Chapter 7
Manager of Mystery


"You don't understand anything, do you? The most important thing isn't power, it isn't courage, it isn't even having friends! The only thing that matters is that you can rely on ME."

- Black*Star, Soul Eater.


Tenno munched on his cookie, idly wandering through the halls. He mused on the 'manager' of the Host Club.

It was odd that someone had come all the way from another country just to meet someone they've never met. Renge was very bossy, from what he could tell, not even having a Patona to balance her out. Tenno frowned. By age 12, if not sooner, everyone was assigned a Patona or Souru to even out their personalities. Renge was an oddity. Or, perhaps, her Patona was hiding? If she was, it provided the green eyed boy with something to ponder. As he continued walking, he bumped into someone.

"Sorry," he said, helping the brunette up.

"I'm alright," he sighed, acceptig the helping hand. Tenno studied the boy.

He had long dusty brown hair and light hazel eyes. Freckles were scattered around his nose, standing out against his pale skin. Three scars, from eyebrow to jaw, ran over his left eye. The most curious thing about him, Tenno realized, was that his soul was on the same wavelength as Renge's.

"I believe I've just found Miss Houshakuji's Patona." He grinned at the wide-eyed boy.


The dusty haired boy and Tenno sat in the bleachers of the gym, watching the basketball players do drills.

"I'm Tenno Tsuyosa," the white haired boy said, not taking his eyes off the players. The other boy looked at him for a moment.

"Dusty Pierres," he said after a while, watching the team as well.

"Nice to meet you," Tenno said, nodding a greeting.

"I thought you already knew who I was," Dusty said, trying not to act curious.

"I recognized you as Renge-chan's Patona," he said, leaning back. "Never said anything about knowing you personally." Dusty blinked, looking dumbstruck.

"How do you know Renge?" Tenno smirked.

"She's the Host Club's 'manager.'" he said manager a bit mockingly. "My Souru is in it."

"Let me guess," Dusty sighed, running a hand over his face. "She's obsessed and trying to take over." Tenno blinked.

"You know her well," he commented.

"Yeah, she's always like that. It's one of the reasons I have these." he pointed at the scars on his face. "On our first mission, we went up against a Lucan."

"A wolf-creature?"

"Yup," Dusty said, nodding. "She's avoided me since then."

"What happened?" Tenno asked, watching him carefully.

"The battle went on forever," Dusty explained, eyes distant. "He kept trying to seperate us from each other, get us alone so we'd be easier to take out. It was our first mission and we panicked easily. He drove Renge away from me."

"Then you got those," the white haired boy murmered. Dusty nodded sagely.

"I jumped in front of them before he could kill her." He tugged the front of his button up shirt down, revealing a multitude of crisscrossing scars going across his collar bone and disappearing beneath his clothes. "She was relieved I didn't die, but she has a love for beautiful things. I'm afraid I just don't fit into that category any more."

Tenno scowled.

"It shouldn't matter," he said harshly. "You risked your life for her. She should be grateful."

"She does!" Dusty snapped, glaring at him. "I know she does! She just doesn't know how to show it!"

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm her Patona!" Dusty snarled. "I can feel it. With Renge, it's about looks first and feelings next."

"She should be able to look past it! You seem like a nice enough person."

"Don't compliment me!" Dusty cried, turning pink. "We're arguing! Get back to shouting." Tenno snorted.

"What? Don't like compliments?"

"Jerk," Dusty mumbled, looking away. Tenno grinned.

CLANG!

Dusty and Tenno exchanged looks before running outside, skidding around the corner as they went.

"OUCH!" Dusty wailed, hitting the wall, Tenno slamming into him, unable to stop his momentum.

"You make a nice impact cushion." the latter commented.

"Shut up, baka!" Dusty said, puffing his cheeks out in annoyance.

"Let's go!" Tenno said, running off.

"Eh?" Dusty jumped, running after him. "Wait! I'm not done being mad at you!"

"Who did it?" they heard Tamaki ask, anger evident in his voice.

"We didn't mean -" another person said.

"Would you like to be expelled together?" Dusty and Tenno walked around the corner to find Haruhi sitting near Renge, tears in her eyes while Tamaki threatened another boy.

"Care to explain the situation?" Tenno growled, eyes locked on Haruhi.

"RUN!" the boy Tamaki was holding up was snatched away and dragged off by his friend.

"It. . . hurts," Haruhi sniffled.

"Imoto?" Tenno asked, moving closer, green eyes wide and childish looking. Renge squeaked when she got a good look at him, scrambling to her feet and

straightening her clothes hurriedly.

"My contact lenses moved." Tenno fell on his face, dumbfounded at his 'sister's' antics.

"Why me?" he whimpered. "Why my family?"

SMASH!

Tenno's head snapped up to see Kyouya smash a camera lense with the butt of a gun.

"I'm very sorry," Kyouya began.

"So he's a firearm Patona," Tenno murmered, watching as his arm returned to normal in a flash of black light.

"But we cannot leave any evidence of the Club members' violent actions." Kyouya continued. "And it's very unpleasent of you causing this kind of trouble."

"Why?" Renge asked, beginning to cry.

"Renge," Dusty sighed, moving to kneel beside her. "Did you even try to get to know him?"

"Dusty?" she whispered. The brunette smiled gently.

"I think it's fun," Haruhi said, crouching in front of the other girl. Tenno stood behind her, smiling slightly. "To get to know the person lttle by little and look at their personality."

"Images aren't everything, Renge-chan." the green eyed boy said, looking at Dusty. "Dusty's very kind even though his face isn't exactly perfect."

"Don't compliment me!" Dusty shouted, turning red again. "You're supposed to be teaching a lesson!" Haruhi laughed, turning back to Renge.

"So what do you say?" she asked, standing up and holding out a hand to the girl. Tenno copied her.

"Will you still visit the Host Club?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "For causing trouble."

She hesitantly put her hands into the Fujioka-Tsuyosa team's.


Girls ran around the room, squealing about the video Renge made.

"You edited it, didn't you?" Tenno asked, grinning at the Shadow King.

"You didn't think I'd waste a money making oppourtunity, did you?" Tenno shook his head.

"I'd be worried if you did."

"Tenno-sama!" The two teens in question looked up to find Dusty running towards them, Renge at his side. The dusty haired boy had become a regular client of the

Club, though his excursions were more of the friendly nature. "Here!" Dusty shoved a book into the Patona's hands.

"Soul Eater?" he asked, looking at the cover of the manga book.

A girl with long sandy brown pigtails stood in front of a pumpkin with a witch sitting on it. A boy who looked remarkably like Tenno hung out of it, grinning up at him

rakishly.

"Renge and I made it," Dusty said proudly. "This is the first copy. She's selling them now."

"Soul's based off of you," Renge said, popping up behind them. "He has issues just like you!" Tenno twitched.


"Where am I?" Renge asked. Birds flew around her, chirping. She took a step forward and almost fell off the school's roof. "Maybe I shouldn't tell him he has issues."


"I think I understand now, Momma." Tenno said, dressed in a grey T-shirt and blue plaid pajama bottoms. He sat outside, watching the stars as Ranka and Kiseki chased each other around the Fujioka home while Haruhi attempted to make a nice dinner for everyone. "It's not about what you'd be willing to do for your partner."

He laid on his back, staring out at the distant constellations. A beautiful woman with long pink hair leaned against the wall between the apartment doors, watching him with loving green eyes that mirrored his own.

"It's not about how far you'd go," he went on, not glancing at her. "It's about how much you understand them. I saw something today that reminded me of you. Dusty defended Renge's honor, even though she hated him, despised him just because of his battle scars. It took me a few years, ten to be exact, to finally see it. When I was little, I thought being a team was about sacrifices, but it's more than that. If you're willing to give up something for the other, to see them happy, that's what makes you great. But you have to understand them, see things the way they do. Know the things they know. Thank you." He sat up. Behind him, the woman smiled. "It was nice talking to you."

He turned to smile at the woman, but there was nothing left save for a single cherry blossom. He walked over to it, picking it up with gentle fingers.

It was silver, an unnatural color, like a mist on a full moon's night. He twirled it between pale fingers, bringing it to his face and breathing in the scent. He pulled it away and smiled once more.

He set it on the railing and walked back in.

A gentle breeze blew through the air, picking the flower up and carrying it on into the dark night.