I've officially survived my 1st semester of college! :D

AquilonIII: Lol XD 6 ways of shady. I love that. I hope you like this chapter. And thanks as always!

EarthBender001: I'm sure someone feels that way towards you :) If not now then in the future for sure. Thanks for all your lovely reviews!

BizzyLizzy: Haha yup! ^_^ I hope you're ready for some drama. Thank you for reviewing!

Happy holidays! Hope everyone stays safe for the rest of this year. :)

Ryuu received a message from Michi in the evening saying, "Half the cake is gone! I shared it with my neighbors. They're a couple, and the wife is pregnant. They were very nice. How are you doing, Ryuu? Is your sister alright?"

He smiled. Michi liked decorating her messages with emojis. He wrote a reply back and dropped onto his bed. I wonder if I could see her, he thought, sighing.

"Ryuu!" Emi said from the living room. "Dad's here!"

Ryuu rose and joined his sister by the door as their dad entered with Berty behind him. "Hello," Mr. Mazawa said. "How have you two been?"

"I'm fine," Emi said as their dad hugged her. Ryuu nodded, and Mr. Mazawa moved to hug him too.

"It's good to see that you're alright, Ryuu," he said. He turned back to his daughter. "Emi, I looked into Akira Goto and couldn't find anything, so today I brought a police sketch artist with me."

"Oh." Emi stared at the man who came in with a notepad and a briefcase.

"Wait what?" Ryuu glanced between his sister and his dad. "Who's this Goto guy?"

Emi pursed her lips. "He- Nevermind, I'll tell you later." She sat down in the living room to describe the appearance of Akira Goto, while their dad headed to the office room. Ryuu followed.

"Dad, if or when you find information about this Goto, will you tell me about it?" he said.

"Why?" his dad said, setting his briefcase on the desk and taking a seat.

"Cause," Ryuu said. "I want to know."

"Ryuu, don't worry about it. Let me take care of this, okay?" His dad looked Ryuu in the eye with a soft gaze.

"But-" Ryuu's hand curled into a fist and he glared at the ground. "They hurt Emi, Dad. You weren't there, but they-they really hurt her."

"I know," his dad said in a quiet voice. "Just be careful and take care of each other. That's all I'm asking. Whoever is behind this will receive a proper consequence."

Ryuu sighed. "Fine." He turned around.

"Ryuu."

He stopped and glanced back.

"Don't try anything okay?" their dad said, standing. His brows were furrowed and his lips were pressed into a thin line. "I don't want you to get hurt trying to get revenge or anything like that. I know you care, and I know you're worried, but please. Let me handle this, okay?"

Ryuu opened his mouth, but then closed it. His shoulders dropped. "Okay, Dad."

"Good." Their dad sat back down. "Thank you."

Ryuu went to sit next to Emi on the couch and the twins watched the artist work. He texted Michi some more, until she sent him one that read: "If you're free, would you like to come over and help me finish this cake?"

I can see her! Ryuu leapt to his feet and dashed to the door to grab his jacket.

"Ryuu, where are you going?" Emi looked up when he opened the door.

"Just out real quick," he said, pointing. His jacket was dangling over his arm, and he was poised to leave. She stood as her eyebrows furrowed. "Emi, it's not a big deal. I'm gonna go see Michi."

"You're walking?" she said. He nodded, and her frown deepened. "It's late out though."

"It'll be fine," he said and slipped his arms into the sleeves.

"Take the car then."

"Emi-"

"Please," she said to the ground. Her hands balled into fists. "It's just that outside is dark and-"

Ryuu's gaze moved from Emi's face to her foot. He closed his mouth, turning towards the kitchen. "Okay. Berty!"

Ten minutes later, Ryuu walked to the apartment complex door. He held his finger up, ready to buzz the correct apartment number.

"Ryuu!" The door flew open and Michi poked her head out.

"Wah!" He jumped back.

She grinned. "Sorry, I thought it'd be easier if I waited and opened the door for you."

His shoulders dropped, as he smiled and followed her inside. "It's fine. You scared me though."

She giggled. "How have you been?" They chatted on the elevator ride up. She told him about her neighbors and how she couldn't remember why she had never spoken to them before.

"Oh yeah, Michi, what's your last name?" Ryuu asked as they sat down with the remaining cake.

"Goto," she said, digging in. "What's yours, Ryuu?"

Oh right. Of course she'd want to know his. "Mazawa," he said. Wait. Goto? He blinked several times. "Michi. Goto?"

She nodded, poking her slice of cake. "Yeah. Actually, I wanted to ask you this last time, but…" She looked up at him. "Ryuu, who are you?"

"E-Eh?" Ryuu said, eyes widening and blinking even more.

"I-I mean" - her gaze fell back down - "he called you Ryuu-sama."

"Oh." His mouth moved but Ryuu wasn't sure how to answer. Who am I? Who am I indeed? He wasn't a celebrity, or a powerful figure, or really anything other than a highschool student. "I guess. I'm rich." A second later, he wanted to hit himself. What a lame response. I sound like I don't know whether or not I'm rich. Yeah, I'm rich! She's going to think I'm an idiot now.

"You guess?" Michi's head tilted to the side, and her forehead creased. Oh yup, she thinks I'm an idiot.

"My parents are rich," he said, clearing his throat and taking a bite. "It-It's nothing special though."

"What do they do?"

Now that was a question he could answer.

Ryuu returned home bouncing on his feet and a smile on his face. It wasn't until he'd reached the second floor and saw Emi walking out of the bathroom that a realization struck him like a rock.

Her last name is Goto.

It couldn't be a coincidence, right? No, he was getting ahead of himself. Their dad hadn't found anything on an Akira Goto anyway. Maybe a person by that name didn't even exist. But even if their dad did find something, Ryuu would never know.

I should ask Kyoya. That omniscient creep has got to know something about Akira Goto. Heck he probably knows something about Michi. No no, I can't let the Host Club find out about Michi. Ryuu clapped his hands over his temples and shook his head.

If the Host Club ever meet Michi, she'd probably fall in love with one of them. No no, they definitely can't ever meet. I won't let that happen. They're all smart, rich, handsome bastards anyway. She'd totally fall for-

Wait. Aren't I one of them?!

Ryuu dropped to the ground, hugging his knees and rocking back and forth. I'm screwed. I'm so screwed. How did this happen? He could feel the heat on his cheeks, spreading to his neck and his ears. Oh no. Oh God.

He fell onto his back and rolled around in the middle of the hallway, before Emi's open bedroom door.

"Ryuu," she said, glancing over while rubbing a towel over her wet hair. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." He shot to his feet and scratched the back of his head. He sighed. "I'm gonna go shower."

"Okay," she said.

Emi found an envelope in her desk the next morning. She opened it and pulled out the letter within. What was it? She wondered while unfolding the piece of paper.

Dear Emi Mazawa-san,

You probably don't know who I am, but I've recently nouticed you. Your very pretty. I love your hair. It looks very soft, and you're glasses fit your face so well! Sorry, that must sound strange. Anyway, it would be nice if we could meet formaly. I'll be waiting in classroom 2-B during lunch.

Emi stared at the scrawly handwriting and the lack of a signature. Not to mention the spelling errors. Everywhere.

Who? This person writes like a middle schooler. She frowned and folded it back up.

"What's that?" Kaoru said, as he and Hikaru walked by to take their seat.

"A strange letter." She passed it over, and the Hitachiin twins leaned closer to take a look. Hikaru burst into laughter.

"Who is this? They don't even know how to spell!" he said, cackling like a madman and clutching his sides. He wiped at his eyes.

"Sounds like a creep to me," Kaoru said and handed the letter back.

Emi nodded. "Agreed." She glanced over at her brother, who had his head on the desk, fast asleep.

"You're not going to actually meet the person right?" Kaoru said.

"Probably not." She tucked the paper into the envelope and slipped it into her desk. "I don't even know their name."

He nodded. "If you do, you should bring someone with you." His hand brushed against hers as he turned to face the front. Emi smiled.

I'm just glad things are okay again.

By lunchtime, Emi had forgotten about the letter and walked with Ryuu to the lunchroom. They'd just begun eating when someone slammed their hands on the table and said, "Hey. You're Ryoko Mazawa, right?"

The girl was staring at Emi. "Eh?" Emi squeaked, then quickly shook her head. "N-No."

"That's me," Ryuu said. The girl was wearing a grin on her round face, framed by her light brown hair, similar to Renge's, which reached her waist. She had a strand of braided hair and a navy blue bow at the end of it.

"It's nice to meet you!" The girl held a hand out. "I'm Miwa Hiroyuki, third-year, but it's okay, you can call me Miwa-senpai."

"Uh. What?" Ryuu's eyebrow twitched as the girl twirled.

"You see." Miwa leaned over the table again, and Ryuu leaned away. Emi had to swipe her bento off the table to keep it from getting knocked over. "I heard you're a lesbian too."

"M-Maybe," he said. He glanced over at Emi, who shrugged at him.

"Well it's good to meet someone like me." Miwa straightened up and swept her hair behind her shoulder in a glamourous flourish of her hand. She then sat down next to Emi, squishing the Mazawa twins together.

"He-Hey!" Ryuu said, pressed against the wall.

"Say, Ryo-chan-" Miwa said.

"Don't call me by my first name," Ryuu said. Emi squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to breathe.

"Hey, Miwa-senpai," Sumiko said. "Why don't you pull a chair up instead?"

"A fabulous idea!" Miwa got to her feet and winked at Sumiko. "Thank you, beautiful." She turned and walked off to find an empty chair.

Emi sighed and Ryuu joined in. Then he began cramming food into his mouth.

"What's with this school and crazy people?" he said.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Ryo," Emi said, nudging him with her elbow.

Sumiko giggled. "There are a fair share of eccentrics here."

Miwa returned with a chair and sat down. She clasped her hands together, resting her elbows on the table. "So, Ryo-chan, do you have anyone you like?"

Ryuu almost spat all the rice in his mouth out. Which would have been bad since Aki sat right across from him. "N-No!" he said, swallowing and then coughing.

"Hey Emi-" Haruhi stopped a few feet away when she saw Miwa. "Oh, a new friend?" Haruhi handed Emi the book she'd borrowed.

"Oh thanks, Haruhi-kun." Emi smiled.

"Not a new friend," Ryuu said with a narrowed gaze.

"No, thank you." Haruhi flashed her bright smile, waved, and walked back to the Host Club table.

"What a cutie," Miwa said, watching Haruhi go. Her caramel eyes were sparkling.

"I thought you said you were gay," Sumiko said.

"But wasn't that-" Miwa glanced around the table. Emi kept her expression controlled, while Ryuu stared at his food.

"Haruhi-kun's a boy, Miwa-senpai," Aki said.

"Looks like a cute girl to me," Miwa said with a smile and locked eyes with Emi. A chill ran down her spine.

She knows.

"It's true Haruhi is really cute," Aki said, smacking a fist on the tabletop. "But have you met Ryuu, Miwa-senpai? Way cuter."

"Also a guy, Aki," Sumiko said. "Miwa-senpai wouldn't be interested."

"I know." Aki grinned. "Good for me. Less rivals that way."

Ryuu blushed.

"I heard Ryuu Mazawa is your cousin, Ryo-chan," Miwa said. "Are you blushing on his behalf?"

"Wh-What?" He glanced up, eyes widening and face flushing further. "N-No."

Uh-oh. I don't like where this is going.

Emi cleared her throat, bringing the third-year's attention back on her. "Say, Miwa-senpai, what do you want from Ryo?"

Miwa's eyes twinkled, and her smile widened. "I just wanted to get to know her. Hey Ryo-chan, since you don't like anyone, how about you try dating me?"

"Wh-Wh-" Ryuu began hyperventilating. His whole face was red. Emi took his hand and squeezed it. "Wh-"

I thought Ryo-chan did have a crush though," Sumiko said. "You were asking us about it before."

"Oh really?" Miwa scooted closer in her chair. "Tell me, Ryo-chan, tell me. I want to hear all about it." Ryuu was still taking short, quick breaths. He closed his eyes, focusing on Emi's hand in his and the image of Michi's bright grin surfaced. He let out a long sigh as his breathing evened.

"Miwa-senpai, may I ask you to leave?" Emi said. "Ryo isn't used to questions like this, and it's stressing her out."

"How fragile." There was a scraping sound as Miwa stood. "How cute. I'll be back then, Ryo-chan. Next time, please tell me about your crush." When Ryuu opened his eyes, Miwa was waving and walking away.

"She's wild," Aki said, raising her eyebrows.

"Please keep her away from me." Ryuu dropped his head on the table.

Sumiko giggled. "We'll do our best, Ryo-chan."

"Thanks," Emi said with a weak smile.

"Hey Kyoya, do you know anything about Akira Goto?"

"Akira Goto? Not a name I hear of often." Kyoya glanced up from his laptop. "Who is this? What do you want to know about him?"

"Do you know him?" Ryuu placed his hands on the table. Emi was sitting on a couch with Kaoru. Because of her crutches, it was easier for her to come straight to the Host Club rather than waiting for it to open for the day.

"No," Kyoya said. "I can look into him, if you'd like."

Ryuu's eyes lit up. "Really? That'd be great. Thanks, Kyoya. You're not that-"

"For a fee of course." Kyoya extended his open palm.

Ryuu sighed, pulling his wallet out. "I should have known." He pressed all the bills he had into Kyoya's hand. "I can bring more tomorrow."

Kyoya counted the money. Three thousand yen. He smirked and tucked the dollars away. "No need. As long as you remember you owe me a favor."

Ryuu shivered. Why did it feel like he had just sold his soul to the devil? He crossed his arms. "The information better be good then."

Kyoya pushed his glasses up, a glint in his eyes. "It will be."

There was another piece of paper in her desk the next day.

How mean, Mazawa-san! :'( To leave me hangging like that. I'll be waiting at the same place and time. I hope you'll show, because there's something impourtant I'd like to tell you.

"What's that?" Ryuu was awake this time and peered over his sister's shoulder. "Who is this?"

Emi shrugged, stuffing the letter into her bag this time. "Probably better not to find out."

"What? You're just gonna ignore him?"

"He sounds like a creep." She rooted around in her desk for the first letter but couldn't find it. She frowned. Did he go through her desk? Somebody must have removed it.

"I'll come with you. If you don't meet him, he'll probably keep bothering you," Ryuu said.

She sighed. "True. Okay."

So the Mazawa twins set off during lunch to the second-year classroom. It was a slow process with Emi clanking forth in her crutches. When they arrived, Ryuu slid the door open and stepped in.

There was a tall boy standing in the middle of the room, and at the sound of the door, he spun around, a grin growing wide on his face. "Emi Mazawa-san!" He leapt forward but screeched to a halt in front of Ryuu. "And Ryoko Mazawa-san." The smile disappeared, and the boy stared down at Ryuu.

He was tall, probably nearing Mori's height, with chestnut brown hair, short and puffy. He had a wide forehead, a pointy chin, and hazel eyes.

"Who are you?" Ryuu said with his arms crossed, staying in front of Emi.

The boy chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, I got too excited. I wasn't expecting you to show, Emi-san-"

"Don't call me by my first name," Emi said. "I don't even know you."

"Sorry, sorry," he said, sweeping down into a bow. "I'm Iwao Horiyuki, second-year. It's nice to meet you, Mazawa-san."

Horiyuki. The Mazawa twins exchanged glances. There was no doubt about it. This was Miwa's younger brother.

"Horiyuki-senpai, what did you want to say to me?" Emi said.

"Ah well, Mazawa-san." He glanced between the twins. "Isn't that confusing? You two are both Mazawa-san, after all."

"You're not calling me by my first name," Ryuu said.

"Me neither," Emi said.

"How mean," Iwao said, slumping over and closing his eyes. Emi swore she saw comical tears flow down his cheeks, the way they did with Tamaki sometimes. She blinked, and they were gone.

He straightened up and cleared his throat. "Well, Mazawa-san, I would like to be friends, and maybe we can then become more than friends. If possible." He looked at the ceiling, as a light blush appeared. "I-I mean, you don't have to, but like, it'd be nice if we could, um, be more than friends. Sometime soon." His gaze moved to his feet, and his arms tightened by his sides.

Ryuu watched with a peeved glare.

"I'm sorry, Horiyuki-senpai, but I'd rather we not be friends," Emi said.

"Wh-What?" Iwao's head shot up, and his bottom lip trembled. "B-B-But-"

"I barely know you," she said.

He clapped his hands together. His eyes squeezed shut. "Please, Mazawa-san, give me a chance. You should get to know me first before rejecting me."

"But you-"

He was pouting now.

He's so like Tamaki-senpai, Emi thought, smacking her forehead with her palm. I guess he's right. It's not like he's asking me out. To be friends? Ugh, sounds like a pain in the butt though. I knew I should have just ignored the letter.

"Fine," she said with a sigh.

"Yes!" He jumped into the air, pumping his fists and whirling around in a circle. He pushed Ryuu aside and took Emi's hands in his, shaking them vigorously. "Oh thank you so much, Emi-san. I knew you weren't that cold-hearted. I'll show you how good of a person I am. I really will!"

She fought against his grip, but was already struggling to keep the crutches from toppling to the floor. Ryuu regained his balance, dusting at his dress with a growing frown. He reached forward to shove Iwao away when Iwao pulled Emi closer into a crushing hug.

"Wah!" The crutches were wedged under her armpits, digging into her skin. She planted her hands on his chest and pushed, but he barely budged.

No way.

Ryuu forced Iwao off, catching Emi's stumbling form by her shoulder. Her own arms shot out to grab the crutches before they fell, while hopping around on her uninjured foot.

"What the hell man?" Ryuu said.

"Sorry sorry." Iwao shook his head and held his hands up in defense. "I just got too excited."
"You better not do that again," Ryuu said with a glare. He glanced back to his sister. "Emi, you okay?"

Her face was blank, and her form stiff. "Horiyuki-senpai, I think we're better off not being friends."

"E-Eh?" The second-year's eyes bulged and he lurched away. "N-No way! I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I won't do that again. I got too excited. Please forgive me." He bowed several times.

"Let's go." Emi turned around and began making her way towards the door.

"What?" Iwao said. He and Ryuu hurried after Emi. "Please give me another chance."

"Back off," Ryuu said, elbowing the guy.

"Please leave me alone," Emi said once they'd reached the hallway. Iwao was trembling, and his eyes glistening. Ryuu knew that look. He took Emi's arm and urged her forth. "Goodbye, Horiyuki-senpai."

Ryuu slid the door shut in Iwao's face, and the twins strode away.

Thoughts on the new characters?

Thanks for reading! Happy new year!