Mori's best man speech (complete text):

"Mitsukuni, Reiko-chan - congratulations on your marriage."

Dancing was amazing! Why had nobody ever told her? It was exhilarating, marvelous, magical, delightful, and in every way magnificent! She wasn't even doing it proper and she still felt like the most graceful and beautiful woman in the room. Kaori watched the couples in the center of the floor, the ones who knew what they were doing, and sighed longingly. If she, who could barely walk around in a slow circle in time to music felt that way, what must those who could step, turn, and sway in complete synchronicity feel?

Sadly, her dancing time was probably over already. It was one thing to plan to dance every dance, quite another to accomplish it. Her brothers had all dutifully asked her first – probably to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. Even three conversations consisting of variations on "are you sure you can do this?/Yes nii-san I'm fine" wasn't enough to dampen her joy at finally getting to experience her first dance.

Now, however, her quiver of potential dance partners seemed empty. She'd hoped taking a turn with her brothers would be enough to signal the other men who, due to relationship or family connection, would feel socially obligated to ask her. Their careful turns in the corner of the ballroom, however, either went unnoticed or unremarked.

"Princess, I've come for that dance you promised."

Startled out of her thoughts she looked at the handsome young man in front of her. She'd recognize him anywhere; no girl who'd attended Ouran anytime in the last six years could fail to. Even if she hadn't known him from his friendship with Mitsu-chan the permanent shrine to the host club in the 3rd music room storage closet would have done the job.

"Suoh-senpai, I'm sorry – but I don't remember promising you a dance."

"Please, Kaori-himi, any cousin of Honey-sempai's as cute as you must call me Tamaki." He reached out and took her right hand, bringing it to his lips for a gallant kiss. "And I was sure you promised me a dance when our eyes met earlier."

She couldn't help blushing, nobody had ever called her cute before, and his lips twitched in response. He was really too much, every bit as over-the-top and French as the girls at school had said. She suspected Mitsu-chan must have asked him to look out for her and she was grateful to them both. Now that she knew his purpose, she wasn't about to turn him down.

"I'm not a very good dancer," she warned. "With my leg I can only…"

He cut her off with a wave of his right hand then extended his arm to escort her on the floor. "It's the gentleman's responsibility to make sure the lady doesn't stumble. I promise to keep you safe, Princess."

Unlike her brothers, Tamaki brought her out almost to the middle of the floor as the band struck up a waltz. He was an excellent dancer, even within her limitations he managed to make her feel like she was twirling with the best of them. For the first time she began to understand why so many girls had fallen for him. It wasn't just that he was handsome, there were a lot of handsome boys at Ouran, it was the way he made you feel like you were the only person in the room when he talked with you.

His light flirtatious banter continued through the dance, reducing her to giggles. Those lines she swooned over in romances looked good on the page, but sounded so funny when spoken aloud. Of course, what really made her heart beat fast in real life were a few straight-forward words spoken in a deep baritone.

When the music ended, Tamaki returned her to the edge of the room and gave her hand another kiss. "I'll collect a second dance later, Kaori-himi" he promised.

Dancing with him seemed to open the flood gates because after that she rarely sat still. Chika-chan showed up next, she could tell by his face he was only dancing at all because of obligation. He was so stiff and proper sometimes; she couldn't help teasing him until he stormed off then she laughed about it with Sato-chan during the following dance.

She had thought that might be the end, but next a dark-haired young man showed up. "Honey-sempai's cousin, come dance with me" he ordered teasingly with a rakish gleam in his eye. She recognized him as one of the Hitachiin twins (shrine in the storage room), but she didn't know which one. She had never paid much attention to them and the last time she'd seen them was her first year of middle school. Which one was it who died his hair again?

"Hikaru, not fair" whined a similar voice as they were joined by the second one. He threw his arm around his brother's shoulder and tilted his head. His eyes glittered as they lazily swept her from feet to head. "I wanted to dance with her first; after all we almost have the same name."

The now identifiable Hikaru turned towards his head towards his brother so their faces were almost touching and gazed into his eyes. "But Kaoru," he whispered intensely, "that's why I wanted to dance with her first."

Kaori started to feel a little uncomfortable, she could sense the energy around them but she couldn't identify what it meant. She felt like at least half of her whole exchange with them so far had been about things she had no familiarity with. She was saved by a cool, clipped voice coming from the man approaching on her left.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, behave your selves. I don't think Haninozuka-san understands your humor." The man was smiling politely at the twins, yet for some reason they both shuddered and jumped back. He turned towards Kaori and bowed. "Ootori Kyoya. Would you care to dance Haninozuka-san? I would appreciate the chance to ask you some questions about your experience with the orthotic our medical instruments group made you." He extended his arm to escort her and she gratefully took it to get away from the unsettling twins.

Ootori-senpai was much, much nicer than Mitsu-chan had led her to believe. From what she'd been told, she thought he'd be somewhat scary but he was really very charming. He asked several perceptive and detailed questions about her new orthotic and seemed genuinely pleased when she enthused about it. He had every right to be proud of what his family's company had accomplished – she'd only had it a few weeks and it already felt like it was enhancing her life. Without it, she wouldn't be dancing.

The twins were still waiting for her when the dance was over. They appeared contrite, but the minute Ootori-sempai left they tilted their heads together and gave her a look that made her feel like a small furry animal being watched by a pair of cats. "So, Kaori-chan, which one of us do you want first?" they chorused. Not seeing a way out of it, she picked Kaoru, who seemed the slightly less dangerous one of the two.

An hour later, she managed to meet up with Mana in one of the alcoves during a brief break for the band. "Are you having a good time, Mana? I'm having a fantastic time! It's been the most perfect night, don't you think?"

"It's been more fun than I thought it would be," Mana replied with smile playing around her lips. Kaori stared at her intently, she was looking uncharacteristically cheerful.

"Mana! Did something good happen? Oh! Did you finally meet your prince?"

Mana blushed and shook her head. "No, I'm just having a good time" she protested. Kaori smiled to herself, she could tell something good had happened – she'd bide her time and weasel it out of her friend later. She understood that sometimes you just wanted to keep things to yourself for a bit. "Anyway," Mana continued, "how did it go with your prince? I saw you actually talked to him earlier."

"Yes, and I babbled like an idiot! But, he was nice and it felt a bit like the last few years never happened." Kaori looked away out towards the ballroom for a minute. "I'm sorry, Mana, but I don't think I'm going to tell him after all. I just… I just want to be able to look back at this night as something to treasure. I just couldn't bear to remember it as the night he rejected me."

"Well, that's your decision; I don't think it matters either way, Kaori, but you need to start looking at what's in front of you and not some fantasy. You're better thought of than you know, I think you could find happiness if you just opened yourself up to it."

"Awww, Mana you are so sweet!" Kaori gave her friend a crushing hug. "You deserve to find happiness more than me. I know! We'll make that our mission for the rest of the school year!" Mana rolled her eyes over Kaori's shoulder and resigned herself to nine months of attempted matchmaking.

Mana excused herself and Kaori watched as she headed off to get some refreshment. Her friend really was sweet, and loyal, but Kaori knew too well what the boys in her school thought of her. She'd overheard it too many times "Kaori's a nice girl, but…." Still, that didn't mean she couldn't find someone for Mana. It would be fun.

The band started up again and Tamaki magically appeared before her to claim his second dance. Everything else could wait for later, right now she had some dancing to do.

A/N: What Kaori and Yasuchika talked about during their dance:

Kaori: Chika-chan, wasn't it a beautiful wedding?

Yasuchika: Sempai ! Yasuchika-sempai ! I was your senior in middle school, high school AND the animal husbandry club. You should call me that! Or at least Chika-sempai.

K: But, I've known you since I was six – I've always called you Chika-chan.

Y: How about san, I'll take Chika-san or even Onii-san if you have to be all cutesy about it.

K: Oh, don't be so stuffy Chika-chan. Besides, you just look like a 'chan' to me.

Y: Argh! I'm going to go find Mitsukuni and challenge him again. Maybe if I'm the next head you'll finally show me some respect. (storms off)

K: Sato-chan, he's really cute when he gets all angry isn't he?

Satoshi: Yeah, better not tell him that though.

K: Duh. My character's supposed to be cheerful and naive, not stupid.