Oblivious || Hikaru Hitachiin Love Story

Chapter Ten: Lights, Camera, Action!

           "I thought about it a lot last night, and maybe having a lady manager isn't such a bad idea," Tamaki said during our host club meeting. We were all gathered around one coffee table, sitting on sofas and armchairs. I put the final teacup in front of Haruhi, then took a seat next to her.

"Why do you say that?" the twins asked.

"Well it's fairly obvious, isn't it? Renge just transferred into the same class as Haruhi. So if Haruhi has a girl friend around, it could bring out the female within her. Renge's girlish air of tenderness might be able to stimulate Haruhi's own femininity."

"You tried that using me and it didn't work, did it?" I asked Tamaki.

"That's only because you had no motivation to change your cousin!" he barked back.

"Because I don't think Haruhi needs to change," I said.

Tamaki dismissed me with a wave of his hand. "Now is our chance to help Haruhi get in touch with her feminine side! This is an important project, men! She doesn't have any friends in class right now except for these two shady twins, and her cousin! That's no good for her."

"Like you have room to talk," the twins answered.

"Geez, I'll try not to feel so offended," I said and crossed my arms.

"Oh, Miyoko. You know I adore you but if you can't transfer your girlish tendencies onto Haruhi, then you're no use in this operation!"

"Yeah, like that makes me feel better," I muttered.

"Hey everyone!" Renge said sweetly and poked her head through the music room doors. "You'll be happy to know that your new manager, Renge, has baked all of you some cookies."

"Ooh! Isn't she ladylike? I'm so moved by your generosity," Tamaki said.

"I didn't bake these cookies for you, you phoney prince," Renge spat.

"There he goes again," I said when Tamaki went into his sulking corner.

"I'm sorry I burnt them a little bit, I did the best I could and I already know what you're going to say," Renge said bashfully and offered the cookies to Kyoya. She got a dreamy look on her face like she imagining something in her head.

"She wasn't kidding these cookies really are burnt," Honey said while nibbling on one of them.

"Don't eat that, Mitskuni, it's bad for you," Mori said. That was the most that I'd ever heard him say.

Renge clicked out of her happy mood and turned into a Medusa-like demon. She chased the two boys around the room while the rest of us watched.

"Can I try one?" I asked and took one of the cookies from Haruhi's hands. I bit off half of it and chewed thoughtfully. Haruhi did the same.

"They're not that bad at all," Haruhi said.

"Yeah, even though they're burned they still have a good flavor to them. It's the thought that counts, right?" I took another cookie and stuck part of it in my mouth, when Hikaru stepped up in front of me with a devilish smirk on his face.

"May I try some?" he asked and held my chin gently with his right hand. He leaned down and bit off half of the cookie while it was still in my mouth. Tamaki's head snapped in our direction.

"Uh-oh, Haruhi. You've got some crumbs on your face," Kaoru said and licked a few stray cookie crumbs off of Haruhi's cheek.

Tamaki hopped onto his feet and leaped towards us. "DID YOU SEE WHAT HE JUST DID? HE TOOK A BITE OF THE COOKIE WHILE IT WAS IN MIYOKO'S MOUTH! AND THEN THE OTHER ONE LICKED HARUHI'S FACE! I TOLD YOU THOSE SHADY TWINS COULDN'T BE TRUSTED!" Tamaki yelled.

"And suddenly the quartet of classmates are closer than they've ever been before," Kyoya commented over Tamaki's screaming.

"You know you could've just told me and I would've wiped it off," Haruhi told Kaoru.

"There's plenty more cookies, you didn't have to take mine. Here, you want another?" I asked and held out a cookie for Hikaru to take. He shook his head no.

"Nah, they looked better when they were in your mouth," Hikaru said with a sly grin.

"We'll split one," I said, ignoring what he just told me. I broke the cookie in half, shoved my piece in my mouth, and held out the other. He shook his head again, so I put the cookie right against his lips. "It's good, just eat it." He rolled his eyes but opened his mouth and took the cookie piece. My fingers grazed his lips when I pulled away, and he dodged eye contact with me.

"Renge-chan?" I asked. She broke out of her thoughtful trance and looked at me. "Thank you for those cookies. They were tasty," I said and smiled.

She studied me coldly, then looked away and muttered. "Lukewarm."

"Excuse me?"

"Every single one of you, except for Kyoya, all of your characters are lukewarm! Each of you need to have some sort of dark side, you understand? Girls are vulnerable to handsome young men who are troubled! If you keep carrying on like this it's only be a matter of time until the girls get tired of you and stop coming altogether. Are you trying to ruin my precious Kyoya's business? As you manager it's my duty to change your character backgrounds!" she said with determination clear in her voice.

"Let's start with you!" She pointed to a trembling Honey. "If all you are is cute inside and out then you're not different than a baby! Therefore, from now on you are the baby-faced thug!" Honey screamed in terror.

"And Mori-senpai, you're his childhood friend, the flunky. The twin will be basketball players who are enslaved in their own world. Haruhi you're an honour student who's constantly being bullied. And as for you, Tamaki, you're the school's idol who's admired for your good looks but you actually have an inferiority complex you're hiding from the world. The lonely prince! And Kyoya you're perfect just the way you are."

"What about Miyoko?" Hikaru asked teasingly and draped his arm across my shoulders.

"Yes, Miyoko. Hmm..." Renge thought for a moment while switching her gaze from me to Hikaru. She snapped her fingers and a bright smile appeared on her face. "Miyoko, you're the shy loner who has trouble opening up to other people! Even though Hikaru constantly tries to impress you, you never let him get too close!"

"That's not too far from the truth," Hikaru said under his breath. I chose to ignore him.

"Renge, do I really need to have a 'dark side'? I'm not even a host."

"But people do come to see you, meaning you have to be just as interesting as the rest of the club!" she said, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get in another word.

"Come on, Kyoya-senpai," Hikaru said.

"You've got to do something," Kaoru pleaded.

"Why? It seems like the boss is up for it," Kyoya said and pointed to Tamaki who was practicing poses for his 'Lonely Prince' character.

"Let's just wait and see how things turn out. I bet it'll be interesting. It always is," Kyoya said smugly.