Renge had been right when she had commented that Mori did not fit the wild type image that had been thrust upon him as a part of the Host Club. He thought about it at times, why he was in the host club. Everyone else had their reasons.

Tamaki wanted to make the dreams of young women come true. He aided in romance, fixed relationships, and Mori often though, was the founder of the Host Club because he knew it would annoy his grandmother. It was a very romantic, French type thing to do, cater to the pursuits of love. It was not something that a respectable Japanese young man did, but then again Tamaki was the result of an impulsive romance, not a logical arranged marriage.

Kyoya was using the Host Club as another means of proving to his father that he was more then capable of handling the family business. Everything that Kyoya did, nearly every thought that Kyoya had contemplated if their would be gain in this action, would he succeed in being noticed by his father, or would he be noticed by someone who would mention this to his father. Even the young men of the club that Kyoya associated with had families of influence who could and most assuredly would, at some point, be used to vouch for the character and integrity and ruthlessness of the third son.

Haruhi was a exception. She was not influential, but Kyoya gained something b y her presence, Mori was sure. Why else would he have indebted her to begin with. The vase was something they could have easily afforded to replace, but Kyoya insisted that Haruhi remain, and he found ways to make sure that she would always be there in the club. If Kyoya has his way her dept would never be fulfilled. What he had to gain from this, Mori knew not, but Kyoya seemed to work hard at making sure that Haruhi remained.

Not that anyone, himself included, minded.

The twins seemed to have a dual purpose in being in the club. In the beginning they had used it as a way to confirm their private little world, that they had been justified in locking themselves away in a world that consisted of only themselves, because no one was able to differentiate them. They maintained their identity in the club, and they used it as an outlet to vent their frustrations at the incompetence of their peers. They were indeed pranksters, and no one would deny that they twins had a definite devilish attitude at times. When Haruhi had come into the picture, she had destroyed their world, when she consistently differentiated the two. Now they used the club as a way to further explore the fact that they could be different and identical at the same time. They didn't always have to be the same person, and that was alright. The host club was a way to confirm that they were both who they always were, but at the same time, that they were more then just the twins.

Hunny used the club as a way to be who he wished to be. Because of the club he could enjoy the pleasures of life that he had one denied himself. Cake and usa-chan. Tamaki had encouraged Hunny to be who he really was, and not pretend that he was someone else. The fact that Tamaki could lure Hunny from karate club with a rabbit puppet was telling enough. In conforming ot what was expected of him, he denied himself. Mori knew that despite the incredible amounts of sugar that Hunny consumed on a regular basis Hunny was still a skilled martial artist. He did not need the protection that Mori provided, but allowed it because he understood why Mori needed to perform that act. Mori admitted, however, that he had been surprised that Hunny defeated his brother in order to keep his freedom to eat cake and have usa-chan. Familial bonds fell under the pressure of being true to ones self. Mori had later found out that Hunny wished for Chika to understand and accept who Hunny really was, and that if he had let Chika win, and if he had gone back to his old self, he would have been admitting that who he was currently was not his true self. Such depth of character for one so seemingly young.

That only left his own reasons to consider. Haruhi did not fall into the contemplations because she did not choose to be at the Host Club. Her sense of honor kept her there, repaying her debt. This was something that he understood, and respected. Tamaki assumed that Mori was a past of the Host Club because Hunny was, that Mori would not allow Hunny to undertake something on his own. Hunny and Mori both knew that Hunny did not need the protection, but that Mori needed to protect Hunny, because in doing so he protected himself. Mori was searching. And he felt this his success in this matter was about as likely as finding a needle in a haystack, to use a commoner phrase that Haruhi had taught them. There was more to Mori than anyone but Hunny knew. He had depth, he had feeling, he was a very intense young man, with profound thoughts and feelings. But no one would ever get close enough to him to discover this. The Host Club was a mask for him, and a test as well. It allowed him to see if anyone could see past the mask that he wore, past the seeming need to always protect Hunny. During the malfunctioning Mori episodes it was not that Mori was sleepy, but that Hunny, in his own way, was reminding Mori that he was allowing his mask to slip, and his true self to show though. Sleepy Mori merely needed time to compose himself and put the mask back in place.

His quest seemed impossible, but when Haruhi focused her level gaze on him, as he made sure that Hunny remained cake free, while the girls squealed and fainted, she seemed to see right though the act, and her gaze, steady and true challenged him to break out of the act, and just be.

Maybe the needle wouldn't be so elusive after all.