Author's Notes: Okay, so I haven't updated in a little while, but here's a new chapter! Yay! I'm really sorry it's been so long, but I had exams to study for - super important ones too, the difference between going to uni or not. But I finished a couple of weeks ago and have very slowly managed to write this chapter, alongside work and helping my friends, so it's not like I've been too lazy or anything, promise! I hope this chapter is enjoyable, and hopefully makes sense. Now I have no more college, depending on if I'm inspired, I should be updating more, but you know how it is, a hit and miss deal.

The following day was seemingly normal. The train ride and getting to school with Haruhi was fine. We boarded our usual train, walked up the hill to the grand gates, and made our way through the grand corridors of the school buildings to our homeroom. Homeroom session was simple and quiet, just as I liked it.

I wondered to my first lesson still slightly sleepy with my book bag loosely hanging at my side from my left hand. I was otherwise preoccupied in my thoughts about the history homework I had worked hard on for the lesson I was approaching, when I stalled slightly as I noticed Hikari-san smiling awkwardly at me as she was just about to walk into one of her lessons. She must have left quickly from homeroom, even though I was sure I was one of the first to leave, despite my semi-drowsy state. I smiled back with a little more enthusiasm than her, trying to make it clear that any awkwardness – from yesterday's encounter with her older brother and his offer to join the drama club – had not fazed me or my feelings about our friendship. Watching me smile, her head lowered as she stared at the floor stepping into her classroom, and out of sight. Frowning slightly, I continued walking; knowing thinking about it too much wouldn't change things right now.

It wasn't like I couldn't understand why Hikari-san felt uncomfortable. If Jordan had spent a couple of days seemingly stalking her to say, I don't know, ask her on a date (he hasn't joined a school club as far as I've heard, unless doing nothing counts as a club, so he has plenty of spare time, and the nerve to bother other people), I would probably feel awkward if it all came to light in the way it had yesterday. I affirmed this thought in my head as I took my seat in history class, and allowed the train of thoughts to dissolve.

History lessons were very different from my history lessons in England. Here, lessons focused on key wars or political events that happened in Japan, and in English lessons, all of my lessons up to that point mostly focused on English history, with the exception of countries like Egypt where you looked at well-known figures like the ancient Pharaohs. This didn't particularly bother me; learning about Japanese history was refreshing and made my studies more interesting. I'd learnt about the Second World War and the Victorian periods, among others in my lessons in England. Here, I've learnt about the Japanese perspective of the war, as well as periods when Japan was all but isolated from the rest of the world. It fascinates me. I rarely say it out loud, since the last time I did, Jordan and Jack teased me for being extremely nerdy and a bookworm. As if I really care. Their ramblings just irritate me.

Sitting through my lesson, I recorded my notes off the blackboard as my teacher spoke and wrote in white chalk on a board that was stained in the evidence of previous lessons in faded grey marks. It was one of the few lessons I wore my glasses, since unlike art and drama, I need to stare at my notes for lengths of time. I sometime get the feeling my Mum has influenced my history teacher; he seems to have incorporated group discussion into the lesson, though only briefly and on rare occasions. Most of the teachers just wrote and spoke as we wrote notes. We were expected to be academic about learning the information. This suited me well, but I could tell from some of the quizzical expressions and chatter after lessons that some of my classmates didn't suit this learning style.

This was a similar case as I packed for my books away into my book bag when the lesson ended. I walked out of the room quietly like I always did, the confused conversations fading as I turned left to walk to the stairs to go the second floor for my English lesson. I walked mostly in a world of my own, but was distracted by emerald greens eyes which watched me with momentary shock before the owner of them shyly lowered his head just enough so that his dark brown hair shrouded his face, but didn't seem too obvious to everyone else. It was effective, being as short as I am, and as tall he his, the top half of his face was concealed, though I could see his lips quiver slightly.

"Ryuu-senpai?" I said, though it sounded like a question, halting in place so we were less than a few feet away from each other. Slightly startled, he then looked up at me, though his expression was calmer and more professional than I expected considering the surprise he seemed to have been hiding under his hair moments before. He smiled politely at me. "Are you alright?"

"Very well, thank you," he answered, smiling a little wider this time. I smiled back, though I could feel the awkwardness hang heavily over us like a heavy cloud. This wasn't easy for either of us. "I can only assume you're also well."

I smiled a little more assertively, nodding slightly as I watched Ryuu-senpai. He seemed nervous. It was strange. On the few occasions I had seen him before the event yesterday, he was so calm, collected and never seemed to lack control of himself. In ways he was similar to Kyouya-senpai, if you ignored Kyouya-senpai's hosting and Ryuu-senpai's acting as being the most obvious differences. They were otherwise difficult to separate. Oh, and Kyouya-senpai's glasses. I don't recall Ryuu-senpai ever wearing glasses other than for a social realist monologue that Hikari-san had hinted to, which I otherwise had forgotten about until just now. Apparently Ryuu-senpai played a heartbroken man who had been betrayed by his lover who had been having an affair with his best friend. A very typical scenario.

Ryuu-senpai's eyes were fixed on mine, as if expecting me to mention something he was paranoid I would bring up. But I simply stated I was happy he was well and we parted ways quietly. No mention of the offer to be a part of the drama club, or talk of his younger sister, or anything else related to yesterday. I suppose that was in a way a good thing. I wasn't sure I was ready to talk about it either. I had no idea how to go about it in my head, let alone articulating it into words. That's never been my strong point.

"Hollie!" two voices called in unison. Looking over my shoulder, I knew who it was before I could fully acknowledge them. The twins cheerfully came towards me in a half walk, half skip manner. It was amusing to watch, and I couldn't fight back much of a smile. In the background, I could see Ryuu-senpai had taken a moment to observe the scene like a few others who were also walking past. His expression was difficult to properly interpret: it was a strange mix between a fulfilled smirk, and a regretful grimace. I couldn't understand it. I focused my attention back on the twins who grinned and slowed to a halt when they reached me a few feet away. They parted to walk on either side of me, each taking a shoulder and smoothly turning me and encouraging me to walk alongside them. I didn't resist them. "Looking forward to English?"

"No more than usual," I stated bluntly with a slightly confused expression. "Why? Should I be?"

"Hmm," they both murmured. "Not especially, but who knows? You sometimes have that expression on your face like you're anticipating something to happen." Hikaru states the question, and Kaoru finishes. My head turning slightly as they each spoke in turn.

I frowned slightly. I didn't like that they could read me that well. It's okay if it's Haruhi. She never judges me, unless I ask for her help, and it requires her to. The twins, however, they take more effort to keep in line. They so freely state things as it suits them, that I sometimes feel uneasy that they'll blurt something about what they think is going through my head that I would rather stayed in my head. I wish they would be more considerate to whether I want things blurted out like that. But there was also the good side to it. The twins were so blunt, that they're able to articulate my thoughts better than I can process them in my head. It's a paradox. But a strangely enjoyable one. Not that I would ever tell them that. Or would they figure that out too?

But I also hated being an open book. It was being a little bit mysterious that I hoped would keep me segregated from the other students in the first place when I arrived here, to avoid trouble, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. So annoying.

Grumpily, I increased my walking pace a little faster so I put some distance between myself and the twins. Though they quickly caught up to me without effort. They have much longer legs than me. Sometimes being short can be such a hassle.

I took my seat quickly, avoiding eye contact with the twins. If they're so good at reading me, they can tell I'm not happy with them. Hmph.

English lessons barely feel like lessons. Just an hour of staring at a board of writing that screams "obvious" at me. English here is taught as a language, like French or Spanish or German is in England. To a person whom English is their mother language, it seemed silly I was sat here at all. But, Ouran Academy being a school of soon-to-be business leaders, English was a mandatory lesson because English is considered in some areas "the international business language". I roll my eyes at the thought. 'Such laziness,' I thought, leaning my head in the palm of my hand as I leaned my elbow on the desk. Not exactly lady-like, but this is my Mum teaching the lesson, she can't exactly criticise without exposing that we were in fact related. Mum has moments when she sounds more like my mother than a teacher. I know she isn't prepared to have our 'true relationship' revealed yet, as long as it remains undetected. Honestly, how can you not piece it together? Hikaru and Kaoru did, but I guess everyone is probably avoiding jumping to conclusions just like they did. Avoid being rude.

It's only until halfway through the lesson when everyone has started writing essays about a foreign holiday (because what's the chance these rich aristocrats haven't left Japan yet?) that Mum, I mean, my teacher, walks up to my desk casually placing a book on the corner, and in a soft whisper explains to me a task of analysing an extract from Shakespeare's The Tempest, and then walking away to monitor the students in silence. The only sound coming from the tap of her heels against the tile floor. 'Great,' I thought. 'More Shakespeare. At least I'm not performing this one.'

I don't hate Shakespeare. On the contrary it fascinates me, but I can't be certain that any reference to Shakespeare won't spark my classmates to eternally link me to the wonderful playwright and never forget it. Typecasting has never appealed to me. Still, it's only when Haruhi, who I had otherwise not seen much of until now, is stood at my desk repeating my name.

"It's time for break," she says, smiling at me.

Nodding, I gather my books and put them in my book bag. I looked at Hikari-san's desk behind me, but she's long gone. I turned back to Haruhi who gestures for me to walk on ahead –I suppose it's a very polite 'male' thing to do- so I walked out of the classroom as we walk at a casual pace, chatting about English grammatical structure that Haruhi had been struggling to get her head around.

The rest of the day was quiet, thankfully. I maintained my pouty demeanour to the twins, who on a couple of occasions stated I was being childishly cute, which was apparently made cuter because of how uncharacteristic it was. I glared at them, though it only seemed to fuel the fire.

Even in the extra-dimensional world of the host club room, their antics focused on pressing my buttons. To the point that I struggled to walk past with a tray of tea cups and herbal tea without them looking over their shoulders with that irritating suggestive look in their eyes like they're going to make a comment that I don't want to hear. Sighing, I returned to a table with more tea sets, gathering tea cups and saucers, when from a single table and chair in the corner of the room in my peripheral vision, Kyouya-senpai snapped his notebook shut, stood up gracefully and walked over to my side. I initially ignored him, placing one final tea cup on the tray.

Realising he was still stood next to me, I looked up at him, his eyes fixed on mine. I paused for a moment as he held my gaze.

"Senpai?" I said curiously, barely in a whisper. I had to break this weird silence.

Turning his body to face the room, he opened his notebook again as if the past few seconds didn't even happen. I waited a moment for any response, but turned my attention back to the tray when he didn't speak.

"You can take a breather, if you need it," he stated quietly. I looked back up at him, slightly startled, though I tried to conceal it. I nodded slowly, releasing my fingers around the handles of the tray.

"Thank you," I mumbled, quickly taking my leave from the room.

I wasn't sure if it was just too obvious that I needed to get some space. Or if Kyouya-senpai was also able to read me like an open book. But in this case, I was grateful to him regardless of the reason. I couldn't understand why I was being given this special treatment, but I wasn't going to complain. I wasn't sure where my feet were taking me. I didn't have a plan of where I wanted to go. But I found myself turning the handle to the auditorium, and opening the door just enough to squeeze inside. I closed the door behind myself. I felt relieved, closing the door behind the joke that had gone too far. Behind all of the other stress that bothered me. Maybe Hikaru and Kaoru were right to an extent. Stomping off like this, it's exactly what a child would do. I frowned bitterly at the thought, but I didn't have a chance to dwell on it, when I realised moments later five pairs of eyes were staring at me.

On the stage of the auditorium, Ryuu-senpai and four other drama club members who I didn't know, watched me, holding a rolled up script in one hand, frozen in unnatural poses as if being entirely distracted in the middle of rehearsing a scene, but not relaxing from the last moment they were in until just now. Ryuu-senpai was the first to relax from his pose; pointing aggressively at one of the other male cast.

"Hollie-san, have you come to join us?" he asked, a mixture of curiosity, surprise, and what I could only guess is delight, in his voice. His voice was also remarkably calm, despite my sudden intrusion. I suppose he never really lets go of that professional appearance of his.

I didn't really know how to answer his question though. I didn't intentionally come here, I just stumbled upon the auditorium before I knew what I was doing. But now I was here, I didn't feel disappointed to be here. Pursing my lips, I gathered my thoughts.

"As long as I'm not interrupting," I answered, bowing my head forward slightly in a meek nod.

"Not at all," he stated, his face lit up slightly and his voice suddenly more enthusiastic. I wasn't sure this was entirely true. The only girl among them, I think must be the same age as Ryuu-senpai, looked at me with a stern expression. Her eyes scanned me as if sizing up her prey. I held back a shudder as I exchanged eye contact with her.

I made my way down the side of the auditorium, carefully avoiding bounding down the slope to the stage past the aisles of audience seats. Stepping onto the stage with the others, Ryuu-senpai grinned at me as I stepped into the world of the performer. The world really was our stage here. Or vice versa. I already felt at ease, though the eyes digging into me left me still uneasy.

"We weren't expecting you today," Ryuu-senpai stated, his face still lit up and his tone eager and barely holding back excitement.

"No. We weren't," the girl agreed. Her voice and face, on the other hand, were cold and clearly unimpressed I had dared to intrude in her territory. Though, despite the cold expression on her face, she was undoubtedly a woman of nobility. Her skin was flawless, with light brown hair styled perfectly so the soft waves delicately framed her face, and her golden eyes which, although were warm in colour, looked down at me icily. Though, moments later, her face transformed into one of a humble hostess and a sweet smile replaced her grimace, and the warmth seem to return to her eyes. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Satsuri Hisakawa. Don't worry, I know who you are." Her eyes looked upon Ryuu-senpai, before looking back at me distastefully. I merely nodded as it became clearer it was just her territory I was intruding on, I also seemed to be stealing the attention one person she would rather I didn't.

"Ah, these are fellow drama club members Ryouji Kagome, and Kazuhiko Tsukino," Ryuu-senpai continued, gesturing to two other male students who bowed politely at me upon hearing their names in turn. The one on the right, Ryouji-san, who I think was in one of the other classes, stood at a medium height, just a bit shorter than Ryuu-senpai, smiled at me with shy grey eyes, with strands of his navy blue hair slightly shrouding his eyes at times. Kazuhiko-san, who was a similar height, grinned excitedly at me with electric blue eyes and contrasting dark brown hair. I assumed he was also in the same year as me.

"Nice to meet you," I said, smiling softly. Being surrounded by so many people made me nervous, evident through my slightly shaky voice, but the atmosphere was strangely warm. I wasn't sure if it was Ryuu-senpai's calm demeanour, or the excitable aura that seemed to radiate from Kazuhiko-san uncontrollably that made me feel calm, despite the chilling feeling from the only other female.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!," the two males both replied. But Kazuhiko-san quickly added "Our president has told us so much about you. And your performance was really refreshing!"

I bit my lip nervously in response, but tried to increase my smile politely. I wasn't sure if it was the mention of Ryuu-senpai talking about me that choked me, or the praise, but it made my heart race uncontrollably which left evidence radiating on cheeks.

"I-I'm glad you enjoyed it," I mumbled, looking down shyly as the blush on my cheeks deepened as I realised I wasn't maintaining my cool.

The two boys laughed at my shyness, and from my right I could hear Ryuu-senpai clearing his throat, and they fell into silence, and I looked up at him.

"Hollie-san, if it's not much of a problem, would you mind giving us some constructive criticism on a scene we've been working on? As a director, of sorts," Ryuu-senpai then said, as he held our attention. Surprised at first, it took a moment for me to muster a nod. This could really keep me distracted. "Great! If you'd like to take a seat near the front, we'll run through the scene."

I did so, pulling the seat down, I sat down comfortably and as the drama club members prepared into their opening positions for the scene; a seemingly calm living room compromised of black blocks to represent furniture like a sofa and a coffee table, Ryuu-senpai sat back casually on one black in a side profile to the audience imitating holding a newspaper with his hands held up in front of his face as if holding the pages open. Satsuri-senpai similarly sat on a rectangular block, holding an imaginary teacup in her hands, seemingly staring out a window off stage behind Ryuu-senpai's head. Kazuhiko-san, who now sat him leaning against the other side of the block on the floor, no longer had the excitable grin on his face, but a more bored, serious expression as he wrapped arms around one of his legs which he had pulled close to him, while the other was stretched out so he was angled towards Ryuu-senpai. Ryouji-san was now off-stage, but he stood just on show so I could see him, signalling to me before fully concealing himself behind the black tab which was basically a large curtain.

Nodding at them, the scene unfolded itself and the characters came to life and the students disappeared. Satsuri-san was a proud housewife, taking careful sips from her teacup. Ryuu-senpai, became a husband and father who equally proud. Occasionally he turned the invisible pages of the newspaper in his hands. Kazuhiko-san became the bored teenage boy, lost in his world. The quiet normality that had formed on stage quickly shattered as Ryouji-san burst through an imaginary door which was only marked in two separates pieces of cello tape that was marked on the floor in two individual "X"s. Suddenly the paced sped up as Ryouji-san shouted at Ryuu-senpai about unpaid debts and debt collectors who wouldn't wait any longer. The entire family shocked, turned into chaos as it appeared the topic of debt was news to the mother and son, and the fact it had become known to them sent Ryuu-senpai's character into chaos of his. As the scene played out, I watched carefully each actors' physical gestures, how they responded to each other, how each line was delivered, how each word was spoken, and looking for the cracks where they were not their character but slipping back into students again. It was fascinating looking at it from this perspective.

The scene ended with Ryouji-san storming out of the 'living room' and off stage in rage the same side of the stage he had entered, and Kazuhiko-san also leaving off-stage from the right hand stage to 'another area of the house', with Satsuri-san sat in distraught and anger on a chair on the left hand side of the stage, while Ryuu-senpai sat in shame with his head in his hands in the same chair he had been sat in at the start of the scene. After a moment of pause, they broke out of their pose and looked down at me from the stage waiting for my response. I wasn't sure where to start or how to say what I had thought, but as I joined them on stage, I asked them to rehearse certain moments in front of me again as I suggested improvements to physical gesture, or improving the reaction and response between certain characters, occasionally playing a role in someone's place when I couldn't find the words to fully explain it.

I felt so easily lost in the atmosphere of working on stage, that I almost didn't acknowledge the feeling of being watched when I took on Ryouji-san's character as his character yelled at Ryuu-senpai's character, and I explained the fault about pointing with the wrong side of his body as he blocked the audience off with his shoulder with the one closest to the audience. It was only afterwards as I caught the doors of the auditorium close completely that I did acknowledge that feeling.

Eventually the rehearsal had to end, and I felt so relieved from being here. I felt like I had bonded with them, maybe less so with Satsuri-san, and somehow all the tension and stress from earlier with the twins seemed so trivial.

"Hollie-san, thank you for helping us," Ryuu-senpai said. "It's been very helpful receiving your advice. But we shouldn't hold onto you much more for today. We're going to continue rehearsing, but I think your… host club… would like to have you back at some point this afternoon."

"I-I'm glad I could be helpful…" I mumbled, bowing slightly. "Thank you for letting me join you."

"It was our pleasure," Ryuu-senpai said, smiling, with Kazuhiko-san grinning excitably at me, and Ryouji-san smiling shyly in return. Satsuri-san was still reorganising the stage and didn't give me eye contact at all. I smiled and made my leave before I could allow my embarrassment to be even more obvious.

Walking through the cold back to the host club, the cold air cleared my head as it rushed through my lungs. I felt so much more calm. I didn't plan to see the drama club this soon, but I don't regret it. And I owe it to Kyouya-senpai for that. Then I stopped for a moment. I owe Kyouya-senpai. That can't be a good thing. Would he have anything he could request from me, anyway? I'm merely a commoner to him, what exactly can I offer?

Halting outside the double doors to the clubroom, I took a deep breath to calm myself down again before opening one of the doors and stepping inside. There were still a few guests here, being entertained by Tamaki-senpai and the twins, while Haruhi cleared the last few plates with crumbs from Honey-senpai's cakes as he sat contentedly next to Mori-senpai on one of the sofas. Haruhi was the first to notice me, smiling at me before quietly asking me where I had been, and mentioning that Kyouya-senpai hadn't long been back from quickly leaving to run an errand of his own while the clubroom was reasonably calm.

"I… I wound up going to the drama club for a bit," I answered in an equally quiet tone. But even the twins overheard me despite being so quiet.

"Eh? You went to the drama club? You snuck off to hang out with other people?" they asked in unison in a hurt tone as they interrogated me.

"I didn't sneak off!" I said, folding my arms defensively. "Kyouya-senpai gave me permission."

"Seriously?" they asked, looking over at Kyouya-senpai. Even Tamaki-senpai was paying attention now, as I spied in the background just behind the twins looking in Kyouya-senpai's direction as well. I turned my gaze towards him, as he nodded while writing in his notepad. "Why? I thought Hollie was ours?"

I bit back the temptation to explain I wasn't their property, as Kyouya-senpai paused from writing. "I gave Hollie permission so she could affirm with the drama club the seriousness of the deal the host club made yesterday," he explained, looking at me.

'Ah. So that's it. It was all a matter of business then?' I thought, but then I replayed that brief conversation in my head quickly. 'But Kyouya-senpai didn't tell me to go to the drama club. I just happened to go there.' Unless he expected me to go there? Or was he just covering me? But why on Earth would he do that?

The twins seemed to believe him, and just wrapped their arms around Haruhi and I, as Haruhi tried to balance the tray of used plates while fighting them off as we both wriggled uncomfortably but only failing. We didn't want to break those plates.

Tamaki-senpai bid the last guests goodbye with his so-called 'princely' routine as I helped Haruhi deal with the plates. Tamaki-senpai was being unusually calm about my absence, but I'm guessing because 'Mother', aka, Kyouya-senpai, had given me permission to run off, it was okay in his books. I managed to avoid any fuss over the matter, as the members of the host club made their leaves to go home. Haruhi said she had chores to do before going straight home, so she went home ahead of me, which left me alone to gather my things from the changing room, and alone with Kyouya-senpai. As I made my way to the doors to leave, I turned around to look at him, narrowing my eyes as I decided to raise the topic. He watched my expression as he closed his laptop as he sat at one of the tables, raising an eyebrow, giving me my cue to speak.

"How did you know I would go to the drama club?" I asked. "You didn't say to go directly there, and I never mentioned that was where I was going."

"It was, I think it's called, 'a hunch'," Kyouya-senpai answered, as he packed his laptop away. I wasn't going to take that for an answer.

"Don't lie to me," I said firmly. I gulped as I made a stab at an idea. "Kyouya-senpai, it was you who came into the auditorium earlier?"

"Is that a statement or a question?" Kyouya-senpai said monotonously. I clenched my teeth slightly.

"A… statement," I mumbled, but I was still doubtful. I gathered my confidence. "That was the only way you really knew I went to the drama club. I could have been lying to Haruhi just to wind up the twins for all you know."

"We both know you're not much of a liar," Kyouya-senpai said, standing up straight, adjusting his glasses with a smirk.

I couldn't hold back a tiny grin, but I still had more questions. It was true, I'm an awful liar. I may be an actress, but I'm awful at making excuses, and hate the thought of misleading people if I can avoid it.

"One more thing," I said, still grinning. Kyouya-senpai was now stood a few feet from me as he paused from walking towards the doors. "Why did you give me permission to 'take a breather'?"

Kyouya-senpai's grin faded for a moment as he seemed to be surprised by the question, but it quickly returned and even wider than before. "Didn't I say so yesterday?"

I watched his expression for a moment, my face turning serious.

"That you seem to be happy when you're on the stage," Kyouya-senpai finished.

I simply watched the grin on his face, as I tried to understand exactly what Kyouya-senpai meant behind those blunt words.