Chapter 14: Kagome's Big Green Heart
On her first day back as the Host Club's unofficial, official Maternal Type, it was a costume day. The theme was Japanese traditional wear, so everyone sported a sort of kimono.
Per the request of Tamaki, Kagome came dressed in her traditional miko clothes. At first, she was skeptical of the choice. However, Tamaki remained firm that it would bring all of the guests a sense of peace having their big sister figure wear the miko attire.
Standing in the dressing room, Kagome brushes her hair out of the robe. It had been a long time since she had worn the clothes, but compared to the previous time she did not feel so strange. This was her moment to be Kagome, not the mirror image of a miko long gone. It was oddly exhilarating and she exited the dressing room feeling confident.
"Oh wow, Haruhi, you look so pretty in your kimono! You almost look like a girl." One of the girls cooed. Kagome came to learn the two names of Haruhi's most frequent guests, Kimiko Sakurazuka and Momoka Kurakano.
"Thanks," Haruhi replied. Kagome hid a snort under her palm, the girl was too blunt for her own good at times.
"Higurashi, how come you're wearing a miko getup?" Sakurazuka asked.
"Well, I'm actually a miko. I grew up on my family's shrine and have learned a lot of the traditional ways from my grandpa," Kagome said. "My father was a houshi before me, so it's kind of a family tradition."
The latter portion of her explanation was a half-truth, her grandpa was knowledgeable of the ways of miko. However, he was woefully ignorant of the control and tempering of spiritual powers. Luckily a trip down the well and a year later, was able to control it. For the most part.
"Wow, can you perform blessings or anything like that?" Kurakano gasped.
"Sort of, I can write blessings on ofudas but that is the extent of what I give," Kagome explained.
"So cool!" The two girls squealed.
"Can I have an ofuda?
"Me too!"
Hit by a storm of girls, Kagome swiftly made ofuda for each girl. Some for luck on their upcoming exams, some for a happy life, but most of all she wrote the characters for love.
Once the storm had ceased, Kagome took refuge next to Haruhi who was chatting with Kyoya. Shortly after a few of Kyoya's guests walked up to them.
"I can't get over how great you look in that kimono," a girl Kagome recognized as Yuriko Aika from their class.
The miko watched from the corner of her eye as the two guests sighed dreamily and complimented the bespectacled host's appearance. In the hollow of her chest, Kagome felt the familiar kick of envy. Swallowing it down, she turned to Haruhi who was now distracted by the conversation before them.
"Are you planning on releasing any more picture books in the future?" asked Aika.
"Unfortunately we do not have anything planned at present, ladies," Kyoya said with a charming smile.
Hikaru and Kaoru's noses suddenly peeked over the silk screen behind the Shadow King. They questioned him about the lucrative opportunity to which the dark-haired host explained the faux paux from the last picture book event. With a quick calculation, he explained that any money-making opportunity would need to come from the school budget.
Kagome watched with curious, wide eyes as he spoke. She knew he was smart, but it seemed without his help the Host Club would drown. Only Kyoya could bring to life Tamaki's wildest dreams apparently.
"Haru-chan, Gome-chan," Honey's voice whimpered, tears threatening to spill from his eyes "I lost my sandal."
"Oh no, where did you see it last?" Kagome asked, swooping down to his eye level.
"You just had it on," Haruhi added.
Before either of the girls could seek out the sandal, Mori swooped in and saved the day. With tears falling freely, Honey collapsed into his cousin's arms. While Kagome watched the scene with a tender heart, Haruhi grumbled under her breath about the amount of crying happening that day as she walked away.
"What do you mean, Haruhi?" Kagome queried.
Haruhi faced her to answer the question but accidentally collided with one of the twins. A small plastic bottle with a teary-eyed eyeball clattered to the floor, revealing the cause of the tears. Kagome stared at the bottle then at Honey and back to the bottle. She fell for the act hook, line, and sinker!
"Don't be such a party pooper, Haruhi!" Hikaru said, poking her in the cheek after admonishing them for the fake tears.
"Here, have this."
Kaoru produced a tiny pink cake from the sleeve of his kimono. Haruhi held the small treat up with excited eyes. Kurakano and Sakurazaka swooped in excitedly.
"I didn't know you liked sweets, Haruhi!"
"To be honest, I don't really. But you know, I think it would be a nice memorial offering for my mother." Haruhi said reverently. Though the words were postured for the guests, the miko could sense the genuine softness. Grabbing her brush and some ink, Kagome scribed something special.
"For your mother," said Kagome as she handed the paper to her friend. "It means everlasting love."
Haruhi took the ofuda with a genuine smile gracing her lips. Overcome by the sweet, purity of the sentiment, Tamaki swooped in and piled on more sweets and the girls gasped with happiness. Crystalline tears glimmered in his violet eyes.
"Your tears are fake too, aren't they?" Haruhi sharply accused.
Sputtering, Tamaki attempted to save face by coming up with excuses for his tears. His excuses soon evolved into incoherent ramblings about romantic natures and pizazz to make it more effective. As he spoke, Kagome sensed a new presence in the room.
Following its energy trail, she saw a girl hiding behind the doorframe. Her wide brown eyes watched them timidly, shrinking behind the frame once all eyes were on her. She was wearing a girl's school uniform, but Kagome had never seen her before.
"Looks like the Host Club has a brand new guest!" exclaimed the twins. They moved quickly, offering the new girl roses and inviting her in. When the girl tried to back away, Tamaki stepped in, holding a rose of his own.
"Where did the roses come from?" Kagome wondered, looking around for any flower vases.
"Please, you don't have to be afraid my princess," Tamaki spoke in a soothing whisper, cupping her chin with his free hand. "I welcome you to the Host Club."
The girl looked down, her face flushed red and her breath trembling. Tamaki leaned in closer when he was violently smacked away.
"No! Don't touch me! You're phony!" The girl shrieked.
The Host Club gasped at the treatment of the Host Club President. Kagome placed a comforting hand on Tamaki's shoulder as he stumbled back.
"What do you mean I'm phony!" The blonde demanded, grasping his face. Suddenly, the girl's face darkened as she pointed accusingly at him.
"I find it hard to believe that someone like you is the prince character of this host club!" The girl seethed. She proceeded to insult every manner of hosting that Tamaki used, calling him stupid, and a dim-witted narcissist, among many others. The sheer ferocity of her insults made Tamaki crumple to the ground in shock.
"Hey, you don't have to be so mean to him!" Kagome stepped in, blocking the blonde from any more verbal attacks. "Who do you think you are, anyways?"
"Mind your business, Fake-o!" The girl snarled.
"Who are you callin–!" Kagome's response was cut off by Kyoya's gentle hand on her shoulder. Pulling the irate girl back, the bespectacled host stepped forward.
"I don't suppose you are…" Kyoya trailed off as the girl cried out his name, running into his arms. Wrapping herself into his embrace, the girl cried prettily.
"I've longed to meet you, my one and only prince charming, Kyoya!"
The bespectacled host made no move while the girl hung on him for dear life, his arms hanging limp at his sides. Kagome stared unblinkingly at the scene. The tiny green monster buried in her chest grew another inch, smashing its fists against her ribcage.
"Kyoya-sempai is your…"
"Fiancé?" The twins voiced the confusion that plagued the entire Host Club. None of them had heard anything about an engagement from their vice president.
"Mhm! My name is Renge Houshikuji, I am transferring into Ouran's class 1A tomorrow." she chirped happily.
The members of the Host Club expected a response from their flamboyant leader. They were sorely mistaken as Tamaki was crouched sulking. Kagome stood next to him, sporting an equally unhappy expression.
"Why's he sulking?" Hikaru asked.
"Because Mommy was keeping a secret from Daddy," replied Kaoru.
"I can see why the boss is sulking, but you Higurashi?"
"Shut up, I'm trying to comfort him!" Kagome snapped.
She was doing a poor job of hiding her feelings about the surprise engagement. Kyoya could see it plainly written on her face. Regardless of those feelings, the bespectacled host had to consider the connection with the newcomer. Kyoya sighed, deflecting his agitation elsewhere. Why did everyone keep referring to him and Tamaki as a married couple?
"It was love at first sight," declared Renge. Her voice took on a dreamy tone as she spoke of a soft Kyoya who adored flowers in the backyard and nursed injured kittens back to health.
Kagome shared a perplexed look with the rest of the Host Club. Their Shadow King would never present himself in such a way.
"Do you think she has the wrong person?" Haruhi asked Kagome in a loud whisper.
"Maybe–?"
"No way, I could recognize my love anywhere!" Renge swiftly interrupted. "He's a gentleman who's kind to everyone but doesn't ask for anything in return. He likes solitude but sometimes he gets lonely. He looks like the star of the popular dating sim, Uki-doki Memorial! You're my real-life Ichijo Miyabi!"
At the conclusion of Renge's speech, everyone was left frozen in shock. While the others freaked out over the discovery that this new guest was an otaku, Kyoya contemplated her words.
"I see, you're in love with that character and projecting that love onto me and you somehow deluded yourself into thinking we're engaged," Kyoya stated the facts blithely.
"So she's not your fianceé?" Tamaki asked.
"Well, no. I don't remember asking for her hand in marriage," replied Kyoya. "Besides, this is the first time I ever met the woman."
Kagome snuck a look at the bespectacled host with a glimmer of hope. So they weren't truly engaged. The green monster ceased banging on her ribcage and slunk away. Placing a hand over her heart, the miko was relieved.
Sitting on a pair of facing couches, the host Club watched as Renge talked to Kyoya. She cooed and awed over his position as the Host Club's director. She dreamily sighed about something under her breath when she addressed them all with a determined sheen in her eyes.
"From now on, I'm going to be the manager of this host club!" Renge declared.
Much to the dismay of the rest of the club members, Kyoya warned them to be kind to the girl. Apparently being the daughter of an important family client meant that Renge could do as she pleased. Kagome shared a look with Haruhi.
This was not going to be fun.
The very next day, Tamamki called a meeting for all of the members of the Host Club. Sitting comfortably on the couches, they sipped on delicious tea while they discussed their new manager.
"I thought about it last night, maybe a lady manager wouldn't be so bad," said Tamaki.
"Why do you say that?" The twins asked in unison.
"Well, it's fairly obvious. Renge just transferred into the same class as Haruhi. If Haruhi has a girl-friend in her own class it could bring out the female within her! No offense, Kagome."
"Excuse me?" Very much offended, Kagome huffed indignantly before taking a long sip of tea. Just because she didn't make Haruhi act or dress girly didn't mean that their friendship wasn't meaningful.
"Think of it like this! Renge's air of tender girliness could stimulate Haruhi's own sense of femininity. It could easily be said that your feisty nature and temper could be the reason Haruhi hasn't blossomed more into a woman." Tamaki continued.
"I don't see where I can't get offended by that, Tamaki," grumbled Kagome. The green monster crawled forward, awoken by the comments.
"Hey, everyone!" Renge's bright and chipper voice came into the room. "You'll be happy to know that your new manager, Renge, has brought you cookies!"
Renge produced a small bag filled with visibly shrunken, lumpy cookies. When Tamaki appeared to admire her generosity, the new manager brushed him off with an insult. Renge immediately walked up to Kyoya and offered him the cookies.
"I',m sorry I burned them a little bit. I did the best I could, and I already know what you're going say~!" Renge trailed off entering some dreamland in which Kyoya was eating the cookies and complimenting them to the highest caliber. She squealed happily about how sweet Kyoya was.
Rolling her eyes, Kagome reached to grab a cookie and sniffed. They were certainly burned, but they looked edible. Taking a tentative bite, the crunch of the dessert took her by surprise. Even though the texture was plain awful, the general taste of the cookie wasn't bad.
"Are you trying one, Mistu?" Kagome asked as the smallest host reached for a cookie of his own.
"Oh my, they are burnt!" Honey said, nibbling on the cookie.
"Mistukini don't eat that, it's bad for you," Mori warned.
Upon hearing the insult to her baking, Renge hissed angrily and ran after the two hosts. Mori scooped up Honey, running away from the terrifying manager.
"Here, Haruhi, they're not bad once you get past the texture." Kagome offered the cookie to her friend. Taking one, the brunette echoed her opinion.
"They've actually got a good flavor to them," she said.
"Let me try a bite," Hikaru demanded. He took a piece of cookie still in Haruhi's mouth and snapped it in half.
"Oh, Haruhi, you've got crumbs on your face!" Kaoru said, dragging his tongue across Haruhi's cheek.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kagome scolded, shooing them away. "Don't be weird!"
Tamaki hopped on the bandwagon, taking to scolding Haruhi for her blithe response to the twins. Not wanting to deal with his antics, Haruhi made a comment about sexual harassment further sending Tamaki into a tizzy.
On the side, Renge observed them. Noting each of their interactions, appearances, and personalities, she came to a powerful conclusion. This Host Club needs some real change and bad,.
"Every single one of your characters, except for Kyoya, is lukewarm!" Renge declared then. The Host Club faced her with confused expressions. "Each of you needs to have some dark side, you understand? Girls are vulnerable to handsome young men who are troubled. If you carry on like this, it's only a matter of time before the girls get tired of this and stop coming altogether."
"But wouldn't that be making it pho–?" Kagome didn't get the chance to finish her question when Renge rounded on her.
"Why are you even here to begin with? Are you playing some fake sapphic character to lure in girls?"
"What? No!"
"Are you trying to ruin my previous Kyoya's business?"
Kagome was at an utter loss for words under the scrutiny of the lady manager. Since when did fake sapphic come into her character at all? Turning toward Kyoya, she noticed he did not return the look. Rather he silently stayed put, allowing the girl to go wild.
And wild she went, tearing apart their characters one by one until. With her words, the lady manager stripped them down to the barest parts and rearranged them into an edgier version of themselves. Renge announced with each transformation of their characters something brand new. Turning Honey into a punk, the twins into basketball players, Haruhi the constantly bullied honors student., and Tamaki as the lonely. Finally addressing her, Renge narrowed her eyes pensively.
"And you! You are a model who is secretly hiding her sexuality. You're best friends with Haruhi, our bullying victim, who is completely in love with you but you will never admit his feelings for you!"
"Excuse me, what!" Kagome stopped her. "I'm not gay! Don't cast me into that role without knowing anything!"
"If you're not gay, then why are you a part of a predominantly male host club?" Renge asked, crossing her arms.
"Well, I'm not a host. I act more as a female companion for the girls if they seek me out." Kagome explained. Renge pondered her words for a moment, turning to Kyoya.
"Is this true?"
"Well, yes. Kagome's participation in the host club is unnamed as it adds to a naturalness to her relationships with our clients. Though I wouldn't say it's an act, many of our guests value Kagome and the presence she brings to the Host Club." Kyoya explained.
His tone was succinct and to the point, speaking of pure facts. At this point, the miko knew better than to take his words at face value. Kyoya appreciated and valued her as part of the Host Club. Kagome smiled softly at the thought.
"Okay, that settles it then. Higurashi, you're the tired oldest sister! Without parents of your own, you have to carry the responsibility of being the oldest sibling and parent so that your loved ones can live a good life. You're constantly putting others before you even when it is to your own detriment!"
"O-Okay?" Kagome mumbled.
Looking around, she saw the discontent expressions on the others' faces. Save for Tamaki, who jumped into his role headfirst. Kyoya didn't make any moves to intervene which settled the matter completely. The Ouran Host Club officially had a new, edgier look.
Judging from the ferocious gleam in Renge's eyes, Kagome assumed that today would be very, very long.
It was raining bullets as Kagome chased after Haruhi. The merciless downpour pushed snarling raven waves into her face. Her heart and mind were on a mission as she pursued the brunette, not caring if her hair blocked her vision. She needed to get to Haruhi before he did.
When her friend slipped and fell into the mud, Kagome launched forward to catch her. They both collided with the trunk of the tree, the raven-haired girl taking the brunt of the impact. It knocked the breath out of her briefly, but she recovered quickly.
"Haruhi! What happened to you?" Kagome asked, angling the brunette's face toward her.
"It's nothing," Haruhi replied, keeping her gaze to the ground. "I'm fine."
"There you are."
Whipping around, they faced Honey sneering at them derisively. Kagome inched herself between them, not trusting his relaxed posture. The hands he kept in his pocket have been used for evil and she was not about to let her friend go through that again. Narrowing her eyes, Kagome stood up to block Haruhi.
"Leave him alone!" Kagome demanded.
"Don't do it Mistukini. It's not worth it," Mori interjected. Honey chuckled darkly.
"Do I need to bend you over my knee again? Back off, Takashi. It's none of your concern."
"Then go away, Mistukini! Leave Haruhi alone," Kagome hissed fiercely. Her body lowered into a fighting stance, her arms squared and locked. She was ready to spring should he attack.
"You know, it pisses me off when pathetic people like you don't know their place," Honey said with a smirk. He stepped forward, making Kagome grimace and Haruhi flinch.
Seeing his friends in such distress, even if it was fake, made Honey burst into tears. Wailing loudly, he crawled into Haruhi's arms apologizing through his crying.
"And cut! What the heck was that? You're not supposed to break while we're filming!" Renge admonished, crumpling the script in her hand. "The least you could do is stick the the script!"
From a safe distance away from the movie's set, Kyoya watched as the scene unfolded. It was strange to see the members of the Host Club pulled and molded in these directions. Renge unwittingly hit the nail on the head with each of their vices, yet failed to accurately represent it in the film. The scene of the twins playing any sort of sport came to mind humorously.
However, when it came to this particular scene, Kyoya's pulse increased every second it continued. Kagome's fierce, determined eyes had only plagued him in dreams since The Incident. Now seeing them in action as a bystander left him feeling excited and something more. She was a fiery, expressive creature who loved with her whole heart and stayed loyal to the end. He wasn't sure if this spitfire protecting Haruhi was created under Renge's direction or Kagome's own protectiveness. Whatever the case, he was thrilled to see it.
When the four Host actors were dismissed for a quick break, Renge bounced away from Kyoya's side to talk with the crew. It was a rather impressive group of people, Renge went all out for their little project. Keen grey eyes were impressed to see a famous American director offering his time and crew.
Looking back at the set, he watched Kagome help Haruhi up from the ground. The rain did a number on her uniform, the fabric sticking to her in all of the right places. He appreciatively observed her form as she went to sit down for her break. Trickles of heat crawled from his neck down low until the Ootori decided to distract himself with something else.
A member of the crew offered them towels, which Kagome took gratefully. The weight of her dress was severely uncomfortable, not to mention it stuck to her awkwardly. Plus, she was freezing! The weak heat from the sun did little to warm her chilled bones. It was as though the fabric actively wanted to give her a cold. She wished that Renge would have let her change before shooting the scene, but no.
"It would compromise the illusion," Renge had stated after their fourth take of the scene. With an increasingly grumpy mood shifting over her, the miko tried to distract herself and checked in on her friend.
"How are you not super soaked too?" Kagome asked. Haruhi's jacket and pants were damp, but not nearly as wet as hers.
"Movie magic?" Haruhi suggested. Kagome pressed her lips together, highly unamused by the excuse.
"Ugh. If I have to be in this dress any longer I think I'm going to scream. I'll be back, I'm going to change clothes real quick."
"Try to be quick, I think we have another scene coming up."
"Can do, Boss," Kagome saluted before making her way back to the school.
On her way in, she passed the bespectacled host who was writing away on a clipboard. Seemingly distracted by it, Kagome hurried her pace so as to not catch his attention.
"Where are you going, Kagome?" Kyoya spoke without taking his eyes off the clipboard. Annoyed at being caught, the miko gave him a sour look.
"I need to change out of these clothes before I catch a cold. This uniform is not made to withstand rain," Kagome grumbled. "Remember the last time I got caught in the rain?"
"Indeed. Very well, there should be something in the dressing rooms. Do try to hurry, though." Kyoya said.
Kagome pinned him with a highly unamused glare and stormed back into the building. The fact that he was being so casual about all of this made her mad. Family client's daughter or not, Renge's free range over the Host Club was immensely frustrating. Not to mention there was no love lost from the lady manager. Apparently being a girl meant that she received harsher treatment.
"Achoo!" Kagome sneezed loudly.
"Shit."
Kagome returned a short time later in her miko robes. After receiving multiple strange looks from everyone, she explained the situation. Renge came in like a furious hellcat.
"Just what the heck are you wearing? What is this, the Feudal Era?"
"These were the only clothes that would fit me!" Kagome stated as her cheeks began to heat up. Behind her, two mischievous auras lit up.
"You're right."
"You're too short to even wear Haruhi's clothes."
"And that's saying something!" The twins teased.
The miko could only muster the energy to half-heartedly glare at them. This whole movie shoot was taking all of her energy out.
"Are we almost done?" Kagome asked.
"We have one final scene to shoot! Haruhi, follow me!" Renge announced excitedly. She brought the brunette over to the side of the building where two mean-faced students stood.
"I don't have a good feeling about this," Kagome muttered.
The two boys looked livid and judging by their state of dress could be moved to some sort of physical altercation. Judging from the darkening colors of their auras, the miko sensed she would need to take action.
Kneeling, Kagome picked up a small flat rock. Hiding it in her hand, she approached the group calmly. Only a few feet away, did Renge grab the arm of one of the boys and attempt to pull him over.
"Watch out!" Kagome cried as the boy shoved Renge forward.
It happened in the blink of an eye as she watched, stunned, as Haruhi braced the impact of the wall. The brunette hit the wall with a painful thud followed by the clattering of film equipment crashing to the ground.
Without missing a beat, the miko aimed and launched the rock at the boy. It hit the mark, knocking into the back of his neck and sending him to the ground. Scooping up another rock, Kagome sprinted towards them.
"Never lay your hands on them again, do you understand?" Kagome hissed, brandishing the rock. The boys watched her nervously, blubbering excuses.
"It's all her fault?"
"They're right," mumbled Haruhi.
"What?" Renge gasped. Behind her, Haruhi was standing and holding a hand over her eye.
"You can't go around pushing people into little boxes and stereotyping them. It's not fair to them if you judge them by what they look like," Haruhi said.
"What happened here?" Tamaki came crashing into the scene with concern widening his gaze.
Looking up, Haruhi revealed a single tear dripping down her cheek. Stunned, both Kagome and Tamaki sprung into action. Shoving one of the guys against the wall, he demanded answers.
"H-Haruhi?" Kagome gasped, falling to her knees next to the brunette. Gently, she brought her friend's eyes to meet her own. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, wiping at her eye. "I think my contact fell out."
"Your contact?" Kagome muttered in disbelief as she watched Haruhi hold the little piece of plastic on her finger. "You're not hurt?"
"No?"
"Haruhi!" Tamaki wrapped his arms around the brunette's shoulders. "I'm so proud of you, crying without eyedrops. You're a true host, my friend."
"Cut! That was amazing, I never could have written a more perfect final scene!" Renge squealed. "Everything except for Haruhi's contact falling out wil make it a riveting end to the story. Now we just need to–!"
The sound of something shattering, rock meeting glass, stopped Renge in her tracks. Surprised, Kagome watched as Kyoya lowered a rock from the camera lens. Judging from the frown on his face, he was intensely annoyed.
"I think you've caused enough trouble here, Renge," said Kyoya. His voice was calm but cutting. "Would you please stop being such a pest?"
Alongside the camera's lens, Renge's world shattered under Kyoya's harsh words. The image of the gentle, kind love of her life disintegrated into dust revealing a cold, glaring boy. Collapsing to her knees, the manager sobbed loudly. Kyoya said nothing as he watched her cry.
Pursing her lips, Kagome walked over to the weeping girl. Renge was harsh and immature, however, Kagome couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. Rejection wasn't easy no matter who you were. Placing a gentle hand on the manager's back, the miko sat next to her. With a little effort, she concentrated some of her aura to envelop the raging storm that was Renge's.
When her crying subsided slightly, Haruhi joined her, crouching on the ground. The brunette spoke to her softly, her lecture making Renge's eyes widen with each word. Slowly her aura began to calm until it was finally resting. Kagome lifted her palm with a small smile.
"Getting to know the person, little by little, is more fun that way right?" Haruhi asked.
From a window, Kagome watched as the others left campus. The sun was beginning to set, casting golden light into the room. She relished in its warmth after being cold for most of the afternoon was not what she wanted. After the events of the day, she just wanted to go home.
"What are you still doing here, Kagome?" Kyoya asked. He was standing behind her with his school bag in hand.
"Waiting for Haruhi to fix her contact," replied Kagome with a sigh. "Today felt like it went on forever. I hope that breaking that camera was worth it."
"Oh, in fact, it was. The lens is broken but the footage will be turned into a film for the guests to purchase and enjoy."
Kagome quirked her head slightly, placing her hands on her hips.
"Then why would you go through the fuss of breaking the camera if you were still going to use the footage?"
"Well, the parts of certain hosts exhibiting violent behavior will be cut out. Why waste such good material?"
"Everything is so transactional with you, jeez," Kagome said rolling her eyes.
Kyoya didn't honor her with a response. Wordlessly, he joined her by the window with a strange expression on his face. Facing him, the miko lifted a brow when he leaned in closer. If she moved forward one inch, their noses would touch.
The bespectacled boy wore a troubled expression that reflected in his aura. The typically smooth lavender hues were bursting and folding over one another with flashes of dark fuschia. His eyes burned into her, desperately wanting to say something.
But he didn't.
He gently tucked a wild strand of raven hair behind her ear. Without another word, the bespectacled host bade her a good night. Left with a thousand fluttering butterflies in her chest, Kagome couldn't stop the spread of pink covering her cheeks.
Underneath her ribcage, spread a comforting warmth. The little green monster contorted until it was smaller than the head of a pin and she could no longer feel its nasty presence.
The next day when the Host Club was open Renge made an appearance. Rather than storming in guns blazing as she had previously, she entered with a more calm and collected aura. The girl slipped in without a word to anyone, she made a beeline right for Haruhi.
As the two talked, Kagome watched from her corner of the club room with a smile. While she was not sure they would ever be friends, the miko was glad to see the rejection hadn't completely crushed Renge. She sparkled with a new light as she spoke to Haruhi.
"Wait a second," Kagome said, furrowing her brow at the sudden onset of pink tinting Renge's cheeks.
"I realized that you're my true love, Haruhi!" Renge announced, bashfully hiding her face.
Haruhi looked to Kagome with an expression that begged for intervention. With how poorly she was holding back her amusement, the miko could not make herself move.
"And you!" Renge was suddenly in front of her, pointing an accusing finger at her nose. "Don't think that just because you were nice yesterday means I don't think of you as a rival for my Haruhi!"
Kagome held her tongue wisely at that moment. Holding back the laugh that began to bubble in her chest was becoming painful but she did not want any more bad blood between them. Gently, the miko pushed the finger out of her face.
"You know, I would much rather be friends than rivals," Kagome said. Renge paused, her eyes wide and blinking in confusion.
"Huh? Aren't you going to fight me for Haruhi's love?" Renge asked skeptically.
"Why would I? I'm not in love with Haruhi, we're just friends," explained the miko. "I hope that you'd like to be friends one day too."
Completely taken aback by her words, Renge stared as the raven-haired girl returned to her homework. She had never been asked by another girl if they could be friends before. Throughout her life, her obsessive interests led her down a road of isolation and loneliness. Yet, this girl who she just met and was actively mean to wanted to be friends?
Suddenly filled with a renewed fire, Renge straightened herself. With new love and a new friend, she felt she made the right choice to remain in Japan.
