Disclaimer- nope. :P
Chapter 10: The Need for Revenge
After they finished the cookies, Kyoya mentioned that there was one more class left before club time started. "We still have to pick up our things from our classrooms," reminded Haruhi, staring at the clock nervously. "Where is Rena-sensei?"
Suddenly, said teacher breezed into the clean room, free of any sticky brown batter. Looking around the room, an expression of absolute amazement spread across her face. "Hikaru, Kaoru, you guys did a wonderful--eh? Who are your friends?"
Flinching slightly at her tone, the twins replied, "They came to help us clean up."
Bowing slightly and staring deep into her eyes, Tamaki murmured, "I sincerely hope that us helping our friends in their time of need doesn't bother you, honorable sensei."
Flushing slightly at the handsome student standing before her, the helpless Rena-sensei could only shake her head furiously and babble that it was absolutely no problem at all. Beaming radiantly, Tamaki thanked her and swept out of the room, the rest of the Host Club in tow, leaving behind one breathless teacher.
As Yuki trailed after Tamaki, who was chattering animatedly to Kyoya, he couldn't help but grudgingly admire him in a way not unlike how he saw Ayame. Tamaki had such a clear sense of who he was and was comfortable in his skin inside and out--his resplendent personality constantly dazzled people, while he would also use his looks as an advantage, luring them in further. The way he handled that teacher was quite effective. Yuki had always rejected any kind of personal relationship with unrelated girls (save for one Tohru Honda), but Tamaki had unwittingly showed him it was all right to flirt lightly. Yuki mulled this over as they continued to walk down the East Wing, saying good-bye to their upperclassmen. He could use his good looks to his advantage, right? Hadn't Kyoya mentioned that his customers were somewhat unsatisfied with the lack of physical contact? The twins had said, "A light bump of the shoulders here, a soft brush of hands there, and voila! One satisfied customer who'll become a regular designator."
But...what if one of them got carried away and hugged him? He knew that the Ouran girls were supposed to be refined ladies, dainty and unforward. Unfortunately, it would only take one obsessed, hormone-driven, boy-crazy girl to ruin his carefully constructed relationships here at Ouran.
Driving all worrisome thoughts out of his mind, he waved good-bye to Haruhi and the twins, heading towards the direction of the boys' locker room. He was required to take Physical Education by Akito since it was one less course to worry about bumping into girls: it wasn't co-ed.
A few minutes after Yuki wandered down another hallway, Haruhi also said her farewells to the twins and walked to her math classroom to grab the materials she had left behind. Hikaru and Kaoru continued walking, finally alone to discuss the problem that had been bothering them for a while.
Hikaru snapped, "Who does she think she is, picking on Haruhi like that?"
Kaoru agreed, protesting, "Even though she's the daughter of the CEO of Hirota Tech, insulting people is way too much!"
Both of them fumed silently for a moment, remembering Kaede's treatment of their poor, innocent Haruhi. Suddenly, a wide smirk inched across Hikaru's face, and he turned to Kaoru, who had apparently thought of the idea at the same time.
"Kaoru, how would you like to play a game?"
"I would love to, Hikaru," he grinned, feigning ignorance. "But what game shall we play?"
"How does a lightning round of 'Who-can-find-Kaede-Hirota's-weakpoint-first' sound?"
"Sounds like a plan."
Then all could be heard was the quiet, malicious laughter of the twins, echoing through the empty halls as they strode to Class 1-A.
Kaede giggled as she slowly traced the contours of Yuki's cheek, blushing slightly. Actually, it wasn't the real Yuki, but if everything went according to plan, it would be soon. Right now, she had to be satisfied with a drawing of him, which cost her almost 600,000 yen, a mere chunk of her vast allowance. After being the highest bidder, Kaede had it laminated and kept it with her at all times, only taking it out when she was alone. Right now, she was the only person lingering in the deserted classroom. Her classmates had left five minutes ago, and even the sensei had to go to a dentist appointment, telling her to lock the door when she left.
Giggling softly, Kaede blew a kiss to the drawing, but whipped around quickly when she heard a smattering of giggles. After recognizing the intruders, she shot an icy glare at them; however, it had no effect due to the twins being exposed to much worse before. (They had tried to wake Kyoya up at six in the morning once. They never did it again.)
"Hikaru-san, Kaoru-san. What are you doing here?" she asked, feeling her scowling face heating up with the intensity of her blush. That fact didn't go under their observant eyes, and they slowly prowled towards her, grinning ferally.
"We came here to get our stuff, of course," they replied at the same time. Kaede always felt slightly freaked out when they did that; it seemed like they could communicate on a wordless wavelength.
Trying to force a smile on her unnaturally stiff face, she spat out, "Oh really?"
They continued, as if they hadn't been interrupted. "Imagine our surprise when we saw you molesting our picture."
Kaede's skin had just returned to its pale hue before the twins said that. When they smirked at her, she felt the blood rush up to her cheeks again.
"S-shut up! So what if I like him? That's none of your business!" she snapped defensively, placing the drawing back into her folder. She didn't like the amused glances Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged, as if they were saying, That was too easy.
"There's nothing wrong with that," said Kaoru smoothly. "But..."
"...you have to confess soon," Hikaru finished flawlessly.
"Time's running out," they proclaimed simultaneously.
See! They did it again! That's so weird, complained Kaede mentally. Despite her mind yelling at her not to, she asked anyway. "What do you mean?"
They grinned silently at each other. "Figure it out."
Before she could complain, they leaned towards her, golden eyes shining. "But we'll give you a hint." They were so close, Kaede could reach out and brush her fingers through their vivid hair, gelled to a casually disarrayed perfection. "Let's just say you're not the girl Yuki-kun's thinking about," they chortled. The sound startled her, and she fell backwards, landing in an ungraceful heap on the marble floor. Their laughter mocked her as they grabbed their bookbags and prepared to leave.
At the doorway, the twins paused and turned around. "By the way, you weren't very nice to Haruhi today."
She snarled at them, and they exited, their taunting chuckles still ringing in her ears. Cupping her face in her hands, she groaned. They were just messing with her mind...but what did they mean when they said she wasn't the girl Yuki-kun was thinking about? Did that mean there was another girl? Kaede jumped up, fists clenched. Impossible. There wasn't anyone more intelligent, elegant, classier, or wealthier than she.
But...
A small prickle of insecurity and fear settled in the pit of her stomach. Humph. This certainly won't do, she thought, flipping her silky black hair over her shoulder. She was Kaede Hirota, dammit! No man alive would refuse her.
But...Yuki was different. She could tell. Instead of drooling over her beauty and brains, he kept a polite distance from Kaede, barely acknowledging her at all. He had such a royal and effeminate aura surrounding him that he would indirectly cause her to feel insecure, not an easy task to do.
Suddenly, the deserted classroom seemed much too quiet. She grabbed all her materials, stuffed them into her bookbag, and then ran to her next class, the gears in her head whirring furiously.
Kaede Hirota doesn't spy on anybody. Kaede has people. And Kaede's people spy for her.
Her pouty lips curved upwards into a small, victorious smile. She could already imaging hugging her handsome boyfriend Yuki while the faceless witch who had previously captured his heart sobbed pitifully.
This is going to be too easy.
After Hikaru and Kaoru had strolled away, they had burst into raucous laughter, clutching their sides.
"Did you see her face?" gasped Kaoru between giggles.
"Yeah! And she fell backwards too!" exploded Hikaru.
As soon as they calmed down, Hikaru wiped away a stray tear from his topaz eyes. "But are you sure Yuki-kun would refuse Hirota's confession?"
Nodding meditatively, Kaoru assured him that their elaborate game would work. "Positive. Have I ever been wrong? Yuki-kun already has his special someone."
Rolling his eyes, Hikaru snorted, "Yes. More that once, if I recall correctly. Besides, his "special someone" doesn't even realize it."
"Don't worry. She won't need to. Ah, we're really late now, right Hikaru?"
"Uh-oh. You're right!"
As the twins thundered down the hall, intent on not getting into more trouble, Kaoru turned to Hikaru and smirked.
"I always am."
Readjusting the strap on her leather bookbag, Haruhi paused in the middle of one of the many open hallways of Ouran. She was walking on the outskirts of the East Wing. There was an awning over her head, supported by marble pillars. How wasteful. Rich bastards, muttered Haruhi in her mind.
Staring out towards the track, she spotted the boys PE class having a relay race. Squinting, she could make out someone at least six yards in front of the others, seeming to fly effortlessly with a metal baton clutched tightly in his fist. The familiar silver hair that fluttered in the wind, along with his team shouting, "Go, Sohma!" identified him as her fellow host. Forgetting to continue to the Third Music Room, Haruhi stood still and watched as he smoothly passed the finish line first and was mobbed by his relay team members. She marveled over the fact that he didn't even look fatigued. Is there anything that Yuki Sohma can't perfect? wondered Haruhi, staring absently at the composed teen. Besides cooking, that is, she winced, recalling his tale about burning the soup. It vexed Haruhi that she still couldn't figure out how he did that! It should be impossible, right? However, as she watched as he graciously accepted the congratulations and jogged to the locker rooms, she had a funny feeling that nothing was impossible when the Sohmas were involved.
Suddenly, as if he had sensed the intensity of her gaze from fifty yards away, Yuki turned and stared at a flustered Haruhi. Modifying his startled look to a mildly softer one, he waved and signaled he would be out soon, then ran towards his destination. After waiting for five minutes, the crossdresser spied Yuki, who had exchanged the navy blue sweatsuit for the regular uniform.
"Good afternoon, Haruhi-san."
"Ah, hello. Are you okay? It's really cold, and your lungs..."
He chuckled, "Don't worry, I can take care of myself."
Looking unconvinced, she said, "All right. We should hurry. The Third Music Room is on the other side of campus."
Nodding, the rat quickened his pace, glancing over his shoulder to see if Haruhi was keeping up. The two of them raced into the building and up three flights of stairs, before reaching the Host Club's room. Flinging the door open, Yuki was startled to discover an unwelcome visitor seated at a table, sipping tea and conversing amiably with the others. Upon hearing the two late hosts enter, Ayame turned, beaming when he saw them.
"Yuki!" the snake cried as he stood up in a flurry of silk and silver hair.
"What are you wearing?" snapped the rat, staring in a horrid fascination at the monstrosity that nobody else but Ayame would create and wear.
Smoothing the fine material delicately, he laughed. "Silly Yuki, I'm modeling one of your cosplay ideas!" The outfit had dragons floating on a jade green background, and swished with every step Ayame took. Gold lining was embroidered on the cuffs and hem, while a fancy hat balanced precariously on his head.
"Don? t you love it?" asked Ayame, twirling a little. "It's my rendition of the Jade Emperor's outfit!"
"It's very exquisite," praised Kyoya, smiling with the open-for-business grin he usually reserved for Ranka. Turning to Haruhi and Yuki, he noted, "You're late."
"Nonsense, Okaasan! They're just in time to see Ayame-san's creative ideas," exclaimed Tamaki, who was wriggling excitedly on the couch.
"Yes! See, I racked my pretty little brain for the most glorious ideas ever when Kyoya-kun gave me free rein," babbled Ayame as he pulled a sketchbook from his canvas portfolio bag. Before he could show the Host Club his masterpieces, Yuki snatched it from his hands, ignoring his whining. He had a sneaking suspicion that Kyoya giving Aya creative freedom wasn't the smartest thing to do...
The Host Club watched curiously as Yuki's eyes widened and every drop of blood drained from his face. "Absolutely not. What were you thinking?!"
Pouting, Ayame replied, "You don't like it? But Kyoya-kun would look so cute in a frilly little--"
The twins' cheeks expanded and turned red, desperately trying to contain their laughter as they glimpsed at Kyoya's stony expression. Haruhi took a cautionary step back while Hani hid behind a frozen Mori. However, their idiotic leader's ears had perked up and was straining to sneak a peek at the mysterious cosplay idea.
Sensing that another one of his rants was coming on, Yuki interrupted by flipping to the next page. "What's this?"
Bouncing over to his petrified brother, Ayame chirped, "Don't you think that shade of blue makes Tamaki-kun's eyes pop?"
"I wanna see!" exclaimed said king, jumping over energetically, but was rejected when Yuki moved away, still staring.
"Later, Tamaki-kun! I shall let all of you see my wonderful masterpieces!" crowed Aya, whipping out a silk fan and fanning himself. Haruhi could just see his already over-inflated ego swell to massive proportions.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," mumbled Yuki, viciously tearing out a page amidst the tailor's wailing.
Thus, this procedure went on for five more minutes: Flip page. Stare at page. Flip out. Repeat. Finally, the rat grudgingly handed back a drastically thinner sketchbook to a tearful Ayame, who grabbed it and mourned over the loss of his "unrealized talent."
Trying to reassure the traumatized man, Kyoya said, "If you don't mind, Ayame-san, I'm sure that you're ideas are still original even after Yuki-kun ah...edited it."
Sniffing woefully, Ayame nodded. "You're absolutely right, Kyoya-kun. I shall be brave and expose my artistic soul!" With that dramatic remark, Ayame's golden eyes gleamed as he finally opened his sketchbook with a flourish. "TA-DA!"
The Host Club gathered around as Ayame started to explain the pros (As he had indignantly exclaimed, "There aren't any cons with my works of art!") of his traditional Chinese clothes, that "would be made from the finest Chinese silk!" Fingering the small sample of silk glued onto the page, Kyoya nodded approvingly. "Very nice. This gold silk was from Chinese silkworms if I'm not mistaken."
"Indeed! See, I designed variations of outfits that would suit each of you. For the dear Haruhi-kun, a glorious chipao that emphasizes the feminine beauty of a fragile flower with the straight, long skirt and close fit--"
"Wait!" yelped Tamaki. "F-feminine beauty? Fragile flower? You're describing a girl!"
The twins nodded frantically, adding, "Haruhi here is all man!" while Hani chirped "Super manly!" in the background.
Giving them a scornful glance, Ayame said, quite disdainfully, "I know a fair maiden when I see one, thank you very much. For I, Aya the Magnificent, have been the receiver of numerous confessions, sexual desir--" Here his rant was abruptly ended by a swift blow from a flying teddy bear.
"KUMA-CHAN!" shrieked Tamaki, running over and scooping up his beloved stuffed animal.
"Oww...Yuuuuuki, that hurt!"
Sighing, Yuki advised his annoying elder brother to "wrap it up before something bad happens to a certain annoyance around here." Emphasis on bad.
Thick as he was, Aya was able to perceive the warning as a threat, so he hurriedly flipped to the next page: angels. There was a sketch of each of the Host Club members wearing a different white outfit and large wings. While Kyoya fingered the string of freshwater pearls that would be sewn on the hems with an approvingly eye, Ayame elaborated on his idea. "Everyday Angels!" proclaimed Ayame with a flourish. "See? Mori-kun will be the Guardian Angel; Hani-kun, Cupid; Hikaru and Kaoru can be Angels of Laughter and Joy; Tamaki-kun, an Unity Angel; Kyoya-kun, Insight Angel; Haruhi-kun, Clarity Angel; and my beloved baby brother shall be an Angel of Acceptance!" After rattling off that long list, Aya hardly seemed fazed.
"But Aya-san," chirped Hani, "These look like regular clothes, only white!"
He emitted a somewhat secretive-sounding giggle. "That's the genius of it all! Miracles hide within our everyday existence; you just have to know where to look!"
Disbelieving, Haruhi said, "Do you still believe in magic, Ayame-san?"
As his enigmatic golden eyes fell on her, he flashed a mysterious, Yuki-esque smile at her. "Not the kind of 'magic' you're thinking about, Haruhi-kun. Something darker..."
When Hikaru pushed him for further information, he just laughed airily and waved him away, to Yuki's relief. If that idiot had continued blabbering on, he would've had to throw something a little heavier than Kuma-chan. Say, the coffee table...
"For the last cosplay idea, it was also inspired by our Oriental cousins!" Turning to the last page, he showed them the Host Club dressed in traditional Indian costume. "Yuki and Haruhi-kun will be wearing saris made of the finest silk and cotton!"
"What?!" the two of the mentioned hosts exclaimed, but their voices were lost among the chorus of cheers that greeted Aya's bold statement.
"Hair extentions?" asked Tamaki gleefully.
"Naturally!" laughed Ayame, brushing back his silvery-white strands as if saying, Haha! I don't need any!
"No way," deadpanned Haruhi, while Yuki gave him an icy glare that clearly shouted, "Get out before I really hit you in front of all these people."
"So," grinned Aya gleefully, "Which cosplay idea will it be?"
A/N: Yay! Thanks for reading chapter 10! Double digit chapters from now on: woot!
I know I took forever and a day to update (had finals and everything...YEAH! Summer's here!! --end mini-rant--), so I'm doing something I never did before!
ReADeR's PoLL!
Yay! So, here is Mori-sempai to tell us all about zee poll! (I don't think he talked at all in this chapter...sorry!)
Mori: "...Hello."
mimi-chan: "Mori-sempai, please tell the nice readers about my ReADeR's PoLL!"
Mori: "...Ah. There is a poll going on--"
mimi-chan: "Umm...Mori-sempai, don't call it 'a poll,' call it 'mimi-chan's ReADeR's PoLL!' With spirit!"
Mori: "..."
mimi-chan: "Ah! Sorry for interrupting! Please continue."
Mori: "Un. Vote for your favorite cosplay idea."
mimi-chan: "Right! Three choices: 1. Tradional Chinese, 2. Everyday Angels, and 3. Traditional Indian. Thank you!"
-This ad was sponsered by Ayame: The place where male fantasies come true! Tune in whenever this lazy authoress decides to write chapter 11!-
ja ne!
mimi-chan