The Purrfect Type

CHAPTER THREE: The Host Transformation

There was this... bizarre feeling, for lack of a better description, when Nekozawa had wound up at Haruhi's place. Not that he reacted to a commoner's dwelling in the same spastic manner that Tamaki had, though he did find Haruhi's dad to be a rather fascinating character. A man dressing like and identifying as a woman? It was a curious situation he had only heard of and never seen with his own two eyes.

"Why did we have to come to my home, anyhow?" Haruhi groaned, busy trying to keep Tamaki from growing mushrooms in the corner after the poor King had gotten yelled at by Ranka.

"Your dad is helping us with Nekozawa's makeover, remember?" Tamaki sparkled.

"I'm helping my daughter. Not you, Suoh," Ranka huffed sharply, flitting about the room after previously pushing Nekozawa into a chair situated in the center of the room.

"...Excuse me, Ranka? Your daughter?" he echoed questioningly, shifting nervously in his seat.

Simultaneously, Tamaki and Kyoya, the only two hosts that were permitted to surpervise the "makeover", facepalmed. Actually, Tamaki freaked out to the fullest extent until he deflated like a balloon, colorless on the floor. Haruhi and Ranka looked unfazed.

"Drama queens. Nekozawa, be a dear and ditch the cloak. It's gloomy," Ranka chirped and strolled over, yanking the cloak clean off.

Nekozawa flinched at the sudden exposure to the house lights, silently grateful that Kyoya had thought ahead and dimmed the lights as much as Ranka would allow.

"Haruhi is paying back her debt to the Host Club," Kyoya said matter-of-factly, glasses flashing as he pushed them further up his nose. "Due to her social status, hr method of payment is bringing in customers as a host. This is a secret I'm confident you will be willing to agree to keep, Nekozawa, lest your family's activities be mysteriously leaked to the general public.."

"Kyoya-senpai, you're evil," Haruhi sighed and sweatdrops.

"It's merely business."

Nevertheless, Nekozawa hastily agreed to these conditions, and after a lengthy lecture made by Tamaki about how important Haruhi's true gender was to remain hidden, Ranka finally butted in and stepped on the conceited blonde.

"Enough chatter. Let me work, please," the brunette transvestite demanded, and the three other Ouran students fled the room. "Now then, Nekozawa, sit still and stare straight ahead. Yeah, like that, but lift your chin for me. That nice Kyoya fellow told me about your fear of light. Maybe I'll keep your hair long.."

Scissors were put to work, snippets of hair rushing to the floor. Idle small talk and innocent questions. Ranka was quite a pleasant person to talk to despite how much he reminded the occult fanatic about Suoh.

-

"Go on and strut your stuff, Neko-chan!"

By the end of this, Haruhi's dad had taken to calling Nekozawa by that nickname, and it was very embarrassing. He was grabbed by the shoulders and steered into the other room where Haruhi, Tamaki, and Kyoya waited.

"If you look closely at this masterpiece crafted by moi, you'll see these new layers that really bring out.."

Nekozawa's posture was stiff and straight for once, clad in the perriwinkle Ouran Academy uniform and shaky hands clasped tightly together in front of him. While Ranka rambled on, he curiously sifted his fingers through his hair, not used to see the blonde bangs hanging in his peripheral vision. Only minutes before he was introduced to a mirror, and he felt.. lighter. His dark wig had been forbidden by Ranka, but the man was merciful and kept Nekozawa's hair long enough to block out most of the light. Crystal blue eyes locked nervously onto his peers, awaiting their judgement.

"...Nekozawa-senpai, you look nice," Haruhi spoke first, her dark eyes warm and smile encouraging. "You kind of look like Tamaki-senpai."

"WHAT?! I LOOK NOTHING LIKE THAT EVIL WIZARD!!" Tamaki gasped in shock, proceeding to make a huge deal out of nothing. As per usual.

"Hmmm.. you two do look quite similar.." Kyoya mused, interest glinting in his calculating eyes as he promptly ignored Tamaki's rantings.

"I DON'T CURSE PEOPLE OR SELL THEM VOODOO DOLLS-"

"The twins are quite popular.. and with polar opposite look alikes.."

"-DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE PUPPET OF PURE EVIIIIIIL-"

"Quirky interests and shy tendencies could attract potential guests..."

"WHAT WOULD WE DO IF HE SCARED ALL THE LOVELY GIRLS AWAY. HUH. WHAT. WOULD. WE. DO."

"Tamaki."

"AND ANOTHER THING- Huh?" With his pointer finger raised from his nonsensical venting, he looked over to Kyoya curiously.

Nekozawa and Haruhi just watched.

"You agreed to let Nekozawa join the Host Club, and it is Haruhi's idea," the raven-haired boy reminded politely, readjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, but-"

"A true gentleman never goes back on his word. Did I remember that correctly?"

"...Yeah, but-"

"Do you doubt Renge's ability to wringe as much gossip and publicity as possible from this situation?"

"Well, no-"

"I'm glad you have no further objections."

On that delightful note of Kyoya winning another argument, Nekozawa swallowed thickly when that cool gaze was cast upon him. That smile on Kyoya's lips was both unsettling and oddly charming; it suddenly made sense why he was a host. His intellect and wit were attractive qualities to the Host Club guests. Huh. The former president of the Black Magic Club never gave Suoh any credit for how well-run the Host Club was. Now he knew the credit was more due to Kyoya Otori than anyone else. He seemed as if to know exactly how to handle everything, down to the very letter.

"Now then, Nekozawa, do you have any questions?"

"...I can still keep Beelzenef, right?"

The puppet was tucked neatly into his right pocket of his school uniform, as Ranka found it to be "disturbing" and "creepy" despite Nekozawa's attempts to explain Beelzenef's cursing abilities. Surely Ranka's opinion would differ after learning how useful Beelzenef's dark powers truly were.

"NO, YOU CAN'T-"

"Tamaki-senpai!" Haruhi interjected with an annoyed look. "He should be able to keep Beelzenef. It's apart of him."

"Well, with that figured out..."

Kyoya's glasses flashed white.

"Nekozawa, you start tomorrow."