AN: Everything I write turns queer. Welp. Anyway! Things get really messed up this chapter, and it might be cementing the Ryo x Su Tong ship hahahahahahaha. Until this, I was so certain that Mii x Su Tong was apparent in the story.
Warning: bullying- physical and emotional- brushed off, but if that bothers you, skip this!
Disclaimer: I don't own OHSHC
"Should I ask?" Su Tong asks, noting the redundancy of her question as Ryo neglects to answer.
They walk down the corridor, and Su Tong takes the time to realise that Ryo's real (or so she hopes) surname is 'Huang'. There are so many questions- and so few, too. There's the question of her name, as well as her relationship with Kyouya. Last but definitely not the least, the number of pianos in this school. Three questions, Su Tong counts, and exhales slowly. That's not a lot, but the first two sure seem like heavy ones.
Instead, Su Tong bites her lip and mutters out a short, "Are you going to the ball?"
"I-what?" Ryo spins around, eyes wide.
"Are you going to the ball?" Su Tong stops in her tracks, mirroring Ryo's posture- upright and tense.
Ryo taps her feet and considers it for a moment. "I believe it was part of the requirement."
"Requirement?" Su Tong furrows her brows. "Whose requirements?"
"The Host Club's requirements; were you not listening- they want us to go to the ball as an inefficient and unnecessary security measure." With that, Ryo turns back and continues walking.
"Ah."
"What, were you actually asking?"
"Whatever," Su Tong murmurs, and stalks back to the first music room.
Before Ryo can reply- with a witty remark, no doubt- a screech is heard. They enter in time to see Mii scooting away from Takeko's raised arm, hand stretched and firm. Takeko's eyes dart from Mii's frightened and reddened face to Ryo's paler one, and then to Su Tong. Very deliberately, she pulls her arm down to her side, and backtracks into another partitioned room. The door slams, and there is silence for a long time. The others who are peeking out from behind their own doors hurriedly close their doors shut. The unsteady lull of a xylophone and an unrhythmed drum beat slowly smoothens out into another piece.
Su Tong rushes to Mii's side, checking her for injuries. Mii's left cheek is maroon, a handprint blotted onto her skin. Another bruise is forming on her left leg, and there are shallow crescent marks on the back of her right hand.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. I just- I kind of screwed up a piece halfway-" Mii tries to pry her hand away from Su Tong.
"And that means this?" Su Tong lets go hesitantly, trying to meet Mii's eyes.
"This doesn't mean anything," Mii says, looking away. "This happens."
Su Tong stares as Mii gets to her feet, dusting her dress as though nothing had happened. She smiles at Ryo, and enters the same partitioned room that Takeko walked into. She doesn't close the door, and the sound of a case slamming shut can be heard. The drum loses a beat for a moment. Ryo drags Su Tong up by the sleeve, and pulls her into their room. Ryo closes the door carefully.
"What was that? Does she do that to people who-" and then, gently, "Ryo? Are you alright?"
Ryo smiles. "Yes."
Placing her hand over Ryo's, Su Tong squeezes it reassuringly, and then moves back to her erhu. Ryo hasn't moved, and is still leaning against the door.
"Huang Rong Zhi." The words are in Chinese, and it takes a moment for Su Tong to register the language.
"What?"
"My name."
Su Tong stares blankly, before nodding and replying, "That's a nice name."
"Call me Rong Zhi from now," Rong Zhi insists, an edge to her voice, before biting out an order, "jian pu, tomorrow."
Su Tong nods again, and smiles, "Yes, Rong Zhi."
Training the next day is puzzlement and bewildered stares- discounting a glare from Takeko- when Rong Zhi brings a case unlike her usual violin one. The case is shockingly similar to Su Tong's, and when she retrieves her instrument, the mystery is made clear.
"I thought you don't play the erhu?" Su Tong mutters once they're in the safety of their room.
"I stopped when I entered Ouran," Rong Zhi says. "Jian pu, out."
The flimsy pages rustle as Su Tong flips calmly to a piece. "Has this got anything to do with … your alias?"
Rong Zhi smiles, and positions herself as Su Tong sits back down. "I think you've got more pressing matters to attend to; Akiyama-kun, the ball tonight, and, more importantly, our club activities."
The ball, Su Tong muses. Would Mii still be her company? After the lack of closure yesterday, accompanied with Su Tong's hibernator-ish tactics (switching her phone off and finishing dinner before Yuusuke returned from the University), Su Tong's left with a very well deserved uncertainty as to her current acquaintanceship with Mii.
Of course, her rushing off later to the South Hall has nothing to do with avoiding an awkward meeting with Mii.
"Ah- Su Tong?" Haruhi asks, adjusting her bow tie. "You're early."
Su Tong nods, and shuts her eyes. Rong Zhi is changing in the stalls, and she's waiting by the corridors.
"An hour early, actually. Don't you need to change?" one of the twins prompts.
"I am in a dress," Su Tong says, eyes still shut.
"You are in our school uniform," the other twin says bluntly, almost rudely.
"I am in a dress," Su Tong repeats, arms folding in front of her chest.
"You are a disaster," a softer voice says, and prods Su Tong in the waist.
Peeking, she sees Mii in a sleeveless gold skater-dress. Sequined, undoubtedly. Slowly, peeling herself from the wall, Su Tong opens her eyes and glances down at Mii. The hosts back away from the two, and Su Tong breathes lightly, unsure of how to start- start what? Apologizing? That much is certain, she thinks, since she intruded upon Mii's privacy and pressed on further than she should have. Turning off her phone and her avoidance behavior was also unwarranted.
"I'm sorry," Mii says. "I didn't think you'd get mad."
"I'm not," Su Tong says dryly.
"You ignored my messages!" Mii blurts, angrily staring up. "And you left without saying anything! Like today- at the club!"
"I'm sorry," Su Tong cuts in.
"Yeah, well, I'm not accepting that apology."
"That is fine by me."
"And I'm not listening to you even if you plea- wait, what?" Mii's eyes widen in shock, and she grins. "That's against the rules! And anyway, you need to get changed-"
"I am in a dress," Su Tong says for the third time of the day.
"It's a ball, Su Tong! You've got to be kidding me if you're wearing this- or if you'd believe I'd let you wear this!" Mii shakes her fist, and pulls Su Tong over to Tamaki, who is marveling at his reflection in a mirror.
"Tamaki-san! I need your help! Will you be so kind as to aid me?"
Tamaki began to spill words of sheer chivalry for a couple of minutes before actually assisting Mii. He escorted the both of them to another room where countless mannequins with dresses on them were. There, he bade the two farewell, and more sweet nothings. Mii swooned, and sighed into her palm before embarking on a quest to find Su Tong the perfect dress.
"How do you feel about halter necks?" and the occasional "Nothing too flamboyant, right…" could be heard as Mii vanished amongst the mannequins.
Finally, Mii pulls out a beige dress, and states proudly, "Complete with chiffon and lace- is this lace- and half-sleeves!"
Su Tong sighs, and says again, "I'm already in a dress."
"Yeah, but I think that dress deserves a break," Mii says, pouting, before shoving Su Tong into the restroom. "Let your hair down! Oh- right- we should totally do a half-updo for tonight… I don't have any hair spray..."
Su Tong takes a quick shower, drowning out whatever fashion tips Mii's blurting out. Walking out in her dress, she steps into a pair of black pumps and barely keeps her balance when Mii pulls her into the dressing room.
"You look really good!" Mii compliments, and grins. "Better than that banana peel, huh?"
The dress is light, and fits her rather well. It's a little tight around the waist, but at least the shape of the dress doesn't give her tummy away. Sitting her down, Mii starts work on a braided updo, occasionally complaining as she crafts a Dutch crown.
When Mii's done fidgeting with Su Tong's hair, and putting on 'final touches', she spins Su Tong in front of the mirror. Su Tong barely manages to keep her balance by the end of Mii's inspection. Mii laughs and calls for Haruhi, who gave her approval, smiling sweetly at a flustered Su Tong.
"I'll go look for Rong Zhi," Su Tong says, looking away.
"Okay," Mii says, pushing Su Tong towards Haruhi. "Go on, but don't forget the ball starts in ten!"
Su Tong dodges Haruhi, and pauses mid-stumble. Looking back at a waving Mii, she shakes away the strange feeling of discordance. As she passes a corner, she sneaks a look back at Mii, whose eyes flash with a sudden realization. Distraught and shock fill her features, and Su Tong disappears from view before Mii discovers that she has caught on.
Su Tong continues striding through the halls, and stops herself before she can intrude upon an intimate moment. Peeking, she sees Rong Zhi pushing Takeko away, even as her palms linger on the latter's chest for a moment longer.
"I don't deserve this," Rong Zhi says angrily.
"You don't deserve anything," Takeko says with added spite, pulling away.
"Then stop; I don't care what it is you've done to me, but Akiyama-"
"You stop, and shut up. Just let me-" Takeko leans in, gripping Rong Zhi by the back of her head.
The sound of Rong Zhi's hand smacking Takeko's cheek reverberates through the hallway. Su Tong blinks, and decides that now is a time good as any to step in. Taking a deep breath, and wondering why she was even considering this course of action, she walks into the corridor.
"Rong Zhi," she says gently, startling the two. "I was looking for you."
"Excellent timing," Rong Zhi replies, stepping towards Su Tong.
"'Rong Zhi', huh," Takeko echoes, and it makes her flinch.
Recklessly, Su Tong reaches for Rong Zhi's hand, and pulls her away. She's indignantly marching away, ignoring Rong Zhi's half-hearted protests, until the heel of her black pumps catch on something. Tripping, she falls onto the ground and lets go of Rong Zhi just in time.
"Are you alright?" Rong Zhi says from somewhere above her.
Nodding, she checks on her shoes, and finds the heel broken. The shoes are broken. The god-knows-how-expensive-they-are shoes are broken. It takes a moment for it to sink in. Carefully, she slides her feet out of them and examines the damage. Glue would be handy, but-
"I'm fine. The shoes, however," Su Tong says, pausing. "The heel is broken, and I need glue."
"Inefficient manner of thought," Rong Zhi mutters, and pulls Su Tong up. "The ball's that way."
Barefooted, she follows Rong Zhi to the South Hall.
Reviews: if you'd like
by the way- tell me if you'd like to see a murder in the next chapter (or if you're content with waiting until things pan out), or if you're adamant on some other ship; all roads lead to paradise, as they say, huh.