We Are the Sons and Daughters - Kyoya x OC

Chapter 9

     After the incident, Reiko expected everything to return to normal. Aside from being in the same class as Tamaki and Kyoya, she would have no association with the Host Club. The silver-haired teen wasn't the least bit bothered by this; rather, she saw the boys as troublemakers and kept her interaction with the boys to a minimum. Reiko didn't hate the Host Club. Taking her father's advice, she'd let the incident go after her "prank" and refused to dwell on any of the minor details like the fact that she'd never received a formal apology... it was all in the past. Her attitude towards the school's most sought-after bachelors was that they were irrelevant. The only exception to this unspoken rule was Haruhi Fujioka. After seeing her class ranking, the first year occasionally sought her out for help with her homework and the two would spend their study period in the fifth library or the clubroom reviewing together. Frankly, Reiko preferred being in the library- it was much easier to concentrate, and she didn't have to deal with Tamaki's strange antics.

     Although the blonde had accepted the fact that his classmate was not a spy, he still found her very mysterious and uncomfortable to be around. He had placed her in the same category as the "shady twins" and believed her to be a bad influence on Haruhi- an opinion that he expressed very clearly to both females. Reiko, meanwhile was annoyed by his theatrical disposition and believed him to be mentally unstable and delusional. After all, what kind of boy fantasizes about being his kohai's father? It was beyond strange, and Reiko was happy to keep him at arm's length.

     Though Tamaki was arguably the most popular boy in school and was well-liked by all, Reiko searched for entirely different characteristics in her friends. For that reason, the silver-haired teen had few friends at Ouran Academy; actually, she had none. The people she surrounded herself with at school were merely acquaintances, people she liked but wasn't particularly close to. Despite the distance, she kept from those surrounding her, Reiko was observant in nature and was quick to offer assistance when she saw that something was amiss with any of them.

     That Tuesday during lunch, she'd noticed that one of her classmates and acquaintances- Ayame- had been acting particularly gloomy. Although the second year had always been a serious character, she wasn't usually this solemn.

     "Ayame, is there something wrong?" she asked.

     The black-haired girl suddenly slammed her head onto the table and groaned in frustration. "I can't deal with this!"

     Reiko raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

     "Ayame's got a crush on Tamaki Suoh and is having a crisis over it," Chiyo- another girl who sat with them- explained.

     "I hate him. He's annoying and flamboyant and a total flirt. But I like him," Ayame said.

     Chiyo giggled at her friend's distress before turning towards Reiko. "I suggested she visit the Host Club. If she spends a bit more time with Tamaki, it might help her clear up her feelings."

     The dark-haired girl snapped her head up and shot her a glare. "You just want someone to go with you so you can fawn over Mori-senpai," she spat.

     The brunette grinned mischievously and put her hands up in surrender. "Guilty."

     Reiko tilted her head. "Well, even if you just wanted company, going to the club might not be such a bad idea, Ayame."

     "You think I should go?" she asked. Reiko was always the neutral party in their conversations. She voiced her opinion very few times, so her words held quite a bit of weight among the three girls.

     The silver-haired teen shrugged. "I don't see why not."

     "You're coming with me though," Ayame stated.

     She looked at her strangely. "There's no need for me to go. Sakura's already going, isn't she?" she asked.

     "Well... not today. I have a riding lesson after school," Chiyo told them.

     "There's no way I'm going alone. I'd rather die," Ayame said stubbornly.

     Reiko sighed. "Ayame, you know Tamaki and I don't get along. Why would you even want me there?"

     "I find your presence comforting," she deadpanned.

     The second year raised an eyebrow. Ayame's words didn't inspire much confidence. "It still wouldn't be practical for me to attend. It's Tamaki and I who don't get along. His attitude will be different, and you won't be able to make a fair assessment."

     "It should be fine as long as you and Tamaki don't interact, right? What if you were in the club room but at a different table?" Sakura suggested

     "Yes, that would be fine," Ayame said.

     Reiko cut Sakura a glare before she relented. "Fine. Only for an hour though."