Dedicated to harukaloveswater because the username is amazing and the support they gave to this story is fantastic! All the love, dear!
Rosaline Blossom
It was a Monday morning, where the school bell made its echoing noise across the small academy, students poured out of the building in a steady yet fast pace; this left Rose to be alone in the middle of the hallway, with her breath the only noise audible throughout the deafening silence. Soon, a familiar figure skipped past down the hall, allowing her to let a baffled gasp to escape her glossed lips.
Slamming her locker, Rose hit the tip of her forehead against the slim metal as she groaned underneath her breath, clutching onto her advanced chemistry textbook that burned her palms from the heavy weight. "The way you're skipping down the hall seems like you're excited about something," Rose inferred, sending a gentle stare back at her friend.
With a hum hearable past his smirk, he held up his right hand and suddenly ordered a divine bargain to Rose's words. "Obviously," Chimp responded, finally putting his hand down. "I can't wait for that fundraising festival tonight; it's going to be awesome. But there's one thing."
Chewing on her bottom lip, Rose closed her eyes sympathetically. "It's bad news, isn't it?" she deduced.
"To me, yes, but to you, it probably isn't."
"Alright," she shrugged, a clear confused look painted across her face. "Shoot."
"Asher doesn't want to come."
"You're wrong, the bad news is that I'm going to be the only one accompanying you tonight," Rose chuckled, sending a grim smirk to her friend as Chimp gasped loudly, placing a palm on her tense shoulder and shoving her with a playful expression glowing from the tan on his face. "I'm joking, seriously."
"I know," he stuck his tongue out embarrassingly, allowing Rose to roll her eyes in a nonchalant manner as she brushed her shoulders against his. "But we have to convince him to go."
"We? By 'we', I think you mean you and only you."
"I need your charismatic charm to help me convince him to go tonight."
"You're driving in the wrong lane, dude," Rose shook her head, pushing her textbook further into her chest as she hugged the object with her folded slim arms. "There's no way that I'll be able to make him go. Besides, if he doesn't want to go, he doesn't have to."
"Rose!" Chimp exclaimed, stomping his feet around the petite girl as she shrieked in fear while he wailed his arms around abashedly. Rose pouted, tucking her bottom lip in between her teeth. "Ash and I are in Japan for this one time in our lives. Don't you think he should engage in all school activities since we're here?"
Blinking at him, Rose sighed in a desperately defeated tone. "Sure, alright, that makes sense," she responded, glowing up a smirk at Chimp's loud glee to her response. "But what can we do to convince him to come?"
"I mean, there won't be any educational games at the festival, right? Rose, dear God, I had to stand and listen to an old bitch talk about the beauty of art at your art festival a week or two ago, and it was not entertaining."
Pursing her lips, Rose sent a dumbfounded stare. "I didn't even know you went to the festival at the time."
"How could I not visit my good ol' friend, Rosaline Rosie Rose Blossom, the girl with a name in relation to roses and beautiful gardens!" Chimp spoke amiably, holding out his arms as he rested his back against the metal maroon railing that was creased to the second floor of the academy. He laid his palms on the barrier and tilted his head jocularly. "But seriously, your painting was phenomenal. Those judges were blind to put you in sixth place."
Rose tightened her lips, not wanting to think back to the day where she was taunted from those professionals about her talent. Shrugging, she grazed off the hurtful thought. "They also said my work sucked. Or something like that. Apparently, it wasn't filled with enough beauty or emot—"
"Yet they put some girl who literally finger painted a goddamn tree in third place. Like, it wasn't even that good Rose. I could paint something like that."
Raising her eyebrows, she muffled out a chuckle. "Then again, you're the type to draw a stick figure and call that the best masterpiece out of all your finest pieces."
"Okay, true," Chimp huffed in rout. "But still, that painting was good. Who were the people that you painted again?"
"The Host Club; it's that club I told you and Asher about before. It's also the club where my brother visits every now and then."
"Oh, the club that's filled with fine-looking gentlemen and the club that also has your Prince Charming in—" Chimp winced it a torment as he felt Rose pinch his skin tightly. He rubbed the sensitive red spot on his arm, firing an irritated glare at Rose, who sent an innocent stare in return. "That hurt! Christ!"
"Do not call Hikaru my Prince Charming!" she whispered loudly, holding up her palm.
"You're so feisty, Rose! I didn't think you rolled that way!"
"Ah, you little jackass," she let out a boisterous laugh. "Bite me."
"I'd rather not. But I'm almost positive Hikaru would like to—"
"Okay, we're done talking."
Rose held up her hand and sent a farewell to his friend, making Chimp cry out to her. Holding back out an exhale, Rose continued to walk down the open hallway of the second floor as she tried to not listen to Chimp's constant talk about planning out ways to convince Asher to visit the festival that her school was holding for tonight.
Though, Rose wouldn't have planned to attend the festival regardless until she had volunteered to stay after school to set up the rest of the pink lanterns and pass out bright colored ribbons that symbolized a color for a specific type of cancer; that being said, the festival was held to fundraise money in order to pass on donations to those struggling with cancer.
Apparently, Rose had no idea about the festival until yesterday. And at that time, it was when the teacher convinced Rose that he would let her pass his physics class for the quarter if she offered to stay after school in order to help out for the fundraising festival.
(What sold her to stay after school to help out was the fact that he actually did let Rose pass the class with a high grade, so she was left to help out regardless. Not that she minded, though.)
Stopping near the trophy rack, Rose relaxed her back against the creamy white wall, where Chimp ran a hand through his dark hair and he huffed out a breath. "Alright Rose, the only way I can convince Asher to go tonight is to go to the family he's staying with and persuade them to make him go," the tanned boy explained, holding up his index finger. "It's the only plan I got."
"Or just tell him you will pay for everything and I'm sure he'd be willing to go." Rose chuckled, letting Chimp hum out a confused tune.
"He's that type of guy, for sure, but he'd definitely not go to school events."
"You do know that he might have to wear a yukata, right?"
"The fuck is that?"
Closing her eyes, Rose fought back a mild chuckle as she coughed into her right fist before quickly holding back her chemistry textbook. "It's... nevermind, you two might not have to wear it. But a lot of people will be wearing it. You may feel 'out of place', but it's understandable since you guys are just foreign exchange students anyways."
"Wait," Chimp held up his palm. "What is it, though?"
Rose inhaled a deep breath. "It's a type of Japanese garment. It's usually a summer type of kimono, but I guess the headmaster wanted most of the students to wear one tonight."
"Dude, I wanna wear one."
"Then go for it. I doubt Asher would wear one, though."
"Wait," Chimp halted again, letting Rose raise her eyebrows at her. "Is your brother going to come tonight?"
Gasping out loud, she let out a soft scoff afterward as Rose continued to keep a baffled expression. Of course, he would ask a question like that, so then again, Rose wasn't surprised. "No, he isn't," she shrugged casually. "I don't think he even knows about it."
"You have to make him go."
"And why should I bribe him to go?"
"Because I can take more photos of him to put in my photo album," Chimp spoke nonchalantly, fighting back a sincere shrug. "I told you your brother is hot Rose, get with the program."
"You have a fucking photo album of my brother?!" Rose exclaimed loudly, holding up her textbook high above her head in a surprised manner. Chimp sent a cheeky grin as he retained his hands in defense and Rose groaned inaudibly, placing the cover of the book on the top of her head. "That's so weird of you to tell me, Chimp!"
Chimp tucked his palms down the pockets of his pants, fighting back an innocent whistle. "You were bound to find out the truth eventually, but please, convince him to go."
"Ah, alright!" she shook her head, keeping a blank look at Chimp before breathing out a soft giggle as the boy wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her into his chest for a tight hug. He kicked out his legs in pure rapture, causing Rose to muffle out a cry of surrender. "Let me go, please! This is—is really embarrassing!"
"I get to see the other Blossom, the hot one!" Chimp declared, majestically holding out his palm. "Don't be offended by my comment, Rose. I think you're pretty, but I find your brother more attractive since I am gay."
"Not offended at all," she rolled her eyes as a beaming grin grew on her lips. "I'll see if he can go, and if he does, then you are very welcome."
Chimp placed his palm on his forehead, gasping out a dramatic breath. "I swear, he's literally a fucking model. I think your brother would be an amazing one. I'd buy a ton of the magazines that have him on the front cover."
Rose turned around with a vacant expression on her face. She coughed into her fist, and before she could send off her parting, she fought back an uncomfortable mental image. "Chimp," she spoke lowly. "If my brother ever becomes a model, I do not want to know what you would do with those magazines when you're alone in your bedroom."
(And that was when Chimp spoke out an inappropriate comment regarding to her brother, making Rose shiver uneasily before jogging down the stairs.)
* * * * *
"Rosie, I love you, but no."
Rose didn't even breathe as she opened her mouth, but the flier in her hand said it all. She placed down the paper, glanced at the large 'FUNDRAISING FESTIVAL' text that was written in bold next to the poorly drawn lanterns, and huffed at Spencer.
Spencer placed down his phone before leaning towards the table to grab a bag of potato chips. "I can't go. Besides, I don't even go to your school."
"Anyone can come!" Rose retorted, holding up her hands with a sigh escaping her lips. "My school isn't as strict as Ouran's. Besides, I'll be there. We haven't actually gotten a chance to hang out together properly."
"It's not like I don't want to go," he elaborated. "But I'm already busy tonight."
"With what?"
"Well, the Host Club is going to have their lantern festival this Friday, and I have to help set everything up because we're gonna have this whole shit fest near the river and—"
Keeping her eyebrows raised, Rose interrupted, "I'm sorry, but since when did Ouran Academy have their own river?"
"It's fucking Ouran, Rosie, they have rich people that can literally make three zoos in one week," Spencer answered with a subtle laugh escaping his lips. "But going back to what you were saying, I'm sorry. I can't go."
Rose couldn't help but pout. She rolled her head back before cupping her cheeks with both of her palms. Without a doubt, she wanted her brother to come; even though it was mostly in favor for Chimp, Rose wanted to have Spencer engage with her school's activities.
So, she pinched the bridge of her nose while exhaling a weary sigh. "Spencer, please come after you help the guys with their lantern festival thing, I think it'll be fun," Rose practically begged, holding out her palms while portraying a desperate plea.
Spencer gazed at his sister with a curious glance before shaking his head; it was clear to Rose that he had this strong desire to tag along to this event her academy was hosting. However, the boy was already over encumbered with enough tasks the Host Club has been persuading him to participate and help in.
For sure, a specific someone—possibly Kyoya—was the man who pushed Spencer to engage with the festival decorating. At least, that was what Rose thought.
Sighing in defeat, she placed the tip of her forehead against the cool brown surface of the wooden table and scrunched up her nose. Rose knew that Spencer wasn't going to budge; he definitely didn't want to continue this conversation when it wasn't going to continue down the road.
"Fine," Rose huffed, crossing her arms as she lifted herself up from the table and straightened her position. Spencer raised an eyebrow at her, causing Rose to purse her lips. "I'm sure you'll be missing out on all the fun."
He couldn't help but spit out a laugh. "What kind of fun will your school have in this festival anyways?"
"It's supposed to help raise money for cancer, that's it. And there'll be some cheesy games, but the more people that come, the better the festival will be for every guest."
"Look, I want to come," Spencer noted, pointing his index finger at his sister. "But I can't. I'm helping the guys tonight set up for their lantern festival. It's coming up soon."
"Ah," Rose breathed wearily. "I understand. Don't worry, maybe some other time you can come then."
"Yeah, the time where Kyoya doesn't bribe me with money to stay and help. I'm not too sure when that time will come, dear sister," Spencer scoffed out loud, throwing a palm in his tousled hair.
Rose quirked a brow and stuttered a snicker. "Wait, Kyoya is paying you for helping out the guys with this festival?"
"It was to bribe me to stay and help, okay?" Spencer briefly explained, hiding an innocent expression as he bit his bottom lip. "But still, he's rich as fuck. So I'm about to get some of that money all for me."
"And me, maybe?"
"You're not doing shit, so I'm gonna be greedy and have all the cash to myself."
Rose waved a hand in a distressed manner. "Oh please, I was only joking!" she laughed quietly, darting her eyes away from his brother.
Spencer couldn't help but sneak out a breathy chuckle. "Sure you were," he said, before retreating his eyes as well.
* * * * *
Tamaki Suoh
He pranced around the others with a dark majestic yukata tickling his skin. That dramatic expression took over his face. Soon, he enlightened the females glancing at him with a graceful smile and a palm on his forehead.
"How wonderful of this commoner man to take us to a commoner's academy," Tamaki spoke up gently with confidence itching his vocal tone. He placed a hand on Spencer's tensed shoulders—signaling that he was quite embarrassed by the princely boy's act—and continued, "I feel so appreciated to visit my little girl's festival in order to support her school!"
With a twitch of his brow, Spencer turned to Tamaki with a disapproved look. "Honestly," he started with a scoff. "I call you a jackass for a reason."
"Long live the poor!"
Hikaru and Kaoru clutched onto their sleeves in unison, shaking their heads at Tamaki's theatrical act. They sighed all at once, not bothering to fight back a grunt. "Sure enough, the boss continues to embarrass us in public," they spoke with an exasperated breath.
Spencer glared at them mindlessly, causing both of the twins to raise their eyebrows up in confusion. "Like you two are one to talk," he placed a palm on his forehead, shaking his head. "Both of you bastards are always embarrassing me in public; you two didn't even feel sorry for taking me on the scariest rollercoasters in the amusement park."
"Hey!" Hikaru retorted, raising up his fist. "We apologized—"
"—so, of course, we are sorry!" Kaoru concluded before crossing his arms with a pout.
Tamaki placed both of his palms on Spencer's shoulders, hovering over the dark haired boy as his lit irises scanned across the entrance of the festival. The enlightening grin on his face said it all, where the blond was eager to witness more 'commoner culture', despite that, he wanted to see Rose really bad.
And it had to be because he was her 'father' after all; Tamaki figured that it would be alright to feel eager to see his girl after a while.
Really, that was it.
Taking one step away from the group, where the constant chatter of the Hitachiins have blurred away, Tamaki inhaled a deep breath; the scent of baked potatoes roamed the air as the lights of the colorful lanterns were high above booths. Stars were glistening with champagne above the sky; it was at the edge of becoming dark, but it was bright enough to enjoy the view of people gathering around in groups as if they were butterflies with their vivid yukatas.
A petite girl swirled around Tamaki, letting out an apologetic statement before running away from another girl—possibly a friend or a close family member—and as her faded pink hair was flowing against the wind, Tamaki smiled at the delightful sight; he was taking in the sweet aroma of the entire festival.
"This is so exciting!" Honey perked up, keeping his fists clenched in an overwhelming desire to eat the nearest dessert his eyes could spot. "I have never been to a commoner's festival before."
"Really... I should be doing laundry." Haruhi complained, but nobody bothered to take note of their behavior as she kept her stare away from the others. "Maybe there'll be some good food here or something."
"It's best that you guys spend money here on food and games," Spencer suggested, holding up his pinky finger before combing his tangled hair with his right hand. "I'm definitely sure you guys won't be broke after this—or well, Haruhi might be."
"Very funny, Spencer."
"Seriously, this is a fundraising festival," Spencer noted, tilting his head towards the Host Club, who were too busy arousing their eyes around the lanterns that were high up above food and game booths; colors were arranged from a neon periwinkle to a dark lavender, which illuminated the festival even more.
Haruhi turned to the Blossom boy, raising an eyebrow. "It's a festival to raise money for cancer right?"
"Apparently, her school has never done a thing like this before," Spencer explained, pursing his lips. "I mean, her old school in America did. But it wasn't as grand and pleasing of a sight; you were surrounded by booze and drunk teenagers who snuck in marijuana without teachers catching them."
"America sounds..." Haruhi's voice drawled. "Interesting, I guess."
"Trust me, America sucks. Japan is so much more pleasing, I mean. Look at this!" Spencer declared, holding out his palms gracefully. It was almost as if he was mocking Tamaki's physical behavior, which made the princely blond giggle underneath his breath at the sight. "It's so glorious; beautiful lanterns and freshly cooked food. This totally beats America by a long shot."
Nodding, Kyoya cleared his throat. "I see that America is quite different apart from Japan's culture. I feel like I should have a visit there myself, Spencer."
"Dude, trust me, don't waste your time there. America can be fucked up."
"Is that so?" he cackled humorously, giving off a rare sight to the others as he smirked mischievously. "Well, that only makes me more interested. However, the matter right now is enjoying this commoner's festival and getting as much knowledge we can about the festivals held at Rose's sch—"
"Rosie-chan, Rosie-chan!" Honey announced out loud, causing the others to stare at him with an appalled look. "I bet she's wearing a yukata, we should surprise her that we're here!"
Tamaki's eyes widened. He could practically feel a heated blush take over his pale cheeks and he covered his mouth with his right palm, nearly imaging a delightful sight of Rose in a yukata; perhaps she was in one heavily designed with rose petals that suited her look, or maybe she went with a simple yet bold color such as carmine or a dull maroon.
For some reason, the thought of Rose in a yukata made Tamaki flustered. He wasn't sure why he was feeling this type of way. It could possibly have to deal with that he was the father figure, and he should always believe that his little girl was someone beautiful and elegant, despite what she was wearing.
Then again, Haruhi looked extremely adorable in her yukata. However, Tamaki didn't feel very flushed in a darkening red as he was when he thought about Rose.
Without hesitation, he blurted out loud, "Rosa in a yukata!" in excitement, allowing the Hitachiins to turn around and give off an irritated stare before swinging back to their usual stance.
"Let's try some of the commoner food, Hikaru!" Kaoru insisted, turning to his brother who gave a nod in return. "Who knows, Blossom could be hosting in one of the food booths."
"Kaoru, we have to check out the commoner sauce!" Hikaru grabbed on his brother's shoulders, shaking him back and forth in pure agitation. The excitement glistened in his hazel eyes, almost sending a deep, cheerful aura around the tall twin. "Maybe Rosaline can play some of the games with us! That's if we try to convince her."
Honey kept shimmering a grin on his flushed cheeks, not wanting to let his stuffed friend leave his arms; Usa-chan even looked slightly delighted to be at the festival (though, the bunny was merely a stuffed animal, it was clear to Honey that he could sense the emotions his plush bunny goes through.)
"I wonder if there are any cakes!" Honey cheered out loud, with an adrenaline rush boiling his blood. It seemed as if he was ready to knock his head into a slice of cake.
Tamaki had seen that happen before, and truthfully, it was a moment that was not meant to ever be forgotten.
"There are no cakes here, Honey-Senpai," Kyoya responded in a sincere yet sarcastic tone. He intertwined his fingers together hastily before clearing his throat. "Certainly if there was, all the slices would've been sold out in minutes."
Tamaki tapped his chin in curiosity. Instead of paying attention to the mindless conversation Kyoya was having with Honey-Senpai, Tamaki was processing different kinds of ideas that would be appropriate for him to spend time with Rose. Perhaps he could try to engage with one of the cheesy commoner games, similar to the amusement park he had visited with Rose and her brother.
He wasn't very skilled on learning the games, however. Tamaki simply wanted to take this chance on learning the wisdom and culture of a 'commoner lifestyle'. Tremendously, he irritated Haruhi about questions involving the lives of the poor.
(Needless to say, she would always have the urge to scream at him to leave her alone, which made Tamaki dash to a nearby corner; drenching in shame and annoyance.)
"There's so much we can really do," Spencer spoke up, keeping one arm rested against his chest as his elbow laid on it. A pleading sigh flowed through his lips. "I don't know where to begin; we should probably start by looking for my sister and surprise her that we're here."
"Wait," Honey looked up at Spencer and pursed his lips, nearly forming them into a pout. "Rosie-chan has no idea that we're here?"
With an anxious chuckle, the Blossom boy shrugged. "I mean..."
* * * * *
Rosaline Blossom
Five minutes.
It had been five minutes since she had left her two quirky friends to watch over the taiyaki stand while she went to grab the necessary items needed for the rest of the festival. It had also been the five minutes where they managed to completely rip apart paper plates and get chocolate melted on their hands.
Seriously, it had been five minutes, and it was already a disaster.
"Both of you had one job and you failed to do it," Rose grumbled underneath her breath, dropping the plastic bags filled with picnic necessities.
Flashing a grin, Chimp rolled his shoulders and tilted his head. He started to lick the chocolate off the tips of his fingers childishly—which wasn't a surprise to Rose—and kept that smile on his face. "I apologize for causing a mess," he spoke sorrowfully, which almost sounded forged. "But I couldn't contain my excitement."
"Excitement about what?"
"I had no idea that Japan had goldfish shaped bread!"
All it took was a slap to the face from Asher and an ignorant grunt of Chimp; Rose contemplated if her two foreign exchange friends were meant to properly behave themselves at a school festival.
Arching her back, she placed her palms on the edge of the stand and heaved a breath over the white booth. A flash of lights glimmered across the area; parents walked by with children holding their hands, some of the students that attended the academy were chasing each other immaturely or separated into their diminutive groups.
"I can't believe you freaked out so much over goldfish shaped bread that you—literally—dumped the bowl of chocolate on me," Asher groaned in exhaustion, leaning over to pick up the plastic blue bowl that had landed on the dirty ground. "Now, this booth's gonna be closed because we don't have any more ingredients. It seriously reminds me of the time we made cookies and how we trashed that fucking kitchen."
"Look, let me lay down the law here," Chimp slammed his tan palms on the booth, which made him startle a couple of younger kids that were jogging up to the stand. In frustration, Rose slapped her forehead and moaned in annoyance. "I have never seen fish shaped bread, so if you're going to be complaining about how I'm such a weird assho—"
"Technically, you have always been one and probably will stay one for the rest of your life."
"Have you seen fish shaped bread before in your life?" Chimp looked up at his friend sternly, holding up a foiled hand. "Tell me, Ash, have you ever?"
"Not until now," Asher snuck a glance at the poorly cut bread on the torn apart paper plate. Soon, he shrugged faintly. "But who cares?"
"I care. Dude, Japan has their shit together; America doesn't."
"When has America ever gotten their shit together?"
"Okay, true, but—"
"I'm not invisible," Rose spoke in a monotone voice, keeping her eyes narrowed at the two boys as she untied her white apron that was covering her colorful yukata. She folded it and laid it on the nearby metal table, which was folded out behind the booth they were gathering in. "But I guess that this 'volunteering-after-school-thing' is not working out too well."
"It's okay!" Chimp chirped, completely oblivious to Rose's upset tone. "All these goldfish shaped bread is for us now."
Asher shook his head. "Dude, you're unbelievable."
"Quit being such an ass."
Giving a baffled look, Asher scoffed playfully. "You're one to talk."
Not bothering to give her friends a stare, Rose glanced away, finding the colorful lights hanging above the booths more appealing. She sighed, already dreading the night, and walked away from the two boys. They constantly bickered about their friendship, making useless comments as Rose ducked her face into her palms.
She was overworking herself each second that passed by. It was unfortunate that she offered to volunteer, but she found the whole festival pleasing nonetheless. In fact, Rose admired the colors of the lanterns and hanging lights, especially the purple swirling with pink luminescent. For sure, it was a powerful image that would be kept in her mind, and it was a picture she would want to think about painting in the future.
As she lousily walked away from the food booth, where she was supposed to stay for the night, she ended up sitting on a wooden bench. Her yukata flared down to her ankles and she tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear, resembling her pale skin.
Soon, she rested her elbow against her knee and pouted adorably. Rose wished for the night to be over, or have someone tag along with her and do some of the festival games. But to Rose, they weren't very interesting to play unless she had suddenly turned into a five year old again; throwing balls into purple cups and having an old man guess your weight after paying five yen didn't seem too much of a pleasurable time to experience.
"Aaron, what the fuck?!"
Rose swung around, looking at Asher's angry expression as his entire body was covered with whipped cream from head to toe. He held out his hands, completely baffled, and he decided to ignore the unpleasant stares from the strangers walking past him.
Fighting back a groan, Rose rolled her eyes. She angled herself to face Asher. "See, this is why nobody wants our fish-shaped bread. It's because your foul language and appearance is scaring them away," she spoke sassily, making Asher send a darkening glare.
"I didn't ask to volunteer at a festival. I didn't even think about wanting to be here," Asher clarified, pushing off some of the cream on his black yet brightening yukata. "Chimp begged me to come and he was so annoying, I had no choice but to go and—shit, I think he got some whipped cream underneath my shirt."
"How is that even possible?" Rose questioned, quirking a brow.
"How the fuck should I know?"
"Listen," Rose nearly snapped as she was toning down the volume of her voice. "There are kids here and parents are gonna complain how the school has immature students who swear in front of six year olds! Keep the foul language down."
Asher snorted, giving Rose a sickening laugh. "Please Rose, I swear a lot, but I can control myself."
She couldn't help but echo a chuckle. "Please, with you, that's clearly impossible."
Looking determined, Asher scrunched his nose. "You don't think I can last a night without swearing?"
"Are you kidding me?" she responded, sending a wide smile. "You wouldn't last a minute without cussing."
"Alright, bet," Asher placed his palms on his hips and tilted his head. Rose raised both of her brows in confusion. "Let's make a bet. Starting now, I can't swear for a week. Chimp can watch over me and so can my foster family. If I say one full swear word, then you win and you can get me to do whatever you want."
"I have nothing planned for you to do," Rose shook her head oddly. "But maybe Chimp does."
"Well, fine. Chimp can get in on the bet too, whatever," Asher shrugged as he rolled up the dark sleeves of his yukata. "I can't swear for one whole week. If I do, you and Chimp will force me to do something so ridiculous and I will have no choice but to do it."
"And if you do win?"
"Then it's the exact opposite. I tell you and Chimp what to do and it will be very hilarious and embarrassing."
Rose couldn't help but choke on her laugh. She didn't want to get in something so childish. But at the same time, with a nod in agreement, Rose had a feeling the game she was starting with her foreign exchange friends would be a memorable and enjoyable time. "Alright," she grinned confidently. "It's a bet, and it starts—"
"Wait, Rose?"
"What?" she muffled out a laugh. "Already wanting to give up on the bet? A minute didn't even pass."
"No, like," Asher threw a hand in his tangled hair and ruffled his dark strands. He had a puzzled look, allowing Rose to send a perplexed one in return. "I thought you told me that your brother wasn't able to come tonight."
Looking around for a moment, Rose scrunched up her nose. "He wasn't. I told you already that he has to help out with the Host Club and their little festival pl—"
"Right, I know that," he nodded before holding up his index finger, clearly pointing at something behind Rose's line of sight. "But what about those club guys?"
"Club... what?"
"Rosie-chan!"
Rose swung around in a quick swift move, and she was welcomed with a heavy weight on her chest. A squeal was echoing throughout her ears and a few giggles were followed behind.
Instantly, she threw her arms around the petite figure and then let out a boisterous laugh. She felt her heart lift up a little in happiness; maybe this night wasn't going to be so bad after all, and Rose grinned at the sudden thought.
"Hi, Honey!" Rose exclaimed in excitement as the blond boy scrunched his nose delightfully. "What are you doing here? I didn't expect to see you at my school and—"
"We were invited by Spencer-chan, and he said he wanted to—"
"My brother?" Rose questioned, raising both of her brows and she muffled a laugh. Asher turned to her with a confused look as well. He knew that Spencer wasn't going to make an appearance; he kept that itchy baffled glance before retreating his sight to the colorful lights above the booths instead.
Honey slipped away from Rose and decided to stand back on the ground after crushing her into a gigantic, love fulfilling hug. Soon, Mori made his way behind the blond before placing a palm on his petite shoulder. Honey looked up at his cousin, where they both shared small smiles and nods.
Rose threw the palm of her hand on top of her head, ruffling her hair slightly. "I didn't expect my brother to be here. Why would he come? I thought he had important things to do, and same with you!" she flared her arms around dramatically, causing Asher to giggle underneath the hand covering his mouth. "I don't know why the freaking Host Club is at my damn school; I could've sworn you guys had other plans or some—"
"We did," Honey explained, keeping Usa-chan behind him as he rocked back and forth on his heels. He kept that innocent grin on his face, making his coffee-colored eyes to brighten up more. "But we finished early since Spencer was going to treat us to a commoner festival; once he mentioned it was at your academy, we just had to go!" Honey threw his arms up as well, and this time, in pure excitement and glistening joy.
"So, wait..." Rose briefly spoke, keeping her tone down. "Does that mean Hikaru's here?"
"Of course, Rosie-chan! Why would he miss out a chance to see you?"
"I mean," Rose kept her blush intact—or tried to, at least. Her cheeks heated up quickly, and she covered her entire face with both of her palms, trying not to symbolize the entire world that she was flustered over an auburn haired twin. "Where is he?"
"Um," Honey looked around, darting his eyes back and forth before glancing up at Mori. He was keeping a blank face as he stared around the booths and tried to find some type of activity to do, but there wasn't really anything appealing to him.
The blond boy giggled nervously. "I actually don't know where the others are," he said.
"Wait," Rose almost choked on her breath. "You don't?"
* * * * *
Kaoru Hitachiin
One swift pitch and he somehow missed the target of the three bottles aligned in a tower. Hikaru chuckled at him, taking the last baseball before throwing it up in the air and catching it a few times. Kaoru turned away, looking up at the sky, where the night was about to perform its welcoming and therefore—as Spencer mentioned—there would be fireworks popping out soon.
"Hikaru, Kaoru!" Tamaki called out to the twins before Hikaru could make his throw. They both turned to him in synchronization, and he was waving at them with a wide smile on his lips. "That commoner sauce you guys were talking about is at this booth! These commoner students are making really good dumplings; I didn't think that 'poor people' dumplings would be delicious!"
(In all honesty, the small students looked at him with an offended stare before handing the paper plate of dumplings.)
Hikaru shook his head and soon, he made his pitch. He managed to hit the bottles with the last ball the twins had, knocking the glasses down and it caused the older boy in front of them to cheer in excitement. Hikaru raised a brow at the older teen; he didn't look familiar, but his stunning emerald eyes stood out apart from his desaturated brown hair.
"Alright, nice one!" the boy in charge of the booth chuckled as he placed both of his palms on the wooden surface. "You can pick any of the prizes. I'd suggest going for a big teddy bear, that's a favorite around here."
"Why is your hair all wet?" Kaoru asked bluntly, already regretting to ask that question.
He felt baffled, and Kaoru was already freaking out inside that he may have offended this boy in any way. He glanced down at the name tag, where the name 'MAKOTO' was written in bold lettering. Kaoru scrunched up his nose before gazing back up.
This boy—Makoto—laughed out loud and waved a little. "I came back from swim practice; regionals are next week from my school. But I'm only here to help out this school and I want to volunteer a lot so it'll look good on my college applications."
"Wait," Hikaru breathed out loud, placing both of his palms on his hips. "So, you're not a college student?"
"Not yet," Makoto smiled and softly closed his eyes. "Did you think I already was?"
"To be honest, yeah."
"Well, I'm not," he sent off that cheerful laugh in return, causing Kaoru to smile. Makoto's personality sent off such a brightening vibe that could really enlighten the moods during dark, dreary days. Nonetheless, it was refreshing. "Anyways, what prize do you want?"
Hikaru looked at the prizes with deep thought, where he rubbed his chin for a brief moment. Kaoru pursed his lips, clearly looking impatient. He sighed, already desperate to find something to eat—possibly steal a dumpling or two from Tamaki—and maybe he was eager to figure out where Rose was; he hoped that she was alright, considering that he wasn't sure if she had any idea that Spencer and the Host Club was here.
"What's on your mind?" Hikaru asked out of nowhere, leaving Kaoru to sneak a peek at the prize he received. It seemed that he had taken Makoto's word of advice; there was a bright blue teddy bear in Hikaru's arms, and it looked incredibly fluffy due to its form. "You keep spacing out today."
Kaoru wanted to have some fun at this 'commoner festival' with the rest of the Host Club, Spencer, and of course, Rose. However, all that whirled throughout his mind was the confusing thoughts of Rose. It was clear he had feelings for her, but he had trouble processing that Kaoru was experiencing that point in his life where he was going through the 'falling in love' phase.
At first, he thought it was simply cliché; the entire love scenario was nothing but a drop in a lake. But these feelings for Rose was nothing but a message replaying in his head, like a lovesick record playing its same moody song on repeat.
"You're giving that bear to Rose, aren't you?" Kaoru stopped walking and looked at Hikaru, both of their glistening hazel eyes were locked on.
Hikaru tightened his lips before speaking. "I mean, yeah. I want to make her happy, I feel like she should get something from me for standing up to—nevermind."
"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked, showing off a perplexed expression.
"Nevermind," Hikaru responded quickly. "Let's just say she has done a lot for me, Kaoru."
Kaoru looked at Hikaru and raised both of his brows. At first, he wasn't sure if his brother was trying to confess some type of love for Rose; in his mind, that was the original goal. However, Kaoru couldn't help but feel a pain in his chest, leaving a scar in his darkening heart.
"Something about Rosaline is magnificent, Kaoru," Hikaru noted, smiling at his brother. Kaoru looked at him tenderly as Hikaru continued, "she has always been there for me and listened to me whenever I had my feelings get the best of me. I can always count of her; I'm not sure if she thinks the same of me, but I hope so. If not... then maybe one day she can count on me."
"I'm sure she will, one day," Kaoru said in a saddening tone. "The festival is actually very pretty wth the colors around us," he grinned at the magnificent sights of the lanterns that were already soaring around the air; kids ran past him with brief smiles on their faces.
Hikaru gazed down, keeping his lips tightened. "You know, Kaoru, it's kind of weird."
"What is?"
"I always felt so nervous and shaky around Haruhi; it was because I had feelings for her, but I don't know what happened to them now," he confessed, lowering his brows as Hikaru sighed. "Whenever I'm around Rosaline, I feel like that, and it's actually me being anxious and all I want to do is make sure she's okay."
Kaoru closed his eyes before speaking, "I remember when I tried to see if you had feelings for Blossom. Don't you think that you actually do?"
"I don't believe I do... but this feeling really hurts, it's almost as if I need to see her right now and make sure she's okay; that she's happy, that she's safe, that she's taken care of properly."
"I have never seen you so infatuated with someone before."
"It has nothing to do with love, Kaoru. I guess I'm being a protective and caring friend."
Kaoru gritted his teeth, already feeling upset knowing that his brother couldn't confess his true feelings for Rose. Though, Kaoru couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful; it wasn't right, however. His plan was to get Hikaru to confess his legitimate feelings for Rose, but it seems as if Kaoru's heart refused to let his brother go near her.
He wasn't sure what was overcoming him. He thought of such a ridiculous excuse for his feelings; perhaps he was catching a fever or building up the stress from school to react this way. Kaoru knew he wasn't in love with Rose. He couldn't be.
Because he appreciated her, and no matter what, whenever Rose was around, he wanted to hug her and tell her that he wants to be with her. But Kaoru knew that Rose didn't deserve his true feelings, and all he could want to do is scream at Hikaru to leave Rose alone. For what reasons, though, Kaoru wasn't sure, and now he wanted to rip out his own auburn hair.
As if the stars tried to catch both of the twins' attention, Kaoru and Hikaru gazed up together to watch the champagne dance across the midnight blue. They both smiled together in unison.
This. Kaoru missed this. Where he didn't feel such jealousy and anger towards his brother for having feelings for Rose; it wasn't the idea of Hikaru not confessing his feelings towards Rose. Despite that, Kaoru couldn't contain himself and all he wants to do is knock some sense into his brother with a slap to remove that flustered look on his face and tell him to back away from Rose.
Kaoru covered his mouth. He didn't know what was happening to him, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy and the thought of him doing that to his brother disgusted him. What pained his chest was the fact that Hikaru and Rose were absolutely exquisite together; Rose could never have feel the same way for him, and Kaoru wanted to make Hikaru back away from Rose at all costs so he could take in the moment and express his emotions through the only chance he could get.
It was jealousy boiling the blood underneath his skin, and Kaoru felt sweat form on the tip of his forehead. He shouldn't be thinking so irrationally, especially when he was in a pleasing environment with glistening stars and vivid lanterns hanging above booths.
"You're spacing out a lot, are you okay?" Hikaru asked, cutting Kaoru off his thoughts. His older brother kept his lips in a puzzled form as he toyed with the bear in his hands. "You could be getting a fever or something. We can go home if you wa—"
"No, I'm fine," Kaoru huffed, shaking his head.
Hikaru stared at him in confusion. "Let's get something to eat. Maybe we can talk about what's going on in your he—"
"I told you, Hikaru. I'm fine, I don't need help."
"You're not acting yourself and I'm just worried."
"I know, I just—" Kaoru shook his head, scrunching up his nose as he pushed aside Hikaru and walked into the nearby crowds of purples and pinks.
He was hiding himself with the bright colors of yukatas that were a part of the dazzling festival. Kaoru covered his mouth in shame and he squinted his eyes; he had no idea why he was letting this uncomfortable feeling of jealousy take control of his actions and the words leaving his lips. It was almost as if enviness was taking over his body, as if he was an innocent rag doll.
Kaoru kept his teeth grinded together, and he continued to push past people that were making their way towards him. And, Christ, he felt completely absurd. He was acting like Hikaru right at that moment; he was being stubborn and confused with his own feelings.
He wasn't in love with Rose, he couldn't be.
It was simply a crush, it had to be.
Kaoru kept telling himself that he wasn't in love.
* * * * *
Tamaki Suoh
Spencer spent about seven minutes trying to get the ping-pong ball into one of the red cups, but he was doing a silly job at maintaining his pitch, all he could do is miss the cups and not end up with a prize in the end.
"I hate life," Spencer complained, placing a palm on his weary face, almost as if he was trying to wipe off that tired expression. "I fucking suck at aiming, holy shit."
Tamaki gasped out loud, nearly startling Spencer with his abrupt reaction. "Don't swear such foul language in a public area with children around!"
"I freaking suck at aiming, holy cow."
"Somewhat better, I guess," Tamaki rolled his eyes, keeping his gaze away from the Blossom boy.
Spencer reached into the back pocket of his pants and then slid his phone into his hands. Tamaki took a few glances at him as Spencer played around with his phone absentmindedly. Eventually, the bright screen caused Spencer to squint his eyes from the radiant luminescent light, which made Tamaki stifle a chuckle.
"Looks like Honey and Mori are with my sister," Spencer claimed before putting his phone away. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and repressed a yawn. "We'll have to find out where they are. Rosie didn't tell me where they were, but the surprise failed considering that she found out Mori and Honey are here."
"I have to make sure that my little girl is safe at all costs," Tamaki huffed scenically. Spencer looked at him with an expression that made the blond seem barbaric. "But it's alright. Rosa is with Honey and Mori; it's not like those two will do anything to hurt her."
"Being the leader of the Host Club, I'm completely sure that you trust those two. I'm not even worried when she's around Hikaru and—"
"The twins are a different story."
"Oh, really?" Spencer whistled nonchalantly. "How so?"
Tamaki turned to him and caught Spencer off guard with a bewildered expression. "The twins are outrageous, Spencer! They will do anything to hurt my little girl; I don't even trust one of them to be alone with her! Who knows what they could do to them?!"
Spencer shook his head and sighed heavily. "You're worrying too much. It's not a big deal, now we should go find whe—"
Tamaki took a few steps aside from where Spencer stood. He placed his palm gracefully on his forehead and grinned with so much passion expressed on his face. "If my little rose ever needs assistance or someone to protect her, then I'm more than happy to fill in the place!"
Spencer snorted. "Rosie will be protected with someone that loves her and cares about her, soon. Don't even worry. You're being dramatic about this."
"Then I would love to be that someone!"
Tamaki's eyes widened and he covered his mouth quickly. Spencer gaped at him with his jaw dropped and eyes enlarged. Soon, he cackled and waved a hand before explaining, "I'm going to actually take note on that. Basically, you stated that you would date my sister, so I'm sure you do have feelings for her?"
The blond gulped nervously; he had no idea why he was being so melodramatic about this sitaution in general. It was simply a bland conversation, and now Tamaki stood here, with anxiety ripping through his bones. "I wouldn't have feelings for my little girl; that is disgusting! I am her 'father figure' after all," he retorted.
"You love my sister, don't you?"
"Not like that, Spencer!" Tamaki tried not to raise his voice as he held up his hands and whirled them around carelessly. "Fathers are supposed to love and protect their daughters, and plus, they should always care about them as well!"
Spencer closed his eyes and groaned underneath his breath. "Whatever you say. I'm dropping this conversation; all I got from this is that you may or may not have feelings for my sister."
"Again, that is so ridiculous! I could never have feelings for—"
"Let me tell you something," Spencer interrupted Tamaki and gave a scarrful yet attentive stare. He licked his lips before talking, "I don't know if you have feelings for my sister or not. But even if you do, all I can tell you is that I'm sure you're not the only one in the club who feels the same way."
And with that, he swirled around with his darkening hair fading into the monstrous colors that swirled around the area. Tamaki stood there baffled with his arms shaking. He had no words in regards to Spencer's comments, but all he could process were the thoughts of Rose swirling through his head; he couldn't be in love with Rose, it was perplexity.
At least to him, it was. Tamaki felt a nervous pang hit his heart, changing it from an edifying red to an agonizing black, and he bit his bottom lip anxiously. He couldn't figure out the answers to why he felt this way after hearing Spencer speak those words.
But all he could muster was that he was alone at the moment, and he was lost in the sea of yukatas in shades of radiant lavenders mixed with striking, lively blues.