Exactly One Week Later:

The nosy pervert had been right, as much as I may have wanted to deny it. I was, in fact, an exchange student from America. Specifically, my home was the sleepy suburbs outside of Philadelphia. I had grown up on cheesesteaks and Phanatics, so Japan was nothing short of a drastic change for me.

But, according to my parents, necessary all the same.

Again, Kyouya had been correct. The family business, Viano's Old World Catering, had become famous practically overnight when a certain celebrity I didn't give a damn about tried out our "wondrous" food. "On a dare," the "teen heartthrob" had later told the press. A dare. That's what caused my whole world to shift in a matter of months.

Sometimes, I really hated that Justin What's-His-Name.

When it became clear we had the money to put a deposit down on a small country, my lovely parents decided public school just wasn't going to cut it for me any longer. Oh no, too dangerous they told me. They also told me it would be a great opportunity for me to acquire some real world experience. And what better way to do that than to ship me off to Japan all by my lonesome to attend the positively fancy Ouran High School?

I worried about my parents' mental health. Really I did.

The school itself was beautiful. Quite like a castle in almost every way. Though the princess-pink that adorned the outside walls was a little off putting. Pink (and yellow, for that matter) was never really my color.

But the students.

They were going to be the death of me, I was sure.

All that occupied their thoughts, for the girls at least, were boys. And if by some miracle the opposite sex had fled their minds, it was replaced by thoughts of dresses and parties they planned to attend and giggles. That last one is based on the fact that I had never had a conversation with one of them without them having a giggling fit halfway through.

How any of them were passing their classes was a mystery to me.

The boys were a different matter.

I wasn't pretty enough to have to worry about them flirting with me. Better yet, I was the strange girl who had appeared two weeks ago with the strange accent with which I spoke clipped, clumsy Japanese. Let me tell you, Rosetta Stone's promise of "learn a new language in under a month" was very much overrated.

Anyway, I was weird. Plain and simple. Therefore I was avoided. Unless they needed someone to harass.

I wasn't bullied excessively. Just a few jokes as my expense here and there. Really, I didn't mind. I was an oddity, they were bound to find some way to exploit that. I'd dealt with far worse in my time.

In any case, I was most likely found in the library, alone, when I had any sort of free time.

Currently, I was sitting deep among the many high shelves, back pressed to a wall, legs folded up clumsily beneath me. A book sat propped open beside me, and I leaned over it, one hand holding me up while the other flicked over pages every so often.

The library was quiet for once. Usually, people were in here, laughing loudly and "studying". What that meant had nothing at all to do with books and everything to do with flirting.

The lights were dimmed slightly, but it wasn't anything to worry over. Misty, almost whimsical light filtered in through the window just to my left, letting me see the text I was reading perfectly well.

I had finished my homework during free period, so I was just content to read. Smiles periodically touched my lips as I picked out scenes I either found heartwarming or funny. I was in my own little world, completely oblivious to reality.

That is, until I was roughly slung over someone's shoulder and carried from my private corner.

"W-what the hell?!" I spluttered, completely caught off guard. That was when the familiar drone of the fire alarm finally managed to thrum against my ears, shattering my peace even more completely. But as I listened to it, I realized it was more of a tinkling melody than an obnoxious blaring ringing. It was still loud as hell though.

Wow. I'm an idiot to have missed that. Damn you Perseus Jackson for being so stupidly entertaining!

"Sorry, Mi-chan!" a voice chirped. My eyes widened. "But I couldn't get your attention, so I asked Takashi to carry you!"

So it was Mori who had me over his shoulder. I couldn't see his face because I was facing the ground, so I looked up at the boy perched on his other shoulder.

"Mistukuni?" I gasped. I was still new to Japanese, and I was particularly bad with honorifics. And that I was supposed to address him by his last name. But he didn't seem to mind.

He smiled, hugging a small pink rabbit in one arm, the other wrapped lightly around Mori's neck. "Call me Honey!" he giggled. "It's cuter, don't you think?"

I didn't respond, except to drop my head and let it bounce against Mori's back as he jogged from the beautiful, spacious library and down the hall. He seemed to be heading for an exit. Which made sense; this was a fire drill, after all. Or an actual fire. I wasn't sure which at that moment.

I tried to ask a question, but given my current position, it was muffled by Mori's jacket.

"What was that, Mi-chan?" Honey asked, leaning down to hear me.

Lifting my head slightly, I leveled a half-hearted glare in his direction. "Would you please explain to me why it was you two that dragged me out of the library?"

"Oh!" he said, still smiling. "That's cause Takashi and I have to make sure the library is clear during fire drills. All the third-years have a part of the school they check!"

Mori agreed with a nod of his head.

Well, that made sense. But something was nagging at me.

"Why would they have a drill when school's already over?"

Honey just giggled and shook his head, basically saying he had no idea.

I sweat dropped, just as Mori finally came to a halt. We'd come outside without my realizing it, and a crisp, fresh breeze swept across my face, lifting my bangs from my eyes. I squinted in the sudden sunlight and managed to make out the blurry mob of people gathered around us.

Oh shit, I mentally groaned. The Host Club.

I'd done my research after that first encounter. Well, maybe research was too strong a word. All I'd done was go up to some girls after class and ask them if they knew anything about a group of boys who occupied an abandoned music room.

My answer had been full of stutters, flushed faces, giggles and swooning. Lots and lots of swooning.

Mori let me down and I smoothed out the wrinkles in my jacket. Thank God I had changed after classes, or whoever was facing Mori would have gotten a pretty good look under my dress.

Kyouya probably would have enjoyed that.

"Thanks, I guess," I mumbled, flashing the two third-years a glance.

"You're welcome, Mi-chan!" Honey sang, clutching at his little rabbit. This boy was a third-year? It seemed impossible.

Mori, being Honey's absolute opposite, simply nodded and smiled lightly at me.

The heat that spread across my cheeks was unavoidable.

Looking for anything that might catch my attention, I turned round and round, shifting my eyes over the crowd. Mostly, it was filled with air-headed heiresses.

The largest crowd, I noted, swarmed around Tamaki Suoh, "King" of the Host Club. He smiled effervescently at each girl with equal adoration, speaking to them in soft, affectionate tones. There was the occasional squeal when he turned to a particular girl, and most everyone wore a dusting of red on their cheeks.

I was close to losing my box lunch.

Even more so when he lifted his head and caught sight of me. His eyes lit up with recognition, sparkling brilliantly in the afternoon sunshine. I did the sensible thing.

I hid behind Mori.

"Mi-chan, are you afraid of Tamaki?" Honey asked in his unmistakable giggle. Even Mori seemed interested in my answer, as he subtly looked over his shoulder to see me.

"Well, uh... No," I said after an awkward pause. "I mean yes! Wait, no that's not it! I just... don't do well around... guys."

That was when Honey decided to tackle me to the ground in a hug.

The air in my lungs escaped my mouth in a puff of breath, leaving me gasping for a moment as Honey rattled on and on about how cute I was and how adorable I looked when I blushed.

At some point, the ginger Hitachiin twins joined in, pinching my already red cheeks and smiling those sweat-inducing smiles at me.

Oh Universe, why do you forsake me so!

By the time I'd managed to scramble away, the drill was over, and students were filing back into school. I was swept away like driftwood caught in a riptide, unable to fight against the current.

Which is the only reason I ended up being ushered into Music Room Three.

"Oh Tamaki-kun! That was so frightening! I thought the extra clothes in my locker were going to be ruined!"

"And what a shame that would have been, my dear. My eyes would never again have been graced by you in your spectacular wardrobe."

"....."

The girl fainted from the force of her fangirling.

I wanted out. Immediately.

"What is wrong with these girls?" I muttered under my breath as I drifted towards the entrance. "A monkey has better pick up lines than that!"

I was so close to being rid of them all. So close! But then I heard Honey wail, "Tamaaaaaki! We've got an emeeeeerrrrgency!!"

As my hand closed around the door handle, I couldn't keep myself from looking back. Honey was curled up on Tamaki's lap, huge brown eyes slick with tears. His lower lip trembled pitifully.

"Dear God," I murmured.

"H-Honey-sempai!" Tamaki gasped. "What happened?!?!?"

Honey sniffed and sniffed until he could speak again. "We... we ran out of sweets!"

He was joking? Right?

Not according to his fangirls. At once, they sprang into action. Half crowded around Honey, frantically telling him everything would be alright.

"Please don't cry, Honey-sempai!"

"It's ok!"

"We'll help!"

And that's where the other have came in. They ran around the room, yellow dress skirts flapping against their thighs, arms waving hysterically.

"Someone! Quick! Find some sweets for Honey-sempai!"

"Waaaah! Someone!"

....This wasn't happening.

It was like the Apocalypse had begun or something. And Honey was having some sort of meltdown. Even Mori, for whom I sensed a very brotherly sort of vibe, couldn't calm him down.

I wasn't sure what to do, but I wanted to help. If nothing else, I wanted to relay him for taking the time to come and get me during the fire drill. So I sighed and turned back to the door.

I slipped into the hallway and followed my mental map back to the library. My bag was where I had left it: in the back, alongside the copy of The Lightning Thief, which still sat propped open as though a ghostly reader was enjoying it in my place. I scooped up my bag and returned the book to its proper place on the shelf before making my way back back to the Music Room.

Honey was still crying. Unsurprised, I threaded through the throng of desperately hopeless, ridiculously lovesick girls and stopped at his side. He raised his head from Mori's lap (he must have switched while I was gone) and stared at me with teary eyes.

Sighing, I dug around in my bag and pulled out a small plastic container. "Here, Honey," I said, offering him the box. "We made these in Home Ec today. Just don't eat too many; you'll get sick. Plus, they're addicting."

He threw the lid from the box (I faintly heard Haruhi complaining that his head hurt now) and squealed excitedly.

"COOKIES!!"

His enthusiasm brought a smile to my face as he instantly dug in, stuffing his face so full of the cookies that I laughed and laughed.

"These are delicious!" Honey exclaimed. He tipped his head back to look at me and I giggled. His face was covered in little brown crumbs. "you made these, Mi-chan?!!"

"Er, yeah," I agreed. "Family recipe though. I take no credit. But again, not too many! Puking isn't exactly fun."

While he giggled at me, I felt someone trap me with their arms around my waist. They spun me around, shouting "You saved the day! You saved the day! Daddy's so proud!"

"D-daddy?!" I stuttered.

"Sempai! You'll make her throw up!" Haruhi's calm voice called. I was instantly released and fell to the floor without any grace whatsoever.

Before I could move and even before the spinning world came back into focus, about a half dozen girls tackled me in gratitude, spouting words that were so rushed and so mushed together they were like Greek to my ears.

"It was nothing!" I managed to squeak out, hoping they would get the message and remove themselves from me.

That didn't work.

I ended up being rescued by Mori yet again, when I shouted out a muffled, "For the love of God, someone help me!"

I took a few shuddering breaths, then thanked Mori. He just nodded.

What I found astounding was that I'd shouted that in English.

Soon, things quieted down, and returned to what I was beginning to consider normal for the Host Club. I would have left ages before it ended, but Honey insisted I stay and sit with him and Mori. He shared his cookies with all the girls that fawned over him, and then gave one to Mori.

I was surprisingly pleased when he said they were good.

Nonetheless, I was ecstatic when the club officially ended and I was able to make my escape.

I was five steps out the door, hand clutching my messenger bag's strap, when several pairs of hands yanked me back inside.

"Thanks again, Mi-chan!!" Honey hugged my waist, squishing his stuffed rabbit against me a little uncomfortably.

"Thank you," Mori added softly.

"You were amazing!" Tamaki chirped. "You really saved the Host Club today!"

"No I didn't," I replied bluntly, absentmindedly patting Honey's head.

"Obviously, you've never seen Honey-sempai when he gets really upset," one of the twins stated.

"He's freaky," the other added, right against my ear. I jumped, unable to remember when he'd stepped so close to me. Forcing back a shiver, I raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. He gave me a nerve-rattling smirk and returned to his brother's side.

"Whatever," I sighed, having had enough. "If you say I saved the day, I saved the day. Now if that's all..."

"One more thing." Kyouya stepped forwards and smiled at me.

Did the room just get colder?

"In order to prevent something like this from happening again, we'd like to request your services."

"....No."

"What?"

"I'll pass," I said, rolling my eyes. "Im not becoming your personal pastry chef or whatever. I have some dignity, you know."

"Debatable," he replied, without skipping a beat. My eye twitched. "In any case, I believe you owe us. So the choice isn't yours to make."

"I don't owe you guys anything!"

"Didn't Mori-sempai save you just last week?"

"But you said..."

"I don't recall saying anything."

"What are you, a politician?!"

"Pleeeaaase!?" Honey begged, giving me the most precious puppy dog look I'd ever received.

I caved within seconds.

"Fine," I grumbled.

"YES! You're the best Mi-chan!"

"Yeah! Daddy's got another daughter!" Tanaki squealed, clapping his hands together in childish delight. He threw himself at me, smothering both Honey and I (and his rabbit) in a hug. The twins soon joined in, brining with them a reluctant Haruhi.

Kyouya and Mori just stood to the side, smirking and smiling respectively.

And that, I think, is the moment my world basically crashed, to be replaced by one the likes of which I'd never known.

And to start, I'd have to learn how to survive the Host Club.

********************

Eh, a pretty so-so chapter. But now that I've figured out where I am in the story things should get better! Yeah!!!