AN: You can just skip all the bold if you're not interested in my rambling ahaha.
Hello all! Back with another chapter for you. Thank you all so much for the comments and the favorites, it's really encouraging to see people respond positively to my stories and and keeps me motivated. I'm gonna do some responses and then we'll begin!
Kaylee-sempai: I like your name hehehe. Thank you very much! It's actually one of the longest first chapters I've written, so I'll keep that in mind, though I plan to be making them a bit longer. Also, you have helped me greatly in figuring out where I'm going to go from here. I have an idea of where I wanna end up, I just didn't have the way there figured out. I've been thinking about if I want to set anyone up with Ena (I actually have ideas about some side characters and who I want them to be with) and I agree that she and Takashi would be well matched. I'm going to think about it a bit more before making any definite decisions, however.
Shekat55: I am very much so a West Coast girl, and all my knowledge of the East comes from my infrequent visits there. So if you have any recommendations as to how to characterize people there, please tell me! That also goes for any other East Coasters. I'm glad you like Ena, I haven't gotten a chance to really show too much of her personality, but this next chapter will be the start of that. And I'm glad everyone is in character!
Kaito Mitsuki: Thanks and here you go! :)
Anon: Thanks a bunch!
anime3: I would love to do something for FMA:B or even Attack on Titan, but I have to finish watching the anime and reading the manga. Keep an eye out though!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ouran High School Host Club. Unfortunately.
The ride to Beecher Academy was -mostly- painless. A comfortable quiet had settled over the group, interrupted occasionally by Tamaki's questions about the buildings they passed during the short trip. That and Kyoya's insistent writing. Ena couldn't help but be curious as to what was so important that he had to make constant note of it. That line of thought lead her to wonder about the whole of the group. Despite what she had told them earlier, she did want to know what had caused the five additions to the group, and the circumstances of their friendship. Based off the meaningful looks both twins gave Haruhi when she wasn't paying attention (which was often) it was quite the story. Ena decided it would probably be best to wait until she had gotten some food in the student's stomachs before broaching the subject. However, when Hikaoru made a comment about her, quote unquote, "frumpy school girl look" Ena asked herself why she would even bother. The swift and merciless pinch given to him by Kaoru helped the frazzled girl to mentally dub him 'The Nicer Twin.'
Upon arrival at Beecher's office, Ena paid the cab driver and waited as her charges took in the school. The main office was an old brownstone, a golden sign boasting "Beecher Academy, EST 1912" and looked shiny and new compared to the rest of the building. The rest of the school was behind the main office, sprawled in several acres in all directions. The grounds were green and well kept, flowers blooming in beds and many a tree graced the lawns. Ena thought that Beecher was practical and worldly, not too showy or over the top, but still sporting the wealth and age of the establishment. The exchange student's seemed to have other ideas.
"It's so..." Honey started, searching for a word to describe the school.
"Boring." The twins finished for him together, crossing their arms in synch.
"Well, what does Ouran look like?" Ena tried not to get defensive for the sake of her school.
"Dazzling!" Tamaki threw his arms out in excitement.
"Opulent." Kyoya added, giving the bricks a distasteful look.
"Better than this." Hikaru dodged his brothers elbow.
"Interesting." Kaoru allowed.
"Really cute." Honey giggled, his voice accompanied by Mori's lower "Yeah."
"Pink." Haruhi laid out the truth, rolling her eyes at her friends. "I think this school is perfectly fine. You all are too judgmental."
Ena made another mental note, this time to look up the transfer students' school. A glance at Kyoya made her realize that there maybe some merit to carrying around a notebook all the time, though there was the drawback of looking like some kind of health inspector.
"Let's go inside, shall we?" Ena ushered the crowd towards the front door, guiding them to the main office where Gena still sat.
"Hello Gena," Ena smiled after situating everyone in the waiting area's seats, "I've brought our new students!"
The look that came over the woman was comical to say the least, her jaw unhinging and eyes widening as she took in the attractive group of people lounging in her chairs and criticizing her interior design skills in Japanese.
"Um, I'll just call Mr. Robles for you then." Gena made several attempts to grab her desk phone, missing twice before grasping it hastily.
"No need! I'm right here." Mr. Robles burst from his office, causing a few of the teenagers to startle, though Gena seemed unfazed at the principal antics. She simply sighed and replaced the phone she had worked so hard to pick up.
As Mr. Robles went around the room, shaking everyone's hand and getting peoples names (though he was sure to forget them within the hour) Ena realized that this was the first time she had ever actually seen the man out of his office. The school rarely held assemblies, and when they did it was usually run by the Student Government or the vice principal. It was strange to see the stout principal out of his office chair and waddling around, and Ena had to repress a giggle at the view.
"Now Miss. Lowell..." Mr. Robles returned to the girl.
"Ashwood, sir."
"Oh, yes, apologies. Do you have our guests' forms?"
"Right here sir." Ena pulled the stack from her backpack, smoothly passing them along to Mr. Robles, who in turn passed them to Gena.
"Gena, put these in the my Inbox please." Gena gave said Inbox a pointed look, then walked the three steps to the bin with an eyeroll.
"Have you all been settling in all right?" The man turned back to the new students.
Tamaki was about to answer, his expression showing that he was about to complain about the additions to their party, when Kyoya interjected.
"Yes, the dorms are very accommodating and Miss Ashwood here has been an excellent host. I must say, I am quite impressed with this establishment."
That comment got Mr. Robles off on a tangent, explaining in great detail the long history of Beecher, and leaving the teens with no hope for escape. Eventually Gena, the saint, cut him off.
"I'm sure they are all tired from their journey, sir." She distracted the principal. "They still have to tour the facilities."
"Yes, we're on a pretty tight schedule..." Ena lied, trying to sneak her wards out the door.
"We are?" Tamaki questioned, promptly being shushed by the twins.
"She's trying to get us out of here, Tono!" Hikaru whispered.
"Oh right!" The blonde elevated his voice. "Yes, very busy, lots to see."
Haruhi rolled her eyes at his lack of subtlety, but it worked all the same. After bidding goodbye, Mr. Robles waddled back into his cave, that is office, and the group was free.
"Sorry about that, he's so excitable." Gena apologized, speaking quietly to keep the principal away. "You should probably start that tour now, Ena, or he might come back and start listing all the celebrity alumni."
The teenagers shuddered collectively, the twins grabbing each other, Honey turning to Mori and Tamaki trying to hug a uninterested Haruhi.
"Wouldn't want that." Ena wrinkled her nose, giving the secretary one last wave before leading the way down the hall.
She began the tour by explaining that Beecher Academy was split into seven different buildings, each with their own name and subject. Since the classes were so spread out, student's didn't have lockers, merely carrying their bags with them all day. Although it was inconvenient, it made for shorter trips from room to room, and was an easy thing to get used to. Ena pushed through the doors at the end of the main office, leading the group into a large courtyard. Several structures stood at different points around the circular area and one big building stood at the center.
"All the different buildings can be reached from this courtyard, which students just call The Yard. Creative, I know. This first building is Auburn, where the math classes are held. Then it's LaValle, the languages building. If you need to you can take extra English classes or get a tutor for one on one sessions. The Gym is next, though don't let the name fool you. There is a full sized swimming pool, several different sport fields, a dojo and a horse racing track out back. Then there's my favorite, Erling, the science building. Next up is the Art building, another of my favorites, called Prescott. And lastly Muriel, the English building."
"Thought you said that English was in LaValle?" Haruhi gave the guide a confused look.
"Oh sorry, English is just what we call the reading and writing classes. I suppose Literature would be a better word for it." Ena explained, receiving an understanding noise from the younger girl.
"This big building here is the Great Hall, though most people call it The Hall. I know, more amazing names. Inside is the Cafeteria and the Auditorium, where plays and assemblies are both held. The music classes happen there also, though some people choose practice in the Yard...loudly..."
Ena continued this way, showing the students around and occasionally adding her own insights and comments. She explained the block system, short periods on Monday but you have all eight of your classes, and longer periods the rest of the week, with either odd or even classes. Lunch times also varied on Mondays, and on Fridays school ended early, with an extra hour for clubs. There were countless different clubs at the school, seeing as you only needed five people to start one, though some were more prominent than others. Ena also told them about their requirements as students, needing to take one of each of the six core classes and two extra curriculars. Haruhi looked upset when she learned that PE was a required class, but Ena assured her that their were lots of options, including yoga and a dance class as well as several swimming classes.
By the time she was done telling them all this, Ena's throat was sore and the boys were getting antsy, clearly ready for food. Hikaru's stomach had growled loudly, twice, and Tamaki had started making (really awful) food jokes halfway through the tour.
"Why did the banana go to the psychiatrist?" The others all groaned as Tamaki started up another joke. "Because it had a split personality!"
"Okay, I think we've had just about enough of that," Ena stopped him from telling more, "how about we go get that dinner I promised, and finish the tour some other time!"
The more excitable boys cheered enthusiastically, while Haruhi gave Ena a relieved and thankful look.
"Do any of you mind if we head back to the dorm so I can change out of this uniform?" Ena asked, giving her hem another solid tug.
"I'd prefer it, actually." Hikaru snarked, dodging Kaoru again. He was clearly starting to learn, though not in the way everyone would have liked.
Ena rang up another taxi, shooing all of the teens in and directing the driver back to Hinderlie. When they arrived, she hopped out, tossing some money at the driver and asking him to wait. She also blocked the others from leaving the cab.
"This will take five minutes, tops, so it would be easier if you all just stayed here for a minute." Ena explained, giving the group one last wave before running to the door.
"Hi Lucy, bye Lucy!" She exclaimed as she charged through the lobby.
"Wait, Ena-"
"Can't talk now, tell you all about it later!" Ena dashed up the stairs and almost broke down her door in her haste to open it.
Tossing the (admittedly dreadful) uniform into a corner of the room, she grabbed some denim shorts and a green v-neck from her drawers and threw them on. Ena glanced in the mirror before ripping out her bun and desperately running a brush through it to get the tangles out of her long hair. Dry shampoo was sprayed into it, as well as into her face, and she managed to simultaneously put on tennis shoes and use some body mist before dumping the contents of her backpack into a big purse and running out the door.
She gave Lucy the same greeting while racing to the door, shoving it open and stepping back out into the sun.
"See?" Ena asked, winded and leaning against the taxi's door, "Five minutes." She collapsed in a heap in her seat, barely remembering to give the driver the address of their next location.
"Wow Ena-chan, you have a lot of hair!" Honey exclaimed, point to the panting girl's head.
"Yeah, I suppose so." Ena tugged on a piece, the ends of her hair reaching all the way to her elbows. "I usually keep it up so it's not in the way, but after a few terrible haircuts, I haven't got the heart to trim it."
"Short hair does make life a little easier though." Haruhi commented, ruffling her pixie cut.
"I'll definitely give you that." Ena laughed a bit. "Whenever I chop off mine, I always regret it a few weeks later. It's useful in the summertime, but the rest of the year I miss it."
"I used to have long hair, but a neighborhood kid stuck some gum in it, so I cut it all off."
"Wow, really? That's terrible."
"Yeah, I was pretty upset at first, but then I realized how easy it is to manage this haircut, and I haven't gone back since." Haruhi shrugged it off.
"I think your hair would look really nice as a bob." Ena smiled, glad to have found a conversation with the interesting teen.
"You do?"
"Yeah, it would frame your face well, and take advantage of your crazy cheekbones." Ena guestered at Haruhi's jaw as she spoke.
"Crazy cheekbones?" Haruhi questioned, rubbing at her face.
"I think she just means they're really prominent." Kaoru clarified.
"They are?"
"They're probably your most noticeable feature, other than your eyes." Ena concluded, leaving Haruhi to touch her short hair, looking off into the distance thoughtfully.
"Not that this topic isn't interesting," Kyoya said in a tone that made Ena wonder if he was being sarcastic or actually interested, "but I think we have arrived at our destination."
Ena checked her window, struck with the familiar lights of Vee's Diner. "He's right, let's go."
Ena lead the way, as usual, into the small but busy restaurant. Tamaki dragged Haruhi over to the trinket filled shelves in the waiting area, while Honey drooled at the cakes on display at the front counter, Mori watching on. Hikaru and Kaoru entertained themselves by looking at the t-shirts and sweatshirts in the store section, and Kyoya seemed wrapped up in calculating the differences in prices here and at the Western themed eating establishments back in Japan.
"Ena! Long time no see!" A friendly waitress gave the girl a quick hug, her dark natural hair wrapped up in a scarf.
"I was here for lunch two days ago." Ena laughed warmly, returning her friend's hug.
"That's an age for you! I have your usual booth all ready for you..."
"Actually Barb, we're going to need a bigger table." Ena stopped the woman.
"'We'? Is Lucy here?" Barb asked, looking for the small ginger girl.
"No, there's actually some kids from school here with me today-" Ena began to explain, cut off by the sounds of crashing and yelling from the waiting area.
"YOU DEVILISH TWINS! HOW DARE YOU-"
"Tamaki, shut up."
"Oh Haruhi, no! Don't tell me you're on their side!"
Ena sighed, holding her face in her hands.
"I'm guessing that's them?" Barb gave Ena a sympathetic look, gently pushing her in the direction of the chaos. "You better go sort out what ever that is, I'll get your table when you're ready."
Ena trudged back towards the exchange students, trying not to seem too annoyed and silently reminding herself that they were her guests, and she their host, so she had to treat them nicely and not bash anyone's head in with a decorative bear figurines.
"What is going on here?" She asked shortly, using her best big sister voice.
"Oh Ena, it's terrible!" Tamaki proclaimed, oblivious to the girl's anger when he leaned on her shoulder dramatically. "I just wanted to show Haruhi the way of the American commoner when those shady twins had to come over and make me look ridiculous!"
"It's not our fault that you don't know how to work this thing." Hikaru responded dryly, holding a snow globe.
"Yeah, you're not supposed to pull it open, you're supposed to twist it." Kaoru finished.
"Actually, I don't think that's how-" Haruhi started, only to be ignored by the boys who were trying to unscrew the globe like a pickle jar.
"Maybe you're supposed to break it, like a piggie bank!" Honey added unhelpfully. Mori picked up the snow globe, looking for all intents and purposes as if he were about to smash it on the floor. Kyoya just stood aside, trying to ignore his friends.
"No no no no no, don't smash it." Ena grabbed the globe from the giants hand, with surprisingly fast reflexes. "It's called a snow globe, you're supposed to shake it up."
She demonstrated, swirling little pieces of fake snow around a model of Harvey Stadium, much to the collective chagrin and delight of the boys.
"Now that we've figured that out," Haruhi rolled her eyes as Tamaki tried to shake multiple at once, balancing a few with one hand, "shouldn't we go eat?"
Everyone nodded in agreement with the girl, quieting down and filing behind her, not unsimilarly to how they had done earlier that day. Ena made the mental note to just have Haruhi do the talking if the boys ever got out of hand.
"Table for eight please, Barb." Ena returned with an attractive mass of people behind her, earning more than a few stares from other diners. Though that could have to do more with the fact that several of the group had just been yelling nonsense about snowglobes than they were good looking.
"Right this way." Barb guided them, giving the teens her best hostess smile, for Ena's benefit.
She placed them at a long table, and left them with their menus and a promise to be back to get their drink orders soon. Both Tamaki and Kyoya took the heads of the table, while Haruhi sat at her boyfriends right, and Ena at hers. Hikaru and Kaoru elected to sit across from each other and next to Kyoya, while Honey took the seat in the middle of Karou's side and Mori took the end.
Everyone but Ena picked up their menu's in synch, leaving the girl in awe as she rushed to follow. Although they had never really eaten at a diner like this, most of the group seemed to know what they wanted, though Tamaki had a hard time choosing just one thing and Haruhi was unsure as to what all the dishes were. Ena quietly translated for the girl, though not into Japanese, in case that would embarrass or anger Haruhi. Instead she subtly read some of the choices out loud, making comments about the different ingredients as if she was trying to decide on what to order rather than helping out her companion.
Haruhi jumped on board quickly, and gave the girl her second grateful smile of the evening. By the time Barb had returned, they had worked their way through the whole dinner section of the menu and both had decided on their meals.
"Have you all made up your minds, or should I give you some more time to decide?" Barb asked, having caught onto Ena's strategy. It was lucky that Haruhi didn't know that Ena ordered the same thing every time she came in, so going through the menu wasn't necessary for the frequent customer.
"I think we're just about ready to order, yes?" Ena asked the others seated at the table. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Barb moved around the table, starting with Kyoya and ending with Kaoru. The spicy chicken wrap for the first, a Jucy Lucy for Hikaru, the BLTA panini without the T for Ena (the same as she got every time), Haruhi choose the fish and chips platter and Tamaki wanted the spaghetti dinner. Mori had picked a monster of a burger, Honey wanted the homemade mac and cheese, and finally Kaoru ordered a garden burger, earning him a disgusted look from his brother.
"What? I'm considering vegetarianism." Kaoru shrugged in response, handing Barb his menu. Hikaru stuck his tongue out, and proceeded to sip moodily at his Dr. Pepper.
Quiet conversation ensued, mainly lead by Tamaki and the twins as everyone drank their various soda's and lemonades. Ena remained unaware of the fact that she had assisted not only Haruhi, but the whole of the table with her little charade, leaving everyone grateful that they didn't have to seem ignorant and ask for help themselves.
Dinner arrived fast and fresh, as was the way at Vee's Diner, and for the first few minutes there was no sound except the scrapping of silverware and happy little eating noises. When everyone was about halfway through, they all stopped for air, taking a moment to savour the food's quality.
"This was an excellent choice Ena!" Tamaki announced, still twirling noodles onto his fork.
"I'm glad you like it, Vee's is my favorite restaurant in Boston." Ena smiled, munching happily on her sandwich. No matter how many times she got it, it was still as delicious as the first time. "It reminds me of my mother's cooking back home."
"Your mom cooks food like this Ena-chan?" Honey asked.
"Yeah, all the time. She's always said that the best way to show love was through food, and we used eating big meals at home everyday."
"Wow, I bet you're a good cook too!" Honey grinned sweetly, earning a laugh from the girl in question.
"I'm not as good as my mom, but she taught me all she knows, and I love to cook for people."
"It was the same way with my mom." Haruhi said, dipping some fries into her ranch. "I cooked a little with my mom before she passed, and and now I follow all of her recipes."
"We'll have to make something together sometime!" Ena exclaimed excitedly, thinking about all the different food they could make. "Maybe you could teach me how to make some of your favorite foods and I could teach you mine."
"That would be really fun." Haruhi beamed back, causing Tamaki to coo.
"Look at my Haruhi, making friends with girls! Your finally embracing your feminine side!"
"Feminine side?" Ena asked curiously as Haruhi whacked her boyfriend over the head. "I know that she has short hair, but that doesn't stop someone from being girly does it? I know plenty of girls with short hair that wear dresses and bows and lots of girls with long hair who prefer jeans and plaid."
"Oh, I didn't mean because she has short hair." Tamaki corrected himself. "I just meant because-"
"Tamaki." Kyoya interrupted from the other end of the table, his glasses reflected the glare from the lights as he adjusted them. "Maybe not that story? We wouldn't want to make a worse impression than we already have."
Tamaki went slightly pale as Ena got progressively more confused. "Oh come on, you guys aren't that bad."
Everyone stared at the girl sharply, causing her to rethink her words. "I mean, you're not bad at all..." She laughed nervously. There were still several hurt expressions at the table.
"Oh for goodness sakes, I walked in on you yelling and breaking things and shouting some very strong French. But really, you guys are fine. I can't think of anything that you could have done that would make me think less of you."
Tamaki, the twins and Honey all laughed loudly and awkwardly and even Mori looked a bit sheepish. Haruhi gave the startled girl a look that clearly said "We'll talk later." The rest of the meal was quiet and a bit stiff, but things slowly went back to how they were before the change in subject and everyone finished their food with relative ease. When Barb came back around asking about deserts, they ordered (quite a few) cakes for Honey and the pumpkin pie Ena had been eyeing earlier as a thank you gift. The boys even paid for the meal, to the protest of Ena and Haruhi, though the former didn't put up too much of a fight.
They left the building as the sky turned pink, all clambering into yet another cab to drive back to the dorms. Ena read Kyoya's upside down writing, and saw that he had made note to rent a car.
"A van would probably be best." Ena commented to the taller boy.
"I'm sorry?" He turned to her, making Ena realize that reading from other peoples binders was generally considered really rude.
"I just meant, uh, to get around in. You don't want to be spending a ton of money on cabs all the time, and since you'll probably stick together, you should get a bigger car. My grandmother actually owns a van that she used to use for deliveries, but now it's just sitting outside her shop. I could rent it to you, for much less than what they'll charge you at a car rental place for how long you'll be here."
"Why would that matter?" Kyoya asked.
"Huh?"
"The cost." He clarified. "We're clearly a wealthy group of people, perfectly capable of paying whatever fee given to us. Why would how much we pay matter?"
Ena was silent, mulling over her reasoning and trying to find a way to articulate. "You may be rich, but -you especially- don't seem the type to spend needlessly."
"How so?"
Ena was at a loss, not used to having to explain her assumptions. "I suppose... it's because of your clothes."
Kyoya rose an eyebrow, motioning for her to continue.
"You wear simple clothing, though your academic history and mannerisms imply wealth. You could spend more money on extravagance, and yet you walk around in jeans and a button up. Though they could just be your travel clothes, and you have nice clothes packed away. But if that were the case, you wouldn't have stayed in those and would have changed into a different outfit. So, those are your usual clothes, and because of that you don't like to spend extra money."
Everyone else in the had quieted down during Ena's speech, all waiting for Kyoya's reaction.
"I'll take it."
"What?" Ena questioned blankly.
"The van. I'll rent it. After I view it and ensure that it meets my standards of course. And under one condition." Kyoya tacked on the last part after a brief pause.
"And what is that?"
"You'll either have to be willing to chauffeur us around town when ever we need you, or teach us how to drive."
"None of you know how to drive?" Ena asked surprisedly.
"I know how to drive in Japan, but I imagine its different here." Kyoya clarified.
"I use public transit." Haruhi contributed.
"I can drive!" Honey exclaimed happily. "And so can Takashi."
"Yeah." Mori agreed.
"The rest of us have drivers and never really needed to learn." Hikaru finished.
"Huh." Ena tugged her hair. "I suppose I could give you lessons in school the parking lot, and I think I still have a manual if you want to read over it. Whenever we're going to the same place, I can drive."
"That sounds adequate." Kyoya concurred. "When is the earliest we can see the van?"
"Today is Friday..." Ena began calculating, "And my grandmothers shop is closed tomorrow, so I can call her tomorrow and we can go see it on Sunday."
Kyoya scribbled something down in his notebook before giving Ena a nod, as if to dismiss her. Ena had to hold back a laugh, feeling for all the world as though she was a secretary and not a tour guide.
Back at the dorms, Ena had everyone practice using their cards, just in case she wasn't around to swipe in for them. The sun had set, and Ena smiled up at the stars, the sky unusually clear. Even though she was far from home, it was comforting to see most of the same constellations, and if nothing else, the same moon as her family.
Everyone parted ways inside, going to their own rooms and wishing each other good night. Ena tossed her bag on her desk, finding her earlier discarded uniform in a clump and moving it to her clothes bin. She was about to change into pajamas when a gentle knock came from her door.
Judging from the sound, she assumed it was Haruhi, maybe coming by to ask a question or just talk. Ena was surprised when she opened the door to be faced with a solid wall. A wall with a head and arms and a neutral expression.
"Ena." Mori rumbled.
"Hello Mori, how can I help you?" Ena craned her neck back to meet his gaze.
"Could you schedule a tour of the university for Mitsukuni and I?" He asked politely. Ena made note that this was the first full sentence she'd heard from him, at least directed at her. He had ordered by himself earlier that night.
"Of course! Sorry, the tour today was probably useless for you two."
Mori shook his head, brushing off her apology. "It is nice to know where the others will be."
"Ah. Alright then." Ena smiled. "I have a friend who graduated last year, I could give her a call and see if she'll take you around?"
"If it wouldn't be any trouble."
"I'm sure it won't be, she loves that kind of thing. I'll get back to you about it tomorrow, kay?"
"Yeah. Thank you." Mori stood in door way a moment more, as if about to say more.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Ena asked, made curious by the mans hesitation.
"I know, that we can be a handful. But we all appreciate how well you've treated us and how considerate you've been, even though you just met us today."
"Oh." Ena blinked. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way. I hope we all can become good friends."
"Yeah." Mori have her a ghost of a smile, before heading down the hallway again.
"Goodnight." She called after him gently getting a quiet, but not unkind, grunt in return.
Ena smiled again, a bit bemused by the interaction. She closed her door and changed into her pajamas, thinking over her long day. Stretching out on her bed, she yawned, glad that it was over and she could get some rest.
Knock knock.
"Or maybe not." Ena sighed, rising to her feet and shuffling to the door. She opened it again, greeted by a unsurprising face.
"Hello Haruhi, how can I help you?" Ena repeated from earlier, only a bit more tired.
"I can come back later if it is not a good time." The shorter girl looked slightly embarrassed.
"No no no, it's fine. Why don't you come in?" Ena opened the door wider for Haruhi, and patted a seat on her mini sofa. Haruhi accepted it, and Ena crashed in the old recliner across from her.
"I just, wanted to explain what happened earlier, at the restaurant." Haruhi explained.
"You don't have to if you want to keep it private." Ena assured her. "I was just being nosy."
"If you are going to spend a lot of time with The Host Club, which I feel you are, you should probably know."
"Host Club?" Ena asked. "Is that what you all are?"
"If I'm going to explain," Haruhi sighed, "I should start at the beginning."
"It's a very good place to start." Ena told her reflexively.
"Huh?"
"Remind me to have a movie night with you."
"Alright." Haruhi laughed, before becoming serious again. "It all began a few years ago, when I started at Ouran. On my first day, I couldn't find a single quiet place to study, except what I thought was an abandoned music room..."
AN: And that's where I'm going to end it. Not too cliffhangery I hope, but just enough to leave you wondering. And see? I made Mori talk!
How do you think Ena will respond to Haruhi's story? Will she be horrified by the Club's shenanigans? Or, more likely, amused?
Can anyone tell me what musical I referenced in this chapter? And maybe what character says the line from chapter one? Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. I'll see you all at the next chapter!