A/N: welcome to my third Ouran High School Host Club fanfic! first readers, i hope you all enjoy reading this story, and for those of you who are back again after reading one or both of my other fics, welcome back, and i hope this story meets your expectations! (why do i feel like i'm a cross between Tamaki and C-3PO from Star Wars?) and, without further ado, i present the first chapter! enjoy!

Chapter 1: Broken Promise

"Hitomi!"

She turned to stare with glowing blue eyes under short black hair and a smile on her face as a girl with light, honey brown eyes and long black hair pulled up into a bun ran toward her then stopped in front of her, panting for breath.

"What's wrong, Mika?" she asked the panting girl who grinned as she straightened and pointed at her.

"You are coming with me to the Host Club right now!" Mika grinned and Hitomi blinked at her friend in surprise a few times.

"No," she replied, flatly after a moment and turned to walk away as Mika's jaw dropped in shock.

"But, why not?!" Mika squeaked as she caught up with Hitomi to stand in front of her and walk backwards as they continued down the hall. "The Host Club is so great! And if you want, you can designate the host I'm seeing until you figure out which one you really want! Please! You know how important this is to me!"

"I said 'no', Mika," Hitomi replied again. "I don't want to. I can be doing so many other things rather than being doted on by guys who're just pretending to like me."

"That's not what it is!" Mika argued, stopping and making the girl in front of her stop. "Ok, sure, they sweet talk the girls and make them feel special, but the point is to make the girls feel happy! Make them feel special and loved, even for a moment!"

"But I don't want it for just a moment," Hitomi argued. "I want it for always."

"Well, yeah, we all do," Mika agreed. "But even though this is temporary, it's just until we can find guys of our own who we love, and love us in return. At least, that's how I see it."

Hitomi sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. She needed to go home and study. She didn't have time to be sitting at a table of tea, coffee and cakes with a bunch of girls all clamoring for the attention of the boy they had chosen to sit with or be doted upon. To her, it was nothing but a waste of time, and she could never understand why her friend liked it so much. She'd seen it once before. It was all pretty words, and wonderful feelings, but it was all fleeting and over within a few moments before they off to the next girl. It was pointless!

Not only that, she thought to herself, but I promised him I wouldn't go, even if I wanted to.

"Please, Hitomi!" Mika nearly whined, taking one of her friend's hands. "It would mean so much to me for you to enjoy this with me!"

Hitomi gave a groan at her friend's begging face. She could never resist the Face, however, it had gotten her into trouble more often than not. With another sigh, she finally nodded, knowing her friend wouldn't give up until she said 'yes.' Mika grinned and hugged her friend fiercely, then grabbed her hand and dragged her back down the hall.

"This is going to be so great!" she cheered, still running. "Tamaki will be so thrilled to have another Princess to dote on!"

"T-Tamaki?!" Hitomi squeaked as they rounded a corner, still being dragged by Mika. "Tamaki's your host?!"

"Yeah!" Mika grinned. "He's so dreamy!"

"Yeah," Hitomi grumbled. "I know."

She'd met Tamaki Suou when she had been a first year. He was a charming guy, handsome, tall…any girl's dream, except hers. The thought of being doted on by him gave her no special thrill. She always thought his words were empty. You wouldn't say the things he said to a girl unless you were in love with her. That's the way she saw it, anyway.

Mika finally stopped when they reached the door of the Third Music room and now both girls panted from running as they stopped behind the crowd of girls waiting for the Host Club to open.

"What theme do you think they'll have today?" one girl asked her friend, excitedly.

"I hope it's something dreamy!" her friend replied, just as excited.

"Theme?" Hitomi questioned Mika in a whispered.

"The club always has a different theme they dress in," Mika explained, then giggled, "Yesterday, they were all dressed as knights!"

"Really?" Hitomi nodded and Mika nodded excitedly. Now she was a little intrigued. What did they have planned for the girls today, she wondered.

The doors suddenly began to open slowly and the girls around them held their breath as they all walked into the room slowly.

"Welcome!" a chorus of male voices greeted their ears and Mika giggled excitedly once everyone had shuffled in and was able to see the boys and their theme of the day that made Hitomi blush a bit.

They were all dressed in white, their clothes slightly different but arranged in a sexy sort of way, except for one of the hosts who was in a dress that looked like it suited him a little too well.

Opening the door, they found what looked like the cover of a romance novel.

"Alright, my little darlings," the blonde boy called. "If you would all take your seats, the Host Club members will happily entertain your every whim!"

"That's Tamaki!" Mika whispered excitedly into Hitomi's ear.

"I know," Hitomi replied, but her eyes were glued to the boy with dark hair and glasses as he scribbled something into a notebook.

Please, don't let him see me, she prayed, silently.

"Oh, it seems we have a new guest!"

Hitomi jumped and froze when she looked in the direction of the voice and saw Tamaki walking toward herself and Mika. He stopped in front of Mika first and lifted her hand to kiss it, gently.

"Welcome back, Princess Takahashi," he murmured to her and she blushed like mad with a giggle and a nod. He then turned to Hitomi and did the same to her, and she couldn't help the blush that ignited her cheeks. "And welcome to you as well, Princess…?"

He trailed off, waiting for her to finish with her name but she took a moment before she realized it then finally blurted, "Hitomi. Hitomi Sasaki."

Tamaki smiled warmly and bowed with his hand over his heart.

"Alright, Princess Sasaki," he smiled, taking Mika's hand again and pulling her a bit toward him to hold her close, but still spoke to Hitomi as he asked, "Which Host will you try out today? The Hitachiin Devils? Honey-senpai, our Lolita? Mori-senpai, the strong and silent type? The Commoner Haruhi? Cool Kyouya? Or perhaps…" He trailed off and pulled her by the hand to wrap his other arm around her and pull her close as she blushed at his actions, "…you'd like to have Prince Tamaki hold you in his arms, hm?"

"Uh…" Hitomi hummed, unable to think, being this close to a cute boy.

"She'll take you, Tamaki," Mika smiled, leaning on his shoulder as he still held her. "How can anyone resist saying 'no' to you?"

Tamaki looked at Mika again and smiled warmly but was drawn back to Hitomi when she took the opportunity to step out of his embrace.

"A-Actually, I think I should just go home," she mumbled. "I…Thank you for this, Mika, but I really shouldn't have come."

"No!" Mika cried, running to her friend to take her hands. "You have to stay! Please?! Just for a little while?!"

"Mika---"

"Tamaki doesn't even have to dote on you!" Mika said, quickly. "You can just, observe!"

"I've observed it before," Hitomi replied.

"But not lately," Mika argued. "Just for a little while?"

Hitomi sighed and nodded in defeat and Mika hugged her friend tightly, but as she did, Hitomi caught sight of Tamaki who was frowning at her in what seemed like thought and concern. When Mika pulled away, she pulled her friend by the hands toward Tamaki and grinned at him.

"She's really very nice," Mika assured him and Hitomi glared at her. "I don't know what's gotten into her! Shall we go have some tea and cake, Tamaki?"

"Of course, Princess," Tamaki replied with a charming smile and pulled Mika under his arm to walk her to the couch where all his customers sat, waiting for him. Hitomi rolled her eyes, but as she followed them, she noticed Tamaki suddenly stop and he pulled her under his free arm to pull her close as they walked, making her blush.

"How lucky a Prince am I to have a beautiful girl on each arm?" he smiled, glancing between that girls and Mika giggled excitedly as Hitomi blushed a little deeper. She heard sincerity in his voice, but it was still hard for her to believe that he actually meant it. After all, they'd just met.

As he sat them on the couch and began chatting with the other girls, Hitomi chanced to take a glance at the boy with the notebook and glasses. She was slightly relieved he didn't seem to notice her, but only slightly. A part of her was a little disappointed. She tried to smile and laugh as the girls chattered around her and even when Tamaki tried charming her she was a good sport and acted as though she were swooning, even if she might have been swooning, just a little.

Mika couldn't understand what was wrong with her friend. She was usually so bubbly and full of life, but ever since she brought her here, it was like she was afraid to even crack a smile, even though she was trying to. It didn't seem like she wanted to though, Mika noticed.

Hitomi stood from the couch when some of the girls were starting to leave and instead of leaving herself she headed toward one of the windows to look out at the cherry blossom trees that were blooming outside. She assured Mika she wouldn't leave without her, but the other girl still looked worried. As she stood at the window she gave another sigh.

What am I doing here? she though to herself. I shouldn't have even come here. I told him I wouldn't, and I did it anyway. What is this going to accomplish?

"Hitomi Sasaki?"

She jumped at the sound of her name and shot her gaze to her left, a gentle blush coming to her cheeks as she met the gaze of the dark haired host with glasses.

"H-Hello Kyouya," she smiled, slightly. He only stared at her, his dark gray eyes boring a cold gaze into her glowing blue eyes so intensely that she had to look away. She cast her eyes down then turned to the window again to watch the cherry blossom trees sway in the slight breeze.

"The cherry blossoms are beautiful this year, aren't they?" she smiled, not looking away from the window but still feeling his icy gaze boring into her.

After a moment of silence she turned to him again only to find him standing so close to her that she gasped and took a slight step back, not only at his closeness but at his gaze as well.

"What are you doing here?" he wondered in a low voice so no one else could hear him.

Hitomi glanced around in shame then cast her eyes down as she twiddled her thumbs in front of her, but she could still feel him staring at her as she mumbled, "W-Well…Mika wanted me to come with her, and…she's so hard to say 'no' to."

She laughed slightly as she looked back up at him, flipping some of her hair from her face as she smiled, cutely. But when she looked back at him she shrunk back at his stare and cast her eyes down again, twiddling her thumbs.

"I know I promised I wouldn't come here," she mumbled, not looking at him. "But, Mika…" She trailed off and sighed. "Actually, I could have kept telling her 'no' but the truth is…" She chanced looking at him and was a bit relieved to see his gaze had softened just a touch. "The truth is I wanted to see you."

"We talked about this, Hitomi," he reminded her. "There's a reason I don't want you to come here."

"I know," Hitomi mumbled, casting her gaze down at her hands again.

"I thought you didn't want to see me until we were ready to formally court," Kyouya remembered. "You hated me because I saw our engagement as business and nothing more, as I recall."

"I said that," she replied, meekly. "But I didn't really mean it."

"You still haven't answered my question," he reminded her and she looked up at him cautiously. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you," she said. "I wanted to see you."

"But why?" he insisted. "What could you possibly merit from seeing me? What could I possibly merit from seeing you?"

Hitomi's eyes shot wide at that question, and she felt her heart clench, painfully. He only wanted to see what he could gain from her presence, and though she could think of a few things he could merit from it, they all would have been lost on the Shadow King. She knew what he meant by it, and suddenly, her hurt turned to anger as she shot a burning gaze at him that made Kyouya's eyes widen slightly in shock.

"Sometimes, people do things because they care, Kyouya!" she hissed so no one but he could hear her. "They don't think about what they could merit from it. Not everyone is like you!"

She tried to fight back a tear from trickling down her cheek but it squeezed out anyway and she turned quickly so that he wouldn't see her crying as she walked away. He'd seen it, and he stared at her through his glasses with wide eyes of surprise. He'd never seen her like that before and for some reason, it intrigued him.

Mika watched Hitomi hurry toward the exit and panicked. Excusing herself from Tamaki she hurried after her friend and when she caught up with her, she was just about to walk out the door.

"Hitomi! What's wrong?!" she breathed, seeing her friend was crying.

"It's nothing," Hitomi replied, shaking her head. "I have to go. Please, tell Tamaki I had a wonderful time, I just…I have to go!"

Hitomi ran down the hall before giving way to sobs as she ran and Mika stared after her friend in wonder. As Tamaki watched the scene unfold from where he sat at the couch, he looked at Kyouya who still stood at the window, staring out at the cherry blossoms and fixing his glasses.

I may have to have a little talk with the Shadow King before the day is out, he thought to himself, turning back as Mika came back to sit with him and his remaining customers, still confused as to her friend's behavior.

A/N: and there it is! the first chapter. what do you think? mystery, romance, drama and of course, comedy await the next chapter. i know this chappie wasn't that funny, but it gets funny later, i promise! reviews?