An evil cackle fills the air and the trio turn to see Renge coming towards them. Behind her a group of regular Host Club clients crowds around them. Renge takes a stand before Haruhi and smirks at her mischievously.
"What's this I see? Could it be possible that you're secretly dating the twins too, Haruhi?" She says, eyeing Haruhi slyly "It's not like you to just randomly show up to school with them." The girls behind her chatter and squeal excitedly much to Haruhi's annoyance. As always, Renge is there to stir up drama.
Haruhi rolls her eyes and pulls away from the twins,"It's not like that. They caught me on my way to school. Is it really so weird to catch a ride with friends?"
"But what about Tamaki? What will he think of you hanging with them?" Renge crosses her arms against her chest and smirks. The twins chuckle at her question, hiding their laughs behind their hands.
"What about him?" Haruhi mumbles as she fixes her uniform "It's not like he rules over everything I do."
"Well, you two are dating so I just assumed he'd be jealous, that's all." Renge says nonchalantly with a shrug, hoping to stir up more drama.
Hikaru and Kaoru share mischievous smirks and wrap their arms around each other's shoulders "You see, they're not exactly dating anymore." Haruhi's shoulders droop and she lets out a groan of frustration as she places her hand upon her face. She had thought this first day of school would have gone by peacefully. This is not what she needed on the first day of school.
Haruhi slips on her yellow dress uniform, patting it down and fixing the collar. She stares at herself in the bathroom mirror and runs her fingers through her short bob, not quite used to not having to pose as a boy anymore.
She enters her room and gathers her needed supplies for school, shoving them into her backpack as she prepares herself for a new start.
After these past few days had turned more emotional than she had planned, she was glad to return to school. Studying and learning new things was a great escape for her, especially when it came to things that she didn't have a lot of experience with; love being the newest issue in her life. With her friends fawning over her and her feelings for them completely out of wack, she definitely welcomed the new school year with loving arms. Unfortunately, it would be a lot more quiet this year due to the absence of the four oldest hosts.
She tiptoes past her father's room, chuckling as his loud snores follows her to the front door. Slipping on her usual brown school shoes and pushing open the door, she's greeted by sunshine and weather perfect for walking to school. With a smile, she closes the front door and makes her journey to Ouran High.
Walking down the street, she starts to tell herself to concentrate on school and not romance or dating. After the events of yesterday, it would definitely take her a while before she was comfortable enough to talk to Tamaki about the break up without blubbering like a child. She walks down the street and starts to whistle a little tune as she enjoys the peace and quiet of early morning.
Not more than a block has passed before her whistle dies on her lips; the roaring of a car motor interrupting the serenity of her morning. Frowning, she looks to her side and sees a limo coming to a screeching stop beside the curb not too far from her. "So much for peace and quiet." She mumbles, watching as the limo backs its way up towards her.
She folds her arms across her chest and stops walking. Staring down the limo, she waits for whoever is inside to make a move. The back door opens quickly and two identical faces appear.
"Har-u-hi, get in!" the twins say in sync. She rolls her eyes and sighs, turning around to walk away from their limo.
The twins frown at her back and both shout out again, "Har-u-hi. Get. In!" Understanding that they clearly won't back down, Haruhi gives in.
"Thanks for the ride, I guess." She grumbles, scrambling into the limo and taking a seat across from them. Setting her backpack next to her, she stares at them as they slam the door shut and the limo takes off.
They sit in silence as buildings and cars fly past them on their way to school. Eyeing Hikaru, he gives her a small smile before blushing and turning to look out the window. She smirks at how easy it is to make him flustered, finding it slightly entertaining.
Kaoru catches her eye and flashes her a flirty grin as he takes in her appearance. Her body had gained weight and more curves in the three years since she had met the twins. In those years, she couldn't help but notice that they stared at her more with every passing year. She smiles back at him before tucking her dress around herself, growing uncomfortable under his gaze.
"I'm really gonna like this school year, Haruhi." Kaoru says with a wink, "You look so adorable in that dress."
"It could really use tailoring, though." Hikaru says, turning to look at her, "It doesn't flatter your body very well."
"I think it looks fine enough. It's only a school uniform." Haruhi says out loud, shrugging nonchalantly.
"But, we want it to accentuate you, Haruhi." Kaoru says as he runs his eyes over the dress.
"You deserve to wear only the best." Hikaru says, blushing as he copies his brother.
Haruhi shoots a glare at the both of them. "Maybe I should go back to my old uniform, then."
"No!" They shout in unison, making her roll her eyes. She glares at them as they exchange mischievous glances before jumping from their seats to sit on either side of her.
Hikaru throws an arm around her and squeezes her gently. "Still full from that 'all you can eat pizza buffet' last night, Haruhi?" He tries his best to change the subject, not wanting her to bring up the subject of wearing the men's uniform again.
"Can't believe Tamaki forced you to eat so much food." Kaoru chuckles as he wraps his arm around her shoulders, "You shoulda just said no." Kaoru helps continue the subject, enjoying the feeling of having her beside him.
Haruhi sighs. "I think that was just his way of apologizing for what happened at the fair. Cut him some slack, guys."
The twins shrug and cuddle her between them. Haruhi looks from one twin to the other, their eyes closed and small smiles on their lips as they hold her. Despite them having cuddled her like this many times before, she can't help but smile at their attention. Having felt lonely after breaking up with Tamaki, receiving affection from them wasn't as irritating as it used to be. Sighing, she lays her head back on the seat and closes her eyes, waiting for them to arrive at school.
Kaoru draws his mouth close to her ear and whispers softly, "I had a lot of fun yesterday. I hope me and you can do that again."
A small blush creeps into her cheeks as he nuzzles her neck, her mind going back to the kiss her and Kaoru had shared. Hikaru opens his eyes and looks at his brother's blushing face before turning his attention to Haruhi. He notices the nervousness on her face and smirks as he nuzzles into her neck. Haruhi swallows back a nervous knot as she sits there between them. They've done this to her millions of times, so why is she feeling so nervous right now?
The limo soon comes to a slow stop in front of Ouran and Haruhi breathes a sigh of relief. She quickly dislodges herself from their arms and begins gathering her things. The twins frown as they watch her open the back door and jump out.
Adjusting her dress and pulling her backpack higher on her shoulder, Haruhi looks up at Ouran and smiles. "This is it- A new school year at Ouran. A new start." The twins hop out of the limo and come up behind her as she looks on at the school.
Hikaru wraps his arm around her waist and lays his head on her right shoulder. "Don't forget that it's our last year of school too, Haruhi. You excited?"
She looks towards him and frowns. "I am, but it's gonna be weird having just the three of us in the Host Club."
"At least we're together like usual, right? So, other than Host Club, it won't feel as weird." Kaoru takes a stand to her left and rests a hand on her shoulder. "We have new replacement hosts we'll introduce you to later. They'll definitely remind you of the others."
"There's even a few familiar faces that I'm sure you'll recognize." Hikaru adds, trying to cheer her up.
"It still won't be the same. I'm really gonna miss those guys." Haruhi sighs as she thinks about all the silly antics she had in the past with Mori, Honey, Kyoya, and Tamaki. As Tamaki's face flashes in her mind she frowns, trying her best to choke back her guilt over their break up.
The twins notice the sadness in her eyes and cuddle her tightly between them. They kiss the top of her head, bringing her out of her thoughts. She glares up at them, watching them laugh at her irritated face.
Renge's eyes open wide as some of the girls behind her gasp in surprise. The clients begin whispering behind their hands as they stare at the scene before them.
"What exactly happened, Haruhi?" Renge asks, eyeing the trio with suspicion.
Haruhi lets out a huff of irritation as she attempts to walk around Renge. She rolls her eyes as Renge follows her every move, not allowing her to escape.
"We broke up. Now, would you mind letting me pass?" Haruhi says, standing there impatiently with her arms crossed, "I don't want to be late for class."
A buzz of excitement issues forth from the group as they start to chatter loudly about Haruhi's love life. Renge holds up a hand to silence them right as Haruhi walks around her. The twins chuckle and follow after her, some of the girls clinging to them for answers.
"Haruhi, you must tell me everything!" Renge calls after her.
Drowning out the noise by humming loudly, Haruhi makes her way into the school. Maybe if she gets into class they'll leave her alone and forget about all of this.
The twins smirk at the new turn of events as they watch Haruhi walk quickly through the school foyer. The entourage of girls and Renge follow after them, shouting out questions they want answered.
Haruhi reaches the stairs that lead to their classrooms and turns around, glaring down at the others. The twins take a step back, shocked by the angry look on her face. Renge pushes past them and takes a stand on the stair below Haruhi's.
"Can we please not mix school and my relationship? I just want this year to be better." Haruhi says sternly as she looks down at Renge.
"I just want to know what happened. You and Tamaki seemed so happy." Renge says, looking up at her curiously.
Haruhi sighs, "Alright, fine. But, please wait til Host Club at least."
Renge and the other girls squeal with delight as Haruhi finishes climbing the remaining stairs. Hikaru and Kaoru follow after her, looking forward to Host Club even more. Renge dismisses the other girls and follows after them. "Wait for me!"
Entering their homeroom, Renge rushes over to her front desk while the trio takes their usual seats in the back. The twins smile, glad to have Haruhi back after a year of having an empty seat between them. Haruhi adjusts her things upon the desk in an orderly fashion, ready for class to start and not quite looking forward to Host Club thanks to Renge's meddling.
Haruhi approaches 'music room 3' with a big smile on her face, having missed Host Club while away in Boston. Gripping the door handles she remembers the first time she set foot in this room and smiles at the memory. Taking a deep breath, she opens the door and is greeted by bright lights.
"Hello there, cutie!" A long; shaggy blond-haired boy, wearing a somewhat baggy uniform and his shirt un-tucked, stands before her and smirks as he leans against the door frame. "You're our first client of the day. Unfortunately our other hosts have yet to arrive, so you'll have to wait for them to show up. I'd be more than happy to entertain you while we wait, princess."
"Princess?!" She repeats in awe, as she stares up at the boy before her.
He bats his puppy dog eyes and Haruhi bursts into laughter causing him to stare down at her in confusion. He turns around and eyes the other four guys in the room for help and they shrug. As he goes to pat Haruhi to make sure she's not dying, Hikaru and Kaoru show up behind her. He breathes a sigh of relief and smiles at the two boys, begging them for help with his eyes.
"What's going on here, Kazuo?" Kaoru says as he stares at Haruhi cracking up with laughter.
Kazuo panics, "Thank god you're here! I just welcomed her and told her she'd have to wait for you guys to get here and then she just started laughing like a maniac."
Hikaru walks up to her and pats her on the back. "You gonna be okay, Haruhi?"
Haruhi wipes the tears out of her eyes as she tries to compose herself, making the twins chuckle at her. She takes a few deep breaths, looking at the boys in the room as they stare at her in confusion. Holding her chest to calm herself, she takes one last breath and lets it out slowly.
"Sorry, Sorry... he just reminded me of Tamaki so much I couldn't help but laugh." Haruhi giggles, as Kazuo eyes her curiously, "You guys were totally right." She turns to look at the twins and smiles at them happily as she straightens herself out. "I'm so glad to be back in the Host Club."
"Wait a minute- this is the Haruhi that you guys were all crying about last year?" A brown haired boy with thick rimmed glasses and a cleanly pressed uniform walks up to her and stares at her curiously as if examining her like a doctor.
Haruhi stares back at him and smiles sweetly. "My name is Haruhi Fujioka, it's a pleasure to meet you." She holds out her hand to him and he looks at it before shaking it firmly.
Hikaru and Kaoru wrap their arms around her shoulders and lead her into the music room. "Allow us to introduce you to everyone, Haruhi."
Kazuo closes the door and takes a stand beside the other guys in the room. The trio walk up to them and Haruhi looks up at the tall kid beside Kazuo. He stares down at her and smirks, making Haruhi blush.
"You've already met Kazuo Shigeta." Kaoru says, gesturing at the blond boy.
Haruhi chuckles and bows her head to him. "Sorry about before. It's nice to meet you, Kazuo. I look forward to having you in the club."
A smirk spreads across Kazuo's face. "Don't worry about it. It'll definitely be interesting to work with the infamous Haruhi. I swear, between the sad looks on everyone's face whenever someone mentioned your name to Tamaki's tears and the twins here pouting; I almost felt like Host Club wasn't going to survive."
Haruhi blushes and averts her eyes, making Kazuo chuckle as the twins shoot him looks of annoyance. He holds his hands out in surrender as they turn their attention to the boy beside him.
Hikaru lays his head on Haruhi's shoulder and gestures up to the tall kid standing next to Kazuo. "This is Ryoichi Noda, Haruhi. Remind you of anyone?"
Ryoichi looks down at Haruhi and nods his head at her. "Nice to meet ya, Haruhi."
Straining her head, Haruhi looks up into Ryoichi's eyes and smiles. "You as well. I'm glad to have you in the club." She looks sideways at Hikaru and he smirks before drawing his mouth to her ear and whispering, "Totally like Mori, huh?" Haruhi smirks and shakes her head 'yes' as they turn to face the bespectacled boy from before.
"And, this is Masahiro Takizaki." The twins say together as they stare down at the boy before them.
Masahiro pushes his glasses up his nose. "The pleasure is mine. I'll be in charge of finances seeing as my family specializes in banking."
Haruhi smiles as she looks at the Kyoya clone before her. "I look forward to working with you and seeing what you bring to the club."
"Hey, don't forget about us!" comes a very cheerful voice from behind them. The trio turns to face two young boys; both are practically identical to their oldest host friends. Haruhi gasps in surprise, having recognized one of the faces as that of Honey's younger brother.
"Hello, Haruhi. Its been a while." Yasuchika says listlessly.
"Yes, it has been a while since I last saw you. I had no idea you were going to be attending school with us, let alone Host Club." Haruhi says, looking forward to Host Club even more.
"I'm not much younger than the three of you. Of course I'd be here attending school." Yasuchika says with slight irritation. The dark-haired boy beside him slaps a hand over his mouth, chuckling nervously.
"Don't mind him, he's bad at socializing." The boy says, being acknowledged by Haruhi with a nod of her head, "You probably don't recognize me do you, Haruhi?"
Haruhi examines him for a moment before recognition flashes upon her face. "You're Mori's brother, Satoshi, right?" She had met him once, very briefly. So, it was good to have a chance to actually get to know him better.
Satoshi lets out a snort of amusement. "That I am. It's great having you back. I could tell how much everyone missed you."
"It's good to be back. I missed everyone, too." Haruhi says before changing the subject, "What brings you two here to the club?"
"Him and Chika decided to join the Host Club while you were gone." Kaoru explains.
"Something about carrying on the legacy of their brothers." Hikaru shrugs.
"A request which you two shot down instantly." Yasuchika says sternly, glaring daggers at the twins.
"We're not in need of you carrying on their legacy, seeing as we're still here." Kaoru declares, draping his arm off of Haruhi's shoulder.
"Honestly, I can understand where they're coming from. We may be here, but the others still aren't here. It'll be great having them take the place of the others." Haruhi says, making Yasuchika smirk smugly.
"Alright! I knew my brother liked you for a reason." Satoshi says, grabbing Haruhi into a hug and swinging her around excitedly.
"What the hell? Don't just grab onto Haruhi like that!" Hikaru growls, shaking a fist at him.
A delightful laugh escapes Haruhi and Satoshi pulls away, smiling down at her. "I can tell this is going to be a great year!" She flashes him a bright smile and he messes up her hair in agreement.
Having been glad to get her mind off of all the drama, Haruhi had concentrated so much on her lessons that she practically jumps out of her seat when the bell signalling lunch rings through the air. Hikaru chuckles at her while Kaoru stands up beside her to pat her on the head. "You're the only person I know who loses themselves in their studies."
Haruhi gathers her things and puts them into her backpack carefully. "Yes, well, I have a lot of things I'd like to get my mind off of."
"We're just trying to cheer you up, Haruhi." Hikaru says, standing up beside her, "Let's go get some lunch."
They head into the hall together, carrying their books with them as Hikaru contemplates what set he's going to eat for lunch. A group of girls walks past them and giggles as they chatter behind their hands. One of the girls points at them and blushes as her friend whispers something into her ear.
"Did you do anything funny, Hikaru?" Kaoru says, eyeing his brother.
Hikaru returns the look and shrugs. "Not that I know of, why?"
"Because those girls just pointed at us like we did." Kaoru says, looking over his shoulder. Hikaru looks backwards at the group and the girls giggle some more. He turns around and rolls his eyes. "Probably doing what most of the girls around here do when they see us, I guess."
Kaoru messes up Haruhi's hair as they walk. "Our Haru doesn't act that way. That's why we love her."
"Cut it out, Kaoru." Haruhi says, fixing up her hair. Hikaru and Kaoru chuckle as they take turns playing with her hair, walking past a couple of lower-class students. The kids eye them with slight smirks and come to a stop.
"You're Haruhi Fujioka, right?" A scrawny boy says, stopping the trio in their tracks.
Haruhi pats her hair in place and turns to look at him. "Yes, I am. Was there something I could help you with?"
The blond-haired girl beside him wraps her arm around him and scoffs, "Is it true what they're saying? That you,a commoner, dumped Tamaki Suoh?"
Sighing, Haruhi crosses her arms against her chest and gives the girl a nod of her head as she tries her best to ignore her insult. "We mutually agreed to a break. What's so wrong with that?"
"Well, it's just funny that you had to nerve to dump him, that's all." the girl says in a snarky tone, looking down at Haruhi, "Aren't you worried about your scholarship?"
Hikaru and Kaoru glare at the kids and wrap their arms around Haruhi's shoulders protectively. Haruhi feels a little better at their touch and smiles up at them.
"Is there a problem here?" Hikaru says, his blood boiling as he glares at the girl. No one insults Haruhi and gets away with it!
"I don't see how it's any of your business what Haruhi chooses to do with her life." Kaoru states, giving them a cold stare.
The twins wrap their other arms protectively around the front of Haruhi and turn to look at the kids, their eyes aflame with anger. The kids look up at them and decide to back off as the twins give off an evil aura fitting their nickname "Little Devils".
They watch the group of kids walk away down the hallway, smirking evilly at them before turning their attention back to Haruhi. She stares up at them and gives them a pained smile, her eyes reflecting internal hurt.
"Are you okay, Haruhi?" Hikaru says, bringing his face closer to hers.
Haruhi nods her head 'yes', upset over the rumors of her break-up running around the school. "I just wanted to start this year off on a good foot. How did these rumors spread this quickly?"
Kaoru snuggles his head against hers. "We don't know who's spreading them, but we'll try to put a stop to them. Okay Haru?"
Haruhi smiles up at them happily, blushing as they peck her on the cheeks.
"We're your best friends. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?" They pull away from her and offer her their hands. She giggles happily and grips both of their hands, glad that she doesn't have to deal with this new drama alone. The three of them walk down the hall, trying their best to ignore the whispers or gestures at them as they head to lunch together.
When the bell for clubs to begin rings, Haruhi practically runs out of the lunch room like a cheetah. Hikaru and Kaoru try to catch up to her, hoping that Host Club isn't as rumor filled as the rest of the school.
"Well, guys, looks like club should be starting any minute." Ryoichi says, tapping the watch on his wrist. At that, everyone heads into the music room to ready themselves for the start of a new year of Host Club.
"Can Haruhi really be a host in a dress?" Yasuchika grumbles, crossing his arms against his chest.
"I finished my second year hosting in a dress before I left for Boston." Haruhi says, "I don't see how it'll hurt."
Kazuo shrugs. "Good enough of an answer for me. Let's just see how you do as a host after being gone a year, Haruhi."
Haruhi flashes him a playful grin. "They didn't call me the natural host for no reason." She winks mischievously and Kazuo grabs at his chest dramatically.
"Be still my beating heart! I think I'm in love!" Kazuo pretends to fall to his knees, prompting Haruhi to snicker quietly. The twins shoot him angry looks and he shakes his head, smiling with amusement as he stands back up.
"Alright. Places, please." Masahiro says, clapping his hands in the air to silence them. They turn to face the doors to the music room, putting on smiles as the doors open.
"Welcome!" They all say together. The squeals and chatter of excited young girls answers them as a wave of yellow clad students pushes its way into the music room.
Masahiro asks for the girls to form a line before him as he pulls out a notebook and begins to take their money; directing them to the host of their choice. Haruhi and the other hosts take their places upon their favorite couches or chairs and patiently await their clients.
Haruhi smooths out her dress and sighs, glad to be back at Ouran. Some of her favorite clients from before approach her happily and surround her on the couch. She smiles happily at them, thanking them for giving her a warm welcome.
"How was Boston, Haruhi?" a redhead girl asks her.
Haruhi prepares herself for all sorts of questions and smiles. "It was interesting. I loved the sights and the school, but it definitely doesn't compare to here."
The girls giggle as she answers their many different questions about America and the school she went to. As she tells them her experiences, a bunch of new girls start filing in on the couches around her and listen in as she finishes her stories. Haruhi acknowledges them, welcoming them to Host Club and thanking them for being her guests.
A young blond haired girl smiles at her before asking her a question, "You're the one everyone's talking about. They said you dated Tamaki Suoh, but dumped him, right?"
Haruhi frowns. "Isn't there something else you'd like to talk about? I'd prefer not to mix school with my private life."
"Oh, please tell us!" the girls around her beg, "We'd rather hear it from you than from rumors."
Haruhi chuckles. "Well, how can I say no to such sweet girls like yourselves?"
They squeal happily before settling down as they wait for Haruhi to talk to them. Sighing, Haruhi asks them what they'd like to know about, trying her best not to become too upset in front of them.
The same blond-haired girl goes first. "So, why did you two break up?"
Taking a deep breath, Haruhi answers, "Well, you see, I... my feelings seemed to have just disappeared. I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but that's it."
The girls around her nod their heads, looking at one another as they all take in this new piece of information.
"Do you two ever plan on getting back together?" a girl with bright freckles asks her.
Haruhi smiles sadly. "I honestly don't know. It's going to take some time for me to figure things out."
Not too far from them, the twins are busy messing each other's hair up as they perform their brotherly love act for new and old clients. They overhear Haruhi's guests mentioning the break up and eye the group of girls across the way from them. Frowns spread upon their lips as they stare at Haruhi, noticing her eyes glossing over with tears.
"What's it like to fall in love, Haruhi?" a bespectacled young girl asks her.
Haruhi chokes up a little, feeling her heart grow heavy as memories of her and Tamaki flash in her mind.
She swallows back her sadness as she starts to talk, "For me, it was amazing. I felt happy and calm and giddy all at the same time."
Hikaru and Kaoru excuse themselves from their guests and stand up together. They quickly cut through the group of girls surrounding them and come to a stand behind Haruhi. Haruhi's clients look up and giggle as they stare at the identical boys above her.
Haruhi smiles as they place comforting hands upon her shoulders, thankful for the interruption.
"I think Host Club is almost over, ladies." Hikaru says, gently gripping Haruhi's shoulder.
"It was lovely having you all come and see us. We hope to see you in the future." Kaoru says, copying his brother.
Some of Haruhi's guests bid her goodbye, thanking her for a good time. A few girls remain, staring at Haruhi as they contemplate asking her questions. One young brown-haired girl scoots closer to Haruhi and nervously looks at her.
"Could a possible other man be the reason you lost your feelings for Tamaki?" She asks her, much to her surprise.
Haruhi's jaw drops in shock and a few guest from around the room look at them as the surrounding girls begin to chatter wildly. The twins blush as they think about Haruhi dumping Tamaki for them, staring down at their friend below them.
The crackle of electricity fills the air as a metal platform starts to rise out of the center of the Host Club. Haruhi groans and rolls her eyes as Renge appears, cackling evilly.
"I didn't dump Tamaki because of another man." Haruhi mumbles, "I may have others who are in love with me, but I myself only had eyes for Tamaki at the time."
The remaining girls, including the one who asked the question, run off in excitement as the rumor of Haruhi leaving Tamaki for another man starts to spread around the room.
Renge laughs as this newest rumor reaches her ears and she starts to take bets. "Winner gets the whole money pool. Guess which man Haruhi is in love with and you're the winner!" The host club guests surround her and start handing her money.
The twins share looks of acknowledgement, realizing they should act when they can before one of Haruhi's many suitors snatches her up before them. They look down at her and frown as they notice her sitting quietly. Haruhi sits there on the couch, her hands gripping her dress tightly as she closes her eyes and tries to shut out all the annoying rumors being spread around her.
"I was trying my hardest not to think about love or dating and now they've gone and ruined the day." She says quietly.
Hikaru and Kaoru jump over the back of the couch and take seats on both sides of her. They grab a hold of her and cuddle her on the couch as she sits there pretending that Renge is not behind her taking bets based on her love life.
"We'll stop this rumor too, okay, Haruhi?" Kaoru says, laying his head on her shoulder.
She looks sideways at him and thanks him with a small smile. He smiles at her before closing his eyes, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
Hikaru turns her to face him and blushes. "Don't be afraid to refuse to talk about anything that upsets you. And, if you have to, we'll always be here for you, Haruhi."
"I'm glad to have friends like you." She says quietly, laying the her head against Hikaru's. He turns bright red and buries his face in her sleeve, hiding his embarrassment. She chuckles at him as he wraps his arm around her shoulder. They cuddle together until the last guest is escorted out of the room and the doors are shut.
"That was a very profitable day." Masahiro says as he looks over his small notebook. "I guess Haruhi is a good addition to the club after all."
Kazuo walks over to the three teens upon the sofa and smirks,"Well, lookie here, maybe the rumors aren't too far fetched."
Haruhi pulls away from the twins and turns to glare at him. "They're not true. There never was another man!"
"I know. I just figured I'd get you worked up so you'd quit being so sad." He says, smirking down at her, "Those girls love asking really personal questions. Sheesh."
"No kidding." Haruhi says, sighing as she stands up from the couch, "Seems like some of them came just so they could ask me questions."
Hikaru and Kaoru stand up beside her at the same time. "Gossip spreads like fire in Ouran, if you can't tell."
"Yeah, well, good job you three. See you tomorrow?" Kazuo says, waving goodbye at them. The three of them return the waves as they head over to join the other hosts. Renge chuckles as she counts the bet money and pockets it with a smirk on her face. Haruhi glares at her and she gives her a nervous smile, running her hands through her hair.
"Hey, Haruhi. Great to have you back." She says, flashing her a goofy grin.
Haruhi frowns. "Are you the one spreading the rumors? You're making money off my private life and it's annoying."
"I'm not spreading them, but I couldn't resist. Sorry, but the opportunity presented itself." Renge shrugs, patting her pockets.
"Ugh. I don't wanna deal with you right now." Haruhi says, turning away from her. She bids goodbye to the others before heading out the door of the music room. The twins say their goodbyes and follow her out.
As Haruhi heads into the hall, she bumps into Tamaki. Blinking up at him in shock, she quickly lets out a stutter, "W-what're you doing here, Senpai?"
"I work here as a counselor." Tamaki says with a smile, eyeing the twins, "Didn't Hikaru and Kaoru tell you?"
Haruhi turns to look at them and they shrug in sync. "Sorry Haru, we forgot to tell you."
"It's good to see you again, Haruhi." Tamaki says, blushing slightly as he looks into Haruhi's eyes.
Haruhi averts her eyes. "You as well, Senpai."
They stand there in awkward silence for a few moments before he pulls her into a hug. Haruhi takes a deep breath and returns the hug. The twins watch on jealously, hoping that nothing good comes from them being together again. As quickly as it had started, it ends as Haruhi pulls away from him.
"If you work here, perhaps it's best to remain professional, Senpai." She says nervously.
Tamaki frowns and runs a hand through his hair. "I guess I should, huh? Sorry, Haruhi."
The twins feel the awkward air between them and cough nervously. Tamaki looks up at them and smiles happily. "Hikaru, Kaoru, How was school and Host Club?"
They shrug together with small smiles on their faces. "Both went surprisingly well, Boss. How's your job going?"
"As well as it can be." Tamaki says with a smile, "I have to get back to work. I just came to see how your day went before you left for home. Take care of yourselves, okay?"
The three of them nod their heads as a promise, watching him head down the hallway opposite of the foyer. Once he disappears up a flight of stairs, they make their way to the foyer together to head home.
"Well, that makes today even more awkward." Haruhi sighs as they head down the stairs together.
"Sorry we didn't tell you before school started, Haruhi." Hikaru frowns as he looks down at the small girl beside him.
"We just figured you didn't want to talk about him after what happened yesterday." Kaoru says as he grabs for her hand.
"It's fine. I'm just gonna have a lot to think about while walking home today." Haruhi shrugs as they approach the front entrance to Ouran.
"Why don't you let us pick you up and drop you off every night, Haruhi?" the twins say in sync, "We don't want our Haruhi walking alone on these streets."
Haruhi frowns. "Are you guys sure? I don't want to impose upon you or anything."
"Impose?" Kaoru chuckles.
"We're your friends, Haruhi. We want to do this." Hikaru says with a smile.
"Alright, then. Thanks, you guys." Haruhi says happily.
They quickly make their way across campus towards the Hitachiin limo. As they approach the vehicle, Kaoru runs up and grabs the door for them. He winks at Haruhi as she climbs in and chuckles at Hikaru as he nervously admires her from behind. He flashes Hikaru a sly grin only to have him scowl at him as he scrambles in after Haruhi. Kaoru follows suit, shutting the door behind him.
Scenery passes by them quickly as the driver makes his way to Haruhi's apartment complex. The two boys smile at her as she sits across from them, deep in thought.
"What're you thinking about, Har-u-hi?" Kaoru asks as he watches her chew upon her lip.
Haruhi shakes away her thoughts and looks over at him. "I was just thinking that him being a counselor might actually be a good thing."
"Oh? Why's that?" Kaoru says, still eyeing her lip curiously.
"Well, he won't be able to touch me or cling to me, much." Haruhi explains, "So, that'll give me some time to learn to face him without getting upset since we have to remain professional. That way, if I have to be around him outside of school, I'll be ready and I won't be so emotional."
"That sounds like a good thing, then." Hikaru says, staring into her eyes.
Silence soon takes them and they continue staring at one another without talking, the only sound being that of the outside world. Moments later, Kaoru decides to break the silence, a slight blush to his cheeks.
"So, Haruhi, did yesterday change anything for you?" He asks her nervously.
Hikaru eyes his brother curiously before turning to look at Haruhi. She chews on her lip again, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks.
"Well, I already discovered I still like Tamaki." She says, watching both boys across from her frown in sync, before continuing on, "I know you guys love me and I really like you guys, but I'm not sure exactly how I feel about any of this. It's confusing because it feels like I'm being pressured to decide, now."
Kaoru sighs. "We're not pressuring you to do anything, Haruhi."
"We love you because we do." Hikaru says quietly, "We don't expect you to choose anyone right now."
She smiles happily at both of them as the limo comes to a stop outside of her complex.
"Thank you for understanding." She says, reaching forward and caressing them both on the cheeks before heading out of the limo. Both of their hearts flutter like crazy. Having Haruhi initiate things is going to take time to get used to.
The twins watch her leave and share looks of understanding, agreeing to both go after her so they'll have a better chance of winning her heart.
Haruhi steps into the house and is greeted by her dad. Ranka comes out of his room, getting ready for work. "Welcome home, dear. How'd school go today?"
"It was interesting to say the least." Haruhi says as she kicks her shoes off and sets her bag beside the door.
"There were a lot of calls from Tamaki while you were gone." He says, eyeing her curiously, "Did anything happen between you two?"
Haruhi sighs as she makes her way towards her dad, heading towards his room, "Me and Tamaki broke up at the airport. It's been nothing but drama since then."
Ranka fixes his hair. "I'm sorry to hear that, dear. I guess sometimes it doesn't work out. As long as you're doing what's right for you, then that's all that matters."
"Thanks for listening to me, dad." She says, "This whole relationship thing is so confusing."
Ranka turns towards her and places a kiss on her forehead. "You can come talk to me whenever you want to okay, dear? I know a thing or two about dating."
Haruhi nods her head and walks her dad out for work, bidding him goodbye as she shuts the door behind him. Her cell phone rings and she pulls it out of her dress pocket, sighing as the caller I.D. shows Tamaki's name. Taking a deep breath, she clicks the green phone icon and holds the phone up to her ear.
"Hey, Haruhi, how was your day?" Tamaki says happily.
"It was okay. It definitely didn't go how I expected it to." She frowns. "So, when did you start working at Ouran?"
"Father gave me the job after I graduated." He says simply, "It was my graduation gift from him."
"I see. Well, thanks for checking up on me, Senpai." Haruhi says, trying to end the conversation quickly.
"Hey, Haruhi, before you go would you mind answering something for me?" Tamaki mumbles.
Haruhi sighs. "What is it?"
"I heard this odd rumor going around the school that says you broke up with me for another man. Is that true?" Tamaki asks her quietly.
"No, there never was another man." Haruhi rolls her eyes. "Goodnight, Tamaki."
She clicks the red phone icon and closes her phone, chuckling at how fast the newest rumor spread. With a sigh, she sets her phone down and readies herself to begin homework. Hopefully her studies will clear her mind and prepare her for the next day at school.
"Polyamorous" (Haruhi x Tamaki/Hikaru/Kaoru) an AMV I made for this story on Youtube:
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