Color My World (Ouran High School Host Club)

Chapter 2- Unjust Persuasion

"Where are we going?" I asked, following Haruhi through a suburban neighborhood that wasn't far from my apartment. "If you believe you can drag me back to that psycho club of yours, think again."

To my surprise, she was wearing a pseudo-girlish outfit, which consisted of a pale pink t-shirt, a light denim jacket, brown leggings, and short-heeled black boots. A gaudy silver locket sparkled from her-

Wait, a necklace? Since when did the crossdressing, no nonsense Haruhi Fujioka wear necklaces?

"What's with that?" I wrinkled my nose, gesturing towards the offending object.

A look of panic flickered across her face, and for a moment, just a moment, she seemed uncertain, unconfident, before regaining her composure so quickly that I almost forgot her moment of indecision.

Key word: almost.

"Oh, this?" She laughed nervously, fingering the locket. "Tamaki gave it to me."

Her explanation seemed valid enough, but somehow, I wasn't buying it. However, if it was true, it confirmed my suspicions that Tamaki indeed had the taste of a lovesick fangirl. The locket itself was inhumanely large and heart-shaped, with "I love you" emblazoned in swirly, cursive letters. It was enough to make me want to vomit.

Besides, even if he did give it to her, that didn't mean she actually had to wear it. The Haruhi Fujioka I had known would never have worn such a monstrosity. Maybe she wore it just to pacify him? That was a scenario I could most definitely picture.

"To answer your question, we're just going to the supermarket and back to my apartment," Haruhi added, changing the subject at the speed of light. "Um, if you don't mind me asking...what happened the other day?"

We stepped into the grocery store, Haruhi's boots clacking against the tiled floor. Striding confidently between the aisles like she owned the place, she picked up canned foods and bundled-up vegetables, carefully scrutinizing their prices before placing them in her basket.

I shrugged, a little unnerved by her interrogation. "I guess I was annoyed by those idiots and I...couldn't take it anymore. Honestly, I don't get how you deal with them everyday. I just don't belong there."

Actually, I probably didn't belong anywhere. Not in my home, where I felt vulnerable alone, not at my old school, where I was treated like a freak, and certainly not in that trashy academy.

When I snapped back to reality, Haruhi was waving a hand in front of my face, trying to pull me out of my thought bubble. "Hello? Senpai? Are you there?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." I forced a grin. "

"Alright, we're just about done-"

"Haruhi, darling!" an agonizingly familiar voice called out, its owner waving his arms frantically and not-so-subtly beckoning us forward. None other than the esteemed Tamaki Suoh himself was standing before me, surrounded by his clique of rich brats.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Commoner stores are absolutely fascinating! Of course, we'd do anything to understand our darling Haruhi better!" Tamaki trilled, clapping his hands like a delighted toddler.

The twins were poking at a dried-up mango and gesturing wildly at the wide variety of inexpensive tropical fruits, marveling at the remarkably low prices. Mori, stoic as ever, stopped Honey from making a beeline towards the baked goods by placing a firm hand on his mop of blonde hair, while Kyoya merely smirked, making a note on his omnipresent clipboard.

I had absolutely nothing to say, so in lieu of staring at their idiotic faces any longer, I dragged the dazed Haruhi to the cash register, paid for the groceries with some spare change I found in her wallet, and briskly exited the store.