The Best Friend Type

Chapter Thirteen: We Have a Manager?

"Do you ladies like my kimono?" I asked, twirling around and showing off my pale blue kimono. My kimono was carefully altered by myself. While I had been changing in my stall, I quickly found tape and such as to allow my chest to show and to carefully cover what was needed. Such as things nobody needs to know. I was thankful I also knew how to professionally cover up scars and such.

"You've never showed so much skin before," one of my customers said. "Normally you're all covered up."

"I felt as though today would be a nice change in pace. But I'm gonna stay mostly covered." I told them. "I need to leave some things to your imaginations."

The girls let out happy screeches. I think that over the past year my role has became more and more flirtatious. My type should be altered to the flirtatious gay best friend.

"Though with this I can't move around much or you might see something I'd want to keep hidden." I forced a blush, "I'm such a shy person you know."

I glanced over to Haruhi and saw that Honey-Senpai was crying onto Mori-Senpai, making me excuse myself to see what was happening.

"Looks like tears are popular with the ladies, Rin," Haruhi told me. "But how're they all able to cry so easily?" I shrugged as she went to walk away, but ran into Kaoru, who dropped his eye drops. "What's this?" She held the eye drops up.

"For your information, it's common for a host to use eye drops," Kaoru informed her. "Well, except for Rin, who rather not use them for some reason."

"I hate things in my eyes." I rolled my eyes. "Besides, I can cry without the use of eye drops."

"What woman alive could resist a man on the brink of tears?" Hikaru asked Haruhi, ignoring me as usual, as of lately. Though Kaoru had been paying attention, so I guess that's good enough.

"That's cheating," Haruhi pointed out.

Hikaru put her arm around Haruhi. "Oh, don't be such a party pooper."

"Here Haruhi," Kaoru said, pulling a little sweet treat in a container out of his sleeve and making my mouth water. It looked so yummy. "This is for you."

"It's for me?" Haruhi asked, looking down at it in her hand then to the twins.

They grinned. "Aren't you the cutest?"

I frowned. "I'm going to bother my customers again," I said with a yawn, leaving them to it.

"Welcome back, Rin-Kun," one of my customers greeted.

"Hey girls," I greeted back with a forced smile. "Sorry I left. I was making sure everything was alright with the others. They're fine." I dug in a bag I kept off to the side and grinned before pulling out some sweets, mostly just wrapped candy. "Anyone want some?"

"I would like one," one of the girls said, starting the rest of them wanting some.

After a while of us just snacking on the candy, I heard someone call my name. "Rin!" It was Kaoru. "Come here a sec."

"Coming!" I looked to my guests. "I'm sorry, but it seems I must excuse myself again."

"It's okay," the girls all said as I stood up and made my way to the others. I stood beside Kyoya-Senpai as we all looked at the door.

"What's the matter?" I asked my fellow classmate.

"It seems we have a new guest," Kyoya-Senpai informed me. "You just missed her hitting Tamaki."

I sighed. "I always miss the funniest things." Glancing over, I saw Tamaki-Senpai kind of looking a bit wobbly. Maybe that might explain it.

Currently this new girl was calling Tamaki-Senpai phony and saying other stuff I generally didn't care about. Insult after insult. I could just imagine all of these insults stabbing Tamaki-Senpai.

Hikaru gasped as Tamaki-Senpai started falling…in slow motion. "He's created a new technique."

"One man slow motion," Kaoru finished.

He finally hit the ground…I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"I don't suppose…you are…" Kyoya-Senpai trailed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

The girl started tearing up. "It's you! Kyoya!" She stepped on Tamaki-Senpai on her way to get to Kyoya-Senpai.

Yeah…it was a bad thing.

She jumped to hug Kyoya-Senpai, accidentally hitting me in the process. I lost my balance and fell backwards to the ground, jarring my body. I bit on my lip to keep the shout of pain that wanted to come out.

"Oh how I've longed to meet you," the girl continued, ignoring me as Haruhi tried helping me up. "My one and only prince charming."

"Are you okay, Rin?" Haruhi asked as she finally got me standing.

"Ow," I mumbled under my breath before looking at Haruhi. I put on a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine Haruhi. Thanks for helping me up." Nobody else had noticed I was in pain thankfully. "I'm going get changed."

"Your fiancée?" I heard Hikaru ask as I made my way back to the group. The ladies have already left and now it was just us and Renge.

"Kyoya-Senpai?" Kaoru questioned.

"Of course," the girl said, now sitting in front of us in our empty club room. "My name is Renge Houshakuji and I'm transferring into Ouran Academy's first year class A tomorrow."

"She's gonna be with us," I told Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi. I was sat down on the same couch as Renge, but not touching her. She hurt me, albeit unintentionally, but still.

"Why is he sulking?" Hikaru asked, making me turn my head a bit to watch Tamaki-Senpai sulking in the corner.

"Because Mommy was keeping a secret from Daddy," Kaoru stated.

"Whatever," Kyoya-Senpai sighed. "Why does everyone insist on referring to us like we're husband and wife?"

"Ours is a story of love at first sight," Renge said, getting off the couch and being overdramatic. I laid where I took up the whole couch now, since she was gone. "I couldn't resist the way you were adoring those flowers in the backyard when you thought no one else was looking. And how sweet it was when you reached out to that poor little injured kitten."

Kyoya-Senpai doesn't exactly like nature.

And Kyoya-Senpai hates cats…

"She serious?" the twins asked.

"Could you have the wrong person?" Haruhi asked.

"No way!" Renge shouted. "I could recognize my love anywhere!" She went on a rant that was nothing like Kyoya-Senpai and confusing the twins. "He's a gentle man who's kind to everyone but doesn't ask for anything in return. He likes solitude but in fact sometimes he gets lonely. He looks like the star of the popular dating sim, Uki Doki Memorial." She pointed at Kyoya-Senpai. "You're my real life Ichijo Miyabi."

It was silent.

"That's nothing like Kyoya," I stated, staring at Renge. "At all…"

The others were busy spazzing because Renge was an otaku. I didn't care exactly because I myself am an otaku. I like video games, books, and television a lot. I don't have much time for it anymore because these days as soon as I get home I pass out on the downstairs sofa.

I lifted my legs to allow Kyoya to sit before setting my legs back down on his lap. The look he gave me was scary.

"I get it now," he said. "You're in love with that character. You're projecting that love onto me and you've somehow fantasized yourself into thinking we're engaged. I assume this Miyabi character probably wears glasses as well."

The rest of the host club popped up around us.

"So…she made it up," Tamaki-Senpai clarified with hope in his voice. "You're not really her fiancé, right?"

"Well no. I don't remember ever asking for her hand in marriage. Besides, this is the first time I've ever met the woman."

Renge just finished spazzing and popped up near me, scaring the hell out of me while speaking to Kyoya-Senpai. I was squeezed against the back of the couch with this woman's butt against my stomach and my feet still on Kyoya-Senpai's lap, not comfortable at all. She was way too close for me to be comfortable with this. "According to my research, I understand that you're in charge of managing the club. Is that true Kyoya?"

"That's right," Honey-Senpai told her. "Kyo-chan is our director."

"You're the club's director?" Renge asked. "That's perfect! Oh wow! I've always wanted to wear a sandwich board to advertise a business."

"We don't advertise," the twins informed the delusional girl. "We're just a host club."

"I made up my mind! From now on I'm gonna be the manager of this host club!" She had completely ignored the twins.

"Um, listen Kyoya…" I glanced over at Tamaki-Senpai, who was leaned over the back of the couch a bit to speak to Kyoya-Senpai.

"Miss Houshakuji is the only daughter of a very important Ootori family client. So please be polite and try not to offend her, alright?"

That brought Tamaki-Senpai's spirits down.

"Well boys, I can't wait to work with you," Renge said, smiling.

"I thought about it a lot last night, and maybe having a lady manager isn't such a bad idea," Tamaki-Senpai told us.

I was sitting between him and Kyoya-Senpai on one couch with the twins on the couch across the coffee table from us. Honey-Senpai and Mori-Senpai were sitting in chairs on a third side of the coffee table, and Haruhi was across from them.

"Why do you say that?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked.

"Well it's fairly obvious, isn't it?"

"Only to you Tamaki-Senpai," I mumbled grumpily, leaning back and letting my arms go across the back of the couch behind both the boys.

"Renge just transferred into the same class as Haruhi," he explained. "So, if Haruhi has a girlfriend around, it could bring out the female within her. Renge's girlish air of tenderness might be able to stimulate Haruhi's own sense of femininity."

Cause I'm not a girl, right? Wrong. "Oh dear lord save us now," I groaned. "That's absurd."

"Now is our chance to help Haruhi get in touch with her feminine side. This is an important project men. She doesn't have any friends in class right now except for these two shady twins." He pointed at Hikaru and Kaoru. "That's no good for her."

"Like you have room to talk," they said, tilting their heads.

"Haruhi's pretending to be a guy, first of all," I stated. "Therefore she wouldn't exactly want to be feminine. Secondly, do you really want Haruhi, technically a man, to be friends with a girl? One who thinks she's a man. And then in all honesty, it's Haruhi's choice as to whether she wants to be more feminine or not."

The door opened, stopping anyone from talking. It was Renge. Damn.

"Hey everyone," she greeted. "You'll be happy to know that your new manager Renge has baked all of you some cookies." She held up said cookies.

"Oh, isn't she lady like?" Tamaki-Senpai asked, suddenly next to her. At that moment he reminded me of an excited puppy.

I blinked before staring where he use to be on the couch. As suspected, he wasn't there. My attention went back to Renge and the super fast Tamaki-Senpai.

"I'm so moved by your generosity."

"I didn't bake these cookies for you, you phony prince," Renge growled at him, causing him to fall. Almost immediately after, he was across the room in his little corner.

I swear that guy would be awesome at running sports. He can make it across the room in a second.

"I'm sorry I burnt them a little bit," Renge said bashfully, walking over to the now standing Kyoya-Senpai. "I did the best I could and I already know what you're going to say." She had her hand against her cheek. I could only assume she was in her own Lala land. "Oh, you're always so sweet to me Kyoya!"

Welcome to Lala Land.

Population: Renge.

"She wasn't kidding," Honey-Senpai said through a mouth full of cookie. "These cookies really are burnt."

Mori-Senpai, always looking out for Honey Senpai. "Don't eat that Mitsukuni. It's bad for you."

I swear I saw Renge turn into Medusa as she chased Mori-Senpai, who held Honey-Senpai, across the room.

Ah well, might as well take one of Haruhi's cookies. I say they're hers, but she's only holding them. So, I took a cookie and made my way to the window to look out it as I chewed on the burnt cookie. Lately I've had more of an appetite. I think my medicine was really helping me, I smiled.

Behind me I could hear Tamaki-Senpai shouting some stuff about sexual harassment, but…when doesn't he complain about something the twins more than likely did. I only really tuned into whatever was going on behind me when I heard Renge yelling something about us.

"Every single one of you! Except for Kyoya, all of your characters are lukewarm!"

I sat on the windowsill, watching the show. It sounds like it'd be interesting. She was pointing at everyone, who was gathered together. You know it's serious when there's a finger being pointed…Okay not really.

"Each of you needs to have some sort of dark side. You understand? Girls are vulnerable to handsome young men who are troubled. If you keep carrying on like this, it's only a matter of time before the girls get tired of you and stop coming altogether. Are you trying to ruin my precious Kyoya's business? As your manager it's my duty to change your character backgrounds. Let's start with you!" She zoomed in on Honey-Senpai, who let out a cry of fear. "If all you are is cute inside and out, then you're no different than a baby; therefore, from now on you are the baby faced thug!" Honey-Senpai let out another cry of fear. "And Mori-Senpai, you're his childhood friend, the flunky. The twins'll be basketball players enslaved in their own world. Haruhi you're an honor student who's constantly being bullied." She turned around to face me, who was leaning against the window sill and watching her with amused eyes. "Rin, you will be the loner, who's only friend is Haruhi and who tries to defend Haruhi only to get hurt quite often." I shrugged as she turned back to the group. "And as for you Tamaki. You're the school idol who's admired for your good looks but you actually have an inferiority complex you're hiding from the world. The lonely prince." Surprise was etched onto Tamaki's face, though I'm not sure why. Renge has been putting him down since she met him. She turned to Kyoya with an admiring sigh and hands clasped together in front of her. "And Kyoya, you're perfect just the way you are now. So I want you to stay as kind and affectionate as ever, kay?"

"Thank you I'm honored," Kyoya-Senpai said as I watched Tamaki-Senpai wobbling in the background. He was going on about his role and stuff. It's not like this behavior is very weird though…But it always is interesting, even though I can't hear what he's saying.

Eventually he tried doing poses for his lonely prince role, to which Renge was quite amazed at. I'd be terribly afraid if he ever practiced those poses. She had told him it'd be even more effective if it was in the rain.

Hikaru and Kaoru sighed, watching those two.

"Let's just wait and see how things turn out," Kyoya told everyone. "I bet it'll be interesting. It always is."

I stood up, stretching a bit before walking over to Haruhi and taking her hand. "Wanna practice being best friends Haruhi?" I winked at her, making Tamaki spazz yet again. "I can help you shower if you'd like."

"Rin!" Tamaki shouted.

"R-Rin," Haruhi stuttered.

I chuckled, leaning closer to Haruhi's face. "I can get to all those hard to reach places for you. Wash your hair for you, wash your body." I let one hand rub her shoulder then go down her arm.

It looked like Tamaki was about to have a melt down, so I backed away from Haruhi, laughing.

"Oh calm down, Idiot," I told Tamaki. "I never go after the unwilling." I brushed my hand against Haruhi's cheek before flicking her forehead gently. "Though, they do make things more fun, ya know?"

Now the twins were laughing and red in the face at the same time, Honey-Senpai was laughing slightly, Mori-Senpai just had an amused smile, Kyoya-Senpai chuckled, and Renge was bright red and watching intently. Tamaki-Senpai…Well I think I killed him.

"Get ahead of me Haruhi and don't stop, whatever you do, just keep running," I said, pushing Haruhi ahead of me. We were running through the trees, rain pouring down on us.

Haruhi leaned against a tree, me standing protectively in front her and facing the oncoming danger.

"You can't run away forever," Honey-Senpai said as he and Mori-Senpai caught up with us.

Haruhi turned to look back at them, leaning a bit to the side to look past my shoulder. She leaned her back against the tree, sliding down it.

"I'm gonna show you what happens to anyone that crosses me," Honey-Senpai told her.

"I won't let you touch my friend," I growled. I was in a crouch, ready to jump at Honey-Senpai.

"Don't do it Mitsukuni," Mori-Senpai told him. "You should've realized by now that whenever you hurt others, you're really just hurting yourself."

"I didn't ask you for any advice. You want me to put you over my knee again."

Oh gosh.

I had to force back my laughter.

"You know, it really pisses me off when people don't know their place." He grinned, but that didn't last long before he broke down.

Honey-Senpai cried sadly and jumped at me, who fell backwards and landed on Haruhi. I couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a laugh.

"I'm so sorry Haru-chan and Rin-chan! I can't do this anymore!"

"Cut!" Renge screeched. "Cut! Cut! Cut! What's wrong with you? You've gotta stick to the script!"

"I can't!" Honey-Senpai wailed.

"And imagining Mori-Senpai over Honey-Senpai's knee makes me laugh!" I said through my laughter.
All this laughing was making my throat and chest ache.

Renge went about ordering the filming crew around as the rest of us went about drying ourselves off.

"How'd they go about changing our characters to shooting a movie about them?" Hikaru asked.

"And why is there an entire film crew here to shoot it?" Haruhi asked, a towel around her neck.

I was busy trying to dry my arm off.

"Apparently she flew them in from Hollywood," Kyoya-Senpai informed us. "Don't you recognize the director? He directed the vampire movie Millennial Snow. It was the number one in grossing box office hit in America last year."

"We live in Japan, not America," I pointed out. "So there is a very slight possibility that we might not have seen it." I moved on to trying to wipe my neck.

"And another thing," Hikaru started, hitting his script. "How come this stupid script portrays Kaoru as the pitcher?"

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed.

"What does that mean?" Haruhi asked.

"If you don't know, never mind," both twins said at the same time, turning their head away.

I grinned, leaning close to Haruhi's ear. "It means the one in charge Haruhi. I could give you a visual if you'd like."

She blushed. "Uh. No-no thank you Rin!"

I chuckled. "I'm only messing with you Haruhi."

"Haruhi!" Tamaki called, running over while I walked away to get some food. I saw they had a little table with sandwiches, which I gladly took one.

"Rin, you're on with Haruhi!" Renge called to me. I swallowed the rest of my sandwich.

"Kay! Let me drink my water and I'll be right there!" I drank my water, so I wouldn't end up getting the hiccups or choking or something like that, and then headed off where I saw Haruhi running to.

"Over here," Renge told us as I caught up to Haruhi. Renge was standing by two freaky looking guys. "These two gentlemen have just agree to make a special appearance in our film." I put my arm around Haruhi's shoulder and leaned my head on hers since she was shorter than me.

"Did they really agree?"

"In your film?" one guy asked.

"What're you talking about?" the other asked.

"After all, we're gonna need some tough guys for the big climax." As I guessed, she hadn't asked the guys and just completely ignored everyone as she continued on. "That's when all of the club members come together to fight against the real villains at their school. According to the script, these two are from a wealthy family that got their wealth by being a part of the Japanese mafia. Don't you think that's a brilliant casting choice?"

"What's with this girl?" one of the guys asked.

"Whatever my dad does has nothing to do with me!" the other told her. I assume his dad must've been part of the mafia, from the sounds of it.

"Wait a minute," Haruhi tried telling her. "Renge."

"Just come over here and wait for your cue."

She was ignoring Haruhi.

I let go of our female host and sighed. "Renge, listen to us."

She ignored me.

"Hey, you think you can push me around?" the guy she had been pulling asked. "You don't even know me."

He pushed her toward some equipment leaning against the wall.

"Watch out!" Haruhi and I both shouted, running at her. Haruhi covered her while I covered Haruhi. Can't let my friend get hurt, now can I?

"Are you okay Haruhi?" Renge asked as Haruhi kneeled to the ground, as though in pain.

I pushed the equipment from my back and kneeled behind Haruhi, one hand on her back.

"That guy was right Renge," she said. Her hand was covering her eyes. "You can't do that. "If you judge people by their appearance, you're stereotyping them and you'll never see the person inside."

"Um, I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"If you judge appearances, you'll never see a person's true beauty," I said, rubbing Haruhi's back.

"What happened Haruhi?" Tamaki-Senpai asked frantically, coming around the corner. He gasped when Haruhi looked at him. I could see a tear fall from her eye, making me frown. I frowned. Was I unable to stop her from being hurt?

Tamaki-Senpai took charge as I continued rubbing Haruhi's back. "So which one of you jerks did it?" he asked, pushing one guy against the wall, holding him by the collar of his shirt.

"Wait Suoh, it's not what you think," the other guy said. "That girl started it. She was giving us a hard time."

I held Haruhi stand up before helping Renge stand.

"He's telling the truth Sempai. It wasn't their fault." Tamaki-Senpai stared at Haruhi and let the guy go. "They were provoked." He and his buddy ran off as Tamaki-Senpai walked over to Haruhi as I was taking a quick glance over Renge to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Haruhi?" Tamaki-Senpai asked, holding her head straight. "Are you in any pain?"

Haruhi rubbed her eyes. "Yeah…" She held her hand out, showing a contact on her finger. "It's my contact."

"Your contact?" Tamaki-Senpai and I asked simultaneously, surprised.

"Yeah, I guess it must've slipped out," Haruhi said.

Tamaki-Senpai blinked before laughing. "I see how it is. You're able to cry without using eye drops. So you're a full fledged host now."

"You…you…" Renge turned to the camera, which I never knew was behind us. "Please tell me you got that camera man."

"Yes boss," the camera guy said, giving her a thumbs up.

Renge crumpled up the script she had in her clenched fist. "Other than Haruhi's contact falling out, that was an ideal final scene. All it needs now is a moving narration from my sweet Kyoya."

Speaking of Kyoya-Senpai, he just smashed the camera lens with a rock.

This seemed to surprise everyone. I understand for Haruhi, Tamaki-Senpai, and Renge, seeing as how they weren't looking this way. How did the film crew not notice him walking by with a rock though?

"What'd you do to my camera?" the camera man asked.

"I believe he smashed its lens," I informed him, grinning.

"What?" Renge asked Kyoya sadly. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot allow there to be any record of a club member engaging in violence. I think you've caused enough trouble around here Renge. Please stop being such a pest."

"A pest," Renge whispered to herself. I glanced over my shoulder to see her crying. "But you're supposed to pat me on the head and tell me not to worry! You're supposed to be kind and affectionate Kyoya! Why're you acting so differently now? Tell me why!"

"Because that's not the real Kyoya," Tamaki-Senpai stated.

"The real Kyoya-Senpai is the one you see before you, not the one from your game Renge," I whispered into her ear.

She turned away from me to look at Tamaki-Senpai. She fell to her knees. I kneeled quickly to make sure she was okay. Thankfully, she was. To sooth her, I rubbed her back a bit.

"Does it really matter?" Haruhi asked, kneeling down in front of Renge. "Who cares if Kyoya-Senpai is a little different than you expected him to be? Take a good look at the person inside and get to know him little by little." Haruhi smiled. "It's a lot more fun that way."

"That it is," I agreed.

"Oh you were so courageous in the movie," my customers told me.

"Thank you," I said, smiling. "But I was only acting my part. Normally I'd be like a ninja." I stood up and lifted one leg and my arms in a classical ninja-type pose, causing the girls to giggle at my antics. Suddenly I was pulled off balance by someone grabbing my arm. "Kidnapping! Help I'm being kidnapped!"

"No silly!" Renge told me and I noticed she was dragging Haruhi as well. "I want to get to know you guys better, so we're going to my house to play some games."

A/N: Next chapter will be the party! Get ready for the drama! Make sure to leave comments. All the chapters have been fixed!