(Seina's POV)
The day before the Ouran school fair, the grounds were a hive of activity. The sun had come out and builders and craftsmen were being directed this way and that, setting up the showpieces for the various clubs' events. A large scale replica of the Eiffel Tower had been set up in one part of the grounds and a section of the art gallery was being converted into a functional canal, complete with gondolas.
'Take all those tables through to the salon.' Kaoru called, directing a group of delivery men. 'Right. Ah...be careful with that.'
I grinned and slung my arm around his shoulders. 'Kaoru, don't you think this worrying is a little unnecessary? You're micromanaging.'
'I am not!'
'Um...aren't school fairs meant to be a little more, I don't know, homemade looking, like we've made everything on our own?' Haruhi asked.
I glanced back at her, still holding onto Kaoru. 'What would be the point in that?'
Kyoya finished scribbling something in a slim brown notebook, slipping it inside his jacket. I narrowed my eyes in his direction. That was weird. He always bought the same black notebook in bulk, I'd never seen him with a different one. 'You're referring to normal schools. What gets emphasised at the Ouran fair is planning and leadership. Most of the students here are expected to be future leaders by nature, so they are required to impress everyone with their strengths.'
'Oh.' She muttered, clearly viewing the elaborate proceedings in a new light. I was about to question Kyoya about his new notebook when a horse drawn carriage came to a stop beside us.
'Woah. Woah.' Hikaru soothed the horses from his place at the reigns.
Mori-senpai nodded approvingly. 'That was good. We can turn them over to you now.'
'Haru-chan! Sei-chan!' Honey-senpai called excitedly from the back of the carriage, waving Usa-chan in the air.
'Haruhi!' Called Tamaki-senpai, clearly in a similar state. 'Climb on board! We're rehearsing for Ouran Fair's special parade!'
I slowly approached the horses, careful not to startle them and brushed my fingers through their manes and along their necks. 'Hey, Seina! I didn't know you were good with horses!' Hikaru called down to me.
'That's because you don't listen when people speak.' I replied dryly.
Kaoru sighed. 'Eh, she has a point.'
'She does not!' Hikaru exclaimed even as Mori-senpai nodded his head in agreement. 'Mori-senpai I've been listening to you all morning!' I raised my eyes at him, trying not to laugh. Mori-senpai hardly ever speaks.
'All aboard!' Honey-senpai cried waving to us. Tamaki-senpai was helping Haruhi into the carriage while Kyoya stood nearby.
'Are you coming Seina?' Kaoru asked offering me his arm.
'What a gentleman.' I laughed offering him a curtsy and taking his arm.
The carriage caused quite the stir as Hikaru steered us through the school grounds. Fan girls were shouting and squealing as we passed. 'Look, look, it's the boys from the host club!'
'How fantastic!'
'Kamei-san is so lucky!'
'I want to ride with them too!'
'Aww!'
I sat between Kaoru and Honey-senpai, across from Kyoya, Haruhi and Tamaki-senpai, enjoying myself more than I was willing to admit. I loved horses and the carriage was ever so pretty.
'Hey, you've got so good you can handle this?' Kaoru complimented to his brother.
'Kaoru, you should have come and practiced with me.' Hikaru replied facing his brother.
'Well, even twins will start to have different interests and strong suits.'
'Hikaru! Watch where we're going!' I cried, forcing him to turn back around.
'Alright. Alright. I've got it.'
Honey-senpai beamed up at everyone. 'It's kind of fun to have us all riding in a carriage like this, huh?' I smiled back at him, nodding enthusiastically.
'Is it?' Haruhi asked apparently not so enamoured with the concept.
'In our actual parade tomorrow, we're going to wow them with our medieval French outfits.' Tamaki-senpai announced. 'We even have a flashy costume for you Haruhi!'
'Flashy you say?' She repeated in despair.
'Well now the opening ceremony is starting! Let's make this Ouran Fair one for the history books!'
She smiled up at him. 'Sure.'
During the school fair, as a special event, the Host Club was to be open to all parents and visitors. I had various doubts and concerns but knew any attempts to dissuade Tamaki-senpai would be unsuccessful. If I suggested the club would appear disreputable he would only try that much harder to charm everyone and things could get out of hand.
As things were, the salon that Kyoya had booked looked stunning and had special features such as a full scale fountain and a casino area. The hosts had all switched up their tactics to account for the unusual guests. Tamaki-senpai was using reverse psychology on the more uptight mothers to shocking effects and the twins were busy selling a sob story about their abandonment issues. Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai were continuing largely as usual under the false illusion that they were brothers and Kyoya was busy working every political angle he could conceive of.
Haruhi was predictably unimpressed by the entire situation. 'It's so ritsy. This is too much money to spend on a high school event.' She chided Kyoya.
'What are you talking about? This grand campaign is a chance to show of the charm of the Ouran High school Host Club far and wide, throughout the world!' Tamaki-senpai enthused, raising Haruhi's hand triumphantly. She pinched him and he released her with a pained yelp.
'You are correct that we have overshot our budget.' Kyoya said, his eyes focused on his laptop.
'Kyoya...'
'Use of this salon notwithstanding we had a classic carriage flown in all the way from France. As is always the case, I don't know how to deal with all your capricious plans.'
'Isn't that the truth.' Haruhi said dryly as she walked away.
'Haruhi! Hey you be quiet!' Tamaki-senpai cried getting himself all worked up. 'The whims of the Host King are the whims that keep everyone happy!'
I sat myself down across from Kyoya. 'Are you ok? You've been distracted recently and normally you can keep up with even Tamaki-senpai's bizarre requests.'
His eyes flickered to mine for half a second before returning to his keyboard. 'I'm quite alright Seina. I apologise for causing you concern. Will your parents be attending?'
I winced. 'I believe so. I can only hope that something comes up.'
'Father!' I turned to see the Superintendent walking through the door, a young woman at his side and Tamaki-senpai running towards him.
''Father' is too familiar. Address me as 'Superintendent' while at school. Besides I'm here as a guest today.' Did any of us have a normal family?
Kyoya rose to his feet. 'Welcome Superintendent. Come, please take this seat over here.'
'Thank you.' Tamaki-senpai's father replied as he settled down onto one of the sofas. 'Kyoya-kun, this club owes everything to your management, correct? My son must give you no end of trouble.' I looked up to see Tamaki-senpai hanging from a chandelier and sighed heavily. If he broke it he was only going to send the club further over budget.
'Not at all, the Host Club is here because of him.' Kyoya answered graciously. 'Say, Kyoya-kun, your parents opted for an arranged marriage for you correct?'
'They did.'
'And you're happy?'
Kyoya hesitated. 'It is a good match and we are happy. Though I would not say that an arranged marriage would work for everyone. We are lucky.'
'I see. Is she here? May I speak to her? I would like to congratulate the young lady personally on your engagement.'
'Of course.' Kyoya smiled and nodded.
I immediately looked away, pretending I hadn't been listening. Kyoya leaned over the back of my chair so his lips brushed my ear. 'Were you listening to all that?'
'Yes.' I breathed taking the hand he offered me.
'Good. Just be your charming self and don't overstep ok? It'll make things worse.'
I beamed up at him as if he'd complimented me. 'Of course Kyoya.'
Kyoya then placed a hand on the small of my back and guided me to the sofa. 'Superintendent. May I present my fiancé and future wife Seina Kamei.'
I bowed deeply. 'It is an honour to see you again Superintendent.'
'And you Seina-san.' He replied a tad informally considering this was only the second time we'd spoken. 'I understand you were not happy about your engagement when the two of you were first introduced?'
I stiffened slightly, bristling at his manner. 'You are correct Superintendent. I was a reluctant bride and I was...displeased to find my Senpai had been actively deceiving me. I have since become reconciled with my situation and I can honestly say that I am happy with Kyoya.'
'I am glad to hear that indeed. I am happy for you both, for two such excellent students to marry...I am expecting great things from your children. Congratulations to you both.'
I bowed deeply once again, hoping the blush crawling up my face was not too obvious. 'Thank you Superintendent. You are very kind. Please excuse me.' I then made my way back to my seat.
'Can I get you anything?' Kyoya asked as I walked away. Their conversation fell into hushed whispers. 'Haruhi. You have a request.' Kyoya called when they were finished, the shock of which sent Tamaki-senpai tumbling to the ground.
I was talking with Kaoru and Hikaru while sneaking glances at Haruhi when a loud slap sound rang out across the salon. I spun around in time to see Yoshio Ootori's hand swinging back to his side, Kyoya regaining his footing, his cheek red from the force of the blow. I was vaguely aware of Haruhi calling out his name as my ears started ringing. 'So this is the sort of ridiculous club you have been involved with. Are you trying to embarrass me?' He spat.
I didn't think for even a second as fury shook me to my core and I went marching across the room. 'With all due respect Ootori-sama, you are stupid beyond what is conceivable. Kyoya is one of the most intelligent, most accomplished young men I've ever met. He works hard at every task he faces and the only reason this club exists is because he came to love the boy you demanded he befriend! The fact is, you do not know what you want from him and therefore force insane standards upon him. He will achieve heights you cannot comprehend but if you continue to alienate him, I can't imagine you'll continue to share in his victories.' I took a deep breath. 'You will not strike him again.'
He had taken my onslaught with his back to us as Kyoya collected his glasses from the floor but as I fell silent Yoshio Ootori turned to face me. I could have sworn there was a hint of a smile on his face. 'Is that a threat?'
I stared him down. 'No. It is a promise. From the heir of the Kamei Technological Group to the head of the Ootori Group.' His expression faltered for a fraction of a second as if he was just then remembering who I was but he quickly turned and marched away, Tamaki-senpai's father close behind him.
I turned back to Kyoya, ready for his disapproval. 'Listen Kyoya, I'm sorry. I just couldn't stand by in silence when he had the audacity to strike you and speak to you in such a way. What an aw-' Before I could apologise or rant further he took my face in his hands and kissed me. His lips were warm and soft against mine. For a moment I completely forgot about where we were as I lost myself in him. He smiled as he pulled away, and I found myself blushing at all the spectators. This was the first time he'd kissed me in public and it was a clear statement to his father and all the visitors.
'You're not mad?'
'Seina, there is no world in which I could be mad at you. You can be rash and hotheaded but I love you.' His words were a quiet murmur, meant only for me.
'Kyoya are you ok?' Tamaki-senpai asked as Kyoya pushed his glasses further up his nose.
'What a mean father.' The twins muttered, their own sob story suddenly a tale of happy families.
'Yeah!' Honey-senpai piped up. 'To hit a guy with glasses like that!'
'No. That's not what we meant.' Kaoru replied in exasperation. Kyoya tightened his grip on my waist as the others crowded around, clearly not quite in the mood to deal with them.
'Kyoya-senpai?' Haruhi asked. 'Did he hit you because you're in the Host Club?' Tamaki-senpai gasped as if this had not occurred to him.
'It's fine.' Kyoya muttered, pushing his way through them and dragging me with him. 'I've been expecting it. Seina I believe we should see what has become of your parents.'
Aware that he was looking for an excuse to leave I nodded my head. 'Yes. That may be for the best.'
It turned out that Kyoya was less interested in finding my parents and more interested in getting as far away from the salon as was necessary. We ended up in the largely empty room that usually housed the Host Club. Since most of the furniture had been moved to the salon for the event, only a sofa and Tamaki-senpai's grand piano remained. We stayed there for almost half an hour.
I sat quietly with Kyoya's head in my lap, running my fingers through his hair and allowing him to sort through whatever baggage he was unloading. The expectations my family had for me were extreme but at least my success was acknowledged. I was trying to decide if I should say something more after all when he suddenly sat up and turned to face me. 'How extensive are your personal assets?'
'Where did that come from?' I demanded, stalling.
'Just answer the question.'
'I have over one billion yen in bank accounts and liquefiable assets. Why?'
'We need a house to live in once we're married and I thought you would prefer it if we each paid half.'
I nodded slowly. 'Don't you think this whole thing is just a little insane?'
'You worry too much. We can afford all the staff we need and once we have our own place we can do what we want when we want.'
'Ah yes.' I nodded seriously. 'You'll be able to write in your notebook in any room you like.'
'Not funny.' He smiled, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. 'I'm serious. And I've been thinking...'
'About?' I prompted.
'I think we should have a baby.'
I nearly bit my tongue off I was so surprised. 'A what?' I asked faintly. 'Kyoya that is not how you pronounce dog. Though if you want one I don't see why we can't have a dog once we have a house...'
He fixed me with that intense, penetrating stare. 'I'm still being serious Seina.'
'And so am I! Kyoya! Did your father give you brain damage!? It is too soon to even think of such things. Honestly...' I leaned my flushed face into my hands.
A hand rubbed soothing circles over my back. 'It's alright. There's no rush. I'm sorry for startling you. I was just thinking we would be better parents than any of ours and suddenly I decided I really wanted children. But there's plenty of time.'
'Kyoya...'
'Come here a minute.' He kissed me softly, his hands lingering as he withdrew. 'Ok. Let's go back now. You look beautiful by the way. I love your dress.'
I smoothed out the wine red fabric as I got to my feet. 'Took you long enough to notice.'
We arrived back in the salon and were immediately approached by the other hosts. A certain mellow dramatic blonde was noticeably absent. The twins were immediately babbling in our faces, clearly distressed about something.
'Tamaki-senpai did a runner!' Hikaru complained though he was chewing on his lip.
'His grandmother ordered him to spend the day with some French girl.' Kaoru elaborated.
'How could he leave us to run the fair by ourselves?'
'When is he coming back?'
'Do either of you know who she is or why this girl is here?'
Kyoya shot me a look and I knew he was also thinking of the conversation we'd had with Tamaki-senpai's father. 'Is Tamaki-senpai's grandmother still here?' I asked instead of answering.
'Not anymore.' Honey-senpai answered, a dark look on his face. I was well aware of his opinion of the cold, elderly lady.
'Ok.'
Kyoya sat down at one of the smaller tables and immediately opened up his laptop and began typing. I took the chair across from him but sat facing the others as they explained what had happened in our absence.
'Is Tama-chan really not coming back?' Honey-senpai asked, taking a seat himself.
'Is he really going to escort that girl...' Began Kaoru.
'For the duration of the school fair?' Finished Hikaru, leaning his chin on his brother's head. 'Her name was Éclair, or something like that...'
'But who is that girl?' Kaoru mused.
'I know that girl.' Renge-san offered softly. That couldn't be good. Range-san was always loud and brash and causing a scene. A muted Renge-san was bad news.
'Renge-chan...' The twins murmured, equally unnerved.
'Éclair Tonnerre, the third daughter of the renowned French Tonnerre family, which descends from royalty.'
'Renge-kun you did grow up in France too, didn't you?' Kyoya acknowledged her limited knowledge. Luckily, as usual, Kyoya had answers to our many questions. 'Yes, the Tonnerre family doesn't simply have high social standing, they are also the owners of Grand Tonnerre, the company that the financial world has been clamouring over lately, for being a foreign-funded firm, rapidly buying up businesses in our country. Of course, we do not know why their daughter has come here to see Tamaki...' The whole day was making me uneasy and the look on Kyoya's face, confirming he was lying, was not making me feel any better. We both had a fair idea why a wealthy French girl had showed up out of nowhere.
Haruhi took a long time changing into her new suit and returned to the salon looking deeply unhappy. The guests gushed over her appearance as she passed.
'Haru-chan is so cute!' Honey-senpai added to the chorus.
'Nice.' Hikaru added. 'Where did his highness go?'
'He was looking forward to this most of all.' Kaoru elaborated, his eyes also on Haruhi as she passed.
Her expression became notably irritated as they spoke. 'Senpai was in Music Room 3. He was with Lady Éclair.'
Identical grins split two faces in response. 'What's this?' Hikaru asked.
'That sounded a lot like jealousy.' Kaoru added.
'Because you two would know all about jealousy.' I said dryly. Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai nodded in agreement.
'Like I said. It is not.' Haruhi retorted.
'Like you said?' Our immature friends echoed back at her.
'Still, Tamaki-senpai is being a bit irresponsible this time. Ordinarily, you might call it capriciousness, and it is that...'
'Well let's give him a pass this time.' Kyoya cut her off. 'It was none other than his grandmother that ordered him, after all.'
Haruhi threw him a hurt look, though whether at the interruption or him siding against her was unclear. 'True, Tamaki-senpai's grandmother did seem pretty cold towards him.' She conceded. 'Is there any reason for that?'
We all exchanged glances, Tamaki-senpai's family affairs were pretty common knowledge in our world but it still felt wrong to be broaching the subject without his consent. It was personal. Even if all the wealthy gossipmongers didn't think so. After a further second of hesitation, the twins began to explain the unhappy story of Tamaki-senpai's family life: his illegitimacy, his mother's financial troubles, the forced separation of mother and son, and his own continued estrangement from his Japanese family.
'Wow...' Haruhi breathed as they finished the unhappy tale.
Kyoya took up the narrative. 'The current head of the Suoh family may be Yuzuru-san, but in actuality, the highest power still remains with the director, Tamaki-senpai's grandmother. What's more, Tamaki's mother being of frail health, she knew what would happen if she was left destitute without Suoh assistance. And so...Tamaki left. Ever since, whether out of sadness or guilt at having traded Tamaki for money, his mother apparently moved away somewhere and went into hiding. Currently, her whereabouts are unknown. And so, ever since, Tamaki has not seen his mother even once.' Everyone was looking suitably solemn as Haruhi processed the new information. 'It's easy to feel sorry for him but I'm glad that Tamaki is who he now. He will be fine. Having accepted everything he's been through, he is here now, in the Host Club.'
Haruhi was just beginning to cheer up when the doors to the salon creaked open revealing Tamaki-senpai and Éclair Tonnerre who had a nasty, smug look on her face.
'Tama-chan!' Honey-senpai cheered at his arrival.
Tamaki-senpai did not return his smile. 'I have an important announcement for everyone. I have decided to get engaged to Lady Éclair Tonnerre here. Further, the host club will be dissolving following the Ouran fair. That is all.' It was like a changeling has taken Tamaki-senpai's place. Visually he was a perfect match but he didn't smile and his voice was empty of the feeling and enthusiasm I'd grown used to. I put an arm around Haruhi's shoulder as she stared wordlessly at the older student. She'd never needed to say anything out loud about how she felt for Tamaki-senpai, we'd all just known. Well except for Hikaru maybe. Her eyes were wide, her expression frozen on her pretty face. This was not right.