I'm horrible for neglecting this story (amongst others) for such a long time. It is not dead! Sachiko has yet to really shine, and I intend to let her! Focusing on multiple stories at once is just more difficult than I thought it would be.

I apologize for the reeeeaaaaaalllllly long wait, but here is the latest update!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. Sachiko is my OC.

Chapter 11

Sachiko sighed contently as the last note rang throughout the empty room. Getting lost in the music with no one around to interrupt her was the best way to unwind in her opinion. The only way better than this was a good book and hot chocolate, but she didn't always have the opportunity to play, so she would take advantage of her time on the piano whenever possible.

Speaking of time, Sachiko glanced up at the clock hanging next to the door. She was disappointed to see that her play time was up. Her fingers lingered on the keys for a few moments longer before she got up and retrieved her CD.

Ever since the Host Club discovered her little activity, they negotiated about how to get her to the music room on time. At first, the twins had volunteered to just stop by and tell her it was time to go. Sachiko was immediately against that. She didn't want to risk them arriving early and hearing her play (she still remembered how embarrassed she felt when she saw that the whole Host Club had listened in on her that one time). So Kyoya had a working clock added to the room so that she could leave on her own in a timely manner. If she was late, it was agreed that Haruhi would be the one to go get her, since Sachiko was more at ease around her.

After gathering her stuff, Sachiko peeked out into the hallway to make sure it was clear. Seeing no one, she left and headed for the music room.

When she arrived, the Host Club members (except for Haruhi) were already dressed up as knights.

"Hey, Sachiko! Glad to see that the clock is still working," was the twins' greeting to her. Sachiko rolled her eyes at them.

"Where's Haruhi?" she asked them.

"We ran out of the commoner's coffee, so we had her run out for some more," answered Kaoru.

"I see," she said. She wasn't really surprised. After all, only Haruhi knew where to get the instant coffee the guys all insisted on drinking.

"By the way," began Hikaru as Kaoru held out a bag for her, "we also have your costume ready!"

"A knight costume?" she asked a little curiously while eyeing the bag. She failed to see how a full set of armor could fit in that bag without its edges trying to poke through the sides.

"Nope!" they answered, "A princess!" Sachiko stared at them blankly.

". . . But I'm supposed to be doing chores."

"It's not like that stopped you from dressing up before," they said. Sachiko walked passed them without taking the bag.

"I'm going to pass this time," she said.

"Eh? Why?" the twins whined.

"Because knowing you guys, that dress is going to be big and flashy and that's only going to make things more difficult for me," she replied without hesitating, "So no, I'm not wearing it."

"Fine, spoilsport," they complained, both of them pouting at her. Sachiko rolled her eyes once more as she set off to get the snacks ready before the customers arrived. Once done, she was snug on a chair in the corner with a manga in her hands.

However, her peace did not last long after the club opened, when two shadows blocked her light. She looked up to see two girls. One had short, curly reddish-brown hair while the other was taller and had long light brown hair. She had never seen them before, yet they were wearing the Ouran school uniform. Were they new students, or were they from a different class that decided to come here for the first time?

"Excuse us, miss, but we would like you to accompany us," said the shorter one. Sachiko decided that they were new students, since they didn't know that she was just a chore girl.

"Oh, I'm not a host," she corrected them while shaking her head, "You want one of the guys dress as knights today." The girls, however, shook their heads.

"We prefer that you accompany us," said the taller one. Sachiko made to protest, to say that it wasn't part of her job, but the girls outright ignored her and dragged her over to a couch that had the snacks and coffee Sachiko prepared set out in front of. She was made to sit next to the shorter girl while the other took the chair sitting next to them around the same coffee table. After a moment where the guests said nothing or even asked her to entertain them, Sachiko looked down at the manga still in her hands. Would it be considered rude if she were to keep on reading?

"Is that so? 'Even sacrifice my own life?' Isn't that an egotistical emotion?" asked the taller one suddenly, "Are you under the impression that the woman left behind would be happy with just those words?" It took Sachiko a moment to realize that the guest wasn't talking to her, but addressing Tamaki, who had been tending to another guest.

"There's nothing you can do about it, Silver Bell onee-sama," said the girl sitting next to Sachiko as she ate a cookie, "Men are lower life forms who place honor above all else. Pretending to be gallant by repackaging it in those sweet words in their own ineptitude of not being able to preserve his own life." Sachiko squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

"Um . . . I don't think it's right to assume . . ." she began quietly, but was cut off by the other new girl, "Silver Bell."

"Oh my, Daisy is just too intelligent," she said. Sachiko turned her manga over in her hands as she looked down at it.

"Actually, she sounded extremely biased," mumbled Sachiko, but the girls didn't appear to have heard her. Tamaki, after hearing the new girls, walked over to them with a smile on his face.

"You're very acrimonious individuals, I see," he said, "Then which types of words would you prefer?" They never answered him because someone else had just walked through the entrance into the music room.

"Yes, if it were me, I would never leave her alone," said a young man with short brown hair and in the Ouran school uniform. He was walking with Haruhi, who was carrying a bag full of instant coffee.

"If you're gonna fight, then fight together," said the new guest, "If you can't accomplish it, then you should end your life together." Sachiko fidgeted in her seat again. This guy was with the two girls who dragged her over here, wasn't he?

Suddenly, he knelt down on one knee while facing Haruhi and kissed her hand.

"I vow that I shall never leave your side 'til the day my life ends," he said. The action was enough to shock everyone else in the club. Sachiko just stared on, wondering what these new students meant to do. The two guests that requested her company had left their seats and walked over to the young man.

"Rose-sama, you're too much! Why were you so late?" asked Daisy.

"You're incorrigible . . . Where in the world did you find this lovely person?" asked Silver Bell, gesturing to Haruhi. All three of them fawned over Haruhi, who looked uncomfortable by the sudden attention.

"Right in front of here, by pure luck," answered the guy, "Even though she's disguised as a boy, I could tell with one glance. Look, these clear, womanly eyes . . ." It was also bad that they had figured out Haruhi's secret. Tamaki, panicking from the realization, rushed forward.

"Wait! You are mistaken! I swear this kid is a boy!" he said in a rush. However, the new guy had hit him back away from Haruhi.

"What are you touching, you barbarian?!" Sachiko watched as the new guy looked at Tamaki, as though annoyed by his mere presence.

"He's even more of a retard than the rumors said. It's no wonder, who would expect anything more from a frivolous garbage mob with a short history?" Finally, Sachiko stood up and approached the group, acting on a hunch.

"Um . . . excuse me," she said, gaining their attention, "But, you guys aren't from Ouran, are you?" All three of them smiled at her.

"That's right!" said the guy. Then, all three of them removed the Ouran uniforms to reveal the blouses and long skirts belonging to another academy that Sachiko recognized.

"St. Lobelia Academy second year, Benio Amakusa!" said the "boy."

"Same school second year, Chizuru Maihara," said Silver Bell.

"Same school first year, Hinako Tsuwabuki!" said Daisy.

"St. Lobelia Girls Academy's 'White Lily Group,' aka Zuka Club," they said. Tamaki seemed to be in utter shock about the Zuka Club, though Sachiko didn't see why. That just meant that they were an all-female theatre troupe, right? It would make sense, since the club was part of a girls-only academy.

However, the twins were much too busy draping their arms around Sachiko's shoulders as they laughed about the fact that the three girls had been wearing one uniform underneath another and at their club name. Sachiko stared at them with a deadpanned expression. These two couldn't seem to take anything seriously. Even though she failed to see why these girls bothered with the hour-long drive to Ouran. Just what was it they wanted?

As Haruhi went to put the coffee away and Tamaki fainted from the shock of meeting these visitors, the three went on boasting about themselves.

"A girl's beauty. That is the internal beauty and power. A pure soul that doesn't lose to physical desires," said Chizuru.

"Because you're a woman. You're only a woman. I am sick and tired of men's coercive degradation of women," said Hinako.

"We are proud because our souls have an equal relationship made possible by being the same sex in the same environment. Even if, it is a romantic relationship," said Benio. As the three girls now fawned over each other (they seemed to be in a relationship one another), the guests had all gone away for the day, securing Haruhi's secret for now. The twins had also become tired of laughing. Hikaru was now playing a video game with Kaoru watching over his shoulder. They had pulled Sachiko to sit down with them on a couch.

"My, my. You must be at a loss for words at our sublime love?" teased Hinako, approaching them at the couch.

"Uh . . ." Sachiko wasn't sure if she should tell them that the twins just didn't care.

"Aw, how unfortunate. It seems like they don't know what to do since their specialty host techniques don't work on us," said Chizuru. Then again, they probably wouldn't listen, anyway.

"I don't know if it's because the club president is a half-blood, using good looks to pile on false love to mock a girl's pure heart. That right there is the degradation of women. It's not enough that you must fill your greed while using a club activity as a front!" Benio scolded the other club members, "To lure in even these pure female students, you guys are beyond despicable! I swear I will immediately shut down garbage like this host club!"

At this, Sachiko sat up a little straighter, frowning at the Lobelia girls. It was one thing to have a biased opinion, but now they were going to take action without learning more about the people they were going against? She was about to speak up when Kyoya responded instead.

"I get it now," he said seriously. He then gestured to another couch, where Tamaki was out cold and with a comforter over him.

"But since the club president is now lying down due to the culture shock, would you mind coming back next time?" he asked.

"You know, Tamaki went nighty night," said Honey. This only served to irritate Benio.

"Drag him up right now!" she demanded, "Are you mocking me?" Benio's rage, however, was settled when Haruhi came back with coffee for their guests. Just as they gathered around Haruhi, Hinako grabbed Sachiko by the arm and dragged her over to join them.

"Thank you! How can you be so sweet?" Benio asked Haruhi.

"You're a rose in a trash can," complimented Chizuru.

"Why don't the five of us have a cozy little tea party?" suggested Hinako. After doing a quick head count, Sachiko tried to shrug off the hand on her arm.

"I don't really attend tea parties," she tried to explain. However, again, no one was really listening. Tamaki had chosen that moment to wake up and swoop in to take Haruhi away from the girls.

"You guys are under the wrong impression about something!" he said as he kept Haruhi behind him, "What kind of productivity is there when women make love to each other?"

"Tamaki-senpai, I don't think that's the issue here . . ." mumbled Sachiko, wondering why, out of all the things their guests had said, that was the one that threw him through a loop the most. As Hinako let go of her to purposefully dump coffee on Tamaki's hand while he was in the middle of a rant, Sachiko was pulled back towards the other Host Club members. She looked up to see Hikaru carrying her off with Kaoru covering him.

. . . Why did she feel like she was in some game of tug-of-war? Although, it probably wasn't much better for Haruhi, who was now in Benio's clutches.

"As long as I know the situation here, I can't leave this kid somewhere like here," said Benio, holding Haruhi close to her, "Start processing as a transfer to Lobelia this instant. I'm taking this kid into the Zuka Club!" Sachiko blinked and then frowned at the declaration.

"Now hold on!" she said, sounding a little frustrated, "Don't make decisions like that for others. Be reasonable." The twins, who were holding her between them, looked down at her, surprised by her outburst. Was she . . . pouting? If they were to be honest, that look on her face made her look a little cute.

Before Benio could respond to Sachiko, Haruhi stepped back and waved her hands, gesturing everyone to calm down.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding somewhere," said Haruhi, trying to pacify their guests, "Like how the history of the club is short . . ."

"No, it's true that it's short. It's only the second year since the founding," confirmed Hikaru.

"The president created it when he came up to high school. That's why we joined at our third year of junior high," said Kaoru.

"I never even heard of rumors that Tamaki-senpai was a half-blood," said Haruhi, trying another angle.

"But Tamaki is a half-blood," said Honey, "He is half French and Japanese."

"And you mentioned being greedy, but it's not like we receive any payments from the clients," said Haruhi, although she didn't appear to have as much faith in her own words as she did before.

"It's a points system," said Kyoya as he scrolled through their website on a laptop nearby, "We make preferential accommodations based on the purchase price at the club's internet auctions. Look at this, Haruhi. The winning bid for that mechanical pencil you threw away was thirty thousand yen. Nice, huh?"

"SAY WHAT?!" she yelled as she stormed to the computer to check for herself, "I thought I lost that! I never knew any of this before! No one told me we received money this way!"

"To be honest, I didn't know about those auctions, either," said Sachiko, looking up at Hikaru and Kaoru.

"How else did you think we were able to buy the snacks and costumes?" asked Kaoru. Well, she supposed he had a point there. A lot of the things they did had a lot of expenses to them.

"That doesn't give you the right to steal someone else's things and sell them!" yelled Haruhi, still angry.

"We didn't steal them. It was dropped," said the twins. They feigned innocence when Haruhi turned to face them, but Sachiko could already tell that they were the main perpetrators for gathering material for the auctions.

"Really, guys?" she asked.

"What? It's not like we're taking your stuff to auction, since you're not a host," said Hikaru nonchalantly.

"It doesn't mean that I approve of taking people's stuff behind their backs, even if they've been dropped," she countered. The twins scratched the back of their heads, though Hikaru was a little annoyed. Why was it that, when she was finally talking with them, it was to argue? And about something like this?

After Haruhi turned down Tamaki's offer to give her a new mechanical pencil and to tell her about his life (which led him to sit in his corner again), the Lobelia girls gathered around Haruhi as she still fumed slightly.

"Poor girl. It's a shock that you've been fooled all this time, right?" said Chizuru.

"Get rid of these punks now and come join us," offered Hinako cheerfully.

"Ahh, let's wait a little, Daisy. Since Haruhi received such a huge jolt today," said Benio. Then she looked over to where Sachiko stood with the twins.

"We would also like you to come join us at St. Lobelia, Sachiko Narita," she said, "We have dorms you can stay at, so that you won't have to keep coming back home to that awful uncle of yours."

Hikaru's annoyance towards Sachiko vanished when he saw her flinch and look down. Her expression hardly changed, but she seemed almost . . . melancholy?

"Uncle isn't . . . horrible. It's not like that," she mumbled to no one in particular as she held her manga closer to her chest. She sounded as though she was lamenting about something.

"Well, we'll come back tomorrow," said Benio as she and the other two walked out of the music room, "We'll be expecting some good news."

After the door shut behind them, Haruhi looked over to where the other hosts were gathered. Then she turned to the door as well.

"I'll . . . call it a day here too," she said as she walked through the exit, "Bye." All of the hosts' moods were brought down, thinking that Haruhi was really mad now.

"How can you just tell her the truth?" Tamaki asked Kyoya, frustrated, "Now it's like pouring oil onto fire!"

"The truth is the truth," said Kyoya simply, "No reason to hide it."

"I think selling the mechanical pencil was the last straw for her . . ." said Honey, who was close to tears.

"It might have been an heirloom from her mother . . ." pondered Kaoru.

"No. There was some store's ad clearly printed on it," recalled Hikaru, "What do you think, Sachiko?"

"Hm?" Sachiko looked up, as though she only just realized that the other hosts were also in the room with her.

"Are you okay?" asked Honey, concerned. Sachiko nodded, her face blank as always.

"Yes. I just . . . I think I'll go home now. Is it okay if I just leave the rest of the chores to finish tomorrow?" she asked, not really looking at anyone.

". . . Of course. Just know that I can't knock off as much of your debt as usual with an unfinished work day," said Kyoya.

"I understand," she said as she retrieved her bag from the corner she had originally sat at, "I'll see you guys around." The hosts watched as their unofficial member left.

"What's got her down?" asked Hikaru out loud. Unfortunately, the rest of the club could only shrug, unsure of what was going through her head.

I hope I did this chapter well. Especially since I kept you guys waiting for so long.

I still can't guarantee as to when the next chapter will be out, but I'll try not to have you guys waiting for over a year.

In the meantime, please leave a review telling me your thoughts on the chapter and story so far, and I'll try my best to get back much sooner with the next chapter. Later!