"He doesn't want to be a Host, he has a specific girl that he wants to impress," Haruhi explained. The two girls were situated in the changing rooms, Haruhi getting dressed behind a curtain while Masae brushed out the long brown wig she was supposed to wear.
"So you're... breaking into the elementary school?" Masae asked, raising a brow at the plan. "Why? And are you ready yet?"
Haruhi stepped out from behind the curtain, smoothing down the skirt of the middle school uniform she had changed into. "We're trying to find the girl. And yeah, I'm ready."
She turned her back to Masae, who combed through her hair hurriedly. Haruhi had irritatingly soft hair– Masae was almost jealous. The wig was less soft, but it looked just as good on Haruhi.
"Bangs suit you," Masae remarked as she styled the wig further. The longer hair made Haruhi look sweeter, which wasn't bad. But it wasn't Haruhi. Still, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, the wig looked good on her.
Haruhi ducked her head a little. "Thanks, Senpai."
"Are you two ready yet?" Called the whining voice of prince Suoh.
Masae sighed and walked to the dressing room door. When she pulled it open, Suoh fell into an ungraceful heap on the floor.
"Peeping Tom," Masae said.
Suoh was up on his feet in an instant, flailing his arms like a madman as he followed Masae back to Haruhi's side. "I am not a peeping Tom!"
Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you leaning against the door while girls are changing, then? And what is the point of all this?" She gestured vaguely at Haruhi, who was fixing her wig further in one of the mirrors hanging up on the wall.
"I was waiting for you to finish!" Suoh threw up his defense poorly. "Haruhi's job is very important, lady secretary! Her and Honey-senpai have to go to the elementary school to track down this girl our young apprentice is so smitten with. She's got to look the part!"
Masae huffed. He hadn't actually answered any of her questions. "Yes, but why?"
"So we can get Shiro out of the club room," Haruhi offered, which was a good enough incentive. Masae would have accepted that answer just fine.
But Suoh disagreed with the purpose of their mission. "No, no, no!" He waved his finger in the air, reminding Masae strangely of Renge. "Our Shiro Takaoji is so innocent, so youthful, so pure! It is our duty as a Host Club to fuel the spirit of his love as best we can! We've got an extra uniform for you, Masae, if you want. You'd look cute in it."
Masae snorted. "Not on your life."
"Oh, Masae, where is your romantic spirit?" Suoh asked, swooning against the wall.
"I'll look for it while you're gone," Masae offered.
🌹🌹🌹
When Suoh and the others came back, carrying Shiro in kicking and screaming, Masae's blood pressure skyrocketed. This was kidnapping.
"What is your problem, you big idiot?" Shiro shouted. He was held under the idiot prince's arm.
With more strength than Masae thought him capable of, Suoh catapulted the elementary student into the nearest sofa, which rocked back before slamming back down. Shiro looked a little dazed but, to his credit, no less angry. From where she stood frozen at a table, Masae clutched her chest. Her heart was palpitating.
"I'm sorry, but you're the idiot!" Suoh hissed. As he drew closer to Shiro, the younger boy rose to meet him. "You said you wanted to make women happy but that's not it, is it? You're not concerned with the happiness of just any woman, you've got your sights set on one woman in particular. You only care about one, and that's Hina Kamishiro."
Shiro neither confirmed nor denied this, even as Suoh got within spitting distance. The young boy stayed obstinately silent.
Something in Suoh's face softened, and for the first time he looked away from Shiro. His gaze roved around the room, eventually meeting Masae's disapproving stare.
He looked away first. "But I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you with that. Listen Shiro, I know I told you it's the job of a Host to make women happy. But when you care for someone, you must find the courage to express what is in your heart! You have to tell her how you feel about her."
Now that the situation was under control, Masae moved closer to them. She was close enough to see the way Shiro's shoulders had slumped in defeat.
"It doesn't matter anymore," he said, and it was just barely loud enough for Masae to hear. "I just wanted to hear her play the piano. Just once, before she left for good. That's all."
He was up and out of the room before any of the others could react to it. Thankfully, Suoh didn't try to stop him or bring him back. He just nodded his head in the direction of the door and the rest of the Hosts followed Shiro out.
"They'll escort him back to the elementary school," said Suoh. "I'm sorry if we scared you."
"Good decision," Masae replied, because what else could she say? They had scared her a little– stressed her out more than anything– but she wasn't about to tell him that. When didn't the Hosts stress her out?
Suoh nodded. He seemed to go deep into his head– or as deep as one could go in a very shallow pool. After a few moments of silence, he chuckled. "Using the piano to cope with feelings of loss is starting to feel like an theme around here, isn't it?"
It was the sort of comment that made her want to bristle and say something mean. But, unfortunately, he had a point. "Yes," said Masae.
Again, Suoh went quiet. Masae had turned around to go back to her table when he spoke again. "Masae, I hate to overstep. But that partner you played that duet with, the one I heard you play in Karuizawa, she was your mother, wasn't she?"
Masae stopped in her tracks. Every muscle in her body tensed up. Still, she managed to grit out a very painful, "Yes."
Suoh didn't reply. And in his silence, Masae found herself continuing.
"She was no great pianist by any means, though I think I like to make her one in my head. We have a grand piano in our sitting room which she used to play when she could spare the time. She knew a few songs, mostly duets that she would play with my father, and with me as I got older and things got worse between them."
Why was she saying this? Why was she saying this? Why couldn't she seem to stop talking? She couldn't move a muscle in her body, and yet her lips wouldn't stop forming words.
"She had the longest, thinnest fingers you've ever seen on a woman. And the most perfect nails. When she'd teach me how to play a song, she'd cover my hands with hers and guide them through the music. Sometimes I would pretend to not understand just so she would teach me for longer. I... loved it." At long last, Masae's voice broke. Still, the words kept pouring out of her, uneven and shaky. Suoh probably couldn't even understand what she was saying.
"Then one day she was gone, and that goddamned piano is still there in our sitting room, collecting dust. My father hates the sound of it– God, I hate the sound of it. I know it won't fix anything, but maybe if I can just play that duet right, just once—"
"She'll be with you for just a little bit longer." Suoh's voice was closer than expected, right next to Masae's ear. It was soft, softer than he'd ever spoken to her.
Tears were spilling down her face. "Yeah," she whispered, and made no move to wipe them away.
Slowly, giving her more than enough time to pull away if she wanted, Suoh wrapped his arms around her midsection. With his front pressed to her back, his head rested on her shoulder.
"I understand," he said. "My own mother... But you'll never be able to play that duet on your own, Masae. You have to learn how to rely on other people. If you want, I can be your partner, just until you find someone else."
Masae shifted from sadness, to surprise, then to anger. How dare he! How dare this arrogant prince-boy assume that he could fill the space her mother had left!
The glare she sent him could wilt plants, but Suoh did little more than wince. "Alright, not partners," he amended quickly, hands outstretched to her like he was placating a wild dog. "But would you help me teach Shiro piano? I want him to achieve his dreams, even if we can't."
She looked at her feet, eyes scanning over her Mary Janes while she considered his offer. Not partners, never partners, but she wasn't opposed to helping Shiro.
"Alright," she said, and looked up just in time to see his radiant smile.
🤍🤍🤍
The week before Hina left passed in a blur of school and piano lessons. Before Tamaki knew it, he was watching the Twins shepard the two elementary schoolers into the club room.
Shiro watched them all warily, like a little kitten scared to get picked up. He wasn't wrong to be nervous around them, but, well, what could you do about that? Tamaki didn't feel badly about the direct actions he'd taken to get them to this point.
He and the other Hosts had dressed up for the occasion. With the exception of Honey, who wore a cute sailor suit, and Masae, who was looking very pretty in a modest blue evening dress, the Hosts were wearing three-piece suits. They looked like waiters– fancy ones– and Tamaki was prepared to play the part with a rose in his lapel.
"Greetings mademoiselle!" Tamaki announced with a flourish as he led Hina in. If the girl recognized him from when they'd spoken last week, she didn't show it, looking around the club room with awe.
It really was spectacular. Masae had insisted on having it cleaned before the performance, and now the floors glittered like the crystal chandeliers that had been hung up. Two grand pianos had been brought in for the occasion.
"Are you ready for the performance?" He asked. The rest of the Hosts parted for them as they made their way over to the pianos. Shiro followed behind awkwardly. "You're the main event."
The little girl glanced down at her feet. "I didn't bring any music."
"Ah, well that's no problem! The Host Club has handled everything for you, so you can enjoy your farewell from us to you!" Tamaki gestured to the piano, where Hina took a seat. As her eyes scanned over the sheet music they prepared, Tamaki added, "We even took care of a partner for you."
Hina looked over at Shiro just as he sat at the opposite piano. Her eyes widened as she said, "I've never heard you play, Shiro, even though we were in the light music club together."
"That's– that's because I didn't know how!" Shiro admitted, a slight stutter was the only thing giving his nerves away. His facial expression was a little too intense; Tamaki was going to mention that in his notes later. "But I wanted to be in the club anyways. I love hearing you play, Hina, it's all I've ever wanted."
"You hold his heart in your hands, dearest Hina," Tamaki jumped back in. "Remember that as you play this final duet together."
The two young pianists shared a look– soft and sappy and full of emotions that Tamaki didn't think he'd felt before– and then they started to play.
With Shiro's help, Masae had picked out three pieces that Hana knew well enough to sight read. She'd poured her soul into this, more so than even Tamaki, and as the performance continued, Tamaki gravitated to her side.
She was standing slightly apart from the rest of the Hosts, like always, but this time it didn't seem to be on purpose. Tamaki had seen her talking quietly to Shiro before the performance, though what she'd said was unknown to him. Well-wishes, maybe. Knowing her, she'd probably told him not to screw it up.
But as the music came to a close with the third and final piece, he noticed her getting a little misty-eyed. He procured a handkerchief from his pocket.
"That's disgusting," she said, eyeing the piece of fabric judgmentally.
"I've never even used it!" Tamaki defended. "Why won't you accept my kindness?"
She snatched the hanky out of his hand and dabbed at her eyes. Even when she was glaring at him, Tamaki thought she looked beautiful. "There, are you happy?"
He was grinning. "Absolutely thrilled, Masae. This couldn't have gone better." He looked over at Shiro and Hina, who were so in love that it was palpable. "You know, to me, playing the piano has always felt an awful lot like being in love. Don't you agree?"