After taking a moment to make sure she was okay, Reiko and Kaoru escorted the club's few lingering guests out of the room so the club could deal with this issue privately. Once it was just them, the pair rejoined the group who had gathered in one of the sitting areas.
"Your fiancée?" Hikaru echoed.
"Whose fiancée?" Kaoru asked as they approached.
Reiko remained expressionless as Hikaru silently pointed to Kyoya.
Kaoru flinched. "Kyoya senpai's?" he gasped.
"Of course!" their guest interjected. "My name is Renge Hoshakouji and I'm transferring into Ouran Academy's first-year Class A tomorrow."
"Why is he sulking?" Hikaru asked as he looked at Tamaki who was sitting in the corner, tracing the edges of a wall.
"Because mommy was keeping a secret from daddy," Kaoru supplied.
Kyoya rolled his eyes, his fingers tapping against his leg in irritation. "Whatever. Why does everyone insist on referring to us like we're husband and wife?"
"Who knows?" Hikaru shrugged.
"Yeah, wouldn't you and Rei-senpai fill those roles better if you look at club responsibilities?" Kaoru mused. He watched as Renge bristled at the comment and shot Reiko a harsh glare which was completely ignored.
The silver-haired teen had opted to observe for the time being until she found out the entire story. As her gaze swept across the room, she noticed the nervous glances the hosts were giving each other, all of them were wary of Renge's unanticipated arrival. Finally, her gaze settled on Kyoya who sat stiffly on one of the couches. He was being unusually quiet considering that Renge's announcement could spark quite the conflict between them given their "relationship." "Some tea might be a good idea," she decided. Silently, she stood up and left the group to discuss the situation among themselves.
Reiko made the conscious choice to brew Kyoya's favorite tea. She knew Kyoya would never put himself in a position that could damage his reputation nor was he the type to forget he had a fiancée. His mind was likely racing to find a way to deal with this mess. The least she could do was offer a cup of tea to help ease his worries.
Quietly, Reiko rejoined the conversation and set the tray down on the coffee table before distributing a cup to everyone.
"Thank you," Kyoya acknowledge and immediately drank it, seemingly not caring that it was scalding.
Reiko had begun moving to sit in an empty armchair, but the dark-haired male quickly changed his position on the couch to make space for her. Taking the hint, she smoothened out her skirt and took the seat beside him on the small couch. Once she was comfortable Kyoya shifted towards her. The movement was minimal, but he was now close enough so that their shoulders would brush against each other whenever they took a breath, and his knee was resting against hers. Whether they consciously ignored the distance or were completely oblivious to it, no one could tell. They simply stared at the pair while they momentarily tuned out of the conversation in favor of Kyoya pouring Reiko a cup of tea. She nodded in thanks as she took it from him and settled down. A moment later she realized that the room had fallen silent, for some reason everyone was staring at them, and she motioned for them to go on. "Please, don't mind me. Continue."
"Ours is a story of love at first sight!" Renge said, smirking at Reiko before turning to Kyoya with a dreamy expression. "I couldn't resist the way you were adoring those flowers in the backyard when you thought no one else was looking. And how sweet it was when you reached out to that poor little injured kitten," she swooned.
The twins glanced at each other and frowned. "She serious?" they asked.
"Could you have the wrong person?" Haruhi suggested.
"No way! I'd recognize my love anywhere!" Renge snapped. "He's a gentleman who's kind to everyone but doesn't ask for anything in return! He likes solitude but in fact, sometimes he gets lonely!"
Reiko frowned. Renge's description sounded nothing like the real Kyoya. Either she had the wrong person as Haruhi had suggested, or she was delusional. She hoped it was the former, she had enough trouble dealing with Tamaki.
"He looks like the star of the popular dating sim Uki Doki Memorial! You're my real-life Ichijo Miyabi!" she exclaimed, pointing t Kyoya.
The silver-haired teen sighed. "She's delusional."
"Otaku!" Tamaki shouted.
"Otaku?" Hikaru squeaked frightfully.
"I've never seen one!" Kaoru exclaimed.
"I get it now," Kyoya started. 'You're in love with that character. You're projecting that love onto me and somehow deluded yourself into thinking that we're engaged. I assume this Miyabi character probably wears glasses as well," he explained momentarily glancing at Reiko whose shoulder had brushed against him as she let out a quiet sigh.
"Ah, my real Prince Charming! Ichijo Miyabi! I can't wait to get married! And we're gonna have the prettiest babies!" Renge squealed.
Tamaki tilted his head as he tried to wrap his mind around the situation. "So, she made it up. You're not really her fiancé, right?"
Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Well no. I don't remember ever asking for her hand in marriage. Besides, this is the first time I've ever met the woman." His gaze drifted once more to the silver-haired teen beside him. Her expression was blank- and if he didn't know better he would think she almost relaxed- but her grey eyes were stormy like the clouds in a hurricane revealing that was not at all pleased with Renge.
"According to my research, I understand that you're in charge of managing the club, is that true Kyoya? Renge asked, sitting next to him on the couch.
"That's right!" Honey exclaimed. "Kyo-chan is our director!"
"You're the club's director? That's perfect! Oh wow! I've always wanted to wear a sandwich board to advertise a business!" She exclaimed.
A scowl slowly made its way onto Reiko's face the longer she witnessed the scene before her. The whole situation was absurd and could give her and Kyoya a number of problems. "How ridiculous," she thought as she scrutinized the teen before her. "We don't advertise. We're just a Host Club," she explained coolly.
Renge completely ignored her and jumped up as though an important had come to mind. "I've made up my mind! From now on, I'm gonna be the manager of this Host Club!" she announced.
"That's not gonna work," Hikaru said immediately.
"Yeah, Rei-senpai's our manager," Kaoru told her.
Reiko raised an eyebrow. Although she did perform managerial duties, her official position was the club's secretary. She didn't feel it was necessary to correct them at the moment though.
"Sorry, but we don't need two managers," the twins said simultaneously.
"Oh well then I'll just fire Reiko and it'll be problem solved!" Renge said, clapping as though the conversation was finished and taking a seat once again.
Reiko narrowed her eyes. She wouldn't tolerate being insulted by someone like Renge. "I suggest reconsidering those words," she said before taking a sip of tea.
"Why? Everyone's on the same page. We all agree the club doesn't need two managers so you're free to leave whenever you'd like. Go play with some commoners outside or something," she said waving her off.
Reiko tilted her head and looked down at the blonde, even sitting she was still taller than her. Her silver irises seemed to cut into her as she fixed her with an icy stare. Renge shivered, feeling like she was prey waiting to be devoured at any second.
"I don't know whether to praise you for your ambition, or laugh at your idiocy," she started coldly. "Have you dedicated even an ounce of thought to any of the ridiculous declarations you've made today? Now that you've expressed your childish delusions, let's go over the reality, shall we?" she asked not waiting for Reiko to comment before continuing. "You know next to nothing about this club or its members. You haven't a shred of experience in managing a club or a business. You haven't the slightest idea on how to act in a service position... and yet you think you deserve to walk into a room full of strangers and decide you're going to be managing them?" Her grey eyes turned to the color of steel; a dangerous and condescending smirk spread across her lips as she went in for the kill. "Do you think the video games you've spent all your time playing give you the skills to successfully fulfill even one of the responsibilities this position entails? Don't make me laugh."
"Um, listen, Kyoya," Tamaki started quietly to try and placate the situation before it really got out of hand.
"Miss Houshakouji is the only daughter of a very important Ootori family client. So please be polite and try not to offend her alright?" Kyoya asked the members before turning to Renge. "Thank you Renge, your eagerness to support the club is much appreciated, and I'm sure Reiko realizes that and would be more than happy to apologize."
Renge turned towards the silver-haired teen, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips.
Kyoya felt Reiko stiffen beside him. She turned to Kyoya and leveled a glare so cold and intense that he felt himself freeze in place. He'd infuriated her, and he knew it. He could feel it and something inside him twisted uncomfortably as his mind suddenly raced to find a way to appease her. There was no way he could back out of this though, Renge was a client and the business came first no matter how paralyzing her range was.
"I'm surprised you have the audacity to say something like that, Kyoya," she told him, every word sending a chill down his spine. "This child has been attempting to degrade and humiliate me since she walked into this room. Despite this, I treated her cordially as a guest of this club. Asking me to apologize to her for her own impudence, however, is entirely out of the question. I am not part of the Ootori Family, and now, according to Miss Hoshakouji, I am no longer a part of the Host Club. I am, however, Reiko Ishikawa, the next head of Asia's largest investment group, and asking me to bow down in apology to an impertinent brat like her is beyond insulting to me and my family. I won't stand for it under any circumstances. I'll be going now. I sincerely hope your new manager is capable," she spat before walking out of the club room.