Wow, I'm a slacker. Sorry about that guys. And sorry about all the introduction crap in this chapter, I felt it kind of had to be done.
Oh and just so you know, I'll be going back into the chapters and revising all the mistakes and whatnot, so if you see anything I missed, let me know ^^! Thanks a bunch everyone! Review with the shiny green button, it's you friend!
Chapter 7
Havens and Winter
Does this hallway ever end? Akane wondered, a solitary figure in the marble tilled desert of a hallway. Her feet continued to move, fortunate enough to at least know where they were headed. In the middle of orchestra, she had asked Kenjiro where the third music room was, causing her stand partner to hang his head in a sigh and just barely give her understandable directions.
Next to her, the bright sunlight illuminated the hallway through a titanic glass window, causing her to pause and gaze longingly outside. Outside this window was a completely different world, where it didn't matter how many company heirs you were friends with or how many diamonds you had collecting dust at your mansion the size of a small country. A world that she was so much more familiar than this one lay outside, just out of reach. Longingly, she laid her hand on the flawless glass surface, gazing to the beautiful blue sky as white doves flocked to the rising wind; flakes of snow in a strong breeze. How she longed to rise with them and fly away from it all; all the tangled up and messy trouble she had caused; all the horrible things she had put Tamaki and her mother through.
Suddenly, a vision of flames blew into her mind, roaring with heat that threatened to burn her from just looking, were dancing in front of her eyes. She flinched back in fear, the flames so close in front of her, only inches away from burning her without an ounce of mercy. Then a building, with so many memories and so many possessions, appeared, blazing with fiery rage. Below, families gazed as their possessions burned to ashes, unable to save anything they had possessed. Yet Akane saw their faces and rather than the dismal and lugubrious faces one would expect to see, their visages were more stoic and untouchable than dolls made of the most fragile china. She knew why they weren't weeping though, why the children weren't balling in their mothers' shirts, and why the adults weren't yelling to the heavens for justification of this disaster. There was a state of being hung on their faces that was almost grateful, but was smothered and hidden in a shroud of the seriousness of the situation.
A sudden splatter broke her from her vision, revealing a spot of white goo dripping on the window in front of her. In an almost mocking way, the white winged culprit of the splatter turned around as it spread it wings, a wicked gleam striking out from its little beady eyes. The dove let the wind take him, floating away like a feather while Akane remained motionless.
Damn bird, she thought, quickly turning away and sticking her nose into the air in disgust. Her eyes glanced back though, seeing the last streak of its white wings as they were swallowed into the sky. That's what I want to do.
Before she knew it, a sign above her head rang the words she had been searching for: Third Music Room. Her lungs took in as much air as they could, making sure to refrain from making contact with her fragile rib cage. Lightly, her hand gripped onto the handle, the mind behind it filled with a million wonders and instructions. Letting out all the air she had sucked in, she pushed open the grand door. Like the soft feathers of a fledgling, rose petals swirled to greet her, their aroma so sweet and inviting it was almost intoxicating.
"Welcome, Akane-san," A harmony of voices sang, a pure white light blinding her vision momentarily before revealing the grand expanse before her.
The walls, once a glamorous off white, now were covered in with a gorgeous sky blue, iridescent as the one outside. Painted on were clouds as fluffy as cotton balls stuffed with marshmallows and more tangible than imaginable. The same emerald green, thick grass that she remembered from the parks in France seemed to be swaying toward her, carpeting the ground in front of her. In the dead center of the picturesque scene sat seven men, all identical in their powder blue school uniforms, yet each completely separated from the others.
From the corners of the room, girls seemed to seep out of the walls into the expanse, smiling giddily in delight, yet not stepping anywhere between Akane and the seven. With more grace than she could ever recall, her golden haired brother crossed the distance between them, the sky like background accentuating his violet-blue eyes.
"Welcome, Akane-chan," he greeted, a smile that struck her heart like a piercing arrow growing across her face. "to the Ouran Host Club! What do you think? Pretty cool, huh? Usually there isn't grass and stuff everywhere, but we thought you'd really like this! Come on, come meet everyone!" His strong arms caught her still awe-struck, her mind not registering as her feet mechanically moved with the pull. The six remaining hosts stood in front of her, most with charmingly handsome smiles.
"Everyone, I'd like to introduce Akane Suoh!" Tamaki said gleefully, pride swelling everywhere around him, and almost choking his sister. Without warning, the two rust-orange haired twins crept forward, taking one of Akane's hands in each of theirs.
"Pleasure,"
"To meet your acquaintance again,"
"Akane-san," Hikaru and Kaoru bid in unison, placing a soft kiss on each hand. All around them, girls squealed in delight, wishing desperately it was them being graced by the devious twins, bringing Akane to remember that all the girls were watching.
"Alright, enough greeting from you two," Tamaki quipped, pushing them out of the way of his sister. Akane put on a grateful smile, trying to act amused with the situation and not seriously creeped-out like her innards were telling her.
"And your other classmate, who you already know," Tamaki stated, letting Haruhi smile in recognition.
"Nice to see you again, Akane-chan," the host greeted, offering a small, kind wave.
"Same here, Haruhi-kun," Again, Akane's eyes caught the feminine air around this student, but decided this was not the time or place to analyze further. She pasted on her own delighted expression, some of the girls sighing at how familiar the class mates already were.
"And this, is Mitsukuni Haninozuka, or Hunny-kun as we like to call him," Tamaki introduced, a small boy, tall enough to just barely reach her shoulder, appearing from behind her brother. Squeezed tightly in his arms was a pink bunny, and never letting go of her sight were his chocolate brown eyes that stared brightly up at her.
"Hey, Aka-chan, would you like some cake?" The senior asked, his affectionate smile beaming hopefully at her.
Aka-chan? Where did that come from?
"Of course, Hunny-senpai," She answered, her tone light and sweet. Man, this kid was adorable! She had the strong desire to pick him up and hug him tight, but of course like every other urge she that had shook her today, it was swiftly put away. Hunny's blissful stare suddenly broke, causing him to blink his eyes a few times in wonder at the girl. Before Akane could question the action, a towering figure emerged from behind the cute boy, his unreadable face looking directly at Akane.
Instead of fright, she stared curiously at the figure, more wondering why the small boy in front of the giant was running with his tiny little legs for dear life.
"Ah, and this is Takashi Morinozuka, or Mori-kun," Tamaki laughed, patting the raven haired boy lightly on the shoulder. Mori stared at Akane for a moment, his piercing ivory eyes analyzing her level of threat. A large hand came forward and he grunted a small, "Ah." Akane gracefully and graciously took the hand, curtsying ever so slightly. Though Mori seemed crazily intimidating, there was something protective about the boy, almost as if once he's accepted you, you had an extra pair of arms by your side. Akane's thoughts were swiftly cut off as her brother pulled her to the side to the last member.
"And, this is Ootori Kyouya-kun," He finished, peeking out proudly from behind the host club's shadow king.
Kyouya's hair, the color of a perfect sky at midnight, gleamed with model like gloss as he flashed a warm smile, not too strong or too persistent. Akane returned the gesture, letting her own grin slide own; a near exact mimic of Kyouya's own gracious visage. Tamaki glanced strangely back and forth between the two faces, the expressions exact mirrors of each other.
"It's great to finally meet the friend my brother speaks so frequently and highly of," Akane commented, speaking probably the most truthful statement she had all day. When she had been healing in bed, Tamaki had filled nearly every moment she was not asleep with stories of his friends and their strange activities. The young Ootori was probably the most spoken about, or possibly tied with Haruhi. Tamaki had the often tendency to talk on and on, the end of the stories never in sight. Not that Akane had ever minded this fact; she tended to let herself get lost in the stories, knowing that whenever the stories stopped, she would have to face her punishment.
"Pleasure to meet you as well, Akane-san," Kyouya uttered warmly, adding a gentle bow to his introduction. Charm and grace radiated of off him in an irregular way, causing the host club members to look on in question, seeing their own dark lord being more polite than he normally was.
"If you wouldn't mind, Akane-san, would you mind if--"
Suddenly from the ground below, a titanic roar bellowed through the entire room, causing a chorus of terrified squeals to blow from the crowd of girls. Like an enormous earthquake, the grass covered floor split and from the dark depths below rose a figure on a rotating pedestal. A spine-chilling laugh echoed and as if perfectly coordinated in advance, all the light simultaneously shut off and a single spotlight shone to the figure on the pedestal. As the laughter grew louder, Akane could've sworn she heard several "Oh no," 's all together.
"What is this? A welcoming party and no one invited me, the Host club's manageress?!? Ohhoho!" The voice rang out, and the spotlight finally came into focus revealing another girl in the yellow uniform, a microphone clutched tightly in her angered hands.
"Oh, Renge-chan! I forgot about you," Tamaki said, feeling rather stupid for forgetting such an important supporting character. Pulling Akane away from Kyouya, he brought her before the pedestal. "Akane-chan, this is Renge-chan, the manageress of the Host Club."
"Nice to meet you, Renge-chan!" Akane greeted, her practiced smile showing no weakening signs though it had been pulled out about five hundred times that day.
"Hmmm…." The strange girl examined, jumping down from her tower to observe Akane. After rounding around the slightly nervous Akane once she stood in front of her and grinned excidetly. "Yes! Exactly what we need around here!"
"Eh? What?" Akane asked, still nervously standing there, eyes glazed wide in fear.
Grasping her hands together in joy, Range's eyes sparkled in happiness. "From now on, you'll be the Host Club's new attraction! Our new official waitress! You'll be sure to attract the eyes of all the male students here! O-Ho ho ho!"
"Ah, you're a genius, Renge! I see exactly where this is going!" Tamaki joined, also chorusing in the strange laughter.
"That's enough for today," Kyouya butted in, stepping in front of the clueless Akane, who could think of no reply to fit the current conversation.
"Aw, but Kyouya-kun, I want to see Akane-chan in a cute waitress outfit!" Tamaki complained, holding up a black and white maid outfit.
"Sorry, Tamaki, maybe another time. I just remembered I have to go the music room…to ahhh…-pick up my violin! Got lots to do! See you at home," She quickly covered, looking in disgust at the outfit and quickly bolting out the door.
As the doors swung behind her, Tamaki looked to the floor, disappointment welling up inside of him.
"You can't blame her, My Lord," Kaoru said, placing a hand on Tamaki's hanging shoulder.
"That's right, I'd be creeped out too if my brother asked me to wear a maid's outfit," Hikaru joined in, leaning on the other shoulder. From the other isde of Tamaki, Kaoru gasped quietly, causing Hikaru to rush over in surprise.
"You think I would do that to you, Hikaru?" Kaoru asked timidly, turning his face away from his twin.
"No, and I wouldn't care if you did! I'd wear anything if you asked me to," The twin replied.
"Hikaru…" Kaoru gasped, clutching his twins hands tightly in his own, sparkles of brotherly love shining around them. Completely distracting all the girls in the entire room, the twins gazing at each other as if they were the only ones in the room.
"Come on, Tamaki. Just let it wait until tomorrow," Kyouya said flatly, pulling the King of the Host Club up straight.
"Right! There's still hope!" Tamaki beamed, holding the maid outfit out proudly in front of him.
"Really, just get rid of that thing," Hikaru said, still clutching his twin.
Looking to the door, Hunny-kun couldn't help but feel uneasiness from the note Akane had left on. His deep brown eyes watched the doors rest into place, only to be easily averted as he heard some girl offer cake.
Akane ran down the halls, knowing well enough someone had already come to deliver her violin home. She just had to escape from the stifling air of that room and how beautiful it had been to her. Shaking the thought out of her head, she stopped short, a strange door having come into her peripheral vision.
Next to her was an unmarked, plain door, all by itself in this lost and empty hallway. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, she turned the brass knob to see a flight of stairs leading into darkness.
She hesitated, unsure that anything good would come from ascending such a mysterious passageway. From behind her though, she could've sworn a pair of footsteps echoed to her ears, and she needed no further reason to hastily run up the stairs and shut the door tightly behind her.
Bursting through the other side of the stairs, a shining light blinded her vision. Her feet halted, and letting her eyes adjust to the light, she saw that she had found the roof of one of the school buildings. As if she couldn't control her own feet, she walked towards the edge, looking out onto the boisterous campus below. From what she could tell, no one really came up here and there was no purpose. With one whiff of the fresh air though, Akane felt her restless mind come to a quiet peace, and she knew she had found a haven of her own.
Akane sighed, scrubbing her face harshly with the wet towel for what seemed like five-hundredth time that night. She could still feel the greasy make up lingering on her skin, like a mosquito that would not die no matter how many times you smacked. Giving into defeat, she threw the towel onto her bed and flopped down next to it.
It was hard to believe so much ridiculous stuff had happened in just the first day. Reaching into her school bag (designer label by the way, courtesy of Sensei and completely not her taste), she dug around for a small picture, the last one she had taken with her mother, about a year ago. Her own hair flowed in natural waves to her arms in that picture, but her mother outshone her so much. Her kind yet care free smile, her beautiful violet eyes, even her delicate hands that tenderly clutched Akane made the girl long desperately to her the woman's voice, just for her mother to tell her they looked exactly the same, and that she should've been sisters.
Her eyes began to gently water and as the wet tears ran down her face, she quickly wiped them off, only to find a bit of leftover blush tinting her arm. She frowned in disgust at the makeup, flinging herself back onto the bed. A rush of papers flew over her, her school bag having flown open as she plopped. Angered again, she grabbed the papers lying on her forehead, nearly crumpling them in the process. Her eyes looked to the notes on the page, remembering she should probably practice after what old man conductor had said to her.
Earlier that day...
With a satisfying click, Akane's violin locker shut, locking away probably the most beautiful instrument her fingers had played on. She was satisfied with her efforts today, considering she hadn't played or even touched a violin for months. The school chimes rang out, and immediately, a barrage of yellow dresses flew out to the hallways. Akane cocked her head to the open door, a sea of Ouran girls' blind sunshine yellow dresses covering the hallway so that not even one scrap of the tiled floor or wall was visible. Laying her head against the grate of her locker, the girl sighed, realizing these rich girls had no bounds on their energy levels. She'd have to start drinking coffee or in taking some sort of caffeine, knowing it would be nearly impossible to catch the energy fever that was flaring off of every girl in the hallway.
"Ms. Suoh, could I have word with you?" Mr. Kashikoi asked, catching the girl completely off guard. Jerking her head form the locker, she whipped around to face the conductor. Looking straight forward, she couldn't see him, until she realized he was a good deal shorter than her. Her eyes quickly averted down, causing the old man to chuckle at her embarrassment.
"It's quite alright, Ms. Suoh," The old conductor smiled, causing Akane to feel a bit warmer on the inside. There was something about this geezer that was so easily likeable, you she couldn't' help but grin right back at him. "It comes from drinking too much coffee all these years."
Okay, no coffee then…
"I'd like to compliment you on your work today. You are quite skilled for your age, Ms. Akane," Mr. Kashikoi said, his expression honest and cheerful. Akane blushed, something she seemed to be doing a lot of today it seemed like.
"Kashikoi-sensei, you're too kind. I felt so out of place today," Akane replied politely, knowing it was more gracious to accept and then decline than too just accept the compliment. It didn't make much sense to her, but Sensei was the boss. Well, truly she was lying. She felt after sight-reading the pieces, they were fairly simple and had caught on well. Though, maybe she just stuck out compared to Kenjiro-kun who sat next to her. No offense to the boy, but Akane knew for a fact she was much better than he was. That boy could not seem to tell a sharp from a flat, even when she politely circled the sharp sign on the page, in red ink no less.
Much to Akane's surprise, the joyful look on the conductor's face morphed into one fully and completely serious.
"Now Ms. Suoh, I've been teaching orchestra for longer than you've been alive. And from what I saw from today, you possess great talent, and you are well aware of that," He stated flatly, taking off his thick glasses to wipe them on a clean white cloth. "As you may quickly learn, I don't give out compliments whimsically as some music directors in this school do. So listen well, this room is open for you to practice in any time you choose. I don't like to see talent go to waste. And since you missed much of the first semester, I have this for you."
The conductor reached behind him, pulling out a stack of music from the chair behind him. Akane was still in so much shock form his sudden speech, she simply stared as he picked out the first sheets from the stack. He held it out to her as he reached to put the stack back on the chair. Akane timidly took the papers, a beautiful script written across the top of the page reading: "The Four Seasons: Winter".
"That's right, Ms. Suoh. You know exactly what I'm thinking. We'll be playing this piece for the upcoming mid-year concert, and I want you to play the solo part."
"But, Kashikoi-sensei, I can't. I mean I've barely…"
"Don't worry about it, Ms. Suoh," Mr. Kashikoi encouraged, his normal shining and friendly demeanor returning to his face. Patting Akane's shoulders lightly, he began to saunter away.
"But Kash—"
"Antonio Vivaldi wrote this piece for young school girls to play. You should have no trouble at all, Ms. Suoh!" And with that, the door to the music room closed, leaving a distraught and confused Akane by herself.