Hero | ohshc

XXXIII

"Haruhi. As in Fujioka Haruhi?" A strange boy exclaimed just as I was walking down the steps of the pension onto the ground floor.

"Arai-kun?" 

I peered over at the two. She knows this kid? 

"These are your friends?" He stared awkwardly, looking at the twins and Tamaki who didn't move their gaze from the brown haired boy. Their gaze was penetrating and Arai seemed to fidget.

"Yeah. These two are my classmates in high school. Hikaru and Kaoru. And this one is," Tamaki's face lit up at being introduced, "my senp—Ah, just someone I know." 

I burst out laughing at Tamaki's horrified face. 

-

I had settled onto the couch with a hot cup of tea and a newspaper, the heat of the cup radiating onto my hands.  

"We haven't seen each other since middle school graduation." Haruhi's voice broke the crickets' soothing sound, and half of my attention was nosily turned to their conversation.

"You cut your hair," way to state the obvious, "that's such a waste."

"You think so? After cutting it, I actually think this way's much more convenient." I sipped my tea and tried to return my full attention to the newspaper in my hands, but their conversation intrigued me.

"Have you gotten used to life at Ouran yet? Do you still meet up with up with people from middle school?" He asked.

"Yeah. Kind of. Like, Kazumi calls me a lot." 

"You say these people are in the same club as you. What's the club?" He doesn't know yet, eh?

"The host club." I set down my newspaper with a chuckle and sipped some of my tea. Haruhi's voice sounded dejected.

"Oh wow, the softball club." 

Softball. Huh? Oh yeah, hosuto (host) and sofuto (softball) do sound a bit similar. I shrugged and returned my attention back to my tea.

"Oi Haruhi, you think you can just stop working like this?" Hikaru raised his empty glass in the air, the ice clinking, "there's someone slacking off from their work here!" 

"Misuzu-san gave me a break," Haruhi called back. I uncrossed my legs and stood up, holding my empty mug in one hand and the English newspaper in the other. I stood next to Haruhi with anger pulsing through my veins.

"I'll get it for him, the lazy asshole," I muttered with a ticked off tone. 

"Woah." I looked up at the brown haired boy to see him staring at me, "you're pretty." A chair clattered behind me and I flinched at the compliment.

"Uhh, thanks, but if you are trying to hit on me," I blushed and scratched the back of my neck, "I kind of already have someone." As I was walking away Haruhi started to scold Tamaki about leaving rubbish all over the floor and my only reply was a simple roll of the eyes.

"People from Ouran are so funny! I heard it was a school for the elite and had an image that it'd be a different world." The boy laughed.

"It's a different dimension, all right!" 

I walked behind the bar and poured some ice water into Hikaru's glass, the water splashing me and making me jump in surprise. They continued talking and Arai became flustered, rubbing his hair. Hikaru's eyes narrowed and in order to snap him out of his jealousy I slammed his glass on the counter and leaned in. 

"Jealousy looks horrible on you, yet you continue to wear it. Glaring at the boy you're jealous of isn't going to solve anything." I hissed in Hikaru's ear.