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sabineelectricheart · 4 months

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The Beast at the Information Bureau

Summary: Kyoya has a strong sense of justice and very little regard for those who find themselves in the wrong side of it. When Hyori is sequestered away to a dockyard, she finds out what that truly means.

Rating: M - Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, or coarse language.

Words: 2200

Notes: As I am wont to do, I exaggerated in a character trait and saw where it led me. Dark places, naturally.

Hyori had never seen Kyoya like this.

He was more of a laid-back, friendly kind of guy, cracking jokes even in the tensest situations. He was easy to talk to, a little childish, one-note, but very pleasant to be around in any circumstance. He would keep her company when she had to look after her younger siblings, and he would sometimes take her down to the river hand-in-hand when she needed the change of scenery.

Even when he talked about his work with the Information Bureau, with the strings and caveats attached to it, when he spoke about his sense of draconian justice, when she saw him training his shot with firearms, he never quite struck her as properly dangerous, as someone capable of harm.

Strong and capable of doing manual labour with ease, yes, intelligent and capable, a law enforcement officer, but the principled cruelty never really struck her as the prevalent gene in Kyoya. At least, until Hyori saw him through the gaps from her hiding spot, rabid like a dog, only missing the foam around his mouth as he tore down the door of the shack the cybercriminals had brought her to.

It never crossed her mind to be scared of her boyfriend. Not when he seemed to laugh all day long, not when he was so kind to her siblings, not when he felt so strongly for what is right. With the fury edged into his features, though, it was almost like she didn't know who he was.

With what she could only describe as a furious battle cry, he tore through the cybercriminals, their weapons falling uselessly on the concrete floor of the empty dockyard before they could even hope to react. Blood splattered everywhere, her captors', Kyoya's, and whoever else dared to stand in his way.

Hyori wanted to look away, but without a warning, she had to witness it all. By the time she turned her gaze away from the happenings and sank her throbbing head into her hands, the massacre was already over. However, she is still shivering like crazy, long after the last scream lapsed into silence.

“Hyori!” He called desperately into the dark emptiness of the dock.

Whimpering, she flinched when she heard her name being screamed into the uncomfortable silence. She felt like she was going to throw up as the smell of blood reached her nose.

"H-Here...!" She croaked weakly, heavy footsteps shaking the cold ground.

The wooden crates and barrels were mere annoyances in his path. They had no chance of survival as he burst through them in the maniacal search for her. All she could do was shield her face, her strength already dwindling from her body's exhaustion and the time spent out in the chilly dampness of the harbour at an especially cold winter. Her captors had hidden her from plain sight out of precaution, but now she suddenly is not so sure if she wanted to be found, her boyfriend’s fury burned into her mind.

A part of Hyori had always hoped that the cybercriminals would just move on from their insane plan of using her for ransom. She had witnessed them speaking about being mad at Kyoya for some reason. Still, neither she nor they could have known the lengths the blond man would go to get her back before it even came to a mail or call demanding any money.

When his head finally craned out from behind the boxes, she cowered behind. The man that found her was nothing like the image of the person Hyori cradled in her mind for all this time, bruising the unwavering belief she held ever since the Arcadia incident. It was horrifying. He seemed to be sniffing the air like an animal, frantically turning his sightline all around him. She held her breath, almost too scared to be rescued by this unfamiliar person in front of her. All of him snapped in her direction, though, at the slightest sign of her location, and so did the wood, cracking pitifully as he pushed it out of the way, freeing some space to get to her.

Fury burned in his wide-open eyes, blood staining his cheeks, chest, and arms, and there was nothing left of the Kyoya she knew. He merely looked like an animal now, a real beast. A gruesome monster of old tales, red and big and angry. Yet, when he slumped to his knees before her, squeezing himself between a crate and the wall, it was like a switch turned all of this off instantly. Worry clouded his gaze, his expression softening as did his voice as he started to coo her name.

"It's okay, I'm here. Everything will be alright. You're okay now...” He mumbled, and she had the feeling it was more to his own benefit then hers.

His voice was stricken with that childish, kind undertone. It almost made Hyori feel like a child, getting reassured by a brotherly figure, in the same way that he made her feel like back in Arcadia. More tears dripped from her eyes as she were caught between being happy to be rescued by him and scared shitless after what she witnessed through the gaps in boxes she had hidden behind.

Which one was real? Why did it seem so easy for him to eradicate the existence of those cybercriminals? If he changes so fast, could he switch again?

"Kyoya..." She sobbed, feeling like she had to share these questions with him and get the answers.

Alas, the young woman is too scared. So scared of these hands reaching out, stained red with human blood, able to snap necks with one squeeze if he wanted to.

"Yes, yes! It's me! Your hero! Come here, come... Come to me.” He encouraged her, his voice cracking into a plead. "I'll take you home. Let's get you warm and cozy, and I'll make some soup for you! I'll carry you, come."

Squeezing himself further and further into the small space between wall and box, all she could do was crawl backwards, trying to hide in the corner and watch as his expression turned from worried to confused and even hurt.

"Let's go home, okay?" He whispered, sounding desperate as he watched her hurdle away from him. "Why won't you come to me?"

Suddenly, at the very end of his question, his voice changed to a cold monotone. A dire realisation runs through his mind and a hand wrap around the ankle closest to him, even though he could not quite fit into the space with his whole body. Yanking at her, she let out a squeak and another as he began pulling her out.

"Stop!" She yelled, her lungs burning up as a sudden cough ripped through her. "You're hurting me! Kyoya, stop!"

Undeterred, his expression undefinable, he kept pulling his girlfriend towards him, his other hand gripping her knee until he could tug her out of hiding by her waist. Then, at his reach, he hugged her. Tightly and breathtakingly. Uncomfortable only for her.

"I thought I lost you.” He whispered, his voice conveying the broken-heartedness his concern and her fear left him.

It was difficult for Hyori to focus on his words and intonation, though, as his state of dress was far from ideal. The rancid smell of blood intensified in her nostrils as she were pressed to his chest, vomit collecting in her mouth.

"L-Let go.” She protested, almost sure she is going to throw up.

His embrace only tightened, pressing her further into him as the young man refused to let her go even for a second.

"Why?" He asked, and she felt his body tense under her touch. "Why didn't you come to me? Why can't I hold you? Why didn't you scream for me when they came to your house? I would have come, you know? I could have prevented all of this... Why do you never rely on me? Why am I...?"

Kyoya choked on his words, his body shaking as she could hear the anger rise in his voice. However, the next time he spoke, his voice was almost non-existent, a pained whisper in the wind.

"Why am I never good enough for you?"

Hyori felt his shoulders slump, as did his head, buried in the space between her shoulder and neck. Taking a deep breath, her boyfriend seemed to calm himself with his nose buried in her body, her simple lounge dress dropping off her shoulder, baring her skin to the cold and wet air again.

"What's this?" He asked, finally holding her a bit farther away from him, enough so she could turn her head and take a deep breath of fresh air before covering her nose in her sleeve.

"W-What?" She asked, hazy from the blood smell and unable to see what he saw, as he was staring at her shoulder.

The young woman felt one of his too-long nails rake over her skin, drawing the shape of something she did not know was there.

"You're bruised. Did these bastards...? What did they do? Don't tell me they..." The law enforcement officer gulped, his body growing tense. "Don't tell me they did something...?"

Desperation vibrated in his voice as he grew louder and louder, pushing she away to be able to see into her eyes. She avoided his gaze, not out of shame, but because she simply could not bring herself to see him in the same light as before.

Of course, Hyori would deny the dark thought going through her head. The remembrance that, in spite of the urbane character of modern living, if she knew anything about nature, one simply does not look a predator into his large, concerned eyes, lest they end up aggravating him.

"Nothing, I just... Maybe I hit something, I don't know..."

"It's really big.” The man whispered, his voice sending an ice-cold shudder down her spine. "They marked you..."

"What? No, they didn't, they..."

She did not have the opportunity to finish her sentence, her eyes darting back to him just in time to see him brandishing a weapon, a silver metal thing she has no idea what is for, only that it is against her and her boyfriend is pulling the trigger. The pain was not immediate, shock masking it so well she thought it was almost non-existent.

The blood immediately pouring out of her managed to wake her to the reality of the situation. It began to throb as her body panicked to close the wounds inflicted by that thing, a cold iron unnaturalness gripping tightly against her shoulder bone.

Kyoya lowers the pistol, replacing it with his mouth, licking her gaping wound like an animal. The feeling of the soft and wet tongue against it was a strange one, but most repulsing certainly.

Ideally, there would have been a reaction from Hyori at this point. Screaming, crying, fighting, or even just fainting. She merely stared at his hair, though, feeling his jaw loosening around her shoulder, his face now stained anew. This time, it was her blood dripping from his lips, the sight as disgusting as it was captivating.

"Delicious.” He mumbled, his tongue parting his lips to lick off the excess red in a mesmerizing, if horrifying, display. "The implant will protect you. Now, no one will dare to put their hands on you when they see your mark. If they do, I will just come and find you again. I will find you wherever you are. This time I'll be able to follow the signal of the geolocator regardless. So, from now on, you can rely on me to… Hyori?! Hey!"

She faintly noticed him shaking her body before lifting she into his arms and rushing into the cool night air. Losing blood on top of the wounds that she had already sustained during her captivity was too much for her body to take. That and the shock were finally knocking her out, perhaps for good.

His voice made him almost seem like the childish dumbo she knew. The same kind soul that snuck her store-bought candy after she spent all her money on her siblings, that cheered in increasingly creative and funny ways at his favourite foreign football team of the week and that brought her flowers on random days just because.

That face, the rage and mindless slaughter of whatever stood in his way. That was not him. It just could not be. Him brandishing a weapon into her body because he thought it was a good idea to mark her without consulting her. His weird habit of licking a wound clean, despite, and maybe even because, of the abundant blood around it. That was not the Kyoya she knew.

No, certainly not. It was some kind of monster she had never even suspected to slumber inside him. The sight of her blood dripping from his lips would not leave her thoughts until the last one disappeared in the darkness. The dreams awaiting her would be dark and lonely, but, at least, there would be no more blood.

Until Hyori opened her eyes again, no more monsters would be waiting for her, either.

*_*_*_*_*

Charade Maniacs Masterlist

#charade maniacs #Kyoya Akase

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host-club-hq · 2 years

Text

Indeed: ~Mori-Senpai Has an Apprentice Candidate!~

➼ pairing: kyoya ootori x reader

➼ summary: it seems you've attracted the attention of a certain... candidate. although kyoya knows where you heart belongs, he wishes your pursuer knew as well...

➼ word count: 6.7k

➼ what to expect: "What happened to the poor thing? Your sparrow?"

➼ warnings: undressing, accidental peeping-tom, extremely mild nudity

➼ chapter navigation

➼ talk to my characters!

➼ once again, big thanks to my beta reader who helped me a lot!

You bend at the knee, steadying your katana slowly through the air, back and forth. Your brows furrow in concentration, your headband moving with the muscles of your forehead.

Although your outfit is much less extravagant than the rest of the club's because women weren't samurai, you think it's quite simple and comfortable. Nothing more than a long, black cloth skirt and a dark aqua green wrapped top. But... somehow, you've managed to get a hold of one of the katana props when no one was looking.

"I knew it was a mistake to leave the katanas out."

You shriek, immediately dropping the katana to the ground with a clatter, startled at the phantom voice.

Kyoya leans in the doorway, dressed in traditional late Edo era samurai robes, jet back hair extensions tied into a rugged ponytail with a ribbon as a headband sits under his fringe. He looks less than amused.

"It's your fault for ordering real katanas. I couldn't help myself." You pick up the aforementioned sword and sheath it away, handing it to Kyoya. He stows it away in his belt.

"You said it yourself. Our late Edo cosplay is to be nothing but authentic... what's more authentic than real katanas?" Kyoya shrugs.

"I meant authentic to the period. You didn't hire real samurai, did you?" You tease, tightening your headband and stepping into your slippers.

"No, we have our very own samurai." Kyoya reminds cockily.

"You mean you and the club? Right." You scoff.

Kyoya rolls his eyes, "It's almost time to get started. No more sword swinging for you, alright?" Kyoya gestures for you to follow him.

"Whatever you say..." You feel like a scolded child as you trudge behind him.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

You shuffle into place and fold your hands together in front of you, straightening your posture as the first group of guests pushes the door open with a loud creak.

"Welcome to the Host Club."

~The Host Club is now open for business~

"Tamaki, you're dressed as Riyoma Sakamoto, right?"

"He's so wild and handsome!"

Tamaki sits half-way cross-legged on a mat below him, his katana propped on his shoulder and a seamless hair extension dangling in a ponytail.

"Yeah, I'm handsome, I'm wild, and I'm gonna steal your hearts, pretty ladies!" Tamaki's eyes narrow with determination, earning a flustered squeal from his patrons.

"Rugged theme calls for rugged charades." You shrug, arms tucked in your sleeves for comfort.

"We love it when you talk like a samurai, Tamaki!"

You lean to Haruhi beside you, "Any chance you know why he's gone with the Tosa dialect?" You cock a brow curiously.

"Haven't got a clue." She groans with exasperation.

She turns to you next, "You know, I never would've thought that late Edo era cosplay would be this popular." Haruhi picks at her sleeves absently.

Hikaru and Kaoru materialize from thin air, "C'mon you can't be serious. That's like one of the basics." Hikaru scoffs.

"There are plenty of girls that find the late Edo era totally fascinating. Particularly the Shinsengumi." Kaoru finishes knowledgeably.

You sigh, "And most girls who are interested are absolute maniacs about it." You'd chosen the theme for a reason. Some of the club's regular patrons have struck up a new fascination with it and you couldn't help but overhear their conversations on several occasions.

And... one reliable source might have helped you in your endeavors-

"Are they popular because of the noble nature in which they sacrificed their young lives for their country? Or could it be because of their stoic determination? Their choice to live out their lives by the Bushido code? Or could it be..."

You gesture to Renge as she appears, "One of the aforementioned maniacs."

Out of nowhere, Kaoru grunts painfully and clutches a fist to his chest. His legs give out from underneath him, falling in to his brother's arms with a pained expression.

Hikaru catches him deftly, pulling him by his arm to stand as much as he can, "Don't die." He urges breathlessly.

"I'm done for, brother. Let me go." Kaoru pleads with a prominent rasp.

"That we're intrigued because the worship of this group of renegade men is somewhat forbidden?"

"They always want what they can't have." You nudge Kyoya in the ribs and he nods.

Renge slams her fist onto a nearby table, "The Ikedaya Inn may be well-know but it's only because of Hijikata. Just imagining him after the battle of Tobafushimi; his back to the north as he sorrowfully wandered the streets of his homeland, attempting to defend the honor of of the Shinsengumi all by himself. I could eat three giant bowls or rice!" Renge squeals at the top of her lungs.

"Three bowls of rice... it's always the three bowls of rice. Why is that?" You murmur to yourself, gnawing your thumbnail in thought.

"That was one hell of a history lesson, Renge." Haruhi deadpans, her energy clearly spent.

"Not having us cast ourselves in specific roles was good direction. Allowing the guests to just be free to fantasize on their own was truly a brilliant idea, y/n. I'm very impressed."

The compliment coming from your boyfriend, who doesn't spare you a glance, draws you from your distracted trance.

"Why do you sound surprised?" You narrow your eyes, unable to believe the praise for a second.

"You know, I think dressing Haruhi as Soji Okita was perfect!" Renge eyes Haruhi a moment. Haruhi's eyes are trained to the wall before her, arm resting on her protruding katana, lost in thought.

You tilt your head. If only you could read the thoughts behind those chocolate doe eyes.

"He's wonderful as the handsome, evanescent young swordsman!"

"Can you write that word down? I wanna remember it. I like that word." You smack Kyoya gently on the arm beside you and he scribbles something in the margin immediately.

"Haruhi! Please don't die! I couldn't handle it!" Haruhi remains ignorant of their fantasizing flattery and praise.

A few guests peek past a shoji to see Mori seated on a carefully crafted bamboo bench, katana leaned against the seat beside him. His posture is perfectly straight.

"So Mori has to be Kai Shimada, don't you think?"

"No way. He's totally Yamazaki."

"I think it'd be super cool if he was Soma!"

You make your way toward Mori carefully, plucking a cup of tea from your newly acquired tray and lowering it in his direction, deliberately under his nose to rouse him from meditation. He opens his eyes and they immediately land on the tea, then you, then back at the tea.

"Care for a cup?" You place it in his waiting hands and he nods, "Thanks."

Silent moments pass before Mori's eyes open sharply once more, leaping from his seat and gently shoving you out of his way. You land on the seat he rose from, quickly steadying your teacups. Mori twirls his sword twice around his body before shoving the tip of the blade into the nearest shoji.

The guests squeal in earnest. Loudly, you might add.

"Mori-Senpai?" You raise a brow.

"Why the sudden lunge?" Kaoru gasps.

"You not getting enough attention?" Hikaru adds.

"Please calm down, Mori-Senpai! I know you're upset that you only have one line an episode. We're three fourths through the season and you haven't had your own episode, is that it? I'm sorry!" Tamaki wails sorrowfully.

Mori draws his blade, "No," and pushes aside the shoji to reveal a body lying, stunned, on the mat behind it.

"We have a trespasser."

The stranger's gaze is cold and fierce. He growls and leaps to his feet, "Takashi Morinozuka!" He lunges toward Mori with seemingly vicious intent.

"Holy hell-"

"A surprise attack?!"

The fiery haired stranger falls to his knees and presses his forehead to the mats below him, "Senpai! Please take me on as your apprentice!" His tone remains laced with fury.

You visibly relax, expression growing unamused and disappointed, "I thought we were gonna see a fight." You sigh.

Even Mori seems taken aback by his violent request.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Mori-Senpai Has an Apprentice Candidate!

"Ritsu Kasanoda, first year, Class D." Kyoya reads from his records.

"First year?" You gawk at the mere size of him. This boy... is fifteen? Impossible.

"Heir to the third generation head of the Kasanoda Syndicate, the most powerful gang in the Kanto area. He was admitted this year into Ouran Academy's high school. He has long red hair, a mean looking appearance, is reserved, and has few friends."

"An odd combination." You twirl a strand of hair, eyes raking Kasanoda's figure carefully.

"It is said that if your eyes meet his, you'll have bad dreams for three months."

Out of sheer curiosity, you stare into his eyes until they meet yours.

"Well, we'll see, won't we?" You shrug, feeling nothing has changed.

"If you bump into him, you'll end up in the hospital; and talking back to him sends you to an early grave."

"Oh, I'm sorely curious." You smirk absentmindedly.

"He is so feared by his classmates that they call him the walking blizzard."

"Are you quite finished?" You lean over the sofa behind Kyoya as he closes his notebook promptly.

"Quite."

"Seriously? But why would a human weapon like yourself wanna be Mori-Senpai's apprentice?" Tamaki slouches dumbfounded beside Haruhi across from Kasanoda. You hiss and whack him upside the head.

"Be nice."

Kasanoda avoids his gaze, "Well, because- look, I may be tough but I'm not a human weapon. I was just born with a face that makes me look mean all the time."

"Well, at least you're aware of it, Casanova." The twins shrug indifferently.

Kasanoda straightens, "It's Kasanoda." He quickly corrects.

Clearly, the Host Club is not among those that fear him.

"Bossa Nova?" The twins carry on with their idiotic act.

Kasanoda's eyes nearly glow an angry red as his lips tug downward in a deep frown.

"I said it was Kasanoda! Do you wanna die?!" He explodes.

All but you, Haruhi, and Kyoya have fled to safer positions behind the sofa. You swing out from behind it yourself and take the new empty seat beside Kyoya on his other side.

"Man, he really is mean-looking!" The idiotic trio trembles.

Kasanoda realizes his error and straightens once more, "Sorry 'bout that." He rests his forehead in his palm with tired eyes, "This always happens 'cause of the way I look. I've always had this mean look, ever since I was born. Even when I was just a tyke, my dad would say-"

"Just you wait, my son's gonna be the greatest gangster of all time."

"And so, ever since I was a kid, I've been thought how to be godfather of a gang."

"My pops was a good teacher and he made me a true gangster. That's great and all but everyone's afraid to come near me. Even my fellas are scared of me. So I'm all alone. It's like they forget I'm young, and sometimes I just wanna play! I wanna get out with my fellas 'n play a game of kick the can!" His voice is laced with genuine agony.

Your lips tug downward as sympathy tugs at your heartstrings. You cross your legs and tilt your head.

"A good game of kankeri is awesome." Tamaki agrees, adjacent to Haruhi.

"But I've been livin' the life of a gangster and I don't know how to interact with regular people."

Honey's remorseful eyes glance to Kasanoda from his table, "Aw, that poor guy." He whines.

"Morinozuka-Senpai, that's why I need you to show me. How do you manage to have so many friends?"

At his name, Mori turns over his shoulder with the most unamused expression.

"When you're just as mean-looking as me?"

At that, Mori's jaw falls slack and his breath hitches in offense.

"You're expressionless, distant, and you hardly ever talk. Plus you've got a mug that looks like a watchdog from hell. So how come you've got so many friends? What're you doin' that I'm not?"

Mori is seriously rethinking his life choices up to this point as Kasanoda carries on carelessly.

"Please, teach me your secrets! I'm begging you!" He demands, falling to a full bow at Mori's feet once more.

Mori sighs in utter exasperation, resting his elbow and head on the table he shares with Honey.

"Hey, Takashi, are you okay?" Honey takes notice of his obvious distress.

"I'm just a little lightheaded." Mori assures lowly.

"What now, Boss?" The twins are perched on the floor some distance behind Kasanoda. Tamaki crouches near them.

"Don't you think we should do something about this?"

"You know, it's not our responsibility to fix everything." You lean your temple on your fist propped on the back of the sofa, neck craned to glance at the scene behind you.

"Just leave him alone, don't get involved." Tamaki nods definitively. You nod in tandem agreement.

"Like he said, he wants to be Mori-Senpai's apprentice." Tamaki rises his his feet nobly, "So that means Mori-Senpai decides what to do. This isn't something that any of us should be interfering with."

"Tamaki."

As much as you adamantly agree with Tamaki... Mori's desperate expression indicates that he's in dire need of his boss's assistance in handling a situation that he doesn't believe to be able to undertake by himself.

Tamaki is quick to switch positions, "Well, in that case, since you insist, Mori-Senpai, I, Tamaki Suoh, promise you, I will do whatever I can to assist you." It's like it's been stuck in his throat and longing to come out.

"Yeah, right. He wanted to get involved so badly he couldn't bear it." Haruhi grumbles, disappointed.

Tamaki kneels before Kasanoda, lifting his chin with his thumb and forefinger, "Now lift your head, Bossa Nova."

"Listen, it's Kasanoda." Kasanoda sneers through clenched teeth.

Tamaki continues on, "From now on, you may address me as King. Okay, Bossa Nova?"

"That's not my name!" Kasanoda insists urgently.

"Are you listening to me, Bossa Nova?!"

Kasanoda immediately straightens, "Yeah."

"There are many differences between you and our beloved Mori-Senpai, but there is also one very definitive thing that you are lacking, and that is a lovely item!" Tamaki informs with great determination.

"A lovely item?!" Kasanoda gasps to his absolute horror.

"Bossa Nova, I would like to introduce you to- a lovely item named Mitsukuni!"

The curtain draws to reveal Honey seated poised on a chair, Usa-chan perched in his lap as he tilts his head with a childish giggle.

"Sure, Mori-Senpai may be kind of mean looking and he may seem distant when you first meet him. But what if we put Mitsukuni on his shoulders? Suddenly, it's like he's a forest teddy-bear that all the animals adore! In addition, this lovely item also plays up Mori-Senpai's strong and silent character. Even without saying anything, just by placing Honey-Senpai next to him, people begin to have a new found admiration for Mori-Senpai. Suddenly he's seen in a positive light as a nice, quiet young gentleman. That's the plan!"

"Way to dehumanize Honey-Senpai." You whisper under your breath.

"Almost makes him sound like a real item." Kyoya agrees quietly.

"I'm not exaggerating when I say most of Mori-Senpai's charm is directly related to his friend Honey-Senpai."

"Yeah, you're right!" Haruhi, Hikaru, and Kaoru in unison.

"C'mon, give Mori-Senpai a break... he's perfectly charming on his own." You urge.

"Now that you mention it, Mori-Senpai-"

"-doesn't really do anything."

Mori is flabbergasted by what he's overhearing from his dearest friends.

"Yeah, his position's totally a bust."

"We're going straight for the jugular today, aren't we?" You turn back to facing ahead and cross your arms tiredly, leaning your head against the back of the sofa.

"Takashi..." Your attention is caught once more at Honey's whimpering call to his friend.

"Have you really been using me this entire time?"

Mori gasps loudly, standing to his feet suddenly enough to push his chair to the ground behind him, adamantly shaking his head in disagreement.

Nevertheless, Tamaki continues on, "I'm sorry, but Honey-Senpai is on a long-term lease to Mori-Senpai right now so I can't let you borrow him."

"Is Tama-chan telling the truth? Are you renting me?!"

Even more vigorously now, Mori's entire body wriggles with vehement denial.

Tamaki sighs, "Don't worry, I'll come up with something to take his place. So the next thing we need to discuss-" His eyes narrow at Kasanoda's way of dress, raking his body.

"-is your disturbing 'Yankee' fashion sense." He shudders.

With the snap of Tamaki's fingers, "Now, Hitachiin brothers," the twins are at his command.

"Sir!" They salute stiffly.

"It's your job to make this man more fashionable!"

"Roger!"

And with that, they've leapt into the air impressively and are on Kasanoda within seconds.

"I know their mother owns a fashion company... so wouldn't you think that they'd be... more stylish than they are?" You prompt softly, turning to Kyoya beside you as you lean against the back of the sofa, chest pressed to the wooden lining over the fabric.

"Ordinarily, you would think so." Kyoya sighs tiredly.

You sigh in turn, watching as the twins prod and pull at Kasanoda's clothing and wrap him in garish scarves and accessories despite his protesting.

"You know, they only thing he really needs to change is how he interacts with people... that resting bitch face can be changed."

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"Big brother, Morinozuka!"

You picked the wrong day to spend your passing period walking with Honey and Mori. Your mouth pulls into a straight line at Kasanoda's violent greeting.

"I just wanted to say good mornin'." His tone calms considerably, albeit still rough, and he bows softly.

Honey throws up a hand in greeting, "Good mornin' to you, Bossa Nova!"

"Right back at cha, Haninozuka-Senpai!" Kasanoda's voice raises considerably.

Honey flees behind Mori's long legs, eyes less hopeful than before, "Back at cha..." He mumbles.

"We're not inside, but I encourage you to use your inside voice." You put a mock finger to your lips.

Kasanoda inches forward, arms extended and head bowed, eyes cast to the ground, "Want me to carry your bag to your classroom, Senpai?"

"That's okay. I can manage." Mori declines politely.

All at once, Mori's breath audibly hitches and he presses his fingers to Kasanoda's forehead. With a mere fragment of his strength, he pushes Kasanoda onto his backside in an instant.

"What the hell are you-?!"

As he lands, a plotted plant goes crashing to the ground and you yelp in a short, cut off scream, one leg springing off the ground as you instinctively snatch Mori's sleeve for dear life.

You let go as Mori moves again, slicing his hand through the air and through another falling pot. It hits the ground beside the other ruined piece of pottery, leaving everyone unharmed. Mori glances upward to the source but finds nothing and no one.

"You're not hurt, are you?" You glance to his hand at his side and find that it's unmistakably uninjured. Impressive.

As a crowd of concerned onlookers gathers around Mori, Honey hoists himself onto his shoulders and peeks over at him, "Hey, are you okay?" He inquires gently.

"Yeah." Mori assures.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"Huh? Somebody's out to get Mori-Senpai?"

"No doubt about it. I was there. I saw everything. He's obviously gotten on somebody's bad side."

The club is arranged in identical positions to the day prior; the twins seated on one end of the sofa, you sandwiched between them and Kyoya, Haruhi on Kyoya's opposite side, and Tamaki at the remaining end- all opposite from Kasanoda on the other side.

"Nah, that's impossible." Hikaru huffs, Tamaki nodding along.

"There's no way Mori-Senpai would ever be on someone's bad side."

"He's right about that." You nod once, curtly. You catch Haruhi sneaking glances at Kyoya's open notebook as he scribbles- cute.

"How can you be so sure? You don't know that."

You scoff, "Because we're in a club with him?"

"Don't worry your pretty, little head about that."

Tamaki materializes in front of a white board, presenting his plan to the twins and Honey with determination, "'Operation Bossa Nova's total image make-over' is in full-effect as of right now!"

The three paying attention salute him, "Yes, sir!"

Kasanoda lurches from his seat, "Hold on! What the hell are you talkin' about?! Whaddya mean your startin' right now?! You tryin' to pretend that yesterday never happened?!"

"Thanks you yesterday's 'make-over', people were even more afraid of me than they usually are."

"Now hold on a second. Let me explain, Bossa Nova."

"I'm going to go make tea." You groan tiredly, pressing your hands to your knees to hoist yourself from your seated position beside Kyoya.

"Alright. Tea set's already out." Kyoya points deftly to the clean, unpacked tea set sitting waiting on a tray at Honey's table.

"You gonna work on the operation?" You turn over your shoulder just before you leave.

"I'm going to pretend I'm working on the operation." Kyoya corrects.

You snort, "Okay. Make sure they don't get too carried away."

By the time you return with your tray of tea, the entirety of the club is chattering loudly over each other and scribbling with squeaky dry-erase markers.

Kasanoda seems to be the only person left that would even remotely want a cup of tea. You shrug to yourself, clearing your throat and putting on your best smile.

"Kasanoda?"

He hums irritably, turning to find you standing beside him.

"Just thought I'd let you know- I wouldn't trust the boys as far as I could throw them if I were in your shoes." You caution genuinely.

He tears his gaze from you and casts it upon the table in front of him, "Well, thank you, but Morinozuka recommended these guys to me. Besides, I don't have much of a choice. Without their help, I got nothin'."

Kasanoda's eyes return to you- well, rather, your tea set, "Hey, I don't think I've met you before. What was your name?"

You slide a teacup and saucer full of floral tea from your tray, complete with a teaspoon, "Oh, I'm y/n l/n, second year. I started here in middle school. But since then, it sure has been a ride, I can tell you that." You chuckle, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

Kasanoda becomes much more intrigued than before. You might even go as far as to say you recognize that faint pink tint across his nose and cheeks.

"So, y/n, do you like to play kick the can?"

You grimace jokingly, "That game's pretty new to me and I can't say it's my favorite thing in the world."

Kasanoda hums disappointingly, expression growing considerably more pouty when you manage to redirect yourself, "But, you know, if it's not overdone... it could be fun every now and then."

Kasanoda's brow twitches with an extremely unreadable expression.

You turn to face him, "You alright?"

Once again, he tears his gaze from you with wide eyes, posture stiff, legs spread comfortably.

"Bossa Nova!"

Kasanoda slams his legs together and straightens his posture, going rigid at Tamaki's beckoning, "Yes?!" His voice pitches considerably, finding the entire club standing beside him.

"I think we've finally come up with something that'll change your tough guy image."

Kyoya peeks over Tamaki's shoulder. His eyes dart to you, to Kasanoda, and then back to you.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Silence overtakes the club at Kasanoda's newest transformation attempt. They'd slapped a pair of cat ears atop his head hoping to improve his image.

Spoiler: It didn't.

"A cat-monster." Honey acknowledges bluntly.

"What were you trying to do...?" You grimace as the club turns away from Kasanoda, conferring with each other.

"Well, that didn't work. I don't know what went wrong. Renge said the kitty ears were all the rage! She said that they were a perfect lovely item! What could've happened?"

"Be realistic." Kyoya begins, exasperated.

"You can't just slap kitty ears on a mean face and expect his entire aura to change." You finish in a hushed whisper.

"No kidding, that was pretty lame, boss." Hikaru agrees.

"For real. If you're going to take it that far-"

Where the devil twins acquired a maid dress? The world will never know.

"- you might as well go all the way and make him kitty-eared maid!"

"Freaks." You sneer, miffed.

"Are you guys makin' fun of me?" Kasanoda grumbles.

...

The door opens gently to reveal a young man, clearly not a student as he's not dressed in the uniform.

"Sorry to bother you, but is the Young Lord Kasanoda in here?"

He is, indeed... only, he's dressed as a kitty-eared maid when the young man catches sight of him.

The stranger yelps, clearly caught completely off guard by his appearance. Kasanoda is beyond mortified.

"So here you are!"

Kasanoda grabs the young man's collar and hollers desperately in his face.

"Sir! It's no big deal! You can do whatever you want in your spare time." The stranger nervously assures, presenting his hands in a sign of surrender.

"What, do you think this is hobby of mine?! Damn it!"

You blink as Kasanoda tears off the kitty-ear headband and it hits the floor, "I can't take this anymore!" He's thrown off the maid dress and goes tearing off down the hall, the stranger following after him, "Young Lord? Young Lord!"

You scoop the headband of the floor with a glare, "You know, you guys are real jerks. All he wanted was your help and you're just messing with him." You dust off the headband and shove it to the original owners- Hikaru and Kaoru. They tentatively take it from you.

It's like... they forget I'm young and sometimes I just wanna play. I wanna get out with my fellas n' play a game of kick the can.

"It's what I've been trying to tell you from the start, he doesn't need a damn make-over."

"I think you're right." Honey appears by your side. Your expression softens instantly.

"I sure hope he realizes it soon." He hums thoughtfully.

You nod, "I think on behalf of all of us, I should go apologize. I don't recommend that any of you come with me... especially you three." Your eyes narrow accusingly at the idiotic trio. They freeze, whimpering.

"I think that's a good idea, y/n." Kyoya muses with a short nod.

"If I'm not back in... let's say 20 minutes, then you can come looking for me."

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The first place that comes to mind when someone storms off is Ouran's infamous rose-bush garden labyrinth. It's easy to hide yourself among the twists and turns and the silence combined with the gentle sounds of nature is soothing.

You go straight for the center as it's easier to find your bearings from there. Upon arriving, you notice a figure seated on the steps leading to a magnificent statue and across from the pond filled with lily pads and greenery.

"Now, let me see how that wing of yours is doin'. Hey, it's lookin' pretty good!"

You speak before you can think with a gasp, "Is that a sparrow?"

"Oh- l/n? What're you doin' here?" Kasanoda startles as you move to peek over his shoulder.

"What happened to the poor thing? Your sparrow?" You coo gently, moving to sit beside him at a close distance, peering into the wicker box carefully.

"I saw it fall from it's nest the other day. I could tell it was hurt so I took it to the vet. They said he'd be fine in no time."

You lean closer, "So precious."

Kasanoda seems startled by your movements. He notices that... you have a severe lack of hesitation or apprehension when approaching him. You're seated inches apart from him and you don't seem to be deterred in the slightest.

"I've always loved animals. I don't have pets myself, but they're just so fascinating, aren't they?" You move your gaze to meet his with an innocent smile.

A darker blush spreads across Kasanoda's cheeks, "Do you want to see something else?" He prompts cautiously.

"Of course, if it's as cute as this little darling." Your hand is close enough to the sparrow that it hops into your palm cautiously.

"Wait here." Kasanoda sets the box down beside you and hurries back into the maze. You blink disorientedly.

In no time, he returns with an empty-looking box, but looks are clearly deceiving.

Upon closer inspection, you crane your neck and jaw up to get a better look at what's inside.

One, two, three, then four little heads appear, resting on a blanket inside with their ears pinned to their heads when they notice your new face.

"Oh, you have kittens!" You gently place the sparrow back into it's comfortable wicker box and early scoot closer as Kasanoda sits beside you, box of kittens placed in his lap.

"Yeah, their mom doesn't seem to be around so... I thought I'd make 'em more comfortable."

"So precious..." You can hardly contain yourself.

"Oh... this one is so small." You cautiously pet over the back of the smallest, solid black kitten snuggled along its siblings.

"Yeah, dunno if I could give that one away. You know how rich people are... only want the best. Poor little girl is just too small." Kasanoda frowns.

The kitten yawns widely, rolling over and separating herself from the others. You giggle, taking her gently by the scruff of her neck and cradling her in your arms, "Huh, I bet I could find a home for a darling girl like her."

Kasanoda's breath hitches as he watches you cradle his kitten like it's the most natural thing in the world to you. Girls like you are especially afraid of him... he's never gotten a chance to be with any girl like this.

"You want her? You can have her." He blurts.

"It would be my pleasure to-"

"LOOK OUT!"

An urgent voice cuts you off. Both you and Kasanoda raise your heads in time to catch a heavily filled can of paint flying in your direction. Just in time, Honey leaps from the shadows and deters its path with a strong kick and a grunt.

However, the can of paint splits open with the force of the kick and spins, flinging a glob of red paint that lands on your shoulder and covers your entire sleeve. You yelp, flinching close enough to the sparrow that it startles and takes off from the basket, fluttering away effortlessly as if it had never been injured. Luckily, the kitten in your arms is spared from any mess.

"It flew away." Kasanoda acknowledges aloud with a fond smile.

"Indeed." You sigh incredulously.

"AH! y/n what happened?! That's not blood, is it?!"

Tamaki's all too familiar, overdramatic voice reaches your ears and you realize that the entire host club has, indeed, followed you into the maze.

You sigh, "Exhibit A- a can of red paint lying just over there." You gesture widely to it.

"Calm down, Senpai." Haruhi sighs.

"Hey, are you sure you're alright, l/n?" Kasanoda stands to his feet.

Kyoya's hand is placed firmly on his hip. He can't help but notice how quick Kasanoda is to steady you as you stand. Something in his blood begins to boil and he has the obscene urge to wrest you from him.

"Mmhm." You nod innocently, setting Kyoya's suspicions ablaze further.

"Let go of me, you bastard!"

"Damn it! You big behemoth!"

Mori appears with two men disguised in student uniforms in strong headlocks. They struggle against him to no avail.

"You're playin' dirty, Kasanoda! First you go and kidnap our gang boss's kid and then you make us deal with your damn musclebound lackies?! We know that you kidnapped the kid. Just give him back, now!"

"We've heard enough outta you! We'll shut you up!"

Where the hell Hikaru and Kaoru acquired ropes? Also... the world will never know.

"Tying, tying, tying, tying, tying, tying-"

"What the hell is goin' on here?" Kasanoda seems to be taken completely off guard.

"Don't you get it? See, Takashi wasn't on anyone's bad side. These guys were after you." Honey explains with an entirely different demeanor, cradling Usa-chan in his arms.

The twins have successfully bound the culprits tightly in rope, pulling even tighter just to be absolutely sure.

"Until we caught them, we decided not to say anything to you because we didn't want you to have to mess with them." Honey informs. Mori meanders to Honey's side after Hikaru and Kaoru have taken the neanderthals off his hands. Kasanoda stumbles forward in disbelief.

"I can't believe it. So, you helped me?" He arrives directly before Mori, moving to gaze up at him.

"But how come?"

Mori places a strong, steady hand on the crown of Kasanoda's head affectionately, "We can tell how the bad guys are by lookin' at 'em."

Kasanoda's heart swells at the notion- if they could tell by just looking at them... it must mean that he doesn't fit the category in any sense.

The notion paint drying on your sleeve reenters your mind as you watch on, glancing up at Kyoya beside you, "I think I might head back and change clothes... I wanna get this off before it stains too badly." You moan begrudgingly, slightly flexing your arm as some of the dried paint crumbles off.

"Want us to come help you?" Hikaru and Kaoru offer.

"In your dreams." You wave them off, nearly cracking a smile.

You touch Kyoya gently on his cheek, gaining his attention, "You know you're the only one that could help."

Kyoya's cheeks flush so quickly that he almost becomes dizzy, barely registering your next request.

"Here, hold this."

A kitten is the last thing Kyoya expects you to put in his arms. You place her by her scruff into his awaiting hands. Instinctively, he rushes to cradle her gently with his lips slightly parted in shock. The kitten nuzzles in his blazer and he has no mind to stop her from making herself at home.

You start to wander away, "A-are you just going to leave me with this?" Kyoya calls after you.

"Meet my driver at the front in a few minutes, he'll take her home!" You call behind you, disappearing behind a rose hedge with a mischievous smile. You've already sent for someone to arrive at the Academy shortly to bring the kitten home and have experts assess her health.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

It's quite difficult to walk through the hallway with one sleeve covered in bright red paint and not earn any stares from bystanders. You walk quickly, feeling unclean as the red streak on your arm gives you anxiety like no other.

You keep a spare uniform in the club's backroom for occasions like these. Who wouldn't, anyway, after their fair share of adventures with the infamous Host Club?

You breathe a loud sigh of relief upon entering the familiar clubroom, slouching over in exhaustion.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"Oh! I should apologize to l/n. After all, it is my fault she got paint on her." Kasanoda remembers suddenly.

"y/n-chan went back to the clubroom to change clothes!" Honey innocently informs.

"Yeah? Thanks a lot. I'll be right back." Kasanoda jogs off in the direction of the exit... he thinks.

"Kay. Hey, Young Lord, think we can play kick the can later?" Tetsuya calls after him urgently.

"Yeah!"

"We did a good thing, guys!" Tamaki cheers enthusiastically.

"What're you talking about? You didn't do anything, Boss." The twins remind bitterly.

A moment of silence passes before the twins perk up, a realization hitting them both at the same time, "Uh... Kyoya-Senpai?" Hikaru calls hesitantly.

"What?" Kyoya's tone portrays the audible of an eye roll.

"Don't you care that Bossa Nova went to see y/n-Senpai... who is changing clothes?"

It takes a moment for it to sink in before Kyoya is looking up from his notebook with an urgent expression, "Oh, dear..."

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Music Room #3

"How am I supposed to get this off without smearing paint all over me?" You grimace, unbuttoning your blazer and peeling it off carefully.

"Oh, God, it's on my shirt." You shiver, plucking at your white button down tucked into your pleated skirt.

"This is going to have to be thrown away." You tweak each button until your button down falls from your shoulders after loosening your tie and yanking it over your head.

You whine pathetically, "How the hell did it get onto my bra? One of my favorite bras!" You stamp your foot childishly, poking at the lace with a pout when you find splotches of red paint tainting it.

You reach behind your back and grab the clasp with both hands... just as you hear the door handle jiggle and the door creak open. You freeze, heart sinking.

"l/n? I'm sorry about the-" Kasanoda appears in the doorway and that's the last person you wanted to walk in at this moment... well, maybe except the twins. Or Honey.

In your shock, the clasp becomes loose and falls, but you're quick to clutch the bra to your chest and nothing is exposed but your back. You squeak, "Fuck! Get out!" You cave in on yourself.

"M-m-MA!"

An almost-stranger has seen you more bare than your established partner ever has... wow.

🎵I run and run a thousand miles, and I am barely breathing. Only the fuel of a passionate heart keeps this body strong and moving forward.

Could it be I found a place to rest? How far until I’m OK?

Trees of the town reveal the time has come once again to shift our shade and colors. 🎵

🎵The world always changes around us but weakness will always remain;

Through all the pain, believe in who we are right here and now! 🎵

🎵Raise one hand to the sky; raise them both lift them high!!

And you’ll cut through the darkness make it go!

The time to start is now! And I can show you how.

Start with me, and the world will be even bigger than ever before. 🎵

♡Next time, on Indeed...♡

Kasanoda is your first customer as an unofficial host, and you can't wait to show off what you've learned by merely observing. Kyoya isn't a fan of that, but he isn't keen on letting it show.

♡We'll see you then!! ♡

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Adieu~ 🌹🌹🌹