Next Day
I'll spare you the details of what happened when the Host Club started to prepare for the day's theme. I was the first one there, since I had the key, and everyone was a little surprised, except Kyoya, who I refused NOT to acknowledge when I was sitting and listening to music. But I shrugged it off and everyone dropped it thinking I was here early to catch up on schoolwork or something. I told everyone my burn was ALL healed, and I wasn't lying this time, and we could finally go on with our lives.
Kim was nowhere to be seen and I was really worried. So was Kaoru even, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone. Everyone got into our costumes-kimonos this time-and I helped set up the Club's setting, in which was a traditional Japanese setting, along with Takashi. Things were going perfectly fine until I was once again shoved into a room by the twins and given a kimono to put on. This involved much yelling and angry remarks, but I put on the damn kimono anyways. Kaoru whistled when I came out and Hikaru applauded appreciating the look. I rolled my eyes and went to finish setting up the tables. The damn Kimono they shoved onto me this time was more princess-like than anything I would have ever imagined. They say that I should be the ruler of the warriors-hence them all being warriors a bit. Guess they got it off some anime of some sort, but they did look decent and it was enjoyable seeing Takeshi playing off as a cool type of samurai. Though I am against me being the princess that rules over them, the extravagance of the kimono they put me into was really hard to walk around in.
The Host Club opened, and I was suddenly brought face to face with a new technique developed by the boys.
Crying…
"Women are suckers for tearful eyes," said Hikaru knowingly.
"That's just cheap," I said as I walked by carrying five plates' at once.
"Oi!" exclaimed Hikaru and Kaoru, staring at the pile of desserts in my arms.
"What?" I asked, putting the plates down by their designated girls. I looked at them with wonder to why they were so shocked and they only gaped at me. "Something wrong with me carrying these desserts," I asked them.
Completely awestruck, "That's amazing!" compliments one girl. The one next to her applauded. "I wouldn't be able to carry that many plate's at once!"
"It all comes with practice," I replied. One girl thanked me.
"But you're wearing such a beautiful kimono!" One says. "The silk looks beautiful," she sighed.
"Yes, yes!" another chimed in. "It's so original!"
"Our mom made them," said Kaoru slyly.
"And Kasumi-chan's kimono is her favorite," said Hikaru. They both put their arms on my shoulders-to my irritation, but I tolerated it. The girls sighed happily, gazing at my kimono.
I had to admit, I really liked the kimono they gave me Though-even though forced. I was about to say something to Haruhi who was near me but noticed that she was looking at something by the door. I followed her eyes and saw a girl peeking out from behind the wall. She had long orange-ish hair with a big pink bow on her head. The dreaded color pink…oh how I loathe thee.
"She's not from Ouran," I said to Kyoya as the twins went to greet her. All my profile scanning of the school indicates she is new here.
"No, I don't believe so," Kyoya replied. The twins initially failed, causing Tamaki to attempt to woo the poor girl. However, the supposedly shy girl shoved Tamaki away from her and started screaming out insults.
"NOO! DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU PHONY!"
I barely stopped myself from cracking up!
Tamaki stumbled back up, eyes in tears. "Me? A ph-phony?!"
"YES! YOU'RE A PHONY! I won't believe that you're the Prince of this club!" Tamaki backed up, frightened of this new character beyond belief. "A prince character does not spread his love so easily! Why do you look so much like a fool?! It's like you're just a dumb narcissist! Incompetent! Commoner! THE WORST!" That last insult was the K.O. move, and Tamaki somehow fell in a comical sloooow motion, eyes white and mouth open wide. I applauded this new girl, grinning. The twins and Honey were staring at the girl.
Kyoya suddenly spoke. "Could you...be..." he trailed off.
The girl looked up in surprise at Kyoya, and then cried out, "Kyoya-sama!" She ran to him, stepping directly on Tamaki, and embraced a slightly surprised Kyoya. Which left a question on everybody's mind of "What the heck"?!
Few solitary moments later after that scenario…
"...fiancée?" I said doubtfully, raising an eyebrow.
"No way..." said the twins.
"Yes," said the girl. "My name is Houshakuji Renge. I shall be transferring to Class 1-A starting tomorrow."
Okay, honestly, I was very impressed when she took Tamaki down like that. But now that she's proven to be Kyoya's odd fan girl, I'm pretty annoyed. And no, I don't "like" Kyoya like that—I just find fan girls to be a nuisance, and this one is the type to stick around. We all looked simultaneously to Tamaki, who was sitting with his back facing us and looking very, very depressed.
"He's pretty mad," commented Hikaru.
"Because Mommy hid a secret from Daddy," added Kaoru. Remember folks, Mommy = Kyoya and Daddy = Tamaki for some really, really weird reason.
Sooo...as it turns out Renge is a Super Fan girl and loves Kyoya only because he looks exactly like the main character in her dating sim. Really, what else were you expecting? She's a damn Otaku. By the end of this really, really weird series of conversations, Renge appointed herself to becoming our manager of the Host Club and Kyoya told us to be courteous to his family's business partner's daughter.
I sighed as I locked up the Host Club, faintly hoping that Renge would be in a car accident on the way to school so that I wouldn't have to tolerate her AND the Host Club at the same time. My brain capacity can only handle so much.
Yet sadly, the next day, Renge showed up before we opened (oh goody...). She said she brought cookies! And guess for who?!—Hint of sarcasm there people—
Renge placed the bag of cookies down and began immediately going to her theatre inside her mind to the scenario. "They got a little burnt," Renge apologized sheepishly. "But I know what you'd say... 'Anything you make has got to be delicious.'" She swooned.
Honey started nibbling on a cookie then said sadly, "It's burnt..." with a depressed look.
"Mitsukuni," Takashi began. "Those are bad for you." Renge went psycho-woman mode and angrily started chasing them around.
now it was Haruhi that picked up the cookies and gave them a try.
"These cookies have a nice smell," said Haruhi, "and they don't taste that bad..." she says. I was not going to risk an upset stomach and avoiding trying them. Plus I only eat Kim's cookies she makes me…no one else can make cookies as good as hers.
But I did find something to catch my eye as I watched the twins go from :|(ordinary) to }:) (plotting) eight seconds after glancing back at a newly depressed Tamaki. He's still growing mushrooms in a corner over Renge's words still.
"Let me see," said Hikaru, taking Haruhi by the chin and moving his face close. Hikaru bit off a big piece of the cookie that was in Haruhi's mouth.
"Haruhi," Kaoru joined in, "you have some crumbs on your face..." Kaoru licked cookie crumbs right off of Haruhi's cheek. I laughed as Tamaki started raging at the mischievous twins. Haruhi being the innocent little girl she was took no notice behind any hidden meanings and scolded the twins for doing such things. I just shook my head and watched the comedy routine from afar before noticing Renge started to look at us with a serious look on her face.
Examining them all, "You guys aren't good enough!" Renge suddenly shouted. We all turned toward her. "Other than Kyoya-sama, your characters are all not good enough!" She pointed an accusing finger at us and continued her rant: "All you hosts' here lack a shadow-side! Fair maidens are suckers for the traumas of handsome men! With ridiculous acts like these, it's only a matter of time before the girls get bored of you! Do you all intend to destroy Kyoya-sama's precious business?! As your manager, I intend to set anew your characters from now on! Firstly starting with YOU!" Renge pointed at Honey, who whimpered. "If your inside and outside are nothing but cute, you are no different from a child! Therefore, although you have a cute face, you're actually a vicious fiend inside!"
Honey cried out in horror.
Renge turned on Takashi next. "Morinozuka-sempai, you're an underling of your childhood friend!"
Shifting to the twins… "The twins are now basketball players that close themselves off in their own world!" Hikaru and Kaoru looked confused.
"Haruhi-kun is a brilliant student, but also a victim of fierce bullying!" Haruhi looked like she wasn't gonna like what's gonna happen next.
"Tamaki-san, although everyone loves your looks, you're the academy's idol with a serious complex. The lonely prince!" Tamaki looked despaired.
Then she turned on me, and I was surprised. I'm not one of the "entertain costumers" members of this club.
"Kasumi-san, behind that cool and easy attitude is a horrible past in which you have been thoroughly traumatized by! You're the dark servant!"
...what?!
My arms dropped, and my heart stopped. I stared blankly ahead, lost in a memory, as Renge continued talking to Kyoya. My mind froze, than started turning new things in my head.
I vaguely heard the twins trying to convince Kyoya to stop Renge's tirade. Somewhere along the line, I heard Tamaki ask Renge if his pose was 'lonely prince' enough. I had no idea what was going on. But Renge was absolutely right about me. Something did happen to me in my childhood...it was years ago... And now, she's playing it all out like some dinky little character from a fantasy world. It was like she was mocking me. My eyes and mind came back into focus and I turned to Renge's smiling figure.
"I'm not doing this," I said, voice low. The whole club froze. Haruhi was watching me worriedly.
"What?" said Renge dumbly. "Of course you're doing this! I'm the manager, and you should do what I tell you to do!"
"Why am I the only one with a dark past?" I asked her, ignoring everything around me.
"Because it's exciting! And everyone loves characters who have dark pasts they keep a secret!" She winked. "You're so lucky that I gave you the easy role!"
I stared at her. "I'm not doing this; I'm only a hostess that serves the tea and snacks, not an actual host." I looked her straight in the eye and gave nothing away. "I don't want a dark past." (Another dark past actually)
Renge lost patience with me. "No! You ARE doing this, Kasumi-san! You're part of the Host Club, and I'm the M.A.N.A.G.E.R."
My fury igniting a flame inside me, and no Kim to hold me back, I balled my fist up and saw the worrisome looks on their faces. "...I'm not quitting the Host Club," I said, practically reading the twins' minds. "But I will do one thing. Sorry, Kyoya," I added. Only do to the fact he asked there be no violence within the host club room and here I am about to get pretty damn violent.
He watched me with careful eyes.
I lunged forward, grabbed Renge by the collar of her dress, and lifted her whole body into the air. She grabbed and clawed at my hand, trying to set herself free. But I was too strong. "You," I spat, cold fury rolling off me in waves, "treat this like a game. The boys here may not take you seriously, but I do." She looked down at me, scared as hell. "Character rolls like these aren't some kinda shirt you can put on and take off as you please. People in this world are actually affected by the things you've mentioned, and people like me don't take that lightly at all. You may think it's a joke, but it's not. And I'm not going to stand here to be dressed up into some fictional character created by someone LIKE YOU!" I dropped her to the ground, and she scrambled to get away from me. I felt Kyoya's eyes—as well as everyone else's—on me. "And all this talk about girls loving guys with traumas—its bullshit. If I was a guy, girls would back away in horror if they've seen what I've seen. We're not characters in a video game, Renge. We're REAL, and you can't assume things about others based on their looks or appearances, stupid girl."
With that, I snatched my bag from the counter and walked angrily out the door, counting numbers to keep myself from exploding more than I already have. The silence behind me was heavier than lead.