Please, forgive me if I am vague; the circumstances that I am in at the moment are a shock enough to make my literary sensibilities slip away. There are times when I could not possibly comprehend my past self's ideas and thought processes. In retrospect, one might regret making certain decisions, and realize, with wonder, how human nature stems from forgetfulness. However, as I was gazing outside the window, my thoughts could only be expressed through three words: this was ridiculous.
An endless array of lurid costumes flashed in the morning sun. Hundreds, thousands of clothing—have the owners of the shop ever heard about the word 'economy'? Or at least 'practical'?
"Haruhi, you seem awfully frail today. Have my mother's breakfast upset your stomach?" Tamaki was gazing concernedly. However, I was not in the mood to be moved by his considerate personality. He did not seem able to consider the possibility that he himself was the cause of my distress.
"No, her cooking was excellent, and I hope to learn some of her recipes." I snapped. I gazed outside the window, attempting to divert my gaze from the flashing, flamboyant costumes before I go blind.
It was crisp outside, the streets glazed golden by sunlight. Even though it normally was a bustling road, the road was nearly vacant in the early hours of the day. A rather timeless beauty, how peaceful silence seemed to hover on the neighborhood, caught my attention. If only I could escape……
How I was trapped in this cursed building instead of my mother in law's house, I could not remember—well, I could remember, but the trauma prevented me from recalling any past incidents.
The reason was dubious enough. According to Tamaki's statement, of which I doubt wholeheartedly, I expressed my wishes of 'dressing up' in my sleep. The manifesto of some subconscious desires—my husband quickly assumed, and dragged me to the 'Cosplay' shop nearby. Perhaps the event was inevitable. How could I possibly control what I am talking in my sleep? Even though I did, I could not determine whether my husband is lying or not. Besides—
I briefly gazed at my husband, who was smiling idiotically at the array of costumes.
He seemed rather delighted; was he imagining that I was truly thankful of his misinterpretation of my dream? Ah, well. I did not want to break his contentment. He was doing this 'for' me, anyway.
I would have never predicted that he would decorate the finale of our honeymoon in this manner—a sojourn in the cosplay shop.
"Haruhi, doesn't that dress look beautiful? Look! The label says that it is a dress of—er, 'Suzumiya Haruhi'? Wow!" Tamaki was shoving the rather lacy dress in front of me. "She shares your name, Haruhi! Isn't that incredible?"
"The name Haruhi is quite common, Tamaki." I sighed.
"Why don't you wear this, hunsy?"
I flinched. Tamaki continued to blabber on, oblivious to my discomfort.
"This would obviously fit you well. Look at the design!"
"I would rather wear that instead of this," I pointed to what seemed to be a large hamburger.
"What?" he turned around. "Oh…so that suits your interest, huh…"
I did not even want to know what thoughts occupied him at the moment. He was silent for a while, contemplating on some matters, and then suddenly rushed to the costumes, picking a few out from the pile.
"How about this, Haruhi! A cucumber! Hmm, the carrot costume would look good on you, too. If you are interested in food……I know! I would order an ootoro costume, just for you!"
Definitely not. I was about to prepare a rejection eloquent enough for him to understand, when a voice drifted out from behind the shop.
"We don't have that, dono."
Hikaru walked in, smiling brightly. It seemed that the host club members were truly omnipresent—when did they arrive in France?
"Besides, pink won't look good on Haruhi. Have a bit of a fashion sense, dono," he ignored Tamaki's protests and tapped my shoulders.
"Yo, Haruhi! Liked the dress robe that we recommended?"
I blushed. Hikaru blithely ignored my discomfort. "We do hope that it was put into good use, for appropriate purposes," he winked.
"Yeah, it was full of laces, too, so dono would have loved it on you." Kaoru walked out behind Hikaru. "It is a bit freaky, how he is obsessed with laces and costumes, though. Remember when we were seniors, Hikaru? Dono would come to our house and see our mother's latest designs…"
"Oh, I definitely recall, Kaoru. He was drooling on some of those dresses, was he not?" Hikaru sighed.
"A bit of a pervert, don't you think?" Kaoru whispered. "Haruhi, be careful. Just because you two are married doesn't mean that you should submit to his every single sick desire."
"What! How dare you imply that—imply that I have inappropriate thoughts about my daughter!" Tamaki flourished his arms, waking majestically from his reverie.
"That doesn't work anymore, dono. You are married to her now." Kaoru intercepted. "You were calling her 'hunsy' a while ago. A bit nauseating, really."
"What!" he spluttered. "But Haruhi prefers being called 'hunsy'. Right, Haruhi?"
"No." It was best to be terse and honest in these situations, I judged.
"Dono, stop crying between the costumes in the corner. It ruins the fabric." Hikaru hollered.
"So you put the dress robe to good use?" Kaoru whispered. I blushed, and nodded.
"So you two—?" he gesticulated wildly, and I felt my face becoming warmer by the second.
"Yes, yes. Stop inquiring. It is rather uncomfortable."
"Oh dear! Haruhi finally became a woman!" Kaoru danced in delight. The Hitachiin twins had a knack of embarrassing people to the very limit.
"What are you implying!" I yelled. "Besides, why are you two the owners of this shop? This doesn't involve any designing on your own, you know."
"Oh, believe me, it requires sense, Haruhi." Kaoru raised his finger. "Besides, it does not hurt that it is incredibly lucrative. Renge-chan is one of our regular customers."
"Yes! Why don't you try this on, Haruhi?" Hikaru was holding something that resembled—
"A robot?" Tamaki muttered, his eyes squinted in confusion.
"Oh, it is not a mere robot! It is an incredibly exquisitely crafted replica of Gundam!"
"What is that?" I asked. An ominous feeling was overwhelming my senses.
"Oh, just wear it!"
"What—aaargh!" They dragged me to the changing room. I had trouble figuring out how to wear the costume. Where was I supposed to put my arms in?
"Haruhi, are you done?" the twins yelled after a moment.
"No…" my mouth was muffled by what seemed to be the head, or was it the arm? Everything was a hexahedron…
"At least you are decent, right? We are coming in!" The Hitachiin twins yelled in chorus.
"Wait!" I struggled with the costume. "I can't see the mirror! Aargh!"
I tripped spectacularly, my limbs swinging clumsily.
"Haruhi, are you okay?" the three rushed in. My face was covered with a plastic box, and everything was black. I could hear the three laughing raucously.
"Haruhi…" Kaoru managed to splutter after a while. "That is supposed to be the leg. You are wearing the head on your leg."
"Oh." I struggled again, trying to release myself from the costume. I tripped again, rolling sideways.
"Okay, we give up. Let's try another costume." The three rushed out of the changing room.
"Huh? Wait! I need to get my—costume—off—"
The leg was stuck to my head, and I yanked it off.
I sighed. Even after graduation, everyone seemed to retain their personalities. I had never expected to play around with the three even as an adult. The representatives from incredibly influential families were amusing themselves in such childish manners…The host club had not changed.
The door of the shop opened with a ring.
"Welcome!" the twins yelled.
"Ara? Is Haru-chan here?" a younger, higher voice rang out.
"Yes, yes, she is here, Hani-Senpai!"
"And you all were playing costumes? How fun! Where is she?"
"Dunno, she is in the changing room for ages now."
The senior had grown quite taller after graduation, and was much taller than me. He was currently bemusedly watching me struggle with the costume.
"Haru-chan! Long time no see!"
"But Senpai, I saw you last week in your bakery."
"Who cares?" he brightly severed my sentence. "Ah! I have a recommendation for you!"
While he was rummaging from the piles of costumes, I was finally able to free myself from the costume. He returned with a smile and an absurdly pink object.
"Usa-chan costume!"
Oh dear.
"Hmm, Hani Senpai, why not a bunny girl costume?" Hikaru slyly suggested.
"I most wholeheartedly agree, my brother." Kaoru put his arms around Hikaru's shoulders.
"Nothing inappropriate! We agreed on this."
"Oh, it depends on what bunny girl it is, my dear." The twins pursed their lips, suddenly looking very similar to their mother.
"No."
"Well, if you insist." The twins sighed, shaking their heads.
The next hour passed by in a hectic demonstration of how many costumes one can possibly wear. Lunch was served by Hani-Senpai, whose meat pies amazed us. ("We were currently working on the new merchandise!" he exclaimed.) Finally, after 30 costumes, though I lost count in the middle, it was finally afternoon.
I sank on the couch, dazed. My limbs hung loosely on the side.
Hani Senpai had left 30 minutes ago, and the twins were at the back of the shop, preparing what they promised to be the last costume.
The twins had closed the shop just for my visit. I could not understand why they were entertained by these kinds of activities. Most of all, I could not understand why I myself was enjoying this, too. It most definitely was an aberration from the hectic routines of being a lawyer in training.
Tamaki returned with an odd smile.
"Haruhi, our plane is in an hour. We should go to the airport."
"Huh, really?" The sun had already set, and it was getting dark outside. "What about the last costume?"
"Ho? Do you really want to wear it?" Hikaru smiled. "We thought that you found the process troublesome, but if we were mistaken, then—"
"No, not at all. Thanks, Hikaru, Kaoru, though. We had a wonderful time." I smiled.
"Dono, consider that our wedding gift," Kaoru winked.
"Oh, thanks."
"Haruhi—" Hikaru suddenly patted my head. "Here, have this." He slipped a paper into my hand. As I was unfolding the paper, he stopped me.
"Read it later. Think carefully about it, though."
"Er, thanks, anyway."
"We'll see you in Japan. We have to attend a fashion show in Paris tomorrow. Have to prepare." The twins ushered us out. A limousine suddenly arrived, and Tachibana-san insisted that he would escort us to the airport.
I secretly opened up the paper that Hikaru gave me. On the crisp surface was a writing scribbled by Hikaru's handwriting.
Opening the door signifies so many things. We opened the door to the host club before you did, and the door to our inner world opened up simultaneously. For the fact being a twin itself is enough to celebrate, and to be thankful for……Rather than severing the stem, we could grow up into two beautiful flowers, inextricably linked and protective, for a flower is more beautiful when they are linked together.
What kind of flower are you? When have you bloomed, who have you linked with?
Before I had time to ponder about the question, we were at the airport. It was remarkably fast, and we were already aboard the airplane.
As I was struggling with my motion sickness, Tamaki edged closer.
"Haruhi, about the last costume…"
"Yes?"
"Actually, I do have it."
"Hmm, so that is what the twins gave you as a 'wedding gift', huh?" I watched with suppressed amusement as his eyes widened.
"You astound me, Haruhi. How did you know?"
"I guessed." It was quite obvious now, after spending 7 years with the three.
"Anyway, could you try it on, hunsy?"
"If you promise to never call me by that atrocious name, yes."
I received a plastic package. I could not see what was inside, but the texture felt rather familiar.
I stepped inside the restroom. When I finally ripped the plastic bag, a slow realization dawned within me.
"Tamaki……"
He was silent, as if anticipating my reactions.
I slowly donned the familiar clothing.
It was the Ouran high school uniform.
When I stepped out, he smiled. He stepped forward, and then hugged me tightly.
"Haruhi, do you remember the day when you first stepped inside the clubroom?" he whispered. "The day is still vivid in my memories."
"……"
"This uniform is full of so many memories," his grip became tighter. "Do you remember, Haruhi?"
"……"
What kind of flower are you? When have you bloomed, who have you linked with?
Was it not obvious?
I opened the door to the host club by a pure accident. Even though everything was an accident, it seemed as a part of a giant play orchestrated by an omnipotent being, an omnipotent being with a wonderful sense of humor. I opened the door unintentionally, I tripped unintentionally, and I broke the vase unintentionally.
And I did not regret it.
I felt memories singing within me, and an uncomfortable heat was escalating uncontrollably.
"Tamaki………" I found my voice hoarse. I could not speak more. Tamaki smiled gently at me.
"Excellent wedding gift, huh?"
I nodded, tears gliding down.
The moon was closer than ever, and its silver shine was hazy in my sight.
I am preparing another episode, taking place after the honeymoon. Rather late, though. I am sorry.
Happy New Year!