Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club © Bisco Hatori.

I.

She remembered that she had been crying the first time she had encountered him.

It had been raining ceaselessly, coming down in sheets of varying intensities but she had ventured out into the dour weather regardless.

Her mother had passed away relatively recently—on the very same day the seemingly perpetual rain had begun, in fact—leaving her and her father behind to pick up the scattered pieces that her death left in its wake. She had been broken, shattered and had cried her eyes out until they were irritated, sore and unable to produce anymore tears for days after.

However, her father had remained dry-eyed, silly and happy, adamant on staying strong and stable—for her, she realized, even at only five years old.

So, she ran away.

...But not really.

She had slipped out into the pouring rain while he was in the bathroom, believing in that ignorant, childlike way that being absent without his knowledge would allow her father the time he needed to properly grieve his beloved wife—she was only in the way of his recovery, she had believed, and had managed to wander away to a small park several blocks away from their home.

It was desolate, with obvious reason, and she had tucked herself beneath a slide to shield herself from the cold drops that refused to let up. Once settled, she rested her chin on her knees and wrapped her tiny arms around her legs, listening to the staccato rhythm of the rain beating down against her metal shelter.

Then, she waited.

...Then, she began to cry.

The tears leaked out despite her best efforts to keep them hidden. The soft, anguished keening noises forced themselves from behind trembling lips, easily beating out her will to stay quiet—to stay strong like her mother and father had been. Again, she crumpled beneath the overwhelming pain, unable to do anything but cry.

But, then, through the pelting rain and her own sobs, she heard a voice.

"Hey, are ya okay?" The voice asked softly, curiously. "Why ya cryin' out here alone?"

Slowly, her clenched eyes opened and the sobs lessened minutely as she did her best to discern the speaker's face through a bleary, wet vision.

The first thing she noticed had been his eyes; his most prominent feature that drew all attention away from the others. They were blue, clear and pale that bordered on being white, almost fooling her into believing that he was blind. Almost. Even despite the odd, almost seemingly unnatural color, she knew that he saw with just as much clarity as she.

"Why ya in tha rain by ya'self?" He questioned, squatting down before her and holding his large orange umbrella over them both.

She couldn't speak, her breathing too volatile and the tears burning the back of her eyes. Not only was she afraid that she'd merely break down again, she was also wary; despite looking close to her in age, the boy crouched in front of her was a stranger. In response, she merely huddled in on herself, willing both the boy and the tears that were welling up away.

"H-hey, don' cry! Please don' cry!" His voice went up in pitch as she sucked in a sharp, hitching breath. "Wait! H-here!"

She squeaked quietly, surprised and confused as the boy shoved a napkin in her face and proceeded to wipe away tears and rain. She reacted instinctively, batting away his hands, ignoring his yelp and dusting away the residue he'd left on her round cheeks.

"...Crumbs?" She questioned quietly, wiping her hands off on her skirt. "W-wha—"

"Don' cry." He repeated, a gentle smile on his face as he pulled something out of his overalls' pocket. "Here, take this. My Granna makes tha bes' muffins. They'll make ya happy for sure!"

Her large eyes blinked slowly as she examined the bread within his palm. She sniffled before tentatively accepting the offering, noting how it was still somewhat warm—because of the boy's own warmth, because it had just come out of the oven, she couldn't quite tell. She eyed it warily, holding it close but making no move to eat it, hoping that the unknown child would leave now that she'd taken what he had to give.

He remained, however, eyes wide and expectant—kind of weird, too, with how it seemed like he wasn't blinking. Moderately unnerved by his stare, she lifted the food to her nose, giving it a quick sniff before taking a tiny nibble.

Blueberry... Her lips trembled as she took another small bite, ignoring how that particular nibble had become soggy with rain. Blueberry... Mommy used to make these, too...

"Did that make ya better?" He asked, excitement evident in his voice.

No! Her mind snapped but she remained mute, wet brown eyes steadily staring at her shoes as she tried her best to keep her emotions in check. Please go away. Stop trying to make me feel better... Please... Mommy... I miss...you...

"U-um..." He glanced around, scratching his cheek somewhat awkwardly at her melancholy state. "Well, I don' know why you're sad or nothin' but...I'm sure it'll get better."

"N...no..." Her eyes squeezed shut at his words, tears leaking out and heating her rain-chilled cheeks. "It won't... It won't get...better...! Mommy...!" She choked out a sob as she pressed her face into her legs. "C-come back, Mommy...!"

"Yer mommy's gone...?" He murmured contemplatively. "Oh, that's why."

She'd vaguely realized that he'd placed a hand on her head. "Look, ya gotta stop cryin', 'kay?"

If it was that easy, I wouldn't be crying now! She glared at him futilely through her liquid anguish. Leave me alone!

"Ya hafta stop cryin', 'cause if you don't the rain won't be end! Wanna know why?"

"W-w-wha—"

"Ya mommy's gone but she's in Heaven now. When people go ta Heaven, they still watch over the people on Earth." He said sagely, pointing towards the sky confidently. "Right now, it's been rainin' for so long 'cause ya mommy's' cryin' with ya. When ya go ta Heaven, ya tears become rain, yeah. "

"The rain...is Mommy's...tears...?" She hiccupped, the boy's explanation making sense for some odd reason—the rain did start the day her mother had left. "...Mommy's...still watching me? Right now...?"

The boy hummed softly, a sound of affirmation. "So, ya hafta stop cryin'! Ya mommy's always with ya, no matter where ya go! No more cryin', yeah?"

She stared at the boy with wide eyes, filled with innocent amazement. Her head nodded slowly, as if she were afraid it would fall off if she nodded any faster.

The boy grinned happily, standing to his feet as he patted her head, mussing up her hair. "Well, I gotta go. Don' stay in tha rain too long, 'kay? They might be ya mommy's tears but you can still catch a cold and no one likes those, yeah."

The boy trotted off and returned to his guardian's side, leaving her in the empty park with dry eyes and a soggy blueberry muffin.

For only a moment more, she crouched there beneath her metal shelter before she too stood up and adjusted the hood on her jacket. She ambled over to the park's entrance, glancing both ways to catch sight of the boy and his grandmother but there was no one on either side of the street, almost as if she had been there alone the entire time.

She glanced down at the bread in her hands, pondering about something. Abruptly, she tossed the blueberry muffin into the trash bin, wanting her father to know nothing about her eating something—even the tiniest of nibbles—from a stranger without his permission.

The rain didn't let up for another week but, eventually, the sun peaked out from behind heavy, grey clouds.

The tears and sobs eventually ceased, giving way to strained smiles and only slightly wet eyelashes now and again.

The pain slowly, oh so slowly ebbed away, leaving behind admiration, resolution, strength and warm, joyful memories of a woman who would always remain in her heart even if she no longer remained in the world.

...And though she never mentioned him to anyone and, often times, the memory slipped into the depths of her mind, Haruhi never truly forgot the pale-eyed boy she met in the park on a rainy afternoon.

The second time she encountered him, she had just started middle school.

Her books dropped to the floor with a clatter as a shoulder smashed into her own. She uttered a soft curse, huffing as she knelt down to pick up fallen books and papers, doing her best not to fall over as in-between class traffic jostled her around roughly.

Just as she reached for her history book, another's hand touched the cover and scooped it up out of her reach. The brown-haired girl blinked owlishly, looking up at the person towering over her diminutive form.

A short, soft breath left her as she stared up into familiar eyes. "Ah..."

"Here you go." He said with a smile, pale eyes squinting somewhat with the action. "Be careful next time, yeah?"

"Thanks, um..." She saw the small roman numeral pin on the collar of his uniform. "Thanks, Senpai."

His lips pulled into a wide, lazy grin as he pivoted on his heel and gave her a two-fingered wave over his shoulder. Haruhi watched his back for a short second before heading off towards her own class, dismissing the unsettling gleam in his eyes and how it reminded her of a piercing sadness that had numbed into a dull throb over the years.

"Hasegawa-sensei, are you—Oh." She mumbled quietly, regretfully.

Haruhi carefully, silently shut the classroom door when she'd caught a glimpse of her teacher talking to another student, hoping that she hadn't interrupted an important conference of some kind.

Blowing a small breath that shifted her bangs, she leaned against the wall beside the door with books held tightly to her chest.

She had wanted to get a second opinion on her plans to attempt taking Ouran Academy's entrance exam—it was notoriously difficult to pass and, despite her many hours dedicated to studying and applying herself, there were still a few more things she wanted to make sure of before she made a final decision.

So, she waited.

Minutes passed. The halls emptied as students and faculty went to their after school clubs and activities, leaving her feeling as though she were the only person that remained in the entirety of the building. Haruhi looked down at her shoes with a frown, growing somewhat impatient and bored.

"—ount to not—"

"—rying, Hase—"

Her head tilted incrementally as vague, almost indistinct words came from the classroom. She wasn't a nosy person; she preferred to keep others' business separated from her own unless necessity dictated otherwise.

But...

...Perhaps, it was the listlessness of waiting for over fifteen minutes or, maybe, her somewhat gossipy, intrusive classmates were beginning to rub off on her but, for whatever reason, Haruhi began to get this urge to listen in on the conversation that was unfolding on the other side of the wall.

Thoughtfully nibbling on her lower lip, Haruhi came to a decision.

Hastily, she glanced in both directions, making sure that the hallway was completely clear before pressing her ear against the classroom door to listen in.

"—apply yourself, you wouldn't be in this predicament."

"I know. I keep trying but I can't—"

"Your scores are below average, completely horrid." A heavy sigh. "I doubt you'd be able to get into even the worst school with these... Did you even bother to try?"

A pause. "...What about a tutor? I could—"

"There are no available tutors; everyone else is actually taking the time to study and prepare for their future." A dismissive, almost disdainful hum. "Perhaps you should've thought about that before you spent all that time dallying, yes?"

"I—"

A sharp, reverberating sound from some ways away made Haruhi practically squeal in fright but she managed to muffle the noise with her books. She darted away from the door, pressing her back against the wall, attempting to look completely innocent and relaxed but managing the complete opposite. The classroom door opened just as she heaved out a heavy sigh, revealing a student with a blank expression on his face.

She tried not to stare at him, ashamed that she'd eavesdropped on a private conversation such as that.

"G-good afternoon, uh, Senpai." She greeted but the upperclassman said nothing as he passed by her. Her eyebrows furrowed as chilly blue eyes barely glanced her way. "A-ah..."

She blew out a soft breath as she calmed herself. Placing her hand on the knob, she entered the classroom with a polite smile on her face. "Hasegawa-sensei? May I speak with you? It's about my studies for Ouran."

The rotund man smiled amiably as if he hadn't just finished speaking with another student in such an ugly, contemptuous manner. "Ah, Fujioka-kun! It's such a pleasure to see a student actually care so much about their grades! It brings a tear to my eye..."

"...Yes, Sensei. Thank you."

...That was the third time she had encountered him.

And the last time she willingly eavesdropped on another's conversation.

The fourth time she encountered him, she had been celebrating her passing Ouran's entrance exam with a couple of friends.

"Hey... Didn't that guy go to our school?" Her friend, Ami, had inquired while nodding towards something out the window they were seated next to.

Haruhi looked up from her smoothie, eyes squinting as she watched the boy across the street meander through the shelves of the tiny used bookstore. She opened her mouth, intent on asking just how Ami knew who the guy was but then she herself caught sight of those eyes and any words that she had to say fell from her tongue.

"...Yeah." Reika, another friend of hers, said after a small pause. "Yeah. I know him. My older brother was in the same class as him." She sniffed derisively. "Said he didn't even try during class. He said he was always getting the answers wrong, no matter how simple the questions were."

"Really?" Ami asked, intrigued.

Haruhi merely wrinkled her nose, not comfortable with where the conversation was going.

"Yeah. He said he was dumber than a sack of bricks. The teachers just gave up on him because he didn't even care." The ebony-haired girl shrugged a shoulder. "Rumor has it, he got into Gedo High, the worst high school in our neighborhood—and he barely passed that entrance exam!"

"Yeesh!" Ami sighed melodramatically. "He's cute but there's nothing less attractive than someone with no future." Her hazel eyes twinkled in amusement. "And he has no drive or ambition? Where do you'll think he'll end up?"

Haruhi calmly finished off her drink, letting the cool drink futilely soothe the boiling anger that burned her insides.

"Between jail and homelessness, I think he'd be better off de—" Her words stopped abruptly as she watched their brown-haired friend ease out of the booth they resided in. "Huh? Haruhi, where are you going?"

The girl paused in her action of tossing away her trash, taking a brief moment to contemplate answering. She turned, head tilted as she regarded the girls with flat, dead eyes that made them cringe violently in response—a sight that made the corners of her lips lift, resembling an expression that looked pleasant, when in reality, it was something much more cruel.

"Ami, Reika, thank you. Thank you for revealing just how shallow and self-absorbed you both are." Her eyes narrowed as she continued to speak, "I have no time to waste on two ignorant, prejudiced idiots who would condemn and insult an individual based on rumors and heresy."

"Haruhi—"

"I hope the both of you have a nice day. Please don't bother yourselves with talking to me again."

"W-wha—"

Haruhi let out a sigh as she let the door close inaudibly behind her, swallowing the two girls' unneeded apologies and explanations. Honestly, she wasn't exactly hurt about Ami and Reika, more appalled and disgusted that such words could emerge from two people she'd known since the beginning of middle school.

No need to let it bother me any longer. Her hands tightened on the strap of her satchel. Better I find out their true personalities now rather than later.

Feeling summarily better about the situation, she proceeded to head home, to enjoy some alone time with a period piece she'd been watching and a mug of chamomile tea.

For reasons beyond her control, she had been roped into becoming a host for Ouran Academy's notorious Host Club and, in spite of her initial reluctance, she had fallen into a sort of routine.

While classes were in session, she spent her time taking detailed, meticulous notes to keep her all-important academic standing in tact while also doing her best to ignore the two devil twins, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, and their annoying antics. During club hours, her time was spent entertaining the predominately female clientele that arrived each afternoon and, again, doing her best to deal with the exasperating members of the club—mainly the twins along with the "King" of the Host Club, Tamaki Suoh.

There's never a dull moment with those guys around. Her lips twitched as she thought of the boys, something akin to amusement playing over her features as she shook her head.

They were meddling, loud, annoying, dramatic and idiotic a vast majority of the time but dealing with them was similar to dealing with her own father, meaning she generally knew how to handle them without gaining a migraine.

"At least they've decided to give me a break." She muttered to herself as she checked her phone for any missed messages. "For once..."

They had a habit of dragging her off to various excursions on the weekends—it wouldn't be much of problem if they didn't appear on her doorstep unannounced at the crack of dawn.

It happened every weekend like clockwork but they had yet to show their faces on that particular day. By early afternoon, Haruhi had actually gotten to roll around in bed, prepare a filling breakfast and enjoy an insightful history program—without any interruptions, whatsoever. It was somewhat sad and a little embarrassing that she quickly found herself out of activities to partake in and, without much else to do, she went to a convenience store near Myōgadani Station for a few items, ambled through the aisles of a bookstore and purchased a book she'd been wanting before aimlessly wandering around for a couple hours.

Who would've thought that I'm practically dependent on them for entertainment? She sighed softly, eyes flickering over the venues before landing on the video arcade sitting at a corner.

Haruhi had never been one for video games. She could readily admit that, after her mother's death, a large bulk of her time had been put solely into studying to pursue her dreams in law. Even then, she honestly couldn't see the appeal of them; they seemed almost mindless to her, especially when she heard the twins gushing amongst themselves about the latest fighter or MMO, about "trolling" and "hax." It made her tilt her head in confusion every time she heard the almost foreign words combined with the twins' devious snickering.

She wasn't interested in games but something urged her to go in.

Curiosity was the most likely culprit.

...And it wasn't like she had anything better to do.

It was dim but the various bright, vibrant neon colors that emanated from each machine illuminated the vicinity. It was moderately congested, groups of two or three crowded around one machine or another. Again, Haruhi couldn't fathom what was so great about them—if anything, they looked to be money vacuums, what with how players continuously spent money on tokens, only to lose them and buy more. She shook her head, vague thoughts of what the hosts would do if they were in a "commoner's amusement facility" floating around in her head as she turned on her heel, intent on leaving and accepting that she would be heading home early for the day.

"...So cool...!"

The brown-eyed girl stopped at the breathy sigh, minutely perking up because it sounded like a client from the club—or more like someone who had laid eyes on one of the hosts.

"...Cute…!"

However, she immediately realized it couldn't have been them—the word subtle wasn't in their vocabulary and she most definitely would've known the very moment that they showed up.

"…He's doing another song...!"

Interest piqued, Haruhi followed the soft, gleeful voices, her head turning and catching sight of a small gathering near another machine. She trotted over, observing inquisitively from the side of the congregation to see what deserved such excitement befitting an event from the Host Club.

A rhythm game, she noted just as the music started up and, at that moment, Haruhi witnessed what it was that had the female group sighing in bliss and admiration.

His movements were sinuous, fluid; hips swinging gracefully, arm motions sharp and his body undulating sensually, doing nothing but making many of the girls swoon and rhapsodize his performance. His tall figure moved in a way she didn't think possible, considering he had to simultaneously step on the correct arrows that appeared on screen—but he did so with such seamless ease that it was reminiscent of flowing water.

Senpai… Her eyes widened a touch in surprise as she seized a glimpse of muted blue eyes and a mischievous smirk.

It was obvious that he was enjoying himself and the way he was regarded by his spectators; he even entertained the girls' demands for his attention. Haruhi watched as he smiled, his fingers brushing against a girl's cheek during a twist movement. The girl became rather flushed, swaying in place as if heavily drunk before toppling back into the arms of the mob. The brown-haired host let out an exasperated, somewhat amused sigh as the girl was swallowed up and her spot quickly claimed by another—she'd seen that scene many a times in Ouran when the hosts were a bit more overzealous than usual.

"Please don't stop!"

"One more time!"

"Yeah! Again, again!"

He chuckled as he stepped off the dance pad, a hand running through hair as he simultaneously wiped away sweat clinging to his face. The tall teen allowed the girls to crowd around him, to tug on his shirt sleeves and hang off his shoulders—all without an ounce of irritation, modesty or exhaustion. Haruhi was impressed; again, she'd only seen such things in the Host Club, where the boys were always energetic and impeccably dressed, regardless of any strenuous activities they may have performed at any time during any particular day.

"Sorry pretty ladies." He apologized smoothly, fanning out his jacket's collar. "I gotta get going."

"Where!?"

His voice hitched minutely as he spoke, "I-I have a meeting with someone important to me."

"Do you have to go!?" A blonde donning heavy makeup clung to his arm tightly. "Why can't you stay with us!?"

The congregation murmured in agreement, all huddling closer to the teen as if they looked to somehow become a part of his being. He kept his emotions well-hidden behind a charmingly languid smile but the brown-haired girl saw a glimmer of alarm present in his eyes as he attempted to ease his body from the group that was gradually compressing around him. Haruhi felt a familiar feeling of dread pool into the pit of her stomach as his icy gaze slowly landed on her form, the sole outlier of his mob of groupies and she just knew she would find herself in a role she wanted no part of—and she'd be damned if it was because of some guy she barely even knew in passing!

Quickly, she turned on her heel, intent on making her escape without drawing any unnecessary attention to herself.

"O-oh! There you are!" His voice called out, obviously strained and terribly suspicious. "I didn't know you were here! Waiting for me so conveniently!"

Mentally, she smacked her forehead as she froze in her tracks, her shoulders hunched and her left foot still in the process of meeting the carpeted floor. The brunette entertained the idea of simply ignoring the pale eyed teen and going about her business, essentially leaving him to the metaphorical wolves. However, before she could come to a definitive course of action, she felt a weight land over her shoulders and an unintentional squawk of surprise escape her lips as that same weight abruptly pulled her into a solid form.

"I-I'm sorry for making you wait for me! I'll have to make sure to treat you to something special!" He laughed over the girls' cries of both outrage and anguish, nervousness barely evident as he inched them closer to exit. "I'm so sorry ladies but I can't keep my little sweetheart waiting for me!"

"B-but—"

"Sorry! Gotta go! See ya ladies!" He interrupted, wasting no time in speeding the two of them to the door and to the outside world.

Her significantly shorter legs barely kept up with his wide strides but they made out into the cool afternoon without any incidents. She allowed herself to be carted off to a safe distance before deeming the spot appropriate to yank away from his slackened grip. Letting out a soft, irritated huff and adjusting her grocery bag, she pinned the pale eyed teen down with a piercing gaze that made him cringe regretfully.

He chuckled, scratching his cheek. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable with my nonsense." He inclined his head in apology. "I don't usually snatch up random people like that."

"I'm used to it." She replied shortly. "Just don't do something like that again—not without a warning, at least."

"Ah but I did warn you." He claimed with a wide, impish smile and his finger pointed towards the sky, giving Haruhi a vague sense of déjà vu. "Our eyes met in that place, at that exact moment in time. I think we may be meant to be."

There was a pregnant pause.

Haruhi could only frown up at the smiling teen as she flatly asked, "Are you serious?"

"No, I'm not." He said in a rather matter-of-fact tone before he lowered his head and lifted a hand to hide his chuckle. "Sorry, just trying to keep it civil with no hard feelings."

Surprisingly, she found herself unable to stay irritated at him. It was odd. Perhaps it was because of his demeanor—he came off in such a genuinely friendly and likable way. Could it be because she had spent so much time associating with obnoxious, idiotic rich kids that, subconsciously, she was welcoming of an individual that didn't display any of the qualities she'd become so accustomed to?

…Or maybe it was because of his eyes, such a clear and clean blue that they swallowed up any ounce of vexation that her mind could muster?

Unable to come up with a proper explanation, she merely shrugged her shoulders. "Like I said, just don't do something like that again."

He nodded absently, eyes slowly going over her form for a moment before he abruptly asked, "Do you wanna go out?"

"Stop that."

He snorted shortly before bursting into laughter at her blunt response.

"N-no, I meant if you wanted to go out for l-lunch." He said in between chuckles, his eyes twinkling with mirth and his mischievous grin softening. "As a proper apology for bothering you."

She opened her mouth to refuse his offer but stopped; it wasn't like she had anything better to do—that was the whole reason she ended up going into the video arcade in the first place. And it wasn't as if she were the kind of person to hold a grudge for something as insignificant as poking some innocent, harmless fun. Plus, he was looking at her with such hopeful eyes and she could see this gleam that made her heart pang in a certain way… Haruhi decided it wouldn't hurt to humor his hospitality.

"All right." She said, a small and friendly smile on her lips. "Senpai."

They settled on takoyaki.

It was cheap and they had ended up splitting the already diminutive price between them because, despite her senpai treating her, she didn't feel entirely comfortable letting him buy something she was perfectly capable of getting herself. He had been reluctant at first but, between a look that she gave him and the impatient glare the cashier had given him, he yielded with what Haruhi suspected was a grateful expression on his face, though he tried to hide it with a sweet, dimpled smile.

Together, they had grabbed a window seat, easing themselves in and started eating, falling into an awkward state of silence. It didn't last for very long, however...

"But our system actually suggests there are less miscarriages and faulty convictions. If the only cases are open-and-shut, then there's a very low chance of a person being wrongly accused for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time." She said rather animatedly, a small hint of forcefulness tinging her voice. "Compared to a Western trial by jury, in which you get cases of varying degrees of certainty with evidence that is likely to be sparse or circumstantial; if the jury happens to favor the prosecution's reasoning or find the limited evidence enough to make a decision, then there's a greater chance of an innocent man going to jail, or a criminal going back onto the street."

He chuckled lowly, eyes glancing down as he stuffed another takoyaki into his mouth. "But those facts actually bring out the real problem, yeah. Think about it for a second. If our prosecutors only ever take the cases they know they can win, what about all the other cases where evidence isn't as solid? That means that a whole buncha criminals are getting away from trials and convictions just because the prosecutors don't wanna lose their jobs in trying to bring them to justice."

The brown-haired girl nodded. "If our court systems changed to something similar to a Western court, that would take pressure off of prosecutors to get convictions one hundred percent of the time—"

"—encouraging them to take less clear-cut cases and, that way, more criminals could actually be sentenced." He finished, munching on another takoyaki as he reclined back into his seat. "Simple, yeah?"

She couldn't stop the tiny, whimsical smile that appeared on her face as she stared at the older boy across from her. "Exactly."

It was surprising. Haruhi Fujioka knew better than to judge a book by its cover—and she had condemned Reika and Ami for doing the exact same thing—but the thought was there, in the very back of her mind, gnawing at her brain, leaving nothing but guilt behind the longer she spoke with him.

That he wasn't supposed to know these things. He—who supposedly went to Koishikawa's worst high school—shouldn't have been talking about Japan's law and judicial system with such insight. Haruhi went to the best education establishment in Bunkyō but she seldom came across another who could be engaged in candid intellectual debate. Not only that, he shared the same viewpoints and grievances that she did.

Honestly, she was ashamed—and there were very few moments in which she was ashamed about something.

"Senpai?" She glanced down at the table. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He blinked, turning his head towards her. "Oh, I know. It's because you didn't think I'd know about all that stuff, huh?"

"Yes." She replied honestly, looking at his face with a regretful frown.

He waved a dismissive hand and simply said, "Don't worry about it, yeah."

Haruhi's eyebrows furrowed. "But—

"Let's not talk about it, okay? Let's talk about us." He said, sending her a playful smirk that made her blow out an amused sigh and roll her eyes. "Seriously. We've been out and we barely even know each other."

He was good at hiding his emotions and feelings, she'd give him that. Had she not been paying attention, she wouldn't have noticed the way his lips had briefly curled down in bitterness. The expression was there and then it was gone, almost as if it had never been there to begin with.

Her eyes narrowed. "…I'm Haruhi Fujioka, first year at Ouran High School. You?"

He held out a hand, a wide, dimpled smile covering his face. "Me? Arashi Hamasaki, third year at Gedo High. Nice to meet you."

She stared down at his larger hand for a moment before grasping it in a firm grip, minutely noticing how much larger his was compared to her own. They let go seconds after and, to her surprise, his hand shot out, gently landing on her head to muss up her short locks with a friendly ruffle. Her eyes clenched closed, her shoulders hunching as she batted away his hands—it made her feel like a small child on a dreary, rainy afternoon once more.

"I couldn't resist." He said with a chuckle, retracting his hand. "You're too cute."

"Thanks." She replied sarcastically, still somewhat put off by his minute hostility.

His smile fell before it returned a moment later. He picked up a takoyaki, holding it out to her lips as he regarded her with his twinkling blue eyes and charming smile.

"Don't be mad at me, Haru-san." Her lips pursed at the nickname. "Don't make such a pouty face. Here. Have another takoyaki."

"You don't have to treat me like a little kid." She swiped the food from his hand, popping it into her mouth. "I can feed myself."

"That so? I—" He stopped abruptly.

The brown-haired girl cocked an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Arashi-senpai?"

He lifted a finger, pointing out the window. "Do you, uh, know those people?"

"What people?" Her head turned and, after a moment, a dark look crossed over her face. "Oh. You mean those people."

She could only drop her head in irritation as she tried to ignore the embarrassing sight of Tamaki and the twins' faces pressed into the restaurant's glass window, eyes wide and probing as they stared unblinkingly at her companion and herself. The brown-eyed girl suppressed the urge to slump down in her seat, slink away from sight and run away back to her home.

"HARUHI! MY BELOVED DAUGHTER!" Tamaki's voice bellowed, somewhat muffled as he pressed himself closer to the glass as if trying to force himself through it. "DO NOT FEAR! DADDY IS HERE!"

She smacked her forehead.

That was their fifth encounter, interrupted by three rich idiots.

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing a story. I hope it isn't too horrid. The MC/OC may seem familiar to a couple people. That is because he is the property of a fellow author and friend that helped me with a few things. Their name is RubyNightsGavlyn and, unfortunately, they've gone and cancelled their story for a lack of inspiration. I hope that this story will be enjoyable despite being a spiritual successor of sorts.

Leave any constructive criticism and any pairings that you'd like to see. Contrary to what it seems, this isn't a Haruhi/OC story—unless you want it to be.

[EDIT 26/01/2016: Edited the format. Removed a bit of text that was unnecessary.]