SPECIAL AN: I urge all of you (writers and readers alike) to read a notice that I put at the top of my profile. It has nothing to do with me, but it's related to the site and the recent string of deleted stories. This is not the site administrator's doing. Please read the full notice to find out who has really been behind the story removals. Thank you.

Regular AN: Again, you guys are awesome! I couldn't be happier with the feedback I'm getting. Special note to Fools Tutor: from here on out, I'll be putting my responses to you in the ending Note :) Without further ado, I present Chapter Three. I hope you enjoy.

Edited/Proofed (6/6/12): It was really late when I originally posted this and I was too tired to properly proof the chapter. I hopefully fixed all of the errors now.

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

The Ouran Hostess

Chapter Three

In the three weeks since Kagome had become a Hostess, a few things had become clear. Firstly, the regular customers loved having Kagome around. They had almost instantly been drawn in by the girl's cheerful smiles and kind compliments. Secondly, Kyouya had been right. The occasional young man had turned into a steady stream of requests for Kagome's time. The male students of Ouran Academy now saw the appeal of the Host Club; who wouldn't want to have tea with and be fussed over by an attractive member of the opposite sex?

And lastly, Kagome flourished around other people. After she'd had time to observe how the club worked it hadn't taken her long to find her stride and a new natural was born: The Nurturing Type. Kagome was whatever her clients needed her to be. Some of them needed an advisor, a friend, a confidence booster, an understanding ear to simply listen, and many other things. She brought out the best in everyone that she spent time with. Once she had found a comfortable space in which to open up and be herself, the students had been drawn in like moths to a flame.

The other hosts had been worried at first about Kagome spreading herself thin, but she never seemed to have a problem. Haruhi had once made the observation that Kagome acted like a mother with many children. Her attention had to be divided multiple ways, but she was able to make everyone feel special. She never forgot a name or a face or a problem.

The club's president and vice-president were very pleased with their latest recruit. Tamaki because not only was Kagome a natural at making others smile, but because she was truly happy when she made others happy. Kyouya, on the other hand, had finally put the club's budget in the black. With the extra customer traffic, he was able to breathe a little easier whenever Tamaki mentioned something a little more over-the-top than usual.

"Kago-chan!" Hunny called as he and Mori entered the clubroom. The diminutive blonde caught Kagome by the hands and spun around with her as she turned to face the pair.

Kagome laughed and smiled at the older boys. While she often had to remind herself that Hunny was indeed older than herself, she never had any trouble remembering Mori's seniority. "Hello Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai," she greeted. "Did kendo practice run long again?"

"Yeah," Mori answered simply before his eyes fell to Hunny who was giving Kagome his best puppy eyes.

"Kago-chan," Hunny said as he tugged on her hand once more. "Did you bring the cookies that you promised?"

Smiling brightly, Kagome nodded. "I did," she answered. "I called my mom to make sure that I had her recipe correct, and I made them last night. They're in a blue container and I set them on top of your costume in the back. You guys should hurry up and change. You're running pretty late!"

"Right!" Hunny answered with a single, large nod before running towards the prep room as he waved over his shoulder. Mori followed his cousin at a slower pace, but he ruffled the top of Kagome's hair with a large hand as he passed.

Kagome wrinkled her nose as she reached up to smooth down her mussed hair and check her long braid. When she was sure that none of her flowers had fallen out, she pranced back towards her current table and listened to the swish of her grass skirt as she moved. The club had decided to go with a Hawaiian Luau theme for the day, and everyone loved it. The air was balmy and sweet with a multitude of tropical plants placed throughout the room. While she was wearing a grass skirt with an orange bandeau, the boys were all shirtless with sarongs in varying bright colors wrapped around their waists. Haruhi had been able to get away with wearing hers in a more toga-like fashion and none of the girls appeared to be any the wiser.

Casting a quick glance around the room, Kagome made a side-trip over to the club's small kitchenette so that she could grab a tray of fruity drinks that had been poured into coconut shells. The young men at her table blushed lightly when she returned with their drinks and sat down. "Hello, boys," she greeted with a smile. "How have you been? Oh! Before I forget, how did your date go, Hiroshi?"

The brunette second-year smiled as he said, "Very well! I'm so glad that I came to talk to you first. How did you know that Sayaka would like flowers better than chocolate?"

"A girl has her ways of knowing these things," she said with a casual shrug. When the boys looked between each other as though she'd just revealed a well-kept secret, Kagome laughed before correcting them. "I'm joking. I overheard her tell Tamaki that she was allergic to chocolate a couple of days before you asked me about it."

Kyouya watched all of the interactions between the hosts and the guests and nodded in satisfaction. The increase in business had taken some adjusting on everyone's part, but things were beginning to even out.

As the hosts moved onto their next client appointments, he noticed that another group of girls approached Kagome and all of them laughed as a couple of the girls reached out to touch Kagome's long hair. The Hostess removed a couple of the flowers from her own hair to tuck behind the ears of the guests.

Kyouya mused that it was very curious. There had been some concern that their clients would become jealous of another girl being so close to their favorite hosts, but the worry seemed to be for naught. There hadn't been any cattiness or pouting. The girls had taken to Kagome as though she were a sister who was there whenever they might need one. And for her part, Kagome never allowed any of the girls to intimidate her. They were of higher birth and social standing and several of them were obviously prettier, but all of that seemed to fall by the wayside.

Even if she wasn't the prettiest, she was the most eye-catching. With black hair that was kept much longer than most girls her age and deep blue eyes that always seemed to smile, she stood out. But more than that, Kagome always seemed to glow. It wasn't her lightly sun-kissed skin, but it was something from within. She always had the brightest smile and the warmest laugh. While many of the hosts had to put on their small acts around their clients, Kagome was able to be sincere as she gave all of herself to those around her.

Not that he would admit it to any of his friends, but Kyouya honestly found it difficult to ignore the girl. She was of lower breeding and held no acknowledgeable standing, so he had been ready to write her off as inconsequential. The only thing about her that had piqued his interest was her mystery guardian. He could have spent time digging around until he found an idea of who it might be, but what was the point? She would be announced eventually and, while it most likely wouldn't make a difference to him then, it certainly didn't matter to him now.

But try as he did to ignore the commoner girl in favor of more important things, he found himself watching her often. It had taken a while, but he had eventually been able to figure out what had first caught his attention. She was very much like his best-friend in many ways. Her facial expressions were open and honest. And while she seemed oblivious at times, she was very good at reading people and giving them what they needed.

Kyouya's thoughts were brought away from their hostess when a small rustling in the imported foliage caught his attention. A quick flash of yellow made him smirk slightly and follow after the pint-sized intruder.

Haruhi was on her way back to her guests with a tray of carefully balanced snacks when Kyouya's deep voice caught her attention. "Haruhi," the Shadow King called causing her to turn around. And it was lucky that she had as a blur of yellow and white wrapped itself around her middle.

"Bookworm!" A small voice cried happily. "Can you read to me today?"

Trying to reign in her surprise and keep her tray from toppling over, Haruhi was relieved when Kagome's hand appeared underneath the silver tray to steady things. Haruhi then turned her attention to the young girl looking up at her with large blue eyes. "Kirimi-chan? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Big Brother," Kirimi chirped before her smile faded into a small pout. "But he still isn't finished with his club. So I came to see you!"

Haruhi was vaguely aware of handing her tray over to Kagome before she bent down to arrange Kirimi so that the small girl was balanced on her hip. "Kirimi-chan, I'm a little busy today," Haruhi hedged, but she quickly began to falter when tears sprang to the corners of the tiny blonde's eyes. Though before the waterworks could get into full-swing, a chocolate cookie appeared between the two girls.

After relieving Haruhi of her teetering tray, Kagome had turned to see her friend holding a little girl. 'She's so cute!' Kagome thought as she took in the blonde pigtails and wide blue eyes. But when said eyes began to water, Kagome had instantly recognized the look. 'Crocodile tears—someone isn't getting what they want. Well, I know how to put a stop to that.' Quickly plucking a cookie from the tray she had just placed on a nearby table, Kagome tried to appease the child's sweet tooth.

Kirimi blinked several times before slowly reaching out to take the cookie. She looked to the one who had offered the treat, and when she saw Kagome's smiling face her excitement was almost tangible. "You have a girl now!" She cried as she turned back to Haruhi. "Your harem is finally finished!" Kagome choked at the little girl's statement while Haruhi merely groaned. "What's your name?" Kirimi asked with a wide smile.

Before Kagome could answer, Kyouya decided to speak up from where he had been observing the trio. "Kirimi," he said to catch the small girl's attention. "Haruhi and Kagome have appointments to keep."

At the little girl's stricken look, Kagome's heart melted. "Kirimi-chan," she said softly in hopes of cheering up the petite blonde, "how would you like to come sit with me at my table?" At Kirimi's questioning look, Kagome continued, "I have more cookies over there and I'm sure I could find a glass of milk for you." Holding her arms out when Kirimi began to wiggle in Haruhi's grasp, Kagome easily accepted the little girl onto her hip.

"Don't forget that you have your own clients, Kagome," Kyouya reminded as he leveled her with a look that he often gave the hosts during club hours; he wore a polite smile, but his eyes were firm to get his full meaning across. He had to make sure that things ran smoothly. After all, if he didn't then no one else would.

Completely unfazed by the Shadow King's pointed look, Kagome smiled as she said, "Don't worry, Kyouya-senpai; I'm sure Kirimi-chan will be on her best behavior." Turning her attention to the girl in her arms, she asked, "You'll be able to sit quietly while I braid flowers into your hair, won't you?"

Kirimi's eyes drifted towards Kagome's long braid which was woven with brightly-hued blooms, and she nodded excitedly at the prospect of having her hair in a similar fashion.

"See?" Kagome chirped as she beamed at Kyouya before flouncing away.

Haruhi stood quietly as she watched Kyouya narrow his eyes by the slightest fraction. Kagome had only been cowed by Kyouya for a short while before she realized that he was all bark and no bite...for the most part. Then the tables had quickly turned, and while she was always respectful towards the older boy, Kagome gave Kyouya a fair amount more sass than anyone else dared. It had provided the other club members—especially the twins—with a great deal of entertainment. After their little episodes, Kagome always managed to look like the cat that had gotten into the cream while Kyouya ground his teeth silently.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Kyouya pushed up his glasses before casting a glance in Haruhi's direction. "Back to work, Haruhi," he said with all of his usual calm as he turned to go check on the other hosts. Whether she was inconsequential or interesting or completely immaterial, Kyouya was sure that this was just the beginning of Kagome working her way under his skin.

Kagome waved as her last group of guests left for the day. The afternoon had gone smoothly even with the addition of a little girl to her lap. While spending time with some of her usual clients, Kagome had deftly taken down Kirimi's pigtails before finger-combing through the soft strands.

For her part, Kirimi had been content to eat her cookies as Kagome's nimble fingers began to weave together many small braids. Gradually, the older girl had taken the small braids to fold in with loose strands and make larger braids. The final result was an intricate work of twists that fell down Kirimi's back with many small flowers tucked here and there.

The hosts were still straightening up their music room when one of the side doors opened quietly. "Kirimi?" A deep voice echoed ominously.

Kagome watched curiously as Tamaki's back went ramrod straight, but her attention was quickly diverted when her tiny companion took off running towards the voice.

"Big Brother!" Kirimi called happily as she reached her sibling.

Kneeling down to the girl's level, the hooded Nekozawa reached out to pat his sister's head. "I thought I might find you in here, Kirimi," he said before pausing. "What happened to your hair?" He asked.

Beaming brightly, Kirimi said, "Isn't it pretty? Kagome braided it for me."

"Kagome?" Nekozawa questioned as his hidden brows drew together.

Kirimi grabbed her brother's large hand with both of her small ones as she pulled him farther into the room. "Kagome is the part of Bookworm's harem that was missing!" She provided innocently.

Kagome watched as the little girl she'd spent the afternoon with tugged a cloaked and hooded figure towards her. She only hesitated for a moment before she moved to meet them halfway. She had seen odder things, after all. Tamaki called out a harried warning to her in the background, but she quickly dismissed it when the word "curse" was mentioned. She had been cursed before—several times, in fact—and she was sure that the young man before her didn't have a dark enough soul to carry out such an act.

Haruhi quickly joined Kagome's side so that she could ward off Hikaru and Kaoru and their flashlights. "Kagome, this is Nekozawa-senpai," she quickly introduced while glaring at the twins. "He's Kirimi-chan's older brother, and he's also in the same year as Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai."

"Umehito Nekozawa," the tall boy introduced himself with a short bow.

"It's nice to meet you, Nekozawa-senpai. I'm Kagome Higurashi, a first-year," Kagome responded with a returned bow. "You have a very cute little sister."

"Thank you," Nekozawa said. This girl was completely new to him and he wasn't sure how he felt about his beloved sister spending time with a stranger. "I don't believe I've ever seen you around school before, and I'm positive that I've never seen you in the Host Club when I've visited."

Kagome laughed lightly. "I transferred here in the middle of the term and I haven't been a part of the Host Club for very long," she explained. She tried to keep the nervousness out of her voice to be polite, but speaking with someone who kept so much of their face hidden was a little unsettling.

Nekozawa was about to say something else when Haruhi realized that she'd lost track of the twins. Before another word could be uttered, two identical shouts rang out as the Black Magic Club's president was bathed in bright light.

Kagome gasped and watched wide-eyed as the shrouded figure of Nekozawa quickly withdrew from the light with a shriek and took off towards the nearest exit while yelling at the mischievous duo over his shoulder. Completely unsure of what was proper to do, Kagome could only wave as Kirimi ran after her brother and disappeared from sight.

"You two have to quit doing that!" Haruhi chastised as she slugged Hikaru lightly in the shoulder. "You're going to give Nekozawa-senpai a heart attack one day."

"Oh, he'll be fine," Hikaru waved off as he rubbed his arm.

"Yeah," Kaoru joined in as he slung an arm around his brother's shoulders and used his flashlight to illuminate his face from below his chin. "It's all in good fun."

Tamaki chose this moment to jump into the conversation. "Haruhi is right, you idiots!" He yelled completely distraught. "One of these days you're both going to be cursed and it will be your own faults. And then what would the club do? We don't have anyone else to fill the "brotherly love" act!"

Rolling her eyes and excusing herself from the bickering, Kagome made her way towards the prep room so that she could change clothes. Her grass skirt was beginning to itch.

The hosts and hostess walked across the school's courtyard and towards the gates where their rides awaited. It only took a moment before Kyouya noticed the extra car in their usual lineup. "Who do you suppose that belongs to?" He questioned to no one in particular.

The other club members looked towards the unfamiliar Bentley, but were surprised when Kagome took a few steps away from the group as she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "That's actually my ride," she said with an uneasy smile. She still wasn't completely used to the whole lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous thing.

"That's weird," the Hitachiin's said together. "You don't usually have a car, do you?" Kaoru asked.

"No," Kagome confessed. "But my guardian called me last night and said that he wants me to come out to his estate for the weekend."

"Oh," Haruhi said. It was all any of them could really think to say. It shouldn't have been as surprising as it was. He was her guardian. She was going to be his heir. It made sense that they would spend time together. But she rarely if ever spoke of the mysterious man, and they had honestly forgotten about him for the time. The awkward pause that settled over the group almost made it feel like they were waiting for someone to object, but everyone knew that there was no real reason to do so.

"Well," Kagome drawled as she took a slow step backwards towards the black car, "I really do need to be going. He's not very patient." She laughed at her own awkward little joke as she waved goodbye to her friends and quickly hopped into the dark car.

"That was…weird," Haruhi said to break the silence that had continued to reign after Kagome's departure. The other teens quietly agreed before bidding their own farewells and heading towards their homes for the weekend. They would make a point to ask Kagome about her behavior when they saw her on Monday.

AN: And Chapter Three is finished! I'll let you guys know right now that I will be having lots of fun with fashion (a mild obsession of mine) during this story. I'm going to reason my way into it by saying that since the members of the club pride themselves on looking their best, Kagome would now also be expected to follow suit as part of high society. And I will be posting very rough (re: sh*tty) sketches of Kagome's outfits mentioned on my deviantArt page. I'll make an announcement in an author's note when I start that, but my dA name is the same as my penname here. Anyway, thank you for reading! I really hope that I'm still meeting expectations and you're still enjoying the story. I'm super excited about the next chapter. Hopefully it will be up tomorrow. If not, don't expect an update for a couple of days because I'm going out of the state to visit a friend for a couple of days after work on Thursday (6/7/12). Enough rambling! Be sure to let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

Note for Fools Tutor: This is no problem for me! I'm glad that you like the story. I was able to work in a little more Hunny/Mori time, and I foresee much more of it in the future. I was aware that there was a live action drama out there, but I'm fuzzy on the details of it. Also, Nekozawa will be playing a substantial background (borderline oxymoron?) role in this story. He's one of my favorite characters as well :) I look forward to hearing from you again, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!