This chapter was Beta read by akasoeki.
Episode Two- The Duties of a Sister Host
Chapter 7: What lies beneath the Hoodie.
Toru sat on the floor in the darkness of her room, wearing a white tank top and a pair of rainbow ducky boxers. The blue sling she'd been wearing was folded neatly on the floor in front of her. It was time for one game to end and a new one to begin. She was staring into her mirror and making battle plans for the next day. Rankapoppa was pestering Haruhi as the younger girl finished cleaning up the kitchen for the night.
From the sound of it Haruhi had a shorter temper than usual about it, or maybe Rankapoppa was just being more in her face than usual. Toru guessed it was probably the former rather than the latter, after all, Haruhi was getting twice as much of that "in your face" personality now that they spent so much time in Tamaki's presence. There were some odd similarities between the two that she was starting to notice.
Just as Toru thought Haruhi might finally hiss and bare her fangs at Ranka's meddling, the older girl called through her closed door, "I'm doing my hair, I could use some help!" It would give Haruhi a chance to finish cleaning the kitchen and Ranka a chance to fuss away some of his exuberance before Haruhi gave him the scary eyes and made him cry; something both girls tried to avoid. Toru could also admit that Rankapoppa was good at what he did and she found the process of him playing with her hair kind of soothing.
There was a murmured, "Are you sure you don't need help?" followed by a low, snarling noise that Toru recognized as Haruhi's last resort "touch my scrub brush and die" growl. A few seconds later Rankapoppa walked right into Toru's room, sat down behind her on the floor, and started putting curlers in her hair while sobbing something about stubborn daughters.
Toru concentrated on painting her nails while Rankapoppa worked through his spazz attack by twisting her long hair around the curlers. His nails would scratch soothingly along her scalp as he sectioned off the strands he wanted. Then he would smooth them out, running the pads of his fingers over the length of hair as if it was fine silk. No matter how many times Rankapoppa came in and did her hair or her nails or just sat with her and talked it still surprised her on some level. It was something she found herself looking forward to. It was unfamiliar, but comforting, to rely on this small ritual.
"You're getting all dolled up for tomorrow. You don't usually plan dates on school nights." Ranka's voice was soft, and though he'd tried to sound casual, Toru recognized that the framework of that question was mostly superficial.
"No date. I promised I would start my club duties when I was feeling better. Doc said the sling could come off today, so I know of at least one anally retentive, smug bastard who will be waiting for me in front of the school tomorrow and expecting me to look like a slob." Toru had a fond smile on her face as she spoke. "I'm going to screw with his head. It's this thing we do to each other for fun. He's better at it than me, but I'm a quick study."
"Are you still worried about the wrong kind of attention?" There was no judgment in Ranka's voice. It was clear he really just wanted to hear Toru's thoughts on the matter.
Toru didn't reply immediately. As Ranka continued to pin her hair up she tried to gather her thoughts. "I am. In that regard, this situation is the antithesis of everything I've been working towards this year."
Several seconds of silence passed as Ranka continued to work. When it seemed like Toru wasn't going to continue he prodded the conversation along with the obvious continuation, "But…?"
"I'm not sure how to respond, honestly. Its dangerous and you know why, but..." she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the soothing sensations of having her hair fussed with, "Well, they're good for Haruhi. And I like them too..." the last sentiment was much softer, almost as if she felt that were a weaker reason.
"Oh, Toru-chan, as much as you keep telling Haruhi to live life to the fullest, you seem to have a hard time doing so yourself..."
Toru's wry smile made his heart ache. She didn't say anything, but the unspoken words were still heavy in the air between them. Life is complicated. They were the first words she'd greeted him with when she was still in the hospital bed, pale as the sheets that covered her. They were the first words he'd said to her when he brought her home and explained how life would be different. It was the answer she still gave him when he tried to get her to work through her spotty memories that came in her nightmares. Life was complicated and complex and sad; Toru knew that better than anyone.
He was smoothing out the last free section of hair when he finally spoke again, "So you're sure this doesn't have anything to do with a boy?" The tone of his voice lead Toru to believe that he was trying to lighten the mood.
She rolled her eyes slightly, "Oh, it has everything to do with a boy. One irritating priss of a boy who is going to put my ass to work rubbing elbows with," her voice changed to an over exaggerated posh drawl only ever spoken in cheesy movies, "polite society." Toru grinned and gestured into her open closet. "We all have a part to play, even Haruhi. This is just my costume."
Ranka popped his back as he stood and then peaked into her closet. "Oh! The uniform! And yellow is going to look gorgeous on your skin, no matter how much you hate it." His maniacal laughter was infectious and Toru couldn't help but laugh a little herself.
"Yeah, I plan to kind of knock their jaws on the floor. I have my make-up picked out, but I haven't decided about my hair yet, I was kinda hoping you would-"
"Of course I'll take care of it! Maybe we could even get Haruhi in the spirit! Oh, I wonder if she'd wear that cute skirt I bought her..." His eyes were sparkling as he pictured the two of them frolicking off to school.
"You enjoy those hopes and dreams, but I'm bettin' on no." Toru laughed and dodged his playful swipe.
The next morning, Rankapoppa redid Toru's hair four times before he thought it was just right. He'd ended up bringing out some ornate hair combs from his own collection. They were pretty gold wrought dragonflies the length of her thumb. When he saw how pretty they looked on her he squealed a lot, earning a glare from the still half asleep Haruhi who hadn't finished her morning cup of tea. How Rankapoppa could be that perky before his cup of tea, Toru would never know. She didn't have pep in her step until she bought her morning coffee from the corner store on the way to Ouran.
She hadn't even had time to look at the finished results in the mirror before dashing out the door with a mildly irritated Haruhi. As it was was, Toru could now say she was going to be late to school because of her hair, a fact she promptly pointed out to Haruhi as soon as they were about a block away from their apartment.
"We're not going to be late. We just have to skip your coffee..." Haruhi deadpanned as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Toru made a sound very reminiscent of a kitten being punted, the expression on her face looked very much like she had just imagined such a thing in tearjerker worthy detail. "Ah man, you're right." A forlorn pout had her lower lip jutted out as she grabbed Haruhi's arm, using the younger girl as moral support.
Haruhi let out a little huff, shook her head, and lead Toru to school. It was with a fond sort of forbearance that she put up with her antics. For all the theatrics, and there was more than most people would guess, Toru was a good girl and Haruhi loved her like a sister. If the older girl needed physical support to get through her morning, she could tolerate it, perhaps even find it endearing. With a small smile, the petite brunette drew the resigned Toru through Oruan's gates. Between Toru's damsel-in-distress pout and Haruhi's indulgent 'brotherliness' they made quite the picturesque entrance.
By the time Toru made it to class, she was a jumble of over excited nerves. She had to book it to make it to her locker before class and then really put on some speed up that last flight of stairs. She had just enough time to catch her breath, smooth her clothes down, and walk nonchalantly through the door before the bell rang.
A quick sweep of the room told her that quite a few people didn't recognize her right away. Subtle glances after she took her seat showed a bunch of people putting two and two together and being a bit unsettled by its answer. Tamaki hadn't noticed her walk in because he was busy wooing Chiagi, but Kyoya did. She'd mock saluted him when his eyes paused on her form. When Tamaki did notice, the teacher was already in the middle of roll call. He'd looked back to wave at Toru when the teacher called her name only to gasp, squeal, and then teleport across the room to swing her in a big circle.
Toru had expected his reaction to be right along those lines, but she hadn't expected it to happen in front of the class, and, more horrifyingly, the teacher. Fortunately, their teacher was used to Tamaki's outbursts and knew just how to handle it. "Suoh-san, please put Fujioka-san down and return to your seat." It sounded polite, but everyone knew that step two was a rolled up newspaper to the face.
Tamaki squeezed her good once more and then returned to his seat, apologizing profusely for interrupting class. When he got a little too wordy, the teacher began to tap the rolled up newspaper across her clipboard, which helped Tamaki wrap things up. The teacher continued roll call, the students whispered about Toru, Toru just smiled and kept her attention on her notebook. She took better notes that day than she ever had in her life.
She was so focused on avoiding everyone's questioning looks that she was still really involved in finishing up her notes when the first class ended and the short break between classes began. That's when Chiagi, who had the attention span of a small child and loved new or pretty toys the best, converged on Toru with the intensity of a sparkling sun spot.
"Oh, Toru-chan, you look so cute! Do you tan?" The younger girl was leaning over Toru's desk, her long wavy hair pooling on the surface over her notes. "Wow, are your eyes naturally that color?" She seemed so excited, so generally curious, so happy to be the first one at Toru's desk that the older girl didn't really know how to respond to her exuberance.
Kyoya took advantage of Toru's moment of stunned shock. Some of the boys near him were commenting on Toru's drastic change in appearance as well. He might have been addressing their comment, but just as he intended them to, the girls overheard and became interested in his statement as well. "Fujioka-chan has officially been elevated to Host status. She's the "Sister Type" and will be keeping our lovely ladies company while they wait for their designated host."
"Oh how fun!" Chiagi clapped excitedly with some of the other girls in class who frequented the club. Several of them began to gather around Toru's desk. They were asking questions, some ranging from how her place in the club would work; to what she did to get such a lucky job.
It was a bit overwhelming to be surrounded by that much excited attention and Toru felt supremely out of place. You had to be Tamaki to put up with it and he was...well, brain damaged. As it was, Toru decided that from now on, all announcements likely to cause this sort of commotion would take place in a larger, more open area so that she didn't feel trapped and pinned at her desk like a caged animal.
As it was, she was saved by the bell and everyone had to go back to their seats as the teacher for the next class rushed in. Boy, its going to be a long day. She didn't yet know the half of it.
Toru was counting down the seconds until the lunch bell rang. She had arranged everything so that she just needed to pick up her notes and make a mad dash for the door. She had approximately six seconds to do this before Tamaki locked sights on her, squealed again, and then somehow forced her to eat lunch with the Hosts and their adoring fans in the cafeteria. Toru had been in there a few times since the start of the year, but the crowded, noisy affair that was a high school lunch, even in a posh place like Ouran, was just not her cup of tea. She'd been under more scrutiny that morning than the entire school year up to that point. So when the bell rang, she was off in a flash and out the door before anyone else, and by the time Tamaki had chased off after her like an excited terrier, she had disappeared in a sea of yellow as the halls began to fill with other students.
She texted Haruhi to let her know she was on her own for lunch and then headed all the way to the other side of campus, making a pit stop at her locker on the way. Thanks to her "everything-but-school-stuff" backpack, she had enough snacks to stave off hunger until it was time for club later.
She was just about to walk through the doors into the freedom that was the fountain side gardens when a soft noise drew her attention to someone walking behind her. She couldn't stop the grin that flitted across her expression at seeing the stranger behind her.
The girl was tiny, Haruhi had a good three inches on her. Toru towered above her. She had pale ginger hair pulled back into a braided bun and brown eyes that looked ready to cry. She was rail thin and wore the delicate yellow uniform well. When she spoke, her voice was timid and quiet, "Y-you're T-toru-chan right?" The girl paled suddenly, "N-not to be overly familiar, but you're the Sister Host right?" Her voice cracked a little, like she was afraid of how the larger girl would respond to her question.
Toru just smiled and nodded, "Yes, I'm Toru-chan." This was different than what she faced in her classroom. This was one mousy girl who needed something and she could take a little time out of her lunch to see what was up.
"O-oh, that's good." The smaller girl just stared at her for a few moments before uncomfortable silence descended on the two of them.
"Was there something I could help you with, Hime-chan?" Toru didn't really know how to address her yet. She knew the redhead wasn't a customer of the Host Club, she would have recognized her as a regular if she had been and she'd been through their complete customer history enough times to recognize even the faces that only showed up occasionally.
"O-oh! I'm sorry. Ummm..." her brown eyes slid sideways and her hands came up to fiddle with the lace on her dress. When she spoke again, it was much softer, "I don't s-suppose you'd let me eat l-lunch with you?" She winced at the end a little, like she was already expecting a harsh response in the negative.
"No problem. There's a bench under the trees by that blue fountain, it's big enough for two..." Toru gestured out the door as she pushed it open and let the other girl pass her before following.
They walked in silence. Toru felt hyper aware of her surroundings and the little mannerisms of the girl who still had not remembered to introduce herself. Several times the redhead opened her mouth and turned towards Toru as if she were going to ask something. Nothing would come out, she'd get frustrated and focus on the ground for a while. Toru just kept on as if she didn't notice, hoping the girl would eventually feel comfortable enough saying whatever it was that was floating around her head. Curiosity was beginning to eat at her, but she didn't let it affect her countenance. When they made it to the bench, Toru sat down, smiled at the other girl and started rifling through her bag.
When they were both settled, and the girl had attempted to say something two more times with no success, Toru decided to intervene a little. "What's your name, Hime-chan? I know you're not in my grade..."
The smaller girl looked up at her, a great deal of scandal crossing her face, "Oh my gosh, I d-didn't tell you my n-name? H-how rude!"
She closed her eyes and began to apologize, but paused in shock when Toru reached over and rested her hand on the smaller girl's forearm. She just smiled politely, "It's alright, I'll call you Imoto-chan. I am, after all, the Sister Type." She looked straight into the other girl's eyes, "There's really no reason to be nervous, Imoto-chan."
The other girl stared into her eyes for a few moments before a timid little smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, "Kumiko, you can call me Kumiko, Ane-chan.
"Alright, Kumiko-chan, would you like some of my snacks?" Toru started pulling various eatable items from her bag. There were granola bars and snack cakes, various random snacks, and a few bottles of water.
"No thank you." As Kumiko became more comfortable with Toru, her smile became less strained and her stuttering lessened. "You're very kind."
Toru watched the younger girl as she started working through a box of granola bars with chocolate chips.
"You're very patient. Most people get irritated with me when I get nervous. It wasn't so bad, but then..." her expression grew a little more tearful and she looked away. The older girl just waited, chewing silently, knowing the other girl would pull together her thoughts without the need to be prodded along. "Well, my best friends started hanging out at the Host Club all the time. Its hard enough for me to talk to normal people. They're..." she paused here.
Toru knew how the other girl felt, "Chaos, dipped in crazy, stuffed full of adrenaline?"
The other girl just nodded her head quietly before going on, "I tried to go in once, but I fainted when I opened the door. The next time, I freaked out before I opened the door." Kumiko looked down and started fiddling with a charm bracelet that Toru hadn't noticed before. "And Yukie, well, she likes being a part of all that..." here, the younger girl looked over slyly with a timid smile, "chaos, dipped in crazy, stuffed full of adrenaline?"
Toru thought about everything for a moment, "So you miss your best friend?" She gathered all her trash up and stuffed it into the now empty granola bar box. "Did you want me to give her a message for you?"
The other girl bit her lip and shook her head, "No...I was hoping you could share your secret with me..."
Toru paused and looked at her. A lot of thoughts were going through her head that fortunately didn't reach her expression, "What?"
"Well, no offense, but you were so shy that most people didn't even know you went to this school, but you've been here all along...and now you're a Host, of all things. I was hoping you could show me what you did to be so confident..."
Hazel eyes were critical of Kumiko as Toru took in all the details of the moment. The smaller girl looked so hopeful. Toru didn't have the heart to tell her that she'd misinterpreted the situation. It might look like that from an outsider's perspective, hell, that may even have been what she was shooting for, but she was way out of her element with this situation.
Toru tilted her head and tried to puzzle out what she could do. For someone with confidence issues so deeply rooted, there weren't magic words Toru could offer to just make the girl feel better. It was something that would take time, effort, and a vested interest in the girl's well being. Not to mention, dedication on Kumiko's part. Her stomach clenched as the words came out of her mouth, "I can't help you."
She continued on as the other girl just watched her, crestfallen, "Kumiko-chan, I think it's admirable that you are willing to change to be with someone you care so much for, but I also think there's merit to who you are right now. I can't change you."
Toru stood, her gaze pinning the smaller girl, "Ask yourself what it is you really want. Do you want to change who you are? Or do you want to spend time with Yukie-san?" The younger girl's eyes were like an open book to Toru as she worked through the questions and their implications, "When you figure out the answer, come find me," there was a soft smile on her face. "I'll be more than happy to help you when you know what it is that you want and what you're willing to do about it."
The warning bell rang and both girls headed back to their respective classes. Toru made a mental note to check out Kyoya's customer database for more information on Yukie after school. She made a valiant attempt to continue taking excellent notes for the whole day, especially during Japanese which she still struggled with, but when History rolled around, her attention went back to the mousy little Kumiko and her request.
Had she made the right decision? She understood the technical reasons behind being chosen for advice, but from her point of view there had to be better alternatives than her. Except for Haruhi of course. That girl needed to loosen up a little and have some fun, but everyone knew that. Toru knew that "fun" was in fact covered in her repertoire. At least more so than Haruhi's.
Over the course of her short time involved with the Host Club, Toru had come to expect the unexpected when she walked through the doors to the 3rd music room, but when she stepped straight into a balmy rain forest while the rest of the school was experiencing a chilly spring she realized they'd upped their game to a whole new, unexpected level.
Between the sensory overload and the surreal clash of jungle treetops meeting the still ornate pink ceiling of the school, she felt a little woozy for a moment. So drawn in she was to the camellia flowers, tropical vegetation and exotic animal calls, that she didn't even notice the boys or their flesh baring outfits.
She walked in and leaned heavily against a tree, so struck with homesickness she didn't know how to function for a moment. It wasn't something she'd felt in a long time, but it invaded her being and took her back to her childhood.
The echoes of children laughing bubbled through her mind. Her nails bit into the bark of the tree when she visibly flinched at the remembered sound. A small part of her mind understood that this was the point of no return. She had to gather her composure now or risk losing all control.
Don't forget me.
The silent whisper chilled her to her core. She felt the cold press in, filling her lungs, freezing her joints. There was no air, no light, just the deafening drone of the angry waves and the thundering storm.
And she was lost to the angry sea once more.
Mitsukuni had waited very patiently all day and patience was not something he was good at when the object of his desires was something he really wanted. Right now, more than a fourth slice of cake, he wanted to pounce on Toru in her pretty yellow dress.
He'd thought about just what adorable thing he could say to make her flush with happiness. He knew he'd picked a winner and hoped Kyoya had a hidden camera somewhere to catch the moment. That would make an adorable picture he could show off to the girls.
The little blond nuzzled his face into the crimson lei around his neck and inhaled the lovely scent. He'd made one for Mori, Haruhi, and Toru and he planned to make a few more before Kyoya had the jungle theme removed from the club room.
The girls hadn't arrived, but it was close to opening time, so the Hosts all got into position and waited to greet their customers.
When Toru walked through the door, Honey bounced in place and watched her face with scrutiny. He hadn't expected what he saw in her eyes and she walked zombie like towards one of the trees, it had made him go still instead of rushing forward to glomp her.
She reached out, touching the tree with the pads of her fingers, almost as if she didn't believe it was there.
His attention was drawn away just seconds later when the first guests walked through the door and the group began to welcome the girls. He'd have to glomp her when the girls were seated.
Kyoya didn't manage the Host Club's affairs without the ability to understand trouble when he saw it. He was looking forward to testing Toru's resolve today, but she threw him a curveball. Her condition might have escaped his notice all together if it had not been for Mitsukuni's reaction.
He'd seen Honey restrain himself out of the corner of his eye and a second later he realized it was because the blond had noticed something was wrong with Toru. When the girls came in, he greeted them and directed the others to continue, but the majority of his attention was on his otherwise forgotten protegee.
He'd gotten everyone settled in record time before sneaking up on The Sister Host. She was still touching the tree. He was a foot away when he realized her breath was coming in short, shallow gasps, and her frame had barely perceptible tremors running through it. Her eyes were locked on the tree, but he'd bet his future empire she didn't see what was in front of her face.
"Toru," his voice was soft as to not draw attention, but he was at a loss for what he should do. After dealing with Honey and hearing the tales of his own temper upon waking, he had the very strong feeling that he should not touch her.
There was no response from the mostly catatonic girl. Her face was unguarded, tinged with sorrow, regret and failure.
"Toru," he said a bit louder.
That seemed to do the trick. Her eyes flickered to the boy beside her, but she wasn't quite with him. She was in some faraway place as she gripped the tree before her.
"You're in the 3rd Floor Music room," Kyoya turned and watched Haruhi walk forward, speaking quietly, but with strength that seemed to penetrate through Toru's haze more and more as she drew closer. "There's an obnoxious pink ceiling above you. Kyoya-senpai is to your right. Haruhi-chan is behind you."
Toru turned hesitantly, shivering all over once before stilling at the sight of the freshman before her.
"You can breathe the air in and out, you can move freely. Look at my face," Haruhi was standing close to the tall girl.
Kyoya watched them, entranced by the very interesting bit of information. With the Natural Rookie's calm words, Toru snapped back just like that. He watched her clam up in his presence, he saw the calculating look in her eyes as she tried to work out what he knew. In a few short moments, the taller girl had pulled all of the emotions back inside of her walls.
The three of them stood there silently, awkwardly, and unsure of how to proceed.
"I need some quiet now," Toru's words seemed quite reluctant, as if it had cost her a great deal to provide them.
"Haruhi, why don't you take Toru to the prep room. There's a costume back there for both of you. Take your time." That wasn't a statement he'd ever told either of the girls before, but it seemed better to let the girl gather her composure.
It wasn't a coincidence that on his way to entertain Haruhi's guests he took a route that caused Mitsukuni's keen eyes to notice Haruhi lead a very pale Toru away.
Haruhi sat in the chair and watched as Toru very slowly and intently put on the costume. The younger girl knew Toru didn't ever say anything before the exact moment she was ready to so she didn't bother asking what she wanted to know just yet.
Toru ran her fingers over the fabric before sliding into it. She spent time adjusting hemlines and straps to the perfect fit before browsing through the jewelry selection they'd laid out for her. The Natural Rookie took one look and the flesh-baring outfit that would match Tamaki's and flat out refused with a mutter of, "No way in hell senpai."
The taller girl still didn't feel like leaving the sanctuary of the dressing curtains, so she sat down and began combing through Haruhi's discarded jewelry. She was quiet when she finally spoke, "I know you want to talk, but I need you to wait until tonight. Right now I'll be too overwhelmed."
She stopped the mindless browsing and stared listlessly at the head dress for Haruhi's costume when the younger girl sighed. "Toru…you made a promise-"
"And I'll keep it. I am keeping it. I told you I'm overwhelmed, Haruhi. I'm not keeping anything from you…"
Both of their voices had been whisper quiet, but they stopped talking when the door opened. Toru was not ready to face company so she headed over to the mirror and began fastening the headdress on. It was a golden crown of sorts, meant for Haruhi, but it didn't look bad paired with Toru's outfit.
The taller girl ignored Honey when he bounced through the curtains and onto a surprised Haruhi. She ignored Mori when his arm flashed through the curtain to pull Honey back out and she ignored Haruhi when the younger girl opened the curtain and made her own thoughts about the situation quite clear.
Toru was not to be outmaneuvered though. With closed eyes and a deep breath she found a facade she could slip into. She was on her way to looking like Balinese royalty on behalf of the host club. She slipped into a noble continence before she'd turned away from the mirror.
Haruhi excused herself. Now that the others were here, there was no chance of getting Toru to talk and with every passing second she was sure that Kyouya was figuring out how to compound her debt in some way.
Takashi watched his charge and the puzzling woman before him. Mitsukuni was finding a way to fit all the jewelry on Toru, along with flowers he insisted on placing next to her pretty hair combs and throughout her hair.
She was hiding behind the sweet tempered elegance of her costume, but in those moments when Mitsukuni's laughter rang, when Toru would blush and giggle along with him, he saw the happiness alight in her eyes. But it wasn't a comforting glimmer that he saw, he saw the longing there too. It was like ninety percent of the time Toru laughed, she was just remembering what happiness was supposed to feel like and occasionally Mitsukuni managed to hit the mark.
He watched her from afar and saw the eyes of a woman who desperately wanted to believe in her own illusions. And it was then that he realized why Mitsukuni was so fascinated with her. The little blond knew well the look in the eyes of someone who loathed the mask they wore. She was an amazing actress though. She hid her feelings well enough that only the truly perceptive could see the chinks in her armor.
Stripped of her normal coverings and off kilter from a costume she wasn't prepared for, Takashi saw her for what she was. He saw what Mitsukuni had known from the beginning: Toru was trying to hide from herself.
A/N: It took just over a year for me to write this chapter. Thanks for sticking with me. Check out the /snevillywoods Facebook page for sneak peaks, updates, and polls. I'd love to hear from you!
Please leave a review. I missed my ST readers!