "Please show them all in."
Opening the door and standing aside, she gestured for those in the outer office to enter. When Fuyumi entered the room, one of the high school boys muttered, "Why you little…"
While the adults' attention was on the high school boys, Takashi stood from his chair and gestured for Fuyumi to be seated. Then he stood between her and the high school boys so she wouldn't have to look at them, as well as blocking their view of her.
Inwardly, Morinozuka Akira smiled at the actions of his son. "He has learned well how to treat a lady." He nodded in approval at Takashi as he moved to stand behind the chair Fuyumi had settled into.
Glaring in the direction of the high school boys, Chairman Suoh addressed the adults, "It appears I had only half a tale when I called to request your presence here."
Observing the interactions in the room with a critical eye, Otori Yoshio moved to stand beside Morinozuka Akira. The other parents moved to stand near the sofa where their sons sat.
Chairman Suoh leaned against his desk as he addressed everyone. Gesturing to the high school boys seated on the sofa, he said, "During lunch time, these young men came to my office to report that they had been attacked. The state of their clothing and faces bore the evidence of their allegations so I sent for Morinozuka-kun."
All eyes turned to Takashi as he stood defiantly in front of Fuyumi.
"After speaking to him, I asked if he had anything to say for himself. His only reply was to ask if the parents of the boys had been called in addition to his. No justifications or explanations for the fight." The Chairman had a look of consternation on his face.
Reaching behind him on his desk, Yuzuru picked up a note and held it up between two fingers. "The security guard who escorted Morinozuka-kun to my office handed me this note given to him by Sensei Kawaguchi."
The mother of one of the high school boys demanded in a whiney tone, "What bearing does a note from that hooligan's teacher have on the beating he gave my precious angel?"
"It is actually the crux of the matter. I'm sure that it has escaped no one's attention that a third year elementary boy is accused of beating up four third year high school boys…and coming out on top." Yuzuru suppressed a smirk as all the parents looked from the disheveled boys on the sofa to the tidy boy standing as if on guard duty.
"In addition, this note is not from Morinozuka-kun's teacher, but from Otori-chan's," the Chairman explained. "Allow me to read it."
***Please excuse Morinozuka-kun's tardiness in returning from his errand. He stopped an assault on Otori-chan by four high school boys. He is to be commended for his actions.***
Otori Yoshio's eyes narrowed at the implications of the note. He scowled in the direction of the sofa, contemplating how each of the families represented would pay for their attack on his little girl.
Morinozuka Akira reached forward and patted his son gently on the shoulder. Takashi turned his head slightly and nodded in acknowledgement.
Yuzuru said, "Otori-sama and Morinozuka-sama, unless you wish to say something in regards to the disciplinary action to be taken with these four, you are free to leave and take your children with you."
The two men exchanged glances and shook their heads to indicate they had nothing to offer. "Come along, Fuyumi," Yoshio said reservedly.
Akira nodded to the door and Takashi followed the Otoris. Once they were in the outer office and closed the door, Yoshio addressed Takashi, "Young man, thank you for assisting my daughter today."
Takashi bowed respectfully. "My parents taught me the proper way to treat a lady."
To everyone's consternation, Fuyumi pulled Takashi into a hug and kissed his cheek. "I feel so much safer knowing you're around," she declared, giggling.
OHSHC
"And that is why the ladies will actually feel safer with Mori-sempai is involved in the Host Club," Kyoya finished.
Tamaki gaped at Kyoya. "Your sister was saved by Mori-sempai?! That's incredible."
Kyoya pushed his glasses up. "If you don't believe me, you could always ask her yourself."
"No, no. I believe you. And now I know why the ladies consider him the 'wild' type. He fought four boys more than twice his age to defend a lady's honor. It's such a romantic story," Tamaki gushed, clasping his hands to his chest, closing his eyes, and throwing his head back.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kyoya just shook his head in exasperation. "How is this idiot my best friend?"
6