A/N: Damn. I fail. I'm going to college this Saturday and I haven't packed a thing. Besides that I'm rushing to write one more chapter for this fanfic of Ouran High School, "Like Father, Like Daughter." Side note, I wrote that Reina used blue contact lenses which her original eye colour may as well be brown. So I am happily pronounce that I will be leaving for a week or two, or maybe for months so without further leaving this fanfic with too many unanswered mysteries, I will write the next chapter ready before my depart to Collage. Wish me luck. X_X
A second year; a blonde girl made her way to the principal's room. Beside her was a girl with dark violet eyes, composed and full with pride. Side by side they were as they proudly made their way to meet up with the principal of Ouran High. Reina and Kumiko had enough with the Principal's surprises, what a difference this surprise might be? Without stalling any time, everyone was present in the office as Reina and Kumiko opened and entered the Principal's office.
"What is it this time, Father?" asked Reina.
Tamaki furrowed his eyes to each of the Hostess Club's members one by one. He reminisce the past member's of the Host Club for a moment and gather his thought of what he's about to say to them. "So this is what it looks like back then? All of us together?" thought Tamaki.
"I want to make a proposal to all of you for establishing what I brought up in the past. Because this means a lot to me, I want to make your first assignment as the Hostess Club special," explained Tamaki in a long sentence.
"Special assignment?" asked Maria out of the blue.
"I just hope it's nothing dumb," monologue Reina to herself.
"All of you are very fine ladies from very fine backgrounds; I want you all to have a fresh new start as valuable members of Ouran High."
Tamaki said this without a least sense of doubt even though he had a hard time discussing with the higher-ups of the school teacher's associates of the becoming of Hostess in Ouran. They doubt the capability of teenage girls handling a club all by their own.
In the student council's meeting room.
"A school club only working on female power alone doesn't bring any benefits to the society!"
"Certainly, I disapprove of the Hostess Club establishment for it won't prove capable of challenging any other clubs as we already have?"
"Don't we have enough support of the co-curricular achievements, Principal Suou?"
The boards' comments on Tamaki's approval of the Hostess Club had them ringing all day and it needed an explanation at least. Believe or not, he had to make room in his tight schedule to gather the members of the Ouran's higher-ups to give a reasonable conclusion to his approval.
"Just because they're ladies, I don't think they are not capable. Shouldn't we be supportive of our students since we are all teachers after all?"
"We are clear about that but we are extremely worried. What would the school respond to a club like that 'on the other side?'"
"On the other side?" asked Tamaki insisting of explanation.
"What about the boys?" voiced out of another teacher. "What would be of the Hostess Club if it gets to them? Won't there be twist in how things already are, being taken by surprise by an only girl's club? They will be certainly furious and challenged."
"For girls to put up with that: "It's all unfair for the boys." Kinda' thing," end of story comment made it all clear to Tamaki's eyes. Certainly, Tamaki was too tired to think of this through before approving the Hostess Club. He was just too happy that Reina came up to continue on his dream. Now what will become of his daughter? Was he so foolish?
To remember by, Haruhi always gets mad at him for being a fool during Host Club activities and such but he still like the idea of being apart of the Host Club no matter what. All that matters that everyone was happy; and it still made him happy that Haruhi was there to solve the mistakes in his work as a Host or even after…
"Don't worry; I'm sure they will do just fine. Have faith in the Hostess Club for isn't the one who manage to establish a great line of Host members is my daughter after all?" said Tamaki so proudly.
"We have great praise in your daughter's abilities so far but as far we are profound of your daughter; Reina Suou, she missed her education during elementary, didn't she?"
"After that, she still was well acquainted to the surroundings of Ouran during middle school. Sorry for being rude, but Reina Suou? I'm afraid it's hard for the students to accept her for she's still a mystery to becoming high school student after all she's been through."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Tamaki half shouting.
"We're really sorry but haven't you heard? The students talk a lot and it has changed a lot since the new generation took over the Ouran academy since your age Principal Suou. It's natural for the trends to change along with them."
"Teenagers these days are uncontrollably disappointing in social manners."
Full stop. A big full stop right there. Tamaki was truly in dismal. He was clearly aware of what the girl; Reina Suou may be become today for he had raised her. But the school? What has happened to the school he has left in their hands when he left to take on the Suou Company? Was he too busy and tired to take care of the school he cherish so much? He believed that the school has become a little better with the Host Club he establishes before?
No! Tamaki felt like screaming in his mind. Yes, he was certainly screaming so deep in his mind that his soul hurts. "Haruhi, I'm tired. Too tired… I just want to rest for a while not to think of anything right now. Where are you when I need you the most?" he thought in his mind.
One by one the memories of Haruhi Fujioka came back to his mind. Even though it has been years he hasn't seen his beloved wife, he will always remember the way she smiles at him. He could never forget her wonderful smile she rarely shows to him for above all; it was also Reina's smile. Reina having to share most her physical attributes to his, her only similar attribute to her mother is her smile. Oh, how he would love to see Reina smile everyday if he could. But, when did he started to miss Haruhi Fujioka since he last saw her in his presence?
A time when Haruhi Fujioka has already been known as Haruhi Suou; an all time well-known lawyer across Japan solving the trickiest cases. Lawfully wedded to Tamaki and over 2 years of their married, Haruhi was expecting.
"Haruhi! IS THIS TRUE?" Tamaki was happy beyond words and was crying in thought him being a father!
"Yes. I told you like for the hundred time already, didn't I?" said Haruhi poring another cup of tea for Tamaki.
"Thank you," said Tamaki receiving the cup of tea. Finally, I'm a father! A father to Haruhi's children. It was a dream come true. He was imagining how they will become a complete family. With their first child, they will walk together, play together and sleep together was all too perfect for Tamaki.
"Umm… Tamaki?"
"Don't worry Haruhi; I will make sure our child will grow up into a splendid person. She will be the finest daughter who will have a talented IQ just like yours and the most charming and graceful appearance just like mine."
"Tamaki, are you sure our child is a girl?" asked Haruhi in doubt.
"It's affirmative right?"
"You are just saying that because you always wanted a daughter right?"
Haruhi was right. She was always right about what Tamaki. No matter how Tamaki acted superior to Haruhi, he was still the fool he is. Obviously, Tamaki did want a daughter since he can remember meeting Haruhi in the Host Club's music room; calling her: HIS DAUGHTER AND HE'D BE THE FATHER. Now being Haruhi's husband, the baby inside of Haruhi shall finally be his and Haruhi cannot argue with him this time.
"Anyway, congratulations Haruhi. I love you," said Tamaki gently into Haruhi's ear and took her in his warm hug.
"Don't be silly Tamaki, you too," smiled Haruhi in his arms.
Tamaki closes his eyes, sighs deeply in exhaustion.
"Principal Suou? Are you alright?" asked Kumiko noticing how frequently Tamaki has been dazing in his speech.
"Ah! I'm sorry. Where were we?"
Karin smiled then laughed cutely, "Principal Suou is funny forgetting something important like that. In a matter of a short time."
"He didn't forget. He just didn't get his rest for the day, did you?" clarified Reina is a serious look.
Tamaki smiled weakly when Reina said so. She always saw Tamaki through even though he was really the type of person anyone can understand but the little time they spent together made it surprisingly happy when Reina could be that certain person who had her nabs on him all the time.
"You worked really hard, haven't you father? Aren't you resting well?" asked Reina.
"Then, I'll go make some tea for you principal," said Maria heading to the cupboards.
"Ah, thank you. Sorry to bother you."
"You already have," said Reina.
"But you still haven't notified us what the special assignment is." "You took a lot of our time already and homeroom is about to start," said the Hitachiin twins.
"The left one is Sakuya and the right one in Kara, am I right?" said Tamaki pointing his finger left to right.
"WRONG!" replied the twins.
Tamaki laughed out loud and the girls were utterly surprised. He sure had fun and he had never had this much fun teasing anyone for a while. He wonders how the Hitachiin brothers were but their daughters were really a wonderful sight in front of him that instant. Who is the naughtier twin this time, he thought because to Haruhi's judgment, Hikaru was 1% more evil than Kaoru was. Then there was Mika Hitachiin. A mysterious secret. Her bestfriend is Karin Haninozuka who's older sister is Maria Haninozuka. Karin is much more like Hani-senpai than Maria is. Maria in her own way is bestfriend to Haruko Morinozuka. Haruko has so much to offer when her talents are up to par with Mori-senpai. For a girl, she insists of learning all of her father's knowledge of kendo and judo; Mori-senpai told him about this and he has no complaints.
Every one of them was unique and he was patiently waiting for what kinda of unique talents Reina will show off to the Ouran academy. She has changed a lot when meeting Kyouya's daughter Kumiko. Kumiko Ootori was extremely talented in academics and could solve mathematical problems a few grades ahead of her. For the first time he knew much about Kumiko when he invited her over to accompany Reina in her studies.
About 4 years ago….
Tamaki knew Reina was lonely; terribly lonely. Without a mother's love who she could comprehended and with his work in the way for their time together, Reina felt hopelessly lost; as the servants of the Suou Mansion has reported to him now and then. Slowly, picking up the years Reina has been left behind of school, she tends to study as her top priority so she could climb up the academic ranks of her grade. Nothing for Tamaki to be acknowledge to, Reina was suffering from school bullying. She was misunderstood as the Ouran's Tragic Princess who comes from out of nowhere and to be calmly placed amongst the Noblest Children of the academy? There's the word spreading around the school and Reina just couldn't fit in with anyone when she already lacks half of her life's experience to communicate with other people. But Reina held strong and still kept in with the school's eyes' and ears'.
When Tamaki came back from work one day, he saw Reina studying her butt off by herself and went to say hi. As he saw her a little different than before, a little argument went off. This is what happened.
"Did you know contact lenses are in trend now?"
"Huh?"
"Contact lens is very popular at school! Everyone is wearing them now," said Reina enthusiastic.
Tamaki smiled. At least Reina was giving a response.
"Reina, I know it's hard fitting in at school and I admire very much you to do your best at anything you like but is it really necessary to change yourself to do so? What's important is to be you."
"What is father up to? He said he replaced my tutor teacher? So unfair he gets to decide by himself." The tutor who always helped Reina was one of a regular teacher at Ouran so they would mainly chat about schoolwork alone and so Tamaki went off to find a replacement to that study buddy.
Then the maid steps in to introduce a guest at the Suou main house. "Reina Suou-sama, we have a guest." Before the guest was clearly introduced, Tamaki was there to intrude as always. Beside her was a young girl about 14 with long dark hair and violet hair. To Reina's first impression, she was beautiful and composed.
"Reina, I would like to introduce to you somebody. Come here," Tamaki called softly. "You remember my good friend Kyouya Ootori don't you? Well, this is Kumiko Ootori; she is Kyouya's daughter and she's at your age too. I think you'll get along just fine."
"Nice to meet you Reina Suou," said Kumiko lending a hand.
"Nice to meet you too Kumiko Ootori," and then Reina took her hands in hers and did a gentle shake of introduction. She knew no one of Kumiko Ootori before. She wasn't with the popular group in Ouran but she does seem like a person to naturally stand out.
"You too shall be studying together from now on so I hope you two girls quickly become friends. Please take care of each other from now on," said Tamaki.
"Well do sir," said Kumiko.
"Which class are you in?"
Kumiko was a little surprised. "In the same class as you. Didn't you notice?"
Reina's eyes narrowed and let out a frustrated little sigh. "Ah, I guess I'm not that better yet."
Kumiko was still surprised. What on earth Reina meant? This wasn't the first time she met Reina Suou but she knew pretty well the girl who always sat by herself through everything in school. She was scared that if Reina as a newcomer in Middle School would be bothered by awful comments will blame Kumiko for complotting along with them. But as she sees her now, she doesn't know anything about anyone of Ouran Academy. So she sat together with her to hear what Reina had to say.
"My father said I missed school for a long time because of a strange illness I had when I had during my first year of elementary. It was very serious and he said it was a miracle I made it through. But with this weak body, I'm still recovering and maybe during High School, I shall fully recover; so now I'm attending Middle School regularly so I won't miss out school anymore."
Kumiko was a little sad when Reina told about what happened to her. But she knew the story so well by her father about Tamaki Suou's daughter being put under hospitalization at the main Suou Mansion until she could recover her physical and mental health. Her father; Kyouya thought it was due to lack of transfusions of the main vessel in her body and without the support of emotional care, her mental support becomes weak. In conclusion, what Kumiko thought; Reina was alone too long and her recovery of hers will take much more than the help of the hospital and her father alone. Why hasn't she met Reina Suou before?
"You must think my disease is kind of weird don't you?" asked Reina a little awkwardly.
"It can't be helped. All you must do now is to recover quickly right?" said Kumiko.
"Yea, my father wants me to get better really soon."
"Even if that means he will have to work 24/7 again? Barely having time at home again? What about your mother?"
Reina slammed the table where their books lay. "My father has done everything for me! I'm grateful for that. If he must work again like he used to than let him. It's all for me and my mother. Where ever she is, I don't know where but father always said she loves me very much that she can't think of a more proper way to come home so he will find my mother and bring her home. Until then, I will get better so that my mother will come back with a smile on her face. Then, you'll see Kumiko Ootori! She will embrace me!" Reina said that with spirit until she started crying. Her tears represented the courage and faith she has for her parents. For the first time, talking to someone besides people from the mansion was so reliving but was also painful. She kept in a pain of what she doesn't know about the world; or her own mother.
"Reina! Your mother is an amazing person. Do you think so?" asked Tamaki in her bed every night.
"What is she like?" Reina at the age of 9 asked.
"What do you think she is?"
"She's beautiful. She cooks delicious food for me."
"She did that for you?"
"Yes, I remembered at least that about her."
"You're always like playing around the mansion and you ended up in the kitchen, am I right?" asked Tamaki as he tickled his little daughter's tummy.
"Yeah."
"You can think up your mother as anything you like because she is your most amazing mother."
"Really? Do you love her?"
"I love her very much. That's why, you need to get better, smarter, grow into a beautiful young lady." Tamaki tucks Reina into bed.
"I will father. If mother comes home, I'll try my best."
"It will also make me very happy if you stay beautiful in the inside also, my little Reina-chan." Tamaki smiled as he saw that Reina was already asleep and gave a gentle kiss goodnight.
Kumiko still in awed remembered that expression Reina gave, it was also the expression Tamaki gave when she was still a little girl when her father took her to visit the Suou Mansion years ago. That same expression when Kyouya told her, she will be starting to be Reina's study buddy yesterday. Her father's exact words were:
"Take good care of Reina Suou. Be by her side until we find her strength again."
Kumiko without second thoughts held Reina close and hugged her. "I'm sorry. Its okay, I'm here. I'll be your friend forever."
Reina kept crying in Kumiko's embrace. She felt so warm in another's arms and finally could stop crying in only a few minutes. Usually she would cry for hours but because someone offered to be her friend, things would change.
"How's the tea for your suit Principal Suou?" asked Maria Morinozuka placing the set of China on the opposite table across the room.
"It's just wonderful Maria-chan. Thank you."
"By the way, you're not really the Principal, are you? What about the Suou Company?" asked Karin.
"HAHA. That's true, I'm Principal as I am present in the school but the real Principal of Ouran is still Mastumoto-san truly. So are you ready for your special assignment?"
The Hostess Club nodded. "Ready."
Tamaki Suou took out a video camera and an envelope of rules on their first assignment of what to do.
"Have a nice week."
"This is it?" asked Reina doubtfully?
Tamaki would laugh. Reina's expression was priceless as it look so much like Haruhi. Reina, grown up today followed a lot of his habits because he was the only one with her to teach her how to live a proper life but as things seems. Being hysterical, odd, crouching in corner doesn't seem normal. But the things he does that enlighten others that Tamaki does are what Reina also learnt from him. As the only one who knew Reina in and out, in time of their own, Reina has a little habit of her mother's like no-ill mannered comments or natural instincts to help others.
The school bell rang signing that class what about to start. "Have a nice meeting after school. You know where."
The Hostess Club knew exactly where; the third music room.
After school, they all gathered at the music room to clean up the mess and decorate the half empty room with only a few tables and chairs as décor. With furniture like sofas were placed at a few positions too. The room seemed very bore and they decided to hang up old photos of the Host Club around the room so if maybe; just maybe, students of this school who have parents telling about the wonderful Host Club will come to love the history of the Third Music Room will enjoy these pictures. They do.
"I can't believe we are going to hold our first Hosting event here." "Are we going to be lucky?" asked the twins.
"And the camera is for…?" Mika hold up the camera to Kumiko.
"The instructions and rules for our hosting to succeed are to get a successful vote for our club establish and recognized by the student body. A reasonable remark from a male student." Explained Kumiko long about the note Tamaki left them.
"In other words, our club may be established by the Principal himself but is still under negation because we aren't recognized yet?" clarified Maria.
"Well, I can imagine the hardships of this club's hold-up if it wants to par up to academic clubs and cultural clubs we already have in Ouran Academy. Not to mention sports club. They have much better chances to keep an outstanding image for Ouran," said Kumiko.
"What's the plan Reina?" asked Haruko.
"We have no choice right?" said Reina.
"Are we accepting this assignment?" asked Karin.
"If we don't, our club is getting demolished before operating," said Mika worrying.
"Ara- Ara- We don't want that." Said the twins together.
"We can host a special Ouran gathering, can't we? I know we can. If this means we can be recognized by the school, we will make more and more fun memories. We will make more friends. Won't that be fun?" said Reina to the others. "So no doubt, we will accept this challenge from Principal Suou. We are the Hostess Club."
"This is really interesting. She had come a long way for today," Kumiko said so under her breath. "Well, we don't want to give up before starting right? Besides this Club room is looking great. It'll be a waste of effort to stop right now."
YEAH! Everyone cheered. They were surely ready. All they needed was each other, still… There's still more to accomplish by themselves yet.