There were 6 boys (+ 1 girl) in that room. I knew all of them, except the girl.
There was Kyoya Otori, my father has had ties with his family for quite some time now, even before I was born.
There was Tamaki Suou, he's always liked the piano. My father know's his father and we met once as children at some banquet or ball.
Then there were the twins from my class. And yes, I do know the Hitachiin brothers. In fact, I used to always get their mother's newest creations before they even hit the stores.
And then there were Mitsukuni Haninozuka and my former best friend, Takashi Morinozuka. Takashi, Mitsukuni and I were always close. My father used to take me to visit them whenever he had to do business with Mr Haninozuka.
I even used to take Kendo with Takashi, well, that was before I ran away from home and went to live with my birth mother. Father abandoned her when I was 5.
They all looked so happy. Then suddenly someone spoke;
"Oh, hey Hiro-Kun!" Oh my lord, they set this up! Oh my lord I swore on that day that if I ever got to meet up with them personally, then they were going to die.
"Hikaru, Kaoru, do you know this young man?" Kyoya looked over at the twins and fixed up his glasses.
"Yeah! This is Karu Hiro! He's in our class."
"Interesting.." Said Kyoya, looking down into his black book.
Tamaki suddenly appeared next to me.
"Who would've thought that the new honour student... would be so openly gay?" I'm sorry... Did he just call me gay? He's up for a whooping now.
"I'm not gay. So where am I, anyway?" He looked shocked for a moment but coughed down any retaliations.
"This, my friend, is Ouran Academy's Host Club!" He grabbed my left shoulder with his right hand, and used his left to imply that everyone in his little 'posy' were part of this club as well.
"I see. So, what's this place all about?" Suddenly a bunch of rose petals started swirling around him as he began to twirl. He also started to become glittery.
"My boy, the Ouran Host Club is a club full of men to entertain young ladies who have way too much time on their hands."
"But, that one's a girl." I pointed at the brown haired girl and everyone started to panic, with the exceptions of Mori and Kyoya.
"H-Haruhi is a man!" Retaliated Tamaki, a look of terror on his face.
"OK, guys, I'm not blind. This person is clearly a female." They all went into a panic again and started saying 'no' over and over again.
"Y'know. I think I'm going to go away now. See you later." And with that I left the host club, with a bunch of wailing boys behind me.
"Bunch of creeps.." I muttered under my breath as I left the school premises and walked home, expecting to hear mum watching TV.
"Hey you." I turned around and saw the girl from before, Haruhi, I think.
"Uh, hello there." She smiled at me and I awkwardly smiled back.
"So, Hiro was it? Hi, I'm Haruhi Fujioka." She reached out her hand and I shook it.
"Hello there. So what're you doing in this area?" She pointed to my apartment building.
"I live in one of those apartments." My jaw suddenly dropped as I remembered meeting Haruhi on our first day on moving in. Her father and her came over and had a cup of tea with us.
"Oh hey! I live there as well!" Her jaw dropped as well and I laughed.
"Wow! That's so coincidental!"
We continued to walk and chat as we reached the apartment and went our separate ways.
"Mum? Are you home?" I looked around and saw her passed out on her futon, drunk as always.
"Oh mum, you need to take better care of yourself..." She shifted around and I kissed her forehead, silently tiptoeing out and closing the sliding door behind me.
"I better make dinner then." I grabbed out my apron and put it on tightly. I was going to make some onigiri. The ingredients I needed were: plain rice, nori seaweed, salt, and some umeboshi.
I rummaged through the cupboards and got the rice cooker, salt, nori seaweed, rice, but we seemed to be out of umeboshi. Of course. Where was I going to find umeboshi at a time like this? I knew I should've gone to the convenience store on my way home. Then I remembered, Haruhi!
I ran out of the door and went to her apartment.
Knock knock knock.
"Hello? Oh, Hiro! What're you doing here?"
"Hi Haruhi, I was just wondering if you had any spare umeboshi I could borrow? I'm trying to make some rice balls." She smiled.
"Sure! You can come in if you'd like." I bowed and thanked her then stepped into the apartment. it was sort of like mine but kind of different at the same time.
"Go and sit!" I took off my shoes and walked over to the zataku and sat down.
"Here you go!" She came over with some umeboshi in a jar and I thanked her once again and left.
I walked over to my apartment door and creaked it open, trying not to wake up mum.
The ingredients were still on the table so I started working.
30 minutes later
"Mum, wake up, dinner's ready!" She slumped out of her futon and rolled her way out of her room.
"What is it?"
"Rice balls with umeboshi, your favourite!" She jumped up and sat at the zataku waiting for her meal.
"Here." I served them out on an elegant plate and she devoured them in under two minutes, then crawled back into bed.
"Lazy bum.." I muttered as I washed the dishes.
"I better shower." I walked into the bathroom and took off my blue blazer, white shirt, black trousers, and black shoes. I looked into the mirror and inspected my under garment.
I ran my hand through my newly dyed purple hair. My hair was cut in a boy way and I completely tried to change my identity, I even got fake contacts that changed my original hazel eyes into a beautiful blue.
"No use trying to avoid it, you are Riri Yomatsu and you always will be. You will never be able to get far away from father. You will never be anyone than you." I started to feel the tears lipping down my cheeks and so turned on the shower, discarding the rest of my clothes into the dirty clothes pile and taking off the undergarments, revealing the gigantic scar across my chest.
"Never be anyone that you aren't." And with that I walked into the shower, letting the warmth embrace my naked body.
***
"Good morning Hiro!" Hikaru and Kaoru followed me to class that morning.
"Hello Hikaru, Kaoru." I kept my eyes straight ahead of me and made sure to have no emotion in my voice.
"Are you going to the host club today?" They looked at me from wither sides.
"Actually, yes I am. I'm thinking about joining that club of yours." They suddenly stopped and so I had my chance to break free.
I ran forward and dodged people who were in my way, skidding to a halt inside the closest empty room, a supply closet.
I dropped to my knees and sunk down the door, locking it behind me. My breathes were loud and shaky and I tried to control them so that the twins wouldn't find me. Great way to start class.
What seemed like hours passed and so I finally decided to open the door a crack. WHat I saw outside was an empty hallway, not including two 3rd years walking down the corridor, Mitsukuni one Takashi.
You have to tell them. They'll understand. I opened the door a bit more and waited for them to get close, then grabbed them by the ties and pulled them into the supply closet.
"Taka-!" I placed my hands on their mouthes and hushed them, turning on the light switch with my elbow.
Mitsukuni looked terrified and Takashi had a bit of worry on his face.
"Guys, calm down. I'll release my hands if you promise not to scream, ok?" Mitsukuni nodded his head exaggeratedly whilst Takashi did a little nod.
I released my grips and Mitsukuni took in a sharp breath.
"Hiro-chan? Why'd you bring us in here?" I stared Mitsukuni in the eyes.
"Mitsukuni, Takashi. I'm not sure if you guys remember me, but, it's me, Riri Yomatsu." Both their eyes widened into golf balls and their mouthes hung low.
"R-Riri-chan?" Mitsukuni had a look of confusion on his face, then he suddenly realised it was me and embraced me.
"Riri-chan!"
"Haha, it's good to see you too Mitsukuni-kun." I looked up at Mori who was looking to the side.
I let go of Mitsukuni and walked over to Takashi. He eyeballed me for a moment, then embraced me in a hug. I was absolutely shocked, Takashi isn't much of a hugger, but he had just embraced me!
"Riri, it's been so long." His voice had changed a lot. I remembered the squeaky kid who used to be like my big brother a few years ago.
Takashi released me and I noticed that Mitsukuni was pulling on my sleeve.
"So Riri-chan, why are you dressed like a boy?" Of course he had to ask that.
I slumped back onto the ground, my purple fringe casting a shadow over my eyes, covering them from view.
"Well, you know my father right? Well I had just had enough with him and his expectations. Besides, I'm the successor to my father's business. And the thing is, I don't even care for the furniture business." A dead silence fell over us after that.
"Y-You guys should go back to class, sorry for keeping you. Oh and don't mention this to any of the others, I don't want my cover blown just yet, especially not to strangers." I looked up and smiled at them both.
Mitsukuni smiled back and Takashi nodded, then they left and I went to class.
***
I walked into the host club and stormed through the flower petal parade, not stopping until I was 2 inches away from Tama-kun's face.
"Excuse me, but I would like to join this host club of yours, if that is ok with you." Tamaki looked at me with a shocked face then stood up, pushing me to the side as to not knock me over in his movement.
He looked me up and down, inspecting me.
"So, you want to become a host then?" I nodded my head.
"Well, then you will have to work very hard for us to except you!"
"I swear I will Sempai. I will treat the ladies with the upmost respect and will treat them with kindness." With that I bowed down.
"Kyoya! Is that ok with you?" Kyoya looked up from his notebook and replied;
"Well, we could use a fresh face. He seems he shall do." With that my eyes lit up and I thanked him and Tamaki-sempai.
"Oh, sempai, I forgot to ask of your name." Tamaki-sempai grabbed my hand and twirled me with him.
"My name is Tamaki Suou!" He let go of my hand and sent me crashing into Kyoya, who was holding his book.
"I'm so sorry Kyoya-sempai!" Kyoya-sempai simply looked down at me and raised his glasses, then turned around and walked off.
"Mommy! I'm sorry!" Tamaki-sempai went bawling after him, only to get rejected and sent into his emotional corner.
"So you were serious Hiro-Kun?" The twins were leaning on my shoulders and were staring at me.
"Of course I was serious, I never lie." Haha, lied just then.
"Well, enjoy!" The twins strolled off and left me standing in the centre of the room alone.
10 minutes later
"Oh princess, I'm sorry, you're beauty is just so exceptional that I got distracted." My first customer of the day, someone named Uo, was blushing like crazy.
My hand was cupped around the side of her face and I was staring into her hazel eyes. SHe had pretty black hair that went past her shoulders, and was tied in a braid.
"Oh Hiro-Kun." She was clearly swooning over me.
"Excuse me, Hiro-Kun?" A girl with short, curly, blonde hair and pale skin was standing behind me.
"Oh, I'm sorry princess, is it your turn?" The girl blushed and nodded her head.
I looked into Uo's eyes, and delicately took her hand.
"Until we meet again, princess." And with that, I slowly raised it up to my lips, and kissed it lightly. She started swooning and left the room with a red face.
"Why is he so popular?" I heard Tamaki say over at his table. I ignored him and started discussing with the girl about how beautiful is.
"He's a natural," Said Hikaru, standing beside Tamaki.
"No training needed." Finished Kaoru, on the other side of Tamaki.
"Darling, if the world were to end an we were the last survivors, then I'd protect you with everything I've got." Her face was bright red and she was swaying a bit. Now to seal the deal.
I grabbed her by the chin and slowly lifted her head so that it was inches away from mine.
"Princess..." And with that, I leaned over and kissed her delicately on the cheek, then moved away swiftly.
"Hiro-Kun..." Her face was as red as a beetroots and so with that the host club's closing time arrived.
"Until we met again, my princess." Then she thanked me and left, the smile not leaving her face.
Tamaki-sempai walked up to me as all the ladies left.
"You were outstanding." I bowed.
"Thank you, sempai. Did I reach your standards?" He blushed and nodded.
"Hey, boss." The twins grabbed either side of Tamaki and dragged him away.
"Good job today, Hiro." I looked up a bit and saw Kyoya-sempai was writing in his book, but he was next to me now.
"Thank you, Kyoya-sempai." He nodded and then went and talked to Haruhi.
"Hey guys, I need to go home. See you tomorrow!" WIth that I walked out of the host club and left the school premises.