I had just finished dressing and I spun around smiling faintly. I had to admit, even if I was a girl, I looked very handsome as a guy, and I liked it. I could hear Haruhi from the changing room beside mine.
"Um... senpai?"
"Aren't you done changing yet?"
Tamaki whined. With the swish of a curtain I heard Haruhi step out, and so of course, I followed. I smiling, looked to my sister.. well... brother and flushed. She looked so cute!
"Are you really sure it's okay for me to keep this uniform?"
Tamaki was crying, wiggling with admiration.
"Mmmm! Cute! You're as pretty as girls! Adorableee!"
I turned my attention to his flushing a little more vibrantly. Such a compliment...
"Haru-chan, Michi-chan, you look so cute!"
Hikaru/"If we had known that was how you guys really look-"
Kaoru/"Then we would have helped out sooner!"
"Who knows, maybe they'll draw in some customers~"
"You know, that's just what I was thinking~!"
... Total... Bull-shit. I looked to my feet, shuffling them. Tamaki turned jabbing a finger Haruhi's way, and then at me.
"Our errand boys are moving up the ranks~! Starting today you are official members of the Host Club! I will personally train you two to be First-Rank Hosts; if you can get 100 customers to request your service, we will completely forget about your 800 million yen debt."
Haruhi seemed nervous.
"A Host?.."
Heck, I was too. We had to keep our own gender happy... while acting as the opposite. Oh dear lord... Haruhi what have you gotten me into?
-
*In the middle of Hosting*
I blushed faintly staring at my lap, glancing up at the three girls surrounding my small table. It was so embarrassing! To think I had to win my own gender over! Looking swiftly to Haruhi and her two customers I sighed taking a deep breath trying to calm myself. The first one to speak was a lovely girl with long black hair, perfectly straight bangs curving in towards her forehead and dark blue eyes. She smiled, her perfect pink lips curling at the ends.
"So, um, Michi, right?"
I nodded, casting her a faint smile, sitting back in me seat on the couch.
"Yeah."
I replied in my usually lower-octave, wispy voice. I wasn't proud of my voice; I often thought it was annoying, but upon asking Haruhi to describe it, the one time she answered;
"It's smack dab in the middle of female and heightened male tones. It's almost like..." She paused, looking thoughtful.
"Almost as if it can't decide, but it's a good thing... It reminds me of some of the really cool guys that everyone loves you know? Not the mean snobbier ones but the secretly kind ones. The kind of guy who cares, only openly. It's... sweet ^U^"
Reflecting on her words, my smile grew as I finished the short answer, causing the girl to seemingly grow in confidence.
"You're brothers with Haruhi, right? I know he's enrolled here because of him being an Honor Student and all; but how did you come to Ouran Academy?"
"I hear they're very poor-"
Came a whisper from the one short-haired brunette to another, a vivacious flaxen blonde. She nodded her head sending small curls flying and I smiled looking back to the hands folded in my lap, blushing again. It had stung, being called poor, even if it was true. I mean, we did have clothes and a purpose; it's not like we lived in a box out in a back alley or anything. We were normal enough. When I spoke again, it was a little softer, not out of shyness but just to make sure my voice didn't crack when I told them my story.
"Originally... I didn't want to come to school at all... I didn't even understand what school was.. To put it simply... I've been separated from community and people my whole life.. I was kept hidden away in my house-hold not knowing anything of your outside world. It was devastating... I had no idea what to expect when I came here and it ended up completely different than I had envisioned it... but the people here are so nice..."
I flashed a smile quickly at them.
"Especially you ladies..."
The brunette blushed a light crimson, and I knew already I had gotten her attention. The blonde looked rather neutral, but the black-haired one smiled. I looked to them as I continued.
"I had been treated differently by my parents my whole life... they seemed to treasure and care for Haruhi more than they did me. They tried to blow it off as nothing unusual but I never believed them. You see, they would leave me out on certain activities and once my mother had died ten years ago...our father had never told me it happened... I'm sure he thought I couldn't have taken it."
My eyes stung with tears but I didn't dare let them rise to the surface. The watching girls took notice, clutching their seats and skirts in rising suspense.
"He had kept me in the house ever since... I'm sure it was to protect me and that he had done it out of love... but I don't think he realized how much it hurt..."
I smiled lightly.
"I'm simply... misunderstood...by most.."
The black-haired girl was hugging the brunette, the blonde seemingly depressed by my tale. Two down... one to go.
"By most?" They said together.
"Isn't there anyone who understands?"
I looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded slowly, a wider smile blossoming on my face.
"One person... but I only know that one..."
I looked over to where my sister sat seeing the girls swoon over her. Good, she had gotten her target... now I had but one to finish off.
"Haruhi... Haruhi through it all had never once treated me differently. He had always made sure to make me feel at home wherever we are... it was he that had made me confident enough to face my fears, and he's shown me that I can accomplish great things on my own... that I'm just like everybody else, if not better."
I closed my eyes, voice growing ever more wistful by the second.
"Haruhi has always loved me for who I am and what I do and he's proud of me too... Haruhi is the reason I cam here to this school, and he is the reason I stay..."
When I had turned back to the girls, opening my eyes, I felt refreshed seeing their awed faces. Having told them my whole background story, and my reason for living in the first place... it had felt, good. And surely... I had succeeded in my job.
-
*Tamaki's P.O.V.*
"Why are they so popular?"
"They seem to be naturals..."
"No training needed~"
"Have you forgotten about me?.."
Tamaki started looking over his shoulder at his one regular customer, and a very important one at that; the fair, red-haired beauty, Princess Iyano Koji. He whipped around smiling.
"Oh no... sorry Princess. I'm just a little concerned about our newest hosts..."
"Well that's obvious Tamaki. You sure have been keeping an eye on them."
"Of course, I have to..." I said smoothly.
"I'm training them to become gentlemen, like me..."
And with the snap of my fingers, I called out to the two new boys. Haruhi looked slightly confused, and her brother nervous.
"Haruhi, Michi... come here for a minute."
*Michi's P.O.V.*
Princess Iyano Koji... The girl who had mocked Haruhi's coffee earlier... I bowed politely when we were introduced but proceeded to say nothing... I had a bad feeling about this girl... a VERY bad feeling... and frankly, I didn't like it. I was surprised by Haruhi's kindness despite having heard her sour comment. "Miss it's a pleasure to meet you~" she said with a joyfully cute smile. Within seconds Tamaki was spinning full speed, her clasped within his arms in a bone-crushing hug.
"That was so cute! (There's something I can't understand here XD I think it's:) So adorable and bashful! You were so amazingly good!"
"Tamaki-.."
"You're just so cuuuuttteee!"
I sweat-dropped at his squealing and Haruhi reached out to Hone and Mori at their table in vain.
"Mori-senpai!" she said wiggling in Tamaki's grasp.
"Help me!"
He looked up and with a shock stole her from Tamaki and held her out at arm's length. I watched, catching a light flush before he stood holding her, staring at her blankly. Tamaki had stopped, confused and stared at him surprised.
"Mori-senpai...?... You really didn't have to go that far-"
I could see Iyano turning to watch as he spoke.
"Come on little one! Let daddy give you a big hug!~"
I looked at him like: 'wtf'.
"I already have a dad, I don't need another one.."
Haruhi and I had returned to the club-room when all was over and done and we had been talking about our first five customers. Suddenly, she frowned.
"Hey... What happened to my bag?"
She turned towards the gigantic window behind her and as I followed her gaze, I gasped. She had as well, walking forward to touch the panes.
"Are you kidding me? But... how did that happen? I didn't think there were bullies at this school..."
I frowned turning already trying to remember the position of her bag and items; sprawled soiled in the waters of the fountain just outside.
"Hm... guess they're everywhere..."
"Come on Haruhi. Let's go get it!"
I held out a hand for her to take, and she did. And we began to run through the halls at full-speed until we happened to pass a still Iyano standing firm in the middle. We both froze as we passed within a few feet, Haruhi's head slightly bowed, looking back at her.
"Oh... it's you two again... I bet you love having Tamaki making you over and fawning over you.. It's useless though... you're always going to be second class citizens..."
And with that, she walked away, heels clicking behind her. I gritted my teeth, tightening the grip on my sister's hand by 3-fold. Haruhi tensed slightly sensing my obvious anger.
"Michi... are you okay?..."
I snarled slightly and nodded, looking to her, face blank but eyes glowing with hatred.
"I just can't stand people like her!" I said harshly.
"They try to make themselves seem higher than we are! Bigger than us!"
They are nothing compared to you...
"It might be true in my case,"
I've never known anything else but this pain... this rejection...
"-but they have absolutely no right to do such things to you, Haruhi!"
You mean so much to me...
"You're too good for that... too good..."
Too pure... too perfect... too kind... I envy that about you!
Haruhi was shocked, I could tell, with her mouth slightly agape. I sighed looking ahead making sure she wouldn't have the time to talk.
"Forget I even said anything on the subject."
My jaw clenched and my eyes hardened.
"Let's go get your bag..."
...I love everything about you...sister...
I had hid away once Tamaki appeared and he had helped her fish out all of her items from the fountain. But that had been much much earlier and forgotten now, by everyone but me... And now we were back to work at the Club. Haruhi had been requested by Iyano... coincidence? It seemed to be to everyone else... but when I had watched her talk to my sister, I frowned. Haruhi must have said something to upset her... for she yanked her over the table making it seem as if she had attacked her. The cups and towels went flying, the sound of shattering glass echoing about the room. Haruhi was hovering just over the Princess on her hands and knees, her expression one of utter bewilderment. Immediately I was up and on my feet as Iyano shouted;
"Aaaaah! No Haruhi! Leave me alone! Somebody help, he just attacked me!"
She paused a moment letting everyone stare.
"Someone do something! Teach this commoner a lesson!"
Oh... somebody was getting a lesson alright, I thought clenching a fist, but it wasn't going to be my sister! I glowered at her starting to stride her way but the twins made it there first, dumping a two whole glasses of water over their heads. Iyano seemed a little shocked, and Haruhi even more so since she had been accused of something she obviously had not done. She sat back, dumb-founded at the moment.
"N... why did you do that...?"
Tamaki walked up to Iyano's left side and I managed to squeeze in by the twins, still scowling. Tamaki knelt and helped her up, holding her arm. She looked to him clutching him in desperation, seemingly hopeful.
"Do something Tamaki... Haruhi just assaulted me!"
She whined as he swept her bangs from her face.
"I'm very disappointed in you.." He said softly.
"You threw his bag into the pond didn't you?"
My head screamed at the top of its lungs. YES YES YES! YES SHE DID! JUSTICE AT LAST!
"You don't know that! Do you have any proof that I did?" she rambled.
"You know..." he sighed, "you're a very beautiful girl... but you aren't classy enough to be our guest dear... If there's one thing I know... Haruhi is not that kind of a man."
"But... Why Tamaki?... You idiot!" she screeched running off crying.
Tamaki seemed thoughtful as he looked at Haruhi.
"Hmm... Now how am I going to punish you since it is your fault that happened after-all..."
He pointed dramatically.
"Your quota is now 1,000!"
Haruhi shrieked in surprise and dismay and my smile instantly dropped. The least I could say was that I was glad the quota was shared by the both of us... Still in shock, Tamaki pulled her to her feet.
"Come on... I've got big expectations for you my little rookie~" he said winking.
And we all left the room, leaving the incident behind with it.
Documentation: (Compliments of Michi)
The Host Club had been kind enough to give Haruhi another outfit... but when Tamaki happened to walk in on her dressing... they now had known she was a girl. And so of course.. I was questioned... and it just so happened to slip that I was female too... I gcould tell clearly that the revelation of our genders was very... amusing, to the men.