Blue eyes stared ahead at the daunting gates. The large buildings a short distance away made her gulp in anticipation. Today was the day. Swallowing her hesitation, the young woman walked confidently through the gates.

She'd worked herself ragged to study for her classes, thoroughly diving into each core subject and a few choice electives so she wasn't clueless. She was joining mid-semester after all. The last thing she needed was to come to class only to fail because she wasn't aware of the curriculum. No, that would bring shame to her alpha's name and she refused to allow that.

Inconsequential chatter quickly died around her as she took her first steps onto the renowned campus. All were captured by her ethereal beauty and grace. Her blue eyes shone with maturity, beautifully contrasting with her obsidian black hair that was lit with a sheen of blue. Despite being tied into a high ponytail, it stopped between her shoulder blades. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the sunlight as her cool expression slowly relaxed into one of calm analysis.

However, her peers had made a disastrous assumption.

They thought she was male.

Granted, she was wearing the male uniform. There was no way in hell she'd be caught dead in that yellow monstrosity. Her pack had unanimously agreed to give her the male uniform after seeing the outdated dress. They had questioned the fashion sense of the school and quickly discarded the dress. No one will ever find it now.

Swarms of yellow and blue blobs lined the sidewalks as whispers erupted into her sensitive ears, interrupting her train of thought. The students were gossiping about her, the occasional dreamy sigh making her more agitated at their assumption of her gender. Tuning them out, the black haired girl walked with a purpose - getting to the chairman's office.

Only a few minutes in and the ravenette could already tell she wouldn't like the student body. Most of those rich kids hadn't worked a day in their life and spent all their free time gossiping and judging people.

Her little cousin had already faced the brunt force of it. The young brunette had gotten in on a scholarship but hadn't had enough for a uniform. When she finally did get one, it was to help her pay off a debt. The poor girl had come to the ravenette ranting about it and asking for advice. Unfortunately, she had no experience in such a… unique situation and could only comfort her and say, "do your best".

The ravenette was excited to surprise her cousin. While they had kept in contact, Haruhi didn't know where she was moving or the real reason why. She tried to visit and call as often as she could but there were limits because of her pack. Whenever the ravenette did go over, her cousin had warned her about the Host Club. They often tried to ask to visit and would go to great lengths to find her place. Should she run into any of them, especially the kitsune twins, the miko was to escape as quickly as possible.

A secret smile grew on her face at the reminder of her little kit. As she was being forced back, he'd latched onto her, not wanting to lose his mother again. The last of the well's magic had granted her a liberty in letting him stay with her. She was sure that without his presence, the last couple months would've gone very differently.

Both she and Souta did their best in teaching him to hunt and train him in combat. It was a bit of a struggle, living in a city, but they managed. Now, thanks to the support and care of their alpha, he had a great place to learn and practice the skills he needed as a kitsune. Shippo was also attending the elementary branch of this extravagant academy. It was the perfect opportunity for him to strengthen his illusion magic.

The miko stopped in front of a door and knocked. She waited for the call to go in and calmly approached the secretary's desk. The small woman glanced up and smiled at her.

"Good morning, Taisho-san. Suoh-sama is waiting in his office."

The miko bowed her head slightly in thanks and made her way down the hall. She was a little nervous and didn't know what to expect from the man. So when she walked in to be greeted with a shining smile and warm aura the miko was startled. There was also an underlying sadness and bitterness to him that made her curious.

"Ah, Taisho-san. It's good to see you." The cheerful man reached out and shook her hand. He gestured for her to sit and returned to his desk. "Your guardian has informed me of the circumstances. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Suoh-san. My otouto and I are working through it."

He nodded. "I also hear that your cousin attends Ouran."

"They do." She smiled mischievously and added, "They don't know I'm enrolled here either."

Mister Suoh chuckled and pulled a document from the pile on his right. "Here is the hard copy of your schedule."

"Thank you." Sapphires danced over the classes she had and smiled. Today was already proving to be eventful. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe class will be starting soon."

"Very well." The chairman watched with interest as she left. He wondered when she would discover the reason Sesshomaru had called him. Yuzuru chuckled. "I will see you again soon, miko-sama."

Walking toward homeroom, sapphires were glinting in amusement as the familiar aura of her cousin reached her senses. She could also sense they had mischievous auras similar to Shippo's. Those must belong to the twins she told me about. When she made it to the door, blue eyes fell on the brunette was sitting in class, arguing with a couple of ginger-haired boys. They were asking what she did this weekend but Haruhi refused to tell them.

The brunette's cousins and nephew had visited and kept her company. With her father busy at work, she would have been at the apartment alone. Which had brought a proposition to move in with them. Haruhi was hesitant to ask her father because of the dangers it would bring. But for them to stay like this - hardly seeing each other between work and school - there were other dangers to think about.

The brunette was snapped into reality when the teacher called for their attention. "Okay class, we have a new student joining us today."

The woman gestured to someone outside and they quietly stepped inside. Their raven hair was up in a high ponytail and her soft features made many of the girls sigh dreamily. Wearing a male uniform made everyone think her a boy, much to her amusement.

"Hello, I am Taisho Kagome." The teen bowed slightly at the waist before coming up with a bright smile. Sunlight from the windows seemed to brighten her eyes just right. A warm, friendly aura radiated from her as she finally said, "Please take care of me."

And the girls went wild. Many of them fainted while the rest squealed in delight. However, one girl near the back could only gape in shock. She didn't even hear the teacher ask the new student to sit in front of her.

"Kagome," she whispered.

When the ravenette plopped down, she turned to Haruhi with an amused smile. "Hey, Haru-chan."

"Y-you're here," was all the girl could stutter out. Disbelief was laced heavily in her scent and aura before they brightened with happiness. She wouldn't have to suffer these damn rich people by herself! "You're here!"

Kagome laughed at her cousin's cheer. She knew why the younger girl was happy. A bright smile warmed her eyes as she calmed. "Surprise!"

The brunette smiled, ignoring the questioning stares from the twins. They were put off by the familiarity Haruhi showed the new boy. What shocked them the most was how happy the brunette seemed. The twins had never seen her look so bright. They suddenly wondered what she thought of him. Respect was clear, but could she feel something more for him? They were cut off by the conversation continuing.

"He was insistent I attend the best high school." Kagome rolled her eyes, "You know how he gets."

Haruhi laughed.

"Anyway, I'll be hanging around you most of the day." She handed Haruhi her schedule and watched with satisfaction as the girl's aura seemed to brighten even more. "I'll also be around after school."

Haruhi stilled. Brown eyes glanced up into blue with wariness. "Are you sure you want to subject yourself to that, Kagome?"

Her answer was a bright, mischievous smile. She gulped. Today was definitely going to be eventful.

As lunch rolled around, Haruhi and Kagome could be found sitting on the fountain in one of the school's many courtyards. The young miko was explaining how and why she was at Ouran. To say Haruhi was surprised was an understatement. They'd always known Sesshomaru expected the best for himself and those that were his. It really didn't come as too much of a surprise.

"So how's my nephew doing in his new school?" Haruhi smiled wistfully as she asked that. Shortly after Kagome's return, the brunette discovered little Shippo. They quickly took a liking to each other and Kagome couldn't have been happier.

Said teen smiled. "He's doing well. Already getting top marks at school."

"That's because Sesshomaru-sama would settle for nothing less," Haruhi scoffed.

The miko merely giggled. Before she could reply, a familiar pair of auras reached their senses and the two turned to the courtyard doors. Sure enough, the twins came charging in, scowling at Kagome as they neared.

"Haruhi," they spoke in unison, "what are you doing here with the new guy?"

Haruhi's narrowed and twitched in annoyance. She cooly stated, "None of your business."

They stared at her in wide-eyed shock. Kagome figured the brunette hadn't rebuffed them like that before. She watched as anger flickered across their faces for a moment and the comical way their veins seemed to twitch in irritation. For a brief second, their twin tails flickered into being before disappearing again. They quickly approached and leaned on either side of the smaller girl with snarls on their lips.

"What do you mean-," started the soft-toned twin.

"-none of our business," finished the deeper toned twin.

"Just what I said." Haruhi turned away from them as her agitation grew. Club members or not, her pack didn't have their craziness. And she meant to keep it that way. Besides, the last thing they needed was a bunch of clueless beings - mischievous kitsune especially - stumbling onto their secret. Shippo didn't need that influence just yet. Besides, three of them couldn't keep a secret to save their life.

Hikaru and Kaoru growled in anger as they stormed off. Kagome raised a questioning eyebrow at their antics. They were more immature than her kit despite being older by a couple centuries. While kitsune were known to be childish, they should've matured more than what they showed. It was unbecoming of a fox with two tails.

Suddenly, part of the conversation finally sunk in. "Wait. Did they call me a 'guy'?"

"Well, you hide your aura and scent better than anyone." Haruhi gave her a bemused look.

"Yeah but," she hung her head, "I don't have a choice. Besides, don't I look feminine?" This time, Haruhi laughed. Kagome huffed before turning a more serious gaze to her cousin. "Haruhi, you and Uncle Ryoji should move in with us."

The brunette stilled. It was the second time the miko had brought it up. True, demons needed pack to stay sane. But the dangers of joining such a high-status pack were not lost on her. She knew the two wolves were struggling with the little contact they had with each other. At least if they moved in, there would always be someone waiting for them at home.

"I don't know sis. I'll ask dad when I get home." The younger girl smiled. "If he says yes, we could move in this weekend."

"Would you want the staff to help or us?"

Haruhi tapped her chin in thought before deciding, "Us."

Unbeknownst them, more than half of the first year girls watched their interaction with dreamy sighs and hearts in their eyes. They wondered how Haruhi knew the boy but the scene they made together was too cute for them to care! Maybe they could convince Taisho-san to join the Host Club with Haruhi!

She ran as fast as she could without raising suspicion. The girls in her classes had been chasing her since lunch and the ravenette couldn't seem to shake them. She'd blocked out what they were asking her ten minutes ago because they were all asking different things at once. Although, Kagome had heard them mention the Host Club more than a few times.

Then came her chance to escape. Sensing her cousin's aura, Kagome headed toward 'Music Room #3'. Vaguely noting club hours started soon, she opened and slammed the door behind her. The miko leaned against it in relief as the girls failed to reopen it against her strength.

"Kagome?" Brown met blue in concern and she started walking toward her cousin. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just trying to get away from crazy fangirls." Haruhi paused and gave the girl a weird look. Seeing the question in her eyes, the miko answered, "Apparently, a handful of girls from our classes saw us at lunch."

Haruhi's eye twitched in annoyance. "Great."

The other hosts watched the exchange with curious eyes. They'd never seen the boy before. Word around the halls said today was his first day. As the second oldest in the Taisho line, he was one of the richest people at Ouran Academy. He was quite the looker too if the squealing outside was anything to go by.

"Haruhi." The brunette glanced back at the Host Club King with a brow raised "How do you know Taisho-san?"

She shrugged. "We grew up together."

"You...grew up...together?" Tamaki blinked as the color drained from his face. The king couldn't believe his ears. His precious little girl sounded as though she admired the new boy. That wouldn't do! Even if they did grow up together, she wasn't allowed to be around strange boys!

He turned to Kyoya who was starting up his laptop. "Kyoya?"

The Shadow King typed away in a flurry of speed but the agitation in his scent almost overwhelmed the demons in the room, making the cringe. With each passing second, it was slowly becoming clear that Ootori Kyoya seemed to have met his match. He tried everything he could think of but only the barest of basics showed. Finally resolving himself to defeat, Kyoya glanced up at his friends, the glare of sunlight from the windows covering his eyes.

"It seems Taisho-san is to remain a mystery."

The hosts stared at him in shock at the news. Haruhi shook her head as Kagome smiled wickedly. No one would ever be able to best Sesshomaru. Especially in matters of protecting his pack.

"You'll never find out that way, Kyoya-senpai." Everyone turned to the brunette and she smiled bitterly at them. "Frankly, it's better if you don't know."

The Host Club blinked in surprise. They were unsettled by the silent threat their newest member had given. Kagome smiled at her cousin with pride and draped an arm over the girl's shoulders.

"Well said, Haru-chan. He would be proud of you," the miko whispered. Wide brown eyes turned to her. Kagome ruffled the girl's hair and turned to leave. The girls were gone and the driver was likely waiting for her. She waved over her shoulder and said, "I think you should really consider our conversation at lunch. It would be for the best."

And with that, the door slammed shut.

Silence hung heavily in the air for a few moments before the twins broke it. "What did you guys talk about at lunch?"

Her eye twitched as she started toward the changing room. "None of your damn business."

When Haruhi was gone, the Hosts all looked at each other. They'd never seen her so agitated or defensive. Whoever that boy was, he was too mysterious. Besides, secrets always came to light. If Kyoya couldn't find them his usual way, they'd have to dig differently.