We all gathered on two sofas facing one another. Hikaru, Kaoru, Tamaki, and I sat on one side, while Mitsukuni, Takashi, Haruhi and Kyoya sat on the other. I groaned as another wave of fatigue came over me. "You may remember hearing of the fire in one of the recreational halls. Yasuko and I were there when it happened. I had warned many of the students of a possible gas leak and then Tamaki made sure that the rest got the message.

"Though I thought myself to be the last one out of the building-Yasuko and a few other people were stuck inside and injured by a sudden flare. She made it to the hospital, but her heart gave out that night. The doctors have not found anything out-of-place in her autopsy yet, so the cause of death is still uncertain. The only visible injuries were horrid burns on her hands." I bowed my head. "That is all I know of the incident. I'm sorry."

Tamaki wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. I smiled, but I was honestly in immense pain; I could not suppress the migraines or burning throat anymore. I shuddered in his arms and began crying. He caressed my head and shushed me. "Please don't be sad, my child. Yasuko lived a good life." Idiot, thinking that after he nearly murdered me with a door I wouldn't be feeling any side effects.

"Why should you apologize, Keindrich?" Haruhi said. "One can only do so much for a person's illness. When my mother passed, I had wished I could prevent it, but I couldn't have done much. I was just a kid."

"From what we heard, you were still a great help, Kein-chan. You warned Tama-chan and the others about the fire hazard."

"And you unconsciously kept a lookout for survivors in your search for Yasuko," Kyoya added. "If not for your frantic search, at least fourteen students would've been unaccounted for."

"You kept the victims' friends and family company in the hospital, too," the twins chimed.

"You jerk!"

What the-? The other members jumped as well. I looked around the room, but I didn't see anybody who was likely to have made the remark. I didn't hear the motor of a rising pedestal either, so I doubted it was Renge Houshakuji. The door swung open and we heard footsteps approaching the couch. Hikaru and I peeked over the couch to see a tall girl looming over us. Over me, actually. She pulled me up by my collar, digging into the skin of my neck with her nails. The hosts gasped and the girls shrieked. "Where were you yesterday?" Eh?

"I was worried sick and Iwao called the school all night to check on you, but we learned you weren't there." She shook my shoulders hard. "We thought somebody kidnapped you or took you to bed as a concubine. You know how we worry about you with your cute looks." She shook me harder. This really wasn't helping my condition. Tamaki and the twins began to panic and pried us away from one another. It felt like she was trying to decapitate me by friction. "Where were you that you didn't call me?"

I tried yanking her hands off me. "Who are you to barge in and assault me as you just did?" She finally let go and I fell backwards into Kaoru's lap again and her into a table. I gave her a once-over during the recovery. Three, two, one. "Katsumi?"

"Who?" Hikaru said, helping Tamaki off the ground.

"Katsumi Yamasi. She's a friend of mine."

So now we've managed to fit thirty people in the couch area. I clung to the twins for dear life to avoid another beating. Katsumi sat on the other side between Mitsukuni and Takashi. Haruhi and Tamaki leaned on the back of our couch. Kyoya stood over Katsumi's side. A bunch of the guests looked on from their tables or huddled around us. I felt a strange air coming from some of them. They whispered to one another, looking at me or Katsumi from time to time.

"So this girl was really Yasuko's best friend?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes, I was. I met her as a first year. We were in the same class and got to hang out a lot. Eventually, we became close friends. She's been having tough times, so I let her stay with me during the week. On Mondays, she stayed with the Hitachiins instead to tutor them."

That explains it! She was staying with Katsumi this whole time. I wonder why I was never told about this. Then again, I wasn't sure what 'tough time' she was referring to either. "May I ask exactly what that issue was?"

"She wasn't getting along with too many students her first year and needed some comfort. In a business-oriented world, you need connections somewhere. It's clear she had none, what with coming from a poor family and all." She gave me a small nod as if she was referring to me solely.

Poor? Our family was not even being called 'common', as Tamaki often called Haruhi, but 'poor'. If we were poor, could we afford our tuition here? Could we have such nice grooming as that which keeps my hair soft and manageable? Would I be sitting here with the notorious Ouran Host Club? Riddle me that, you haughty cu-

I grimaced. "I-I beg to differ. Had we been poor, we couldn't come here. Neither of us are intelligent enough for full scholarship, even with a fine brain as Yasuko's." I stood up from the couch. Kaoru still clung to me. "Furthermore, I disagree with the statement that she did not get along. She had a kind word for everybody she mentioned to me at home-believe you me, she mentioned at least 70 of them. Five years of students, I heard about." Many of the guests smiled and hummed.

"Indeed, she was very kind. However, she was awfully quiet and evaded her suitors. There is no room for a shy woman as a matriarch; she'd get walked all over by a man."

"And just what makes you think she'd want to be a matriarch? She was strong even as a child. As long as I've known her, she was content with our life."

Katsumi looked again into my eyes. Hers were grayish, but very sharp for a young woman, like the inside of a pewter cup. I felt like I was being stared down by my grandmother after breaking one of her porcelain dolls. "You really are a fool, Keindrich. If she was content with being a meek commoner, why would she ever come here? Furthermore, why link up with an heiress to an associate to the Ootori Group? See how she answers once she returns."

She had me there; I knew Yasuko wanted to do something with her life, be successful at...something. Why was this school so important to her? But was Katsumi really that shallow that she thought my sister was a snob too? They seem nothing alike apart. I wanted to curse her out, but I had my big brothers watching. I had Tamaki watching. In either event, she looks like an ass now, but why join the ranks?

I took a deep breath. I was even calm enough to fake a grin. "You're right, Katsumi. She probably desired more than what she was given. However, I bet that even if they were not able to go to this school because of failure to pay or achieve scholarship, she'd want to be somebody's friend. The problem now is that she's not on earth with us anymore to make friends. She wanted you to-"

I noticed that she was holding back tears. So now you act sensitive. "Ah, you didn't know she was dead? You were in that waiting room with us when I made the announcement. You were at the scene of the accident. She considered you her best friend and you didn't even realize her death or ask her whereabouts." I shook Kaoru off me. "Please do yourself a favor; if you are going to patronize someone in the future, at least try to be attentive."

"Keindrich," Tamaki barked. I turned around to face him."How dare you be so rude to our guest!" His jaw clenched and I could tell that he was restraining himself from saying something as harsh as I did. After hearing such horrid things from her, he still kept his temper well. And me, I came off like the Procureur du Roi-merciless and subjective.

I smiled at him, but I felt ashamed. "I apologize for your having to have seen that. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get home before Papa worries about me." I exited the room as quickly as I could. In all honesty, I wasn't sure how I was going to get home. I didn't think I lived too far off, so running seemed like the easy option. If that kept me from making a further fool of myself, so be it. I felt nauseous and dizzy. Is that what shame feels like, or was my head perhaps acting up again.

I heard a voice-somebody calling my name. Probably one of the twins ready to tell me off. "Kein-kohai! Please wait up!" Wait, I knew that voice. It was Haruhi. I stopped to let her catch up and ended up getting tackled. When I knew what was going on, I found he was bent over me. He opened his eyes and immediately panicked. "My goodness, I am so sorry!"

He got up and dusted himself off. He then held his hand out to help me up. I took it, but felt an odd sensation getting up. My knees were wobbly again and I felt a fever coming upon me. I was safe and my headaches were dulling, so what was it? Fear, embarrassment, excitement? "Are you okay," he asked. I nodded, then found myself now holding a suitcase. My bookbag. I looked back up at him and blushed. "You left it behind when you dashed off. You should be more attentive yourself." He winked, then turned around. "I'll see you around, Keindrich."

I watched him head back to the South Building before continuing on my way. What a funny boy, I thought. He was concerned about the likes of me. And rather than actually reprimanding me, he teases. He's almost like...like a girl, an older sister, in fact. I thought back to his short stature, slender waist, oddly smooth voice, rounder face. He was oddly feminine.

I looked back once more to the building. Maybe he was kind of like me.

This section is centered around friendship. You probably know some people who act friendly around you, but disown you in front of their friends. Kein kind of sees that air in Katsumi and thus, it proves his point about snobbery. But ironically, it seems like he's sticking his nose up to those who stick their noses up.

Um, so anyway, write with any comments, questions, concerns, etc. you may have.