Rarely would such a teen resort to such low levels to win. Granted the goal was a worthy one, and he would rather eat those detestable parfaits only, for a whole week, then to see anyone else win. But when you're up against someone who will use your very own tactics to their advantage, now where's the fairness in that? So of course you might have to play a little dirtier than expected. If you're willing to win, you better be prepared to get your hands dirty. Or something like that. Perhaps he would clarify that commoner statement with her, after he won. After he surely won.

___________________________________________

It was better than the alternative.

"Okay! Is everyone ready for the challenge of a lifetime?!"

"Yes Tamaki-sempai."

"Is everyone ready for your final exam to graduate from my fine school of hosting?!"

"Yes Tamaki-sempai."

"Is everyone ready for the greatest contest we shall ever hold?! Where the prize is being able to spend an entire week with my precious daughter during vacation!?"

"Yes Tama-WHAT!?"

"Which I will surely win, as it's only right since I am her dear, beloved-"

"WHAT!?"

Kyouya was grinning, on the inside, as Haruhi let out the reaction he was expecting.

Some would call it underhanded he had conveniently forgotten to mention to a certain brown-haired commoner girl exactly what he would guilt Tamaki into holding. But others, mainly him, think of it more as a very smart business move that was able to be transacted under the radar.

The fact Tamaki was near scared to death of making Kyouya angry, and with his added guilt of handicapping "poor mother" like, it was fairly easy to convince the King to turn his little 'final' into a challenge.

Something he would of course win. He was an Ohtori, was he not?

Seeing how Haruhi was about to painfully backhand the babbling idiot, semapi or not, he called out to her. Voice smooth and sure as always.

"Haruhi, I would not suggest harming Tamaki as such." He reached over at the table they shared, and tossed her the ginger wig. "I don't believe Karou would be so…violent."

Oh how she wanted to rub that smirk off his face.

The wig juggled in her hands for a bit, and Haruhi made sure not to look at the bemused expression on her 'twin's' face. She tugged the hairpiece on, making sure any of the familiar brown was out of sight.

This was why she wanted to run out of this damned club screaming half the time. They would spiral on to some ridiculous theme, or contest. And of course the prize would be her. Or something to do with her indirectly.

The fact it seemed most of the host club fought over her had not gone unnoticed by the girl. Their exact motives though, of course were still unknown by oblivious her.

She walked back to her chair, sitting down and staring at the contacts in front of her. Kyouya said he fixed them. Or rather guilted Tamaki into fixing them. For the Shadow King there really wasn't that big of a difference.

She slipped them on, blinking so as to get used to what would appear to be her yellow-eyed gaze.

"At least we can see now, right Kyouya-sempai?"

He stood by the table, and looked down to the left at what now appeared to be his twin.

"Yes, that was something I made sure changed at least." He turned around, fingering is own wig still on the table. "It wouldn't do to have the twins stumble around blind."

She nodded, her chin now cusped in her palm, elbow on the table. The Host Club was going to open in but a few short minutes, and she still had yet to see the other half.

And of course just as soon as she thought of it the door opened, and the two…

…Seniors walked in.

Kyouya shook his head, eyes now focused on Tamaki. It did amuse him that the blonde idiot was prancing around, still uttering out plans of what he would do with Haruhi at his inevitable win.

The fact Tamaki wasn't participating in the contest apparently hadn't reached Tamaki himself.

As usual.

Huni walked past the two 'twins', his features set in stone as he approached the blonde second year. Tugging on his pant leg he looked up, face in Mori's usually impassive scowl.

"Tamaki, contest?"

Haruhi nodded. It seemed Huni had certainly gotten better at this it seemed.

Kyouya glanced back at Mori, who was following Huni. Yet it seemed he was only barely encompassing the skip in his step Huni normally had. So while Huni may actually have a chance at winning, he knew there was no threat.

Even if he did win, he would never go without Mori. So Kyouya was safe.

Safe, listen to him. It was almost like he was devoting every neuron of his calculating brain into ensuring his victory.

But Kyouya glanced back at Karou-Haruhi, knowing that was exactly the case.

He had to win.

So intent in his musings he missed Tamaki's "scene". Until he felt himself getting slammed into by said idiot.

"MOTHEEER!! IS MORI-SEMPAI TELLING THE TRUTH?!!"

Kyouya winced, Tamaki running straight into him and now yelling into his ear unannounced not really making matters any better for him.

Haruhi sighed out, her gaze drifting to Mori-Huni. The now blonde tallest senior had slipped to Tamaki, in a considerably light-hearted voice, that, and she quotes:

"Ahh…Ha! But you're not in the ahhhh…contest! Tamahhh…chan."

It was quite funny to hear Mori struggle in not cutting that sentence short with his "Ahhs", although Tamaki's reaction was starting to get old.

"Tamaki-sempai, this contest is only legible for people actually in costume. Where would be the fairness in Tamaki-sempai playing Tamaki-sempai?"

Kyouya silently thanked her no-nonsense nature, now pushing away the still sobbing boy.

"Tamaki, get off me. Go cry, in a corner or something. But not. On. Me." And with that he tugged he blonde off, dropping him down on the tiled floor. Tamaki really needed to learn personal space.

This Kyouya nodded for, sitting down in the chair so as to prevent this from happening again. He put the wig on, and slowly slipped off his glasses, hand around the contacts already.

Haruhi just sighed at the exchange between the two friends, eyes on the door. The twins haven't been seen for days, and she was rightly scared. If they won this stupid contest, who knows what they would make her do.

She liked the twins don't get her wrong. Everyone in this host club had a special place in her heart. But if this "week of vacation" was going to encompass her trying on fashions that her father would be tearing up at her wearing…Then no thank you. She'd rather win this with Kyouya.

Kyouya. Or Hikaru right now, since he too was not in costume. There was a time when she would rather be with the twins than the Shadow King. But now, it seemed her views were shifting. In but barely two weeks she already seemed to have bonded, formed a closer connection with the youngest Ohtori than anyone else here.

But was that really all that bad?

Kyouya, the one she had gotten to know and spend time with, was such a different person. Deep down he had so many layers, so many skeletons in his closest. Memories even, that she knew he wasn't all that keen on sharing. Yet.

But he will. Haruhi knew her job was far from over. She would lend Kyouya the ear he would need, even if he didn't ask directly for it. Because that was just how Kyouya was. You had to near see him at breaking point, and comfort him. Before he would even think of reaching out to you.

And Haruhi found it ironic. The most sure and steadfast of them all was really the most insecure teen of the bunch.

But she didn't mind. As long as Kyouya was still Kyouya, all would be well.

"My, my. Zoning out on the job Karou? Not very good for the customers I'm afraid."

She looked up, Kyouya-Hikaru still sitting in front of her, and not behind where the voice had seemingly came from.

"Ehh?"

"Kyouya-sempai really, you don't have to find the need to torment every person not acting like you."

Now Kyouya had his eyes on Haruhi-Karou, who was sitting in front of him and not behind where…oh.

Tamaki instantly sprung up, kicking away the mushrooms as he clapped his hands in joy. Apparently forgetting exactly why he was in tears but moments before.

"It's Mother!! And precious Daughter!!!"

No one could deny that, for in fact it was. It seemed their time of absence was well spent.

For it really did seem Kyouya, or at least Hikaru-Kyouya, was standing behind Haruhi-Karou, pen tapping on what appeared to be a perfect copy of Kyouya's treasured ledger.

Yet Kyouya still narrowed his eyes at his "double", not putting it past the git to have stolen his.

Haruhi was having the same experience, yet was a great deal more pleased with seeing her double. Karou really did pass off for her quite well, which both scared and amused her.

Haruhi-Karou gave Karou-Haruhi a smile, and thumbs up in what she hoped to be Hitachiin Fashion.

"Well, now that we're all here, WE MUST START!" Tamaki spread his hands wide, the familiar twinkle of excitement present in his violet eyes.

The whirring of a motor was heard, and all but Haruhi-Karou, and Karou-Haruhi regarded this as normal.

"Seriously, does NO ONE ever question where she gets that engine from!?"

Karou-Haruhi was waving his arms around, to further exclaim.

Haruhi could all but nod again. It seemed Karou really was getting the hang of her character. There was a chance he could win. Which was interesting indeed. Karou on his own, was a great deal nicer than Hikaru.

She kept her eyes on her "double", while Kyouya kept on his steady glare at his own "self". Hikaru knew Kyouya wanted to win this, how he wasn't sure. But if this Hitachiin wanted war, so it would be.

Hikaru-Kyouya was smirking down at Kyouya-Hikaru, knowing that this win would be in the bag. He and Karou had all but made sure they were perfect copies of their counterparts, so the victory would be swift and quick. Hikaru knew he needed to win this.

The closeness between Haruhi and Kyouya, whether they noticed it or not, was unnerving. It wasn't right. Nothing good could come out of getting close to Kyouya.

He narrowed his eyes as Kyouya did the same, Hikaru's grasp on the ledger, which no he didn't steal, tightening. For some reason the two found themselves near rivals, certainly a development neither expected.

But fine, if this Shadow King wanted to play this way fine.

The real Hitachiin twins had a few tricks up their sleeves, for this event. Which would both astound all the girls and mock the glasses-wearing Demon Lord.

When pushed Hikaru could become very devious indeed. Much more than Karou.

For he was not afraid to torment a worthy advisory into submission, using exactly their weakness against them. Something Hikaru was already planning, since that day he found them at the mall.

His blood boiled through his veins thinking of such a memory again. It was horrid. It was wrong. And it wasn't him that close to her.

And while Hikaru would rather lose to this four-eyed creep than admit or even stop to think about his "feelings" he may have for Haruhi, that doesn't mean he would stand aside and have this Ohtori get all the glory.

"OHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

She came out of the floor, outfitted in a costume eerily reminiscent of the one she wore on that day at the commoner mall. But this one had sequins.

"I, RENGE, MANAGER OF THE HOST CLUB, CALL THIS FINAL TEST OF HOSTING ABILITY, ISSUED BY TAMAKI SUOH, THE KING OF THIS CLUB…OPEN!"

And now the real Haruhi only shook her head, rising up to stand by her "brother" as the doors seemed to open on their own, hoards of girls crowding in.

The Host Club was in the middle, and Kyouya-Hikaru made sure to latch an arm around Haruhi-Karou's waist. The game was to begin, and they had to act the parts.

Hikaru-Kyouya and Karou-Haruhi stood off to the side, the former leaning slightly over towards the latter.

The Seniors just stood behind, both slightly eager and how this will turn out. They would try, but really, they knew it would be down to either Hikaru or Kyouya.

The winner, whoever it was, would change the club dramatically.

But perhaps Tamaki, who was now in front of the squealing crowd, charm full-throttle for his opening speech, hadn't realized this.

A simple contest, was going to drive a wedge, both inevitable and sure in nature.

__________________________________________________________

-hides behind book fort-

Yes, yes. I know. I haven't updated in forever, and I cut it off right before it starts. But gah! I just started school 2 days ago, and my brain has been fried. I still want to continue this story, and having this chapter out will probably have my writing come easier for the future. The next chap won't take as long, I promise. So yes! Things will change. Prepare next chap, for The Contest!