Absquatulate

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

//Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.//

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

LOBELIA

Asami heaves a tired sigh, pancaking on the table in front of her. Kazuki eyes her worriedly and reaches over to pat her back in sympathy. She arrived early to school today to get away from her family for a bit. Learning about her future arranged marriage is weighing heavily on her mind. How could her father do this to her? How could he take away her autonomy? Her thoughts pause as she remembers that her father is merely a puppet whose strings are being pulled by her grandmother. Her grandmother becomes more and more horrible with each interaction. This is why Asami was forced to attend finishing school—not because she needed to learn how to be a proper lady, but so she learned how to be a proper wife. Wife...a shudder runs down her spine. She should not even be worrying about such things at her age. She wishes her father protected her from Shizue better.

"Asami, what's wrong?" Kazuki asks quietly. "Do I need to kill someone for you?" He reaches over and rests a worrying hand on hers.

"Yeah, I have a whole list for you to murder." She mumbles jokingly while lifting her head from the table. The list of suitors flash in her mind. She wonders who is all on it.

"Give me the list, I'll get it done by the weekend." He informs her in a serious tone. She laughs at him, running a hand through her hair.

"At least I know you'll always be my ride or die." She giggles and decides to get out her school supplies for the day. Kazuki fakes laugh, pretending that he wasn't legitimately offering to kill someone for her. She looks at the door with a slight frown. "Where is everyone? People are usually here earlier than me for class." Kazuki sends her a confused look.

"Today is the exhibition event for cultural clubs. Most people are with their club to prepare for the event." He informs her. She pauses and furrows her eyebrows.

"Why did I not know about this?" She groans. Tamaki must have forgotten to inform her. "So that means I have to get up to the host club room and prepare." She starts to put her things away, slowly rising from her seat when Kazuki puts a hand on her own to stop her actions. She tilts her head curiously at him.

"Not every club member needs to prepare, you only have to join them in the afternoon when people begin to go from club to club to observe the cultural event. Why don't you take the morning off and spend some time with me in the gardens?" He smiles at her. She hums and thinks for a moment. Since Tamaki and the rest of the host club forgot to tell her, she suspects that preparing for the cultural event must not be that important.

"Okay," she returns his smile. "Lead the way." He grabs her things and slings her bag over his shoulder while holding his hand out for her to take. She laughs, "what a gentleman," and takes his hand. The two head out of the classroom and begin to make their way to the gardens.

She sees many students rushing around the corridors, props and papers in hand. She watches in amusement at all the chaos when suddenly, someone bumps into her from behind. She stumbles forward and nearly falls on her face if it weren't for Kazuki hurriedly catching her. She gazes up to see a blond-haired boy with red eyes who is wearing a school uniform she does not recognize—a white blouse, gray cardigan and a tripped red and white tie.

"I'm terribly sorry for bumping into you," the unknown male apologized with a gentle smile on his face. Asami narrows her eyes, getting the feeling that this princely attitude is fake. "Are you alright? I do hope I didn't hurt you." A brunette, brown-eyed girl appears next to him wearing a similar school uniforms—expect she has on a yellow vest, a teal pleated skirt, and a stripped bow.