Chapter 6: For some girls, "My Boyfriend is a Pilot" but others just want a Host (Macross Frontier w/Baka to Test, Evangelion, Ouran High School Host Club)

Now to a subject I can always count on to be consistent: Math! It's just that I have to make a run for it. For some reason, advanced mathematics is in the East Wing when all other math classes are in the West Wing. Classic class misplacement. And so, as always, I roll with it. And rolling with it this time means leaving a dust trail that stretches from West to East Wing, at least on days when I don't have another form of classic accident: the hallway collision. I am lucky today, which is good, since it is always a matter of seconds without the accident. Though, on more than one occasion, I have had the misfortune of running head-on into a Summoned Beast Battle. Even though they are virtual battles, the real people always get ticked. Though thankfully, I have enough skills to take a couple of middle-school brats. It's just last time I taught them a lesson, I found Akhisa Yoshii in the hall during lunch break tied in knots similar to the ones I nearly put Yuuji Sakamoto through. There was a scene after that with two middle school girls, Himeji Mizuki and Minami Shimada. It's kinda obvious that they both like him but he is still oblivious. No wonder he is called the class idiot. There are more, but I obviously don't have time to explain. I make it to my seat and have about half a minute before bell rings. I let out a sigh of relief as I stand to bow that finally the day is settling down.

Until a siren rings about half way through the class period.

At this moment, several members of the class, Luca Angelloni, Alto Saotomi and Michel Blanc, rush out of the classroom. Even though the Vajra now have peaceful relations with humanity, this resolved peacefully in the last months, the Angel threat still requires stand-by troops, armed to the teeth. This includes the SMS (Strategic Military Services), who are still active since they are most skilled in space combat. Not that it is of any help against Angels. I suppose Shinji, Asuka and Rei perhaps are getting ready to sortie. Even if the alert is island wide, it usually occurs at least 100 km from where we are at EPIC. I look around the class and find that I am the one who is most laid back about the disaster. Most of the students have the generic worried look and are talking nervously among themselves while Ranka is trying to console Nanase Matsuura, who has her hands folded in urgent prayer. It took me a while to piece it together but I eventually figured out that there is something between Nanase and Luca. Well, that's not entirely true. Ranka actually told me the entire story a while back. Apparently, they always had feelings for each other but one of the last Vajra attacks left Nanase seriously injured. Luca was stunned and stayed by her all through the coma, except when he was called on to fight for SMS. After she woke up and recuperated, slowly, but surely, they became lovers.

My ambivalence melts away and I accept the true worry that is in my heart for everyone here. It's because everyone believed in this school that I was able to keep going to school after the tragedy of my parents. I should want their happiness and any bravado I put on demeans their honest and pure feelings. I walk over to Nanase and Ranka and put a hand on each of their shoulders, "It's going to be alright. The Evangelions will triumph, without fail. Believe in them!" I give a confident smile, hoping that it will give Nanase more hope about the situation. But then we feel the loud clanging of large metal locks and the hiss of equally large hydraulic pump systems and with a sickening lurch, the school goes underground. Installed by the engineers of NERV, E.P.I.C. has been installed as both above ground and below ground installation, thanks to the advent of Geofront: a gigantic subterranean cavern.

It is at times like this when I am grateful I live in the dorms but it is also at times like this when everyone gets most worried. Though we are supported with plenty of artificial light and bodily comforts, there is something viscerally disturbing to every human being about not seeing the sun and the sky above. Sensei stops lesson for today and allows us to work on homework or just talk to pass the time. I would do my homework, if I was given the opportunity, but someone just thought of a brilliant distraction, yet I do not know how they managed it: a giant cake. The supplier: Takashi Morinosuka, more commonly referred to as Mori-senpai. The recipient: Mitsukuni Haninozuka, known almost exclusively as Honey-senpai. Method: unknown, but since they are Host Club members, I gave up trying to figure it out a while ago.

It was the third week of school that I happened upon that fateful music room. The former Shibusen students had absolutely exhausted me as had the shenanigans with BABEL and so I was stumbling through the halls one lunch period and happened upon a music room. That's odd, I thought. I thought all the music classrooms were under the concert hall. Well, at least it will be quie- Then I was trampled by a stampede of young ladies in matching yellow dresses. "Welcome to the Host Club!" I heard over the stomping of various shoe sizes. No one appeared to notice, even those who had opened the door: twins apparently, from their appearance. They just left me there and went to attend to their guests. "Umm… are you alright?" I looked up, as much as I could, and saw a brown-haired host holding out his hand to help me up. Taking his hand, I managed to get to a sitting position. "Well, as to whether I am alright, it seems like none of my bones are broken," I said, examining my various angles and testing my limbs. Scrutinizing him carefully, "Though, I have to wonder if you are alright." "What do you mean?" he replied, quizzically. "Why is a girl working as a host?"

Her eyes opened wide and, somehow, all the host members were before me. The twins looked at each other, "What should we do?" "He knows the secret." A host with glasses informed them, "Shishiseishin Hanashimoto, 17 years old, Blood type O+, Excellent student, family members one sister. Lives on campus. Status: living on student scholarship with a life insurance trust fund." "Then, how did he figure it out!" I looked up in surprise, "Suoh-san?" He grabbed me by the lapels of my uniform as we all ran out of the room, "How did you figure out my cute daughter, Haruhi?" "Haruhi?" And then he threw me in a random closet and locked the door. I was too stunned to speak, though this was a natural response to being dragged through bright halls then not being able to see anything except little slits of light in a tiny closet.

"Calm down, Tama-chan!" I knew that voice: Haninozuka-san from my math class. He's a host too? "Hanashimoto-kun is in our class so we can keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't say anything. From what I have seen of him, he looks like he knows many secrets and how to keep them. My skills as a martial artist say so. And he seems like a good person." There was a pause and I heard a click as the door unlocked and I was faced with several threatening faces. "You had better not tell about her secret or else, the love of a father will pay you back." "I will assure that you will have no financial future." "What was the name of your sister again?" "We might decide to meet her." "I get it, I get it!" I said, whimpering. "Her secret is safe with me, now could you just LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I eventually got to know Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai a little better over the term and have found them to be steady friends. The cake was almost gone as was the time for the class period. I didn't have any cake because it was time for lunch. And today was Thursday, so today meant pizza. And pizza means…