Author's Note: Oh, wow, totally not as long as I thought it had been since my last update… even if it was almost a year ago.

I'm really sorry there haven't been more updates or any news from me regarding this story. I'm starting to get bummed about it because I want to finish it but (as my updates have testified) I've been lacking inspiration regarding it. I just… every time I sit down to work on it I get horrible writer's block. Reviews help lots, especially long, detailed reviews (hint, hint). Plus, I love hearing from my readers! So thank you, and keep 'em coming!

Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to mimi317 for her review and support! ^_^ Just that little comment helped push me in the right direction for this chapter and got the creative juices flowing. So, thanks to you, you all have this update! Yay! Thank you so much!

NOTICE!: Go vote on the poll on my profile to help me decide what the Host Club will roll play as! =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or Fruits Basket, nor do I claim to. Any and all characters belong to Hatori Bisco and Natsuki Takaya respectively.

Chapter XIX: Uncultured

Rain. Why did it have to rain? He always felt so drained when it was rainy, so tired. He didn't even want to get out of bed on such days. There was only one thing that compelled him to get up and move on rainy days. It was the same thing that compelled him to get up and move any other day of the year. No. Not a thing. A person. Her.

Kyo rolled over lazily as a gentle knocking came at his door.

"Kyo-kun! Breakfast is ready. Hurry down to eat or you won't have time before we leave for school!" Tohru's voiced called, muffled through the door. Such a sweet melody.

Even though he gave no reply, Tohru padded off downstairs as if Kyo had given her an enthusiastic response. Glaring at the raindrops as they splattered almost mockingly on the window, Kyo, with great effort, sat up. It was easier to get up on a rainy day once he was sitting. As a matter of fact, getting up on a rainy day was the easiest part.

Once dressed and downstairs he ate his meal in relative peace. Shigure tried to egg him on, but Tohru provided a pleasant distraction as she rattled on about the upcoming cultural festival.

"This is the first one since going to Ouran!" she was saying. "I'm so excited. I just wish Uo-chan and Hana-chan could be there."

"Don't worry, Honda-san," Yuki said with a gentle smile. He always smiled at her with that smile, the cheeky rat. Why did he look at her so lovingly anyway? "They promised they would drop by one day and enjoy the festivities with us, remember?"

Tohru's face lit up at his words. Kyo snorted. Why couldn't he ever think of things to say that would brighten her mood? It was always the rat, popping in, saying the right thing. How incredibly annoying.

After breakfast they were up, book bags in hand, and headed for the door. Tohru set the remaining dishes (Kyo's) in the sink to wash when they got home.

"Be careful! Take your umbrellas, you don't want to catch a cold," Shigure mothered as they put on their shoes. He waved them off as they left. "Have a good day at school!"

"He really does sound like a doting grandfather," Yuki sighed, placing his hand to his forehead as if their cousin gave him a headache.

Kyo understood if that was the case. Shigure gave him a headache everyday.

"Yes! My grandfather would say such things when I was still living with him. Oh!" Tohru suddenly exclaimed. She looked at Kyo, then Yuki in alarm. "Is that why Kisa-chan calls him Ojii-san?"

Yuki laughed hardily. Even Kyo, despite the weather, couldn't help but smile. "What a ditz," he muttered.

She looked at him in surprised. "Eh?" it wasn't a hurt expression. It wasn't even offended. It was just Tohru's expression. He smiled again, this time more genuinely. He looked away to hide it from Yuki.

"Honda-san, you really are oblivious sometimes," Yuki laughed.

Tohru laughed, too. "Yes, yes, sorry!" she apologized. Why did she apologize? She always did that, even when she didn't have to—especially when she didn't have to.

When they got to school Kyo was relieved to be indoors again, out of the rain. If it was going to rain he didn't have to be out in it.

Tohru went immediately to her desk, directly behind that boy Haruhi, and those rotten twins. Kyo didn't like the way they looked at Tohru, sometimes. It wasn't indecent necessarily, or even inappropriate. But they looked at her as if she were a toy. Rather, someone they could toy with, tease, taunt. Mock, even. It made Kyo's blood boil. No one was going to do that to Tohru. Not while he was around. No one.

Tohru was talking with Yuki and Haruhi now. They were laughing and smiling, no doubt discussing their excitement about the cultural festival. Though, Haruhi looked far less enthused than the rest of them. Even the twins seemed pretty excited.

Damn. That meant they'd probably be discussing what their class would do for the cultural festival, Kyo realized. Which meant he'd be after school for a while.

Sinking into his desk he folded his arms on top, dropping his head onto them. Hopefully, whatever they decided on, wouldn't take long at all to decide, and wouldn't be stupid.

Lunchtime rolled around rather quickly. The twins were quickly up and out the door, waving over their shoulders to Haruhi with the promise of seeing her afterwards, much to her relief. Haruhi turned her desk chair around so as to share Tohru's desk for lunch, per their routine, and pulled out her packed lunch. Yuki came over immediately, pulling up a chair to the side of Tohru's desk, and sat down.

Haruhi was about to dig in to her lunch, having had a lit breakfast due to oversleeping (she'd been up late with her father, talking about this and that. He'd been terribly clinging all summer, and now that school had resumed he wasn't much better); she was about to take a bit when Tohru spoke, in a raised voice. Not an angry, or mean voice. But loud enough for Kyo to hear her from where he stood at the door.

"Ah! Kyo-kun!" she called out. She even stood up, as if for emphasis. "W-would you like to join us for lunch today?"

Every day since school had started back Tohru had asked him to have lunch with them. Everyday since school started back he said no, and stalked off into the hallway.

Today, though, he shrugged. "Sure," he said, coming over to the desk. He pulled a chair up to the opposite side of the desk Yuki was on, turned it around backwards, and sat down, straddling it. He put his lunch box on the table but didn't really do much with it.

Haruhi realized then that she didn't really know much about Kyo. In the year that she had known him, they hadn't really talked or interacted. Even in the rare instances when they were around each other. She just didn't know anything about him, other than he was a Sohma, Yuki's cousin, and cursed.

For instance, why did he refuse to eat with them everyday? Why did he leave the classroom at lunch? Where did he go? And why did he decide to eat with them today, when he never had before?

"Glad you joined us!" Haruhi said with a smile.

Kyo just glanced at her, then went back to picking at his food. Was he even eating any of it?

Haruhi wasn't discouraged, though. "So you live with Tohru-chan and Yuki-kun, right? In the house with that writer guy…" Kyo grunted. She continued. "How did that come about? What made you decide to live there?"

Kyo met her gaze squarely. "Why do you care?"

"Don't be rude!" Yuki snapped, giving a warning glare to his cousin.

Kyo ignored him. Haruhi went on, unabashed. "I'm just curious. I suddenly realized I've known you for a little over a year and don't really know you at all!" she explained.

"Wow. Has it already been a year?" Yuki marveled, more to himself then any of the others. "It doesn't feel like it."

"Time flies when you're having fun!" Tohru enthused with a bright smile.

Kyo smiled warmly at her, quickly ducking his head to hide it from Yuki and Haruhi, but he wasn't quick enough; Haruhi caught it.

"So how did you come to live with—" Haruhi began again, but she was cut off.
"Because I wanted, too, okay?" Kyo growled, obviously annoyed and making no attempt to hide it. "Does there need to be another reason?"

Haruhi shrugged. "No, I don't suppose so—what about your parents?"

The atmosphere between the four of them became suddenly stiff. Yuki studied his food, not looking up. Tohru glanced between the three of them anxiously. Haruhi swallowed, a bit uneasy by the drastic shift. Should she not have asked that?

Kyo suddenly looked up, meeting her gaze, and stated flatly, "My mother is dead. My father owns a dojo. I lived with him before—" He dropped his gaze back to the desk.

"Ah, you mean Shishou-san!*" Tohru said happily.

"Who else would I mean? He is my father, after all," Kyo said, turning toward her. "Sheesh, what a ditz."

"I-I'm sorry, you're right," Tohru laughed. "Who else?"

Kyo once again hid the small smile that crept onto his face as he looked at her.

"I've never met anyone who owns a dojo," Haruhi said. She thought for a moment, then said, "Well, actually, Hani-sempai and Mori-sempai are really good at martial arts. But I don't know if they own a dojo. I mean their families own dojos, I think—" She laughed. "Never mind. It's not important.

"Do you visit your father, still? Is he the one who taught you how to fight?" she asked.

Kyo gave her a curious look. "Why do you want to know so much about me all of a sudden anyway?" he demanded in a stern, yet not harsh tone.

"Because you're my friend," she replied.

Even Yuki looked surprised by that. Tohru was elated.

"How nice! We've all become friends," she commented.

"We are?" Kyo asked skeptically.

"I consider us friends. After all, we've known each other a year, attend the same school in the same class, and we both know each other's secrets. Why shouldn't we be friends?" Haruhi asked with a smile.

"Both of our secrets?" Kyo repeated, suddenly alert.

"Yes. I know you're cursed by a zodiac animal, and you know I'm really a girl," she replied.

Kyo stood up and pointed at her, making a noise resembling a mix between surprise and exclamation. "You're a girl!?" He exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

Haruhi gawked at him, literally dumbfounded. It took her a moment before she could gather her thoughts enough to reply. "Y-yes. Don't you remember? In the lake house, while decorating for my birthday—several of you ended up in a heap on the floor with me. You all changed because you all are male, cursed Sohmas, and I am a girl."

Kyo gaped at her in a baffled stupor. He slowly sank back into his chair.

"You really didn't realize that meant I was a girl?" Haruhi exclaimed.

"Shut up!" Kyo growled, crossing his arms as he slumped back against the back of his chair, turning his gaze away with a huff.

"Excuse me?" Haruhi asked, taken aback.

"Don't mind him," Yuki spoke up. He had a mischievous smirk as he looked right at Kyo, adding, "He's just sore because he's too stupid to have realized you were the cause of our transformation."

Kyo glared at Yuki for a moment, then cast his gaze back to the lowly corner of the room he'd picked to glower at. Other than that, he gave no response.

"I guess Tohru isn't the only ditzy one today," Yuki added with a chuckle.

Kyo stood up, slamming his fist on the table in front of Yuki. Yuki didn't even blink, let alone flinch. He just looked up at Kyo as if to say, "What? You want to start this here? Now? Bring it."

Of course, he didn't actually say those things. But something about the look in his eyes told Haruhi that that long, steady gaze he was locked in with Kyo was conveying something similar.

Kyo scoffed, shoving his lunch box across the desk where it bumped Yuki's, then stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and stormed out.

"Ah, Kyo-kun!" Tohru called after him, standing up.

"Let him go, Honda-san," Yuki said with a long, drawn out sigh. "He's in one of his moods today, and the rain doesn't help."

Tohru looked rather disappointed as she let her gaze drop to the desk. She spotted Kyo's box, less than half eaten. "His lunch! I should take it to him. He'll be hungry later if he doesn't eat!" she exclaimed, renewed vigor returning to her face as she scooped the box up and hurried after Kyo.

"What's the deal with him?" Haruhi asked after she had gone.

Yuki shrugged, slurping at the straw in his soda can. "Who knows? He's terribly cranky—well, all the time. But rainy days put him in an even more foul mood."

"So if he's in such a foul mood, why didn't he start a fight just now?" Haruhi wondered. Yuki and Tohru both had mentioned the rivalry between Kyo and his cousin a time to two. From what Tohru said, it wasn't pretty and often ended in fists. And a sore, beat up Kyo.

"The rain drains his energy. He doesn't have it in him to fight, even if he wanted," Yuki said casually, glancing at the ceiling as if he could hear the rain falling on it, even though he couldn't because there was a whole other floor above them.

"Who's doesn't it drain?" Haruhi asked rhetorically.

Yuki grunted his agreement.

They sat in silence a bit. This was unlike the silence they had shared on Yuki's first day of school at Ouran. That was awkward, uncomfortable. This silence was familiar, relaxed. The silence two friends share. Haruhi smiled at that.

"So what's the deal with Tohru-chan, then?" she asked with a smirk. "She's been kind of—clingy since summer break. She wasn't like that at the beach."

Yuki gawked at her. "What do you mean?" he asked, almost alarmed. His very posture changed at the questioning. He sat up and leaned forward ever so slightly.

Haruhi blinked at him a couple times before responding. "At the beach, they were normal Kyo and Tohru-chan. Now, he seems to distance himself and be aloof while she's very—clingy."

"Clingy?" Yuki repeated with a hint of disgust in his tone, as if the word were offensive.

"Yes. Like my father is with me," Haruhi analogized. She paused a moment to rethink it. "Well, similar to how my father is with me. It's almost as if she—"

Haruhi trailed off. Yuki looked at her and the look in his eyes made her regret ever bringing it up. Could Yuki possibly have feelings towards Tohru? She'd never thought about it before now. They'd always been such good, close friends. He couldn't possibly care for her that way, could he?

"Yuki, I'm sorry, I—" she began, but honestly didn't know what she was trying to say.

"Why are you apologizing?" Yuki asked, truly confused. His brow knit together slightly and he dropped his gaze.

There. That was the awkward silence she'd recalled. It wasn't as thick as before, but there it was, in all its awkward glory.

"What were you going to say?" Yuki spoke suddenly. "She what?"

Haruhi smiled slightly and shook her head. "Never mind."

"No. She what? What about Honda-san?" he insisted.

"Yuki, I—" Haruhi's words stuck in her throat when she met his gaze. If he did care about Tohru in that way, and hadn't realized that Tohru might possibly care for Kyo in that way, could she really tell him? It could break his heart. She had to be sure, first.

"Yuki-kun, do you—care about Tohru-chan?" she asked. What an odd conversation for her to be having. She could count on one hand the number of times she'd had this kind of conversation in her life. It just wasn't something she chose as a topic to discuss.

"Of course I care about Honda-san," he replied, giving her a questioning look.

"No, I mean, do you care about her?" Haruhi repeated with emphasis on the word.

Yuki narrowed his eyes a bit. "What are you trying to ask?" he said. "Are you asking—"

Haruhi gave a slight shrug when he didn't continue. "Well?" she prodded when he still didn't continue.

"No! Don't get the wrong idea, I—I care a lot about Honda-san, but—" his voice trailed off as he struggled for the words. "I'm not saying that I don't love her. I mean, I do, just not in the way you might—it's complicated." He turned his face away as he mumbled the last bit. He seemed genuinely disturbed by their conversation and thoroughly finished with it, because he refused to make eye contact with her. For what exact reason Haruhi was unsure.

Regardless, she learned that Yuki did care deeply for Tohru. But did Yuki realize that Tohru cared deeply for Kyo? Haruhi was surprised she had even realized it!

Maybe all that time around her father was rubbing off…?

All that talk about Tohru, and his feelings for Tohru, and comments like, "it's almost as if she—"

"Almost as if she what?" Yuki whispered quietly to himself as he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He'd stopped there for some relief on his way to the clubroom after classes had ended. Snorting out of frustration, he finished washing his hands and left.

He wasn't exactly sure what Haruhi was getting at with all her questioning. But honestly, it was a conversation he hadn't been prepared to have with her or anyone else that day for that matter. Nonetheless, it had gotten him thinking. Thinking about Tohru, yes, but not about his feelings for Tohru. He'd realized what those were, and they were nothing more than the gratitude and love a child might feel for his mother. Tohru had been genteel and affectionate enough to be like a mother.

Anyway, he wasn't thinking about that. Haruhi had brought to his attention the change in Kyo's behavior toward Tohru, and more importantly in Tohru's behavior towards Kyo. This wasn't the first time he'd noticed this change, either. It made him uncomfortable. Much like he felt when he noticed for the first time (and several times after that) how Hikaru looked at Haruhi, who was oblivious to it.

That's why it made him feel so awkward! Hikaru's glances and supposed feelings for Haruhi were close to what Kyo and Tohru were—

Yuki almost walked into the door of the clubroom as it was thrust open suddenly. Hani came tearing out followed soon by Mori, and ran down the hallway excitedly chanting something about—roll playing? Yuki hurried inside to see what the fuss was all about.

"The Host Club will be doing a café!" Tamaki exclaimed, rushing over to Haruhi as she entered the music room with the twins. Yuki had made a pit stop in the bathroom.

"What?" she said, confused by his sudden outburst.

"Our theme! We won the grand salon again, and all that space is perfect for putting on a café!" Tamaki continued enthusiastically.

"You mean running a café. You "put on" plays—or clothing. You run or open cafés," Kyoya corrected. Something in his tone conveyed irritation.

"But Sempai, our class is doing a café," Haruhi told him.

Tamaki's mood immediately plunged. "What? But—I kept this brilliant idea under lock and key so no one could steal it? What are the odds that class 1-A would come up with the same idea?"

Kyoya, whom Tamaki was demanding that answer from directly, just looked at him, pushed his glasses up, and sighed.

Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged mischievous glances. "I might have said something about a café when we were discussing possible ideas for our class," Hikaru admitted nonchalantly.

Tamaki gaped at him, almost wounded. "You did that on purpose!" he accused, mortified. "Traitors! You knew I was planning a café for the Host Club! Why did you suggest it to your class?"

"Because it's boring!" the twins chimed in unison, each shrugging with disinterest.

"For the Host Club, at least," Hikaru clarified.

"Yeah, I mean, what does a café do? Wait on people and serve tea. We do that for our customers every day!" Kaoru explained.

"But that was my only idea! Now what will the Host Club do?" Tamaki lamented, a bit overdramatic in Haruhi's opinion.

"Come up with another idea, Sempai," she suggested.

"It's impossible! The café was perfect for the Host Club, but now it's ruined!" Tamaki groaned.

"You're such a child, sometimes," Haruhi mumbled with a sweat drop.

"Sometimes?" the twins questioned.

Kyoya cleared his throat. "Clearly the café idea was not meant to be. Haruhi is right. We'll simply have to come up with a new idea," he said.

Tamaki placed his arm on Kyoya's shoulder and leaned on him as if the agony and dismay he was feeling made it hard for him to stand without support. "But what? What could be better than my idea?"

"Plenty, I'm sure," Kyoya deadpanned, with a rather annoyed tone.

"What about Yun-chan?" Hani asked eagerly. He'd called Yuki that ever since he'd heard Kagura use it. "He went to a different school. We can ask him what kind of things his class did for their cultural festival!"

"You're right! But he's not here yet," Tamaki observed. "Haruhi, where is he?"

"Bathroom," the twins chimed in before she had a chance to answer.

"Drat! That won't do. Kyoya!" Tamaki exclaimed. "Do you know what Yuki's former school did for cultural festivals?"

Haruhi found how Tamaki called upon Kyoya's dark powers to do his bidding a bit disturbing sometimes.

Kyoya smirked. "It just so happens that I looked into it," he informed them calmly. He flipped a few pages back in his notebook. "Kaibara's class 1-D, Yuki's former class, put up a rice ball stand. They also did a play. "Sort of Cinderella," I believe it was called." He snapped the notebook closed. "As you can see, they're rather plain ideas, just like the school. Hardly anything lavish enough for Ouran's tastes."

"Sort of Cinderella?" the twins repeated, giving each other a raised eyebrow glance.

Haruhi felt offended for Yuki, since he wasn't there to be offended himself. "Why don't we just add to one of those? I'm sure sempai can take even the simples ideas and take it over the top," she muttered.

"Great idea, Haruhi!" Tamaki exclaimed. "A play! We could put on our own grand play!"

"No good," Kyoya interrupted. "Our customer's are used to interacting with us. A play doesn't allow for such behavior."

"What's the problem? Our customers are just as satisfied to look at us as they are to talk to us," Haruhi wondered.

"Yikes! You make it sound so—awful!" Hikaru cringed.

"Indecent even," Kaoru added.

Haruhi shrugged.

"Because, Haruhi. That may be true, but our customer's like to be spoken directly to. That's the nature of a host club. Plays are not directed at the audience. They are stories that play out, not including the audience at all," Kyoya replied.

"Why not make it interactive then?" Haruhi wondered.

Tamaki's eyes lit up at the question. "Yes, we could. An interactive role play! That would work, wouldn't it?"

Kyoya thought about it a moment. Then he smiled. "Yes, it seems so."

"But what would we role play?" Hikaru asked.

"We need ideas," Tamaki mused, thoughtfully placing his hand under his chin.

"We could ask our customer's what they would want to see!" Hani suggested, bouncing with excitement.

"Good thinking, Hani-sempai! Quick! Our customer's aren't coming today because they're busy planning for their events. Hani, Mori, everyone! Go back to your class and make the proper inquiries!"

"Yay! Detective work!" Hani exclaimed. He grabbed Mori's arms and tugged him toward the door. "Let's go! This is so much fun! Interactive role play, here we come!" he shouted as he let go of Mori and rushed toward the door. "Interactive role play, interactive role play!" he chanted, busting out the doors vigorously.

A moment later, a startled Yuki cautiously entered. "What was that all about?" he asked.

Haruhi sighed. "I think I'm going to regret giving him that idea," she said.

"What idea?" Yuki asked.

Haruhi took his arm long enough to turn him around, facing him back to the hallway. "Come on. I'll explain on the way."

"W-Where are we going?" Yuki asked, even more confused.

"Back to the classroom," Kaoru replied as he and Hikaru fell instep behind Yuki and Haruhi.

"Milord has given us homework," Hikaru added with a sigh.

*My apologies if this isn't want Tohru calls Kazuma Sohma. It's been a while, and I couldn't remember!

NOTICE!: Go vote on the poll on my profile to help me decide what the Host Club will roll play as! =)