Kaoru glanced at Hikaru's face quickly before turning it to the customer across from them. Ritsuko was setting there, hands folded delicately on her lap, looking as pretty as a porcelain doll.

He could tell that Hikaru was thinking the same thing as he was, but there was something else he couldn't quite read. He frowned at himself, uneasy of what this newcomer was causing in their world, when she spoke:
"Are you okay, Kaoru?" she asked quietly, her brow creased with worry.

"Of course he is. he just gets that way some of the time," Hikaru replied, giving his brother a gentle nudge in the side; it was a signal for their brotherly love act.

"Listen," Ritsuko spoke, freezing the two where they sat. "I know nearly every girl loves your brotherly twincest act, I don't."

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other, alarmed. She knows it's an act!...And she doesn't like it?

"You're a very different customer," Kaoru said, smiling at her slyly. "So, do you have-"

"-A favorite twin?" Hikaru finished, putting his chin in his hands.
"You both are different but you have some same qualities...you are both special, and I don't have a favorite yet," Ritsuko lied smoothly. The twins knew full-well that this girl was different from regular Host Club guests, and that she could play the Which One Is Hikaru? Game with ease; she had a favorite. Which one it was, they weren't sure.

"We don't believe you when you say you don't have a favorite yet," they chimed in unison, sitting back in their chairs and crossing their legs at exactly the same time. They were smiling wickedly at a blushing Ritsuko.

She winked and put a finger to her lips. "That's for me to know if I'm hiding the true answer, yes?" she said.

The twins exchanged another glance.

"Have you done research on Ouran Academy's Host Club?" Kaoru asked. "You seem to know a lot about it, and us."

"I did a through search of all the schools and even talked to some students before I got myself settled in Japan," Ritsuko answered. "And I was told about all the handsome young men from the host club. I was curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, my dear," Tamaki said, leaning over the couch she was sitting on across from the twins.

The twins looked up, half-bored, half-annoyed expressions on their faces. "Boss, don't you have customers to attend to?" Hikaru deadpanned.

"I'm hurt, Hikaru," Tamaki said, sniffling.

"I don't mind seeing Tamaki-san," Ritsuko said, smiling brightly.

"You can just call me Tamaki-kun, princess," Tamaki said, sweeping his hand across her forehead to brush stray hairs out of her eyes. Her heart gave a little thump, but, as handsome as Tamaki was, she couldn't help but feel attracted to Hikaru.

"Thank you," she said quickly, composed.

"C'mon," Haruhi said, popping up behind and dragging Tamaki away by the collar of his jacket. "You have your own customers without messing with Hikaru and Kaoru."

"Shouldn't you be standing up for Daddy?" Tamaki argued.

"The trio of classmates is bonding more than ever," Kyoya said quietly as he passed, nose buried in his notebook, pen scribbling furiously across the pages.

"Actually," a high-pitched voice sounded from behind the twins' couch, "I think Mizushima-san's time is up."

Ritsuko body went frigid and the twins exchanged yet another glance. What should they do? This other girl was a customer, but so was Ritsuko. And Ritsuko appeared to be very fragile.

Ritsuko hung her head, blonde hair forming a curtain on either side of her face. Tamaki was about to open his mouth and say something when she looked up, and her eyes were cold as ice.

"It's funny, isn't it?" she began icily, "how half the people love me for my family name, and the other half are jealous?"

It was true, too. The Mizushima name was a high-end software company. They either hated her or sucked up to her.

She rose stiffly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hikaru-kun?" she said, making the mistake of not addressing both twins; she betrayed her budding feelings this way.

"Yeah," Hikaru said softly, amber eyes glazed over, deep in thought. Ritsuko was a deep person full of contradictions, he realized...And her pale face with wide hazel eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair would fill his mind for many hours to come.