AN: screeches I'M ALIVE. School's starting soon though.

Mentions of Chinese and Shanghainese in this:

1) lao xiang = what you'd use to call people of the same hometown ,

2) Sang hei is Shanghainese for- well- Shanghai ,

3) san huan directly translates to third/three ring and since Beijing operates on a 'ring/circuit system'- Beijing san huan only details the location ,

4) jian pu is the Chinese musical score- different from the Western one.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own OHSHC

Su Tong is in the middle of pulling her strings when someone, for the second time in a day, steps up to her. Childishly, she drags her bow across the strings, and waits till the inhumane screeching sound is at its peak before glancing up and fixing her gaze on an amused Ryo.

"Stop being childish," Ryo says in Chinese, smirking.

Su Tong perks up, and tilts her head to the side. "lao xiang? Sang hei."

"Beijing, san huan." And then, in Japanese. "I heard we're having Sectionals today. It seems that everyone in Strings decided to ditch club activities; just the two of us, then."

"Erhu, too?"

"Piano." Then, catching Su Tong's look of utter belief, says, "Don't be silly. It'll be too embarrassing for me to get in simply due to my being a pianist. Violinist here. Though… I wouldn't mind making an exception."

"Now?" Su Tong stands, putting her erhu away carefully.

"The piano's over at Music Room Three. Something about a ball. You'd think they'd have returned the piano after five days of 'servicing'," Ryo shakes her head. "We'll go ask for it after their club hours."

They walk into a smaller room partitioned by gaudy-looking walls, and Ryo hands her a file. Flipping through it, Su Tong realizes that they're all in Chinese notations, and marvels at the simplicity of those translations. She left her file of jianpu back in China, something like a promise to return home. Ever since she arrived in Japan, she had to relearn the international notations, or try translating them into the childlike numbers she was so familiar with.

"This is mine. I'm lending it to you."

"You don't play the erhu," Su Tong says.

"I don't," Ryo repeats nonchalantly. "But you should be, right now."

Ryo pushes the door to Music Room Three open, without bothering to knock. They walk into the room, where the Hosts are all gathered around a large framed photo of a young girl.

"DADDY WANTS TO SEE YOU WHEN YOU WERE LIKE THIS!"

"PLEASE DON'T BLOW UP MY PHOTOS WITHOUT ASKING ME!"

Striding over to the commotion, they find Haruhi hiding his face, back hunched and trembling slightly in anger as his photo was hung on the opposite wall. Su Tong pulls back, trying to comprehend the situation for a moment. Just then, Tamaki points at Haruhi, and yells,

"TURN BACK INTO A GIRL RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!"

"I think," Su Tong cuts in, drawing their attention to her, "that it's rather rude of you to request something like that. Not only that, but blowing people's photos up like that, and framing it suggests that you have been showcasing it without permission."

"Ah- Su-senpai! How long have you been there for-" Haruhi began to say.

"The past two minutes, I think," Ryo answers in Su Tong's stead, seeing as she was still quietly fuming. "And I presume you might be Ootori-san, president of the Host Club?"

At this, Tamaki collapses into a pile of dust. The twins rush over to his side to poke him harshly, all the while loudly insulting him.

"Preferred pronouns?" Su Tong asks, placing a hand over Haruhi's. "In case you're uncomfortable or-"

"Eh?" Haruhi has a look of confusion, before comprehending Su Tong's words. Laughingly, she says, "No- no, Su-senpai, you've gotten it all wrong! I'm just pretending to be a male so that I can be a Host as well to repay my debts. But really, thanks for asking- I would appreciate it if you used 'he', 'his' or 'him' so the customers don't find out."

At that moment, Tamaki chose to be revived, finger twitching as it points at Su Tong. "She knows Haruhi's a girl! Guards!"

At once, the twins speed towards her, and Mori tackled Ryo.

The twins shove a lamp into Su Tong's face, while Kyouya's peacefully negotiating with Ryo along with the many tea sets by their coffee table. Brow twitching, Su Tong tilts her head away from the glare of the light, and sits stiffly. The twins start to interrogate, or at least, try to begin their form of interrogation, along with Tamaki yelling and Haruhi shaking her head by the side.

"Boss!" one of the twins shout.

"She's totally immune to our interrogation methods!" Su Tong rolls her eyes at the noise.

"Maybe we should give her cake!" Honey supplies, looking hopeful at the prospect of more cake.

"If you don't mind me asking," Su Tong starts to say, sarcasm leaking into her words. "Why am I the only one tied up?"

"That's true! Mother!" Tamaki begins hollering, pointing an accusing finger at Kyouya. "Why are you fraternizing with the enemy?"

"Huang-san here is an esteemed client of the Ootori corporations. I believe you will excuse her from your antics?" Kyouya says off-handedly, turning to smile politely at the rest of the group. "Especially you, Tamaki."

The Hosts gulp and retreat, before beginning their torture on Su Tong, who peels the remaining masking tape from her elbows. The twins latch onto her, however, before she can begin her grand escape, and start demanding Necessary promises from her. Sighing, she shuts her eyes, and wills herself to shut all the unnecessary noise out. Their hold on her doesn't let up, neither does the bickering- and that's the story of how she was once held hostage but Fell Asleep for Ten Minutes.

They refused to let up until they got her word that she would not disclose Haruhi's dilemma to the entire school; even then, they insisted on assigning one of Kyouya's policemen to her and having her sign a contract. Stepping on Tamaki's feet, she got herself out of any more of their sticky legal mess. Her words- or the lack thereof- had them backing away.

"What makes you think," Su Tong says in a levelled tone, "that they'll listen to anything I say, or do anything about it?"

Ryo, seeing this, stands up to leave. She bows to Kyouya, and says, "The piano returned by tomorrow, if you would, Ootori-san."

Kyouya bows back, and smiles in the same chilling manner. "Of course. I'm sure that your friend," nodding to Su Tong, "is aware of the implications should she decide to go back on her word and release classified information about any of our Hosts?"

Ryo looks back at him, and chuckles. "Ah. But suppose it could help business should you decide to open your doors to the entire student population?"

Kyouya pushes his glasses further up his nose bridge, and considers, before inclining his head in a slight bow towards Ryo. Flinching, Ryo narrows her eyes, but bows back all the same. As she leaves, she drags a languid Su Tong, and shuts the door gently. More pairs of eyes zoom back to refocus on Kyouya as he sips on his tea.

"Do you know her, Kyo-chan?"

"We were almost engaged. But that's over, so I didn't find a need to inform you of this." Kyouya resumed typing on his laptop.

"EH?"

Two things:

1) in case you're wondering, Ryo and Su Tong are mostly conversing in Japanese, though they use Chinese at times.

2) always wondered that if in other fanfiction they can have female hosts, why wouldn't they extend the same offer to Haruhi.

Reviews: if you'd like.