Chizuru was surrounding by vipers masked as allies. Even a joyous occasion such as this was filled with all types of snakes. She lost count with the number of 'reptiles' she's seen in one night. She heard venom laden words uttered and hidden between compliments. She watched Haruhi closely through the corner of her eye. Although she was a still bit shaken from her breakdown earlier, she was doing better.
The engagement party to celebrate Tamaki Suoh and Haruhi Fujioka's was just as grand as what most people would expect. Probably more. With the impressive guest list of a mere 543 close acquaintances and business partners, the Suoh family had made it the gathering of the century indeed. Admittedly, it felt more like a débutante ball than an engagement party. Considering Haruhi Fujioka's upbringing, the Suoh family had to be deliberate with how the expressed their approval of this union. There were still a handful of hopeful families that prayed for the dissolution of Tamaki and Haruhi's relationship. Yuzuru and Shizue Suoh knew that much.
To end such notions, they needed to distinctly spell it out to the rest of society that Haruhi Fujioka and her family was under their care.
The orchestra played Sinfonietta C as refreshments were being served. Chizuru kept glancing at Haruhi the entire time to make sure she was doing fine. Tamaki's mother kept her close as they swarmed by all sorts of mothers, matriarchs, and their still hopeful daughters all asking questions. She caught Kaoru and Hikaru's attention across the room and she gestured with her eyes that they start watching over their little Tanuki. She was stuck beside her father for these events. That was usually her role. Stay quiet, laugh when needed, look pleasing, and most of all she had to make him look like the perfect father.
"This ship we're is probably the most luxurious one in all of history. Our master ship builder Isao-san conceptualized the whole thing." Yukio Maihara raised his glass.
The man drank the entire contents of his champagne. "Please, I couldn't have done it without Mishima-san's skills."
Chizuru continued to sip her wine to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She hated it when men started listing down their achievements with a false sense of graciousness. A waiter approached her father and asked if they wanted their main course served.
"My daughter and I will both have the lamb, rare, with extra mint sauce." Chizuru's father said without even looking at her.
Chizuru was about to say something, but she felt her father squeeze her wrist almost twisting it. Tamaki briefly saw what happened under the table, but Chizuru didn't say anything and just smiled politely.
"You might as well cut her meat, Yukio." Yuzuru Suoh lightly teased. There was a brief silence and he decided to keep the conversation rolling. "Who thought of the name of the ship?"
"Why it was Isao-san."
Isao was man who embodied a picture of a chauvinist and arrogance down to the last detail. "I wanted to convey size, grandiosity, stability, and strength in one word."
Chizuru nodded a few times. She usually doesn't engage directly with these sort of men. However, she was willing to make an exception. It was taking every fiber of her being to stop herself from screaming 'to hell with the patriarchy!'. These were the very men who perpetuated workplace discrimination. It didn't help that he was recently filed for workplace sexual harassment by several anonymous employees who were terminated from their jobs. It was all over the news and yet it didn't feel like it affected him in any way.
This wasn't a fight she was going to win, but it was far too tempting not to play around.
"I suppose you must be a fan of Dr. Freud, Isao-san." Her tone was soft as she spoke as she sliced her lamb into small bite size pieces. The only manner of eating acceptable for a lady by men's standards. "He's written several books that explains a lot about man's preoccupation with size and grandeur. I think those must be of particular interest to you."
Chizuru Maihara was being quite passive aggressive. She ignored the momentary glance her father directed towards her as well as the slight upturn on Yuzuru Suoh's lips. It was far too intellectual of an insult that poor Isao-san failed to recognize and even expressed his gratitude. They continued on with their conversation for the rest of the night.
"Otousama, I must excuse myself. I need to visit the powder room." Chizuru bowed politely.
"Go ahead." He dismissed. He looked at his companions. "I'll never understand my daughter and her whims. I'm glad you all got sons instead. Having a daughter is a handful."
Tamaki realized it's been sometime since Chizuru excused herself. He glanced at his father and with a simple nod, he stood up and excused himself. He checked the nearest powder room and it seems like Chizuru has gone elsewhere. Something kept bothering Tamaki the entire conversation. He saw through the act the father and daughter played.
"Tamaki, what are you doing?" Kyoya was leaning against the wall when he noticed his friend appeared bothered.
"Have you seen Chizuru?" Tamaki's concern was evident. He barely caught what happened between Chizuru and her father. He looked at Kyoya and wondered if he had any idea about it.
"She's in there." Kyoya gestured to the restroom. They could hear the sink running the entire time. "You should go back to the ballroom."
Tamaki shook his head. "Haruhi should be fine now. I trust her." He leaned against the door hoping she could hear him. "Chizuru, are you okay?"
After a few minutes, Chizuru came out and looked slightly pale. "I'm fine. I just really hate the taste of lamb. The smell makes me nauseous." She took several deep breaths and in an instant, she regained her composure. It was like as if she wasn't hurling her guts out just a few seconds ago.
"We should go back." Kyoya said as he pushed his glasses back. He also needed a quick break from the excessive socializing. If he had to entertain another mother practically selling the soul of their daughter, he would fling himself off the terrace.
Tamaki offered his arm to Chizuru who politely linked arms with him as they walked back. "Did you want a glass of water?"
"Don't mind me, Tamaki." Chizuru lightly tapped his arm lightly with her other hand to reassure him. For a woman of Japanese upbringing, Chizuru was on the touchy side, but lucky for her Tamaki was born and raised in France. Such actions didn't make him uncomfortable. He was similar in that sense. Touch was just as important as words in conveying messages.
"I suggest you refrain from any sort of physical contact." Kyoya lightly reminded his friends. He was discreet with his relationships and how he interacted with his friends during such occasions. They all were for good reason. "You'll never know what sort of rumors people can start if they see you."
"Don't tell me okaasan is jealous that otousan is getting more attention now?" Tamaki lightly teased. They ignored his warning temporarily. "It must have been hard handling Kyoya on your own. He hasn't shown you his bad side has he?"
"Oh, which bad side are we talking about? The egoist or the evil dictator?" Chizuru cocked her head to the side.
"Both?" Tamaki jested. He glanced at Kyoya and could feel that his friend was already rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You go ahead, mon ami. I have to personally thank Chizuru."
They walked around the hall and found themselves staring at one of the paintings near the entrance. The Suoh's commissioned highly skilled artists from the country to curate an exhibit that captured the blissful transience and beauty of life. They examined one painting after another. He showed one of the paintings that was most likely going to have one of the most bids that night. Several guests were already clamoring for the one made by Yayoi Kusama. All were magnificent in their own right, but there was one painting that caught Chizuru's eye as she found herself momentarily drawn to the image.
"Do you find this piece interesting?" If Tamaki had to be honest, this was one of the simpler pieces on display. It was overlooked by most guests. When placed beside the other more colorful and lively works, it was one that barely got a second look.
"It is intriguing." Chizuru continued to examine the painting. To an untrained eye, it was a simple painting of wisterias. She was no artist or painter. She had no talent with drawing or visual arts, but she knew a good technique when she saw one. It wasn't a realist painting and was almost abstract. With an imposing blue background with very faint greenish brushstrokes forming an arch and had an illusion of tangled wisterias.
"I even asked my father why he placed this piece in the collection. It did feel out of place compared to the rest of the words here. He said it was by an artist who was slowly losing his vision. He refused an outright donation for his operation and insisted that his most prized work be auctioned to pay for his medical fees." Tamaki explained.
Chizuru took a closer look at the piece. "There's a variation in sharpness of this piece and it creates this sense of…depth. I've never seen something to abstract and structured at the same time…This piece is included in the auction later, correct?"
"Yes it is. Forgive me for prying, but the reason I brought you here wasn't to view the paintings." Tamaki came clean. He was the Host King for a reason. He made it his life mission to ensure that there's a smile on all the faces of the women he encounters. "Your father…" he didn't continue his sentence and saw the sad smile on his companion's face.
"That's my cross to carry." Chizuru sighed. Her expression practically said that she was thanking him for the concern, but would prefer if no further questions were asked.
"Does anyone else know?"
"Only by accident. Benio and Hinako saw something similar before." Chizuru admitted. It wasn't a memory she wanted to recall. Shame was evident on her face. "I'd appreciate if you can keep this between us. It's not something I'd like others to know."
Tamaki got the answer he was looking for. He had an inkling that Chizuru was hiding something. Outwardly, she was what most people would describe as the perfect daughter. She was constantly surrounded by people, but his gut feel told him that she seemed lonely. There was something awfully strained about the Maihara family, most especially with her parents. He also knew the story behind Chizuru's upbringing. He just didn't expect such harsh treatment behind closed doors.
Tamaki decided to change the topic. "Kyoya had the same sentiments earlier about this exact piece when we did the initial viewing. Looks like he'll have some competition for tonight."
Chizuru took a sharp inhale. "How unfortunate. That guy's not going to budge the moment he sees something he likes." They continued to just look at the wisterias with all the colors blending together. They could hear the hum of the party from where they were.
"To be honest with you, I'd like to thank you for helping out not just Haruhi. You've been there for Kyoya when none of us could." Tamaki's usually cheerful expression shifted to something more somber. He suddenly had a maturity and wisdom of a sage who's lived a thousand lifetimes. "I've known Kyoya for years. It goes without saying that he's my closest friend."
Chizuru raised her brow in confusion. She wasn't sure if this conversation was heading towards that direction, but she wasn't going to tell anyone about whatever Kyoya's revealed to her in confidence. "I don't quite follow…"
Tamaki sighed. "He took several steps back to distance himself from us. I admit that in choosing my own happiness, I unintentionally placed him in a difficult situation as well. Having feelings for Haruhi wasn't something he had planned."
She stiffened at the sudden confession. Hinako and Kyoya did mention how Tamaki saw through people, but she didn't think he saw through all of that. Not even Kyoya could hide all his secrets from his friend.
"I've been feeling guilty about our relationship and how much it's hurt him." He continued. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. "He's always found himself alone. Even when I first met him."
"I didn't know how to approach it so I let him do as he pleased." Tamaki didn't try to suppress the tears that were staring to form. He wasn't ashamed of such emotions. "In the end, he gave in to make sure I could have my fairytale happy ending. I was the prince and Haruhi was the princess."
Chizuru nodded slowly and smiled. "You know he would strangle you if you made him play some princely role. That's not the story he wants for himself."
Relief washed over Tamaki. "I see you've figured him out."
"Far from it." Chizuru laughed sheepishly. "I don't understand how he thinks half the time. It's just something he revealed to me over time. Whether it was intentional or by accident, I'll never know."
Tamaki was open his mouth. Afterall, There was no such thing as 'unintentional accidents' with Kyoya. He was carefully choosing his words to express his gratitude. He was glad that someone was there was someone healing wounds that Kyoya refused to acknowledge. How he saw clearly that their friendship was healing both of them different ways, but his attention was shifted elsewhere.
"Otousan." Kyoya gently called his friend's attention as he leaned against the door by the entrance. "I highly suggest you go back as your precious daughter is being overwhelmed by a certain Hitachiin designer with some modeling gig."
"My precious Haruhi?" Tamaki clasped his hands together. Giddy with the thought of everyone appreciating his daughter's beauty. He continued to clutch Chizuru around as he entered into one of his delusions.
"…It's her latest swimsuit line. To my knowledge some of those items are just a poor excuse of strings barely hanging on to each other." Kyoya smirked as he pushed his glasses up.
Chizuru discreetly took herself off Tamaki's grasp. From his blissful state, he abruptly went through several stages of anger and grief in 30 seconds. She froze in shock. She didn't think someone else could possibly top off Benio when it came to these internal monologues and delusions.
"Otousan won't let them violate your innocence!" Tamaki ran back in a frenzy.
Tamaki ran as fast as he could. He almost stumbled and he frantically regained his balance. His protective instincts were on overdrive. He ran back the empty hall not realizing he went past his mother and grandmother who were on their way to the staff room. They had to prepare the exhibit for the auction later tonight. Shizue and Anne Sophie both looked at each other and sighed. There really was no controlling Tamaki and his whims.
"I wonder what got him running back that fast?" Shizue shook her head and made a mental note to herself to stop asking pointless questions. It was astonishing how much her grandson resembled Yuzuru.
Anne Sophie smiled. "Probably something about Haruhi-chan?"
The two women shook their heads and continued to make their way down the hall. Discussing which pieces they'll be promoting more. Although this was an event to celebrate the engagement of the Suoh heir, it didn't mean it had to be exclusively just that. This was the perfect avenue for them to support upcoming and well-known artists.
"Are you sure that it's a good idea to put 'Wisteria Haze' on auction?" Anne Sophie confirmed. It was the only painting there that was on the 'simpler' side. She knew how much this painting meant to her mother-in-law and how the artist was quite close to her.
"Yes, it's about time someone else appreciate its beauty." Shizue stood firm with her decision. "It's been 30 years since anyone has seen that painting. Only those with a good eye can see what a treasure that piece of work is."
Kyoya bowed politely to acknowledge the presence of Tamaki's mother and grandmother from where he was standing. He was about to walk towards them, but Anne Sophie gestured for him that there was no need for such formalities. He was quick to understand and in true Ootori fashion, bowed politely to acknowledge their presence.
"Kyoya-kun is such a polite boy." Anne Sophie smiled as she waved back at him. "It's nice Tamaki has a nice friend like him."
Shizue snorted. "He's too slick like his father. Terribly cunning like his grandfather…Like most Ootori's in general."
From the corner of Shizue Suoh's vision, she felt like she was transported to a similar scenario from more than twenty years ago. She thought her mind was playing tricks on her. She stopped walking and took a few steps back just to confirm what she just saw. The last time she saw such a scene, the ending was far from beautiful.
"Okaasama, is there something wrong?" Anne Sophie asked cautiously.
"My age must be getting to me." Shizue shook her head. They continued to walk to their intended destination. "Either I'm seeing things or the world has an amusing way of making history repeat itself." She didn't think she'd see it again in her lifetime. "Who was that girl Kyoya-kun was with?"
Anne-Sophie blinked a few times. With the number of guests it wasn't humanly possible to remember who's who, but she did recall Tamaki saying how she's one of their newer friends. The one Tamaki dubbed as 'Ho-zu' union. He went on about how two rival clubs finally found peace. How the Host Club and Zuka Club are now seeing eye to eye, hence 'Ho-zu' was born.
"I believe she's Chizuru-chan? Maihara, Chizuru-if I'm not mistaken."
The elder woman smirked. She expected as much. She was what a stereotypical Maihara would look like. Maybe fate will be kinder this time around.
The closeness between the Hosts changed when they all moved to Boston. A lot of changes happened that year. They temporarily stopped any Host Club activities to study overseas. Tamaki and Haruhi's relationship developed further which changed the dynamics of their 'family'. Hikaru and Kaoru were onto this road of self-discovery. Learning more about themselves as separate individuals. Honey started juggling a long distance relationship with Reiko while studying overseas. Mori was also having a long distance relationship with his adoptive Tanuki and Piyo-chan. Luckily, he trusted Satoshi and Chika to keep them strong and healthy.
They didn't realize how living together for a year changed their friendship for better and for worse. They all stayed in the housing Ouran had as an option for the living arrangements for students who go on exchange programs. It wasn't too far from the school with a good security system, garden, and a patio. It was smaller than what they were accustomed to, but it was enough.
Tamaki insisted on a study group to strengthen their bond with Haruhi, but his intended target had other plans and left. She and the other female international students had a sleepover instead which was shocking for all of them. So the rest of the hosts conglomerated at the place they knew best which was Kyoya's apartment. He had the nicest room which was connected to a balcony.
Hikaru was trying to karate chop a piece of paper with nothing but the force of air he generated with his hands. He was willing to do anything but study. Kaoru was memorizing something for English class. Honey ate snacks as wrote the draft for his paper due tomorrow. Mori was quietly reading for his philosophy lecture. Kyoya did his own thing as well with his laptop open as he read the materials needed and made notes.
Kyoya preferred to study alone because it offered him a time of solace, but now wasn't the time for that. He pushed his glasses and looked at Tamaki who's been pacing around the room and fidgeting around.
"Tamaki, I don't mind the study group, but will you stop opening the refrigerator every five minutes?" Kyoya glared at him. As if anything would have changed in that span of time.
Tamaki hugged himself and looked out the window. "You wouldn't understand my feelings of longing, Kyoya."
Hikaru and Kaoru's smile grew as they watched Kyoya control his irritation. Being the calmer person, he pinched his nose bridge and continued to work.
Their dynamics changed when Haruhi wasn't there with them. They didn't realize how different things would be now that they lived in close proximity with a woman. They didn't show her all their true colors. They still tried to keep their "best foot forward" when she was around. They never walked around in their underwear or cursed at each other. Kaoru was a tad bit cleaner with his things when she was around. Mori wouldn't walk around without a shirt on. What other escapades they all had individually was carefully hidden away from her. They couldn't possibly expose everything to her. All sorts of actions and thoughts were filtered as long as their little host club princess was there.
Now that it was just them, Hikaru walked around in just his shirt and boxers. Tamaki and Kyoya were still wearing their pajamas. Mori walked around topless. Kaoru slouched in his seat with his legs spread wide. Honey didn't hold back with the amount of sweets he brought around.
"Hika-chan!" Honey covered his nose and moved to the opposite side of the room.
"Gomenasorry." He said while imitating their classmates who mixed Japanese and English words together. Hikaru smiled innocently and knew It was the effect of Mexican food.
Kyoya stood up and opened the window. He covered his nose with his hands and stayed right beside the window where the fresh air was.
Kaoru's face scrunched up. "You could at least move right beside Milord instead of farting beside us!"
The Host Club was a family in its own way. When Haruhi was present, there was this parent and child dynamic. When she wasn't there, they acted more like brothers. It was Honey, Kyoya, and Mori who first realized this change. They were a different kind of rowdy when it was just them.
Hikaru fanned his fart towards Tamaki's direction and with the help of the breeze, it got to him faster.
"Hikaru! A gentleman shouldn't release gas like that." Tamaki scolded while pinching his nose. He was the princely Host who always looked his best regardless of the occasion. He was the living example of art.
That much was true, but Tamaki Suoh was also a regular human being who ate the extra chimichangas. He accidentally let out a burp much longer than expected.
"You guys, if you were planning on farting do it in your own rooms." Kyoya looked for the air freshener as he scrunched his nose. Mexican food left them all gassy. There was something about the oiliness of food from this side of the world that just didn't work for them.
How Americans found anything deep fried as tasty will never make sense to these Japanese men. They had deep fried Oreos, deep fried onions, fried ice cream, and they even had this burger where the patty was wrapped in bacon and the entire thing was deep fried.
"Takashi, are you still feeling constipated?" Honey asked. He knew that his cousin's stomach didn't take the local food that well. Afterall, the typical Morinozuka diet consisted of highly traditional food that was lightly seasoned. Such delicacies weren't readily available in other countries. Most versions of Japanese food overseas consisted of ramen, udon, tempura, and sushi. Other types of cuisines that locals enjoyed were lost.
Mori nodded and felt his stomach fill up with gas. Kaoru understood his dilemma and handed him a can of soda. "It helped me this morning."
Honey looked at Kyoya warily. He wasn't sure how the soda would help, but it was better than nothing. Kyoya shrugged his shoulders and just let things unfold.
The stoic host drank his soda in silence. Even the soda here was different. The fizz was much stronger compared to what they were used to back home. The solid burp was the only sound their most silent Host let out.
Tamaki couldn't help but snicker. His smile grew and somehow, he erupted into a fit of laughter. It was infectious and they were all laughing along because of how things were turning out. They didn't get much schoolwork done in the end. They all ended up having herbal tea to help with the constipation they felt instead of studying.
"Well, I can't wait to go back home and sleep in my room." Hikaru groaned. He didn't think he'd feel homesick. "I'm already sick of packing."
"You've barely done anything, Hikaru." Kaoru complained. "You just threw all your things in a single box." Most of their rooms were a mess which was why they voted Kyoya's room to be the venue for the study group. He looked around Kyoya's room. He knew his senpai was organized so he wasn't sure why there weren't any boxes ready yet. "Kyoya-senpai, haven't you started packing?"
"Ah, about that…I'm staying." He said it so indifferently like he was just giving the time of the day.
"You're going to travel around the area before we go back?" Kaoru confirmed. "I thought your graduation ceremony is next week?"
"My application to Harvard was accepted." Kyoya closed his laptop and pushed his glasses. "I'll be coming home with all of you in time for the graduation ceremony. I couldn't possibly miss the event. I was assigned to present the graduation speech."
"Yeah, even if milord is the superintendent's son, I guess the class valedictorian still does the speech. You won't make it sound like a business symposium, right?" Hikaru laughed. He was treading on dangerous waters, but it was a joke he was willing to risk. When it came to giving speeches to encourage and rekindle the flames of youthful passion, it was common sense that the Host King was the better choice.
"Don't say that Hika-chan." Honey pouted. While it's true that Tamaki was a more inspiring choice, Kyoya had his fair share of wisdom as well. "I'm sure Kyo-chan will give a great speech."
Kyoya pushed his glasses. "In as much as I have a Cool type image to maintain, I'll try my best to give something a bit more nostalgic."
I'm just letting things unfold slowly now. I've actually got the next chapter ready (sort of?). I've got the entire outline and I'm excited to post it soon.
To all the viewers there, I can see you guys! Thanks for reading this far.