Sorry about the wait! I totally had crazy life problems what with a new baby coming along and all, but here's the other chapter I have rewritten. I DID change the ending part a bit though. Just gave it some more drama I suppose, but hopefully it to you expectations or better ^^
Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, 'Knives and Pens' by Black Veil Brides, or 'Black and Gold' by Sam Sparro
I walked back to my apartment with a yawn, my reading glasses slipping down my nose precariously. Seems I had acquired farsightedness due to my little world transfer along with my English switching to Japanese. Doesn't matter though. I was more concerned about going home and getting some much needed rest; lucky Fu-kun was already asleep in my hood.
Sleep was getting harder to come by, now that I had a decent paying job as a novelist. Writing seemed to be one of the only things I could truly do well and I could personally use the extra cash now that I'd joined a boxing gym as a stress reliever. The whole reason I was out so late today was just so I could sign the new contract and get my first deadline. But then there's the host club. Who knows when I'll have free time if I get involved with them. Not to mention that I still haven't figured out a way to get out of my little hosting predicament.
I sighed, pulling out my keys for my apartment door, only to discover that my door was already unlocked and slightly ajar. Thinking the worst, I gently pushed the door open with my eyes closed in order to brace myself for the chaos that was probably behind my door. Opening my eyes, I staggered a bit and was forced to lean against the doorway as I assessed the mess that had once been my apartment.
The whole building was ransacked. My TV was stolen, as was my laptop with all my rough drafts on it. Things were broken and thrown allover the place. I could see food thrown all over my kitchen floor and walls like the aftermath of a chaotic food fight. Everything around me was then blocked out, including the voices that were now behind me, when I remembered something and began running through the house searching for the one thing that might make this just a little bit better.
You see, when I'd discovered that I lived next to Haruhi earlier this week I also discovered that my apartment was already furnished. Table, futon, food, household appliances, clothes, TV, laptop, everything I needed as well as a gift; an antique typewriter. In that typewriter, there was a letter telling me that an anonymous donor donated everything here. The laptop though, was completely new with nothing on it except a single picture of the family that I'd left behind. I'd quickly had the picture printed and framed, then put in my bedroom. Unfortunately, that picture was the only one I had of my old family now and I prayed that whoever did this hadn't taken it or trashed it in anyway.
Scrambling to toss things out of the way, I found the small picture frame. The glass was cracked and falling out of the wooden frame, but it was safe nonetheless under the shredded fabric that had once been my clothes. Clutching it close to my chest, I started when someone placed their hand on my shoulder. I stared at the person with wide eyes, afraid that the thieves had returned, only to notice the woma-no, man that was Ranka/Ryoji Fujioka giving me a concerned look while mouthing something. I had no idea what he was saying as he helped me up and led me out of the apartment and to his, sitting me down at his small table and leaving to get me some tea.
When he returned, I shakily took the cup but didn't drink any of it. I just stared down into the cup watching as the dark liquid rippled from the trembling of my hands. I felt a pair of hands covered mine, and I finally came back to reality.
"Are you okay?"
I nodded mutely; a small action, but I still felt an itch near the corner of my eyes as tears threatened to fall. I can't cry. I have to be strong like I always am or else my siblings would- I cut my own thoughts off and realized that I didn't have to be strong anymore, but I needed that. I needed to feel strong. It's who I was and just because I'm in another world doesn't mean I need to change who I am or how I act.
Brushing away the tears that hadn't fallen, I shoved my emotions back into a small dark corner of my mind and looked up to find an officer standing next to Ranka. His uniform was rumpled and it looked like he didn't want to be here. The man probably had a box of steaming hot donuts waiting for him in the cruiser, judging by his potbelly.
"I-I'm sorry, but I don't have any information for you…I'd just gotten home."
The man nodded with a sigh, but still pulled out a notepad and pen.
"Could you tell me what time you left and what has been taken?"
I spotted Ranka glaring at the man out of the corner of his eye, most likely for his rudeness, but I ignored it as I tried to help the man out.
"I left at around 8:10 this morning. My 32 inch Soni television, a black del laptop, and an antique typewriter were taken while everything else was either thrown around or shredded…I-I hope that helps."
"Okay. We'll see what we can do. If you'll excuse me."
He left and the resounding click of the door echoed through the silence of the quiet apartment. I couldn't stand the silence, so I released the teacup from my death grip and stood, bowing to Ranka.
"I-I'm very sorry of inconveniencing you this evening, sir. I'll try not to let it happen again…and thank you f-for the tea."
As I hurried towards the door, he managed to get a good grip on my upper arm and pull me back.
"Wait! You aren't planning on going back there, I'm sure."
The sheer amount of concern he'd put into that statement had it sounding more like a question and I swear I saw my mother standing before me and not the cross-dressing man. Looking down at the floor, I frowned.
"I am, a-actually. I have school tomorrow an-and I should start getting it cleaned up."
"You can't go back there! Why don't you just stay here for a bit? I'm sure it would be better than returning to...that."
He grabbed my shoulders and steered me away from the door as he fretted over me like Tamaki would, when Fu-kun finally poked his head out of my hood, promptly distracting the flamboyant man.
"Aw~ He's adorable!"
"Thank you, but I-I really should go now."
His smile turned to a frown as he realized that nothing was going to keep me from returning to my trashed apartment.
"If you insist…My, you're just as stubborn as my Haru-chan, but you don't have to be strong all the time, you know. Come over if you need anything. My daughter and I would be more than willing to help you out."
His smile returned and I nodded, giving my thanks.
"Thank you, Mr…"
"Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Ryoji Fujioka, but you can call me Ranka~"
"I'm Kohaku Nishimura and this is Fu-kun. M-Maybe we'll come by some other time, Ranka-san. T-Thank you for your concern, once again."
I headed back to my apartment with a wave and began the daunting task of cleaning the food and fixing the rest of my home. Looks like I won't be getting too much sleep tonight.
I had woken up late the next morning due to forgetting to set my alarm after collapsing in in the living room the previous night. I had only managed to clean half of my destroyed apartment and, after scurrying to my first class, I probably looked like a mess. My clothes were wrinkled and dirty, my hair was sticking up in odd places, and I was positive that I had bags under my bloodshot eyes which were covered by my reading glasses. I personally didn't think things could get much worse, but the universe obviously loves to prove me wrong.
"Kohaku Nishimura?"
"Y-Yes, sir."
"There is no excuse for your tardiness. Especially on you first day of class! Not only that, but you come to class looking like this? I'll give you a warning for now, but you better step it up. This is unacceptable."
"O-of course. I apologize."
He dismissed me and directed me to an empty seat in the back, forcing me to pass the two hosts that were in my class; Honey and Mori. Luckily, I was allowed to have Fu-kun stay with me thanks to my mysterious donor convincing the headmaster to allow it. He stayed hidden in my hood for majority of the classes, but every once in a while he'd sneak out and lay on my lap. This did get a few looks from students, but I was more worried about the looks Honey was giving me. Something in his eyes just scared me; making me wonder just what he was planning. It was after class that he pounced on me, like a lion attacking a gazelle.
"Ko-kun! We missed you at the Christmas party!"
"C-Christmas party? W-What are you—"
"Uh-huh! Kyoya-kun is very mad about you not coming, so he wanted us to bring you to the host club today! Isn't that great? We can eat cake and I can play with Fu-kun and…"
He just kept going and going, almost like an energizer bunny. I smiled at the thought, until my arm was grabbed and I was being half-pulled, half-dragged by Honey.
"H-Honey-kun! I can't! I don't want to be a host…a-and I really need to get home and finish cleaning my apartment!"
"Sorry, Ko-kun, but Kyoya-kun said you have to go. Besides, we have loads of new cakes you can try!"
I desperately tried to think of what could stop Honey, worried as my options grew less and less. What stops Honey? Sweets, but I don't have any. His bunny, but there's no way I can get that from him. Mori—That's it! Turning my head around, I looked at Mori with my best puppy dog eyes and begged for him to help me, but he just silently shook his head. Should've known. He's probably immune to that after hanging around Honey for so long. It wasn't long after my failed attempt that we arrived in the music room. Honey finally let me go and the moment he did, I dashed to the door as a last ditched effort to escape only to be captured by the twins.
"Where do you…"
"…think you're…"
"…going?"
"H-Home?"
They shook their heads and clicked their tongues, like disappointed parents, before slowly dragging me away from my freedom. I struggled, gripping the tiles and accidentally jostling Fu-kun from his perch. He expertly shimmied down my flailing limbs and jumped away from be, stopping to stare back at me.
"F-Fu-kun?"
His violet eyes locked with mine, before he turned away and jumped onto Honey's lap. My jaw dropped as the twins laughed at my predicament, still dragging me away as I yelled at the beast.
"Traitor!"
I was then tossed unceremoniously into the changing room where an elegant midnight blue kimono was hung up. Oh crap. I don't know how to put one of these on! Fu-kun, you mangy rat, help me! Mangy rat, is it? Enjoy trying to figure out your problem alone. Ah! No! I-I was just kidding! Fu-kun! I groaned to myself now knowing that he wasn't going to help me, when there were knocks on the door.
"You need…"
"…any help…"
"…Kohaku-san?~"
Quickly discarding my clothes in a corner of the small space, I wrapped the kimono over my shoulders and stared at the black obi, confused. After debating with myself for a moment, I realized that I didn't have much of a choice. Stepping out of the changing room, I held my kimono closed with one hand and held the obi out to the surprised twins.
"I-I don't know h-how to put this on."
A blush traveled up my cheeks in embarrassment and I quickly tried to hide it with the obi I was holding. I heard the twins chuckling evilly and lowered the cloth slightly to see them inches from my face.
"Aw look, Kaoru. He's blushing~"
"Poor senpai doesn't even know how to tie an obi. What a shame."
They took the obi from me and tied it around my waist, being sure to get their share of teasing in as well. When they finished, I went to thank them but Tamaki attacked me from behind and began to spin me around, scaring the daylights out of me as well as making me dizzy.
"My son is so cute when he blushes! You'll be sure to attract the ladies!"
Things started to get fuzzy and as I was released, I stumbled and waited for the hard contact of the floor. When it didn't happen, I realized someone was holding me up by the waist and I looked up to see a bunch of Mori's staring at me with his normal stoic gaze.
"M-Mori-kun? Why are there so many of you?"
"There's not."
I nodded, causing my vision to spin even more so I put a hand to my head, slowly supporting myself.
"Well, t-thanks for helping me."
"Ah…Eat more. You're too thin."
If I wasn't red before, I was now. Making sure I nodded, I prepared to walk away but Honey grabbed me and took me over to the couch in front of the entrance as Fu-kun climbed up me and curled around my neck. Seems it was time for the host club to let in the guests and as we did, Kyoya also introduced me.
"Welcome!"
"Ladies, this is our newest host, Kohaku Nishimura. He won't be hosting today, but you may register appointments for tomorrow, if you wish too."
Wait! I was supposed to be trying to find a way out of this! A bit late for that, don't you think? With a groan, I rubbed my temples to try and calm the headache that was forming. Between lack of sleep, the robbery, my deadline, and this hosting mess I was surprised I hadn't collapsed.
"Nishimura-senpai."
"Ah…sorry. What is it?"
It was Kyoya, less than pleased that I had been ignoring him, but he could suck it. I wasn't in the mood.
"For today, you will be watching and learning from the others. You will be observing Tamaki first."
"Right…and Ootori-kun? Just Kohaku's fine. Nishimura's too formal, I think."
"Of course, Kohaku-senpai. Feel free to call me by my first name as well."
I nodded, waving over my shoulder as I walked to Tamaki's table. Just heading over there I knew it was going to be a long day. I already know what all the hosts do to entertain their guests, but I still had to sit through it all to please the Shadow King. Maybe I can just ignore them and try to come up with a plan to get out of hosting. What do you think Fu-kun? I think you're an idiot and should just deal with that fact that you're in the host club now. I scowled at him, when someone spoke to me from across the table.
"U-Um, Kohaku-senpai?"
"Hm?"
It was a fair looking girl with long brown hair and nice soft brown eyes, younger than me by maybe a year or two and she'd managed to steal the attention of Tamaki's other guests.
"Why were you scowling at your f-ferret?"
Nervousness set in as everyone's eyes were on me and I stuttered, standing rather abruptly.
"I-I'm sorry. I have t-to…go."
I hurried away from the table of surprised girls, hearing their muttering and Tamaki's response to my leaving.
"Is everything okay with him?"
"Not to worry, my ladies. He is merely shy and not used to speaking with beautiful women, such as yourselves."
Moving on to the next table, I was upset to find that it was the twins' and promptly sat as far away from them as possible. It's not that I thought their twincest acts disgusting; I just try to stay away from that kind of thing after I'd read a, rather explicit, yaoi manga. Just the mere thought of that had me blushing a bright tomato red and the twins doing they're thing in the background didn't help.
"Of course, it's my job to take off the kimono, isn't it, Kaoru?"
"Hikaru! I'm embarrassed…Not in front of everyone, please!"
Apparently, I had made too much noise trying to get away from their table and they noticed me; the gleam in their eyes making me worried. It escalated when they managed to grab a hold of me and pulled me down to the couch to sit in between the two of them. The idea of a love triangle caused the girls across the table to lean forward in their seats to get closer to the action. I, on the other hand, was not enjoying the situation at all.
"G-Guys? W-What are you doing?"
"Nothing much…" The leading twin leaned closer to my left side, his chest pushing against my arm. "We just thought…"
"…you may need some help…"
This time, the other twin grew closer and he brought his right hand to rest on my leg, just above the knee and slowly creeping higher.
"…with your obi again."
My heart was pounding in my ears as they both moved their hands simultaneously to the obi around my waist, tugging on it lightly in a teasing fashion. I kept opening and closing my mouth in a struggle to get words out as their smirks got wider; my back pressing up against the back of the couch as I tried to get away from their prying hands.
"What's wrong?"
"Yeah, what happened to the Kohaku-san we saw before?"
I flashed back to last week when I acted out and all color drained from my face. They remembered that? What am I going to do? I can't do that here! There are too many people watching. Biting my bottom lip anxiously, I decided that it was my only choice if I wanted to get away from them so I quickly threw on my mask and began the play.
"The Kohaku-san before, w-wanted the two of you to himself." The twins immediately stopped tugging and stared at me in shock once again, as I turned to the side in as though I was embarrassed. "B-But you wouldn't let me go, so I had to…resort to other methods…"
The girls practically fainted at what I was insinuating, but I had no time to dwell on that when a hand reached into the folds of my kimono. Whichever twin it was, was probably trying to play up the act but he discovered something and pulled it out with curiosity written all over his face.
"What's this?"
In his hand, he now held a small photograph that had wrinkled slightly from being in the folds of my kimono. My eyes widened and I quickly snatched it back, mumbling 'nothing' before replacing it and dodging his arm as I hurried away. They didn't like the fact that I was hiding something from them, so they chased after me as I ducked behind Haruhi and began using her as a human meat shield.
"Kohaku-senpai, what are you-"
"Just help me, Haruhi-kun! The twins are being mean!"
"What?"
Glaring, Haruhi stopped them in their tracks and I stuck out my tongue at them.
"You two need to leave Kohaku-senpai alone. He already can't handle people. We don't need you two idiots making it worse."
They began arguing with her and I snuck away, sitting at Honey's table as I relaxed a bit. When I decided to take a risk and look back at Haruhi, I saw the one of the twins handing her a small sweet. The scene made something in my mind click and I groaned. Oh no. I remember this. This is where Renge comes in! I really don't want to deal with her. My headache's bad enough as it is. A low grunt snapped me out of my daze, looking up I found a human wall standing in front of me.
"Mori-kun?"
"Ah."
He held out his large hand, grabbing mine and putting a sweet similar to Haruhi's in my palm. Tilting my head to the side a bit, I looked up at him and smiled.
"Thanks. I really enjoy sweets."
I saw one of Mori's rare smiles and flushed accordingly. Ah! If I'm not careful, all this blushing will give me away. Either that, or everyone will think what like the twins and they'll will think I'm gay…Sad to think I'd rather be considered gay than have people know I'm a girl. Just then, the door creaked open and I spotted the (other) crazy French watching from the doorway. Sighing, I began counting down in my head. 3...2...1...
"Don't touch me you phony!"
Grinning to myself, I began to make my way towards the changing room when I was stopped by Kyoya.
"What are you doing? Hosting hours are still going."
"I-I was going to get c-changed. I have a feeling the club w-will be closed early today d-due to our newest guest."
He always made me nervous and I quickly shuffled away as he turned to spot Renge in all her otaku glory. Though I can't say I'm much better. But, more importantly, what gets me so nervous around Ootori? I mean, sure he has the whole black mail thing but I already know a whole lot about him. If anything, I'm putting money on his secret police force. The thought scared me, making me shiver as I recalled what was going to happen later at Kyoya's jungle resort. Slipping my clothes back on, I wrinkled my nose in slight disgust at the dirty feeling they had and vowed to get at least another pair of clothes before heading home today. Pulling out my own little black book along with a pen, I walked out of the changing room while I was calculating how a new set of clothes would affect what was left of my monthly allowance (given to me by mysterious donor man). Of course, I wasn't looking where I was going and knocked Haruhi to the ground.
"O-Ow."
I pushed my body off of her a tad, not noticing the compromising position we were in until it was too late.
"Sorry, Kohaku-senpai."
"N-No, it was my fau-"
"Get off my darling Haruhi-kun you devil!"
I was easily shoved off by Tamaki; my glasses in disarray as I blushed and began picking up my things in order to avoid confrontation. Picking myself back up, I realized that the host club and Renge were the only ones left; Renge ranting about who knows what. I headed back towards Haruhi, now that Renge had put him in his emo corner, and properly apologized.
"Sorry about earlier, Haruhi-kun. I should've been paying more attention."
"It's okay, senpai. It's partially my fault for standing right outside of the door, but what were you doing that had you so distracted?"
Always the blunt one, Haruhi. Bringing forward the little book again, I began scribbling once again ignoring the scared faces of the other hosts.
"I'm calculating the losses that would occur in my budget if I were to buy another pair of clothes and how much that purchase would benefit me in the future."
Glancing at them from the corner of my eye, I felt my glasses slip down a little and pushed them up with an evil smirk when I saw them all shiver. It was then I remembered Tamaki pouting in the corner. I rolled my eyes, but turned to Haruhi and the twins.
"You want to bet I can make Tamaki happy again?"
Haruhi sighed and denied my request, but the twins were up for the challenge. Unfortunately for them, I know all their secrets. The only thing I need to work on is telling these two apart.
"Yeah right. There's no way…"
"…you could do that!…"
"…We'll take that bet!"
Poising my pen over my book again, I looked back up at them.
"How much we talking about here, boys?"
The two of them huddled together and began whispering before dragging Haruhi in their circle as well. I tried to focus on my accounting, but I couldn't help over hear their conversation.
"This guy's scary."
"He looked just like Kyoya!"
"Are you guys really going to bet on this? I don't think you should."
"Shhhhh!"
Haruhi rolled her eyes and it didn't take much longer before they were back in front of me. Keeping my eyes on the twins, I began to slowly spot the subtle differences between them when the one with the lower voice spoke.
"1000 yen."
"2000."
His eyes narrowed. "1100."
"1700."
I watched with satisfaction as his anger began to show through and I dubbed him Hikaru. "1300!"
"1500. Final offer."
The two of us had a stare down, neither of us backing down, until he finally stuck out his hand in agreement. I shook it, wrote down my profit in my notebook so I could add it up later, and turned towards Tamaki. Kneeling down next to him, I whispered one sentence in his ear and he shot straight up, hugging me before twirling around the room. Some color was added to my face, but I covered it up and returned to the twins with an innocent smile. "Pay up~"
"Fine."
"Ah-ah-ah, Hikaru. 1500 yen each."
I realized my mistake a bit late, but there was nothing I could do now and Hikaru and Kaoru sobered up pretty fast.
"What? That wasn't the deal!"
"On the contrary. You said, 'we'll make that bet' therefore you both need to pay."
They both began arguing with me, but Haruhi and Kyoya came to solve the small dispute.
"He's right, you know. You did say that."
"A bet is a bet and, although I hate to admit it, Kohaku-senpai is correct. You both have to pay."
I personally didn't know why they were fighting over this amount anyway. After all, they were both rich and this wasn't even change to them, but they did pay me. Counting it, I smiled at the thought of some extra cash and gave the two of them a mocking bow.
"Thanks for the business, gentlemen. Now, I suggest we listen once again to Miss Renge before she notices that we've been ignoring her for so long."
The twins gave me a look, letting me know that they hadn't forgotten my correct name calling and we all begrudgingly tuned back in as Renge began her long list of amazing things about Kyoya.
"Being affectionate to the backyard plants, which nobody paid attention to…Kindly stretching his hand out to the injured kitty."
At this point, I started feeling tired and a bit dizzy. You're swaying. Are you alright? J-Just a bit dizzy. I put a hand to my head and began rubbing my temples. My headache was definitely getting worse and was practically a migraine at this point, so I went to go lay down on the couch and catch a nap. My mind was still buzzing though, with thoughts about the cleaning I still had to finish, the things I had to replace, and ideas for my manuscript. I quickly got fed up with everything and put in my headphones and finding a nice loud song to block everything out. Hopefully, they'll let me go home when I wake up. I thought as the heavy beat of 'Knives and Pens' by Black Veil Brides began to pound in my head and lull me asleep.
"Waaaaaaah! Mommy!"
Something solid landed on my stomach and I let out a pained gasp as the offensive object was removed and the room fell silent. With a growl, I sat up and glared at everyone in the room, particularly Honey who was being held by Mori. He began to fidget uncomfortably and snuggled deeper into Mori's chest until I looked down at my ipod and turned the music off. Pulling out my headphones, I noticed something Haruhi was holding and made my way over towards her, freezing Tamaki and the twins as they tried to get between us. Haruhi also appeared to be frozen as I stepped closer to her, gazing longingly at the cookies she was holding. Reaching in, I grabbed one and stuck it in my mouth, not a word uttered by anyone until I finished. She flinched a bit when I set a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.
"It's good."
I felt like Mori, but disregarded it as I grabbed another one and sat back down on the couch; Fu-kun climbing down from my shoulders as everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. While I broke a piece off of the cookie for Fu-kun, Tamaki crept towards me and hid behind the couch across from me with just his head peaking over the back of it.
"K-Kohaku-senpai? What's y-your blood type?"
My gaze slowly met with his, causing him to flinch as I yawned.
"AB negative. I'm surprised I get to school at all. I normally don't wake up 'til eleven, but having food right away wakes me up a bit."
I placed the other cookie on the edge of my mouth and just nibbled on the end, staring off into space. Next thing I know, the wonderful view outside the window is blocked by a sea of red hair; the snapping of the cookie echoing around me.
"Hm, you're right. It is pretty good."
Grabbing his tie, I tugged him close to my face with a scowl.
"Did you just eat my cookie?"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Get me another one."
His frightened face dropped and he glowered at me.
"Why should I?"
"'Cause if you don't, I'll strangle you with this tie, gut you like a fish, and string you up to the chandelier until you slowly suffocate to death. Nobody touches my food."
He paled and brought me the whole basket of cookies, satisfying me for now. It was then Honey and Mori came over to me, the former with a cup of milk. He offered it to me and I gladly accepted, slowly coming out of my 'cranky' phase.
"Thanks, Honey-kun, and sorry about scaring you back there."
"It's okay, but are you always cranky when you get up, Ko-kun?"
"For the most part. I-It's not normally this bad though, sorry. I just have a migraine and I haven't been getting enough sleep lately."
"Why not?"
"Mitsukuni."
Honey looked back at Mori before nodding and hurrying off to bother Renge. I thanked Mori and leaned my head back into the couch with a sigh.
"You okay?"
"Huh?" I snapped my head up, regretting it when my vision spun. "Y-Yeah. I'll be okay, but you might want to help Honey-kun before you worry about me."
I smiled a bit and pointed to Honey just as Renge pinched him harshly on the cheek. I chuckled a bit and looked at Fu-kun who was giving me an odd look. Fu-kun, what are you planning? He smirked and my eyes widened significantly as he ran his way under my jacket and shirt.
"Ahaha! No! F-Fu-kun! Get out f-from there! I-It tickles!"
I flopped down onto the couch, reaching under my shirt in order to get a hold of the little demon without noticing how all eyes were on me at the moment. I'm sure it was funny to watch though and I was grateful when Fu-kun popped out of my collar and licked the end of my nose. Holding him up above my face, I couldn't help but laugh and touch noses with him; a large smile taking over my face.
"Thanks for cheering me up, Fu-kun. You're just too cute for your own good."
"And you!…Actually, I don't know what to do with you."
"What?"
"I can see why. Kohaku was either ignoring her, or sleeping through most of Renge's speeches. She hasn't really been able to see what we have seen as far as his characteristics."
I nodded at Kyoya's expert analysis, thankful for not being involved in Renge's insane plot for now, and noticed that quite a few of their faces were red. Did something happen? I wonder what's up with them. Even Haruhi's blushing. Shrugging the notion off, I yawned and stared at the group of them standing around and arguing. Almost like a family…but, as always, I'm being left out. In fact, ever since I've gotten here I've just been a background character. Other than being in the host club, I just kind of blend in…Like I always did, even back home. I felt my own little rain cloud hovering over me, threatening to drench me in rain, but I quickly shoved it aside. I knew better than to break down in public. I'll deal with everything at the gym or at home. I don't have a right to drag the host club into my problems.
"Wait! I've got it!"
At Renge's shout, I whipped my head around and stared frightened at the finger she was pointing my way. This can't be good.
"You're a shadow that is always in the background, hurt, but wanting to be noticed. One who can't deal with his own feelings and therefore keeps them bottled up inside behind a façade of calm, shy indifference. The Lost Soul!"
I nearly collapsed right there. Everything she said was completely true and now they all knew. I could feel every one of their stares burning into me, but I forced my imagination to calm down; instead staring at Tamaki acting his part when a hand touched my shoulder, causing me to flinch. Turning around, I saw Mori giving me a concerned look. I knew he wanted to ask but, being the person that he is, I knew he wouldn't. That's the nice thing about Mori; silent, but dependable.
"I-I'm going to head home. Could you tell the others? I'm not really feeling too well and…she's right."
I looked down for a moment, but saw Mori nod and I grabbed my things and left with Fu-kun. I knew I should've headed home, but the moment I stepped in there I felt like I was going to fall apart so I quickly changed and headed to the boxing gym.
"Fu-kun. You stay here. I'll…I'll try to be back soon. Just gotta blow off some steam."
He nodded and I closed the door and locked it, taking a quick jog to the only other place I could take out my frustrations. And if I'm lucky, I won't be there for hours on end but…who knows. I tend to beat myself up about things. Maybe the host club will change something. But you have to open up to them first. I know…I know.
I was awoken by a loud, annoying buzzer, like those you would hear during a basketball game announcing the end of quarter. I immediately jumped and fell out of the foldable chair I had been sleeping in, Fu-kun clinging to my head with a death grip. With a scowl, I plucked him off and tried to remember how I'd gotten to the grounds outside of Ouran as well as what happened the previous night. Holding Fu-kun in front of my face, I stared at him quizzically.
"How'd I get here, Fu-kun?…And, dare I ask, what happened last night?"
I gazed at the basketball scene the twins were pulling off before shaking my head and staring at the bandages on my hands. You don't remember? Last night you went to the boxing gym and didn't come back until early this morning. You slept for maybe half an hour before your alarm went off and you ran to school. I ran? No wonder my legs are so sore. Anyway, you were late and the teacher said you were supposed to be outside for club activities which is how you ended up here, but you passed out in this chair the moment you sat down. You managed to scare blondie enough that he sent his glasses friend to check up on you. Wow…that's the most I've ever heard you say. Yeah well, don't get used to it.
I chuckled a bit, wincing as my sore muscles ached, and leaned against the wall. I tried to ignore the things I still had left to take care of when I got home, but they kept creeping up on me. I need to go grocery shopping this week and get more clothes, since I've been wearing these ones since the theft. I was lucky Ranka let me borrow a shirt so I could wash them yesterday, but then I still need a replacement for my laptop and TV. A new coat of paint for the kitchen is also in order, but I might have to wait on that one until I get more cash. All of that, plus rewriting my manuscript before next Wednesday.
"So much to do…"
"Hey! It's almost your turn, get out there!"
I was heaved up by a stranger and placed up against a tree, being told to just stand there and watch as Fu-kun was placed in the folding chair from earlier. Apparently, I didn't have any line to try and remember, which was a good thing since I couldn't even remember what happened this morning or last night. When they began to hose us down with water I looked over at Tamaki and the others. The camera began rolling unnoticed by me as I began blocking out everything except the feeling of the water dripping down my face, taking my sorrow with it. I turned away from the trio and gazed longingly up into the sky, closing my eyes as I thought about my family with a sad smile. I swear a stray tear fell down my face with the water, but I was completely zoned out until someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back to a folded chair, sitting me down and shining something in my eyes.
"What're you doing?"
I covered my eyes with my hand until the light went away and revealed Kyoya, as a towel flopped on my head. Glancing up, I saw Honey sitting on Mori's shoulders smiling sorrowfully.
"You feeling better now, Ko-chan?"
"Sure. I was just tired…I'm fine Kyoya-kun."
He didn't listen, and proceeded to take my pulse and make me follow his finger even as I glared at him. Finally, he pushed up his glasses and returned to his own folding chair, scribbling in his notebook with short glances at my bandaged hands. Fu-kun hopped up into my lap and I smiled until I felt someone drying my hair off for me.
"Mori-kun! I can do it myself, you know!"
"No."
I frowned, but gave up when it was interrupted by a yawn.
"How many hours of sleep did you get the past couple of days?"
I did manage to successfully frown this time and scrunched up my face trying to do the math in order to answer Kyoya's question; a small headache forming in the process.
"Hm…two? I-I'm not sure. I've been really busy lately and-"
"Busy with what, might I ask?…And where did you get those injuries from? I should inform you that we do not tolerate any form of delinquency in the Host Club."
I became extremely irritable in those few short seconds and my patience snapped like a dry twig.
"It's none of your business what I do in my spare time, Ootori-kun. Just because you can't get any information on me, doesn't mean you're allowed to go meddling in things that have nothing to do with you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have something more important to take care of than answering your pointless questions."
I stood up and headed around the corner, pinching the bridge of my nose as my mind caught up to what I'd just done. Great. Now he's going to be on my case constantly. Smart move, idiot. Really Fu-kun? Can't you just leave me alone for once? I was met with silence and slightly regretted what I'd just told him, but a yell from nearby caught my attention first.
"Let go of me! Don't act all big-headed just because you're from class A!"
My mind clicked as I saw one of the two class D students shoving Renge off him, but my body was a bit slow on the reaction and I knew I wouldn't make it in time to keep Haruhi from hitting the scaffold. I still ran over there though and, already knowing Haruhi would be okay, I confronted the guy who shoved them in the first place.
"Hey man! What's your problem?"
"My problem is with you shoving my friends around before-"
"Before what? You'll hit me with those scrawny little arms of yours?"
I smirked sadistically and turned him towards the men coming up behind me.
"No. I'll leave that to them."
He looked at the Host Club members that were heading over and paled, struggling to get out of my grasp as Tamaki came closer. His buddy noticed as well and came over to pry me off, managing to hit me in the face with his elbow just as Tamaki grabbed a hold of his friend and punched him in the face.
"Who did it?"
"W-We didn't mean-"
"Would you both like to be expelled together?"
The two of them soon left with their tails between their legs and I'd decided I'd had enough beatings for one day, lying down flat on the ground off to the side; out of everyone's way. I heard Tamaki nearby being all gentlemanly towards Haruhi and smiled as I thought. It's just her contact. I'm the only one who actually got hurt. Not that they'll notice. The smile reminded me about the elbow I took to the face earlier, and I groaned.
"O-Ouch."
"Ko-kun!"
The little blonde buried his crying face into my shoulder and I patted his hair as a means to comfort him.
"I'll be okay, Honey-kun. Besides, we're missing the best part."
He looked down at me confused as I sat up, but I winked and pointed at Kyoya who was walking toward the camera with a large rock in hand; Renge still ranting.
"This is it! It's perfect! Now, we only need Kyoya's touching mono-"
The shattering of the camera lens froze Renge in her tracks as she turned to Kyoya with shock written all over her features. If I thought Kyoya was intimidating before, I now know just how menacing he could really be. Let's just hope he's not this bad when he questions me. I don't handle pressure well. I shivered at the thought and stood up with Honey on my shoulders, as Kyoya continued.
"I'm very sorry, but we cannot have any evidence of the club members involved in violent acts. It's also very unpleasant of you to cause this kind of trouble as well as bring harm to one of our club members."
I was glad someone else noticed my bruising face, but as Renge began crying I felt bad for her. It kind of sucks, having what you believed to be true pulled out from under you like that. I sulked a bit, feeling as though I was an old grandma watching her grandchildren grow up in front of her while thinking of past life experiences. I know I always acted mature and all, but seriously?
"Well, it's okay, actually. It was rather fun."
"Right!~"
Honey squirmed a bit on my shoulders when he spoke and I rolled my eyes at his childishness, but kept a small smile on my face. Lifting Honey back off my shoulders, I handed him over to Mori and reached out to take Fu-kun, but Fu-kun turned away from me and hid his face in Mori's neck.
"F-Fu-kun?"
I got no reaction and mentally yelled at myself for being a jerk to him earlier, before looking up at Mori.
"Y-You think you could watch him for a bit? I don't think he'll…want to be around me for while. We had a…an argument, if you believe it."
I chuckled without feeling as Mori nodded and Honey gave me a worried look. I just waved and headed back to the club room with the rest of them, plopping down on the window sill with 'Black and Gold' by Sam Sparro playing loudly through my small headphones.
"I looked up into the night sky
And see a thousand eyes staring back
And all around these golden beacons
I see nothing but black
I feel a way of something beyond them
I don't see what I can feel
If vision is the only validation
Then most of my life isn't real
'Cause if you're not really here
Then the stars don't even matter
Now I'm filled to the top with fear
That it's all just a bunch of matter
'Cause if you're not really here
Then I don't want to be either
I wanna be next to you
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold"
Something cold pressed up against my bruised cheek and I winced in shock and pain.
"Ow!"
"I apologize, Nishimura-kun, but you need to put ice on that if you want the swelling to go down. Maybe now, you would like to answer my earlier questions?"
I glowered at him and took the ice pack away from him. Opening my mouth to retort, I was silenced when the rest of the club began asking me questions as well.
"You're not the only one with questions!"
"Yes! Daddy wants to know what happened to his son's hands!"
"Why were you so sleepy today, Ko-kun?"
"Ah."
"Is there something you need to tell us, Kohaku-senpai? You have been acting odd lately."
I frowned, looking down at the floor. He had me cornered and now I had to answer all of their questions or risk getting stalked for answers. Sighing, I began removing the bandages on one of my hands, showing the group my bloody knuckles that literally had skin ripped off.
"I had a lot of stress building up these past couple of days a-and took it out on a punching bag. It's no big deal. I-I just got a bit carried away."
"A bit carried away? You've skinned your knuckles almost down to the bone!"
I pulled my hand back from Haruhi, deciding to ignore her anger for the moment as I continued to explain my situation and re-bandage my hand.
"Look. I had every right to do this. My apartment was robbed two nights ago. Stole my laptop, my typewriter, trashed my kitchen with food, shredded my clothes, and broke the lock on my door. I haven't been getting much sleep lately because I've been trying to clean it up as well as replace everything with the small amount of money I have."
"Robbed?"
"My darling son has been robbed! Mother, we must catch these fiends at once!"
I groaned and dropped my head in my hands.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you, Mother."
Kyoya glared at me, but Mori handed me a piece of cake to satisfy my cranky mood. Seems I was more tired than I thought.
"Poor Ko-chan."
"It's okay. You probably won't find out who did it anyway. I wasn't even home when it happened, so no one knows anything about who did it."
"Wait…where do you live, Kohaku-senpai?"
I glanced at Haruhi, but also at Kyoya. His pen was poised for my answer and I felt like making him mad. Blame the lack of sleep.
"Oh? What's wrong, doesn't Mother know?"
Everyone flinched as he pushed up his glasses, waiting for his answer.
"No, unfortunately. It's not on your school records and I haven't been able to get much else on you either. It's quite…frustrating."
"Glad to see I put up a challenge for you. Anyway, I'll tell you later Haruhi-chan, in order to keep at least a little bit of my privacy. I have to go now. I need to buy food…and clothes, and a laptop, an-"
"Just get your groceries. We'll take care of everything else."
I shook my head trying to tell him no, but there's no arguing with Kyoya once he makes a decision so I gave up trying to convince him.
"Don't worry. We'll just use the club funds that you earn to pay it off."
"As long as the video sales go into account as well, Kyoya-kun."
He frowned and I tried not to smile, giving Fu-kun one last glance before heading out the door without him and leaving the rest of the club members confused; not hearing the last bit of their conversation.
"So why'd he leave Fu-kun?"
The rest of them turned to look at the depressed looking white ferret on Mori's shoulders as he answered in his short cut speech.
"They had an argument."
Majority of the group sweat dropped at the prospect of Kohaku arguing with a ferret, but they didn't question it. The next day, they understood what Kohaku meant by the video sales at least and stared at him scared as he napped by the window, all thinking the same thing.
How did he know about the video?