Chapter 12: Misunderstandings and Monikers

"I thought you were gay!"

Tamaki froze, his face horrified.

"I-I-gay?" he sputtered, staring at Sumiko with a shocked expression. "W-Why would you think that?"

"Well," Sumiko said, a tad sheepishly, "I heard Hittachin-san saying that Suoh-san and 'Haruhi' had confessed to each other, and then you said that that boy's name is Haruhi… I guess I jumped to conclusions."

There was a moment of silence.

"Yes, yes," Hikaru said in a slightly wooden tone, "It was just you jumping to conclusions. How funny. Ha-ha."

The rest of the Host Club broke out into nervous, brittle smiles.

"ANYWAY!" bellowed Tamaki, his smile even more nervous and brittle than the others, "Let's get back to our previous conversation. Who are you, if you're not Mori's lady-love?"

"Um," Sumiko said, blushing slightly (she seemed to be doing that a lot, recently). "I'm just a friend of Morinozuka-san's. Um." She paused. "Why do you keep calling him 'Mori'?"

The hosts all looked at each other and shrugged.

"We don't really know!" Kaoru said, "By the time we came to Ouran, everybody was calling him 'Mori'."

Sumiko looked at Takashi. "Do you know when people started calling you that?" she questioned.

He looked at her for a moment, and smiled apologetically.

"No, huh?" she said, and leaned over to pat him on his arm consolingly. "That's all right."

He smiled again, and slid down in his chair a little. He did know where his nickname came from, but he really didn't want someone like Hikaru to know its origins. That would only lead to suffering. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the older children who had danced around him, laughing and singing "Mori, mori! Nursemaid, nursemaid!" as he pulled himself and Mitsukuni out of the mud puddle. He had only felt that bad when he had accidently broken Mitsukuni's arm.

"But anyway," Sumiko continued, "We were out drinking with our friends, and… well, I've never been able to hold my alchohol well, and there was an awful lot of saké. I think everyone except Ageda got really drunk. I don't really remember anything from my fifth cup until…" She stopped suddenly, and looked at him for a second before continuing. "Until about halfway through my walk home."

"Thank goodness you got home safely," Haruhi said, speaking for the first time, "Something terrible could have happened to you! There are so many weirdos and perverts in the area…"

Sumiko smiled thankfully at Haruhi. "Thank you for your concern," she said, "but I'm sure I would have survived."

Thankfully, she didn't see Takashi's face at that moment. Terrible images were going through his head. What if he hadn't gone after her? Horrible things might have happened! (Sumiko getting hit by the speeding driver. Sumiko falling down and hitting her head. Sumiko being dragged into an alleyway by a pervert…)

"Are you all right, Mori?"

Takashi jerked in surprise, and looked up to see Kyoya looking down at him with an knowing expression disturbingly like the ones that Sanu directed at him.

"A-ah," he stuttered, and looked at the rest of the Host Club, most of whom were shooting him odd glances. Only Tamaki and Sumiko were oblivious to the flash of horror that had crossed the tall boy's face.

There was a slight chiming noise, and Kyoya glanced at the grandfather clock that stood in the corner.

"Lunch is over," he announced, "We have to get to classes."

"All right," Haruhi said, and then turned to Sumiko. "It was lovely meeting you," the boyish girl said as she bowed deeply, "I hope you can come again!"

"Come in the evening!" Tamaki exclaimed, as he suddenly popped up in front of Takashi, "That's when the Host Club hours are!"

"I'll, um, be sure to visit," Sumiko said, bowing in return, "Thank you for the hangover cure. That stuff's a life saver."

Hikaru beamed proudly. "Come back any time you need it!" he proclaimed.

"I will," Sumiko promised, laughing slightly.

"Well," she said, turning to Takashi, "Are you ready to go?"

"Ah." He proffered his arm to her, and she smiled that bright (gorgeous, fantastic) smile of hers, and took it.

"Why thank you!" she said, and together they walked to the big double doors and exited the Third Music Room.

As the doors shut behind them, Takashi heard Haruhi say "Well, she was nice."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

I'm so sorry that the chapter is so late, and so short. But unfortunately, I am back in the hospital, again. Luckily, this time, I am allowed Internet access, and I will definitely update on time next week.

Again, I am so sorry. You guys are great, and I won't fail you again.