Chapter Sixteen: A Back-Again Enemy, Remembering and Bossanova!
Misfortune always befalls you when you least expect it.
"Hm." Kiiro hardly recognized the sigh. "Kiiro, wake up."
"No..." she became only slightly aware.
"Get out of bed."
"Cant. Too tired." she whispered, she reached out and pulled the cord to the bed's curtains. They fell around the bed, encasing her in red. She smiled, like it would actually shut him out.
Kyouya only joined her on the bed, he shook her, "You owe me, Kiiro, I haven't forgotten the mall incident, we're going to Haruhi's house, you're coming along, get up."
"Go home, Kyouya, why do people keep letting you into my house?" she curled up on her side, burrowing into her covers, trying to go back to sleep. The covers moved and she held onto them. But, this time, he didn't yank them from her. No, he got under the blankets with her. "Kyouya?"
He easily pulled her until she lay on her back, and he put one leg on either side of her hips, one hand holding down one of hers, "If you don't wake up now..." he smirked. "I'll have to do something more...thorough." he placed his free hand on her hip.
Her face was on fire, she tried to scoot out from under him, "Kyouya? Why do you always pick on me?"
"You're fun to pick on." he smiled.
"Fine. I'm getting up." she squirmed. "Get out of my room."
"Good." he snickered.
"Haruhi~! Let's go play~!" The Club greeted when the door to number 203 was opened.
But, this time Ranka stood at the door, unshaven and dressed sloppily in a shirt that said 'Father', "What?"
"Terribly sorry, we got the wrong house..." Tamaki turned.
Ranka grabbed his jacket, "Don't give me that 'Oops, I caught a transvestite without his makeup on and seen something I shouldn't have' look! I haven't had the chance to shave since I woke up this morning!"
"Why, it's Miss Ranka! How lovely, as alwa..." Tamaki tried to save himself.
Ranka took the box in his hands and floated by him onto the other boys, "Long time no see, boys! How have you been? Oh, Haruhi's not in, early this morning some girlfriends of hers came for her..."
The Twins, King and Hani looked dejected, "Oh, so Haruhi goes out with her middle school friends every once in a while, huh?"
"A bit hard to believe though, isn't it...?"
"Didn't I say that popping in without warning was a bad idea?" Kyouya patronized.
"I've never met the kids who came this morning before though... I really had no idea she had friends from the prestigious Lobelia Academy." Ranka went back inside.
'What?'
"Lo...belia?" The Twins and King said darkly.
They were currently standing outside of Saint Lobelia Academy, the Twins were trying to climb over the fence.
Tamaki, suddenly, announced, "Haruhi's scream!"
'I didn't hear anything.'
"What's up, Tono?"
"ESP report, just in?"
"I didn't hear anything~..."
"No... I'm certain I sensed something just now, like 'overriding fear'." King explained.
"Hey, that's a great idea!" The Twins climbed onto Tamaki's back. "Since the outer walls are so high, we'll just override you to get over."
"Gaaaah! Get off me you two!"
"Hey you guys!" Ranka scolded. "This is no time to fool around! If you underestimate the Zuka Club, you'll live to regret it!"
"You're one to talk, Papa Ranka! Following us here in that ridiculous outfit!" The Twins said snobbishly.
"Hey, Haruhi gave me this shirt for Father's Day, don't make fun of it!"
Kiiro could tell that Tamaki and the Twins wanted one just like it then.
"There wasn't time to change after I heard that the ones who took Haruhi were from the Lobelia Zuka Club!"
'But, he did have time to shave.'
"Listen, about this Zuka Club, it's like an addiction! Once it grabs hold of you, you'll never be free of it, even to the point of bankruptcy!"
"Somehow, I don't think Haruhi is the type to get addicted to anything."
"And why do you know so much about this~?"
"That's because, Kotoko too, she was a really cool girl, nothing could faze her."
"Kotoko?"
"That's Haruhi's late mother, isn't it?"
"When we first got married, we were so happy that I didn't realize it. Everyday, she'd only serve Mezashi as a dish. I heard it was high in calcium anyway."
"Mezashi, never eaten that before."
"That's what salted dried sardines are called."
"But one day, while I was cleaning the house I found it, Kotoko's huge Zuka Club collection."
"This is bad! What if Haruhi's inherited her mom's fetish?"
"Bankruptcy?"
"Oh no! But, Haru doesn't have a fortune to lose in the first place!"
"It's okay, her cuteness is her fortune!"
A shiver went down their spines.
"Kyouya! Get us some Lobelia uniforms on the double! We'll disguise ourselves and sneak into-!"
Ranka kicked Tamaki in the back, "Denied! Guys who don't do it for a living shouldn't cross-dress! It's disgusting! You'll have absolutely no finesse! You think my jobs easy?"
From under Ranka's shoe Tamaki whined, "Bu-but readers want to see us in female dress..."
"Realizing the dreams of young ladies isn't always the kindest thing to do! Got it? If you wanna get Haruhi back, then listen to me... I have a plan..."
'It seems that half of the time I'm with the Club, we're spying on someone or other.'
The Club, excluding Kyouya and including Ranka, were peering into the windows of what appeared to be a rehearsal, all in "Beni-bara" t-shirts pretending to be part of their fan club.
"Is Haru-chan in there~?"
"Um, well..."
"What's happening~?"
"Looks like she's playing the part of the heroine in a tragic drama, but... her acting is horrendous."
Haruhi read from her script, her words were choppy and distinct, her actions near robotic and expressions nonexistent.
"Why doesn't someone in there do something?"
"How could anyone even think that Haruhi can act?"
"She's just too honest a child to be able to act..."
"The Zuka Club performances consist of Drama and Musicals, right? Acting is bad enough, but singing and dancing on top of it..."
"Haruhi's trying to sing!"
"No way, that girls always been hopeless at music!"
Haruhi's lips and the words didn't match up.
"It's dubbed, isn't it?"
"Yep! It sure sounds dubbed!"
"So she's really just lip-syncing."
"Well, since she has absolutely no sense of rhythm, I'd say I'm relieved."
"At this rate, the actual performance will be a disaster..."
"New people! Get back in line!" One of the Officials of the Fan Club yelled. "If you guys want to be in the Benibara Club, then you'll jolly well follow our rules! Wandering off is prohibited! As fans of Lady Benibara, we must be on our best behavior at all times! Right we'll rehearse the unison greeting! 'Lady Benibara have a good day today!' Go!"
The Club followed suit.
"Ranka, was this part of our plan?"
"'If we want to get close to the Zuka Club, we must first get the support of the fans.' In an all-girl environment, they do a lot of sports and physical activities, you know! If we aim for the leader straight off, we might not live to tell the tale!"
"Okay! Take a short break!" the official ordered.
Three young ladies approached the group, "What do you guys like about Lady Benibara?"
'Nothing.' Kiiro thought sarcastically.
"I really hate men, but if you guys are fans of Lady Benibara, I'll welcome you with open arms!"
Ranka took that as his cue, "Hmmm, it has to be her graceful poise and beautiful singing voice and the shape of her head~!"
Kiiro absentmindedly nodded, 'Where the hell is Kyouya? He drags me out of bed just so he can disappear, huh? This episode is giving me a hard time, I thought I was going to have a half-normal day at Haruhi's house. I should of just ignored him. I could be in bed right now. Actually, I should remind everyone in the house to never let Kyouya in while I'm sleeping. Ever.'
By the time she came out of her thoughts, a new ambition was running through the boys' blood. They ran off to save Haruhi in an instant.
"Gaah! Wait for me!"
"It's not our fault you were caught up in daydreaming, Kiiro-senpai!" Hikaru criticized.
"Yeah, keep up!" Kaoru added.
This time, they were in the auditorium. The stage was all set up for the play.
"The facilities are really good."
"Looks like during the actual performance there'll be an orchestra over there~!"
"By the way... just how long are we supposed to wear these stupid t-shirts?"
"Come to think of it where's Kyouya?" Ranka turned.
"I was wondering when you all would notice that." Kiiro added.
"Oh yeah, I haven't seen him since..."
As if on cue, Kyouya made his way down the aisle of the Auditorium. "It's really an honor to have young master Ootori visit our humble school... Please let me show you to a seat with a good view..." the woman next to him said.
'I hate him. I hate him and I'm gonna kill him.' Kiiro concluded, wondering why she got left with the club while he went off to charm the staff.
"It's Haruhi." Mori said.
Haruhi was on the stage in an old-fashioned dress with a curly, black wig on.
"My! What an adorable costume."
"Which one! Which one! Kyouya toss over that opera glass!" Tamaki hurried.
"Haru-chan looks so cute in that dress~!"
'She has really thick makeup.'
The entirety of her cheeks were pink, her lips were red and her eyelids were purple.
"What should we do? I want to run away and cry." Hikaru sniffled.
"Dammit! I'll go put an end to this!" King claimed.
"Stop right there!" Ranka pulled on his shoulder. "Look! Look at her face! Doesn't she seem more lively than she did in the practice room?"
"You're right, her cheeks are rosy, too."
"That's the blush." the Twins countered.
"And, she's sweating profusely."
"Stage lights." they rebutted.
"I see..." Tamaki's eyes were clear. He accepted defeat. "If Haruhi has chosen to give it her all... Then, we have no right to stop her. There's no need to save her. I think it's time we went home."
"We're finally at the kissing scene~!" a girl squealed. "The forbidden lovers exchange a deep kiss during a short rendezvous! Look! They're being raised onto a platform!"
Haruhi and Benibara, or Benio, almost kissed.
Tamaki's expression changed completely, "Haruhi! Don't!"
"Tamaki-senpai? What are you doing there?!" she shouted.
Haruhi teetered off the platform, not used to her high heels.
'Oh no!'
"Haruhi!"
She was luckily caught on a big pillow.
"Well, well, well," Benio began. "Our vulgar and inefficient friends from the Host Club are here! And all in uniform no less! You've certainly put in a lot of hard work, running about in this sweltering heat!"
"We caught you all on camera from the moment you stepped into the school!" Hinako laughed.
"Those acting as family retainers, observe carefully... This is what I have said countless times not to do." Benio instructed. "This is an example of 'men who flounder about, getting all hot and bothered while trying to tear apart the two lovers'"
"How unsightly!"
"They have no depth of character!"
"When you said, 'Act Gallant', you meant for us to avoid this, didn't you Lady Benibara?"
"Exactly so, you may be playing the role of a man, but there is no reason to act out the sordidness of male behavior. We must constantly present ourselves as the gallant, beatific man of our young ladies' dreams."
"Yes! Lady Benibara!"
"Thank you for your guidance!"
All the boys, excluding Kyouya, sulked. Kiiro just shook her head.
"Girlie, forgive me." Benio addressed Haruhi. "In order to allow these inexperienced actors to learn from a negative example so that they could develop their characters well, I placed you in a difficult position. But, we really do want you to join our club! You can continue on in the part of the Heroine!"
"I think I'll pass on that and just go home..."
"That was exhausting..." Kiiro sighed as she got back into Kyouya's car, having long before trashed that trashy fanclub t-shirt.
"It was." Kyouya agreed.
"What do you mean?" she huffed, crossing her arms. "You disappeared for half the day. Lucky."
"I didn't see any reason to run around in the hot sun all day." he smiled, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh, but you didn't feel like telling anyone else about your plan?"
"Exactly." he smirked.
She sighed again, "I wish we'd just stay in my bed."
His eyes grew a little wide, he raised an eyebrow.
She realized what she said and sat completely still, infinitely embarrassed.
He leaned in a little closer to her, "Kiiro?"
"It just slipped out!" her face grew hot as he watched her try to redeem herself. "I didn't mean it like that!"
"Did you?" he laughed. "You know, if it was a slip, you were subconsciously thinking it."
"No! I wasn't." the last part was a whisper.
He cupped her chin, making her freeze, "Don't lie to me, Kiiro. You're a horrible liar."
"So I've been told. Kyouya...?"
The silence hung over them, she sat like a mouse before a hungry cat. Their lips mere centimeters apart. She could feel her pulse quicken, something nervous in her stomach. He moved just a little closer. Then, the car stopped at her house. He pulled back and smiled, wickedly.
"Goodbye, Kiiro, try not to dream about me too much." he said arrogantly.
"I won't dream of you at all ever." she retorted, child-like. "Goodbye, Kyouya."
Something about Kyouya had always astounded Kiiro. She could be a cold-hearted person but, Kyouya could be strictly evil. Granted, she had hardly ever been the one to receive that evil glare or tone of voice other than those times when she had tried to wake him up when he was still tired, but she knew it was there. He could use it with people that he had no business with, or those who could give him no gain in life. And, he always had ulterior motives. He would do something "selfless" if only to look good in the eyes of somebodies family or in the mind of his father. Kiiro couldn't blame him, she had never wanted her family's company, Kyouya however had always wanted to be his Father's heir. It seemed highly unlikely that he would be, being the youngest, but, he was always making it easier and easier to see that outcome. He could easily look out at a group of people and dominate, without any of them knowing in most cases. He almost always held the reigns. He could manipulate, influence and intimidate without batting an eye. It was in his nature. If you came upon the Club as it was presently, you might be fooled into thinking that Tamaki was the King. A lot of people do, but, a lot of people are wrong. Kyouya Ootori holds all the power, if something goes against his will, he could easily eradicate it. All it takes is to influence Tamaki into choosing a different theme, to intimidate the Twins into not doing what they are about to do or to manipulate Kirro into thinking or doing differently than she would have otherwise.
But, it is also true that Kyouya used to be much worse, Kiiro is always forgetting to thank Tamaki for that difference.
When Tamaki moved into Japan, Kyouya was even a little resentful of him. How could the bastard son of a mistress inherit a whole Empire overnight? Who could ever be that lucky? The boy did nothing to deserve it. Kyouya was locked in place, stuck between showing his own potential, trying to succeed in his Father's eyes and not outshining those around him, because you cannot blow out someone's candle without someone getting angry. Kyouya wanted to make this boy believe that he was a good friend, Suoh's best friend. It would be a great victory for Kyouya if he were to succeed, the Suohs' would be powerful allies. If he could just snag their heir, checkmate. What Kyouya didn't understand was Tamaki, though.
Tamaki may seem princely and perfect, but he is also dense and selfless, honest and determined, which always seem to be four vexing characteristics to cunning and conniving characters like Kyouya. To underestimate Tamaki is to lose both the battle and the war. You must start all over, and try, try again. Too bad that it's exhausting, it's a game you can't afford to lose. There must be a lot of hard work put into it, careful planning and clever timing.
This was exactly where Kyouya went wrong. It doesn't take any planning at all. Tamaki would be best friends with a random commoner if he had the chance. He would give an arm if it would help a stranger in need. He would fight his hardest for people he didn't know, as long as he deemed their battle worthy and righteous. He falls easily to people who open up, jumps to help those with a touching back story.
Kyouya tried to win him over at first by staying up all night planning trips all over Japan for Tamaki. Suoh was ready to go sight seeing, see all of his Father's Japan, even if it was a little exaggerated. It was over thought of on Kyouya's part, Tamaki's denseness got in the way of the plans executing. When he told Suoh of his plans to go to Hokkaido, Tamaki replied, "Kyouya, I know you really love to have fun, but final exams are really soon, don't you think we should focus on studying right now? I mean, we can always go after exams, you know? You ought to get some studying done."
Kiiro remembered hearing about that one, Kyouya was furious when they live-chatted on their laptops. Over two and a half years later she would meet Tamaki Suoh, and would still be Kyouya's confidant when he was extremely angry or felt offended.
"I can't believe he did that! Just last week he was going on and on about Hokkaido! He was the one who told me that we should go this weekend! The stuck-up prat! He's the biggest airhead I've ever met." Kyouya fumed.
"Don't lose control, Kyouya. If he's that dense, just forget about it. He sounds like he's more trouble than he's worth." Kiiro-then-Alona replied, trying to hide her surprise, it was the first time she had ever seen him riled up about anything.
"You don't understand, Alona, he's a very valuable piece."
"He's not a pawn, like in chess, he's a person. Remember that, it might help."
"Help how? He's the biggest idiot, how can someone that dumb be human?"
"You'd be surprised."
Tamaki also has the ability to read through anyone like a book, no exceptions. He read Kyouya just as easily, and to the Ootori's surprise for even he hardly knew it at the time, he was right. And, that was exactly when Kyouya slipped up, his facade fell for only a moment, but that moment was just enough for Tamaki to get through to him. Kyouya had all this time restrained himself behind his mask, but, Tamaki made him realize that, if he truly wanted to, he could take off that mask and be better than all of his siblings combined. No longer would he be looked down on for being the third son, if he gave it his all he could definitely give anybody a run for their money. It was easy, so very easy. Kyouya took off his mask that day, and Tamaki had won him over. But, even Tamaki had no idea what he had released. That mask held back Kyouya, The Shadow King.
Kiiro can remember thinking, 'Suoh's created a monster.'
And that my friends, is also how the Host Club was born. Out of Tamaki's love of making people smile, and Kyouya's unwitting willingness to go along with what the boy wanted.
As Kiiro lie in her pillow pit remembering all of this, Blee-deedal-dee!
"Hello, Kyouya." she said mockingly.
"I just called to remind you to stop daydreaming about me and study for that quiz we have tomorrow." he chuckled.
"Kyouya, it's impossible to daydream a nightmare." she countered, smugly.
He was snide, "You think you're so clever, it's amusing, really." she could sense the smile in his words.
"There is a difference between thinking it and knowing it, dear." she laughed.
"Keep it up, with all that arrogance, you're getting deeper and deeper into debt with me."
"Oh, really? Who's daydreaming now?" she grinned.
"I'm not the one that wants me in their bed."
"I never said that!" the heat rose into Kiiro's cheeks.
"Oh, but you thought it?" she could feel his smirk. "I'm not going to judge you, Kiiro, just admit it."
"No! Stop that!" she whined.
"Stop what?" he asked plainly. "You'll need to be more clear, Kiiro."
"That thing you do."
"What thing?"
"That one. You're toying with me." she sat up, pouting.
"Not yet, I'm not." he said in his silkiest voice.
"That one!" Kiiro blushed a deeper red. "And what is that supposed to mean?!"
"What's wrong, Kiiro? Was it something I said?"
"Yes!"
"I could have meant anything, stop speculating." he snickered. "Get your mind out of the gutter."
"I would have seen you there." she muttered.
"Don't think I didn't hear that."
"Didn't hear what?"
"You can't turn the tables. Now you're the one who's toying with me."
"Is this the part where I say, "Not yet." and growl?" she asked, sarcasm abundant.
"Oh, it's getting late." he faked a yawn. "Won't you stop pestering me at this time of night? And, do try to stop dreaming of me in your bed, Kiiro."
"I'm going to kill you..." she muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." she chirped.
"Good." he laughed. "Goodnight, Kiiro."
"Goodnight, Evil Shadow Lord." she said in sing-song, quickly snapping her phone shut, to avoid his wrath. 'He drives me crazy...' she thought with a sigh, holding her phone to her chest. In spite of their subject matter, Kiiro found herself laughing at what he had said.
"Welcome!" the Shinsengumi greeted.
A group of the Samurai Police Force entertained the ladies today. They dressed in loose kimono))) tops and pants, with long ribbons tied around their heads, they had ponytail extensions worked into their hair and katanas strapped to their hips. Kiiro smiled, always an admirer of Bushido.
"Tamaki-sama! You're cosplaying as Ryoma Sakamoto, right~?"
"Exactly, he's someone I deeply respect... After all, not only did he seek to bring about reform without bloodshed, his visionary way of thinking was years ahead of his time. He became a key figure of the revolution." Tamaki trapped his clients with his intense gaze, "Thy heart wilt surely succumb to me!"
The guests were silently squealing.
"I never thought a Bakumatsu theme would go over so well with everyone." Haruhi mused.
"What? It's one of the pillars of romantic fantasy."
"Practically every girl swoons at the romance of the Bakumatsu Era. They especially love the Shinsengumi."
"Why were they so popular? Is it their noble youthfulness; living for their country and dying for their beliefs? Or is it their unflinching stoicism bred by years of following the strictly disciplined life of the warrior? Or was it..."
"...the attraction of what is forbidden...? They were after all, a veritable band of rogues." The Twins, sprinkled on a bit of 'sadness' in their speech.
"It seems a lot of girls listen to Miss Maniac, huh~?"
Miss Maniac being Renge, who Kiiro was currently sitting next to. Renge went on and on about the history of the Shinsengumi. Every other second, Renge would turn to her and say, "Right, Art Director?" and Kiiro, absentmindedly would reply, "Exactly."
"Yes... That's why I didn't want word of our plans to get about..." Kyouya explained. "This way, rather than letting her impose her lousy casting abilities on us, we can let the rest of our customers fantasize about which Shinsengumi we are, according to their own fancy."
"Haruhi is definitely Soji Okita!" Renge stated. "Right, Art Director?"
"Exactly."
"He suits the role of the romantic, doomed young warrior so well!"
"Haruhi! You mustn't die!" Tamaki cried.
The Twins and King began leering at her. 'Which isn't a rare thing anymore.'
Mori abruptly cut at the curtain behind him with his spear.
"Mori-senpai, what's wrong?"
"Mori-senpai, you're also a shining star in my heart, there's no need to get desperate." Tamaki was dramatic.
"No..." Mori looked down. "We have an intruder."
A boy sat back on the floor, he had an intense glare and long, red hair, "Hrnh? Takashi Morinozuka!" he ran at Mori, throwing off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves.
"He's gonna attack!"
"Watch out, Mori-senpai!"
The boy stopped, "Senpai! Please let me... be your disciple!" his arm had 'I live to worship Takashi Morinozuka.' printed on it.
"Ritsu Kasonoda, from 1D, son of the chief of the Kasanoda family, the most powerful clan in the Kanto Region." Kyouya read his file. "Entered Ouran at the High School level. Defining characteristics are long, red hair and mean expression. Being reticent, he has no friends. If you meet his eyes, you'll have nightmares for three months. Hit him and you'll land yourself in the Hospital. Talk back to him, and he'll send you straight to hell. Those unfortunate enough to be his classmates have all been chilled to the bone."
"N-Ne, Kyouya?" Kiiro held up a hand. "Where do you even get that kind of information?" she puzzled.
"So, why exactly would someone as formidable as you want to become Mori-senpai's disciple?" Tamaki asked from his spot on the floor, he and the Twins sat around the new boy.
"The Kasanoda's-" Ritsu began.
"Casanova?" the Twins asked.
"No, it's Kasanoda."
"Bossanova?"
'How did they get that?'
"It's Kasanoda, you dumbasses! You gotta deathwisha somethin'?" he glared at them.
They seemed to ice over for a moment.
'That wasn't nice.'
"Wait, that's not what I meant just... I'd really rather avoid pain and violence. My tattoo is just marker, and this scratch is from a cat." he pointed to the bandage on his cheek. "But, 'cuz I'm so shy, I don't know how to go about making friends with people. Instead, I accidentally end up glarin' at 'em. The truth is, I really just want to hang out with friends and play 'Kick the Can' or play catch with friends on the beach." Bossanova explained.
"I'm getting really thirsty." the Twins proclaimed.
'Well, they've lost interest.'
"His complete lack of friends has resulted in his not being able to keep up with the times and culture of a normal teenager." Kyouya half-heartedly analyzed.
'Not his problem, I guess.'
"Morinozuka-senpai! You must tell me! How is it that someone like you, with your lifeless eyes, wooden expression, antisocial character, and a face that looks like it belongs on a guard dog of hell, how do you even get people to like you?"
Mori turned to stone.
'Ouch.'
"Please, share your secret with me!"
The Twins were hysterically laughing. As Mori fell over they cried, "Okay, you can be his disciple!"
'No one cares what Mori-senpai thinks?'
The next day, Bossanova was in the Club Room again. He was staring intensely at Mori and his guest.
'Observing, I guess.'
"Big brother," Bossanova lumbered up to Mori. Looking rather scary. "There's dust on your shoulder." he brushed it off.
The girls were frightened, "We'll just be leaving now!"
"Hmm, the future looks pretty bleak if this keeps up. He's scaring away all the customers." Hikaru whined.
'That's kind of their fault.'
"Tono, aren't you going to do something about him?" Kaoru asked.
"No. Just let him be." He sighed. "He's Mori-senpai's disciple. We should really stay out of it."
'That doesn't sound like something Tamaki would do.'
Mori looked over at King, "Tamaki...", with a look that said, "Help."
"Well, okay! Since Mori-senpai asked so nicely! I, Tamaki Suoh, will endure the fires of hell just to help you!" he rubbed the back of his head, acting as if he hadn't planned on helping after all.
'He can't help but interfere.'
"Listen up! The differences between you and Mori-senpai may be as vast as an ocean... Bossanova, I give you leave to call me 'King' for now! But, the one thing that you so obviously lack is an adorable accessory!" King sprung to action, striking his trademarked pose.
'What?'
"Please may I turn your attention to exhibit A! The adorable accessory: 'Mitsukuni'!" he gestured towards Hani. "He's powered by 10 cakes a day! And, if you order now, you get him with 100 flowers attached for free!"
'Only four payments of $19.95?'
"At first glance, Mori-senpai may seem like a cold and lifeless figure. But! Look at him now with 'Mitsukuni' attached! It's like looking at a lovely Koala clinging to it's favorite tree! What's more, this accessory truly compliments Mori-senpai's reticent personality! By pairing him with the effervescent Hani-senpai, people will automatically have the impression that Mori-senpai has a tolerant and patient character! Even his 'antisocial character' will be interpreted in a more positive light, 'A serious and mature man of few words.' It is absolutely no exaggeration to say that the basis of Mori-senpai's charm is Hani-senpai!"
'It makes perfect sense.'
Even Kyouya was impressed by Tamaki's character analysis.
"Takashi, have you been using me?" Hani had tears in his eyes.
Mori shook his head vigorously.
"That being said, Mitsukuni has a long-term contract with Mori-senpai. I'll need to find a substitute for you, in the meantime, we need to do something about that hoodlum fashion sense of yours." he snapped. "Kiiro, Hitachiin brothers!"
"Aye, sir!"
"Hmm... I think we really need something to bring out the sharpness of his features... something eye-catching." Hikaru began.
"Hrnh?"
"Well, since his name is 'Bossanova', why don't we give him something with a good samba feel to it?" Kaoru suggested.
"Hrnh?"
"My apologies, Bossanova, even with me here, these two are bound to get carried away." Kiiro smiled sweetly.
"Hrnh?"
The Twins went off in a storm, "These sloppy clothes have really got to go! They don't reflect well on the character at all! He needs something that will give him more character, something fancy that'll bring out the fun side of him, don't you think?"
The new look didn't help at all, the Twins had gone more than a bit over the top, dreadlocking his hair, giving him sunglasses and a warm scarf, they even called in Shirou as a sort of stand-in adorable accessory. So, they were back to square one.
"All right my good people, assemble!" Tamaki ordered. "As of today, the battle to reinvent Bossanova's image begins in earnest! As this is our first day, I know everyone must be anxious, but stay calm! Let the ideas flow!"
"Yessir!" the Twins saluted.
"Stop pretending like yesterday didn't happen! Because of you fools I had to suffer so much humiliation!" Bossanova screamed.
"Ha? What's that? What's with the false accusations?" they asked.
"Bossanova, don't misunderstand. It is our sincere desire to help you!" Tamaki explained. "Yesterday was just a slight mistake brought about by the playful immaturity of the Twins and Shirou." he placed a hand on the harsh boy's shoulder.
"What the heck?"
"I'm sorry, please do as you see fit." Bossanova said.
"Um, Casanova, I really think it'd be best if you took everything those guys say with a large pinch of salt." Haruhi explained.
Kiiro chuckled. 'It's true.'
"You could put your foot down if there's something you really don't want to do."
Kiiro was trying to help think up ideas of adorable accessories when, "Oho?"
"Hm? What is it, Kyouya?"
He nodded to where Haruhi and Bossanova were. Haruhi had on a cute smile, and Bossanova was blushing.
"Oh?" she looked up at Kyouya. "Is that going to be a problem?"
"Well, we'll just have to wait and see."
Tamaki and the Twins were able to sense the threat and pulled the two apart, "There you are, Bossanova!"
"Time to get started on our next plan!"
"Haruhi, there's no need for you to get involved, okay?"
They rushed Bossanova off.
"Uh, just a thought but, I think Casanova can manage without any need for..."
"Haru Haru~! Shh~!"
"Eh? But, Hani-senpai?"
"I hope he realizes it real soon, don't you~?"
"You know," Kiiro turned back to Kyouya. "I think more than one person needs to realize it."
"Who else?"
"Well, off the top of my head there are about three..." she hesitated. "Maybe four others..."
Kyouya stopped, trying to guess at the fourth.
"You're so oblivious..." she walked off.
"What could she mean by that?" he shrugged. "When she's the oblivious one..."