An Interesting Point; Haruhi's Game
It was a day just like the others; spending time idly at the Ouran Host Club. Sometimes Haruhi wondered why she even showed up. She found herself struggling with her studies more recently. Between balancing Tamaki's childish outbursts, Hikaru and Karou's exploits to have her twisted to their whims, and Kyouya's occasional reminder of how much money she still owed the club, she'd found herself even more overwhelmed. Then on rare occasions Honey also had his own childish outbursts- which Haruhi had to solve. She was a natural peacemaker.
And then of course their was the constant reminder that she was a girl in a room full of girls pretending to be a boy. Something she found difficult, occasionally. Truthfully, it was hardest for her to turn away her admirers. Girls would try their best to warm up to her, and gain her utmost affection- but it never worked. She had to sign them off as friends- which was affecting her performance, "Sales are down slightly-" Kyouya was saying, "I think someone isn't keeping herself together very well, eh?"
"Kyouya-senpai," she began plainly, "You can't blame this on me." her expression as dull as usual.
It was the end of the day, and the club had decided on having brief meetings weekly to discuss their current standings. But most of the time, it dissolved into something else- that something else being that- her slipping sales record. Haruhi glanced around at the other host members, hoping that one of them would speak up and help her cause out. It wasn't her fault that her touch was slipping. And she couldn't help it if she didn't like girls that way either.
"Yah," Karou agreed.
"You have to play a game before you punish her first!" Hikaru added with a devilish grin as he rested an arm on his brother's shoulder.
Haruhi's face faltered, That's not helping!
"Nonsense Kyouya!" Tamaki cut in with a dramatic tone, touching his fingers to his brow just so, "The girls will come back. We aren't as glorious in winter as we are spring, we have yet to bloom into a wondrous blossom!"
Honey clutched his bunny affectionately, "Cake will solve this!" his eyes bright and hopeful and he didn't wait to see if the others agreed but merely pulled himself up to the table again and immersed his mouth in the sugary goodness.
The others looked disinterested and the meeting abruptly dispersed. Haruhi sighed relief, Finally a chance to study!
Instead of retiring to her home to study like she normally did, she decided to hang around the club for awhile longer like the others normally did, enjoying each others' company-
Tamaki ran by in a rush of frustration, "None of your games!" he exclaimed wildly.
"But Milord-" Hikaru exclaimed, as the redhead tried to catch his blonde-haired friend. Karou was also hot on their tails, the two seeming to get a rush from merely running after their supposed leader.
-Or to torture one another... Haruhi grumbled to herself, returning to her book.
She'd only had a few moments of peace before Tamaki came running through the room once more, this time he was chasing the Hikaru and Karou- yet they seemed equally enthused. Haruhi decided to deem them all "easily amused". After about ten minutes of silence, fate would not allow her anymore study-time, "What a strange book..." a voice commented, only a breath away from her ear. She shivered, it felt so strangely flirty to be whispered to, and she nearly jumped from the shock when he took the book from her hands and looked it over.
"Hmm, who studies topics like these?" another voice chimed, with an equally haughty tone as he looked over the book as well.
She knew it was the twins. It was always the twins. They just couldn't leave her well-enough alone.
"Could you two, please-" she didn't have a chance to finish before the two sat down next to her.
"If you wanted company, you could've asked." they mused together, still withholding her book.
"I didn't want company..." she muttered, but the two were oblivious while they looked over her book.
Now she felt even more hopeless, how was she supposed to study if she kept having all of these interruptions? Especially the twins... she thought, I seem to be the only one who whets their appetite for teasing...or boredom.
"Wait, where's Senpai?" she asked looking between the two.
The two redheads burst into a fit of laughter. They quickly explained that while Tamaki had been pursing them, he'd run smack into a column. The twins claimed he wasn't paying good enough attention, but Haruhi suspected foul play.
"You're taking Mrs. Kamozki's Psychology course eh?" Karou broke through her thoughts.
"Took it last year." Hikaru shrugged.
"I bet you aren't doing well either." Karou continued.
Haruhi wanted to glare at the indiscreet twins, but it was true. She was failing that particular course. She seemed to shrink in their condescending presence, "Maybe..."
"We can help!" the two beamed.
"Really? No tricks?" she questioned innocently.
"Teach Haruhi Psychology Battle Plan One!" the two exclaimed suddenly, causing her to jump.
"Battle Plan One?" she quirked a disbelieving brow.
"There's always Battle Plan Two!" Karou smiled- a genuine smile, for once.
So for about a hour or so the three sat down on the couch going over Psychology notes and special ways to remember said knowledge for the tests, "Break time!" the two exclaimed again.
Haruhi jumped, "Must you two..." she grumbled, referring to their sudden exclamations.
"We like seeing you jump." Hikaru grinned and Karou seemed equally amused.
"So how do you two know all of this anyway?"
"The teacher thought we were cute."
"She ate up our 'brotherly love' junk."
Haruhi covered her face in her hands a moment. Somehow she should've expected this from them.
"Oh Hikaru!" Karou exclaimed dramatically, reaching out to his brother, "I don't understand this..." his voice soft and sweet.
"I'll help you...just stay close to me." Hikaru replied, pretending to hold Karou close.
Of course, the two had been reaching out to one another in front of Haruhi, and decided that it was the perfect chance to catch her off-guard, "Tickle time!" they exclaimed at once.
Haruhi tried to struggle away, but the two kept tickling her- or at least trying to- they couldn't seem to find her tickle spot, "Really, boys..." she insisted, but finally, they found a ticklish spot. She laughed softly at first, but before long the three were practically scuffling on the ground trying to out tickle each other.
After those few moments of freedom, Haruhi found herself feeling freer and more relaxed. Maybe she should let distractions into her life more often. For a while, the three just lay on the floor, resting against one another, "Hikaru, Karou?"
"Hm?" the two replied.
"How is it that you two can be so close to one another and never fight? I don't think I could ever be close to my twin sister- if I'd ever had one."
The twins were caught off-guard momentarily. Karou looked ready to speak, but Hikaru cut him off, though, "I dunno, information like that shouldn't be given freely- perhaps a game?"
"What is it with you and your games?" she seemed curter now, less like her normal tolerant-self. She just couldn't understand why a simple question always escalated to a game, a bet, or some other form of torture.
Karou looked at his brother a moment, his golden eyes searching Hikaru's to understand what he was planning, but couldn't understand, "Hikaru and I never had anyone else. If we were to fight, we'd be alone." Karou explained, truthfully, but Hikaru looked aloof and folded his arms, "I guess that's why. Our parents weren't really around, and you already know how we used to think about others. That's why we're close. Besides, he's my brother, like a best friend you'll always have. A best friend who always sleeps over at your house." Karou's voice and descriptions becoming brighter.
Haruhi smiled, "Hikaru, I really don't understand you sometimes. You always try to make things into games so you can get closer to people, why not just talk to them?"
Hikaru looked reflective for a moment, "Nah, games are more fun."
"You guys helped me a lot though." she spoke again, standing up off the floor, "You'd think that Psychology'd be easier than Physics huh?"
She started gathering her belongings under the watchful gaze of the playful boys. Boys she considered her close friends, "I should be going. I won't get any studying done with you two clowns bugging me."
"Clowns!" the two cried out with mock indignation.
"Yes, clowns." she smiled good-naturedly. She was actually feeling better about herself and everything that had been plaguing her. It was funny how the company of good friends had that effect on her. She'd been so gloomy before, but now that they'd cheered her up, she felt better about everything. She didn't have to worry about messing up her hosting or grades, "Before I go," she began, hugging Karou and the Hikaru in turn, "I wanted to tell you two-" she seemed to have a devious look of her own design, but the two caught on.
"What have you thought of Haruhi?" Karou demanded, as he and Hikaru leaned in closer.
"Games aren't so bad. But a lot of your games are the same, or have the same purpose..." she turned from their prying eyes, and began to walk towards the door, "But you two like the same-old anyway right? What am I saying?" and as though to prove her point, she waved her hand to them in a sign-off fashion.
The two met her at the door before she had a chance to go through it, "What kind of game?" Hikaru asked, genuinely curious to see if her game would actually be any fun.
"Well..." Haruhi began, almost shyly, and explained the plan, and how they should implement it the next day.
It was just another fine day at the Host Club. There were plenty of guests that particular day it seemed hard to believe that there was a shortage of funds. A group of girls were gathered around Hikaru and Karou, who were playing their parts as usual, but across from them sat Haruhi with a group of girls also paying attention to the twins.
"Hikaru, don't hold me so tightly." Karou was saying with a bashful look.
"But I don't want to let you go!" Hikaru replied dramatically holding his brother closer.
The girls squealed, eating up their every word, until something happened that shocked them all, "Maybe I don't want your arms anymore!" It seemed so unlike him, but the girls could tell no different and all leaned in curiously.
Hikaru let go, repulsed, but to the girls of the room it was more shocking than anything, "I don't want you for a brother anymore." he continued, pulling completely away from his brother, and taking an empty spot next to Haruhi.
Haruhi shot an angry look at Hikaru, "Don't worry about him- I'll be your brother." she cried so dramatically she surprised herself, and hugged Karou to her chest protectively.
Hikaru then stood up, and stormed from the are they had been occupying. Some girls squealed over how cute they thought it was that Hikaru became upset, and some girls couldn't stop squealing as Haruhi and Karou embraced. Haruhi took a deep breath, "Karou, dry your eyes." and then she kissed his cheeks. Karou blushed, "Thank you..." he muttered into her hair. But on the inside, the two were laughing about how easily the girls were misled.
Most of the girls in the room had taken notice of the display, and had now melted. Hikaru was nearby, looking quite upset, but many girls flocked around him as well. One girl went even so far as to ask, "Have you ever though about having a sister?" It seemed like there was rush at the door, many of the girls who'd witnessed the display, had called their friends to come right over. It was something that no girl should miss- the twins fighting was unheard of- save for once, but it wasn't part of their host act.
"We'll be together forever right?" Karou cooed weakly.
Haruhi stared deeply into Karou's eyes, "Always..."
"That was quite performance Haruhi." Kyouya remarked, walking towards her with his gaze still locked on his clipboard.
She glanced at him briefly before picking up another tray of dishes, "Enough to make you take back what you said?" she placed the dishes into a sink-full of others.
Kyouya was still about a foot away from her, he never shifted his intent gaze, but nodded his head in reply before leaving the room. Haruhi breathed relief, she needed to keep her stats up, and she was just lucky that she'd convinced the twins that what she suggested was actually a game, and not some kind of kinky something or other. Or else they might have tried to get her to repay them somehow. When she explained how Karou could pretend that he wanted another brother, and how he would in up in her arms, however, the two were hooked with the absurd idea.
It was new, and something the twins found interesting to pull off at least another time or so, but Hikaru demanded that the next time would be his turn to "want another brother". So in a roundabout way, there was a trade-off; she pulled in more customers to help her current dwindling numbers, and the twins got to have Haruhi look at them in a romantic-like way. Even if they didn't like her that way, it was still amusing to them to see her that way.
Haruhi was quite surprised with herself too though. She found it quite unusual that she'd come up with such a crazy plan, a plan that actually sounded like something the twins would fashion themselves. She was even more surprised that she was able to carry the plan out- it was so unlike her character. She had come up with the whole plan herself- save for the kissing away the tears- the boys had agreed it would make it more dramatic- and was surprised with how well it went. None of the three were sure if it would work, but it had promise and they carried it through.
She'd even shocked herself with being comfortable enough to kiss Karou on the cheeks. It was strange to her- even though the twins normally played games by flirting with her often- normally just to annoy Tamaki as well. She bent to pick up the last tray of dishes. Somehow she was always stuck with clean-up, "Let us help, new brother." Karou's voice joked, as the two walked into the main room.
Haruhi smiled, "I was really surprised that you guys went for that plan."
"We'll try anything once." Hikaru replied as Karou took the tray from Haruhi.
Karou disappeared from sight, and Hikaru took his chance to tease Haruhi, "So, I think, as your friend, you owe me." he folded his arms as though he were angry.
"Owe you what?"
"A kiss eh?"
Haruhi laughed, "Jealous hm? You'll have to wait until we play the game again."
"So it was a game you were playing!" Tamaki exclaimed, wearing a walkie-talkie, and spy goggles as he walked around the column he'd been hiding behind. It was a walkie-talkie that was supposed to be used to communicate with Kyouya, but for some "unknown" reason, Kyouya wasn't answering, "I have found these most wonderful devices that exceptionally poor commoners use to communicate."
Haruhi gave him am momentarily dead-pan stare, "Senpai, we only played the game for the customers."
"I was so worried for my daughter's sake- with these two always around-" He started to digress into one of his long speeches, but Karou returned into the room and cut him short, "Yeah, Milord, it's not like you love Haruhi or anything."
Tamaki then froze and passed out, "I didn't think he'd take it that hard." Haruhi mused, "He doesn't really eh?"
Hikaru glanced towards Haruhi, "Nah, wanna come to our house?"
"Yeah, we've seen your house, we'll show you ours." Karou cut in excitedly.
Haruhi thought a moment about her studies, "No funny business."
"Would we ever?" the two asked at the same time with their trademark grins.
Haruhi gave a sideways glance to Tamaki, before deciding that it wasn't worth arguing, "I guess, you two won't give me a choice anyway." the twins only smiled at her honest observation as the three left the Third Music Room together.