BLOOM [OHSHC]

Chapter 8 - The Stranger and the Shark

Kyoya started being much nicer to me once I got my first customer.

It may or may not have been Rika from quartet, but money was money to Kyoya.

And her parents didn't mind. So it all worked out just fine.

Before her, I'd been bouncing around from host to host, helping them and schmoozing the other guests, trying to worm my way into their hearts. And wallets. We played games, dressed up in silly costumes, performed little skits... I wondered if it was fruitless, if I didn't have customers because I was unapproachable, or maybe because I was sort of a celebrity... or, most likely, both.

But like I said, things got better once Rika requested me. We mulled over pieces for the summer concert, going over our notes from practice, sipping tea, and talking about things to tell the boys. We'd been given six slots for the concert - our final exam, basically - and we only had three pieces selected at that point; if we didn't nail our performances, then the quartet could get cancelled or defunded by the school. Which none of us wanted.

By the end of our first meeting, Rika and I settled on two more pieces: the theme song from Howl's Moving Castle, and Kiss from a Rose by Seal, both of which fit the concert's theme of pop culture. We found Vitamin String Quartet covers on the internet, bought the sheet music, and emailed the pages to the boys, hoping to practice at our next meeting.

A deep cough shook us from our excited planning for the concert, finding Mori senpai hovering over us. "Sorry to interrupt," he muttered, crossing his arms and staring at the marble floor, "Ootori said it's time for your next customer. I can take you."

"Oh!" I jumped up and hugged Rika briefly, waving her off as she left the Host Club before following Mori through the sea of tables and potted plants. "I guess I didn't know I had another customer today, Mori," I explained, trotting along behind him, "Sorry. I would've been ready-"

"It was last minute," he answered, looking over his shoulder at me and slowing to accommodate for my shortness. "Don't worry."

Mori led me to a table in the far back corner, where Kyoya sat with another girl who looked vaguely familiar. "Good luck," he muttered, abandoning me with the stranger and the shark.

Grimacing, I forced a smile at the two of them, and said, "I heard you two are my next appointment?"

Kyoya stood from his seat and ushered me closer to the table. "Michiyo Kimura, this is Renge Houshakuji. Renge helps me run the host club," he explained.

I extended a hand to her, and the name clicked. Renge. Kyoya and the others had mentioned her before, and I'd seen her around the club. "Nice to finally meet you," I said, pressing my lips to her knuckles when she placed her hand in mine, laying the flattery on a little thick.

She flushed and giggled, covering her mouth. "Oh my! So sweet!"

I could practically hear Kyoya's optic nerves snap as he rolled his eyes.

We took our seats, and Kyoya poured me a cup of mint tea. I thanked him and fixed it how I liked, waiting for someone to say something. Surely they asked me to join them for a reason, right? I used Kyoya's tactic against him and stayed silent, holding out for one of them to begin the conversation.

"Renge directed me to your fan club page," Kyoya finally said. It was probably the last thing I'd expected to come out of his mouth, but I kept my cool and waited for him to continue, sipping my tea. "And we know about the stalker."

Great. 

Renge leaned forward and placed her hand on my free one, a worried look crossing her features. It seemed genuine. Either that, or she was a better actress than me. "Have you caught them before? They seem to have a lot of insider information, going back since the-"