Chapter 3
"Tamaki?" I asked, as I slowly opened the door to music room #3. When it opened, what was before me, was a tropical paradise. I was shocked, but then held out my hand for a bird to land on. One did, and it was blue, with pink wings and head. It was small, and rested on one finger. Walking over to the host club, I stroked the birds head as I watched them. "Welcome." They all said in unison. Rolling my eyes, I stepped closer, and squeaked when Tamaki grabbed my arm and pulled me into his lap. My face was bright red in embarrassment, and he held my chin up with his fingers. "I have a costume for you too." He whispered. "What?" I asked, before pushing myself away from his advances. He pouted, and the twins said "The Lord made you a costume to match his. It's in the back." "But… I don't want to-." I managed to get out before I was thrown into the changing rooms, with the eccentric tropical dress sent in after me. Slumping my shoulders in defeat, I got it on. Adjusting the head dress, I fixed my gold arm bands, then walked outside. "This is ridiculous." I muttered, and winced when I heard the twins and Tamaki squeal "So cute!" while giving me a huge hug.
I stepped out of it, and said "Guy's, someone's coming." Before being dragged with them to their regular positions. Tamaki once again pulled me into his lap, and I saw the door open and Haruhi stepping inside. She looked as surprised as I was, and some-what annoyed. "I may be wrong, but I'm sure that it's early spring." She said confused. I slid off of my fiancés lap, and walked up to her saying "I think the idea is to chase away the winter chill with somewhere warm and pretty." We both sighed, and went to stand with the others for the host club opening. It seemed for the greeting position, my spot was on the lap of the blonde, and everyone else was where they regularly were. Soon everyone was situated at their tables once the ladies entered, and Tamaki was attempting to make me blush again like he had earlier. I just ignored him, and made my blank face. "Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you. next week, the Ouran host club is sponsoring a party." I smiled a bit, excited that we could dress up, but then frowned again when I remembered something important. "Tamaki… I can't dance." I told him quietly, while staring down at the table. The guests gasped, excited for this new dramatic love scene that was unfolding. Lifting my chin up, he said "It's okay. I'll teach you."
The guests squealed at this 'perfect love', and I rolled my eyes internally. Kyouya had suggested that we dramatize things a bit, because the girls enjoyed romance novels, and loved seeing love in play that much more in real life. We played it up, and made the girls faint from excitement, but it was true that I couldn't dance. I may be able to sing, but I was a failure at dancing. Pretty amazing since the same girl could easily walk in six inch high-heels with no problem. But when I danced, I always tripped over my own two feet and ended up hurting myself. All my dance teachers had given up on me. It didn't help that I never liked any of my dance partners. They were always too busy staring down the front of my shirt to actually dance properly. But the day was soon over, and Tamaki was upset about something.
He was pouting, and I didn't know what about. Keeping my blank face, I reached over and patted him on the head. He immediately sprung up, squealing "You're so cute! Trying to make Daddy feel better! Awwww, come here, let daddy give you a hug!" I let out a sigh of regret of such a small action as he squeezed the life out of me. But he quickly reverted back to his sad self again and went on a rant about how Haruhi should go back to being a girl. Finally, It ended with Haruhi being required to master dancing within a week. When we were practicing after school, Tamaki was sulking in the corner, depressed since he couldn't dance with Haruhi or me. The twins had already volunteered to dance with me, and I was having a pretty good time. They were taking turns, and I was dancing with Hikaru at the moment. Holding me close, he twirled me around, but I lost may balance, and ended up falling and hurting myself. Squatting down, the red haired boy asked if I was okay, and I replied with "My ankle… it hurts. Ug. I'm such a clutz." I rubbed at it, and Hikaru helped me up.
"Here. Come sit down. I'll get you a cup of tea." I did as told, and sat down, and watched with interest as Haruhi's dance partner was denying something, and looking quite flustered. I smiled at the scene secretively, and the tried to hide the cough threatening to escape my mouth. It did manage to come out, and I quickly pulled my handkerchief to cover my mouth. But Tamaki noticed it. He rushed over, asking if I had taken my medicine, and I replied "Yes Tamaki, I have, I'm just feeling a little under the weather today." He then fussed over me non-stop, making me want to strangle him. "Really Tamaki, I'm fine. Just a cough. I'll be better with some rest." "B-b-but, you coughed! I don't want you to collapse again!" rolling my eyes, I looked away from him and into my tea cup. "Haru-chan!" Honey greeted, as he jumped onto the brown haired girls back. "Guess what! Those two do know each other! He's her fiancé!" "Kyouya, how long have you known about this?" the taller blonde asked. I was completely lost to what everyone was talking about. "About them being engaged? Well, as you know, I conduct general searches on all of our customers. It seems those two are childhood friends, their marriage was arranged by their parents. I didn't think the information benefited us, so I disregarded it." "I see."
"Tohru Suzushima, outstanding grades, better social status, he's ordinary looking, very reliable. If I had to fault him for anything…" the twins popped up, saying "He doesn't have much presence," "And he's faint hearted!" "So in other words… he's boring." Kyouya finished for them. "Suzushima is a good boy… right?" Honey asked in his cute voice. "Yeah." Mori intoned. "Alright everyone!" Tamaki announced. "We'll have to work on our strategy." "Which one?" everyone asked. He ignored them however, and said "Gentlemen, it is our duty as members of the host club to make every girl happy!" he was frozen when he heard my distant coughing in the corner. Immediately, he was beside me, fussing over me, and feeling my temperature. Haruhi just rolled her eyes and pulled him away from me. I silently thanked her, and looked at him with my blank face. "Please don't get in my fa- achoo!" I sneezed, and the twins snickered. "You sound like a pixie." I raised an eyebrow, and donning evil grins on their faces, they slinked over to me, and wrapped their arms around my waist.
"You know…" one started. "…we could make you feel better." The other finished. "We'll make you some chicken noodle soup at our house!" they announced together, as they dragged me to their limo. "No! Come back with daddy's fiancé!" Tamaki yelled, while trying to run after us. But they were already driving away, and had me securely between them, snuggling up to me. I didn't have enough energy to push them away, and sneezed again. "Awwww. Poor Sensaina." They crooned, and I rolled my eyes.
The next week, I was feeling better, and the twins had made me dress up in midnight blue dress that matched my eyes. They even had someone do my hair and make-up, and by the end of it all, I was exhausted, even though the evening hadn't even started. They left a while before me, and when the car arrived, the event had already started, and Tamaki had just finished with the announcements. The door opened, much louder than I wanted it to, and everyone turned to look at me. I just kept my head high, and walked into the room. "Miss. Bara has come to the ball!" "I love that dress! I wonder where she got it from." "I bet she just came to take away all of Tamaki's attention." "She looks dazzling." I looked up slowly, and saw Tamaki on the staircase, staring at me. I kept my neutral face, however, and curtsied when I came to the foot of the stairs. Kyouya finished with the announcements, and the night began. The twins rushed over to me, and snickered when Tamaki started sobbing because he couldn't have my first dance.
"I can't dance guys." I whispered, and they said "It'll be fine! We'll lead you!" I sighed, but followed after them anyway. They had me tired after two dances with them, one each, and I was ready to sit down. But they pulled me back up from my chair, saying "Come on! You've got to help us with our plan!" before dragging me out of the room. The rest of the host club, excluding Tamaki was there already. Mori came in with Haruhi, and the twins said "There you are!" "You didn't have to be so forceful!" "Never mind that! Go get changed." And Honey pushed the protesting Haruhi into the changing room. I followed after her, and opened the package that was in her hands, taking the dress out. "Here." I said, while making her take off the suit. I pulled the dress over her head, and helped put the wig on. Kyouya was saying something, but I blocked out any unnecessary noise that might distract me from my task. Finally, I pulled back the curtain, and both we girls stepped out. I led Haruhi over to the make-up table, and sat her down, watching as the twins did the make-up. "You've gotta ask him how he feels okay?" Honey-Senpai said, while giving that kidish giggle he usually has after saying something.
"Uh… we know this is the bosses strategy, but this is kind of unsettling." The twins said. Haruhi was then finished, and I was forced to sit down to have my make-up re-done. "I really see no point in doing this." I told them. "My make-ups fine." Just then, the taller blond opened the doors, and said "Gentlemen, here you all are! What are you doing? The guests are waiting for…" and stopped when he saw Haruhi standing to the side. She looked fabulous, and the twins asked "So, what do you think?" "Wow you look so cute Haruhi!" Honey threw in. "My face feels heavy, and it's hard to walk in these shoes." She said, while walking awkwardly. "Good luck Haruhi!" the red headed doppelgangers called after her. Tamaki stood there, his one arm wrapped around me, and he whispered "You look beautiful." I blushed, surprising myself, and I looked away so he couldn't see my face. "I'll be going to get Kanako now." I said, excusing myself. Walking back into the ballroom, I looked around for a blue dress, and brown hair. I found her quickly, and walked over to her. "Miss Kanako." I said in my monotone voice. "A word please?" she looked confused, but she followed me out anyway. "I wish to show you something." I told her, and I linked arms with her, which was very unlike me. We walked for a bit, and she asked me "Where are we going Sensaina-Chan?" "You know… you're not the kind of girl who's good at manipulating others." I told her, my emotionless mask in place. "What do you mean by that?"
"I figured you out Kanako. And although I may not be the most experienced in love, I know how it hurts to not have the one you love pay attention to you, and love you back. But for you, your situation is different. He still loves you Kanako, even though your switching from host to host to gain his attention. And I noticed, you always look the happiest gazing into a tea-cup. Do you really want to throw that all away?" she looked shocked, then sad. Looking to the ground, she said "No matter how hard I try, he never notices me. Now he's decided to study abroad without… without even telling me." smiling slightly, I asked "Are you willing to let him go without even saying anything?" she looked at me, then towards the door we were in front of. Walking away from me, I smiled softly, and whispered "I thought not." Before walking away. I was waiting a bit away from the door, and turned around when the sound of running feet caught my attention. "Looks like we just made matters worse." Haruhi said, and I saw Tamaki standing near her. "But he did go running after her." I told them. The stopped, and looked over at me, before smiling.
"Come along kitten, time to get the party started." I raised an eyebrow, and asked "Kitten?" he beamed, saying "It's my new nick-name for you!" I rolled my eyes, and then sighed, but a barely there smile was just visible. We arrived at the ballroom, and speaking into a microphone, Tamaki said "Ladies and gentleman, It is now time for us to begin the final dance of this evening's festivities. The last waltz of the night has been chosen by the host club for, this couple." He said, gesturing to Kanako and her Fiancé "Princess Kanako, may I have this dance?" her beloved asked, and she hesitated, before putting her hand in his, and saying "… yes." They began the dance, and I glanced to the side, raising an eyebrow at the twins, who where chewing on banana's. sighing, Tamaki stretched out his arms, thus hitting me in the face, and poking me in the eye. I stumbled backwards, but the twins caught me. "Ah, may this awkward couple be forever blessed!" I held my eye, as it watered, and Tamaki only then realised I was injured. "Sensaina! What ever happened? Are you alright?" rolling my eyes, I turned my attention to the twins as the talked into a microphone, while holding their banana peels in their hands.
"And now we'll announce the queen of the ball!" "Congratulations Princess Kanako Nasazuzaki." Everyone started clapping, and I managed to peel Tamaki off of me. "As a reward, a kiss on the cheek from the king!" "You ready?" he asked no-one really, and a wave of something unfamiliar came over me. Wait… he was going to kiss someone? It was on the cheek… but still! It was a kiss! "Haruhi Fujioka will stand in for Tamaki." One said, and the feeling of relief washed over me. relief… I was… not happy about sharing my fiancé? What an interesting development… I will have to conduct some experiments on myself. Both Haruhi and Tamaki were freaking out at this development, and the twins simply shrugged, saying "Kyouya told us that a little accident towards the end of the night might make the evening more thrilling for everyone." Grumbling, Haruhi said "There is no way I can kiss her." glasses flashing, Kyouya said "If you do it we'll cut your debt by one third." Making up her mind, Haruhi convinced herself "Well it is just a peck on the cheek."
So walking down the steps that separated her from the newly reunited brunette, Haruhi went to give her kiss. But at the last second, Tamaki freaked out, and yelled "Stop Haruhi!" and pushed the cross-dressers back, making both their faces turn, and their lips to connect. I couldn't contain myself. I held my stomach as my gales of laughter rang throughout the night. But hey were soon drowned out by the girls squealing at the scene, and Tamaki's horrified face, which made me laugh harder. I was gripping Mori's Jacket, in an attempt to keep myself upright as I was doubled over in fits of giggles. The twins where looking at me with wide grins on their faces, obviously pleased with themselves for planning this. Calming myself down somewhat, I straightened, and said "I'll be leaving now. I bid you goodnight." Walking down the steps to where Tamaki had tears streaming down his face, I hauled him up, going on my tip-toes, gave him a kiss on the cheek, before whispering "Good night." With that, I walked away, my footsteps silent as I walked to my limo to depart.