I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed the beach. 

Apparently at one point during our lovely expedition into Kyouya's day spa, Haruhi had mentioned his preference for beaches when enjoying the water. And, being the Host Club, our next trip was born.

The trip wasn't entirely a vacation, though. The boys had brought their work along with them, in the form of dozens of lovesick little girls who hung on their every word. Tamaki, I noted, was particularly busy, switching out girls every half hour or so. And yet he managed to captivate each and every one of them with equal charm.

Haruhi was, naturally, upset the Host Club's duties extended to out-of-school locations, but I didn't mind. Here, I had no job to fulfill and could relax in peace. Not being a boy had never been so advantageous, as I didn't have to worry about being swarmed by countless legions of fangirls.

I sat with my back to a large, sun-warmed rock, my legs stretched out in front of me, my favorite book held in my hand. Treasure Island. Pirates were a favorite topic of mine, both real and fictional. Almost without exception, if pirates were mentioned in something, be it a book, a TV show, or a movie, I loved it.

Being at the beach only made things better.

What made things even more perfert was the fact that I had gone out and bought my own swimsuit for this outing. The twins weren't particularly pleased, but I didn't care much. They claimed it was too boyish, and perhaps they were right to a degree. A pair of shorts and and thin-strapped top in dark shades of red and black. They really disagreed with my choice.

Sadly, though, at one point the twins dragged me from my paradise to help put up a blockage that kept away fangirls why Tamaki fantacized about something or another. I recieved several very worrying jealous glares in those five minutes. They quite literally sent chills down my spine.

I heard him muttering something about Haruhi being beautiful before he was interrupted by a freak in a purple cloak.

"Everyone having fun?" he asked, scaring poor Tamaki shitless when he appeared behind him. 

Ah yes. Nekozawa Umehito. This was his private beach. He weirded out the members of the Host Club to no end. I wasn't exactly an exception, but I rather liked the Black Magic Club President. He'd given me some sort of crystal charm to help heal my ankle faster. In all honestly, I believe it had some effect, even if it was only psychological.

"Ah, Micah!" He swept out from behind Tamaki and greeted me by clasping my hand in both of his pale ones. "You've completely healed then?" he inquired, staring at me from behind his over-long brown bangs. 

I smiled sweetly. "Yeah, that's right," I said. "Thanks so much for the charm."

Tamaki and the twins gaped at me.

"It was my pleasure!" Nekozawa informed me somewhat creepily, his smile widening. "When I saw you stumbling around the school, I of course had to offer my assistance. Come by our club anytime you decide you're better off without these Hosts."

"Sure," I agreed amiably.

Tamaki's jaw hit the sand, and the twins crossed their arms over theirs chests and turned away, huffing indignantly. My lips twitched into a small smirk.

"So what's the rock over there?" I asked, pointing to the rather demonic-looking cat-shaped cliffside at the far end of the beach. It had caught my attention while Tamaki was daydreaming, and I thought Nekozawa migh have an explanation.

And indeed he did.

"The Cat Rock is where each generation of the Nekozawa Family's offering are placed to worship our family's guardian deity. There's a legend that says if you jump off into the sea from there, you will never again come back up....Ara?" I squinted to see what was confusing Nekozawa and almost laughed when I spotted Haruhi, crouching at the edge of the rock, peering down into the water. "There's a brave challenger over there...."

"HARUHI!"

I blinked, flinching back in surprise. One second, Haruhi was harmlessly watching the ocean, the next he's gone. And so were the three Hosts that were with me.

"...What just happened?" I ask, dumbfounded. 

Nekozawa laughed. "Those three are certainly protective!" He turned to me, smiling that very disturbing smile of his. "Care to greet them in the cave?"

"Sounds fun, Neko-kun," I replied. His smile turned delighted and he happily led me up the beach to where the three morons were watching over Haruhi, who was lying down in the sand. We were in time to witness Tamaki pick up, and freak out over, what appeared to be a small cat skull, bleached white with age.

"I tried to create a more artistic atmosphere for everybody's enjoyment," Nekozawa explained. "It would be an honor if it's to your liking...."

I looked around curiously. This part of the beach was filled with fake tombstones, skulls and other assorted "horror" items. I was fascinated, the boys were.... not.

I didn't even get to say goodbye to Neko-kun before they promptly tore out of the place, carrying Haruhi and I over their shoulders.

Which is how I somehow ended up going clam hunting with Haruhi and Honey while Mori stood watch somewhere.

I... I don't know either. 

Haruhi was dilligent, hunkering down in the sand to pick out suitable clams, while muttering, "Food..." quite a few times. I was walking around with Honey, finding "cute" shells to add to his collection. Or mine. He'd explained it so quickly, it's really all a blur to me now.

"So, Honey," I began as I bent to retrieve a multi-colored shell that piqued my interest. I tucked it into my bucket, then turned to the little blonde, who smiled up at me adorably. "Why is it that Tamaki and the twins are so obsessed over Haruhi?"

"Ah," Honey said, titling his head to the side. "It's a secret!"

I sweat dropped.

"Buuuuuut," he added, giving me a closed eye smile that made me utter an inner "awww", "cause you're part of the Host Club, I'll tell you!" He leaned in close, and did so by tugging me down to his height. His voice dropped to a childish whisper. "Mi-chan, the truth iiiiiiissss..... Haru-chan is a--"

"Honey-sempai!!"

Out of nowhere came Tamaki, diving at Honey, looking as though he wanted to shut him up. But the two of us were so close, even when Tamaki knocked into Honey, he sent me sprawling into the sand, where I wound up landing on Haruhi's chest.

"Ow," I muttered irritably, lifting my head to meet Haruhi's startled eyes. "Sorry, Haruhi. It's all that idiot's fault. I didn't mean to...." My voice trailed as I looked down at Haruhi's chest. My eyes widened.

"......Ah. Haruhi.... you're a girl?"

"Yeah."

I nodded slowly. "Makes sense now."

An awkward silence settled over the gathered Hosts, which, at this point, included all of them. I picked myself up and helped Haruhi to her feet. While she dusted off her shorts, clearing them of sand, I rounded on the Hosts and pinned Tamaki and the twins with a glare. "You three," I stated, "are complete and utter perverts."

Tamaki was immediately in his emo corner, poking at the sand with a stick, drawing sad images in thin lines. The twins simply smirked, like I knew they would.

"Mi-chan~" Honey called. "You aren't mad?"

"Huh?" I blinked, a bemused frown flickering to life on my face. My brows pulled together. "Should I be? You guys probably had a reason right? As long as this wasn't some type of sexual experiment where Haruhi was an unwilling participant, I don't think it really involves me."

Every single one of them blushed. Even Mori.

I smirked slightly and just went back to clam hunting.

It was an hour or so later when I felt things had returned to relative normality. Honey and I were still having fun, he being the first Host to overcome his awkwardness and approach me. But after a few minutes more, I stopped and settled down in the sand, enjoying the warmth on my bare legs. I sighed contentedly and glanced around the beach, looking for anything of interest.

That's how I spotted Tamaki offering a huge crab to Haruhi, making some horrid pun or another. Then suddenly, all the girls around them (save for Haruhi) shrieked in unison and took off running for the other end of the beach. My head cocked to the side as I saw Haruhi pick something off the crab and fling it carelessly into the forest.

Oh. A bug, was it? They stampeded away because of that?

The twins proceeded to lecture her, and when they finally left I made my way over to the cross-dressing girl. 

"Nice toss!" I praised, giving her a closed eye smile. She returned it casually and nodded. 

"So, Micah," she said. "Why is it your so calm about my being a girl? I mean, I'm glad you didn't react like Tamaki did, but still...."

I shrugged. "It's your choice whatever you do with yourself," I replied easily. "If dressing like a guy and putting up that kind of facade makes you happy, I won't judge."

She laughed a little at that. "I'm not doing this because I want to," she said. "Not that I care either way how people see me. Boy or girl, it doesn't really matter."

"The inside counts more?" I guessed.

"Right. And anyway, I'm only doing this to repay my debt to the Host Club. I broke an expensive vase my first time meeting them and they decided I could work off my debt by Hosting."

"So they roped you in too, then?"

She gave me a blank look, clearly unimpressed with the Host Club's way of handling things. I smiled a bit. Haruhi hadn't changed at all since my discovering her secret, and I was glad. I liked Haruhi either way. She was nice and calm, a sharp contrast to the majority of the club.

I would have loved to keep talking to her, but it was not to be. The twins declared we'd be going with them into Nekozawa's horror cat cave, along with several other club customers. While there, a skeletal hand dropped onto my shoulder, and another found Haruhi. We both exchanged an unimpressed look and shook off the props.

The twins seemed disappointed.

Next we met up with Honey and Mori, who took us out to the edge of the cliff. Mori lifted the both of us high into the air, for no apparent reason.

Then came the ridiculous trudge through the dark reaches of the cave....

Mori pointed a spear in our faces....

Honey became hysterical when we got trapped a tight space....

In the end, we managed to ditch the boys and spent our time with a group of girls in the cave, overlooking the sea. They adored Haruhi, and I snickered behind my hand as I watched them. Now that I knew the truth about Haruhi, I couldn't help but find these girls twice as ridiculous as before.

Though I was on edge. One or two girls ketp throwing menacing glances my way whenever I spoke to Haruhi, even if it was over something trivial and insignificant. They were all idiots in my opinion. I acted nothing more than friendly around the brunette, and yet they assumed I was out to make "him" mine. 

Ugh, I should have known Japan's fangirls would be even crazier than the ones back in Philly.

Consequently, I was alone in the back of the cat cave when it happened.

A group of boys who held no affiliation with Ourand Academy strolled into the cave, sounding irriated that they couldn't reach the beach because of our having booked it. I eyed them suspiciously as they stopped and grinned at the girls gathered in front of them. I snarled lowly when they took hold of one poor girl and surrounded her.

"Hey let's play together!"

"Isn't it boring, you women alone by yourselves, eh?"

The girl was panicking. "Ahhh.... Stop it! This is a private beach...."

"So what?" One grotesque excuse for a man grabbed her wrist tight and pulled her to his chest, bringing her tear-stained face close to his. "So you're a rich chick eh? That's be even more fun. Why don't we--"

I couldn't take it anymore; I leaped at the boy and clung to his back like a very undignified version of Spiderman (my favorite superhero). "Back off, bastard!" I growled, wrapping my arms tight around his neck, looking to choke him.

"Hey get off!" he shrieked, trying in vain to shake me off. I held fast, digging my nails into his shoulders to keep my hold. 

"That's chick's crazy!" one of the brute's friends shouted.

"Get her off em!"

Someone pulled hard at my back, but I refused to let go. The boy I clung to flailed a bit, doing everything in his power to rid himself of me. I wouldn't have let go for anything.... however, he managed to back himself into a wall and my head collided painfully with the harsh stone.

The breath left my body in a whoosh as he pressed me harder to the rock, then abruptly pulled away. My arms fell from his neck and I dropped to the ground in a horrible daze, unable to shake off the spinning of the room.

I only vaguely came to my senses when I felt two people take hold of my arms and legs and haul me off to the edge of the cliff. I briefly spotted another boy dragging a wildly flailing Haruhi up to the edge with us, and my eyes widened.

A fall from this height....

"Good riddence!!"

They flung us straight off the cliff, and I faintly heard someone shouting "Haruhi! Micah!" over the wind roaring in my ears. 

Then, it all went black when I fell beneath the waves.