Title : Game Master
Author : Meiko Kairi
Chapter Title : History of the Game

Main Pairing : Hikaru x Haruhi

Category : Romance / Humour
Rating : For Teen(s) – T; May contain language or scenes not suitable for very young readers!

Summary : AU. Haruhi, the commoner, thought that in her new school she could study well enough but instead, she found herself playing a dangerous bet with a Hitachiin.

Standard Disclaimer : Ouran High School Host Club Does Not Belong To Me.

- - -

The young heroine, Fujioka Haruhi also known as the intelligent and the studious commoner, took a deep, deep breath as a gigantic and ornamented gate greeted her as a new student.

She savoured the air outside the gates, taking her time to relax. It was as if the air inside a tremendous and a prestigious campus would be different from any normal air. And it was... Sort of.

Surely enough, she takes a step forward. She feels uneasy and nervous. The environment (or dimension) she's in, is something which her five senses never experienced before. It's all new to her that she can't help to round her mouth in awe.

The school campus is gargantuan, she doesn't even know where to start looking as a result of her natural naivety to a new milieu, she timely checks her campus handbook/guide in fear of getting lost in the 'jungle-like' school. She's a neophyte, so, she doesn't know whether the people there are hostile or not (she hopes for the latter, apparently).

The buildings are all western type. Massive and beautiful paintings hang on the brightly painted walls. All seem to glitter. Valuable and antique urns and artifacts are displayed flambouyantly and brilliantly and the chandeliers seemed to be made up from precious stones and gems.

As she walks more, where she finds out later that she's approaching the garden, the smell of the adeptly cultured roses started to invade her senses. The smell is so sweet and pleasing that brings out the feminine side of Haruhi. Not to mention those incredibly sophisticated and highly valuable perfumes used by the rich female students dawdling on the freshly cut grasses, impersonating themselves as fairies—hoping that it will catch the attention of some of the handsome guys in school and come flirt with them.

She chooses to continue giving herself a tour and decides to enter the nearest building in sight. It's an another building with the same stuffs like before, but it never fail to amuse Haruhi what's more is the sound of her shoe clicking magnificently on the marbled floor pleases her ears, making her want to do more walks.

Walking leisurely betrays her original intent on entering the school. She ought to study, right? However, she can't resist the unexplainable and overwhelming feeling. As she walks more, her leisurely walk comes to a halt, a sensuous and tempting smell invades yet once again, her nose, taking her to the cafeteria. She steals a quick glance on it, not wanting to be tempted more. She knows that the food served inside is high class and a hundred-and-one-percent mouthful... and with a price of her week's allowance.

She slides her back at the door, leaning down on it. All of these make her not to regret her entering in this highly intimidating school. But there's one thing that she doesn't like, and it's the feeling that she's consistently being watched.

'Probably because I look like I don't belong here,' she reflected then shrugged afterwards. 'I'll get over this, like I care about it. The reason I am here is because I want to become well educated.

- - -

On the other side of the campus...

"I'm bored, Kaoru,"

The named guy, Kaoru sighed heavily, "Me too, Hikaru,"

The another named guy kicked the air frustratedly, "I hate this, why aren't we in the same class?"

Kaoru frowned, but not much to spoil his handsome face. He held his twin's hand firmly to provide him his needed comfort, "I know, I hate it too,"

"Oyashi (1)set this up, didn't he?"

Kaoru shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe this is one of his plans for deciding the next successor of our family businesses,"

Hikaru huffed ironically, protruding his lips, "Who cares about those infernal businesses?"

Kaoru giggled at his older brother's naivety.

They may be always interchanged, as one as another, but, unknown to others, they have their own unique differences.

Though Hikaru's older, he's the more child-like... and more mean. The truth is, Hikaru is the mastermind of all the pranks that they have done and will be done.

"We can do this. Let's show otou-san (2) what we've got,"

Hikaru looked at his twin and smiled at him playfully, "At least we can still do the same things we do at home—at bedtime,"

Kaoru's face turned scarlet, and he let himself being controlled by his brother, his hand traveled at Hikaru's nape, coaxing, "Hikaru..."

(insert background of fresh red roses, glittering)

(insert another background of excited and overwhelmed ladies screaming "MOE!")

Hitachiin twins, Hitachiin Hikaru and Hitachiin Kaoru are one of the most famous male in their school (could be the whole Japan as well), being handsome and homos, they are always center of attraction for the fangirls. And secretly, a fansclub for the both of them emerged, not too long ago.

- - -

On Hikaru's class...

There comes an intolerable noise. They are all busy doing their own stuffs, bringing Shiratori-sensei's (their homeroom teacher) voice unreachable to their ears.

He sighs after consistent failure in calling the class' attention. He sighs again, and gestures at the student standing in front of the door.

The new student's entrance made the class fall into a unified silence, a silence that Shiratori-sensei had been trying to achieve just a few seconds ago.

The student is wearing a black loose shirt, coffee-colored hair tossed and ruffled, and has a huge, thick and rimmed glasses. So thick that you can't even see her eyes... or is it just the sun's rays...?

Upon seeing the figure standing in front of the class, Hikaru let out a scoff. In here, he realizes that he misses Kaoru already. They were always together... if only he could sympathize with his feelings for the new student... or in Hikaru's dictionary: his new victim.

"Okay class," Shiratori-sensei said, enjoying the control he currently has, "She's your new classmate, Fujioka Haruhi," he gestured at her to come closer, but she feels awkward for they were chattering or saying something like: "She's a girl? For real?"

Shiratori-sensei gave her an apologetic look.

"You're assigned to sit next to Hitachiin," he said as she quickly set her eyes to the herd of students flocking Hikaru.

"Ayaka-san? Your seat's position is not beside Hikaru-kun, can you please go to your respective seat so that Haruhi-san can take hers now,"

Ayaka flicked her long and shinny ebony hair in repulsion, "Who are you to tell me what to do? We pay for you. You have a job because of me. You have all your thanks to me, you're in debt, so you don't order me around,"

The calm eyes of the receiver of the insult turned sharp, not breaking an eye-contact, "I'm sorry but I don't remember myself being in debt with you. Let me get to this straight, I too, wasn't here, just to be admonished by a mere brat like you. I may be getting paid by you but remember that I am the master of this room. I am the teacher. I have the right to send you out as your teacher and you have the right and obligation to obey whatever I am telling you to do as my student. If you have any problems, teach here in my place, make sure that your classmates will listen to whatever you are blabbering. Now, if you don't object, get back to your place,"

Ayaka averted her eyes from the sensei, furiously. She got up from the chair and walked to her place.

Haruhi, who was watching the whole scene, stared in awe at her sensei, impressed deeply, 'What a strong person, I want to be like him,' Haruhi thought, happy at her newly found inspiration. 'Okka-san, there's someone like you, here, your male version, could be,'

- - -

The new inspiration of Haruhi, pushed his glasses as he read the writings on the blackboard, "So the President is Shogu-kun, Vice is Ayaka-san and so on and so forth, the last two spots were reserved for the muse and the escort, shall we begin?"

Ayaka stood up in an instant, she has been waiting for this moment to come.

A blush started to gather at her cheeks as she spoke, "I would like to nominate Hikaru-kun as the class escort,"

All the girls, except Haruhi squealed in conformity.

'Since when did the nominations for the class' escort comes before the nominations for the class' muse?' Haruhi deadpans. She's in the bizarre world of filthily rich people... maybe it's normal...?

Another girl stood up, "I now close the nomination for the class' escort,"

'What! I was the only one nominated!' Hikaru thought appallingly. Surely he had already anticipated that he would win as escort, with his looks, no doubt, but he didn't expect that he would be the only one nominated.

"I second the motion!"

The class secretary, Ayaka licked her lips, as if trying to look sensuous in front of Hikaru, "It was moved and seconded that the nominations for the class' escort would be closed. Clearly that the class' escort would be Hitachiin Hikaru,"

The fangirls of Hikaru kept looking dreamingly at him.

'Troublesome girls, I wonder how they got in this school? Utterly classless, utterly unsophisticated,' he said to himself, turning his head slightly to see a glimpse of his seatmate, expecting that she's also having a dreaming look at him, and then he can proceed on insulting and breaking her heart—instead, he saw her looking ironic and distracting her attention to the book she's reading.

Want to know what Haruhi is thinking? She doesn't care if she's no star of the class as long as she aces her grades.

But she can't concentrate well because of the noise. Oblivious to what's happening, she popped her head out of the book, only to find out that the distractions are cause by her handsome seatmate.

"What the—? Just for a guy? He doesn't look really great to me," she whispered, only to her horror that she realized that her 'whisper' was loud enough for the whole class to hear.

Silence fell and was broken by a loud crash of a fist on a desk.

Ayaka is guilty for it and everybody stares at her with a perplexed expression on.

She smirks at the attention she's getting (she wanted to seem like the last event didn't affect her).

"It's because you look so pathetic. All you do is to face that stupid book of yours so you don't know how to appreciate Hikaru-sama. Or maybe you do but you fail or refuse to acknowledge it," her eyes flickered dangerously and a sadistic smile came up, "I would like to nominate this commoner as the class' muse,"

The class (naturally!) exclaimed in surprise.

Their Hikaru-sama? Paired with a pathetic-looking Haruhi? It sure is a good laugh and that's exactly what Ayaka is thinking.

She won't let anyone hurt her 'god'.

The class was opposed to the idea for a while but they chose to agree with her, knowing the fact that the 'queen' is furious and she was embarrassed a while ago, another embarrassment will make her blood boil more, making her a 'monster'.

- - -

The royal princess (at her status, she's on the same level) flicked back her long and shinny ebony hair.

Her loyal 'minions' gather all around her.

"What came into you? With your beauty, you could have been the class muse,"

"Yeah, what are you up to?

Ayaka turned to them, eyes saying like: "What are you, an idiot?"

"Tsk..." she flipped her hair again, "You don't get it? I'll give you a clue," she smirked deviously, "What do you think of the pair Hikaru and the commoner?"

"Er..." girl one hesitated, she has no idea what could anger Ayaka, "justified?"

Ayaka: ...speechless...

"Not good..." girl two managed to let it slip. She was worried that Ayaka might turn angry but as soon as she saw her smirk turn to a smile, all of them became confident. Insults started to come out smoothly.

"Funny,"

"Disgusting,"

"Ridiculous,"

"Despicable,"

And here Ayaka laughed more like an old hag. For the background chose one:
'Flying Brooms' or 'The Hell With The Flood of Fire'

'Yes, I planned it all. That commoner will be perfect. I can be the school muse anytime, but after she gets humiliated.

- - -

On the school's veranda...

Haruhi found herself standing right beside her 'escort', Hikaru, giving pamphlets to her co-students, promoting the school's dance.

"How cheep, I should be studying now..." she muttered, rolling her eyes and reckoning how many pages of the book she could have finished instead of doing such task.

Hikaru tucked his hands on his pocket, having a bored look in his face. He thought that he could toy with her, but seeing her having no interests on him, or any male, he lost any excitement. "How boring... being with you..." he rivaled her tone.

She sounded offended, "I see no reason why girls like you a lot, being a school escort at that,"

He shot Haruhi a sharp glare, his face was mocking.

He's already got his teasing spirit back.

"Look who's talking! You're the one who looks so stupid. Seriously, have you ever looked yourself in front of a mirror?"

"You're being overconfident. Besides, a person's heart doesn't depend on his looks. That's why I wonder what's so special about you,"

Hikaru's eyes narrowed distrustfully, it's his first time to be 'rejected' by a girl, and a commoner at that! "You wanna know what?"

She sensed a challenge, "Forget about it. I don't want to get involved with you and your fangirls' life,"

"Scared?" he taunted.

She assured him, "You won't get me by that,"

He crossed his arms, pissed for his tactic didn't work, "Then scared you are,"

"Sorry but, I know those tactics,"

"Scardy cat, trying to escape by saying excuses,"

Haruhi sighed a sigh of exasperation, "You wouldn't stop, would you? Fine. Let's settle this, what do you want?"

"A game,"

Haruhi skewed her head to a side, "A game of what?"

"Just a simple game that would prove to you that I can make you fall head over heels for me,"

Being a smart girl she is, she frowned at it, "That's cheap. What are you thinking? Those kind of games only happens on soap operas and I don't buy them,"

"I have an important information for you that I should have mentioned from the start. My family runs and owns this school and I have the power to expel you,"

Haruhi stiffened, interested, "So what if I win?"

"We'll increase your allowance and your scholarship will continue even after graduation,"

"...If I lose?"

"Then you'll be out of here,"

Haruhi hesitated.

"If you refuse, you'll be out of the scholarship and you'll start paying mouth-gawking fees. Anyways, I'm the sure winner of this game but there's no harm in trying,"

Haruhi considered for a while. Why the hell was she hesitating a while ago. It's not like she'll really fall in-love with him. Not likely. She's not the type. Feelings toward the opposite sex aren't in her vocabulary.

To transfer into a new school will never be a problem to her, with her brains. But think about what others may say at her back: 'She's incapable that's why she got KICKED OUT!' that's unacceptable, besides, she entered Naruo because of a certain reason.

"I accept and I want a contract being signed," she would definitely win this fight... well at least that's what she's thinking.

'Maybe my class isn't boring at all,' the older Hitachiin thought.

And Hitachiin Hikaru a.k.a. the inheritor of her current school smiled knowingly and darkly. Games are his forte and he never loses. He will never lose.

For all knows but Haruhi, that he has another alias: The Game Master.

- - -

1 – Oyashi, according to my understanding sorta means 'old man', Hikaru, here, addresses his father improperly.

2 – Kaoru just corrected him. ;)

Author's Note:
How's it? My first try on fics. The characters may be a little OOC but it's for the good of this fic. There wasn't much fluff and humour in this chapter. But I promise that if I got cutiness reviews, I will be inspired! BTW, flaming is legal in this fic for I consider it as an opinion.

Kindly pick one:
(1) passable
(2) despicable

Please review! Thank you!