Chapter 3
Kagome sighed for the umpteenth time that afternoon, her arms filled with several paper bags housing part of the club's shopping list. At least they had sent them on this errand with money because Kagome absolutely refused to spend her own money on these fools who had trust funds worth more than her family shrine. The only good thing about the short trip was talking with Haruhi.
Haruhi was kind and earnest; she was honest and very open-minded. They talked about various topics that evolved into a deep and enlightening conversation. She was really enjoying her time with Haruhi.
To be honest, Kagome needed improvement in the friend department as of late. Sure, she had her "friends" from middle school, but she found them too close-minded and self-absorbed, and they seemed more interested in setting her up with Hojo than her actual feelings. So she had been feeling rather lonely. They'd only been with the club for a couple of days, but Kagome could already tell that she was becoming very close with the dense, if not bordering on naivety, Haruhi.
Walking into the large music room that housed the host club, Kagome was immediately bombarded by the youki auras of the club members and the mysterious scent of roses with a piano playing in the background. She had to take a deep breath before following behind the already irritated Haruhi.
They went to the president of this ridiculous host club: Tamaki Suoh. Kagome still couldn't believe that such a naive and pompous brat could be related to the calculating and composed Chairmen; then again, she had only had the one conversation with the man.
The blonde was aglow with male ego as he ensnared and seduced the young women surrounding him. He looked content as he basked in their presence and praise.
The cheesiness of his cliche pickup lines had Kagome mentally gagging. 'Why on earth are these girls fawning over him?' She grimaced before coming to a conclusion. 'They're nothing but airheads,'
A girl blushed prettily, shyly batting her eyes at Tamaki. "Um, Tamaki, what's your favorite song?"
Without skipping a beat, he had an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close with his other hand tilting her head up by her chin. He gazed at her gently, their eyes meeting. "What song? The one that reminds me of you, of course." He pulled away, and she squealed.
Then another girl worked up the courage to speak, a bright smile and nervous twang in her voice while blushing brightly. "I baked you a cake today. Would you like to taste it?"
Tamaki then repeated his actions as he had with the first girl, his arm strung across her waist to pull her close. Instead of holding her chin, he held a fork so she could feed him the strawberry sponge cake. It looked very well made. "Only if you'll feed it to me, my darling."
The girl squealed as he seductively ate the small bite, and the other girls cried out in unison. "Oh, wow. You're so dreamy."
Kagome hadn't given the other girl in Tamaki's company any attention; to her, the girl seemed like all the others who'd been ensnared by Tamaki's princely persona. But then her youki expanded, reaching and pulling at Tamaki, demanding his attention. Her dark eyes and auburn hair complimented her pale olive skin tone. As much as she smiled prettily at everyone, Kagome saw the jealousy and pettiness that rolled across her features and ebbed into her aura.
"May I have a word with you, Tamaki?" She asked in a hushed voice.
He immediately was looking at her, eager to please. His aura betrayed his calm facade of princely charm, for it pulsed nervously, and his youki latching onto the offered affection of the auburn hair's youki. "Yes, Seika-hime?"
'She's not really a princess... Right?' Kagome's brow twitched; given the circumstances of this school, there was a high likelihood the girl could be of royal blood. It'd explain her rigid posture and bad attitude.
"I've recently heard the Host Club is keeping stray kittens without a pedigree." A mirthful edge to her voice, a sadistic gleam in her eyes.
Tamaki's brow furrowed, his charm wavering. "I don't know if I'd call them that." He then turned, catching sight of them. "Speak of the devils! Thanks for doing the shopping. Did you get everything on our list?"
Kagome rolled her eyes but offered a small smile, at least trying to fain kindness towards the Chairmen's son. Since meeting the host club (since starting at Ouran Academy), Kagome felt she was looking to justify hating them when she should be looking to get to know them instead of judging them based solely on their being born into a high-class family. It wouldn't do either party any good if they were hyper-fixated on each other's social class.
"Excellent jobs, my little piglets. Let's see," he then grabbed a container from Haruhi's bag, the girl looking a mix of confused and annoyed that he'd called her a piglet. "Hey, wait a minute, what is this?"
Kagome and Haruhi shared a look before Kagome started slowly. "It's coffee."
He looked on with glowing interest. "I've never seen this brand before. Is this the kind that's already ground?"
Haruhi took it from there. "What do you mean? It's instant coffee."
"It's instant?" The small group of girls asked in unison.
The blonde brightened, and Kagome almost laughed at the genuine gleam in his eyes. "Whoa. I've heard of this before. It's a commoners' coffee. You just add hot water."
The girls murmured softly."I didn't know there was such a thing." - "So it's true then. Poor people don't have enough time to grind their own coffee beans!" – "Mm-hmm!"
And for some odd reason, the other host club members took that opportunity to slide in behind the two, each looking just as interested in the product.
Hikaru and Kaoru leaned against Kagome as they looked into her bag. Their youki swayed around them, flicking with an interest that made her imagine them with foxtails that twitched in the same fashion. They looked so cute, yet they had a mischievous air about them as if anything they saw could be used to play tricks on an unsuspecting victim.
Kagome didn't pay them much mind; in fact, she enjoyed the feeling of the twins being so close to her. It had been a long time since she had felt youki so closely. They're youki reminding her of her Shippo, bringing with it a bang of longing and fondness.
Haruhi grumbled irritably, mistaking their curiosity as insolence. "I'll go back and get something else. Excuse me for not buying you guys expensive coffee."
At this point, everyone in the room was beaming with interest, curious about how the "lower class" lived.
"No, I'll keep it," Tamaki, the most interested, waved Haruhi off. "I'm going to try it- I will drink this coffee!"
Around them, girls gasped and applauded the blonde for his bravery.
Practically bouncing excitedly, Tamaki led the group to the long table that would be their testing spot. "Alright, Haruhi, get over here and make me some of this commoners' coffee."
Kagome gave a gentle huff of amusement at the dejected look on Haruhi's face. The girl was so expressive Kagome could practically see her thinking: 'I hate all these damn rich people.'
The girl, Seika, scowled, dark eyes narrowed and annoyed. "Oh, Tamaki, now you're taking the joke too far. Your palate won't be able to stomach that crap. You don't have to drink it just because he bought it."
Both Haruhi and Kagome paused, looking at the girl in confusion. Who simply smiled despite the disdain in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I was talking to myself."
"Haruhi!" Tamaki cried before the brunette could respond, and she quickly made her way to the table so that he could try the instant coffee.
Kagome, on the other hand, turns to the girl and glares. Seika was youkai, she could feel it, and on top of that, she was a stronger one. But even still, Kagome allowed her reiryouk to rise, shimmering just along her skin, and to startle the nearest youkai to her-the rich bitch who dared to insult Haruhi.
The youkai stiffened uncomfortably, no doubt having never experienced the burn from divine energy. Seika stared up at Kagome with wide eyes, showing only a hint of fear at the small amount of reiryoku that buzzed in the air between them. "I'd watch how you speak to Haruhi demon, or you'll be forced to answer to me," she finished with a growl that had her sounding almost like a youkai.
Fear streaked across her pretty features, and Kagome smiled sweetly as the youkai girl realized it wasn't a threat but a promise of pain. It might have been a while since Kagome had physically fought against a youkai, but she made sure to keep up with her reiryoku making her more powerful than she'd ever been. There was no doubt that she would be more than capable of teaching the youkai some respect.
Turning around, Kagome caught the eyes of Kyoya, and she froze. Dark eyes gleamed with a feral interest as if she were his prey to study. A snide upturn of his thin lips changed his handsome features into something terrifying, as if he knew all her secrets and would use them to his advantage.
She shivered, slightly unnerved by the young youkai, but Kagome refused to be weak in front of anyone here. So she smiled and waved kindly at him before continuing behind Haruhi, who was busy making several cups of instant coffee.
The taste testing had Kagome on the verge of laughing. But in the end, everyone liked it, with a couple exceptions, but overall, the hosts enjoyed it. Afterward, Kagome and Haruhi went around cleaning.
While Haruhi and Kagome make their rounds between the hosts, they pause at the twin's area.
Kagome eyed them with a mix of fondness and longing. The closer she was to the twins, the more her heart clenched at the familiar pulse of their youki; it was so much like her Shippo's that the sting of tears burned at the back of her eyes. Missing him had to be the worst of her situation, her little kitsune that she had unknowingly lost when she'd made the final wish on the Shikon no Tama. Kagome could never regret ridding the world of that cursed jewel. Yet she did regret not being able to give her son a proper goodbye.
Wiping at her eyes, Kagome fought against the tears.
Haruhi turned, having rolled her eyes at the ridiculous twins, not really understanding why people were so into them. She gently touched Kagome's arm, startling her with the sudden contact. "Are you alright, Kagome-chan?" Her voice was taut with concern.
The twins turned out of curiosity, forgetting their facade for a moment to inspect their club underlings.
Kagome nodded as she looked down, embarrassed, still feeling as if she were going to cry. "It's nothing. I'll be all right," she forced herself to smile despite the unshed tears. "I was just thinking of someone I miss dearly." Her relationship with Shippo hadn't started as a paternal one. Instead, it had grown slowly from sibling to paternal over the eight years she had spent taking care of him.
Unknown to the two, a small group of girls had taken a liking to the raven-haired "boy" Kagome. They stared with a fan-girlish delight, blooming hearts blossoming within their eyes at the strong male's suddenly somber teary-eyed expression. Since attending Ouran, Kagome had slowly had a fan club accumulating without their notice, the girls infatuated by the "male's" mysterious beauty. They squealed happily. "So mysterious!"
The twins themselves looked at the raven-haired male with just as much interest. Something about him drew them in on an instinctual level, yet they also felt wary of him. The raven-haired teen was cute, feminine yet independent and gentle—their eyes a radiant sapphire that sparkled mirthfully or kindly at every turn. But when the teen looked at them, there was a mix of kindness and sadness, not pity, but a profound sense of loss that had Kaoru compelled to become closer to them.
The doors opened, and in walked Takashi and Mitsukuni, the smaller teen perched up on Takashi's shoulders like a child currently rubbing the sleep out of his honey-gold eyes.
"Sorry we're late," Mitsukuni yawned as Takashi sat him in front of their table where several girls who'd requested them earlier.
The girls giggled as they greeted the two. "Hello, Hani. Hey Mori."-"We've been waiting here for you guys, hi."
"I'm sorry. I was waiting for Takashi to finish his kendo meeting and fell asleep. Mm, and I'm still not completely awake."
"So cute!" They squealed.
Kagome smiled at Haruhi's confused expression. "I don't understand why anyone would be interested in this," Haruhi huffed, her brain working hard to understand how this might appeal to anyone.
Behind them, Kyoya seemed to manifest, his smooth monotone voice startling Kagome, her sapphire eyes snapping towards his handsome but blank face. "Hani-senpai may seem young and childish, but he's a prodigy. And then Mori-senpai's allure is his quiet and robust disposition."
Mitsukuni bounded towards them with a happy skip and giggle. "Haru-chan! K'gome-chan!" The two misgendered teens quickly turned to the older, yet shorter, boy. "Hey, Haru-chan, do you want to have some cake with me?"
Haruhi grimaced but gave the teen a meek smile. "Thanks, but I don't really like cake."
With an adorable pout. "Then how would you like to hold my bunny Usa-chan?"
With a groan, Haruhi tiredly replied. "I'm not into bunnies."
"Are you saying you don't like Usa-chan?"
"Come on, Haruhi-chan, how can you say Usa-chan isn't cute?" Kagome smiled sweetly as she got down on the same level to examine the pink bunny. It looked to have been made with a loving hand with an elegant stitch against the soft pink fabric that made up the obviously loved stuffed rabbit.
Leaning forward, Haruhi looked at the adorable stuffed rabbit. "I guess he is kinda cute, huh?"
With a bright full smile and a twinkle in his eyes, Mitsukuni offered the rabbit to Haruhi. "Take good care of him, okay?" He turned to Kagome with an innocent smile. "What about you, K'gome-chan? Would you like to have a cake with me?"
She smiled kindly, trying her best not to let his terrifyingly strong youki interfere with her getting to know the seemingly innocent young youkai. "Will there be strawberries?"
He paused, looking up at her with an unreadable expression before a huge grin spilled across his face. It was as if flowers were dancing around his head. "Of course! There is chocolate cake too!"
She nodded. "I'd love to have cake with you, Hani-senpai.
Walking away, Kyoya turned to Haruhi. "You'll notice that our club utilizes each man's unique characteristics to cater to the desires of our guests. Just so you know, Tamaki is number one around here. He's the king. His request rate is 70%."
"Why, though?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Boredom, perhaps? But why does it matter? You have a debt with us. It would be best to follow along like Kagome instead of questioning what has been working for almost two years now. To pay off your ¥8,000,000 debt with us, you will act as the Ouran Host Club's dog until you graduate." He paused before "correcting" himself, making it clear what Haruhi's role in the club was. "I'm sorry, I meant our errand boy." There was a slight upturning of his lips before his tone changed again. "You can try to run away if you want to, Haruhi, but just so you know, my family employs a private police force of 100 officers." A dark gleam took place in his eyes, frightening Haruhi. "By the way, do you have a passport?"
"Huh?"
Tamaki appeared then. "You'll have to work hard to pay off that debt, my little nerd." Teasingly the blonde blew against Haruhi's ear; the frazzled teen jumped away with a loud yelp.
Practically hyperventilating, Haruhi glowered at the male. "Please don't do that again."
Tamaki chuckled. "You need a makeover, or no girl's going to look twice at you."
Kagome shook her head, allowing their conversation to fall into the background, choosing to return to the cake that would be in her near future.
"Hello, ladies. Is it okay if K'gome-chan joins us for cake?" Mitsukuni beamed sweetly.
Several girls looked from the small host to the raven hair, a flush running across their faces as they looked at the new student. The best word they could think of to describe him was beautiful; he had a flawless heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and a small nose. His large sapphire eyes regarded them kindly while being slightly standoffish and mysterious. He wasn't tall, but he was tan and fit-looking.
To them, Kagome seemed even more alluring than Takashi.
"Of course, we don't mind," the girls replied in unison, blush crawling down their necks.
Kagome offered them a smile. "Thank you, ladies."
"Here, K'gome-chan!" Hani-senpai thrust a slice of cake at her. It was a three-tiered chocolate cake with a whipped strawberry frosting, with several fresh strawberries on top and dark chocolate dripping down.
Kagome stared in awe at the cake before happily accepting it. She smiled at the first bite.
Mori looked at Kagome, seeming to study their new club member, when suddenly the teen looked up at him through thick black lashes. He fought against the rising blush as he swore at that moment he knew Kagome wasn't a man. She screamed, feminine.
With red staining his cheeks, he leaned down with a napkin. "Kagome, you have frosting on your cheek," he commented softly, thankful that his voice hadn't wavered.
Mori's and Kagome's fan clubs exploded in soft cries of girlish fantasy and joy. Already "shipping" the two males and the exaggerated meaning behind the simple action.
In the background, Haruhi was harassed by the other hosts, only drawing Kagome's attention when they called Mori away. She rolled her eyes. Of course, they would want to play dress-up with Haruhi, but at least it wasn't her. She'd gotten that enough in middle school. It wasn't all bad. Kagome thought fondly of her middle school play, where she had been dressed as a beautiful princess.
Mitsukuni piped up excitedly, wanting to participate in the "fun." "What about me, Tama-chan?"
"Hani-senpai." Tamaki started with a thought.
"Yes, sir!"
"You... go have some cake."
Defeated, the blonde slumped into his chair, his pink bunny at his side and eyes downcast. "It's just us, Usa-chan. Everyone else said they were too busy."
Kagome smiled gently. "I'll keep you company Hani-senpai," Just from today alone, Kagome now understood that although Mitsukuni was a powerful youkai, he was a gentle person.
~o.O~O.o~
Almost twenty minutes later, Haruhi reappears from the host's dress-up scheme, dressed in the male student uniform. Her once messy brown hair was now perfectly styled so as to better frame her gentle face and show off her large doe eyes. Despite the male uniform, Haruhi looked very feminine, her delicate beauty only highlighted by the hosts pampering. "You sure it's really okay for me to keep this uniform?" She asked hesitantly.
Tamaki gushed. "Cute! You're as pretty as a girl! Adorable!"
"Haru-chan, you look so cute!" Mitsukuni piped up, Takashi nodding behind him.
The twins piped up next, with Hikaru speaking first."If we had known, that's how you really look..."
"-We would've helped you out sooner." Kaoru finished with a nod.
Kyoya smirked darkly, eyes gleaming with interest. "Who knows? Maybe he'll draw in some customers. Kagome is already getting requests as well,"
"I am?" She asked in surprise.
The male nodded. "Yes, I already have 20 requests for this week,"
Tamaki was practically glowing, his eyes alight with mirth. "You know, that's just what I was thinking. Our errand boys are moving up the ranks. Starting today, you two are official members of the Host Club. I will personally train you to be a first-rate host. If you both can get 100 customers to request your service, we will completely forget about your ¥8,000,000 debt."
Haruhi swallowed thickly.
"A host?"
wolfYLady: Sorry, this chapter took so long. As my previous note said, there were some unfortunate circumstances that were going on in my life (note is still on my profile under the September date). But as I get everything sorted, I was able to write up this and the next chapter that will be posted later in the week.
Thank you all for your well wishes; it has really helped me get through all the hell in my life.
As always, please review.
Reviews= motivation= more chapters