Hi everyone. I'm sorry for the recent radio silence, but for the past few months I've been studying abroad in Japan in an intensive program. Unfortunately, with Covid-19 going around, the program was forced to end early and I've been sent home. Since I'm now done with my online classes and I'm stuck in quarantine, I might as well spend it doing what inspired me to go to Japan in the first place.

Thank you all for your patience, and I hope this chapter acts as a nice pick-me-up for everyone under quarantine or going through a rough time right now. Stay safe, everyone!

*Chapter 8*

Jin blamed the leftover stress from midterm exams for her inability to see this coming. She and Haruhi had been minding their own business, going over their test answers once more, when the twins suddenly crowded around their table. Hikaru snatched up their booklets and tossed them aside.

"Hey!" Haruhi went to get up but was stopped by Kaoru rocking her chair onto its back legs. Jin noticed Hikaru moving towards her chair and quickly pushed him away.

"What gives you two?"

"Oh, don't be so defensive! Exams are over! It's time to relax!"

"So, how about it? You girls are coming with us, right?"

Jin raised an eyebrow, dropping her chin into her left hand before asking, "Mind giving us a destination before we answer that?" The twins pouted, but Jin had a feeling they knew her question was more of a formality than an opposition. Jin was far too mentally exhausted to actually refuse whatever plan the club had in mind for today, and the boys somehow had the uncanny ability to sense such weakness.

"Isn't it obvious, Jin-senpai?" Hikaru drawled, leaning against the table like he was about to pose on top of it. "We're taking you girls to the beach!"

"The beach?"

"Is there an echo in here?"

Haruhi's chair dropped back onto all fours before Kaoru spun her around to face the rest of the room. Hikaru made a move to do the same to Jin, but the girl turned herself before he got the chance. The boy gave her a pointed huff. Jin was taking all the dramatics out of their announcement, and she knew it.

Kaoru leaned over the back of Haruhi's chair, holding onto her shoulders so she couldn't escape as he explained, "With our exams done, what else do you expect us to do? Now, which beach are you particularly fond of? The Caribbean? Fiji? We have mansions there, so rooming would be easy."

Haruhi huffed, puffing her cheeks out adorably. "Look, I don't know how many times we need to remind you, but Nēchan and I aren't exactly drowning in travel money."

"Well, if money is the issue here," Kyoya slyly interjected, "I'd be willing to float you girls a loan. No deadlines, with interest-"

"Not happening, Ohtori."

The twins immediately began cackling, crossing their arms and shouting 'denied', temporarily forgetting their own rejection in favor of Kyoya's. Of course, Kyoya didn't seem to mind being shut down, merely returning to his tea and determinedly ignoring the way Jin was staring at him. Technically, he had been ignoring the girl's stares for a few days now, especially in class and during hosting hours. They weren't uncomfortable enough for Kyoya to say anything to Jin yet, but he couldn't help but be intrigued. Why was Jin suddenly giving him so much attention? He highly doubted she was infatuated with him, no matter how the twins still tried to tease them about the "Closet Incident", so the mystery continued.

For now.

"Away with you! Away! Stop harassing your sisters!"

"So suddenly I have two brothers? Won't Dad be surprised." Jin stood up, accepting the new plot line in her life. She even allowed her supposedly new "brothers" to take refuge behind her.

Kaoru and Hikaru poked their heads up so they could peer at Tamaki over Jin's shoulders. "So… are we not going to the beach?"

"Hmph, who said we weren't going?"

In the end, the host club quickly gathered the last of their things and trooped down to the front of the school, a reluctant Haruhi being dragged along and tossed into the back of Hunny's family limo after her sister. Tamaki whined a bit about not being in the same car, but other than that and Haruhi's general disinterest in anything involving the Host Club, everyone else was in rather high spirits as they began their journey.

Within the hour, the two limos pulled up to a rather beautiful and grand-looking beach house, complete with a well manicured green garden in the front and flag poles with colorful flags floating in the gentle breeze. Even Hikaru and Kaoru let out appreciative whistles as they stepped out onto the front walkway.

"Wow, Kyoya-senpai. Your family doesn't mess around."

"No wonder you offered to let us stay here for the night."

Kyoya hummed, ignoring the sound of Haruhi squawking at the use of the words 'for the night'. "Well, I would be flattered by your compliments if this were, in fact, my family's beach house. Unfortunately, one of Father's clients is using ours for the week, so I had to call in a favor. Since it was at my insistence that we invite our guests for the afternoon, I figured it was the least I could do to provide lodging, in any fashion."

"Wait, you invited guests?"

"Yes, Fujioka. In order to boost our upcoming summer sales, I…" Kyoya turned around and abruptly trailed off. If he were anyone else in the world, Kyoya might have cracked up with laughter at the sight of Jin Fujioka standing in front of him with her hair looking like it had just lost a fight to an overenthusiastic puppy. But Kyoya was still in mastery of himself, so instead he stared blankly at the girl while the Hitachiin twins behind him started howling with laughter.

Hikaru dropped to his knees. "Wha… what happened to your hair?"

"You look like you have a tumbleweed on your head!" Kaoru fell over next, the top half of his body disappearing into the nearby hedge.

Jin rolled her eyes, looking not at all offended by the jokes and razzing. She calmly ran her fingers through her locks, straightening the mess out a little at a time. "Oh, that's completely my fault. I had the window rolled down the whole way here and stuck my head out a few times to get a better look at the scenery when we got closer. Here, mind holding this?"

In truth, Kyoya did mind being treated like a coat-rack, but he was still a bit shocked by how messy Jin looked in the moment that he held her bag without a word. By the time the others had finished pulling Haruhi out of Tamaki's death grip and all the luggage was taken up to the house, Jin had successfully brushed out her hair and tied it back into a cute little French braid.

"Thanks, Kyoya!" She carefully plucked the bag from Kyoya's grip and walked after her sister towards the house, the rest of the Host Club quickly following so they could get changed before their guests arrived. A few seconds later and Kyoya was alone on the front walk, still staring curiously at the front door.

To say he was confused was an understatement. There were so many things that had just happened that did not align with Kyoya's understanding of his and Jin's relationship. For one thing, since when did Jin call him by his first name? When did Jin give him orders? Or, did that really count as an order? It had sounded more like a request. One that Jin might make of her other friends…

Did that mean-

"Kyoya! Why isn't my room next to Haruhi's?"

Startled out of his thoughts, Kyoya straightened his back and walked up the sidewalk, trying to push his internal debating to the back of his mind.

*Time Skip*

The beach was in organized chaos. The gentlemen of the Host Club ran around, partaking in various activities meant to make the girls watching them squeal with delight. There was something for everyone, whether it be gazing dreamily out at the horizon or building sandcastles, and thanks to Kyoya it all seemed to be running smoothly. In any case, it was a shoujo manga girl's Beach Day dream come true.

The only thing that threw off the aesthetic was Haruhi, who was hunched over on a large rock at the edge of the water, gazing around with soulless eyes. If one didn't know any better, they might have expected the girl to be silently wishing for a freak tsunami to come sweep her off to sea. In truth, Haruhi was mentally bemoaning the long list of chores that would be awaiting her and her sister when they went home the next day.

This is so stupid. I love the beach! Haruhi groaned and curled a little further in on herself. Leave it to the Host Club to ruin one of my absolute favorite things to do.

A thin piece of driftwood nudged against Haruhi's toe and the girl snagged it without a second thought. Gently tapping the wood against the surface of the water, she looked around the beach once more. Tamaki's line of girls had yet to go down, probably because every time a girl finished her session she went right back to the end of the line. The twins were no longer pretending to play volleyball, instead poking at each other's bare stomachs, being far too handsy with each other than what Haruhi considered necessary. Hunny and Mori's sandcastle had expanded into a sand kingdom. And Jin… Haruhi unwound her arms and leaned back, eyes narrowing further against the sunlight. Where had she...?

"Haru!"

Jin, it turned out, was a little further up the beach behind her sister, now making her way to join her at the water's edge. Haruhi didn't bother to turn around all the way, still not entirely pleased that her "backup" consistently went along with whatever crazy idea the Host Club had. Agreeing to go to Haruhi's favorite place notwithstanding. Instead, she did her best to crane her head over her shoulder to watch as her sister ran across the sand.

Haruhi found herself taking stock of Jin's outfit as she waited. Since the club had pretty much gone directly from the school to the beach, the Fujioka's hadn't been given any time to run home and pack overnight bags or swimsuits of any kind. To Haruhi's surprise and uneasiness, they had been provided clothes for the short trip, apparently supplied by the Hitachiin's mother's summer line. Which meant Jin was currently wearing a black and red one piece swimsuit that had parts artfully cut out of it so her sides and most of her upper back were exposed. The swimsuit, paired with stylish sunglasses and her gracefully fraying french braid, was giving Haruhi's sister a very specific look.

"You look rich."

Jin came to a sudden stop, mouth dropping open and one hand lifting her sunglasses off her eyes and over her forehead. Haruhi bit back a smirk. Jin looked so offended. Which in turn actually made her look even richer. Jin took a breath to say something, only to be interrupted.

"Haruhi! Jin!"

"What are you doing all the way over here?"

Jin's smile was immediately back in place as she turned to greet the guests. But before she slid her sunglasses back down, she fixed Haruhi with a sharp glare. I'll get you for that later, she silently promised. Haruhi wisely pretended not to understand.

"Haruhi~"

"Oh, Jin, your swimsuit is so cute!"

"Why are you all the way over here?"

"Yeah, come swim with us, Haruhi!"

Haruhi briefly flicked her gaze over to her sister, quietly noting the way her shoulders had tensed ever so slightly, before giving the guests a bemused smile. "Sorry, ladies. I'm not feeling up to swimming today. You should go have fun, though."

"Aww…"

"Well, why don't we just keep you company then? It's pretty peaceful over here."

Haruhi fought the urge to sigh. The girls were being so nice, trying to accommodate Haruhi's wishes when the point of a Host Club was the exact opposite. But she really just wanted a little peace and quiet to enjoy the beach, and she knew the guests wouldn't enjoy it the way she was.

"It is peaceful, but we're so far from the others that you wouldn't get to show off your cute swimsuits. You girls should go have fun with the others."

The three guests giggled simultaneously, obviously flattered by the compliment, and eventually walked off, waving their farewells. Jin and Haruhi waved after them, smiles in place until the other girls turned around. With a sigh, Jin sat down on a nearby rock, feet tucked under her legs.

"Man, it's going to be a long day if we have to entertain the guests the whole time, too."

"It's going to be a long day regardless because we're with the Host Club." Haruhi groaned and pressed her face against her knees again. For a moment she just rested, breathing in the salty air before perking back up, leaning over to poke her sister's arm. "But at least you have a free schedule. Kyoya can't possibly find "waitress-ie" things for you to do on a beach. So what are your plans?"

Jin shrugged, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'll take a walk along the shore or sun tan… if they keep the volleyball net up I could play a few games… I'll probably make fun of Kyoya whenever he, inevitably, makes a dumb mistake or comment." Jin snickered at her own comment, waiting for Haruhi's cackling to die down before continuing, "I'd also really love to chat with Nekozawa at some point today. We hardly see each other at school with our schedules. Of course, that's assuming Tamaki will let us anywhere near each other."

"Nekozawa... You mean Nekozawa-senpai? The President of the..."

"Dark Magic Club? Yeah, this is his family's beach."

Haruhi blinked, her mind working a little slower with the hot sun beating down. "How…"

"He showed me a few photos of that giant cat-shaped cliff over there." Jin gestured to their right, where there indeed was a cliff that had a cave beneath it, the holes shaped to look like an angry yowling cat. "It's kinda hard to imagine another beach in the area has the same cliff."

"Oh. That makes sense. And he's here with us today?"

"Yeah."

"I haven't seen him… where is he?"

"He's mostly been hiding indoors since it's so bright and hot out today. But right now he's over there, scaring the shit out of Tamaki."

Haruhi turned her head back towards the crowd further down the beach, watching as Nekozawa did exactly as Jin said he was, black cloak and everything. She hummed thoughtfully before asking, "Out of curiosity, do any of the boys know that you and Nekozawa know each other personally?"

"No."

"Are you gonna tell them?"

"No." Jin stood up, backing away from the water before stretching her hands above her head. "And with that, I'm going to see if I can sneak in a few words without Tamaki noticing. You put on sunscreen, right?"

"Yes, Nēchan. I'm sure the hosts can provide me with floaties too if I want to go swimming later."

"Don't you take that tone with me! I just don't want to see your whole face peeling this weekend."

Haruhi splashed a little water at her sister's legs, making Jin squeak and jump away, a pout on her lips and another promise of retribution in her eyes before she spun around and walked off. Haruhi did her best to smother the smile she had on her face. As much as she and Jin loved each other, it was still a lot of fun when they got to mess with each other, and it wasn't often that Haruhi had the upper hand in their teasing.

But she was still not thrilled at being dragged off on another adventure yet again by the Host Club, so there was no way she was going to let them see her enjoying herself if she could help it.

As if proving her point, a numbing pain was starting to spread up Haruhi's right leg from the way she was sitting on the rock. Awkwardly shifting around so she didn't fall face first into the ocean while standing up, which was more annoying than it should have been, by the time Haruhi was back on her feet she had more than a few small scratches and a new scowl fixed on her face.

Well, might as well walk around and see the sights. That cave Nēchan pointed out looked cool. Haruhi hummed a loose remix of the new toothpaste commercial she had heard last week as she made her way to the cat shaped cliff. As she got closer, the sand beneath her feet grew coarser, making Haruhi wince every few steps. If she was going to come back later, she either needed to be on Jin's back or wearing some form of shoes. Maybe Nekozawa's family kept beach shoes around for visitors? These rich people seemed to be able to make things appear out of thin air.

Haruhi reached the bottom of the cliff in no time. The cliff side that connected to the beach was just as coarse and jagged as one might expect, but once Haruhi climbed over the lip of the "bottom jaw" she was pleased to note that the stone was smooth and cool and just a bit slimy. Crouching down, she peered over the edge and into the water. The waves crashed against the rocks only a few meters down. Since the cave floor was slimy, Haruhi had to wonder exactly how the water would rise up.

"HARUHI, NO!"

"WE'LL SAVE YOU!"

Haruhi's responding scream as she was tackled and grabbed and dragged away from the cliff resonated up the beach all the way back to where Jin was watching the scene go down. Part of her wanted to run over and calm the situation down, but another part decided to leave well enough alone and count it as her retribution for Haruhi's teasing earlier. Besides, with Tamaki distracted, she was actually able to walk right up to Nekozawa without fearful screaming accompanying her.

"Nekozawa!"

Her friend's cackling was cut off as he turned to see who was calling him. The sun was casting dark shadows across Nekozawa's face, making his responding beam look almost maniac. That didn't stop Jin from smiling back, however.

"Fujioka! How wonderful to see you again. It's been too long."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I would've said 'hi' earlier if Tamaki wasn't so afraid of you."

"Is that so? That almost makes me regret startling him earlier."

Jin smirked. "No it doesn't. You find it funny."

"Very true…" Nekozawa flashed her another wicked grin and promised to meet up and talk more later before drifting off after Tamaki and the twins, no doubt wanting to scare the trio once again. Jin shook her head. Despite being a third year and the President of what some might call a Cult Club, her friend was far more of a dork than he let on. Jin wasn't surprised. After all, he was still a teenage boy.

"I see you've met our host for the day."

"Hm?" Jin turned to see Kyoya standing on her left, the boy watching in amusement as Tamaki screamed at whatever Nekozawa was telling him now. He enjoyed the scene for a moment longer before turning back to Jin.

"That was Nekozawa. He's a third year student at Ouran and the President of the Black Magic Club. He was kind enough to let us stay at his family's beach house, with the one request that he be invited along." Kyoya paused for a moment, totally unaware of how Jin was fighting back a laugh. "I was surprised by his request, considering the relationship he has with some of our members."

"Oh?" Jin feigned confusion. "You mean like how Tamaki is terrified of him?"

"Partially. I was more referring to how the last time Nekozawa paid our club room a visit, Hikaru and Kaoru shined bright lights in his face. I suppose Nekozawa could attempt some form of revenge-"

"Wait, they did what?"

If Kyoya was surprised by Jin's outburst, he did not show it, despite the obvious venom dripping from her words. "Yes, unfortunately. Rather cruel of them considering Nekozawa's aversion to brightly lit places, but I don't believe they realized it was a medical condition. I hope that by spending some time with Nekozawa this evening will make them less willing to potentially harm him in the future."

At his side, Jin gaped up at Kyoya. For the first time since she had met the boy, she had been rendered speechless. While anger at the twins was circling through Jin's mind, she was also preoccupied by Kyoya's blatant kindness shining through his words. She knew he was capable of being kind, sure, but this was the first time he was willingly showing it. At least to Jin.

"You know, I just can't understand you."

"Hm?"

"Nēchan! Hurry up! We're collecting seashells!" Haruhi called up the beach, breaking Jin and Kyoya's eye contact as quickly as it had been established. "Look! There's even sea urchins!"

"Um…" Jin gave Kyoya one more glance before running off. "Coming, Haru!"

Kyoya opened his mouth to call after Jin, but stopped himself. What had she been talking about? If anything, Jin was obviously the most confusing between the two of them.

*\/*

Sea shell collecting, as it turned out, was the perfect mindless task for Jin to sort through her thoughts in peace. While she was mildly aware of Haruhi drawing in drama like a magnet behind her, Jin was once again content to let her sister handle the boys on her own as Jin wandered further down the beach.

Kyoya, she mused, might not be as big of a jerk as I thought he was. Jin grimaced at her own thoughts, dropping a crab into her bucket as she did so. When did her classmate become so confusing? Ever since she first set foot in Ouran, Jin knew Kyoya was an overconfident, pompous, self-centered jerk. He had called her a commoner, as if he and the other students at Ouran were royalty and Jin and Haruhi were the school's charity cases rather than hardworking students who had earned their place.

Things hadn't gotten any better from there. Even after Jin considered that maybe her reaction to the name had been a bit hasty and a little hot-headed, Kyoya had proven to be just as pretentious as Jin first thought him to be. In class, during club, even when Tamaki dragged them on a group adventure, Kyoya's choice of phrase and overall attitude never ceased to rub Jin the wrong way.

Except… now he was showing that he cared for people? Including Jin? She could hardly wrap her head around it. Class immediately became twice as hard, because on top of her lessons and group work with Tamaki and Kyoya, now Jin was trying to see if she could catch more moments of Kyoya being kind. To her endless surprise, she actually found some examples. Like when Tamaki was struggling with a brand new math equation, even though Kyoya's tone was smug as he explained the process, he went through it slowly, never moving on until Tamaki finally understood what Kyoya was saying. And in the end, when Tamaki finally completed a problem correctly on his own, Kyoya would have a small, proud smile on his face before abruptly going back to his own work like the exchange never happened.

There were other examples, but that just complicated Jin's problem. What happened now? She had already decided she was going to be nicer to Kyoya, even though she was not planning on stopping her teasing any time soon, but that only seemed to confuse Kyoya. She had noticed him watching her recently with a puzzled look on his face. Did he realize she wanted to be friends? What if he had already decided that definitely wasn't going to happen? Or did he not understand her intentions at all? It was a big shift from their blatant antagonistic views of each other…

"Jin~!"

"What are you doing over here by yourself?"

At the sound of her name, Jin lifted her head up and immediately winced. Her upper back and neck were incredibly sore. She rolled her neck to crack it and noticed how the sun was much lower in the sky than she remembered it. A quick glance told her she was also much further from the beach house than she anticipated. How long had she been stuck in her own thoughts? Her bucket was rather full…

Setting her tools down, Jin stretched her arms. "Hi girls. Sorry, I didn't realize how far I had gotten. Must've been thinking too hard."

The girl on Jin's left giggled while her friend smiled in response. "Really? About what?"

"Or was it a who?"

There were more giggles, which was enough for Jin to second guess the girl's reasons for joining her. Raising an eyebrow, Jin placed a hand on her hip and smirked at the guests. "A 'who'? What's with that question? Are you hoping for a specific answer?"

The girl on Jin's left, Himawari, she now remembers, made a high pitched squeak before ducking behind her friend with red cheeks. The friend was also blushing, probably not expecting Jin to blatantly flirt back. But honestly, what were they expecting? A girl she may be, but Jin was still a member of the Host Club.

"Um… well…"

"Did you know that the Host Club is playing a game involving Haruhi?"

Now both of Jin's eyebrows were raised. She did not know that. But judging by the mortified expression on the guest's face, that wasn't what she had been planning on saying. So, Jin took pity on the poor girl and asked, "What kind of game? Maybe I'd like to join in."

Himawari finally moved out from behind her friend, the drive to help her embarrassed friend outweighing her own need to hide. "Um… I think it was something about discovering Haruhi's fear? Because he was so brave earlier taking care of the millipede. Or something… yeah."

Jin sighed, "Oh, that kind of game. Well, thank you ladies for telling me about it. I guess I should go save Haru before the club accidentally hurts someone." She cast a quick glance at the girl's faces, noting that their cheeks were still a faint pink and that they both had disappointed pouts on their faces. Scooping up her pail and shovel, Jin walked past the girls before stopping and giving them an over-the-shoulder look.

"Maybe the next time you come visit the host club, we can talk a little more. I wouldn't mind getting to know you ladies better." Smile. Wink. Turn back around and walk away.

Jin heard the two girls fangirling behind her and she smiled. It was cute how some of the girls liked flirting with Jin in their down time. Whether it was because Jin's responses were unexpected, funny, or the first step of discovering a sexuality, Jin was more than willing to help. Besides, it was fun for her too. There weren't many places she could outright flirt with other girls. She would take what she could get.

Her smile had all but vanished by the time she made it back to the main beach. Setting her collection down by her bag, which had thankfully been left alone it seemed, she quickly headed in the direction of the cliff. Off in the distance by the base of the rock formation Jin could see Hikaru and Kaoru's bright orange hair and a speck of blond she assumed was Tamaki. Which meant Haruhi was over there as well.

Jin had no idea where Kyoya had disappeared off to, but as she walked towards the cliff she passed by both Hunny and Mori. The shorter of the two looked pretty shaken up, but Mori gave Jin a "don't worry about it" glance, so she didn't stop to bother them.

I guess they've given up. Jin frowned as she grew closer to the cliff, wincing as her feet started finding larger rocks to step on. I know Haru is difficult to scare, but I hope the boys haven't scared any of the guests with their dumb "game". Maybe Kyoya is playing damage control and that's why I haven't seen him?

"EEEEEEEEE!"

The sudden yelp made Jin straighten her back automatically. Without a second thought, she leapt up three boulders to her left and burst through a pair of bushes, ready to whisk someone away for medical treatment. But the sight that greeted her was not one she was prepared for. Instead of a guest weeping over a bloody scratch or a crab pinching their toes, Jin found her little sister attempting to stare down three angry-looking dudes who were standing over two guests. Strike that. Three angry-looking, tall, and drunk dudes who very obviously did not belong on Nekozawa's private beach.

Oh, and judging by Haruhi's empty pail, the sea creatures scattered around the boy's feet, and their wet shirts, Jin had just missed the very beginnings of a fight.

Haruhi barely had a second to glance behind her before Jin was stepping out onto the battlefield, holding out her hands in a placating gesture. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I apologize for whatever my younger brother just did."

"Wha- but Nēchan they-"

"Haru, stop talking!" Jin kept her eyes on the boys in front of her, not missing the way their eyes lingered on her swimsuit. Thankfully, with their eyes on her, the two girls they had most likely been harassing were able to scurry around them and cower behind Jin.

Reaching behind her to give one of the girls a gentle nudge, Jin said, "Head down to the beach. Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru are at the foot of the cliff. Tell them what happened while I escort these gentlemen back to the public beach." The girls were quick to do as instructed, but to Jin's eternal annoyance, Haruhi didn't move.

"What? Nēchan, are you crazy?"

"Oho?" The tall boy in the middle took a step forward, one hand on his hip, having just shaken off the surprise of seeing a pretty girl jump out of the bushes. "You're our escort now? Think we can take the long way back, Doll?"

"Yeah, without the runt, if you don't mind." The second guy lobed a starfish at Haruhi's feet, cackling when she jumped out of the way. "And I want an apology from him, too. He made me drop my drink."

Haruhi scowled, shoulders hunched at the boy's smug smile. Just then, the third guy stepped forward, his long hair pulled up into a ponytail and offering the two girls a cocky smile.

"Actually, I would rather stay for a while. Consider it an apology for getting us dirty. Besides, we'd like to spend more time talking with the many beautiful girls on this beach. Maybe we'll show all the Little Miss Rich's how to have some real fun?"

The three boys snickered and the two standing behind the Long Haired dude exchanged a low-five. Lips curled in a sneer, Haruhi stomped her foot and ducked under Jin's arm to shout, "You aren't welcome here, and neither are your pervy attitudes. I'm not sorry about making you take your hands off of our guests, and I would do it again if I had the choice."

"Ha! Says the baby who needs his big sister to fight for him." The Long-Haired guy took another step forward, lifting his beer bottle up to drain the last of the liquid before staring Jin dead in the eye and licking his lips. Jin suddenly felt the urge to either punch the guy or throw up. The sick feeling escalated when the guy jerked his arm backwards and hit a nearby rock with his bottle. The sound of breaking glass seemed to echo around the cave mouth.

"Oops." The guy lifted the bottle to pout at the broken bottom before smirking at Haruhi. "Sorry for getting garbage on your precious private beach. Guess you should clean it up before someone gets too close."

Haruhi opened her mouth, but just then the guy waved the bottle through the air, making her unintentionally flinch back. The boys cackled once again, the tall guy in the back gaining some courage from his friend's posturing and strolled over to the girls, one hand reaching up towards Jin's face.

"Now, what were you saying about being an escort- FUCK!"

Jin's eyes went wide, heart rate accelerating as she watched the guy stumble backwards. Her hands were still up, ready to shove, but Haruhi had beaten her to the punch with a well placed stomp on the guy's bare foot. Now more curses were flying through the air as all three boys moved in. Jin's eyes immediately zoned in on the broken bottle and went to grab the dude's arm.

"Haru-AAH!"

"Nēchan!"

Jin squeezed her hand tightly around her left arm, the long cut stinging painfully as a thin trickle of blood dribbled down towards her elbow. To the boy's credit, the two that noticed Jin's wound looked shocked and upset at the turn the situation had just taken. Unfortunately, as soon as Haruhi shoved at the Long-Haired boy's chest in retaliation, the effect wore off.

Before Jin could blink, Haruhi was being flung around and pushed right up to the edge of the cliff, a kick of ocean spray licking at her heels. Squeezing her arm tighter, Jin shouldered her way past the tall guy and ran for her sister. Haruhi was trying to hold on to the boy shaking her, but her eyes were wide and her right foot was dangerously close to the edge.

Jin finally let go of her arm and reached out for her sister just as the guy sneered, "Hope you know how to swim!" And with a final grunt, Haruhi was shoved backwards, feet scraping against the rock face until she was just free falling, Jin's hand swiping through thin air.

"Haru!" Jin skidded to a stop, staring down at her sister just as Haruhi disappeared beneath the waves. "NO! HARU, NO!"

"Haruhi!"

Jin gasped as her shoulder was roughly bumped. There was a flash of Tamaki's blond hair in her peripheral vision for a second before it too vanished into the dark blue water. And then Jin went tumbling down after them, her shrill scream cut short as she hit the water.

The sharp sting in her left arm immediately evolved into a burning sensation as it was submerged in the salt water. Jin frantically clawed her way back to the surface, eyes blinking open to stare up at the orange and blue sky above her. Another harsh burn and sting combination shooting up her left arm sent her mind into a panic.

Ocean. Blood. Ocean. Blood. Blood in ocean. My blood. In ocean.

Jin's ears were pounding with the sound of her heartbeat as she started thrashing, swimming towards the shore with everything she had. Her mind was spinning in panic. The waves crashing down around her head were huge, and every time Jin opened her eyes she spotted choppy water in the distance that looked eerily like a black fin poking above the waves heading straight for her. Screaming hysterically, Jin gagged around mouthfuls of salt water as she fought her way towards the shore.

*On the Shore*

Kyoya frowned as he watched Hunny bound up the side of the rock cliff, ready to help Hikaru and Kaoru should the trespassers try to run off before their IDs were confiscated. Or perhaps he was going to help the twins with roughing up the vandals. Kyoya sighed, arms crossed over his chest as he waited. He already had a response to Nekozawa's inevitable apology forming in the back of his head, making sure his heightened irritation didn't show in his words. He would, of course, have to send apologetic flower arrangements to the guests who were involved, not to mention sending the trespasser's IDs to the local police station and placing security measures around the club's next public outing to ensure their guests wouldn't be terrorized again. Kyoya fought hard to keep his frown from turning into a scowl.

A loud splashing sound coming from the water suddenly caught Kyoya's attention. Blinking, he took a few steps to his left to look around the edge of the cliff base. He had seen Haruhi fall into the water earlier, quickly followed by Tamaki and Jin, so Kyoya wasn't entirely surprised to see Jin's long brown hair in the waves as the girl swam closer.

His frown returned, deeper than before, and he walked over to the water's edge to wait. Despite how a part of him didn't exactly want to lecture the girl the moment she got close enough, he couldn't not remind her how dangerous it was to be jumping off of unknown cliffs. Besides, Tamaki had jumped after Haruhi first, she hadn't needed to also jump in. Shouldn't she have stayed behind to help with apprehending those responsible for such a mess? And why was she splashing so much? He knew she knew how to swim properly. The disastrous trip to his family's aqua garden had proven that much.

Kyoya dropped his arms to his side as he observed Jin coming closer. She was splashing quite a lot and… was that blood? Jin's face was obstructed by the splashing water and high waves rolling in, so when Kyoya finally got a good look he was shocked by the expression of absolute terror Jin was wearing.

Without a second though, Kyoya stepped out into the surf. "Jin? What's wrong? What happened?"

"Kyoya!" Jin struggled in the water for a few more frantic kicks before she staggered to her feet and started running frantically in Kyoya's direction, kicking sea water in every direction. Kyoya could see the long cut on her arm now that she was out of the water, and he reached out to take hold of it for a better look. However, the moment they were within reach of each other, Jin threw her arms around Kyoya's shoulders, buried her face in his neck, and started outright sobbing. Kyoya stumbled back, hands coming up to steady the girl who was currently hyperventilating against his skin and looping one of her legs on his hips. Was she trying to climb onto him?

Realizing what the two of them probably looked like right now had Kyoya's cheeks heating up despite the shock of cold water soaking into his clothes. Walking backwards, he pulled both himself and Jin out of the water and onto the sand. To his great relief, her shaking immediately lessened and Jin stopped trying to climb his waist. Unfortunately, Jin also collapsed onto her knees, similarly and perhaps unknowingly pulling Kyoya down with her.

"Jin? What's happening? Is it your arm?" Kyoya craned his head to the side, trying to see the arm currently pressed against his neck. "Let me see-"

Kyoya's thumb barely brushed against the cut when Jin abruptly went rigid in his arms and let out a shriek. He pulled away sharply, holding his hands up in an "I surrender" pose. There was blood smudged on his thumb and probably all along his neck now. Jin remained stiff, still shaking and huddled up against Kyoya's chest. At a loss, Kyoya looked around for help.

"Mori-senpai!"

His upperclassmen was just a short ways down the stretch of beach, kicking up a spray of sand as he ran towards Kyoya and Jin. He must've heard Jin's scream. Kyoya let out a sigh of relief and forced himself to his feet. He managed to ease Jin up as well before Mori reached them, helping the taller boy lift the girl up into his arms. It took a few seconds for Jin to let go of Kyoya's shirt, but it did seem like she was already starting to come back to herself. She was breathing normally now.

"Take her to the beach house. There's a doctor standing by. Go!"

Mori wasted no time in following Kyoya's orders. Before Tamaki and Haruhi emerged from the ocean themselves, Mori was more than halfway back up the beach. Curiosity and concern made Kyoya follow the pair with his eyes, only turning to face the other club members when Haruhi's voice piped up, "But I was there! And so was Nēchan! It was fine, we were… wait. Where is Nēchan?"

Kyoya sighed, reaching up to adjust his glasses only to stop short when he remembered the blood. Dropping the hand back to his side, Kyoya cleared his throat. "Mori-senpai has taken your sister up to the beach house, Haruhi. She was panicking when I pulled her out of the ocean and I thought it best to get her to the doctor. There was also-"

"The ocean?" Haruhi shouldered her way out of Tamaki's grip and marched over to Kyoya. "Why was she in the ocean?"

Kyoya blinked, not expecting Haruhi to so easily turn her anger towards him. "I'm afraid I don't know. I assume she jumped in after you."

Haruhi grit her teeth together before spitting out, "Nēchan would do many things for me, but the one thing she knows I would never make her do is jump into the ocean. Maybe one of the boys pushed her in." Haruhi turned around to face Tamaki. "Did you see what happened to her?"

Tamaki looked sour at Haruhi's sharp tone, and Kyoya could tell his friend was still very upset with the girl, which might explain the flippant way he said, "I accidentally bumped into her shoulder when I jumped in after you. I didn't mean to knock her in but I knew she was more than capable of-"

"You knocked her in?" Haruhi screeched at the blond. "And you have the audacity to demand I apologize to you? I'm not the one who sent someone into a panic attack! You're a real piece of work Tamaki Suoh!"

And with that, Haruhi spun around and started walking towards the beach house. Kyoya sighed and followed after her, not even flinching when a few seconds later she glared at him from over her shoulder.

"Why are you following me?"

"Do you want to try searching the entire house for your sister or shall I point you in the right direction first?"

The fire in Haruhi's eyes sputtered out for a second, quietly observing Kyoya before she faced forward again. They walked a few more paces before she called out a soft, "Thank you."

*\/*

Kyoya leaned against the wall, arms once again crossed over his chest as he waited. His fingers twitched with the desire to do something. But his notebook was all the way in his bedroom, his phone as well, and the doctor was still in the temporary clinic attending to Jin. If Kyoya strained his ears enough, he could hear the woman conversing softly with Jin and Haruhi through the door on his right.

Tilting his head back, Kyoya mentally tracked where the others were at the moment. Tamaki had shut himself in his room the moment they came back from the beach, no doubt pouting over his argument with Haruhi and worrying over Jin. The others had since changed into their evening attire and were hopefully still being entertained by Nekozawa in the sitting room. Dinner wouldn't be served for another hour and Kyoya didn't want Jin to be overwhelmed by their questions before she was ready-

There it is again.

Kyoya abruptly shut his eyes, like that would make his thoughts go away. Specifically, the thoughts that were looking far too deep into Kyoya's concern for Jin's safety. He knew that some students at Ouran Academy thought that he was heartless and cared for no one but himself. The others were the girls that believed his charming and accommodating club persona was reality. As far as Kyoya was aware, only his sister and Tamaki knew the truth of how he balanced between the two sides. But now, it almost seemed like Jin was squeezing herself into that tiny circle of people, while at the same time wringing out emotions Kyoya didn't have much experience with before.

It had been on his mind ever since the accident at the Aqua Garden. Kyoya could almost perfectly recall the way his breath hitched in his throat when Jin had vanished beneath her surfboard. Then there was the moment he learned Jin would have escaped the whole experience without a scratch were it not for his family's security roughing her up due to a misunderstanding. The button for the "tidal wave" effect had already been removed upon his insistence, and the guards at the Aqua Garden were given two additional required training lessons on how to properly respond in an emergency at the Garden and proper etiquette when handling guests.

On the outside, Kyoya pretended like his actions were strictly tied to business reasons, but there was more to it. The bottom line: he didn't like it when Jin was hurt. Well, technically speaking he didn't like anyone getting hurt, especially not the Host Club and Jin obviously fit into that classification. So… he cared about her. More than he would an acquaintance. Meaning they were… friends?

The word felt like an odd tickle in the back of Kyoya's throat. Was he friends with Jin? Haruhi could hardly stand him most days, and a few weeks ago Kyoya would've said that her sister felt the same way, but now? Jin certainly didn't act like she hated him any more. But being friends with Jin Fujioka offered him no benefit outside of expanding his social network. It wasn't like Jin was in line to become the CEO of a big company that Kyoya would need to work with in the future.

Besides, there was the Ouran rumor mill to consider. The moment Kyoya started acting fond of Jin, there would be people speculating as to whether they were attracted to each other. Such a rumor could spell disaster for Jin, himself, and the club as a whole, depending on who heard the rumors and who believed them. But, Kyoya could admit that he did like Jin's company. She was easier to get along with than other people he could mention, and she seemed to like talking to him when he wasn't "acting like a jerk", and he liked talking to her too... and now he's thinking in circles.

Kyoya pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up to his eyebrows. Just once, I wish I didn't have to overthink something so trivial.

The sound of a doorknob turning had Kyoya snapping to attention, adjusting his glasses and falling into a casual pose as the doctor backed out of the temporary clinic. There was a pleasant smile on her face, which Kyoya assumed was residue from prolonged exposure to Jin, and she gave Kyoya a nod of acknowledgement.

"Mr. Ohtori. I'm pleased to say that Ms. Fujioka is perfectly healthy. The cut on her arm has been properly cleaned and bandaged and I found no other signs of physical injuries, but I recommend she stay in bed for at least an hour before being moved. The last thing she needs is to relapse into a second panic attack."

"A panic attack." Kyoya glanced at the closed door. "So that's what it was."

The doctor nodded. "Yes. I'd recommend not questioning Ms. Fujioka about the attack until later, or perhaps even tomorrow. She's had a tough day and needs time for her mind and body to relax and recover."

"Of course." Kyoya quickly bowed. "Thank you for all your work."

"You are most welcome. I'll take my leave now. Have a pleasant evening."

Kyoya nodded and wished the doctor well, waiting until she made her way around the corner before turning back to face the clinic door. He rapped a quick knock against the wood before easing the door open. As he expected, Haruhi was standing right next to Jin's bed. The shorter of the two gave Kyoya a critical look before turning back to her sister.

"Nēchan, I'm going to go get changed for dinner. If you need me, text me."

Jin rolled her eyes, her mouth curled up in an amused smile as she shook her head. "Sure thing, Haru. I'll see you for dinner."

Haruhi's lips were pressed together tightly, and she looked like she really wanted to say something. But then the moment passed and she too was excusing herself, giving Kyoya one last look before slipping out of the room. The soft slam of the door almost sounded like a judge's gavel at a sentencing. When Kyoya could finally look Jin in the face, he was surprised to see her smiling softly at him.

"And then there were two," she joked.

Kyoya felt the sudden urge to clench his fists. Who was she to joke at a time like this? She had even brushed off Haruhi's worry like she was overreacting. Like Jin wasn't currently sitting in the equivalent of a hospital bed.

There were so many questions that were on the tip of Kyoya's tongue. But doctor's orders were doctor's orders, so he quickly swallowed them back until all that was left was, "Are you alright?"

Jin shrugged, then lifted her left arm up for the boy to see. Pristine white bandages, wrapped with care, completely covered the slash mark Kyoya had been worrying about for the past twenty minutes. He nodded, pleased with the care Jin had received, and almost left it at that.

But her hands were still shaking.

Before Kyoya knew what he was doing, he found himself sitting on Jin's bed, next to what he assumed were her thighs. Jin watched him with curiosity, both of her hands now resting in her lap. Like she could hide her trembling that way. Kyoya gave them a quick glance. After a few moments of silence, he spoke up again.

"Has Tamaki come to apologize yet?"

"Tamaki?" Jin leaned back against the headboard. "The only people I've seen since Mori dropped me off were the doctor, Haruhi, and now you."

Right. He knew that.

"I see. He'll probably wait until dinner then. Assuming Haruhi lets him close enough."

Jin's lips curled into a wry smile. "Guess we'll have to see. Haruhi seemed more than a little peeved earlier, and if that's directed at Tamaki... well, for a girl who gets chipmunk cheeks when she eats, she can hold one hell of a grudge."

"Thanks for the tip." Kyoya crossed his legs, trying to find a comfortable position. "It seems like we can't go one week without some form of bickering between club members."

"Now, don't go acting like you're innocent of doing the same, Kyoya Ohtori."

Kyoya frowned slightly, matching Jin's playful stare with his own. "Says the other half of all of my disputes."

Jin snickered, breaking the stare first. "Yeah, okay, guilty. But…" Her eyes remained downcast, staring at her own fingers as she tugged on her sheets. "But, we're past that. We're okay now."

Kyoya blinked. He heard the unspoken question in her voice. Another quick cycle of the thought process he'd undergone in the hallway flashing through his brain before he slowly responded, "Yes. It seems so."

"Okay." Jin sighed out, looking back up to flash another tiny smile. "Okay. Um, thanks for getting me to the doctor. And I'm sorry, for trying to climb onto your shoulders on the beach. I was a little out of it."

Kyoya shook his head, a teasing response of how he thought she had mistaken him for a step ladder ready to go when he stopped short and looked down. The hand he had been pressing against the mattress for stability was now covered by one of Jin's. She gave it a brief squeeze. She was still shaking.

"You're very welcome. I'm glad you're okay."

Jin's smile grew a little more, looking almost shy. "I guess this is a good time to also thank you for looking out for me before now, too."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"I, uh… I looked up what happens when you write on your skin with pen ink after the day you boys helped out at the shelter. So, thanks for helping me avoid ink poisoning, I guess."

Kyoya was, admittedly, a little slow on the uptake today, but he was still surprised when the phrase, "I thought you just didn't believe me," left his mouth without full consent. Thankfully, Jin didn't seem to notice the way Kyoya was shutting down from the inside, merely offering a slight nod.

"Yeah, I guess I sounded a little short with you. Sorry."

"No, it was fine, I just meant-"

The door burst open, smacking against the wall with a bang.

"Jin! I heard I could come see you now! Are you alright?" Nekozawa stomped into the room, his hand puppet nowhere to be seen. "I swear, I will actually curse Suoh for his thoughtlessness and heedless actions, and nothing you say will stop me this time, do you hear me? I… oh. Good evening, Ohtori."

Kyoya nodded back to the boy who was now standing on the other side of Jin's bed. Nekozawa seemed to have only just now realized that there was a third person in the room, which hopefully meant he hadn't noticed the way Kyoya had basically vaulted himself off of the bed two seconds ago.

Jin was the first to come back to herself, smiling easily up at Nekozawa. "Please do not curse Tamaki. He didn't intend to knock me in and he was worried about Haruhi. I'm not angry."

"Hmph." Nekozawa scowled at the nearby wall. "You should be."

"Are you saying I'm too nice?"

"Yes."

"Ah, but if I wasn't so nice, would you and I have become friends?"

Nekozawa didn't say anything in response, but his scowl dropped into a pout, thus providing Jin with the victory in their conversation. And also gave Kyoya an opening of his own.

"Forgive my curiosity, but how do you two know each other?"

Jin shrugged. "It's a long story, but Nekozawa and I have been friends for a few years now. We just don't get much time to talk while at school."

"Is that so…" Kyoya looked between the two as they started talking again, discussing the pros and cons of Nekozawa giving Tamaki a Bad Hair Week as retribution. He was shocked by the information that such polar opposites were apparently quite close to each other. Especially since only a few hours ago Kyoya had taken it upon himself to introduce them to each other.

Mouth now pressed into a thin line, Kyoya politely excused himself from the room and left without another word. His face felt a little hot, and if Kyoya didn't know himself better, he would say he was blushing. Out of embarrassment of all things. Why hadn't Jin corrected him earlier? Did she just get a kick out of laughing at him in private? Who else knew? Surely Tamaki did not, because the blond would never allow his friend to be so close to Nekozawa…

He stopped walking, eyes widening as a new thought occurred to him. Sure, Jin hadn't told him earlier… but she did tell him just now. She hadn't lied (that he knew of) or tried to brush off Kyoya's question. Yes, earlier it could've been another one of Jin's little games she played by withholding information, much like what Kyoya did himself on occasion, but just now it was Jin letting Kyoya a little further into her life. Another small hint of information that Kyoya now possessed because Jin wanted Kyoya to know it, not because it was common knowledge or something he had researched for a gain.

Kyoya remained still for another five seconds before continuing his way to his room. It would be best for him to not overthink Jin's motives for the time being. After all, he still had no idea why she'd had a panic attack in the first place.

That information was far more important than whosoever may or may not be Jin's friend.

*\/*

"NĒCHAN!"

Jin let out a grunt as a solid mass hit her dead on, arms coming up to automatically box Haruhi in. Looking down at the top of her sister's head, Jin couldn't help the soft smile or the way she gently patted the short brown hair. She let her gaze roam around the room for a moment, offering a smile to her friends before a faint mumble stole her attention.

"Mm? What was that, Haru?"

"I said you scared me…" Haruhi turned her head to the left, no longer suffocating herself in Jin's dark blue dress. "You're not allowed to die and leave me."

"It's cute how you think death could end this relationship."

The jest gets Haruhi to snort out a laugh and the tension between them breaks. Mostly. Haruhi's smile faltered ever so slightly when she looked Jin in the face. There was something in Jin's expression, mixed in with the general fondness Jin carried for her sister, but Haruhi couldn't identify it just yet. But before Haruhi could probably process her sister's expression, there was a scream from behind her followed by an ominous thud. Spinning around, she found Tamaki splayed over the floor with Hunny leaning over him curiously. With a huff, she turned up her nose and walked around the boy towards the table.

Jin lingered behind, walking over to stand on the other side of Tamaki's body. "What just happened?"

"I thought hitting Tama-chan on the back of the neck would stop his nose bleed."

"Did you hit him gently?"

"... Was I supposed to?"

Jin sucked in a long breath before shaking her head. "You know what? Never mind. He'll live. More importantly-" She turned towards the twins and gave them a short bow. "Please thank your mother again for letting Haru and I borrow these clothes."

Hikaru waved a hand through the air. "It was no trouble."

"Actually, as soon as Mom heard there were two girls in the club with us she started asking if she could use you as test subjects for her latest line. We were also told to keep an eye out for potential photo models..." Kaoru trailed off, arcing his eyebrows at Jin. His expression fell at the shake of her head, but he wasn't surprised. "Oh well, at least I can say I tried. Hey! Before we forget! Haruhi! We ordered some giant tuna for you-"

Kaoru choked on his words when Tamaki suddenly shot up and dove for the table, grabbing the entire plate full of giant tuna and practically shoving the fish down his throat. Haruhi was the only person in the room who wasn't openly gaping at the blond.

"Oh man, that was delicious. I sure do love fancy tuna."

"Really." Haruhi's voice was even, but low. Without looking away from Tamaki, she reached down to her own plate, which she had already loaded up with an entire crab, and grabbed one of the legs she had broken off. "If you're so hungry, here. Have a bite of mine."

The rest of the host club slowly moved towards their own seats as Tamaki stumbled over his response. His embarrassment and shame were loud and clear on his face… right until he looked at the leg he had been given and noticed it was empty. He scowled at Haruhi, reaching out to take a crab leg himself when a fork nearly jammed itself into his hand.

Jin watched cautiously from the other side of Haruhi's seat as her sister continued blocking Tamaki's advances. For once she had no idea what to say to calm her sister's ire. She had never seen Haruhi this pissed off. What exactly had gone down while she had been in the clinic?

Hoping Tamaki could handle himself for the rest of dinner, Jin reached out to load up her own plate. Except Haruhi got to it first, snatching another crab and immediately diving in. Jin's jaw dropped for the second time that evening when she saw the hollow shell of Haruhi's first crab.

"Geez, Haru! Save some for the rest of us!"

"Never!"

Jin chuckled and shook her head, but her amusement was short lived. As dinner crawled on, she started getting her own stomach pains just from watching her sister shovel food down. And then there was the tension that came from Tamaki and Haruhi sitting right next to each other, not speaking unless they were shooting mocking comments at the other. Jin nearly up and forced Haruhi to switch seats, but who knew if that would actually calm either of them down?

"Fine! Keep acting childish! I'm going back to my room…" Tamaki turned to walk out the door only to stop and stare at the ominous lighting and pitch black windows at the far end of the hall. "Uh, Kyoya? Aren't you getting tired, too?"

Kyoya stood up without a word, carefully pushing his chair in and leading Tamaki out the door. The dining room went quiet after that, allowing the rest of the club to hear what was unmistakably a slap upside the head from the hallway, followed by a high pitched yelp.

The crab leg in Haruhi's hands abruptly stopped being bent.

"Nēchan? Do you think you could teach me some basic karate when we get home?"

And so it begins. Jin sighed, not facing her sister just yet. "Haru… I love you dearly. If you really want to learn I'll teach you some moves, but if you think that was the only problem this afternoon, you're mistaken."

"Huh?"

"You still don't get it, Haruhi?" Kaoru groaned from across the table, propping his chin with a fist. "Listen, being righteous and fearless is good and all but next time please consider the rest of us before you go charging into danger."

Haruhi blinked. "Huh?" she asked again. "But I didn't do anything to you guys… I'm sorry if my being weak was a burden or something."

"Haru, no! Gosh, that's not it at all!"

"Yeah!" Hunny crawled into Jin's lap before grabbing Haruhi's hands tightly. "You just gotta apologize for making us worry! Especially Tamaki!"

"Worry?" Haruhi looked around the table, like she was expecting someone to yell 'sike' at any moment. "Did you all…"

Jin tilted her head, almost amused at her sister's utter denseness. "What? You get into a fight with three drunk boys who are all at least a head taller than you, then you get thrown head first into the ocean off a cliff, and you think your friends and family aren't going to worry?"

Haruhi met Jin's eyes for three long seconds before she ducked her head, one hand reaching up to rub at the tears slowly gathering. She hadn't realized.

"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry everyone."

"Aww! We forgive you!"

"You're just so cute!"

Jin reached out and pulled Haruhi into a one-armed hug, smiling against the top of Haruhi's head as the other boys surrounded them, everyone wanting to give Haruhi a squeeze of their own. Jin chuckled as the cooing continued, waiting for the moment Haruhi collected herself enough to start shoving the boys away. There was only so much physical contact she allowed from non-family members, after all.

"Ugh…"

There it was. Jin smirked and pulled back a little, teasing all ready to go, when she saw the expression on Haruhi's face. It wasn't one of embarrassment or even annoyance. If anything, Haruhi was looking a little… green.

"I feel sick…"

"Bathroom! Get her to a bathroom!"

Without a word, Mori gently scooped Haruhi up into his arms and dashed into the hallway, the others following close behind. Haruhi had a hand pressed firmly against her mouth, clearly not enjoying the bounces that came with being carried. But the sudden stop was almost worse, an unpleasant gurgle making its way up Haruhi's throat as the hosts turned to stare at the stranger who had just appeared in the doorway.

"What's all the commotion?"

"Um… who are you?"

Jin gave Nekozawa's blond head a brief glance before rolling her eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud!" She plucked Haruhi from Mori's arms and pushed her to the side of the hallway. As luck would have it, the first door they came across was unlocked, and Jin wasted no time in throwing it open and steering Haruhi inside. Haruhi stumbled into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before letting loose. Jin wrinkled her nose and shut the door, taking a moment to take a few deep breaths herself. She had never been able to stomach vomit very well…

"What was that all about?"

Jin's eyes flew open and a rush of warmth filled her cheeks. She hadn't known this was Kyoya's bedroom for the night… or that she would be seeing him shirtless and glasses-less out of the blue. From the looks of it, he had only just recently finished a bath. Clearing her throat, Jin scrubbed at her cheeks, hoping the blush would go away. "Sorry for barging in… Haru ate too much."

"Ah. I sort of expected that."

"Yeah. No one's fault but hers at this point." Jin gave her classmate a shy smile, feeling awkward despite their little chat earlier that evening. The awkwardness slowly grew as the pair fell silent, Kyoya drying his hair while Jin attempted to block out the noises Haruhi was making behind her. In the end, two full minutes passed before the bathroom door opened and Haruhi walked out. Jin sighed in relief, both because her sister looked much better and because she could finally leave Kyoya's room and the weird silence it held.

"Feeling better, Haru? Let's get you to bed."

"Jin, if you wouldn't mind..." Kyoya dropped his towel into a little cotton bag under the window. "Could you stay for a few minutes? I have some questions."

"Um…sure."

Jin was absolutely not sure. But she still ushered a slightly dizzy Haruhi out the door with a smile before turning to face her doom. Kyoya was watching her calmly, sitting on the end of his bed and still without a shirt. Exhaling sharply, Jin walked over and sat on the bed as well. What kind of fancy beach house doesn't have chairs in the guest rooms? She frowned and looked around the room, temporarily distracted by the thought.

"Jin?" Kyoya had turned to face her properly, eyes sharp and critical like he was examining a difficult math problem instead of looking at a classmate. "I was forewarned to not ask you these questions until now, and I thought it would be best for us to be the only ones in the room when I did."

"O…kay? What kind of questions are we talking about here?"

Kyoya's eyes narrowed slightly before he leaned back onto one hand. "I have a feeling you already know. You're picking at your bandage- oh! You're bleeding."

Jin dropped her hand and looked down. Sure enough, three little dots of red were showing through the white fabric. "Huh… when did that happen?"

"Probably when you were running your sister through the hallway." Kyoya stood up and walked into his bathroom, making Jin wrinkle her nose in sympathy. "It's still a fresh wound and physical exertion increases blood flow. Would you mind unwrapping your bandage for me? I saw some fresh ones stocked in the cabinet earlier."

Jin silently did as she was told, drawing her feet up so they weren't dangling over the edge of the bed as more blood became visible. Thankfully, Kyoya returned to the bed quickly, holding a new strip of bandage and what looked like a bottle of disinfectant. Hoping he wouldn't notice the shot of nerves flooding her body, Jin raised her eyebrows at the medical supplies. "Do they stock every bathroom or just the ones of people who own hospitals? Ow!"

"Sorry, I should've warned you about the sting. And I don't personally own any hospitals."

"Semantics."

"No one in my family is an actual doctor."

"Eh."

"I'm only sixteen."

"Fine, I get it! Jokes are wasted on you."

"Only the ones that aren't funny."

"Hey!"

"Quit squirming, or I'll have to hunt down a new bandage."

Jin pouted, but let Kyoya do his thing. As she had expected, Kyoya's handiwork was nowhere near as neat or precise as the doctor's, but it wasn't half bad either. If she hadn't known any better, Jin would've guessed Kyoya had been given training. The two sat in silence as Kyoya finished the binding. For a few moments, they both stared down at the new bandage in silence, Kyoya's right hand gently cradling Jin's forearm.

"Jin, why did you have a panic attack today?"

She knew the question was coming. She had even been preparing on how to deflect it before Kyoya had mentioned her soiled bandage. Jin pulled her arms into her lap, one hand picking at the edge of her dress skirt. She knew Kyoya was watching her. She could feel it.

"You can't tell anyone else. I'm not… embarrassed, but I'd prefer to not have every single person at school know about it."

"Of course."

"I… I have a phobia. Of sharks." Jin looked up and saw Kyoya's eyes alight with understanding. She continued, "My mind plays tricks on me, making me see, hear, and sometimes even feel things that aren't there. Having a bloody cut and falling into the ocean was…"

"Your worst nightmare come true."

Jin nodded. "I can't take deep baths with bubbles, or swim in pools if there aren't enough people. I don't even bother trying to find my depth limit with the ocean." She trailed off after that, not quite sure where to go from there. She didn't exactly want to relive the thoughts going through her head when she had been in the water...

"I'm sorry we brought you here." Kyoya stood up from the bed, taking the soiled bandage and disinfectant with him. "If we had known before-"

"Hold up, I wanted to come!" Jin stood up as well, trying to avoid thinking about the dark empty space beneath Kyoya's bed now right behind her heels. "No one forced me to come, and falling into the water was a freak accident. I had fun today."

Kyoya looked surprised at the sudden outburst, but nodded in understanding. Jin flashed him a crooked smile.

"Thanks for pulling me out of the ocean."

"Of course."

"And sorry for getting you all wet." Jin stuck her lower lip out in a mock pout, which ended up being too much for her classmate. Unable to bite back his laughter, Kyoya shook his head before looking back at Jin and offering a smirk of his own.

"Don't mention it."

Jin's smile broadened into a grin as she watched Kyoya disappear back into his bathroom. She opened her mouth to let out another teasing quip when a low roll of thunder suddenly shook the floorboards. Instantly Jin's spine straightened and she ran for the door.

"Thanks again, Kyoya! Have a good night!"

"Wha-"

Jin had the presence of mind to wince at the loud slam of the door behind her, but didn't stop to apologize. She had no idea which room was Haruhi's, and she didn't have any time to waste. Running down the hall, Jin spotted an open door next to her bedroom for the night. All but crashing into the open door frame, Jin let out a sigh of relief when she looked inside.

"Haru!"

Tamaki spun around, eyes wide. "Jin! Thank goodness. What's wrong with her?"

Rushing to Tamaki's side, Jin quickly pulled the shivering Haruhi into her arms. The blond didn't go far, wringing his hands and rocking from one foot to the other. Haruhi let out a loud yelp as another roll of thunder echoed in the room. Tamaki yelped as well, looking more frantic by the second.

"What's happening? I ran into her when she was on her way to find you. We started arguing again when all of the sudden she stopped and started doing… this! I had to stop her from climbing into the wardrobe!"

"Tamaki, hush for a moment!" Jin ran her fingers through Haruhi's hair, shushing her sister until she stopped shaking so bad. Once she trusted Haruhi to not collapse if they moved, Jin gently eased them both towards the bed and sat down. With one hand, Jin reached backwards until she could grab the headphones resting on Haruhi's nightstand. Thankfully they were already plugged in to the music player, so it was easy work slipping the headphones over Haruhi's ears and pressing play.

At once, Haruhi's posture relaxed, the girl letting out a sigh as she nuzzled her cheek against Jin's shoulder. Then, and only then, did Jin gesture for Tamaki to move closer to the bed. The blond still looked worried, but he didn't look like he was panicking any more, which was a good thing. A panicking Haruhi seeing another panicking person was always a recipe for disaster.

"It's okay, Tamaki. Haru's just scared of thunder and lightning, so she needs her music to help block it out."

Tamaki raised his eyebrows, obviously shocked. "Seriously? I would never have guessed… But what was with her trying to climb into the wardrobe?"

"The storm probably caught her off guard. When she's not ready for the noise, Haru basically shuts down and looks for the nearest small, dark space to hide. She used to hide under the table when we were kids." Jin ran her fingers through her sister's hair once more before carefully slipping Haruhi under the blankets.

Pulling the sheets up to Haruhi's shoulders, Jin sat back down on the edge of the mattress right as another crash of lightning lit up the windows. Haruhi sucked in a quick breath and grabbed Jin's wrist. But when Haruhi dared to peek her eyes open, Jin was smiling down at her, left hand already moving to pat at Haruhi's head. Sending a shaky smile back in return, Haruhi glanced beyond her sister at Tamaki. The blond inched closer before crouching down by Jin's feet, sinking down to Haruhi's new eye level. Then he smiled, resting one cheek in his hand.

"You're okay," he said, despite knowing that Haruhi couldn't hear him. And yet, Haruhi seemed to understand, giving Tamaki a small smile as well before shutting her eyes and nuzzling the pillow.

Jin gave a decisive hum, "She'll be alright for the rest of the storm, but I'm going to wait in here until she falls asleep before turning in." She glanced down at her classmate, who was now frowning at the floor in an obvious pout. Rolling her eyes, she gave his leg a little kick and said, "Don't think for a second you're allowed to leave just yet. You're calming Haru down, too, ya'know."

Jin didn't even have to look to know Tamaki was a beaming, gooey mess. But when he wrapped her left leg in a hug she gave him a head pat all the same.

"I'm sorry, Jin. For knocking you into the ocean earlier."

Jin swallowed, fighting against the urge to draw her legs up onto the bed since Tamaki still had a hold on her. "It's alright-"

"No, it's not alright. And if you don't want to tell me why you panicked, I understand. If Haruhi can have a crippling fear and still be brave, so can you. I won't judge you, no matter what."

Jin stared down at her friend long after he went quiet, softly snoring against her knee.

*\/*

"So even the Boss has filthy habits. Who would've guessed…"

"YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!"

Haruhi groaned, already done with the day, and it was only a quarter past 8 in the morning. Walking over to where Jin and Mori were loading up the trunk of the limousine, Haruhi handed off her bag before gesturing over her shoulder.

"What are they on about now?"

Jin glanced over to the squabbling trio before letting out a sigh so deep, Haruhi suspected her sister had just started growing her first grey hairs that exact moment. Sliding Haruhi's things beside her own, Jin explained, "It's all my fault. Tamaki fell asleep on your floor last night and I had no idea what room he was in, so I put him at the end of your bed before I joined you and fell asleep."

Haruhi blinked. "So… that's why the twins woke me up with all their screaming this morning?"

"Yes," Kyoya interjected, handing Mori his own bag before continuing, "I had called Jin out to discuss our departure schedule when Hikaru and Kaoru snuck past us to wake you. When they saw Tamaki curled up on your bed as well…"

"I AM NOT INTO PET PLAY! AND HARUHI KNEW I WAS THERE LAST NIGHT! YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!"

"Ah." Haruhi nodded in understanding and trying to pull back a smile. She knew about Tamaki's apology to Jin last night so she was back to being civil with the blond boy once again… but he was so stupid it was hard not to laugh.

"Jin? Is your new bandage giving you any trouble?"

"Nope!" Jin displayed the wrap proudly to the other. "Thanks for finding me a second one this morning! Hopefully my cuts healed enough that it won't bleed through any more!"

"I should hope so. Anyways, there is something that occurred to me just now: I don't believe I have your cell phone number."

"You don't? Well, we need to fix that, now don't we?"

Haruhi whipped her head back around, mouth somewhat ajar as her sister straightened up immediately, pulling said phone out of her back pocket. A few seconds later and Kyoya was saving Jin's number into his contact list with a satisfied smile, promising to message the girl as well before being called away to calm Tamaki down.

Jin didn't notice Haruhi's expression until she finished saving Kyoya's number, a little taken aback by the shock she saw there. "Haru? What's wrong?"

"I…" Haruhi looked between her sister and the Host Club's Shadow King, but she couldn't say she had any argument to make. After yesterday's craziness… she just shook her head. "Nothing, Nēchan. You and Kyoya-senpai are just being nicer to each other than usual."

That pulled a sheepish laugh from Jin, causing Haruhi to squint at her sister a little. "I guess… I've only just noticed that Kyoya's a pretty nice guy."

"And now my ears are bleeding. Thanks Nēchan."

Jin just scoffed at that, stepping away so Mori could slam the trunk door shut and also sling an arm around Haruhi's shoulders. For a moment, the two sisters just stood and watched as Kyoya and now Hunny-senpai tried to corral Tamaki away from Hikaru and Kaoru, the twins looking far too pleased with how badly the blond was foaming at the mouth.

Jin smiled and gave the scene a little nod. "This is going to sound controversial, but I think our little vacation went well."

"If you say so."

So, I totally forgot until after I set up this chapter, but in the manga this story is actually separated into two chapters. So… the next chapter is going to be another one of my originals from the Anime version! Should be fun!

I'm also officially a college graduate! And since the current job hunting climate is shit, I'm going to hopefully be using more of my time to write more!

Until then, stay safe, and I'll see you next chapter!