"Here we are: the Third Music Room," announced Renge. After entering the room, the girls went their separate ways to their hosts, all except "Sayuri". As Haruhi stood alone at the entrance, Kyouya got up from his seat and walked towards the young lady.
"Welcome to the Ouran Host Club, Sayuri-san. Which of our hosts has caught your fancy?" Haruhi was sure that no one was watching them, for there was definitely a sly smile on the vice-president's lips. She thought for a while.
"I would like you to be my host." Kyouya's smile then grew to a wide grin.
"I'm afraid my schedule for today's completely filled." The teen then raised his voice.
"Personally, I would recommend the Hitachiin twins. They should keep you entertained." From where they were, the twins heard the offer. In an instant, they had sandwiched the "exchange student" between them. The duo didn't know why, but somehow, this girl had the word "toy" stamped on her forehead. Besides, they were a little bored.
"Hikaru, Kaoru, be gentle with her. She's an exchange student." Haruhi winced. The "twincest" routine was about to begin, she thought. But the boys had something else in mind. They put on their caps.
"Sayuri-san, let's play the 'Guess who's Hikaru' game!" Their guests squealed with joy in reply. Through her specs, Haruhi peered at the twins. She could always figure out which twin she was talking to. As to why nobody else has this ability, she could only wonder. Meanwhile, the twins had mixed themselves up.
"Hai! Which of us is Hikaru-kun?"
"The one on the left is Hikaru."
"You got it... WRONG," grinned the twins. Haruhi didn't protest; she knew that the twins would never admit that she's right. However, the duo decided to push their luck.
"Perhaps, you would like another try?" Before their guest could reply, the twins began their mix-up again.
"Hai! Which of us is Hikaru-kun?"
"The one on the right is Hikaru."
"You got it... WRONG," grinned the twins. Clearly, they were enjoying the experience. Haruhi thought for a while. In her most lady-like voice, she said, "I'm not wrong. You two are different, even though you look the same."
The twins stared at their guest. On her part, Haruhi knew that she had mentioned this to the twins before. But, she didn't think that they would manage to figure out who she really was that easily. The other girls crowded around her, excited that there was a second person who had won the game.
"Sayuri-chan, how could you tell them apart?"
"So far, only Haruhi had managed to distinguish them!" Despite their pleas, Haruhi merely smiled, and kept silent.
"Well, I guess she just got lucky back there. Right, Kaoru?" Hikaru looked at his younger twin.
"Kaoru, are you alright?" Hikaru waved his hand in front of his brother.
"Ya...I was just... deep in thought."
"Come on, let's get back to our seats." Kaoru nodded in reply. But, in his mind, he knew that something wasn't quite right with the picture. He wasn't sure if Hikaru shared his suspicions. The younger twin decided to keep an eye on Sayuri. At the same time, his heart was beating a little faster. The girl's resemblance to Haruhi was uncanny. As Kaoru gave advice to his brother, he slowly realised that he too had feelings for Haruhi. If he wanted to protect his brother, he could not join in the race to win Haruhi's heart. Yet, he wanted to be with her. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he wondered what would happen next...
The rest of the session went smoothly enough. Haruhi took care not to wander near the other hosts, and she noticed that Kaoru was observing her. She made a mental note to stay away from him. For once, Tamaki didn't do his silly acts, just his usual performance as a host. She must admit that the King meant every word he said to his guests...
The Host Club is closed for the day...
"Sayuri-san, I hoped that you've enjoyed your first day here at Ouran High," said Tamaki. Haruhi nodded.
"Tamaki, you may be in charge of showing her around in school. But, I'm the one who's supposed to escort her to the guesthouse," said Kyouya firmly.
"I see no problem with that. Goodbye, my princess. I hope to see you tommorrow." With that, the King left the room.
"Sayu-chan, would you come to the Host Club tommorrow," asked Hani. Haruhi didn't know how to answer that. As long as she's in the room, she ran the risk of being recognised. She was especially worried about Mori and Hani. Letting her guard down while she's around the pair would be a big mistake.
"Hani-senpai, Sayuri's an exchange student. It's best that we don't get too attached to her. Of course, she's welcome to visit the club at any time."
"Mitsukuni, it's time to go," reminded Mori.
"Okay! Goodbye, Sayu-chan!" The loli-shota host then bounced out of the room, with Mori following closely behind. The room was now empty save for Kyouya and Haruhi. After locking the door, Kyouya asked her to take a seat.
"So, how's the day?"
"Fine, although I could have used more help from you," said Haruhi as she took off her glasses, and removed the ribbon on her collar.
"Do not ever do that in front of anyone," reminded Kyouya.
"But, this uniform is really uncomfortable," stated Haruhi matter-of-factly. Looks like old habits die hard.
"Anyway, you can't possibly hope to designate me as your host every time you come to the club. You'll have to try and hide your identity from the rest."
"I think Kaoru's getting suspicious. He was observing me after the game." She remembered the odd look Kaoru gave her as the twins left.
"Be on your guard. Your cover can't be blown, yet." Haruhi nodded in agreement. She then gave a soft sigh.
"So, this is how it feels like to behave as a girl."
"A teenage girl," added Kyouya. "Young ladies of our age tend to have a romantic view of the world. Also, I'm sure that you are now more keenly aware of your popularity among the girls."
"Hai. I couldn't imagine what would happen if they knew that I was actually a girl."
"That would come in due time. Straighten up your dress. We're leaving for the guesthouse. Oh, and one more thing."
"What is it?"
"You make this uniform look good."
"...Thanks."
Afterthoughts
-Please RnR! And sorry for the long delay...