Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran Highschool Host Club. © Bisco Hatori
Chapter 2: First Impressions
Only those with excellent social standings and those from filthy rich families are lucky enough to spend their time here, at the elite private school, Ouran Academy. The Ouran Host Club is where the school's most handsomest boys with too much time on their hands entertain young ladies who also have way too much time on their hands. Just think of it as Ouran Academy's elegant playground for the super rich and beautiful.
—Tamaki Suoh
Several customers surrounded the salon sofas on which Tamaki and the Hitachiin twins lay, all of them worried about their bodily conditions after the day's strenuous exercises at P.E., as Kyoya explained to them after they entered the Third Music Room. He placated their worries somewhat, reassuring them that they were just tired and needed some rest, and that they'd be their usual entertaining selves by tomorrow. Till then, Kyoya assured them, they could content themselves over watching them sleep, which they readily agreed to, as they never saw them sleep before. They even found it kind of cute, if voyeurism could be considered cute.
In fact, they got out their cameras and took pictures of Tamaki and the twins sleeping. On the left sofa, Tamaki slept like a king on his death bed, his face serene and handsome like that of Napoleon's even in the eternal sleep of death. On the other sofa, Hikaru slept in a slouching position, leaning to the left over the arm rest with his head leaning over his shoulder and with his mouth open, while Kaoru slept on his left side with his head resting over his brother's lap, garnering many giggles and comments from the yaoi fangirls among their onlookers.
"They're still out, Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi said after checking on the sleepers for the second time after the club opened for business, thinking, Gee, maybe I should apologize to them afterwards. I only played along when I smiled at them, but I never thought they'd faint like that. Then again, I think Kyoya went a little overboard with the way he said it, too.
"Hm. Well, let me know when they wake up," Kyoya said, before turning around and smiling one of his cloak-and-dagger smiles. "Oh, and one more thing: I do realize that I may have gone too far in my threat. But remember, it was your idea, Haruhi, not mine."
A chill went up Haruhi's spine. How does he get into my head like that? He's gotta be some kind of psychic or something, she thought without wanting to find out. Then there's Ruzaki-senpai. I wonder how he's holding up.
As it turned out, it wasn't too good. In fact, when Haruhi returned to her table, she saw her two best customers (Momoka Kurakano and Kimiko Sakurazuka) looking nervous in front of the poetaster, who was leaning over the table with his head in his arms and sulking in embarrassment.
She said, "Sorry about that. I had to check up on Tamaki-senpai and the twins. They're still out, it looks like . . ." She then leaned in between the two girls and said, "What just happened?"
"Uh, it's kind of hard to explain," Momoka whispered.
"Wait, what do you mean?"
"Well," Kimiko whispered, "first, he tried to do a weird imitation of how Kyoya-senpai explains things, and he ended up not making any sense."
Her observation put an arrow in his side.
"When we asked him to clarify what he meant," added Momoka, "he started sulking."
Her observation put another bigger arrow in his back.
These facts left Haruhi silent for a moment, as she thought about the poor man's situation, then said, "Ruzaki-senpai, do you have an inferiority complex?"
That bluntest of questions took the shape of an enormous arrow that almost bowled the poor man over, before he recovered just enough to raise his unworthy head to meet the eyes of someone worthier than he. Faced with another example of his failure, he admitted with a nod of his head yet another of his foibles for all to scrutinize.
"That's okay," said Haruhi, taking a seat between Ruzaki and the girls. "Not everyone's perfect."
"I know. I'll never be perfect."
"No. That's not what I meant. I meant that nobody's perfect. Not even Tamaki-senpai or Kyoya-senpai are perfect. If they were, they'd be boring, and not as many girls would be into them. I know that might sound counter-intuitive, but honestly, if life was perfect, we wouldn't strive to be anything other than what we are. We wouldn't have any aspirations for the future, or any childhood day dreams, for that matter. If everyone and everything was perfect, then there wouldn't be any need for a host club to fulfill the desires and fantasies of any of the girls here. That's why we have faults. They make us more human, more relatable, more interesting and more fun; they make us who we want to be by giving us a reason to overcome them. Trust me, I know. I may not have been born rich, but I made it to this school, because I have something to shoot for. Someday you'll know what to shoot for, too."
Ruzaki couldn't help staring at her after she made her speech, his expression fixed between admiration and revelation, a sentiment shared with Momoka and Kimiko, their cheeks rosy and their eyes wide and on the verge of tears. And like clockwork, both girls squealed after listening to such a beautiful and uplifting soliloquy, before praising Haruhi over and over.
As for Ruzaki, however, he stayed silent, still staring for some moments before he noticed his face burning and his temples sweating, while his brain raced a million miles a second for an adequate response. In the end, he responded by averting his eyes.
"Come on, Ruzaki-senpai, you don't have to act like someone else to talk to the ladies. Just be yourself. It'll be more interesting that way."
The boy looked at Haruhi once more before looking away. "I'll try my best, at least."
"Good." At this, Haruhi changed the subject to something she thought he could manage. So she said, "So you're interested in poetry, right?"
Ruzaki gulped at her question, stealing another glance at the female host. "Yeah."
"What kind of poetry do you like, then?" Kimiko added.
"Uh . . . Well, I guess that depends on my mood."
The three girls waited for him to elaborate on his point but waited in vain. The hapless poet just sat there, dumbfounded as to how to continue without sounding like an idiot.
So Momoka prodded him to go on. She said, "Um . . . Well, what kind of poetry do you usually like to read? Is it love poetry? Political poetry? Religious or secular poetry?"
"Well, I sometimes read religious poetry and love poetry, but that's only when I feel like reading them . . . I've read poems like The Song of Songs, for example, from King Solomon, the Biblical leader of the Israelites."
"I've never read that poem before, but I've heard of it."
"How much have you heard?"
"Oh, not as much as you, since you have a special interest in poetry. I only know that King Solomon was the son of King David, who slew Goliath when he was a boy, and that The Song of Songs is a beautiful love poem."
"Well, that's partly true, but there's more to it than that. King David was not a small shepherd boy but a young man of military age when he killed Goliath. And believe it or not, the poem celebrates the sexual union of two lovers over several trysts."
Momoka gaped in shock, while her friend Kimiko bit on her lower lip and blushed at the sheer boldness of his assertion. Even Haruhi, normally levelheaded during conversations with the ladies, lost some of her composer. In fact, she thought to herself, Why do I get the feeling this won't end well?
"You can't be serious!" said Kimiko. "That's in the Bible?"
Her outbreak turned several heads towards the two flustered damsels and a host who hadn't the slightest clue how to repair the situation, while a determined Ruzaki kept going.
He said, "I know it sounds weird, but the Bible's more complex than just a history book of religious teachings. It has a lot of texture to it, a lot of meaning that may not be readily apparent with just a cursory glance. It's a book that took many centuries to compile and revise, with many parts added and omitted and other parts emphasized and ignored over the years to suit the prevailing tastes in decency of the times. It's a book that carries with it the influence of many hands and minds who wanted to use its power to change the world."
At this, Momoka, Kimiko and Haruhi exchanged glances. Somehow those words set something fluttering in their chests.
"That's really interesting," Haruhi said, keeping the momentum going. "Say, what other kinds of poetry do you like?"
Ruzaki thought for a few moments, determined not to screw up, and said, "Come to think of it, I tend to read dark poetry, especially after my argument with my father over my major. Since that fight, I feel like I've had to prove to myself that my decision was the right one, though I haven't the slightest clue how to become a respectable poet in my father's eyes. I don't know. Since that time, I've felt like I've lost my way along a dark path, riddled with dangers wherever I go. That's why I find myself reading Dante's Divine Comedy when I have doubts."
Momoka and Kimiko looked at each other, both puzzled and curious as to why anyone would read such a notorious poem, while Haruhi began to get nervous. Whoa. I hope he won't creep out the ladies.
"You read Dante's Inferno?" both of Haruhi's customers said.
"Yeah, I do. In fact, of the three parts in Dante's epic, that's the part I read most often. In that part of the epic, the anonymous narrator has a guide named Vergil, a great Roman poet, to lead him through the dark forest and the gates of hell and down the descending circles of increasing depravity and torment, till he reaches the last circle where he must somehow escape. In this journey, he meets virtuous wise men, wind-swept adulterers and seducers, putrified gluttons, thieves, liars, heretics, blasphemers, murderers, suicides, frauds, sowers of discord and traitors. When he reaches the last circle, he even glimpses the Devil himself with three heads endlessly chewing on the three greatest traitors of the age—Brutus, Cassius and Judas." Here he took a moment to gauge their reactions and noted the tinge of blue on their faces, all three curious despite being nervous, before taking the next step. "Come to think of it, that nameless narrator and I are much alike—both lost, both full of doubt, both in need of assistance to achieve our goals. The only difference is that he had Vergil's help throughout his journey, while I have yet to have any help of any kind until now. While he had the inspiration and courage to write some of our darkest fears into some of the most beautiful verses, I've yet to find my inspiration or even the courage to start. So if you girls can help me, I'll be forever in your debt."
Silence. All three girls stayed mute for some moments, not knowing what to say. Never had any of them listened to such graphic conversation in the Host Club or outside of it. In fact, Haruhi wasn't sure if he was trying to flirt with them or freak them out, but the more she listened, the more she understood the plight in which he struggled under.
So she placed her hand atop Ruzaki's and said, "Don't worry yourself over it; you're doing a good job as it is. Besides, we'll help you become a great poet. Right, ladies?"
"Right!" both girls said. "You can count on us!"
"We'll help you become a wonderful poet, Ruzaki-sama!" said Kimiko.
"And we'll get the other girls to help you out, too!" said Momoka.
Their combined enthusiasm got him to do something he hadn't done since his fight with his father landed him in Bunkyo, Tokyo. He smiled his first genuine smile, sending color to Momoka and Kimiko's cheeks and even taking their breath away, before they squealed and fangirled over him.
Their squeals attracted more attention from the other customers at the club, especially the ones who were still attending the sleeping trio of Tamaki and the Hitachiin twins over the salon sofas. And true to their word, Momoka and Kimiko set off towards these girls and tried to convince them to help out their worthy poet.
"Come on, girls," Momoka said, "haven't you looked at those three long enough?"
The nine girls surrounding the sofas on which the sleepers lay looked at the duo before them as though the two had asked them to stop breathing. In their minds, Tamaki may as well have been on his death bed, getting ready at any time to expire beneath their ever-loving and ever-worrying gazes, and the Hitachiin twins may as well have been posing for the cover of Playgirl magazine, both still sleeping in their homoerotically suggestive arrangement. To take their eyes away from these three for even three minutes was unthinkable.
"But Tamaki-sama's still sleeping," said the fat-lipped Tsubaki Kamigamo. "I wanna see him wake up before I do anything else."
And the eight other girls agreed with one "Mmmhmm" of confirmation.
"Kyoya-sama said they'll be recovered by tomorrow," said Kimiko. "Besides, don't you wanna meet the honorary host, Ruzaki-sama?"
Then Kozue Kitamikado said, "Just because he's your type doesn't mean he's my type. I much prefer Hikaru and Kaoru."
And the yaoi fangirls among the group agreed with another "Mmmhmm" of confirmation.
"We're not asking for any of you girls to change hosts," said Momoka. "We're just asking you to help us help Ruzaki-sama become a better poet. He's got the potential to become a great poet, if you just listen to him talk about it. But he took a major risk when he defied his own father to become a poet, and now he needs all the help he can get to realize that dream."
"But he's rebellious," Shiori Igawa said. "I'd never do anything so reckless, and neither would Tamaki-sama."
"Yeah, but do you have any idea how brave you have to be to even talk back at your own father?" added Kimiko.
"Are you saying Tamaki-sama's not brave enough?" said Honoka Kimiwada, taking offense at such slander with ire burning in her eyes.
"No, I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is that Ruzaki-sama may be rebellious, be he's also very brave for standing up to his father. Bravery counts just as much as beauty and finesse in my book. Besides, it's good to help people out. Tamaki-sama would understand that, for sure."
"Well, you're right about that," Shiori said. "I'd never go against my father's wishes, because I'm scared of what he might say. And Tamaki-sama is very understanding and willing to help others. Hmmm . . . What do you think, girls?" She turned to her female colleagues. "You willing to help out?"
Here the girls exchanged looks before coming to a decision.
Meanwhile, alone at their cafe table, Ruzaki said, "How did I do? I hope I wasn't too shabby."
"You did really good, Senpai. I'm impressed. It was a little unorthodox, I'll admit, but you pulled it together very well."
At this, the would-be poet breathed a sigh of relief. "To be honest with you, I tend to be a bit graphic and dark when I talk about things, as you saw earlier. Don't know why that is, though. I just know that whenever I try to be more uplifting or positive like Kyoya-senpai or even you, I lose my footing, I become self-conscious, and I mince the hell out of my words. I just don't feel comfortable talking about uplifting or happy things, when I honestly don't feel like it on the inside, you know."
"That's all right. When it comes to conversation, honesty's usually the best policy."
"Usually?"
"Well, yeah. You gotta make allowances for flexibility sometimes," Haruhi said, before leaning close and dropping her voice to a whisper. "Besides, I don't wanna tell my customers I'm a girl. It would just be too embarrassing for them if they knew the truth."
"Oh, I see," he said. "Well, what about you? How was your first time talking to the ladies?"
"Honestly, I was as nervous as you. Those two girls over there," she said, indicating Momoka and Kimiko still trying to convince the other girls to help Ruzaki in his poetic endeavors, "are my first two customers when I started out in this club, and at first I was clueless how to answer their question on why I joined the Host Club. I couldn't just tell them the truth, that I was a girl who joined to pay off a debt, so I—"
"Wait, a debt? Why are you in debt?"
Haruhi tensed, thinking, Damn it! You blew it big time, Haruhi. God, I can't BELIEVE I just let that slip my—
At this, Ruzaki looked at her, deciphered the flustered expression on her face and said, "Does this debt have anything to do with this club? If it does, then I could—"
"No, please don't. Just drop it."
"But if I could help you pay off—"
"Senpai, just drop it, please! I don't feel comfortable discussing it."
"Oh, okay," he said and just sat there for some moments, clueless as to how to repair the situation. So he said, "I'm sorry, Haruhi. I shouldn't have pressed you if you didn't want me to continue."
"That's okay. Everybody slips up sometime . . ." Including me, even. I wonder what would have happened if Momoka or Kimiko knew about my debt. Would it reflect badly on the club if the customers knew about it? she thought to herself. "Anyway," she continued, "during my first time as a host here, I told my first customers about my life as a way of introducing myself, especially how my mother died and how I had to become independent and hard-working to support my father."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Oh, that's okay. That was ten years ago, so I don't sulk as much as I used to. Besides," she said, steering the subject towards less dangerous waters, "I think it's kind of fun being popular among the ladies."
"You really think so, even when you yourself are one?"
"Why, yes. I guess my sense of gender's lower than what most people would consider normal, but that's all right with me. You gotta admit, though, they are pretty cute, especially when you make them smile," she said, punctuating her statement with a smile that melted women's hearts and stole men's gazes.
Her smile had it's effect on the hapless poet, as well, who stared at her in utter amazement for the second time today. And once again, he found himself speechless before a woman who far surpassed the limitations of her sex in sheer daring and honesty, causing him to sweat at the temples and shake at the knees, before looking away again. "Geez, Haruhi, no wonder you're popular among the girls. Your words are decisive and your smiles are dangerous!"
Before Haruhi replied, Kyoya said, walking up to their table, "I'm starting to wonder what you said, Toyoda, to marshall Haruhi's clients to assist in your endeavors. They're even asking my clients to help you," and he pointed to his own table where Momoka and Kimiko were persuading Yuriko Akishika and Azusa Suwaki to join them (accompanied with the nine girls that left their former stations at the side of Tamaki and the twins).
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Ruzaki. "I didn't mean to infringe on your customers like that."
"On the contrary," Kyoya said, readjusting his immaculately placed glasses, "I haven't seen the girls this exited about a new host since Haruhi joined this club. This might even rake in more money for our activities, if our week-long theme succeeds in attracting new customers. Of course, all this hype would go to waste if you do not fulfill your end of the deal by attending this Saturday's poetry recital. Remember, Toyoda, in the real word, there is no use for cold feet."
At this, Ruzaki gulped. In his mind, the Shadow King may as well have threatened him to not come to this school at all, should he dare to skimp out on the appointed date. "I won't, sir. You have my word that I'll be here ready to go on that day."
"Good. Oh and, Haruhi, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"Uh, sure," she said, getting up and walking with her senpai. "What's up?"
"From what you've seen so far, what do you think of Ruzaki Toyoda as a host?"
"Well, he's rough around the edges and a bit unorthodox when it comes to charming the girls, but when he's at his best, he's pretty good."
"Hm. What do you mean by 'unorthodox'?"
"To be honest, he makes people nervous because of his . . . surprising references when he's talking. Also, he seems to have an inferiority complex, because he overestimates others at the expense of underestimating himself. He seems like the humble type to me."
"I was thinking of that, at first, but humble types don't exactly defy their parents' wishes, do they?"
"You may be right, but not all humble types are the same. What are you thinking, Kyoya-senpai?"
"This is just my first impression of him, so it might change as he comes out of his shell. But I think, in addition to being the poet type, he's also the romantic type."
At this, Haruhi looked at her senpai in surprise. "Romantic? I don't know. When I was with him when he talked about poetry to my guests, he didn't come off as romantic in the slightest."
"That depends on your definition of romantic. You see, there is more than one meaning for 'romantic'. For example, there is the romantic definition derived from the romance literature of medieval and renaissance times of heroic deeds and brave heroes. That in no way describes Ruzaki's type. Then there is the romantic definition derived from its contemporary usage in romance novels and movies of two lovers coming together. This, too, in no way describes him. But between these extremes, there is the romantic definition derived from the Gothic Romanticism movement of the late-18th and early-19th centuries of dark self introspection, gothic landscapes and imagery, and an emphasis on feeling over intellect. Do you think this describes Ruzaki's type?"
She thought about it, connecting the dots one by one. "Yeah. Come to think of it, it fits him perfectly. But why are you talking to me about this?"
"Because you complement him, Haruhi, and he complements you. I'm surprised you didn't notice it yourself with the way he looks at you whenever you flatter the ladies with your words. In fact, he seems to linger on your words far longer than your female admirers. Also, you seem to sympathize with him quite easily for someone you just met a few hours ago, especially when you talked to me about helping him realize his poetic potential earlier, despite the mix-up of this afternoon."
"Okay . . . So what are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that, since you wanted to help Toyoda in our little talk earlier, the task for helping him realize his poetic potential lies on your shoulders."
"But you threatened to blackmail Tamaki and the twins to help him."
"I lied to those fools for their insolence, in order to uphold school policy as well as the integrity of this club by providing accountability whenever it is needed. But I'd be remiss to rely on their incompetence to help that man in his endeavors."
"But why are you doing this, Senpai? You don't usually go out of your way to help people without knowing first hand whether they'll help you in return."
"You need not concern yourself with that part of the equation. Let me handle that. Just make sure you uphold your end by helping that man. Any failure might reflect badly on the integrity of this club, should he become a no-show or come unprepared and embarrass us."
"So in other words," said Haruhi in more blatant terms, "you're saying that since I talked you into helping him out, the blame lands on me if I can't help him to overcome his stage fright. Is that what you're saying?"
"I'm glad you understand our little arrangement," he said with another of his cloak-and-dagger smiles.
You've gotta be kidding me? You may as well add to my debt if you feel that way, Senpai, geez! I can't believe this guy! she thought, then sighed. Tamaki may be an idiot, but at least he's not a conniving tyrant!
Kyoya looked at her, as straight-faced as a poker player. He said, "If you have questions about my leadership, maybe you could voice them after closing hours."
Her reaction was immediate. The hairs raised on the back of her neck, her face turned pale, and she silently cursed herself for underestimating the demonic omnipotence of the Shadow King. She said, "That's not necessary, Senpai. I'll take care of it," and bolted away from the man as fast as she could.
When she seated herself beside Ruzaki again, she looked flustered and shaken.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" Ruzaki said. "Is something the matter?"
Haruhi just looked at him and deadpanned, pointing to the Shadow King, "Try staring the Devil in the face and see who blinks first."
Chills went up the poet's spine. "I see what you mean."
After acquiring two of Kyoya's regulars under their cause, Momoka and Kimiko continued their quest to provide Ruzaki an audience with the acquisition of the last group of girls yet to be persuaded into the fray. So as captain and lieutenant on the field, the two led the group of now eleven girls to the last three girls attending to the dynamic duo of Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai on another pair of salon sofas.
Since the doors opened for business, Honey-senpai had been charming the girls into giggles and squeals, while the ever-taciturn Mori-senpai replied between spells of absolute silence with "Ah" and "Yeah" to his poetic conceits on sweets, tea and Usa-chan to their blushing guests. In fact, since the doors opened, Honey-senpai's trio of admirers had been the most frequent squealers of today's club activities, an honor usually held by Tamaki's customers or the Hitachiin twins'.
Notwithstanding the delayed opening of the club, Honey was on a roll today. In fact, his poetic genius on the topic of cakes and women proved truly remarkable, when he said in the spirit of the club's current theme,
"Cakes can be red, or violet or blue,
But once in a while, I prefer only you!"
And the trio of ladies all squealed together in a torrent of revery with Ayumi Munakata, the object of Honey-senpai's latest jest, nearly fainting in an ecstasy of blushes and squeals into the sofa cushions. While Marika Mikamo fanned at her female colleague to revive her, all three love-struck guests got ready for yet another of Honey-senpai's saccharine jests. But he said, "Maybe I should let you girls catch a breath before I go on, because it looks like you need it. Especially you, Ayu-chan; you look like you're about to faint."
"Oh, Honey-sama, if I could only faint in your arms and dream of you and cake," said Ayumi, completely unaware of her own words, "I wouldn't mind stuffing my face!"
That earned the near-senseless woman several sniggers from her two companions, as well as from the group of girls gathered around the sofas. For a moment or two, the woman remained slouched over onto her side in her reveries, blissfully unaware till she noticed more of girls giggling around her.
Right then, she sat bolt upright and said, "Wait, what did I just say? Oh God, I hope I didn't say something embarrassing!" Here she covered her blushing face in her hands.
"That's all right, Ayu-chan," Honey-senpai said, all smiles with his cutesy charms. "You're still beautiful, whether you're eating cake, blushing or making love!"
That last part of his jest was a showstopper in every syllable of the word. At this, all the girls stopped giggling and merely looked at Honey in wide-eyed amazement, their faces turning redder by the second. At this, Haruhi and Ruzaki looked at the little potty mouth from their table, while Kyoya looked up from his laptop at a nearby table and cocked an eyebrow. Hell, even the stoic Mori-senpai stared at his charge with something resembling shock (God, help us) etched onto his face!
In that instant, Ayumi fainted for good atop the sofa cushions, reposing into an emotionally charged sleep whose dreams might have consisted of tea and cakes, jests and blushing, and even 'making love'—God, help her!
In another instant, Mori-senpai said, "You overdid it, Mitsukuni."
In another instant, Honey-senpai looked at his cousin, then at the motionless Ayumi next to him, and then at the girls around him with their red faces and their wide disbelieving eyes, till he realized the error of his words. He said, turning to his cousin with tears welling up into his big moe eyes, "D-did I say something bad, Takashi?"
The big man nodded his head. "You should apologize, Mitsukuni."
So with the gravitas of a repentant sinner, the little man said with tears streaming down his adorably moe face, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, ladies, for being a potty mouth!" And he went on sputtering apology after apology until his speech regressed into the cutest rendition of baby talk.
At this, all the girls (sans Ayumi) exploded into the loudest cheers of "Moe!" ever heard between the walls of the Third Music Room at this point, while some girls (overcome by the sheer unfathomable cuteness of a repentant Honey-senpai) swooned away into unconsciousness.
At this, Momoka and Kimiko felt the full brunt of unfettered cuteness stagger them. In fact, Kimiko felt her knees quiver and buckle under the strain till she gave out and fainted, while Momoka held on by a tenuous effort of will as she placed her hand to her chest, feeling the tumultuous throb beneath the bodice of her dress beating against her palm.
At this, distressed over the misery of his cousin, Mori-senpai came to his rescue and kneeled in front of him to wipe the tears from his eyes. "It's okay, Mitsukuni. You've done enough."
His act of forgiveness was the straw that broke the camel's back. Another squeal resounded throughout the Third Music Room. More girls swooned away, while Momoka (strong-willed as she was) collapsed onto her knees and only managed to keep conscious by the pain in her knees, thinking to herself to never ever underestimate the awesome power of moe!
Moments passed, drifting into eternity.
Slowly the girls recovered their composures, other girls revived and got up, and even Ayumi roused with the help of Marika and another girl.
Slowly Momoka raised herself painfully to her feet, then helped Kimiko to hers, before looking over the scene of girls regaining at least some of their sanity. More moments passed, before she said, "Is everybody all right?"
The girls answered her with individual nods of their heads and vocal confirmations.
More moments passed till all the girls showed enough signs of recovery for Momoka to continue. She then said, "Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai, I have a favor to ask of both of you."
Both cousins looked at each other, before facing one of Haruhi's customer's. Honey-senpai said, "What is it, Momo-chan?"
"Well, after listening to Ruzaki-sama wanting to improve as a poet, Kimiko and I have decided to help him realize his goal by having all the guests give him an audience to help him overcome his doubts. That's why we're here asking your guests to join us and give Ruzaki-sama an audience to support him. He's got a lot of potential. It's for a good cause."
And the eleven other girls agreed with one "Mmmhmm" of confirmation.
Honey-senpai's admirers traded looks and agreed on the spot, with Marika saying, "We'd be happy to help out! Well, if that's okay for you two, Honey-sama, Mori-sama. We'd like to help him out, if we could."
Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai exchanged looks, both unsure what to do, both remembering Kyoya lay down the law when he threatened blackmail against Tamaki and the Hitachiin twins if they didn't get their acts together and help the hapless poet as atonement for their actions. In the end, since the Shadow King willed it, they both appealed with looks of entreaty at their president pro tempore still seated at his table, still looking over his laptop.
Kyoya, in turn, approved with a nod of his head.
With that, Honey-senpai said, "Yeah, sure, we'll help out Ruza-chan!"
Then Mori-senpai assented with a nod of his head.
With that, it was off to the races. The wheels were set in motion. Momoka and Kimiko led the group of now fourteen girls, accompanied with an excited Honey-senpai and an imperceptibly curious Mori-senpai, towards Haruhi and Ruzaki's table.
At this, Ruzaki felt a spike of nervousness run through his body. So he did the only thing he could do at such momentous occasions.
He gulped and prayed to not screw up.
Meanwhile, Kyoya looked on the scene with a bystander's interest at a carnival spectacle. Since he founded the Host Club with Tamaki, he had never seen a group of customers act with a mutual interest in supporting another host. In all honesty, such selfless collective action was a rarity to Kyoya's self-interested observations. He figured that such a spectacle would prove a valuable learning experience for him, as well as for the other hosts.
So in that same spirit of selflessness (or at least, the closest approximation to it), Kyoya ambled over to the sofas on which the sleepers still slept like logs in a riverbed to wake them up. He touched Hikaru on the shoulder, jolting him awake and choking back a scream from a nightmare about Kaoru.
"K-Kyoya-senpai?" he said. "What's going on?"
"Shhhhhhh," he said, putting a finger to his lips. "Wake up your brother, while I wake up Tamaki."
"But why is—?"
"Shhhhhhh," he said, and then pointed to the scene building around Haruhi and Ruzaki's table, where Momoka and Kimiko took their seats, while the rest of the girls gathered around them.
Hikaru looked at the scene and almost swallowed his tongue. Somehow, Ruzaki and Haruhi had marshaled all the guests, as well as Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, around their table. "Wait, why are they—?"
That's when he noticed the weight of Kaoru's head on his lap, his brother's warm breath breathing on his inner thigh. That's when Hikaru found himself blushing at the disturbing recollection of his nightmare about his own brother giving him a—
And, just as his brother realized the source of his disturbing dream, that's when Kaoru opened his eyes and leaped off of his brother's lap, choking back a scream of his own and blushing at the same nightmare of giving his own brother a—
"Shhhhhhh," said Kyoya once more, pointing towards the spectacle unfolding before them, "just stay quiet and observe," before he proceeded to shake Tamaki up from his deep slumber, grabbing onto both of his shoulders and roughhousing him back into consciousness. "Tamaki, wake UP!"
At last, when Tamaki woke up, he bolted upright in the sofa and missed headbutting Kyoya by mere millimeters, before getting ready to scream at the nightmarish thought of a demonic Haruhi Fujioka forcing him to redo menial chores.
But just as he was about to let out a scream, Kyoya cupped his hand over Tamaki's mouth, forcing him to choke back his scream in agony, before he finally let go and left the poor blond wheezing.
"Geez, Kyoya, what are you trying to do? Kill me?"
"Shhhhhhh," said Kyoya one more time, placing a finger to his lips and then pointing to the spectacle of Ruzaki getting ready to charm the ladies. "Be quiet, all of you, and observe the scene before you. This is a learning experience for all of you to get a good impression of how Ruzaki charms the ladies, what his strengths and weaknesses are, and how you might reinforce his strengths and improve on his weaknesses."
At this, Tamaki and the twins exchanged looks, all three unsure of what to make of it.
So Tamaki said, "Uh . . . Why exactly do you want us to observe Ruzaki like this?"
"Because I charged all three of you to help him," said an ominous Kyoya, "in order to atone for you actions against him earlier. If you don't help him, you will leave me no choice but to take drastic measures and have you all reported."
That threat brought them back to reality right quick like a jolt of lightning running through them.
With all three at attention, he said, "Now do I make myself clear?"
All color drained out of their faces, and they all nodded their heads in abject humility.
"Good." Then for added measure, just because he felt like messing with their heads, Kyoya gave them one of his cloak-and-dagger smiles and said, "I'll be expecting a lot out of you three. Better not disappoint," before he ambled back to his table, took a seat and typed something into his laptop.
The trio looked at Kyoya as though they were cowering in fear of the Devil, before they turned their gazes to the spectacle before them, all three crouching behind the backrest of the sofa.
(To be continued...)
A/N: Hey there! Thank you for waiting so patiently for my update! Anyway, I really like how this chapter turned out. I did a crapload of research, going so far as to finding the actual names of each of the host club member's regulars and including them in more active roles. Anyway, here are the names of each of the Host Club member's most frequent regulars:
Haruhi: (1) Kimiko Sakurazuka, (2) Momoka Kurakano, (3) Ruri "Karasuma" Karasumaru
Tamaki: (1) Shiori Igawa, (2) Tsubaki Kamigamo, (3) Honoka Kimiwada
Kyoya: (1) Yuriko "Aika" Akishika, (2) Azusa Suwaki
Twins: (1) Haruna Usami, (2) Kozue Kitamikado
Honey/Mori: (1) Marika Mikamo, (2) Ayumi "Munekata" Munakata
It was hard at first, but all the slaving away paid off. I'm SOOO excited! Anyway, I hope none of the character are OOC! And I hope you enjoyed my characterizations of all the characters, especially Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai, the Hitachiin twins and Ruzaki, as well!