A/N: Yeah, it's been a while... um, life happened? Honestly, I tried to publish an original short story but it didn't work out. And then I couldn't write this chapter right for the life of me! Anyways, I'm really sorry. I'll try to post more often, I will. Happy New Year to everyone! Let me know what you think of the (long overdue) update!

I didn't get OHSHC for Christmas so no, I don't own it. Santa decided to hold out on me.

I found myself going back to the Host Club and most likely this is going to become a habit of mine. My friends, of course, couldn't resist teasing me about not being able to resist the member's charms and good looks. Well, that is part of it… okay, most of it but who cares?

"Welcome," they greet as the doors swoop open and I find myself gaping at the clothes draped on their handsome frames. Traditional kimonos of the best quality trail on the floor and I find my mouth dry at the sight of all of them looking no nice. No! I will not let myself be controlled like this. My eyes trail to the twins almost hesitantly but they don't take any notice of me. I don't know why I was expecting them to look at me as if I was the only girl; I'm not even their guest. I shake my head to rid myself of them and head over to Haruhi-san, who I made an appointment with this time. He seemed really nice on New Year's and I want to get to know him better.

"Haruhi, guests for you," Kyoya-sempai informs the boy and he turns to look at us, making a blush rise up on my cheeks. He looks so cute! "You're service is pretty stable lately, too."

"He's so cute," one of the girls next to me simpers and I tilt my head at her.

"Is Haruhi-san as good of a host as I've heard," I venture to ask, drawing the attention of the girls around me.

They stare at me in shock for a second before fiercely saying, "Of course! Haruhi-kun is one of the kindest and most down to Earth man that I've ever met! You'll love him just as much as we do by the end of your first session." I laugh slightly, I doubt that I'll become so devoted but it's sweet to see how much the customers care for their chosen host.

"Haru-chan, Haru-chan," Haninozuka-sempai's cute voice beckons, making me focus on him. He sniffles slightly and I resist the urge to jump up and help him. "I lost one of my straw sandals…" All of the girls jump to help him while I just watch Haruhi-san handle it.

"Where did you drop it?" He kneels down to face the older teen and I feel a fierce blush draw up my features. He's so nice! Okay, stop. No. I will not have a crush on Haruhi-san, who is really kind, humble, cute, and…. So not helping myself. I see Morinozuka-sempai hold out the missing slipper and smile at the relationship my two sempais share.

Haninozuka-sempai looks down at his cousin as the shoe is put on him and he whimpers, "Takashi…" Once again, I have to resist the urge to coo over them. I managed to restrain myself unlike the other customers. The cute teen rushes to give his companion a hug and I laugh slightly.

"Sometimes I think that you do that on purpose, Haninozuka-sempai," I giggle, watching as the two turn to me with blank looks on their faces.

"What are you talking about Ri-chan? I would never do that!" Another laugh escapes me at what is undoubtedly a bald-faced lie. My hand ruffles his hair despite me telling myself that I would treat him like he was his age.

"Whatever you say…" A muffled exclamation causes me to look over my shoulder and I see the twins with Haruhi-san. The young teen holds a sweet in his hands and I blink in confusion at the look on his face. I'm drawn to him just like his other customers and I ask, "Haruhi-san, you like Japanese teacakes?" The other girls coo over him, which I can't really blame them for.

"No… I'm not into sweets very much. But," the brunette begins to answer. Then the most compassionate look overtook his face and I felt that deep blush that I had pushed down come up again. "I was thinking that I might place this before the grace of my late mother as an offering." My mind stops its fawning once I finally realize what he had said. His mother is dead? He didn't seem like the type of boy that had gone through the death of a parent. Then again, maybe that explains his unshakable personality. I roll my eyes as Tamaki-sempai hands him more, making a comment that doesn't even make sense. My eyes widen as more and more candies are piled onto his arms and I go to help him.

"Thanks, Akari-san." I smile at the boy, barely able to see his eyes and giggle as he teeters some. The other hosts are talking to a new member, who's screaming something at the King.

My mind settles back on what Haruhi-san had said about his mother and I feel something budding in my chest. As I remove more of the teacakes, I reveal, "You know, I don't see my mother often." I can feel the brunette looking at me but I focus on the pile of sweets in his arms. "My father, too. They're both so busy with running their own business that we don't have family moments. So… uh, what I'm trying to say is that I ha-have an idea of what you're goi-going through." A blush has covered my cheeks by now and most of the sweets are gone from his arms. I hand him the last one, peeking up shyly. Haruhi-san was directing that compassionate smile towards me, his eyes seeming to twinkle. He doesn't say anything to me, just puts his hand on my shoulder, but I think that is better. It feels a lot more sincere to me.

"Kyoya-sama!" The new girl cries and I tilt my head at her. Does she know him? I've never seen her before. She launches herself forward and sighs, "I wanted to see you so badly…" The teen hugs him tightly and I try not to choke in my shock. "My only prince…"

"Nothing to see here!" The twins cry together, gently telling all of the gossiping customers to leave. They send me a pointed look and I scowl.

"I ne-need to find out wh-w-who this girl is." They shrug noncommittally and walk away, the awkwardness between us lingering in their wake.

I stare at the corner with Tamaki-sempai next to me, sighing despondently along with the blonde. "I can't believe he didn't tell me…" I mutter. A fiancé? Really? Don't you think that is something that you tell a close friend that you've grown up with!? Jeez, this sucks. A whimper is Tamaki-sempai's only form of agreement and I know that he feels the same way that I do. Love at first sight my ass.

I try to zone out the annoying girl but her screeching still reaches my ears. "You who looks like Ichigo Miyabi-kun from "Uki Doki Memorial"!" Everyone freezes and I stare at the girl over my shoulder.

OTAKU! This is the first time I've met one! My eyes betray the appalled feelings I'm trying to keep inside. Why would Kyoya-sempai promise himself to someone like that? "I see," the onyx-haired teen comments. "A girl with a lot of interest in characters. She replaces me with her favorite character, makes me her fiancé, and gets lost in the wild fantasies…"

"Fantasies?" I question, tilting my head hopefully. So he isn't going to marry this crazy chick? Good.

Tamaki-sempai is obviously thinking just like I was. "Her wild fantasies? Isn't she your fiancée…?"

The relaxed teen shrugs. "I don't remember affirming that fact even once." A relieved sigh whistles through my lips and I slump over in my seat.

"Thank goodness…" I say to myself.

Houshakuji-san reveals, "It was my dream to be a draw-girl for the store!" My lips curl condescendingly at her.

"Okay, I'm leaving," I tell Haruhi-san. "I can tell that I'm not going to end up liking this stupid girl." Calling a stranger your fiancé because they look like someone you know from a video game! Honestly, this girl is ridiculous! "I have better things to do than spend time dealing with her." Maybe I can practice the new piece I got for my piano in the First Music room. Oikanawa isn't going to be here for a while anyways so I may as well.

I sit at the ivory-keyed piano, struggling to get through a particular piece of the music. I've been practicing for half an hour by now. Complicated melodies are assigned for both hands and I can't seem to play both at the same time without getting them confused. I'm decent at the piano but I wouldn't say that I'm gifted. I hear the Host Club down the hall in the cooking room but I'm not going to bother with them. I slam my hands on the piano, the resulting discord grating against my ears. "Okay," I tell myself. "I can do this!"

I breathe deeply and let myself relax, reassuring myself once again in my thoughts. The piece begins and I begin to sway along with the beat, the harmonies and runs reverberating throughout the room and most likely into the hall way. I can't bring myself to care. All that matters right now is playing this piece right. I can play it for Mother next time that I visit and I'll show everyone once I get home. Father always smiles when I play and even Brother will sit at the couch to listen. The staff peers in from the door, whispering compliments that make me preen. My fingers dance across the keys at the thought, my rhythm perfect so far and my notes impeccable. I reach forward to turn the page and a flat note echoes throughout the room, making me cringe.

"Damnit… and here I thought that I had it. This is when I wish I had Hisoka to turn pages for me," I grumble.

"I'll help." I whirl around, staring at the King who was standing at the doorway, oddly alone. "I didn't realize that you played an instrument so beautifully, Akari," Tamaki-sempai grins; walking over as if my silence was inviting him in. He respectfully stands next to the bench instead of sitting on it, allowing me the full movement of my arms. His elegant hands turn back to the beginning and he starts to coach me a little, revealing his experience with the instrument that I don't have. Still, most of it goes over my head.

"C-can… can you sho-show me?" I ask, getting up and offering the seat to him, my eyes watching as he smiles at me and settles into the seat I had just occupied. I continue to study him as he looks through the piece and practicing a few parts. His whole body relaxes as he begins the piece and the music fills the room, running through me. I take in a breath that I didn't know had caught in my throat. He plays it perfectly, with all of the skill even professionals struggle to attain. He turns the page and continues on effortlessly, managing what I couldn't possibly do. Wow. It's beautiful.

The last chord rings and fades away, leaving me to clap enthusiastically. "That was amazing!" I gasp, sitting next to Tamaki-sempai so that I could easily talk to him. "How can you play so well? You must have been playing for years! I just started a year ago. Can you teach me?" I finally ask, looking up at him earnestly.

He laughs at me fondly and starts to explain the piece again, playing the parts that he's speaking of to make it easier for me to understand. "How do you make it sound so good?" I ask after I had failed playing another section.

"Because I'm playing for someone." My eyes are drawn to him instead of staring at the music sheet. "I started playing the piano for my mother because it made her happy. If you find someone to play for, I'm sure that you'll become better than I am at the piano." I doubt that but if I become even close to being as good as he is I'll be ecstatic. "Who do you play for?" His question causes me to look back at the piece and rest my hands on the piano.

"My family, but my mother in particular," I tell him, realizing that we both have that in common. "It always makes her happy to hear me play and my Father and Brother enjoy it too. I play for them."

My companion hugs me tightly suddenly, making me squeak in shock. "OH, YOU'RE SO CUTE! IT'S SO TOUCHING TO SEE A DAUGHTER ACT THIS WAY! I WISH HARUHI WOULD ACT LIKE THAT FOR ME!" Well, considering that he thinks Kyoya-sempai is his wife I don't think it's the weirdest thing he could have said.

"Ta-Tama-Tamaki-sempai!" I exclaim, still shocked at the sudden close quarters. A fond grin splits my lips thought and he drags a laugh out of me. I get it now. I had always wondered why Kyoya-sempai would spend his time with an idiot like Tamaki-sempai but now I understand. He's just Tamaki. He's our idiot.

He lets go of me and looks at me with a proud gleam in his eye. "I'm sure you can play this wonderfully, Akari! Play for me." I shake my head at his dramatics but still put my hands on the keys and begin to play again.

My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake.

~Aristotle

"You can't get away from me you poor bitch." My mouth drops open as the foul words spill out of Haninozuka-sempai's mouth in a tone that I never thought I could hear out of the cute teen.

"Wh-what k-kind of ro-r-role are you having hi-him pl-play?!" I question to the girl who had shoved herself into a position as movie writer and forced the Host Club to be her cast. Kyoya-sempai was on her other side, watching silently.

The girl sniffs condescendingly at me and I grit my teeth harshly to keep from saying anything. Kyoya-sempai had already told me that I had to treat the brat well. It's no wonder that her name sounded familiar once I got past her obnoxious personality. "I only gave them a more interesting character. I will not allow Kyoya-sama's club to fall apart because of the people who work below him!" She suddenly looks at me searchingly. "By the way, why are you here? I made sure that this is a closed set. You don't work in the Host Club." I bristle at her. Is she saying that I don't belong? She has a special talent to get on my nerves. I merely sniff at her as a response and thankfully her attention is diverted by Haninozuka-sempai breaking the script.

"Ri-chan~!" a childish voice calls and I see Haninozuka-sempai getting his hair towel tried by his cousin. "Are you visiting us?"

I smile in return, nodding at his answer and walking towards him. "I ha-have to admit, Haninozuka-sempai, I lik-like you bett-better like this t-than the role you play."

"Call me Honey." I stare at the third-year in surprise. His voice was childishly demanding still but a serious note had leaked into it. "Call Takashi, Mori, too! You're our friend. Friends call each other by nick names. See, that's why I call you 'Ri-chan'!" He gestures to me to do the same and I obediently repeat their favored nicknames, a wide smile stretching across my face. The twins come over now, taking Honey-sempai's towel and tying it like a hood.

"You should play Red Riding Hood," Hikaru-san chuckles.

"Yeah, it looks good on you, Honey-sempai," Kaoru-san claps. A giggle escapes me because he actually really fits the part, with large innocent eyes peeking out from under his 'hood'.

"Hey, Takashi, you'll be the wolf, right?!" Mori-sempai hums as a response and Honey-sempai turns to me. "Ri-chan, you can be my Grandma!" My smile freezes in place and the twins are having a fit over this as the third-year still stares up at me eagerly. There is no way I can say no to this.

"Hahaha! You're an old lady~! You're an old lady~!" The twins chant once I mutter a yes to the older teen. I can't resist him.

A blush of embarrassment covers my cheeks. "Sh-shut up!" A loud crash sounds suddenly and we all rush towards the sound. I pause once I see Suoh-sempai holding a lower classman against the wall threateningly and Haruhi-san rubbing away tears.

"Who did it?" Tamaki-sempai's voice was menacing as her loomed over the other classmen (they looked like D class). I stare in shock as the normally jovial teen is deadly serious.

The lowerclassmen shiver in fear and whimper, "We didn't mean… to."

He leans even closer to them. "Would you like to be expelled together?" That's extreme. I step back but keep watching, now suddenly wary of the King of the Host Club. He's willing to throw around his status like that just because Haruhi-kun got hurt? The D-classmen run off and Tamaki-sempai tends to Haruhi-kun.

"It hurts…" he mutters, rubbing at his face. My face softens in sympathy; maybe the guys had done more than I had thought. "My contact lenses… moved." My sympathetic expression slides off my face as I stare at the brunette unamused. Really? All of this over a moved contact?

"Camera!" Great, now the brat's involved. "Did you get that? Just now?! Except the contact lens scene!"

"Yes!" Stupid cameraman.

"Are you serious?!" I interrupt. "You're worried about catching the film?! What kind of stupid are you?"

She turns up her stupid nose at me again. "I'm not surprised that you don't understand my genius. The French girl dismisses me with a look and turns away from me. "Now the only thing we need Kyoya-sama's touchin-!"

I can't explain how satisfied I was when I saw Kyoya-sempai crunch the camera lens with a rock.

"I'm very sorry," he says coldly over her stuttering. I watch with a glint in my eyes that could be nothing less than vicious. Finally, the girl is getting what she deserves. "But we cannot leave any evidence of the club members' violent acts. And it's very unpleasant of you causing this kind of trouble."

Her eyes tear up as she stares up at the teen she admires so much and I feel something shift in my gut before it hardens again. "Why? Kyoya-sama, you should have said 'don't worry about it…' and pat my head gently… If it's Kyoya-sama…" I clench my hands as they all start to console her gently. They hadn't done that whenever the twins had done something. She was just as wrong as I was, why did she get treated better?

Haruhi-kun bends down to her level, smiling at her as he says, "I think it's fun to know the person little by little through looking at their personality."

"I'm sorry… for causing trouble…" The Host Club groups together as they smile at her. I stand off to the side, scowling.

"I still don't like her…" I mutter to myself, glaring at her as she parades around the Host Club.

Haruhi-kun stands beside me, suddenly hitting the palm of his hand with his fist. "I get it now," he says as he looks up.

"You get what?"

"You're jealous." I freeze up, staring at this impossibly blunt boy.

My face turns red and I sputter out, "I a-am not-t!"

"Sure you are." He says that so easily. The brunette finally looks at me and I can't bring myself to look away. He did the same thing to Renge-san. My hands unconsciously fist in my dress, creating ugly wrinkles. "You know that we would do the same for you, right?"

You shouldn't. I glance away as a traitorous voice whispers in my head. I mess up so much and you're all so much better, even the twins. I look over at everyone in the Host Club, laughing and having the time of their life. Why bother with me? Still, I can't fight the shift in my gut and the warmth filling me. A smile splits my lips as I look back at Haruhi-kun. No, Haruhi. "Ye-yeah…"

"Yo, Haruhi! Akari!" We both look up at the amber-haired twins as they call us both, a look of slight shock on my face. "How about we play a game?" Hikaru grabs my wrist pulling me along as Kaoru does the same.

"Hikaru, don't pull on me so much! I was going to play anyways," I yelp as he tugs since I wasn't moving fast enough. He obediently lets go of my wrist and I rub at it and stare at the redness. "You're so mean!" I finally whine, looking back up at the teen that I can just now call a friend.

He nonchalantly puts his hand in his pocket and watches me with those eyes that had always scared me. They still do, honestly. "Hurry up then!" I mutter something uncomplimentary and walk over to where the rest of the Host Club is gathered.

(Hikaru P.O.V.)

We had said that we weren't going to let her in again. He still doesn't want her here. "I-I'm sorry…" He makes a low noise in the back of his throat. Why couldn't she be more like Haruhi? She was easier to deal with than this. Haruhi would have just said that she was sorry right away and moved on with it. No, Akari has to skitter around them like a deer and then plant herself right next to him the next. She was just strange.

They have a plan. They can carry it out. They could have when they had gotten lost on New Year's. They were going to, they were walking away. And then just like that, they were walking back.

Tamaki-sempai laughs loudly along with Honey-sempai and Akari blushes a bright red, stuttering out a denial. The guests had left so they had focused in on her since she was easier to tease. "He-hey!" My eyes focus back in on the object of my frustration. "Wel-ll? You're the one's that want-wanted to play a ga-g-game! What ar-are you doi-doing standing there?" Kaoru and I exchange a glance, before joking around like nothing was wrong.

A touch on my arm makes me look to the side. Haruhi's large brown eyes stare up at me questionably. "Hey, you're acting weird. What's up?"

"What are you talking about?" I laugh it off easily, slinging an arm over our secret princess. "Haruhi, you're the only one that isn't playing the game. Come one, you don't want to be the odd one out, right~?"

"I'd rather be at home anyways so I don't see the point." Satisfyingly blunt as always.

"Ri-chan you play the piano?! I want to hear a song!" We both look over to Honey-sempai and I slink over with my twin as we tug Akari in between us.

"What's this?"

"Holding out on us are you?" We stare down at the girl; who suddenly looks overwhelmed but pleased.

Of course King has to jump in. "Unhand my student!"

Akari crumbles under the pressure we put her under and walks over to the piano if only to get out of our grip. She pulls out the music and runs her fingers over the ivory keys before she begins to play for us. Even Haruhi, who had been trying to sneak out, comes back in.

Okay, maybe it's a nice kind of weird sometimes.

When you're young

Life's a dream

It's a beautiful and a burning thing

And we grow up

And then it's gone

But the memory goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on

Don't let me be, let me be, let me be lonely tonight

-Don't Let Me Be Lonely by The Band Perry