Dogged. [invite only]

[Whammy]

With a sigh, Haruhi closed the fourth library's door, slinking down the hallway in a bit of a depressed state. She was dressed very plainly, wearing baggy boys' clothes and her thick-rimmed glasses. Having lost her contact lenses on the first day of school, she was forced to resort to her glasses, of which she could handle wearing out of necessity, but really preferred her contacts more than anything. She'd have to wait until her prescription updated before she could get another set of contacts, as it wasn't exactly cheap to do so...

Regardless, she wandered the halls almost aimlessly, trying to straighten her hair out a little in her boredom. It was relatively messy today, as she'd just ran a brush through it and left, picked out some haphazard clothes, and got on with life. She couldn't afford the Ouran uniform, therefore she wasn't required to wear it, but nonetheless she probably wouldn't have, either. The girls' uniform was too... Bright for her tastes. She didn't exactly enjoy clothing that was tight like the dress was, meaning she wouldn't have liked to wear it all that much. She'd have preferred the boys' uniform over anything else.

Wandering around, she found herself in front of a room. It appeared to be the old abandoned music room, though she wondered why in the world it would be abandoned. There were three different music rooms, so surely it had to have a purpose; glancing down the hallway, she noted that it was right next to the Black Magic Club's room, somewhere that she wouldn't entirely have wanted to use it for anything to do with music, either. She'd seen the leader of the Black Magic Club around the school, and she had to say that he kind of creeped her out. Maybe she was just overreacting, but he did give off that kind of vibe... Not to mention that his little puppet-cat was kind of weird as well.

"Well, it's an abandoned music room... What harm could it do? It's clearly abandoned, so it'd probably be a nice quiet place to study." She certainly wasn't going to complain if it was quiet. It would be better than sitting in the loud library... How in the world would a library be loud, anyway? Weren't most librarians always telling people to shush? It seemed more like a common room to her than anything...

[Tamaki Suoh]

Ah, today was such another extraordinary day at the Ouran Academy. Well, everyday was a wonderful day at the Academy, but something about today just felt extra special. Tamaki couldn’t put his finger on why though. As normal, he was heading towards the music room where the Host Club made its residence. However, they did not have anything planned for today’s events did they? No special costumes, no special theme; just a normal day of providing fun and entertainment to the ladies of the school. So if there was nothing going on at the Club, then what was it that was causing him to just feel like something was special about today?

Lost within his thoughts, Tamaki almost missed the person standing in front of the door to the club. Spotting them at the last second though, he ducked behind the corner and took watch. Who WAS this slovenly mess of a man? The hair was a strangled mess that made Christmas lights from the attic look clean and straightened. His oversized sweater looked as dirty, brown, and wrinkled as the skin of a rotten banana. And those glasses? Why, the Great Wall of China had a thinner border than those things? Did a commoner somehow mistakenly made his way into the Academy? No, that couldn’t be it; the security wouldn’t have let them through. That meant that this person had to be a student, so was it a person who had lost a bet?

Whatever the case may be, the person was standing in front of the door of the Host Club. That meant only one thing; that this person was to be a customer of the club! Hmm, odd; they rarely had male customers, and none obviously like this. Still, it was the job of the Host Club to entertain any and all guests that arrived, no matter the class, gender, or any other reason another person would turn them away. And since it seemed that no one else was around, it was to be his job to entertain this potential new customer. Standing up straight, Tamaki princely walked around the corner and began to approach the new person.

”Welcome newcomer to the Ouran High School Host Club. Please, do not be afraid of entering our premises…”

With that he placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and turned him around. Yes, those glasses were big, but yet there was something about the eyes underneath them that seemed interesting. But as long as those glasses were there, however, it wouldn’t amount to anything; it could just be a trick of the light after all. With a gentle touch, Tamaki lifted up the boy’s chin and brought his own face closer to him.

”After all, we accept all those who come for pleasure, whether straight or gay.” he replied with a gentle smile. The gay comment may have seemed odd, but why else would a man be coming to the Host Club to be entertained? After all, their services weren’t really that oriented towards straighter males…

[/blockquote]

[Whammy]

I couldn't believe that even after poring over a map of the school and mapping out the ways to get to my classes the fastest, I still hadn't had a chance to find almost every little area of the school. I'd even gone exploring when my father was filling out the paperwork, and I still probably hadn't found anything. I'd heard this particular music room was abandoned, but hadn't had the chance to look into it... I'd been more focused on my studies than anything. So far, I felt I was doing well considering I was a middle-class child in a high-class area.

See what I'm getting into, mom? I'm stuck in a pool of rich people with no apparent way out except living while I sink to the bottom. Does that even make sense? Sometimes I questioned my logic, and I could bet that my mother did, too. Wherever she was. Sighing, I was about to push open the door when I heard... Footsteps. Behind me. Okay, so would I look weird for entering the abandoned music room?

”Welcome newcomer to the Ouran High School Host Club. Please, do not be afraid of entering our premises…”

I didn't get a chance to figure things out as a hand settled down on my shoulder, turning me around. The boy standing now in front of me was approximately a foot taller than me, with shimmering blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. He would have probably looked rather intimidating, if not for that look in his eyes. There was definitely a word to describe that look... Though I couldn't quite put my finger on it just yet.

I thought about his comment for a moment. The... Host Club? That sounded kind of weird to me. What the hell was a "host club"? What in the world did they do? And how was I considered a newcomer? So many questions, so little answers... And so little time to even think.

”After all, we accept all those who come for pleasure, whether straight or gay.”

Gay? Gay? I raised an eyebrow at this particular boy. Why in the world was he calling me gay? And wouldn't the proper term have been lesbian? Sure, I might not have paid much attention to gender, and I didn't really care whether he saw me as a boy or not, but I was definitely not gay. That was one standpoint I would be sure to stay by; I was strictly heterosexual, though I did respect the homosexual parts of society. I had to, because it was only logical. My dad was a transvestite, after all; what else could I do?

"...The 'Host Club'? What in the world is that? I think you might have been looking for the wrong person," I blathered, somewhat nervous. Okay, so I had to admit; this kid was kind of cute. He had this weird uniqueness to him, but the charismatic vibe he gave off had little to no effect on me. He was towering over me, with his hand underneath my chin, so I felt a little... odd. Who wouldn't, considering someone you didn't know was over a foot taller than you and acting relatively... Out of the ordinary?

Trying to at least get away, I made an attempt to back closer to the door, only to find that... The door swung backwards. Open. Unceremoniously I fell flat on my rear inside the door, a couple books falling out of my arms as I tried to at least catch myself. Great, so not only had I failed to find a quiet place to study, but I'd also just made a clumsy fool of myself. My day was just getting better and better...

[Tamaki Suoh]

As Tamaki held up the boy’s chin, he was surprised to hear that the person had never heard of them before? Why, every student knew of them, except maybe some of the incoming new people. So apparently this person wasn’t looking for them after all. Darn, that was a disappointing notion if there ever was one. It was just a simple case of a new student getting loss on the road of life, stumbling towards the Host Club like a lost kitten. Still, that didn’t mean that he could not be friendly towards the new person, and from the looks of the person they would need some help. Such a disheveled look, why, it was not the appropriate attire for someone of Ouran Academy.

All of a sudden, however, the boy began to back up away from him, Tamaki’s fingers flowing off of the boy’s face. Whether or not he was looking for the Host Club, he was apparently awestruck by his charms. His looks must have been too much for the poor kid; it was suffocating him and forcing him away. Hmm, that was a pretty adorable behavior from the kid. Too bad he didn’t have the looks for it. A personality like that could prove popular in the Host Club. After all, there were a many a girl who liked bashful men, and this boy sure took the cake. Just who was he though…..

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted, however, by the door opening backwards. The force of his backing up lead to the boy falling ungracefully onto the floor. From his position, Tamaki just stared, not sure how to react to this moment. Obviously, as a graceful prince himself, such a thing would be something to laugh at, but kindly. But as the leader of the Host Club, there was something else about the behavior. It just oozed bashful adorableness. A shy, clumsy boy; there was a market for that sort of thing.

”My my, that was….COMPLETELY ADORABLE!”

Tamaki quickly grabbed the boy up, his one arm quickly wrapping the boy around his neck as Tamaki began to excitedly drag him around in a circle. Tamaki’s voice was obviously filled with excitement and praise for this new kid.

”I mean, sure, you don’t have the grace of a Ouran Student, but that might just be your strength. Such raw bashful clumsiness would prove so popular with the ladies. I mean, such ignorance of backing away from the awesome glare of my looks, stumbling right into a door that open inwards as you fall straight down onto the ground. I think only Honey-sempai could rival you in the adorableness of such an event. You’re such a natural at it it’s not funny.”

After probably chocking the boy half to death, and probably causing liftoff in his excited whirling, Tamaki finally set the boy down back on the ground and grabbed onto both of his shoulders. The adorableness of the fall and clumsiness, however, probably wouldn’t be able to overcome the pure look of “commoner” that this boy had. Actually, even a commoner wouldn’t look this disheveled, right? Hmm, if they were to try and recruit this boy into the club, there was going to be a lot of work needed. After thinking through it all, Tamaki stepped back and flipped the front of his hair real quick.

”I apologize for the energy. It is just so rare to see such a fine, raw piece of Host Club material just show up on our doorstep. Of course, there is much work to be done for you. No offense, but you simply do not fit the standards of beauty that the Host Club strives for. I of course, would be glad to teach you, and one day you may have a chance of rivaling me.”

With that he gave a sparkling smile to the boy through a sideway glance.

”So what do you say, will you join the Host Club as my apprentice?”

[/blockquote]

[Whammy]

”My my, that was….COMPLETELY ADORABLE!”

Adorable? I wasn't sure how falling flat on my posterior could be considered adorable, but nonetheless, this guy was definitely an odd character. He somewhat reminded me of my father, with his boisterous nature and bright charisma. Without hardly having a moment to stand up, I was being swung around in circles, and once finished, I could feel dizzyness overcoming me just a little. Seriously, this guy was just... Strange. There was still that one word to describe him... But I just couldn't put my finger on it!

”I mean, sure, you don’t have the grace of a Ouran Student, but that might just be your strength. Such raw bashful clumsiness would prove so popular with the ladies. I mean, such ignorance of backing away from the awesome glare of my looks, stumbling right into a door that open inwards as you fall straight down onto the ground. I think only Honey-sempai could rival you in the adorableness of such an event. You’re such a natural at it it’s not funny.”

Ungraceful?! I was considered lacking in grace?! Well, I guess it kind of made sense, really. I wasn't exactly conditioned to be some beautiful swan, nor did I entirely care to look the part. But... Popular with the ladies? Yes, this guy was definitely mistaking me for a guy, though overall I really didn't care. I wasn't ignorant of his looks; he did look cute, I had to admit that. But even then I wasn't swayed by how he looked. The closest I could get to swaying was the fright of having him suddenly towering over me, being at least a foot taller.

”I apologize for the energy. It is just so rare to see such a fine, raw piece of Host Club material just show up on our doorstep. Of course, there is much work to be done for you. No offense, but you simply do not fit the standards of beauty that the Host Club strives for. I of course, would be glad to teach you, and one day you may have a chance of rivaling me.”

Standards of beauty? I was starting to put together this whole Host Club thing slowly, though what it actually was still escaped me. At least he apologized for his considerably random outburst earlier... I'm surprised he hadn't realized who I was. People knew exactly who I was when I walked the halls, because I was "that person". The middle-class girl who got into the ritzy school for the rich.

”So what do you say, will you join the Host Club as my apprentice?”

And now he wanted me to join the Host Club. I was, almost literally, ready to faint. Well, perhaps not faint, but I kind of wanted to find some way to get rid of this guy. As he was speaking, I was kneeling down to pick up the books and papers I'd lost on the way down, trying to think of an easy way to get out of this situation. I still felt a bit dizzy from being spun around, but it was slowly going away...

"You know, I don't really think the Host Club is the place for me," I stated as I stood up straight and started to back away very, very slowly, trying to keep it from seeming obvious. "First of all, I don't even know what the Host Club is, and two... I have my studies to focus on. M-maybe some other time, though." As I was speaking, I was still backing up... Little was I aware that there was something behind me. Particularly, an expensive vase. In my lack of focus on where exactly I was going...

I felt something hit my back.

Reactively, I turned around, to see the vase wobbling off of the stand it had been on, and my hand instantly shot out to catch it. No, no, no! I couldn't be doing this, going around and breaking vases in the rich kids' school. I wouldn't have the money to pay that back, that's for sure... I was so close, it was almost in my fingers...

But to no avail. The vase slipped past the tips of my fingers and fell with an audible crash. I remained frozen, horrified by what had just happened. This couldn't be happening, not to me... No, there was no way. How unbelievable... I'd had to cut off my hair, lost my contact lenses, been unable to find myself a quiet place to study, and now I'd broken a vase that was probably worth more than my scholarship.

"Ooops..." The horror within the tone of my voice was obvious as I remained frozen, staring at the broken pieces of the vase. Unbelievable... What was I to do now?

[Tamaki Suoh]

After going through all the motions and offer of apprenticeship, Tamaki finally realized that the boy had dropped all his books and bags. Tamaki stopped down to help pick the stuff up, but it was quickly cleaned up before he got the chance to do so. Eventually the boy spoke, and Tamaki was ready for a ready “Yes”. Instead he was informed, again, that the person did not know what the Host Club was. Hmm, right, he thought there was something he had forgotten to explain. Ah well, that was something that could easily be fixed. Not noticing that she was starting to back away, Tamaki begin to try and fill in the details.

”Why, the Host Club is the most important organization in the school! It is a playground for the rich and beautiful, where boys with too much time on their hands such as I and my fellow hosts entertain girls who also have too much time on their hands. Our one and only goal is to make sure that every girl is happy.”

With his little speech, he gained more and more energy, until he was like some general about to lead troops into battle. In doing so, however, he almost failed to notice that this boy was about to back up into one of the vases they had prepared for auction. However, there was not enough time to warn him, and with a startling shock, the vase fell. The boy tried to reach it, but his arms were just not long enough. Hmm, he was kind of small for his age, but then again, so was Honey-sempai. Still, the vase was broken, there was nothing they could do about it. Hopefully the boy’s parents wouldn’t be too upset at having to buy a broken vase.

”Hmmm, such an unfortunate accident. That vase was to be put up for auction starting at eight million yen. I’m sure your parents won’t…..”

Tamaki stopped mid-sentence as his mind finally began to put everything together. The shovenly clothes, the thick glasses, not knowing of the host club, and the sound of horror when the vase broke. This wasn’t one of the normal students of the school having lost a bet. No, this had to be…..a scholarship student! And there was only one such student in the school.

”WAIT! You’re Haruhi Fujioka aren’t you? The scholarship student!” Tamaki said, pointing a finger as if he was accusing her of something. However, he wasn’t being mean; nope, just showing off his stupidity. Soon, however, another thought came to his head, a sly smile came to his face. Kind, naïve Tamaki was being replaced by a more serious, intelligent one. As he talked, he headed towards one of the chairs.

”I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you; I assumed you had just lost a bet or something. But now that your identity is revealed, I do have to say the question of how you will pay for the vase is going to interesting. Obviously you can’t afford it; you can’t even afford the uniform. However, are you familiar with this phrase?”

With that Tamaki sat down in the chair, crossed his legs, and looked with a mix of joy and slyness at Haruhi.

”When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since you cannot afford to pay for the vase with cash, you’ll have to pay us with your body. From now on,” he pointed straight at her again,”You are the Host Club’s dog.”

Leaning back, Tamaki soon returned to a more casual position, eyes closed as he thought on how exactly to do it all. Since he had offered him the position of apprenticeship earlier…..

”Don’t worry though, you’ll be a special kind of dog. Instead of just fetching things and doing stupid tricks, you shall be groomed for glory, a mutt that stands with the pure-blooded. I’m going to take you in as an apprentice; you shall assist me in the activities of hosting, hopefully learning how to be a true gentleman in the process. Who knows, someday your training will raise you to the status of a full member of the Host Club.”

[/blockquote]

[Whammy]

Just when I'd thought I was going to rid myself of this boy... I'd done something that would probably mean I was in a lot of trouble. At least now I knew what the Host Club was, though; I also understood that this boy was seeing me as one of his own, as a male. It didn't surprise me, really; I wasn't exactly dressed like a feminine flower, after all. The sound of the club itself was unique, but... I still didn't think I would fit it. Not to mention the gender issue, but... At least that I could roll with.

And then he seemed to figure it out as I turned sheepishly around, him pointing at me as if I was some sort of star or something. He'd realized that I was none other than scholarship student Haruhi Fujioka, middle-class girl attending a high-class school because of her brains. Well, that was essentially the truth, wasn't it? Technically speaking I wasn't fit for here, not in the least. At least now he understood why I wasn't dressed in one of the ritzy uniforms they wore.

”I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you; I assumed you had just lost a bet or something. But now that your identity is revealed, I do have to say the question of how you will pay for the vase is going to interesting. Obviously you can’t afford it; you can’t even afford the uniform. However, are you familiar with this phrase? When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since you cannot afford to pay for the vase with cash, you’ll have to pay us with your body. From now on...”

I didn't even want to find out what this kid might have had in mind. How... Odd of him to think I'd lost a bet or something. In my mind, what sort of rich kid would have willingly dressed like this? I was aware of my state of dress, but really, that was kind of rude. This guy was kind of... Annoying. Though annoying didn't seem accurate enough of a word...

”You are the Host Club’s dog. Don’t worry though, you’ll be a special kind of dog. Instead of just fetching things and doing stupid tricks, you shall be groomed for glory, a mutt that stands with the pure-blooded. I’m going to take you in as an apprentice; you shall assist me in the activities of hosting, hopefully learning how to be a true gentleman in the process. Who knows, someday your training will raise you to the status of a full member of the Host Club.”

Great, mom, now do you see what I've got myself into? I hope you're watching this, because it's a golden moment. I hoped my deadpan sarcasm would at least amuse her. Even I wouldn't have passed up the opportunity to see something like this happen to someone. To be groomed for the position of a Host, though... Would that be worth it? It would probably cut into my study time, so would I be able to keep up?

"Well... I guess I could do that," I replied, my tone quite sheepish. Almost nervously I removed my glasses and rubbed at a spot on them with my eyeglass cleaning cloth, of which I'd pulled out of my pocket. It irritated me when I'd have spots on my glasses, which was part of the reason I preferred contacts. No need to pull them off and clean them with a cloth like a pair of glasses.

"I did break that vase, after all, so I don't really have a choice in the matter. I'm not entirely host material, though, so..." Even I wasn't about to go without admitting it. I looked nothing like anybody else. Looking up while I still wiped off my glasses, I could hardly make out the boy in front of me. That was how blind I was; extremely near-sighted, so even with him standing only about four to five feet away, he was just a towering blurry blend of black, periwinkle blue, peach, and blonde. I didn't think there was any way they could groom me to be a host... Not to mention that I'd probably have girls fawning over me. Yes, I was relatively gender-neutral, but I was also perfectly straight.

"You're free to try, though I don't think it's going to make much of a difference."

[Tamaki Suoh]

From his sitting position, Tamaki could get a good look at the boy’s face. With it, he could see he was not overly excited about the proposition. Well, that was understandable; after all, Haruhi now had an eight million yen debt on his head. What a poor, poor dear. There was no way he would be able to pay that off in cash; being his apprentice was probably the clearest, easiest way to deal with it. But it wouldn’t be a bother for long. It was like a family, accepting a new member from it. Sure, he was the “evil step-dad” right now, but in time Haruhi would come around and see him as the kind, loving daddy he was. And like a step-dad with his new son, Tamaki would do what he could to help and assist his new ward.

Tamaki looked away for a moment towards the broken vase. They were going to have to call in a janitor and get that cleaned up. While he was busy looking at it, he heard Haruhi saying that he could probably do it. Tamaki was about to turn around and say something, but the glasses had come off. With that, Tamaki simply froze. He had suspected that there was something special about his eyes, but this was far more than anything than he could have suspected of. They were large, innocent, almost like the wide-eyed girls that would come to the club. There was softness to them, a warm, kind look to them that just drew you in. They were a dark-brown color, like two giant pools of….hmm, what kind of comparison could he use? Hot chocolate of the finest quality cocoa? Yeah, that would work. These eyes would draw in anyone to them like a fresh, warm cup of cocoa.

Of the most interesting note though was the fact that it, combined with his from the look of it well kempt and soft skin, gave him the appearance of a girl. Hmmm, the host club definitely didn’t have such a person. They had the cool and strong, the twins, a boy Lolita, and his prince-ness. But they were missing the soft, feminine boy with shyness and nervousness proving an unstoppable force of adorableness and sympathy for him. Tamaki had to give himself a sly smile at his plan of making this boy an apprentice; this was an investment worth more than he could have thought of. Still, much work was going to be needed.

By that point of course he finally realized that the boy had said he didn’t think that there would be much he could do to improve his condition. Hmm, actually, it would be a pretty easy thing for them to fix. Just give him a uniform, some contacts, and a hairstylist and they could clean him up quick. Standing up quickly, he grabbed her arm and rushed towards the changing rooms.

”Oh, with eyes like that it’ll be a snap. We will just need to get you some contacts, an appointment with my hair stylist, and more importantly,”

With that Tamaki threw Haruhi into one of the changing stalls before handing her a bag with a spare male uniform,

”Change into this uniform.” closing the stall, Tamaki flipped out his cellphone and began to make the calls he would need for this happen. ..

[/blockquote]

[Whammy]

As I was looking up without my glasses on, I could see that this boy had frozen... Apparently, staring at me. I may have been blind as a bat, but I wasn't that blind. I could at least see most of what he was doing from the distance he was at, and it was clear he was focused on me. What had I done now? Slowly I placed my glasses on my face once more, the world suddently becoming clear as a bell to my eyes. I still wished I hadn't lost my contact lenses, or I might have at least felt a little better...

Without hardly having time to think or speak, however, I was being rushed across the room toward a changing stall. It was hard to keep my footing as I kept up with the taller boy, but I managed... Somehow. I was beginning to regret having chosen to back up somewhere I didn't know I was going rather than side-checking my direction and choosing to back out the door. For someone who was so smart, I could be really, really dumb sometimes.

”Oh, with eyes like that it’ll be a snap. We will just need to get you some contacts, an appointment with my hair stylist, and more importantly... Change into this uniform.”

So he wasn't the only one who'd mentioned the "brightness" of my eyes. It was almost like middle school all over again, with people fawning over me... In a sense. In middle school I'd simply been extremely popular, with people asking me out at least once a month. Most of the time, though, I would turn them down, as I was more focused on my studies than anything. Besides, any of the boys who'd asked me out I hadn't found interesting in any way. In all actuality, I'd hardly known them.

Taking the uniform that I hoped I wouldn't have to pay for, I set it down on the small stool that was in the stall and began to divest myself of the sweater I was wearing. I'd be kind of sad that I wouldn't be able to dress in my own comfortable clothing, but at least with this boy believing I was male and not female, I could assume he'd have given me a boys' uniform, which meant that I'd at least be a bit more comfortable. I'd seen the ritzy uniforms the girls wore, and I had to admit that while I liked dresses quite a bit, those dresses were just too flashy for my tastes.

I slipped into the boys' uniform I'd been given and stepped out of the changing stall, glasses still on my face. I was meticulously trying to rearrange my haphazard hairdo, using my fingers to at least comb it a bit. I wasn't sure if I looked any better, but... I certainly hoped I did. If being this guy's apprentice meant I'd be able to pay them back for the vase being broken, then I'd just have to take whatever would help me get that far.

"There... Do I look a little better?" I questioned, looking up through my glasses at this boy. "By the way..." I pointed up at the boy almost nonchalantly, a questioning look on my face.

"Who are you, anyway? You already know I'm Haruhi Fujioka, but you've been hanging around here and haven't even told me your name. Don't you think that's a little rude?" Well, there was nothing like being straightforward with him. I wanted to know, so I'd ask in the most pointed way possible. It was of little consequence to me how I might sound, because I'd rather just be brutally honest with him. It was kind of rude that he'd just kind of showed up, rather unceremoniously, caused me quite a bit of trouble, and yet hadn't had the decency to even tell me his name. It wasn't as if I'd recognize him on first sight, anyway... Considering how out-of-place I already was in this school.

[Tamaki Suoh]

With two simple phone calls, Tamaki was able to get the contacts and his hairstylist ready to go. Whenever someone else arrived he would have them fetch the contacts. The hairstylist would be here in about an hour so after finishing up another appointment. That meant they would have an hour to get some practice time in before presenting him to the world. Hopefully the others would arrive been then so they could get the news. Kyouya would definitely want to know about this, mostly so he could start keeping track of the eight million yen debt and how many guests he would have to have in order to pay it off. The rest, well, they’d want to meet the new person.

It was then that he finally stepped out of the changing stalls. The transformation was spectacular. With the male uniform on, he looked almost completely different, much more cleaned up and dignified. There was still just that problem with the hair and glasses, but nothing they could do for it now. They would be nice with it too; no charge for this makeover. After all, it was chump change for their families. Still, underneath it all was a very, pretty boy. Almost as pretty like a girl; and that was the biggest rage now right? Pretty boys with that slightly androgynous look?

”Yes, it is a great improvement in your look. The glasses and hair still need some work, but that should be fixed very soon. Oh, I can sense that you’re going to be really popular with the ladies; you’re almost as pretty as one of them after all.”

Proud of his accomplishment, Tamaki was about to go off into a daydream when Haruhi spoke up….and mentioned he had yet to tell him his name. Tamaki froze for a second, thoughts racing to see if he ever brought it up. Sadly, that failed, and he was shocked to find he had not yet done so. In all the excitement of the moment he had completely forgotten the most polite thing one had to do when meeting a new person. That was terrible of him! This mistake had to be corrected right now. Turning around to face Haruhi, Tamaki did a sweeping bow as he spoke.

”Why, that is rude of me to have done. In all the excitement I lost track of it. I am Tamaki Suoh, the king of the Host Club and it’s “princely” member.”

Standing up, Tamaki figured he would give the entire spiel on the club to completely familiarize its newest member to the rules and etiquette of it all.

”Our goal, as I said, is to make sure that every girl is happy and content. Each members’ talents are used to their fullest, and we offer a wide range of them that you will hopefully be meeting in the near future. I currently have the highest request rate, but I believe that you’ll soon become a popular member yourself. And with my training, you’ll soon become a perfect gentlemen like me.”

Triumphantly flattering himself, Tamaki motioned towards himself as he finished his comment before returning to a more thinking pose. They had some spare time after all, and they needed to figure out how to use Haruhi to his maximum effort. The best way they could do so was to have a sample hosting meeting and see how he went. Motioning towards one of the tables, Tamaki informed him of the plan.

”So why don’t we begin by giving you a quick test. Come, sit down and show me how you would approach hosting. Pretend that I am a client of yours and entertain me. You can use anything you want, from flattery to moe to even storytelling if you wish.”

With that, Tamaki sat down in one of the chairs and eagerly awaited for Haruhi’s reaction.

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[Whammy]

”Yes, it is a great improvement in your look. The glasses and hair still need some work, but that should be fixed very soon. Oh, I can sense that you’re going to be really popular with the ladies; you’re almost as pretty as one of them after all.”

"He's completely oblivious," I muttered under my breath, not nearly loud enough for the blonde to hear. He was definitely one hundred percent clueless to the fact that I was actually a girl and not a boy. I would have thought that he'd have at least had the decency to find out something about me, the scholarship student. Around here I was basically an idol, though I didn't exactly revel in the attention, nor was it entirely positive. A weed in a flowerbed, that was me.

”Why, that is rude of me to have done. In all the excitement I lost track of it. I am Tamaki Suoh, the king of the Host Club and it’s “princely” member.”

Princely? I would have pegged him as just annoying and egotistical, I thought, keeping my snarky comments to myself. It was true, though; he wasn't exactly... Princely in his mannerisms. Yes, he spoke rather elegantly and had a... Flow to his movements, but I certainly wouldn't have pegged him to be the princely type.

”Our goal, as I said, is to make sure that every girl is happy and content. Each members’ talents are used to their fullest, and we offer a wide range of them that you will hopefully be meeting in the near future. I currently have the highest request rate, but I believe that you’ll soon become a popular member yourself. And with my training, you’ll soon become a perfect gentlemen like me.”

"A perfect gentleman? I'm feeling a massive chill right now, because the way I see it you're more like an obnoxiously eloquent narcissist," I stated bluntly as I stared at Tamaki, my face and tone absolutely flat. That was the phrase I'd been looking for: obnoxious and narcissistic. Tamaki practically bled narcissism, not to mention he was clearly quite obnoxious. I could feel a massive chill running down my spine at the thought that he might be even close to being the "perfect gentleman".

”So why don’t we begin by giving you a quick test. Come, sit down and show me how you would approach hosting. Pretend that I am a client of yours and entertain me. You can use anything you want, from flattery to moe to even storytelling if you wish.”

As Tamaki was speaking, I was walking over to the table, a relatively bland expression on my face. My visage was completely neutral as I readjusted my glasses, sitting down as comfortably as I could in the chair. Flattery... yeah, like I'd resort to flattery. This guy didn't even need flattery, because he was already too caught up in his own narcissistic fantasies.

But storytelling... That I could do. I guessed I could tell him my life story, or at least parts of it. The story of how I'd lived... Hopefully that would work.

"Well... I come from a middle class family, and I'm attending Ouran Academy on a scholarship granted by the school's owner. My mother passed away when I was five years old after spending three long months in the hospital. I live alone with my father, and I do most of the housework and cooking at home." What else was there that I could say? There wasn't much, really... I had a pretty uninteresting life.

"I used to be pretty popular in middle-school, though I couldn't quite understand it because I rarely did anything. I was almost always either in class or at home studying... And yet for some reason, I'd get a boy asking me out at least once a month. I was never interested, so I always turned them down," I added, shrugging my shoulders. I'd been more preoccupied with my studies than anything, so I had no need for a boyfriend.

[Tamaki Suoh]

With his name finally introduced and an explanation of the duties of a Host Club member, Tamaki soon found something unexpected. When Haruhi bluntly pronounced that he was an obnoxiously eloquent narcissist. Tamaki just completely froze with that slapping him in the face. Ho-how could he respond to such a thing. This brand new friend of his calling him such cruel, if probably true, things. Obnoxious? Was he really that obnoxious? Kyouya would say such things to, but it still hurt to be so bluntly told such a thing by this person. One could probably see the look of hurt on his face right there, as well as confusion on how exactly to respond to it.

Eventually he gained his composure, and brought Haruhi over to one of the tables in order to test his skills as a host. While waiting, Tamaki kept running the phrase “obnoxiously eloquent narcissist” in his head. There was even a little lip whimper going on as he thought of it, but he tried his best to remain upbeat and calm. It was just words right? Maybe he had just been to strong for the boy, a little too much focused on himself. He was a good boy, right? He would show Haruhi-chan he wasn’t obnoxious and overly narcissist (he had to admit he was partially one). So when Haruhi began his story, Tamaki paid the most upbeat attention that he could.

And that was probably a mistake. As he listened to Haruhi’s story, Tamaki found his eyes starting to tear up. He was obviously trying to hold it back, but while he obviously never had to do his own chores or anything like that, he could easily imagine what it would be like to not have your mother. Sure, his was still alive, hopefully, somewhere. So Haruhi had lost his mother when he was younger. Such, such sadness. Still, he had to keep up a face of princely calm, but it was starting to fall apart. Even the overly odd statement of Haruhi saying he got asked out a lot by guys in middle school wasn’t enough to defray it. With it all said and done, Haruhi would soon find himself in a massive embrace, being twirled around as Tamaki had impassioned empathy.

”Oh Haruhi, I didn’t know about your late mother. I’m so sorry to hear about that. Don’t worry, the Host Club will do all that it can to help you adjust to your new life here at Ouran Academy. You’ll never be all alone again in this world if the Host Club has anything to do about it.”

After getting all his emotions over with, and hopefully showing Haruhi that he wasn’t all about himself and could have empathy, Tamaki let Haruhi down before sitting back down in the chair. Taking a handkerchief, he wiped his eyes of the last bit of tears before regaining his composure with a deep breath. He was hoping the rest of the members would be arriving soon…

”Anyway, I think that should be fine for now. Feel free to grab something to eat or drink from our stores and relax till the others arrive.”

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[Whammy]

I didn't think my life story was going to be all that effective in terms of my acting as a Host, but I was surprised to find that... It did. Well, I guess the loss of my mother could be a heartfelt point for some people, but the rest was just, well, crap. Then again, these people probably didn't go home, cook their own meals, clean up their mansions all by themselves, or anything like that. They were, put simply, too good to do that. Tamaki didn't seem much different, either...

”Oh Haruhi, I didn’t know about your late mother. I’m so sorry to hear about that. Don’t worry, the Host Club will do all that it can to help you adjust to your new life here at Ouran Academy. You’ll never be all alone again in this world if the Host Club has anything to do about it.”

"Somehow that doesn't sound very comforting." Seriously, if the entirety of the Host Club was like Tamaki-senpai, then I was probably going to die of a heart attack. Tamaki himself was hardly enough to stand, though it wasn't all that difficult for me; he acted a lot like my father, and while my father was a little rougher around the edges, despite the fact that he was a transvestite, he could still be just as bad as Tamaki was being.

Truth be told, though, even in Tamaki's way of showing it, I could feel a sort of empathy coming from him. Maybe he'd lost someone, too? Though perhaps not in the same way I had... From what I could tell, he didn't look like he was of full Japanese descent. No, I was sure he wasn't, because his hair was a shade of stark blonde, and his eyes a sparkling aquamarine blue. I'd never seen someone of Japanese descent with that sort of look about him, so it was clear he wasn't fully so. Considering he was rich, though, it wouldn't be surprising if he was partially of some other descent.

Upon being told I was free to relax until the others arrived, I made a point to at least explore around the music room. I was careful not to touch anything and to walk very, very carefully, so I wouldn't cause any more damage, but I did manage to find that it was a very spacious area. There were tables and chairs pushed off to the side, as well as a few ritzy-looking couches. I found cupboards and shelves for storage, and a few other areas. All in all, the place was well-kept.

----------TIMESKIP----------

After having my hair made presentable and being given a new pair of contacts, I had to say I felt a lot better. I could see again without having my heavy glasses on my face, but the only thing that was different was... The fact that I felt kind of bad, like I owed something more back for all of this. The cost for the contact lenses and the uniform was certainly nothing to sneeze at, at least for me.

"Tamaki-senpai, are you sure it's all right? I mean, I'm grateful for the uniform and especially the contact lenses, but..." I was sure he'd see where I was coming from. I wasn't one to accept charity works, but then again, this would be something I would need in order to pay back the eight million yen I owed for breaking that vase. Well, the only thing I could do was hope that the rest of the members of the Host Club weren't nearly as... "Overbearing" as Tamaki was. Then I really wouldn't be comforted by the thought.

[Kyouya Ootori]

Kyouya had been informed about Haruhi Fujioka joining the Host Club on the order of their president Tamaki. He did not agree with such a thing, but after finding out that she had broken the vase that they was going to sell made him change his mind on the whole thing. She had broken something that they could use to gain money and he would have to come up with another way of finding away to replace the item in the auction that they were going to have. He had already gain the information on the new students attending Ouran this year and had gather that she was just a charity case for the school and there was nothing more he needed to really know about her until now.

He slowly looked over a sheet of paper in his booklet and raised his pen to it and marked something on it has he made his way towards the music room. Nothing was planned for the day and he had needed to speak with the class committee about something which made him late for today. However, that did not stop Tamaki calling and inform him to what have happened in the music room. He knew there was not that much of a chance of changing the boy’s mind once it was made up, though he did find it a bit funny that he had kept calling the girl a he over the phone. For this Kyouya decided not to speak up and allow his friend to find out by himself. Tamaki needed to lead that every one of his choices would cost him in the long run something that had failed to learn in the last two years anyways.

He reached the music room and reached out for the handle and opened the door. He glanced around slightly and pushed up his glasses once he let go of the door handle and moved inside the room. He turned his attention over to Haruhi and Tamaki when he heard her voice about the uniform and contacts. Now this was something that Tamaki had failed to tell him and probably came out of the club’s founding anyways. It was just something else that he would have to find to make up the difference. He slowly walked over to the two of them and reopened his booklet and wrote down something else that under her name.

”Haruhi Fujioka, welcome,” Kyouya had a smile on his face and bowed his head just slightly to her. Unlike the president he would rather show respect to people even if they had broken something of theirs. ”Do not worry about the uniform or the contacts it will be place on your bill. You can simply pay us back for them and that vase.” He held the smile on his face, but his tone of voice suggested that he blamed her for the vase and being in this now servant like state.

He stood up and looked around the room seeing that the other four had not gotten there just yet. He moved and sat down at one of the tables and placed his booklet on the surface and opened it up. He started to write a few more things down inside of it. ”As the Host Club will not be open for business today, perhaps you will be showing him what is to be expected of him Tamaki? Or am I going to have to have the twins to do it?” He knew how carried away him and the twins could be, but making them compete against one another was interesting for him to a degree.

[Tamaki Suoh]

In the middle of his fit of empathy for Haruhi, Tamaki soon heard her state that she didn’t really see any comfort in the Host Club making sure she wasn’t alone. Tamaki’s face froze again, but he held back acting on it. He had to try and contain some form of composure on this moment, so Tamaki quietly, but with a slight struggle, informed Haruhi he could simply relax and maybe get something to eat until the others arrived. After clearing his eyes of the tears of Haruhi’s life story, Tamaki soon got up from his chair and made his way over to one of the corners of the room. Crouching down and hugging his legs close, he soon began tears of being told the Host Club was not a comforting thought. Why did Haruhi hate the Host Club? Had he been to eager, or was he not being eager enough? Was a commoner such as him just not used to the rich décor and lifestyle and so was too much to take in? For the rest of the time they were alone, Tamaki could be found in his little corner of woe trying to figure it out.

However, he was still slightly productive during that entire time. Seeing as Kyouya was going to need to know about all this, he had called the VP and informed him of the situation. Tamaki knew there was a good chance the guy knew all about Haruhi already, and more importantly, he was going to need to know about the debt. After all, he was in charge of the finances of the club. With that done, it was back to moping in self-pity and confusion, leaving Haruhi to explore the room all to herself….

-----Time Skip----

Tamaki barely heard Haruhi’s question about the contacts and school uniform while in his self-pity moment, but before he could say anything about it, Kyouya had arrived and informed the girl that it was just going to be added to the tab. Tamaki’s face turned serious for a moment. That wasn’t right! As his apprentice, Haruhi was going to be given all the supplies he needed free of charge. After all, that was just a spare uniform of theirs, and the contacts were a simple drop in the bucket. Honey-sempai’s cakes were more expensive than those things! Immediately jumping up as if out of nowhere, Tamaki stepped in to defend his apprentice.

”Now wait just a moment Kyouya! Haruhi is my apprentice, and as a person of that position I will personally take on the cost of providing the tools necessary to make him a full-fledged Host. That was simply a spare uniform of ours, and the price of the contacts was close to nothing for us. No need to make the situation worse for him by adding in such petty costs!”

After this impassioned moment, Tamaki calmed down, and soon things began to turn back to normal. However, Kyouya soon mentioned that Tamaki would be responsible for showing Haruhi the ropes of being a host club member, or the twins would do it. Determined to not let the twins ruin the perfect innocence of this new apprentice with their shady, twincest-y act, Tamaki wouldn’t let that happen.

”As his master, of course I’ll be happy to show Haruhi the ropes on being a host. Come, let us start by training you to easily switch between the costumes you may need to wear while being a host.”

Gently pushing Haruhi towards the changing rooms, Tamaki nudged her right into one before heading towards the closets and figuring out which one they were going to wear. Since there was the suggestion of a Bali themed day coming up, trying on one of the tropical outfits might work. It was also simple enough to start with; just some shorts, a tie, headband, and some golden jewelry for accessories. Yeah, that would work perfectly. Throwing the clothes over to him, Tamaki sat down and awaited Haruhi to come out…

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