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The Ouran Hostess

Chapter Four

Kyouya stood in front of his full-length mirror with his chin tilted upward as he straightened his violet silk tie. Smoothing his hands down the front of his dark silver vest, he easily reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone when it began to buzz. "Yes, Tamaki?" He answered without needing to check who was calling. This was the fifth call in the last hour.

"Have you heard from the others yet?" Tamaki asked as he was finishing getting ready at his own home.

Shifting to hold the phone between his ear and shoulder so that he could button his cufflinks, Kyouya patiently answered, "I have. It appears that all of the club, with the exception of Haruhi, will be attending the party."

"Even Kagome?" Tamaki prodded from his end of the line.

Pausing momentarily in his movements, Kyouya slowly drawled, "I'm not sure. She didn't answer her phone and has yet to return my call."

Tamaki hummed into the receiver as he thought aloud. "She did say that she was visiting with her guardian this weekend."

"And many prominent names will likely be in attendance this evening," Kyouya continued the train of thought. "While I don't have the full guest list, it's not out of the question that we may run into her. The head of the Taisho Group doesn't host events often, but they tend to be quite large when he does."

"Do you think anyone else from school will be there?" Tamaki asked.

Kyouya sighed softly as he reminded himself that Tamaki was his best friend. The blonde tended to get overexcited when he was invited out to such events with his father. His grandmother usually didn't allow it. "I wouldn't be surprised," Kyouya finally answered. "These are the sort of things that business heads usually bring their older children to. It allows their successors to meet with people that they'll likely work with one day and make connections." Lifting the phone into his hand once more, Kyouya strode over to his bed where he had laid his suit jacket.

"Are your brothers coming?" Tamaki continued to question.

"Of course," Kyouya answered easily.

"Do you think that Yashuchika and Satoshi will be there with Hunny and Mori?"

"I doubt it. It will probably be another year or two before they start attending these sorts of parties."

Seeing his older sister knock lightly on doorframe to his room and wave him on, Kyouya addressed Tamaki again, "It looks as though we're leaving now, Tamaki. I'll see you later this evening." He had barely heard Tamaki's reply when he snapped his phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Kyouya, you look so handsome!" Fuyumi gushed as she stepped closer to her youngest brother. Sighing as she reached up to brush a few strands of hair out of his eyes, she added in a softer tone, "You've grown up into such a fine young man."

Sparing the woman a small but sincere smile, Kyouya folded his jacket over one arm before offering the other to his sister so that he could escort her down to the waiting car.

"I can't remember the last time Mr. Taisho hosted a party," Fuyumi mused as she adjusted the shawl she'd chosen to go with her dress.

Kyouya hummed his agreement. "This will be the first time that I've been to one," he said. "I was still too young last time. I have to admit that I'm looking forward to meeting the man."

"Oh, Kyouya," Fuyumi huffed as she lightly swatted the younger man's arm. "Can't you put aside business thoughts for one evening? This is a party! You're young and should think about having more fun. I'm sure that there will be lots of people your age there—lots of girls your age."

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Kyouya deadpanned, "Very subtle, Fuyumi."

"What?" She asked defensively. "Can you blame me? You spend all day entertaining girls with that club of yours, but you've never brought a girl home to meet us or even mentioned someone special. I'd like to be an aunt one day, thank you very much."

Kyouya did roll his eyes this time. "Then shouldn't you be talking to Yuuichi and Akito about that? They're both older than I am," he pointed out.

"And they're both just as obsessed with business as you are," she groused. "I don't know what it is with the men in this family and their work."

"Not all of us can be housewives, Fuyumi," Kyouya reminded as he offered her his hand so that she could easily slide into the family's limousine.

Gripping her little brother's steady hand, Fuyumi paused before getting into the vehicle. "Still Kyouya," she insisted. "Our brothers managed to date while they were in high school and still make top marks. You're the smartest of us all. I'm sure you would be able to manage somehow."

Deciding not to respond and simply let her believe that she had won, Kyouya helped his sister into her seat before claiming his as well. And as Fuyumi decided to keep a steady flow of conversation with the rest of their family, Kyouya sat quietly in his own thoughts trying to come up with legitimate reasons for why he didn't date.

Kyouya remained by his father's side throughout the cocktail hour as the guests mingled. It was something that was expected of the younger generation during that portion of the evening. It was a time for old colleagues and business partners to reacquaint themselves and for their children to forge new connections. He had seen his friends milling about the room with their own parents but hadn't had the chance to speak with any of them for more than a moment.

From what he had gathered, none of them had seen Kagome. Perhaps she wouldn't be attending the party after all.

Everyone was currently in a large ballroom that connected to the dining hall where dinner was to be served. From what his sister had explained, this was the customary of a Taisho party; cocktail hour in the ballroom, dinner in the hall, and then back to the ballroom for dancing and socializing after it had been cleaned and fully decorated. Decorated or not, Kyouya was silently impressed with the room.

He knew that the Taisho family was what one would call "old money" since their lineage could be traced back to the nobility of the feudal era, and the main estate was a testament to that. It still held many of its traditional Japanese qualities along the exterior, but the interior had been remodeled in a much more western fashion. But nothing was what could be called "modern" as the Ootori home was. Everything was large and grand and extravagant. It was right up Tamaki's alley.

All heads turned towards the back of the room as the double ornate doors at the top of the grand staircase opened. An elderly male servant stepped through and stood to the side as he said in a clear voice, "Announcing your evening's host, Master Sesshoumaru Taisho, and introducing his heir and successor, Young Mistress Kagome Higurashi."

Several shocked expressions were seen around the room as the pair began their descent down the staircase. Kyouya had seen pictures of Sesshoumaru Taisho before, but they didn't do justice to the commanding presence that he held. The tall man's pale skin and white hair contrasted sharply with his crisp black suit. His expression was aloof and neutral as he cast honey eyes over his guests. And on his arm—seeming to be his opposite in almost every way—was a smiling Kagome.

Kagome's lightly tanned skin glowed in the fitted white dress she wore, but the image was toned down by the black lace accents appliquéd to the gown. Her long black hair, which was usually worn loose, was pulled back into a bun of curls to the left side of her nape while her bangs and some fringe were left to frame her face.

'She looks older in formalwear,' was the only thought that Kyouya could solidify as part of him still reeled at discovering that the Host Club's Kagome was heir to one of the largest fortunes in Japan and quite possibly the world.

Kagome took deep breaths and forced the best smile that she could as her heart hammered in her chest. 'Please don't trip, please don't trip,' she silently chanted to herself. She was in a new pair of high heels and, while she had worn other heels in the past, she hadn't had a chance to get used to this pair yet.

When Sesshoumaru had called her to say that all of her inheritance paperwork was finished, she'd been relieved that she wouldn't need to hide things anymore. She had arrived at his home only to be told that her announcement party would be that weekend because Sesshoumaru was leaving to attend to business overseas within the week. She had tried to tell him that everything was too short of notice, but when she had been presented with her dress for the party and the matching shoes—both in the right sizes—she knew that he'd been several steps ahead of her from the beginning.

Now, as she tried not to look like the nervous wreck that she was, all she could do was focus on her breathing and where she was stepping. Sesshoumaru barely turned to her as he quietly spoke, "You need to calm yourself."

"Easy for you to say," she grumbled under her breath. He wasn't the one that a room full of people was staring at like a side-show attraction.

The next several minutes were nothing but a blur of introductions, shaking of hands, and bowing as much as her dress would allow. Kagome knew that she would never be able to remember any of the people that she had been introduced to; her thoughts were too scrambled and her adrenaline was too high. Why couldn't her skills from the Host Club transfer into situations like this?

'Because I know that I'm way in over my head here,' Kagome answered her own internal question. When she felt Sesshoumaru squeeze her elbow to bring her attention back to the moment, she knew that more introductions were about to be made.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru's deep baritone spoke. "This is Yoshio Ootori, a business associate of mine."

As soon as the name "Ootori" left Sesshoumaru's lips, Kagome scanned the family standing in front of her. Sure enough, there was Kyouya, and he was looking even more put together than usual. "Kyouya-senpai," she said cheerfully out of reflex. She had been so relieved to see a familiar face that she hadn't even realized that she'd interrupted someone who was speaking until Sesshoumaru looked at her sharply. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She hurried to correct with a quick bow towards the speaker. "I was just so surprised to see someone familiar that I completely forgot myself," she said as she smiled and laughed nervously.

"That's quite alright, my dear," Yoshio replied smoothly. While he didn't appreciate being interrupted while speaking with one of his most esteemed partners, he wasn't about to get off on the wrong foot with the girl. Especially not when he saw a golden opportunity beginning to unfold. "I take it you know my youngest son?" He asked politely.

"Yes, sir," Kagome smiled as she quickly glanced towards the older boy. "I know him from school," she said. She didn't want to elaborate more than that. She'd heard from some of the others that Kyouya's father didn't exactly approve of the Host Club, and she was fairly certain that Sesshoumaru wouldn't love the idea either. "I met him after he helped me when I had a little…mishap one day."

"What kind of "mishap," Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked. He was all too aware of the kind of trouble the girl was prone to.

Looking extremely sheepish, Kagome smiled unsurely as she said, "I was on my way home one day and didn't see a wet spot on the floor. I sort of slipped and fell down a flight of stairs."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened marginally before he gave Kagome a look promising that they would speak of her "mishap" later.

A feminine gasp drew Kagome's attention back to the Ootori family. A very pretty woman had a delicate hand pressed to her mouth before she removed it and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine now!" Kagome said as she tried to politely wave off the woman's concern. "Kyouya-senpai took very good care of me." There was no harm in praising Kyouya in front of his family. From everything that she'd heard about the relationship between him and his father, it sounded like he could use someone in his corner.

"Kyouya," the woman addressed as she placed a hand on his arm. "You never said anything about that!"

Watching Kagome curiously, Kyouya replied evenly, "I didn't think that it was of any consequence. Kagome was fine, after all. I wasn't even the one who found her. Haninozuka-senpai was the one who first spotted her after she fell."

Yoshio narrowed his eyes slightly at his youngest son now that he was aware that he had been with this Host Club friends. But he directed his attention back to the white-haired man in front of him as Sesshoumaru began to speak again. "Ootori, I believe my assistant placed your family at my table for dinner this evening," he said as the doors to the dining hall began to open.

"Excellent," Yoshio said as he turned back towards his youngest. "Kyouya, since you're already acquainted with Miss Higurashi, why don't you escort her for the rest of the evening? I'm sure that she would appreciate a familiar face who was a little closer to her age." If he was able to endear his son to the girl and thereby her guardian, there were many things that he could do with such a connection.

Tensing for a moment, Kyouya knew that his father was playing at something. Yoshio Ootori rarely did anything without a reason. But, deciding to play along until he could figure out exactly what the man's ulterior motive was, Kyouya nodded once as he said, "Of course, Father." Turning towards Kagome, he extended his black-clad arm as he put all of his hosting charms to use and said, "Shall we, Miss Higurashi?"

Kagome hesitated for a moment. This was not the Kyouya that she knew. He was playing the obedient son, and this false personality set her on edge. Looking towards Sesshoumaru in silent question, she received no help as the dog demon nodded her forward with the slightest inclination of his head. Kagome stifled a sigh as she stepped forward to take Kyouya's arm and said, "Certainly, Kyouya-senpai."

The pair lingered at the back of their dining group as they made their way towards their table. In a hushed tone, Kyouya questioned, "So, heiress to the Taisho Group?"

Kagome was well aware of what he was asking. "I'm sorry, but Sesshoumaru wouldn't let me say anything," she replied in equally low tones. It's not like it mattered though. She was well aware that Sesshoumaru would be able to hear them unless they were several rooms and shut doors away.

Lifting a perfect brow, Kyouya said, "There's nothing to apologize for. I'm aware of how familial obligation works. But I have to say that I didn't see it coming. Perhaps I should have done a more in-depth search on you, after all."

"You did a search on me?" Kagome hissed lowly.

"Of course," he answered as though it should have been obvious. "I do searches on all of the club's guests. Did you really think that I wouldn't do a search on a new member?"

Kagome silently cursed Kyouya as she saw Sesshoumaru's head turn ever-so-slightly to the side. He had heard them. 'Well that's just great,' Kagome complained in her head. Deciding to change the subject, Kagome asked, "Are any of the others here?"

"All but Haruhi," Kyouya supplied easily as he pulled out Kagome's chair and claimed the one to her left. "There are also quite a few other students from Ouran here with their parents as well. Come Monday, everyone will know about tonight."

"Great," Kagome groaned. She really didn't want to be the latest gossip topic. But when she saw Kyouya's tiny smirk she couldn't help but ask, "What?"

Allowing his smirk to grow into a full grin, Kyouya answered, "I can only imagine what this is going to do for the club's business."

As dinner's first course was brought out and different conversations were started around the table, Kagome kept glancing out the corner of her eye towards Kyouya. She had been anticipating and dreading an incredibly boring evening. But now something was telling her that it was going to be anything but dull.

AN: Okay and we're stopping there! I had originally planned for this even to take place several chapters from now, but it seemed to fit well here. The next chapter will be the second half of the evening. I decided to break it up into two parts to avoid a ridiculously long chapter. I really hope that everyone knows that this story isn't going to be any great and dramatic epic tale—just a cute and sometimes awkward story about two people falling in love despite what their better sense tells them. That said, the next chapter won't be up for a couple of days. As I mentioned in my note last chapter, I'm going out of state to visit with a friend. (She's having a Pure Romance party. If you've never been to one or heard of it and you're 18 or older, I suggest looking it up. They're insanely fun for a "girl's night in" kind of thing!) Also, as promised, I did some really quick (and crappy) clothing sketches. I was originally only going to do Kagome, but I ended up doing both Kagome and Kyouya's outfits from this chapter. They're in the same picture together on my deviant art page (username: BoxingBunny). I'm going to post the picture as soon as I post this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Be sure to let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Note for Fools Tutor: I did check out the live drama! I watched the first episode and really liked it :) I plan on watching the rest once I get back from my weekend trip. And you were right; the girl's uniform was really cute! I'm glad you think the characterizations and interactions are going well. I worry about things like that xD I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Look forward to hearing from you again! Thanks!