Chapter 7: Summer at Hinansho

Monday morning, Kanako was waiting for Haruhi on the front steps of the school. "She must be getting really anxious about the wedding venue," Haruhi thought.

It was all Kanako could do to maintain her composure and not run to Haruhi as soon as she saw him walking toward the school. "I hope he has good news. Mother was insisting all weekend that we have to postpone the wedding. I don't want to send all those obligatory gifts and apology notes about changing the wedding date. Not to mention finding another venue and re-sending all of the invitations."

"Good morning, Kanako," Haruhi greeted.

"Do you have good news?" Kanako blurted out. Covering her mouth in embarrassment, she blushed.

Ignoring Kanako's discomfort, Haruhi replied, "Yes. I have good news." She pulled the small, tasteful brochure the Host Club had designed out of her satchel.

"The Hinan family recently decided to allow their lovely estate to be used occasionally for special events," Haruhi stated. She handed the brochure to Kanako and asked, "Does this look like an appropriate venue for your wedding?"

Kanako looked at the photos in the brochure and was captivated by the gazebo, sakura grove, and formal gardens. "This looks like it will be perfect. Even better than the original venue," she enthused.

"Glad I could help," Haruhi replied. "The phone number for the Hinan family's event coordinator in on the back. She is expecting your call."

Unexpectedly, Kanako's wrapped her arms around Haruhi in a fierce hug. "You have no idea how much this means to me," Kanako said. She stepped back from Haruhi and blushed at her forward manner. "I need to call my mother to give her the information to call the agent. Oh, thank you so much, Haruhi. I'm sorry I won't see you at Host Club this afternoon, but I have an appointment for my dress fitting." With that, Kanako turned and headed into the school.

Before she could recover from the whirlwind of Kanako, she was surrounded by the twins. "Well, that looked like it went well," Hikaru purred in her ear, nuzzling her slightly.

Haruhi playfully pushed him away. "Oh, go on. She was just happy that she didn't have to postpone the wedding."

"I don't know," Kaoru murmured. "That hug looked pretty cozy to me. She was your first kiss after all."

Haruhi just rolled her eyes. "I will not dignify that comment with an answer. Let's get to class. I want to review my notes one more time before the test."

The twins hooked their elbows with Haruhi's and dragged her off to the classroom for their first class.

Just after lunch, Kyoya heard a *DING*

Looking at his phone, he thought, "I wasn't expecting any texts today. Hmm, it's from Fuyumi."

***As event coordinator, you guys need to call me after Host Club today.***

"I hope there are no problems. I'd hate to have her quit on her first day when there are only three requests," Kyoya thought.

After all the guests had left, the hosts gathered around a table. Kyoya dialed the phone number that had been set up for the event coordinator and set his phone in the middle of the table on speaker.

"Good evening," Fuyumi answered.

"Good evening, Fuyumi. We're calling as you requested. Is there a problem?" Kyoya asked.

"How many brochures did you guys hand out," Fuyumi asked, a hint of—annoyance?- in her voice.

"We only had the one we gave to our parents last night when we got home," Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison.

"I delivered one to the Kendo Tournament Committee office on my way to school this morning," Takashi added.

"I gave one to Kanako this morning before school," Haruhi finished. "We only printed three yesterday. The order for more went to the printer this morning, but they won't be ready until Wednesday, at the earliest."

Kyoya cut in. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I have received a dozen phone calls in addition to those three you told me to expect."

Mitsukuni looked confused. "How could that happen?"

Kyoya responded, "Obviously, one or more of the people we gave brochures to passed the information on to others. Fuyumi, what types of requests were the unexpected calls?"

"I'll say right up front that I think there are two that should be denied outright. One was for an executive retreat and they wanted us to supply 'entertainment' for them." The tone of Fuyumi's voice highlighted the spoken quotes and left no doubt in anyone's mind what kind of 'entertainment' they wanted.

"The other was a sales convention with a reputation of being rowdy, rude, and destructive."

"What did you tell them?" Haruhi asked.

"Those two? Or all of them?" Fuyumi replied.

"What did you tell those two?" Kyoya interjected.

Fuyumi chuckled, "Actually, I told them all the same thing. Because this is the Hinan family's home, all requests must be approved by the Hinan family. They meet on Wednesdays to review all applications."

"I like that answer," Kaoru said.

"And would you believe," Fuyumi continued, "after hearing that approval was needed, six of them tried to pay me to 'put in a good word' with the family for them. The nerve of some people."

"What did you say to them about the bribes?" Kyoya inquired, letting Fuyumi and the rest of the hosts know that was exactly what the payments were.

"They didn't call them bribes. They called them gifts to show their gratitude at my assistance in getting their event approved by the family. I told them I had no influence with the family, but if they really wanted to send a gift to the drop box, I couldn't stop them."

All of the hosts laughed at Fuyumi's handling of the situation.

Haruhi piped up, "It looks like we hired the right event coordinator. So, what are you going to do with your 'gifts'?"

"Actually, I don't want them. Why don't we set them aside in a special fund and decide what to do with them later?" Fuyumi replied.

Kyoya was shaking his head and laughing silently at his sister's antics. "Please make a notation on the requests that offer you a 'gift.' I'd like to figure out just why they are offering such an incentive."

"Will do. Still, any ideas on how the information got out with only three specifically targeted brochures?" Fuyumi asked, directing the conversation back to the central point of the call.

Haruhi spoke up first. "I suppose Kanako's mother could have shown the brochure to people at the bridal dress shop. Kanako had a fitting there this afternoon."

"Possible," Fuyumi allowed. "But some of these calls came in the late morning, while she was at school."

Hikaru cut in. "Maybe one of our parents' appointments this morning saw their copy."

"It may also have been the Kendo Tournament office," Takashi admitted. "There were a number of committee members in attendance when I dropped off the brochure with the secretary. I specifically told her it was related to the Chiba tournament relocation."

Kyoya chuckled. "Well, it looks like word of mouth will be a very effective marketing method for Hinansho. Our Wednesdays this summer may be very busy evaluating requests." He glanced over at Haruhi and noticed that she seemed to relax her tense posture. "I wonder if she was worried about events earning enough to cover expenses," he mused.

Tamaki spoke up, "Hey, Fuyumi, is there anything else you need?"

"Not that I know of at the moment. I just wanted to be sure I hadn't missed a message when I started getting all those calls and you told me to expect three." There was the sound of a door opening and closing in the background. "I have to go. My husband just got home and we have family plans to go to dinner and the Ren Theater."

Mitsukuni said, "Ooo, that sounds like fun. Enjoy your evening. We'll see you on Wednesday."

"Thanks. 'Bye for now," Fuyumi said as she disconnected the call.

Kyoya picked up his phone and slid it into his pocket. Turning to Haruhi, he said, "It looks like Hinansho will have no trouble supporting itself if this is the number of requests before we even start 'advertising.' As long as there are requests—reputable enough to be approved, I think we're set."

Haruhi smiled brightly. "I'm looking forward to Wednesday. There will be a lot of work to do, getting all the people in place. But I also think it will be a lot of fun—fun setting up our place of refuge."

The other hosts laughed at her use of Hinansho's meaning.

That evening, Ryoji returned from running errands to find Haruhi in the kitchen making rice balls for dinner and humming, tunelessly but happily, to herself.

"You sound chipper," he stated. "I take it things are going well on your plans. You haven't mentioned anything since I went to Ryo's office to sign all that paperwork."

Haruhi turned around and smile brightly at him. "Things are really starting to come together. In fact, I hope you're available Wednesday night. We want to have a dinner with the agents to bring you all up to speed on the things we're doing."

"What time?"

"We'll be picking you up right after Host Club. Do you work that night?"

"No, since I covered Nao's shift on Saturday, he's taking mine on Wednesday."

"Great. That way we don't need to worry if we get wrapped up talking about things."

"Is dinner almost ready? I'm starving and I do need to work tonight."

Haruhi glanced around the kitchen. "Everything is ready. Have a seat at the table and I'll bring it all in."

Fuyumi and Shima were waiting when the Host Club, Ryoji, and Tachibana arrived at Hinansho. As they climbed out of the limousine, Fuyumi called, "Welcome. We are going to have so much fun."

Kyoya braced himself as she threw her arms around him for a hug. "Where are Masaya and Hibiki?" he asked.

"Seiji wanted to take them to the aquarium tonight," Fuyumi replied. "He figured we'd get a lot more done if those two weren't trying to charm everyone's attention, especially Uncle Kyoya's."

Standing at his shoulder, Tamaki chuckled. "She's got you there, mon ami."

Haruhi turned to Takashi and Mitsukuni. "Are Kairi and Atsuhiro going to be able to make it?"

Takashi responded, "Atsuhiro should be here in ten minutes. He texted me about a traffic delay."

Mitsukuni added, "I just got a text from Kairi. He just took a soufflé out of the oven. My parents are entertaining some French dignitaries and thought that would be an appropriate dish for dinner tonight. If there are no traffic problems, he should be here in fifteen minutes."

Glancing at his watch, Kyoya stated, "Then they will be arriving right on time. Is there anything we'd like to do while we're waiting?"

"I, for one, would like to know what this place is and why we're here?" Ryoji queried.

Haruhi hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Sorry, Dad. I forgot that I haven't had time to tell you all about this place."

Kyoya interrupted. "Takashi and MItsukuni, have you acquainted Kairi and Atsuhiro with the details surrounding Hinansho?"

Mitsukuni responded for both of them. "We haven't had the opportunity yet. We only extended the employment offers from the Hinan family. I figured we'd lay out the plan tonight so they are all getting the same information."

Turning to Ryoji, Kyoya asked, "Are you willing to wait until dinner? That way we'll only have to explain it once."

"I'm willing to wait for the explanation. Could we take a look around the grounds while we're waiting for the other two to arrive?"

Fuyumi piped up, "Everybody follow me."

Shima murmured sedately, "I will remain here to wait for our other guests. We will meet you in the lobby when you finish your tour."

"I shall remain as well," Tachibana added.

"Okay, Shima and Tachibana. Thank you for thinking of that," Fuyumi replied. Turning to the remaining group, she exclaimed in her best tour guide voice, "Right this way…"

Twenty minutes later, the group returned, Ryoji gushing over the grounds and Haruhi smiling indulgently. "So, what do you think, Dad?" she teased.

He gave her a look and playfully swatted at her arm. "Well, if you had been listening, you'd know."

The other hosts chuckled at their father-daughter antics. Fuyumi said, "We decided to set up dinner in Haruhi's apartment…"

"Wait, what?" Ryoji interrupted. "My baby girl has an apartment here? What's going on?" He glared at the young men.

Rolling her eyes, Haruhi responded, "We all have apartments here. We'll be using them as offices when we're here on Hinan family business. Even you have an apartment here, Dad. It's on the west side of mine, next to Hikaru's."

"Why do they have to be apartments?" he demanded. "Why aren't they just little offices?"

"This was originally designed as a resort and the owners were going to be living in those apartments. You remember that big scandal last month? With the embezzlement and fraud? Your friend, Shohei was going to be working as a bartender but it all fell through, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I remember how upset he was because it was good pay and included an on-site apartment." Comprehension dawned. "That was this place?"

By that time, they had reach Haruhi's apartment and Shima let them in. Tachibana, Kairi, and Atsuhiro were talking quietly while waiting for the others.

"Before we have dinner," Haruhi announced, "let's introduce ourselves. I'll start. I'm Haruhi Fujioka, a first year student at Ouran High School and a member of the Host Club."

"I'm Ryoji Fujioka, Haruhi's father. I am a registered agent for the Hinan family. I also work in a tranny bar as a bartender under the name Ranka."

"I am Kyoya Otori, a second year student at Ouran High School and a member of the Host Club."

"Takashi Morinozuka, third year and a member of the Host Club."

"Mitsukuni Haninozuka, also third year and member of the Host Club."

"Seizaburo Tachibana. I am Kyoya Otori's bodyguard, a registered agent for the Hinan family, and head of Hinan security."

"Tamaki Suoh. I am a second year student and president of the Host Club."

In unison, the twins said, "We are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. We are first year students and members of the Host Club. Want to play the 'Which one is Hikaru?' game?"

Haruhi snorted a laugh and said, "Cut it out you two."

Kairi and Atsuhiro's eyes were wide as they realized the company they were standing in.

Fuyumi spoke up. "Don't worry. They're harmless. I'm Fuyumi Shido, Kyoya's sister. I am also a registered agent, as well as the events coordinator for the Hinan family."

"I am Shima, formerly of the Suoh mansion #2. I am now the head housekeeper here at Hinansho."

Kairi suspected there was a story behind that introduction, probably a lot like his own. "I am Kairi Okayasu, formerly pastry chef at the Haninozuka estate. Tonight was my last night. I trained in Paris and was kitchen supervisor at a large resort, before I was hired away by the Haninozuka family. I look forward to supervising the kitchen here at Hinansho."

"I guess I'm the last one," Atsuhiro chuckled. "I am Atsuhiro Hiyama, former karate and kendo world champion, as well as former Rally Car driver and mechanic. I look forward to being the mechanic and chauffeur for the Hinan family, as well as providing security under Tachibana-san."

Mitsukuni piped up, "Tachibana, did you get the box of candidate packets?"

"Yes," he replied. "I placed them in my apartment and I will look them over later.

"Good, one more thing done on our list."

Kairi spoke up, "I don't mean to sound suspicious, but when are we going to meet the Hinan family?"

The Host Club members laughed. Tamaki prodded Haruhi and said, "You should probably explain."

Haruhi poked him back and then explained how and why the Hinan family had been newly created. Then she added, "There were no officially registered members yet but it's ready just in case any of us needs a refuge."

Kairi smiled. "That explains the name. It's a very interesting idea."

Shima interrupted, "Now that introductions are complete, it is time to eat dinner."

The group settled around the table and started passing dishes. Once everyone had something to eat, Fuyumi passed around a list describing the event requests she had received. "The first three on the list are the pre-approved ones for the wedding, the photo shoot, and the kendo tournament.

After looking over the list, Haruhi said, "I think we should approve the other three weddings. I recognize the names from conversations with Kanako. They were all supposed to be at the same venue as Kanako's.

Fuyumi nodded and asked, "Anyone have any objections?"

Kairi spoke up, "I see no problem with those. If you don't mind, can we deny the Sakura Group, the Ito Conglomerate, and the Murai Corporation executive retreats? I dealt with them when I worked at the resort and they were nothing but trouble."

"Fine by me," Fuyumi replied. "The Sakura Group is the one that wanted us to provide 'entertainment.' They also offered me a rather substantial bribe to influence the Hinan family to approve their event."

"As well as those three," Kyoya added, "we should deny the Kento Pharmaceuticals conference and the American Football League. Kento exploits their workers while indulging their executives, resulting in truly abysmal behavior. The American Football League is known for leaving damage in their wake, much like the soccer group that ruined the venue where Kanako and Tohru originally scheduled their wedding."

Fuyumi marked the list. "Okay, that take care of eight of the fifteen. It looks like two of the remaining seven conflict with the weddings, so we'll have to deny those."

Teasingly, Hikaru said, "I don't know about these other two executive retreats. Anyone know anything about the Haninozukas and Morinozukas?"

Everyone laughed as Fuyumi marked those two "Approved."

Takashi spoke up, "I like the sounds of the three conferences that remain on the list. Single parenting, domestic violence, and teen suicide are very real problems that need to be addressed. I wonder if they would mind if we attend?"

Haruhi smiled at Takashi. "That's very true. Maybe we should give those three a discount?"

"That's what we could use the bribes for! We could cover the difference between the usual fee and what we charge those groups," Tamaki suggested.

"Excellent idea, Tono," Kaoru said.

"Well, looks like that didn't take as long as I expected," Fuyumi sighed in relief. "I will be sure to ask the conferences if Hinan family members may attend."

Kyoya asked, "Shima and Kairi, will you have enough time to hire and train staff before the first event?"

Shima answered, "Tachibana mentioned that there would be candidate packets available. Could he explain what he meant by that?"

Mitsukuni responded, "I should answer that instead. When we first started talking about staffing for Hinansho, it was suggested that all our staff have security training. I put together packets from the last four Haninozuka/Morinozuka training groups of personnel with prior household, kitchen, and grounds training. There were quite a number in those groups that had been dismissed from households that were downsizing their staff. There are always opening for security jobs so they applied for training to expand their job prospects."

"Cross-training with security is a good idea," Kairi admitted. "You never know where a security issue will pop up. There was more than one incident of paparazzi sneaking into the kitchen at the resort to gain access to celebrities. Having kitchen staff trained in security rather than having to call security is a good idea."

Shima nodded. "I agree with that for housekeeping staff as well. Maids should be able to defend themselves and deal with problems rather than having to wait for security."

"That will also keep our on-site staff numbers down," Kyoya said. "That is one of the reasons we can offer such attractive salaries and benefit packages."

Tamaki spoke up, "We should identify one or two reputable temporary agencies to contact for additional labor for larger events."

"That reminds me," Haruhi interrupted. Turning to Ryoji she continued, "Dad, you will be the first one we contact if we need a bartender for any event. You will be paid according to our scale for your work."

"Thank you for thinking of me," he replied, pulling her into a hug.

For the first time, Atsuhiro chimed in, "How many vehicles will I be responsible for?"

Haruhi looked embarrassed, "We don't have any…"

"Actually," Kaoru interrupted, "the Hitachiins decided to give the Hinan family the three-year-old stretch Hummer limousine they were rotating out of their fleet. That's the only type they use in their photo shoots and they wanted to be sure one was available at Hinansho."

Honey interjected, "The Haninozukas sent over an armor-plated SUV for secure transport for executive retreats."

"The Morinozukas sent over a sedan for discrete transport for dignitaries and celebrities," Takashi added.

"Okay, I stand corrected," Haruhi chuckled.

Kairi asked, "Would it be possible to get a truck? I really prefer to go the farms myself to purchase produce. It's fresher and better quality that way."

Kyoya made a note. "I will look into that."

Tamaki pouted, "It's not fair. Everyone else has gotten to contribute to the Hinan family. What's left for me to contribute?"

Hikaru leaned over and patted his arm. "Don't worry, Tono. Something will come up that will be right up your alley."

Satisfied with the description of his duties, Atsuhiro asked, "Now that we've discussed all the work, what is included in the employment compensation package?"

"I wondered when someone was going to ask," Kyoya said, smiling. "It includes an on-site apartment, two-weeks paid vacation, paid sick leave, full health coverage, and a generous annual salary based on your position and experience."

He walked over to the desk in the corner and pulled several folders from his briefcase. Returning to the dining table, he handed the first folder to Shima. "This is your offer letter with your benefits outlined. The other sheet is the benefits and pay range for the personnel you will be hiring. I anticipate you will need four to six maids to clean the rooms and cottages."

"That sounds adequate. I would prefer to clean the executive apartments myself," she responded.

Haruhi protested, "I don't need anyone to clean my apartment…"

With a sedate smile, Shima interrupted, "I know, that's why I plan to do it myself. It will be more to reminder the young men to be aware of the state of their apartments."

Shima finally opened her folder and gasped, "Kyoya-san, this is far too much!"

"Nonsense," he retorted. "This is the least you deserve for your position and experience, but Hinan is new and just getting established, so it will have to do for now."

Next he handed a folder to Tachibana.

"Thank you, sir," he said and laid it beside his plate.

Bewildered, Kairi asked, "Aren't you going to look at it?"

"No need. I trust Kyoya-san."

Kairi looked at the stoic man and thought, "Oh right, he is Kyoya's bodyguard. Of course, he knows Kyoya well and trusts him. Kyoya must have a lot of faith in him as well."

He was startled out of his thoughts when Kyoya handed him the next folder. Opening it cautiously, he looked at his offer and the pay range for the kitchen staff. His eyes grew wide. Opening and closing his mouth several times, he was finally able to speak. "With offers like this it should be no problem to staff the kitchen."

Atsuhiro wasn't sure what to expect when he was finally handed his folder. Because he would not need to hire any staff, there was only his letter in the folder. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked. "All you want me to do is drive and maintain the cars and you're willing to pay me this much, in addition to the apartment and everything?"

Kyoya nodded and explained, "Our friend, Haruhi, has taught us during this past year that the people who work for us are very important and how we compensate them should reflect that. If we believe your work is worth this much, then you will work like you think you're worth it."

"Wow. That's not what my previous employers thought. They wanted the most work for the least cost," Atsuhiro said, shaking his head, as if to settle the idea in his mind.

"Wait," Tamaki asked, "what about Fuyumi's contract as event coordinator?"

Before Kyoya could answer, Fuyumi stated, "It was already taken care of when Kyoya took me and my family out to dinner in appreciation for all my work on the property acquisition."

Kyoya's voice dripped with sarcasm as he added, "Did you think I would allow my own sister to work without a contract?"

Turning everyone's attention back to the discussion at hand, Fuyumi looked up from her planner. "Well, it looks like we'll only need one or two events per week to be able to meet all the expenses for Hinansho. Does that sound do-able to you? Shima? Kairi? Atsuhiro? Tachibana?"

The four shared a look and the men nodded to Shima, deferring to her wisdom and experience. "Quite manageable. We could probably handle twice that easily, but this is the Hinan family home and not a general resort."

Ryoji spoke up, "I hate to be the wet blanket, but the kids have school tomorrow. Mitsukuni and Takashi have graduation practice and I'm sure you all remember how vigorous that can be."

"Shima, since you've already moved into an apartment here at Hinansho, can I ask you to help Kairi and Atsuhiro choose apartments and get settled in?" Kyoya inquired.

She responded with a smile. "It would be my pleasure. It will be nice to have others around."

"Then I will leave you three to work out the details among yourselves."

Tachibana said, "I will review the packets from Haninozuka-san tomorrow morning and bring them to you tomorrow night. Then you can review them and start interviewing and hiring."

As everyone was gathering their things from around Haruhi's apartment, Mitsukuni said, "The Host Club will be back on Saturday. We intend to spend the summer here rather than traveling abroad as we usually do. Well, all except Haruhi usually traveled abroad." He turned to Haruhi and said, "We need to get your passport. You never know when it may be needed."

"Will all of the permanent staff need to be in place by Saturday?" Shima asked apprehensively.

"Oh no," Haruhi answered. "I don't need any help and the others could always bring someone from their family estates if they need help. We may want to have meals together in the small private dining room occasionally, but we can figure that out later."

Shima relaxed slightly and said, "Very good."

"Sounds good to me," Kairi interjected.

The group headed to the front entrance together. Kairi and Atsuhiro drove off in their own cars. The Host Club with Tachibana, Fuyumi, and Ryoji left in the limousine and Shima locked up for the night.

"This will be an interesting adventure," she thought as she locked the door and turned out the lights.

"Well," Haruhi thought, "It's good to know that the graduation ceremonies are the same for the elite as they are for the everyone else. The only difference between this one and my middle school graduation was the week spent cleaning the school. The students don't have to do the cleaning at Ouran. That did make it easier to study and take exams."

She sat hemmed in by Kyoya and Tamaki behind her, Hikaru on her left, and Kaoru on her right.

Hikaru leaned over and whispered, "How much longer is this going to take?"

Kaoru leaned in from the other side and whispered, "I'm bored!"

Tamaki leaved forward with his finger on his lips. "I want to hear my father's speech. Be quiet!"

Kyoya watched Haruhi's shoulders tense. "I can almost imagine her rolling her eyes at those three," he thought. "It's all I can do to keep myself from reaching forward and rubbing her shoulders to get her to relax."

A few minutes later, Chairman Suoh finished his speech and they began singing the farewell song. Haruhi kept her voice very low, knowing that she really couldn't sing very well.

Finally, the diploma presentations began. Haruhi's eyes glowed with pride, and a few unshed tears, as she watched Mitsukuni and Takashi perform the very precise choreography of receiving their diplomas. "Not much longer and they'll head to their homeroom for goodbyes and autographs while we line the corridors to congratulate them during their final tour of the school. I can't wait to meet up with them in the Third Music Room soon, so I can congratulate them and give them hugs."

"I'm glad we were able to find a place in the corridor near Mitsukuni and Takashi's homeroom so we would have plenty of time to get ready for the graduation party," Kyoya thought as he reviewed the spreadsheets from Fuyumi, Shima, Tachibana, and Kairi. "It looks like things are off to a good start for Hinansho." Surreptitiously, he looked over to where Haruhi was enduring Hikaru attaching hair extensions and Kaoru applying makeup.

Haruhi murmured, "Are you guys almost done? Mitsukuni and Takashi will be here soon and I still need to change into my dress."

"Don't worry. They still need to change into their suits and so do we. At least Tamaki changed into his before he had to go meet with his dad," Hikaru responded exasperatedly. "Be patient."

Haruhi started to turn her head to retort, but Hikaru held her head steady. "If you wore the wig, we'd be done already."

"It's too hot and heavy," she retorted.

"So just sit still and let me finish," Hikaru stated.

"Kaoru, you're not going to get carried away with the makeup, are you?" Haruhi demanded.

"Actually, I'm almost done," he replied placidly. "I'm using a new lightweight powder foundation that's much more comfortable."

"Wow, You're almost done?" Haruhi responded. "It doesn't feel all caked on like it usually does."

"And done," Kaoru said smugly, handing her a mirror.

Hikaru snatched it away before Haruhi has a chance to see herself. "I'm almost done. You can have a look then, and not before."

"Spoilsport," Kaoru pouted.

Haruhi giggled at the twins' antics.

Just then the door opened and Tamaki, Mitsukuni, and Takashi walked in.

"And now I'm done," Hikaru said, drawing Haruhi's attention back to him as he handed her the mirror.

"Wow! You two outdid yourselves tonight. I look so natural," Haruhi praised.

"That was the point," the twins responded in unison. "Now we need to go change and see if Mitsukuni and Takashi need any help getting changed. Get into your dress so we can make sure it fits properly."

Haruhi rolled her eyes as she walked to the changing room where her dress was waiting for her.

"The limo is leaving in fifteen minutes, so no dawdling," Kyoya announced.

Mitsukuni helped Haruhi out of the limousine and said, "I'm sorry I can't dance with you first. Our mothers insisted that they get our first dances tonight at our graduation party."

"Don't worry about it," Haruhi replied, placing a hand on his arm. "We can dance later."

The Host Club entered the ballroom together before Mitsukuni and Takashi split off to join their reception line with their parents. The remaining members handed their coats to the waiting maid who would see that they were taken to the guest rooms they would be using that night.

Kyoya led the way over to the receiving line to offer congratulations to the Haninozukas and Morinozukas on the successful graduation of their family heirs. He was followed by Tamaki, Haruhi, Hikaru, and Kaoru.

"I can do this," Haruhi kept repeating to herself. "Mitsukuni and Takashi explained the ceremony to me. There's mothing to worry about. Just use the skills I've developed as a host."

Takashi was the first in the line, then his parents. Next was Mitsukuni and finally his parents. In addition to being a graduation party, it was also a formal public presentation of the Morinozuka and Haninozuka heirs so there were a lot of dignitaries and celebrities expected to be in attendance.

After the Host Club had finished offering congratulations to everyone in the receiving line, Tamaki asked, "Haruhi, may I have this dance?"

"Of course, sempai," she replied as she took his hand and he led her to the dance floor. A stately waltz was playing as they glided around the room.

"You did well in the receiving line," Tamaki commented.

"Thank you. Mitsukuni and Takashi explained everything so I wouldn't feel awkward," she replied modestly.

As the song ended, Kyoya stepped forward. "May I have the next dance?"

"Of course," Haruhi murmured as Tamaki placed her hand in Kyoya's and then walked off to find another dance partner.

"You look lovely this evening," Kyoya commented as he twirled Haruhi in time to the music.

"You are looking quite dashing yourself," she replied with a smirk.

They chatted amicably until Kyoya felt a tap on his shoulder halfway through the song.

"May I cut in?" a cold, cultured voice inquired.

Kyoya turned, intending to deny the interloper until he saw that it was his father.

Giving Haruhi a slightly panicked look, he relinquished his hold and Yoshio Otori danced away with her.

"And how do you know my son?" Yoshio inquired bluntly.

Haruhi smiled at him indulgently. "Let the interrogation begin," she thought, smirking inwardly. "Obviously he doesn't recognize me as that upstart commoner scholarship student who talked back to him at the Ouran Fair."

Aloud, she replied, "I attend Ouran and I met him there. He is a remarkable person."

"Am I acquainted with your family?" he questioned with a calculating look in his eye.

"Oh, no," she said self-deprecatingly. "My family is too insignificant to be noticed by the Otoris."

Before Yoshio could question her further, the song ended and Hikaru appeared at her elbow.

"May I have this dance?" he asked.

Reluctantly, Yoshio relinquished Haruhi's hand and watched Hikaru lead her away. "Fascinating. I feel I should know her but I can't place the face." Suddenly it dawned on him that he had not asked her name. "I'll ask Kyoya who she is," he decided.

"Thank you for the save, Hikaru," Haruhi said lightly. "I don't think he connected the young woman he was dancing with to the scholarship student that stood up to him. But I'd rather he didn't."

"If the song hadn't already been near the end, I would have cut in," Hikaru replied.

After several more dances with a variety of partners, Haruhi headed to the refreshment table for a cup of punch. Yoshio was waiting there to engage her in conversation again.

"Good evening, Otori-san," Haruhi said politely before taking a sip of her punch.

"Good evening," he replied. "I enjoyed our dance earlier, as well as the stimulating conversation."

Smiling demurely, Haruhi merely nodded in response.

"So, what are your future plans?" Yoshio inquired.

Tilting her head slightly as if to gauge the sincerity of his inquiry, she finally replied, "I intend to become a lawyer like my mother. I currently have an internship with a local law firm."

Yoshio's eyebrow rose in question. "I thought Ouran students were not allowed to have jobs."

"This is correct, strictly speaking. I pointed out to Chairman Suoh that most Ouran students have family connections that allow them on-the-job application of their academic concepts to broaden their understanding. My internship merely levels the playing field." Haruhi sipped her punch to hide her smirk.

Before Yoshio could interrogate her further, Takashi appeared and said, "I believe this is our dance."

She gently placed her cup on the table and took his offered hand. Once they reached the safety of the dance floor, she said, "Thank you for rescuing me, Takashi. Yoshio can be quite persistent."

"Welcome. You look lovely this evening."

She blushed lightly and relaxed into the dance, her left hand resting lightly on his chest because the height difference did not allow her to easily place her hand on his shoulder. His hand rested lightly on her shoulder rather than her waist.

When the dance ended, Takashi leaned down and whispered in her ear, "If my parents and all the dignitaries weren't here, I would have just picked you up to eliminate the height difference. Maybe we can have a private dance later?"

Before Haruhi could respond, Mitsukuni appeared and whisked her away for a dance. "Finally, we get our dance," he said, holding her firmly but gently.

"Did you enjoy your dance with your mother?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes. However, I did not enjoy the dances with the simpering daughters of the dignitaries. They made me feel like the only cake at a tea party—something to be fought over and awarded as a prize to the victor," he responded sourly. "Now I know how you felt during all those games concocted by Tamaki and the twins." His voice took on a hint of shame.

"Thank you for acknowledging and validating my feelings, Mitsukuni," Haruhi whispered, running her left hand down his cheek.

Mitsukuni blushed at her touch and sighed in contentment. "I wish we could dance all night but there are three more girls my mother insists I dance with."

Kyoya had watched Haruhi throughout the evening as she danced with others. "I don't dare dance with her again, especially after my father cornered her at the refreshment table." He sighed as he watched Takashi whisper in her ear and then Mitsukuni whisk her away into a dance.

The graduation party ended near midnight and all of the hosts were thoroughly exhausted from their long, busy day. After a brief 'good night' they each headed to their room to get some much needed rest. The next morning after breakfast, they would be heading to Hinansho to spend the summer together.

Almost everyone was gathered in the dining room for breakfast the morning after Mitsukuni and Takashi's graduation party. Haruhi had just arrived from cleaning up after her morning workout with the cousins.

"Hey, Haruhi, what's keeping Mitsukuni?" Tamaki asked as she walked in.

"I thought he would already be here. My hair was being more difficult than usual this morning so I expected everyone to be waiting on me."

Just as she finished, Mitsukuni burst into the dining room and asked frantically, "Has anyone seen Usa-chan? He wasn't in his usual place after my workout this morning."

Mitsukuni's father snorted derisively. "You really don't need that crutch anymore. Haninozukas are self-controlled and independent."

"Maids packed?" Takashi inquired. "I'll help you check after breakfast."

Breakfast was a subdued affair under the watchful eyes of Mitsukuni's parents following his father's pronouncement.

As soon as everyone was done with their meal, Mitsukuni's father said, "The limousine to take you to Hinansho will leave in thirty minutes. It will not be delayed. Be ready."

Takashi said, "Mitsukuni, let's head to your room and check your luggage."

Hikaru, Kaoru, Tamaki, and Kyoya started toward their guest rooms to pack their luggage.

Haruhi said, "I already packed and placed my case in the entryway. I think I'll take a walk through the gardens while I wait."

As Haruhi strolled through the gardens and the other hosts packed, Mitsukuni tore through the trunks his maids had packed for his summer at Hinansho. Takashi followed along behind him, refolding clothes and repacking.

As Haruhi walked past the gardening shed, her eyes were drawn to a patch of pink. "Why would something pink be hanging out of the trash bin behind a gardening shed? It's definitely not a flower." she wondered as she went to investigate.

When she took the lid off, there was Usa-chan with bits of plant debris clinging to him. "How did you get here?" Haruhi asked him and then blushed at the thought of being caught talking to a toy rabbit.

She brushed him off and cleaned him up as best she could. "I need to take you back to Mitsukuni," she thought.

She was about to run to the house but stopped when she realized something. "You didn't get here by yourself. I wouldn't be surprised if Mitsukuni's father ordered you to be thrown away where you wouldn't be found until after it was too late." Haruhi stood there holding Usa-chan and trying to figure out what to do.

At the front of the house, Kyoya looked at his watch and said, "We only have five minutes until the limousine is scheduled to leave. I'll go find Haruhi."

As Kyoya disappeared around the corner of the house, Mitsukuni and Takashi came out carrying Mitsukuni's trunks.

"Where are Haruhi and Kyoya?" Mitsukuni asked.

Tamaki replied, "Haruhi was already packed so she went for a walk in the garden and …"

Hikaru interrupted, "Kyoya just went that way to find her and tell her it's time to leave." He pointed in the direction Kyoya had gone.

"I'll go the other direction," Takashi volunteered. He turned and headed off before anyone could say anything.

Just around the corner of the house, Takashi saw Haruhi near the gardening shed holding something. He hurried over and asked, "What do you have there?"

Haruhi was startled, but she smiled when she saw it was Takashi. "Look who I found in the trash bin," she replied, holding up Usa-chan.

At that moment, Kyoya came from the other direction. He saw Takashi pick Haruhi up and spin her around with a huge grin on his face. What he could not see from his vantage point was the pink bunny held securely in her arms.

"We need to tell Mitsukuni right away," Takashi insisted, finally setting Haruhi back on her feet.

"No," she replied. "I think we should wait until we're alone at Hinansho. Someone purposely wanted to get rid of Usa-chan. I don't want them to know he was found."

Takashi kissed her forehead. "That's a smart idea. How will we get him there unnoticed?"

"Hmmm. My sweatshirt is baggy enough to hide him." Matching deeds to words, she shoved the pink bunny under her sweatshirt and shifted it around so it was by her side where she could hold him in place with her elbow.

Kyoya cleared his throat to alert the pair of his presence. "It's almost time to go," he said.

"Yes, it is. Let's get going," Haruhi responded, grabbing his and Takashi's hands and heading for the front of the house.

After their missing members appeared around the side of the house, the Host Club climbed into the waiting limousine.

"Haruhi should sit next to me," Tamaki insisted.

"No. I have something I need to do during the trip. If Kyoya doesn't mind, I'd like to sit in his usual spot next to the door."

"I don't mind," he said flatly. He was about to sit next to Tamaki when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Haruhi looking at him.

"Would you sit next to me? I don't want anyone to see what I'm doing. It's a surprise."

Kyoya looked a little puzzled but responded, "Okay?" unsurely.

Haruhi pulled a notebook out of her satchel and started writing very slowly and meticulously. After a few minutes, she nodded in satisfaction and put her notebook away.

Ten minutes later, the limousine pulled up in front of Hinansho and unloaded the trunks and cases.

As soon as the limousine left through the gates, Takashi looked at Haruhi knowingly. The others looked between the two of them in confusion.

Haruhi smiled and reached under her sweatshirt.

"What are you doing?" Tamaki shrieked, waving his hands wildly.

"Oh, relax. I'm not taking my shirt off," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm just returning this to its rightful owner." She pulled out Usa-chan and held him out to Mitsukuni.

"You found him!?" he shouted, hugging the pink bunny tightly.

"When I took the walk in the gardens before we left, I found him in a trash bin behind the gardening shed. I hid him until we were alone here so no one would know he was recovered," Haruhi explained.

Mitsukuni looked from Haruhi to Usa-chan and back again. He heaved a sigh and said, "Haruhi, please take Usa-chan home with you to protect him." He looked sad as he held out Usa-chan for Haruhi to take.

She smiled and pressed the pink bunny back into his arms. "Wouldn't it be better to keep him in your apartment here at Hinansho?"

At first he looked confused but then a smile started to light up his face again.

Pulling a paper out of her satchel, Haruhi said, "He doesn't need adoption papers and he won't be listed on the Hinan family registry, but I made this for him."

Because Mitsukuni's hands were full of Usa-chan, Takashi took the paper and read aloud:

This certificate confers upon Usa-chan all the responsibilities and privileges of membership in the Hinan family.

Haruhi proclaimed, "Usa-chan is the first one to be granted refuge by the Hinan family."