Episode 13

Jungle Pool SOS!

Water gently lapped at sandy colored cement. The sun beat down warmly, palm trees thankfully providing a few dotted areas of shade. Tropical birds chirped in said trees while insects buzzed all around.

Wait a minute...am I dreaming? Haruhi's eyes roamed the beautiful scenery, confusion flickering in them. We're in Japan, right? And Japan isn't exactly known for it's tropics. She glanced up at her sister, but Jin looked just as awestruck as she was.

Tamaki slipped up behind the two and lay a hand on Haruhi's covered shoulder, "Behold, Haruhi! Bask in the beauty of tropical birds!"

"Um… where was the exit again?" Haruhi glanced around as best as she could while simultaneously holding onto Jin's arm to keep her from wandering away. Tamaki chuckled and sat down in a nearby lawn chair, hefting a tropical looking drink up and deftly sticking a straw between the ice cubes.

"Try to make the most of this downtime and relax. We're so worried about keeping our good looks day and night, we deserve a little vacation."

Haruhi rolled her eyes, resecuring her grip on her sister's arm, "Personally, I think this is pointless and a waste of time, so can me and Nēchan go home now? We should really be studying and there's a huge pile of laundry waiting to be done at home!" She snapped her fingers close to Jin's ear, making the taller girl shake her head as if coming out of a trance, "Senpai… where are we exactly?"

Haruhi tried to remember all the events that had lead her up to this situation, wondering if someone had already told her where she was, but nothing turned up. She recalled walking with her sister near the south entrance around 3:30. They had just seen the sign on the Music Room doors that said the host club had been cancelled for the day…

*/Flashback\*

Just as the sisters exited the school grounds, the twins zipped up to Haruhi's side and looped their arms under her armpits. Jin rolled her eyes and smiled slightly. Let it never be said that being in the host club was boring. She attempted to move forward and free her sister, but quickly found herself in Mori-senpai's grip, her arms pinned to her side. Uh… okay? So… this wasn't just normal teasing then.

"Targets-"

"-captured."

"Mmm."

A limo rolled up in front of the five students and the back window lowered, revealing Tamaki with a… flower lei around his neck? The sisters exchanged a glance.

What's with the flower lei?

More than that, what's with us being targets?

Tamaki eyed the five members of his club, "Good work, now take them with you."

"Roger." The blond smirked and rolled his window up again.

"Wait…"

"Hold on…"

"Where are we going!?" The boys ignored the girl's cries as they were carried to two other awaiting limos. Haruhi disappeared into the one with the twins while Jin was carefully placed into the other, Honey smiling and giggling as his friend was sat down beside him.

"I bet we surprised you, huh, Jin-chan?"

"Yeah… yeah you could say that."

*\End Flashback/*

"This place is a brand new theme park that my family, the Ootori group, runs. It's called the 'Tropical Aqua Garden'."

"I don't understand, I thought that the Ootori group ran hospitals?"

"And that they're focused mainly in the medical business?"

Kyoya smirked, "Yes, but my family likes to diversify and try different things. Besides, this place could be classified as a healing facility… to an extent." He drilled his gaze into the tall brunette who was still looking around the park, though the light glaze that had been there earlier was now dispersed.

"I suppose…" she hummed, "that if someone were in need of a few 'mental health' days and couldn't afford or had the time to travel outside of the country… they could come here. The pools could also be great for physical therapy."

"Of course. The Ootori group's primary concern," Kyoya adjusted his glasses, "has always been for the good health and wellbeing of the general public. Though, I have to say no one has mentioned the pools being used for physical therapy before. Nice catch."

Haruhi groaned, a little fed up with the boys and their 'higher-than-thou' attitudes. Though, at least Kyoya sort of halfway complimented her sister instead of being at odds with her. It was a nice change from the day they met. Maybe this place is truly therapeutic. Even if it sounds a little suspicious...

"The park doesn't officially open until next month, but the host club was given a special advance invitation."

"I wonder why-"

"Haru-chan! Jin-chan!" The small blond hopped up onto Jin's back and playfully batted at Haruhi's shoulder, "Wanna share some coconut juice with me? Or do you want to try a piece of the mango cake!"

Haruhi shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

"I'm good for now, Honey-senpai." Jin lifted the small boy off and set him back down on his own two feet, "But I'll still hang out by you two."

Before they could follow the boy anywhere, though, the twins called out from behind them, "Hey Haruhi, Jin-senpai, wanna go check out the water slide?"

"Hang on. Haruhi, what's the deal with that pullover you're wearing? Jin-senpai, are you making her wear that?"

Jin shook her head and held up her hands, "Don't look at me, you two. I had nothing to do with it."

*/Flashback\*

Haruhi and Jin didn't see each other again until they arrived in front of the changing room. Haruhi had to be dragged inside, while Jin eagerly followed Mori and Honey's directions. She'd been given a brochure of the place during the drive, which made her all the more excited.

"Here! Do what you've gotta do!"

One of the twin maids standing in front of the changing rooms tilted her head, "Okay! We'll do what we can!"

The other also tilted her head, same angle and everything, "Ms. Haruhi and Jin Fujioka, just follow me."

Haruhi tried to back up away from the other girls, but was pulled into the changing rooms by her sister. Damn you Nēchan for being stronger than me! The girls were quickly rid of their clothes and presented to a large amount of swimsuits. Every kind of design you could imagine!

The twins called to them from the outside, "We've brought all of our mother's latest designs for you two to try!"

"Just pick whichever ones you want!"

"Are you ready to pick one, Ms. Haruhi and Jin Fujioka?"

Haruhi sighed, "I really don't need a swimsuit." Jin however, was roaming the many miles of hangers, occasionally pausing to stare at one before moving on. The girls seemed content to let her be; at least she was interested in finding one.

One of the maids held up a bikini with white and purple flowers decorating it, "How about this one?"

Haruhi blushed red, "No, not that one! I don't want a bikini."

The girl pouted, "But you'd look so good in this one…"

"No, wait. I bet this one would look super cute on you." The other maid smiled evilly and held up a bikini bottom. Or, at least it looked vaguely in the shape of a bikini bottom. It was really just a couple of red strings. Haruhi felt herself growing faint.

"B-but… that's just nothing more than a couple of strings…"

Just as she thought she was going to have a heart attack, a comforting hand rested on her shoulder. Jin smiled down at her little sister, "Haru, I think I found a good swimsuit for you." Haruhi glanced at the pink one-piece in her sister's hand. It came with a cap and the bottom had a white skirt over it and it wasn't exactly her style, but it was a lot less revealing than anything else she'd been show.

Before she even touched the hanger, Haruhi took a look at the swimsuit her sister was wearing, "Wow, Nēchan. You look good."

Jin was wearing a green and blue swimsuit that had white swirling patterns all over it. It had a short skirt with a similar pattern covering the bottom and a bikini-like top that tied around the back of her neck. Thankfully didn't show too much cleavage, though it did clearly accent what her school uniform diluted on a daily basis. The top also had some extra fabric that dangled down to her waistline, leaving only a small strip of her stomach uncovered.

The tall brunette smiled kindly, "Thanks, Haru. Now, go get changed. I still have to take out my contacts, and pull my hair up."

"How do you have your-"

"The boys and I swung by our place and I picked up my glasses. I'm meet up with you outside the changing rooms, alright?"

"Alright."

Haruhi finished up before her sister and was quick to escape the nightmare that was the changing room… only to find Tamaki waiting for her. He walked over, looking away with his eyes closed until they were standing directly in front of each other. But as soon as he opened his eyes, Haruhi noted how a chill seemed to travel up his spine.

Before she could asked about it, the boy thrusted a yellow pullover into her face.

"Senpai?"

"Just… hurry up and put it on. A young lady should not show that much skin until after she is married." Haruhi lifted an eyebrow, but did as Tamaki asked. Not like she planned on swimming today anyways, even if her sister had picked the suit out for her.

Jin came out just as Haruhi finished with the pullover and gave her sister an odd look, but dismissed it. The older Fujioka was now sporting a pair of small golden colored glasses that reminded Haruhi oddly of the shape of Kyoya's glasses… except smaller and a little more roundish. Her sister had also pulled the two locks of hair by her face back into a 'crown', ensuring that most of it wouldn't fly into her face, but the bottom inch of her hair was already starting to curl due to the humidity of the building. Basically, Haruhi thought her older sister looked both beautiful and adorable.

"Ready to go, Haru?"

"I guess so."

*\End Flashback/*

"So… you're not going to swim?"

"Hold on, you do swim, don't you?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, "I can swim just as well as the next guy, but it's not exactly my idea of fun. I'm not that big on water parks. Nēchan loves them, but I'd much rather be at home."

Jin cast an amused eye at the redheads, "She doesn't get out much, if you couldn't tell." Haruhi playfully pushed her sister's arm.

"You don't need a huge park to play in the water, Nēchan. A plastic pool works just as well, you know that."

The twins, however, looked incredibly confused, "A plastic pool? What's that?"

Haruhi tilted her head back, trying to think, "Let's see… it's about as wide as my arm span, so it's not that big and mostly for little kids to splash around in. They're normally round in shape and to use it you have to pump the plastic full of air."

"You dunce."

"That's an inflatable boat, dummy."

The sisters looked at each other and laughed lightly, "I keep forgetting. Different worlds."

"One of these days we'll get used to it." The girls looked over at the twins just as Tamaki grabbed them around their necks and pulled them away. He started whispering about not hurting the girl's feelings and that it wasn't their fault for being 'ignorant commoners'.

"I feel like we should be highly offended by that comment."

"I already am."

At their words, Tamaki scrambled back over, "I'm so sorry, Haruhi! I didn't mean to offend you or your sister! Jin, can you forgive me-" he stopped talking immediately, eyes fixed on Jin.

"Tamaki?"

Slowly, Tamaki pointed a shaking finger at Jin's left ear, "J-jin...W-what is th-that?"

"Hm?" The girl reached up and felt around her ear, "What are you talking about?" Just then, her fingers stopped at a spot just underneath her ear. A spot usually covered by her long hair. Oh.

"Tamaki, it's a tattoo." The boy looked like he'd just been shot in the heart, so Jin held her hands out in front of her, "Before you freak out, it's my mother's name. Dad agreed to let me get it on my 16th birthday, alright? It's nothing bad."

"Oh… oh…" Before the blond could say anything else, the twins spun him around.

"Never mind that, Boss, we've got a question."

"Why'd you make Haruhi put on that yellow monstrosity?"

"And why is Jin-senpai allowed to walk around without one?"

"I would've thought for sure you'd be all 'I wanna see Haruhi in a swimsuit!' and just driving us nuts. Making her cover up like that…"

"...was surprising." Suddenly, the boys looked at their brother with malicious intent on their faces.

"I know what he's up too. He made Haruhi cover up because he didn't want anyone else to see her in a bathing suit!"

"Do you really think that's it?"

"He must be one of those jealous pervert types!"

"That's pretty twisted."

"Hmph. That's not it at all!" Tamaki quickly started flailing his arms about, "I was just trying to protect her innocence as any father would! After all, even if she is wearing a swimsuit it is not decent for a lady to be walking around half naked in front of boys and-"

"But Jin-senpai-"

"I trust Jin to make her own decisions in regards to her body. If she can chose to have a tattoo then she can chose to show off a little skin."

The girls were staring at the three arguing boys when Honey came back to them, "Haru-chan! Jin-chan! Is there where you two have been hiding?"

Jin smiled at the small boy now half dangling off of her sister's arm, "Sorry, we got a little distracted."

"That's okay! Let's play! Do you wanna go swim in the current pool with me?"

Haruhi shook her head, "Nah, I'm not gonna swim today. Not really feeling like it. You go enjoy yourself."

Jin suddenly snapped her fingers, "That's it! I knew something was off!" The others looked at her in confusion as she pointed at Honey, "Honey-senpai, you know how to swim. So what's with the floatie?"

The small blond suddenly smiled really big, "It just looks cuter this way, you know? I don't really need it! So, Jin-chan, are you gonna come swim with me?"

The tall girl pretended to wave off the question, "Not today. I don't need to swim. I'll just hang around here with Haru, alright? You go have fun without me."

"Okay!" The small boy turned and headed towards the current pool, singing a little melody of "Prancing~ Prancing~". Jin smiled off after the boy, He does look really adorable with that floatie. Still, it's a little sad that he still feels like his position is threatened. Her thoughts were cut short by a finger poking at her exposed belly.

"Haru? What are you doing?"

Haruhi was smiling as she continued to poke her sister, "Don't be stupid, Nēchan, I know how much you want to swim. You go have fun."

Jin's smile faltered, "Haru, I don't want to leave you alone and-"

Another poke, "Go."

She didn't need any more encouragement. Immediately the girl started running off along the current pool, "I saw something about a surfing modulator in the brochure! If you need me, find that!" And then she was gone. Haruhi laughed.

"Honey-senpai and Nēchan are too cute for their own good."

"Yeah, but Honey-senpai's got the innocent factor," the twins chimed in.

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Something started shaking the floor as a circular podium rose up from the ground.

Haruhi stared in disbelief, "Renge?" The French brunette made a pose on the podium. "How does she do that? Did the rig follow us here?"

The girl stepped down onto level ground, giving the hosts a good look at her pretty skimpy black bikini. She even had a long purple tattoo all the way down her stomach and an umbrella the same color in her grip.

"Well, that outfit's pretty impressive."

"What's with the tattoo on your stomach? It doesn't look real, like the one Jin-senpai has."

"That's because it's not real, dummy! Don't you recognize it? I'm cosplaying!"

"Yeah, as who?"

Renge tilted her head to the left, "La-la~"

"La-la? Like the manga magazine?"

"Her petite and slender frame! Her blue eyes that light up young men's faces! Her singing voice! I am Quon Kisaragi!"

Haruhi felt her face deadpan, "I wouldn't have guessed." Yeah, because they look nothing alike...Why did I send Nēchan away again? Behind her, the twins brought up the original conversation.

"Hey boss, are you sure it's okay for Renge to be dressed-"

"-like that? She's a year younger than Jin-senpai and in the same class as Haruhi."

Tamaki glanced over at the French girl who was posing for her alleged "boyfriend" (Haruhi) and squinted his eyes, "Well… yeah. That's okay."

"And… why is that?"

"Because… it's… cosplay? I guess."

"Listen up, boys!" Renge thrust out her hand, "You obviously need help understanding Haninozuka's hidden motives! Look!" The group turned and watched as Honey took a huge running leap into the water, calling out for Mori-senpai's attention.

"What are you talking about?"

"Think about what he said to you earlier."

Haruhi thought about it. 'Wanna try the mango cake?' 'So this is where you've been hiding!' 'Just looks cuter this way, you know?'

"For those of you remembering when he said having the float on was cuter, he's not being as sweet and innocent as you think!"

"I agree," Kyoya finally stood up and joined the others, "Try putting the word 'I' in front of that sentence." 'Just looks cuter this way, you know? I look cute!'

"HE PLANNED THAT!?"

"That's Haninozuka for you! He recently felt threatened by another loli-boy type so he's taking steps to keep his rank! I should give him more credit! He's a lot smarter than I thought." Haruhi was having a hard time wrapping her head around the idea of Honey-senpai actually thinking of something so… so… underhanded.

I wonder if Nēchan knows about Honey-senpai's thoughts...

"Hey, look at this everybody!" The boys (and Haruhi) turned at the sound of Honey's voice and saw Mori-senpai swimming briskly against the current with Honey on his back. The two weren't even moving.

"Check it out, look! Even though we're swimming really fast we never go any further than where we are now!" Haruhi felt like the world was tipping beneath her feet. Is he really that smart?

*With Jin*

"Whoo!"

Jin felt water spraying all around her, splashing at her face and just drenching her from head to foot. Man, I'm glad I left my glasses at the table. With all this water I wouldn't have been able to see out of them anyways! The tall girl twisted her lower body and moved to the left side of the surfing modulator. Another twist and she was on the right side.

Another loud laugh bubbled up from her throat. The board beneath her feet was tiny and shook with every gallon of water that hit it from underneath, but she felt in control of the situation. The rush never faded. But still… her mouth was going dry. And fast.

Well, that's what happens when a bunch of chlorine water ends up in your mouth. Jin straightened up on the board. Now would be a good time to take a break. My legs are getting tired anyways. Yeah… a break now, and then later I'll go check out the water slides with Hikaru and Kaoru. Maybe I'll even teach them how to surf!

With that in mind, the tall girl bent back down and fell sideways off the board. Immediately the rushing water pushed her back up to the top, her foam board following her. By the time she got her footing back and stood up, she was soaked and dripping with cold water. Her hair was now a dark brown color, almost black, and her swimsuit weighed an additional ten pounds from when she put it on earlier.

Still, she was laughing as she grabbed her glasses and started walking back. Maybe someone could point her to where the coconut juice was...

*With the others*

Haruhi happily sucked down the ice water, ignoring the raging water gun fight going on a few feet to her right. As soon as the twins had started talking about getting married to her… she decided to find herself a lone table and sit there for a while.

Of course, only a minute later someone came walk up to her. It was Mori-senpai, hitting the side of his head. Haruhi winced in sympathy. Water in the ear. Ouch. Over in the current pool, Honey was swimming against the current by himself. Looked like he was working up a sweat doing it, too.

"Taking a break, huh? Want something to drink?" Haruhi handed over her water.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Oh, and it looks like Nēchan is coming in, too." Haruhi waved happily at Jin, who smiled and waved back. Of course, Haruhi couldn't see the smile from the distance, but she knew that's what her sister was doing. Mori-senpai hummed and waved at the far-away girl as well.

Haruhi glanced up at the tall boy, "You know… Nēchan told me about how you, Honey-senpai, and her all know each other."

"Hm?"

"Honestly, I'm glad you did. You helped her out quite a lot, and I've meant to thank you two ever since I found out. So, thanks. For what you did for her."

The tall boy smiled and looked away to watch the progressing water gun fight.

*With Jin*

Jin smiled at the sight of Mori and Haru talking. It was nice to know that her little sis was making friends with these boys. They weren't half bad, and Mori was a really cool guy.

Just as the brunette was about to start jogging over, she felt something. It was kind of like… a tremor that shook the floor. Not really an 'earthquake' kind of shake, but it definitely wasn't 'Renge's pedestal' either. She stumbled to a stop and looked over her left shoulder. Her eyes widened in disbelief. There was a huge wave heading down the current pool. How does something like that happen in a water park?

Her eyes jerked to the right, following the path of the wave all the way to Honey-senpai, where he was paddling in the pool all by himself. It was purely instinct what she did next, in all honesty. Jin wasn't even thinking as she raced towards the edge of the pool.

"Honey! Get out of the water! Swim!"

The small boy looked at her, then looked at the huge wave heading towards him. With a scream of terror, Honey started paddling frantically towards his friend. His floatie was making it difficult to paddle with both his arms and legs, and it was clear that he wasn't going to make it to the edge of the pool in time. Still, Jin crouched down at the edge, reaching out as far as she could and beckoned him towards her.

"You can make it! Come on, Honey!"

"Jin-chan!"

Her eyes grow wide as the wave bears down on them, then they narrow as she stood up and jumped out into the water towards Honey.

*Honey's P.O.V.*

I was scared.

No, more than scared. I was terrified. More than I've ever been before. This wasn't something I could walk away from. This wasn't something I could fight either. I was going to be washed away. And from the tension in Jin's voice as she shouted my name, she knew that too.

Just as the wave was about to reach me, I saw Jin stand up. Her legs tensed and she jumped out towards me. I was still a good four or so meters away from the edge of the pool, but Jin had jumped similarly to a dive, with her hands outstretched for me. It was like everything was happening in slow motion.

I realized that she was jumping in to make sure I didn't disappear by myself.

Even though I wished she hadn't, I was glad that she wasn't going to leave me alone wherever the wave was going to take me.

Jin grabbed my right wrist with her right hand, her left hand coming up to hold the middle of my right forearm. A tight and strong grip, something we had learned together.

Then I felt her tug on me. My body dragged itself through the water as Jin's momentum and pulling forced us to switch positions.

I understood what she was really doing.

The word "No!" tears itself out of my throat as my body is launched out of the water.

I land on the pavement and roll a few times, my floatie coming off just as I hear my friend's body splash into the water.

Haruhi's scream of terror filled my ears as Jin was swept down the current pool.

*No one's P.O.V.*

"NĒCHAN! NO!" Haruhi ran towards the current pool, only to be caught around the waist. Mori-senpai lifted the screaming girl off the ground, her legs still working furiously as she attempted to reach her sister.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LET ME GO! NĒCHAN!"

"Haruhi, calm down! Gentlemen, we're going after Jin!" Haruhi relaxed a bit in Mori's arms, so he set her down on her own two feet again while Tamaki pointed towards another river-like pool, which was running quickly in the same direction Jin had been washed away, "That pool looks like the quickest way! Charge!"

Tamaki, Mori, Honey, Haruhi, and the twins booked it to the pool, Kyoya calling out from behind them, "Wait, I wouldn't go-"

Five terrified screams could be heard before the six ran the other way.

"There are alligators in there!"

"Okay, so we can't chose that pool! Then let's try this way next!" Nope.

"They're here, too!"

"And here!"

"Wahhh!"

Once the hosts were a "safe" distance from the reptiles, Haruhi muscled out the words, "What's with all the alligators?"

"Beats me."

Kyoya leaned up against a palm tree and started scribbling in his notebook, "Those alligators belong to the park's tropical animals exhibit. I guess it is kind of dangerous to let them run wild. Though, the cause of our present situation seems to be the location of the switch for the current pool. I'll have to have a little chat with our designers… Thanks a lot, you guys! I got some great data today!"

"AAAAHHHH!" Kyoya took a frantic step backwards as Haruhi leapt forward to apparently tackle him, only to be held back by the twins, "Let me go! Lemme at him! Just one punch!"

"H-haruhi… relax please."

"No! I will not relax! Nēchan is gone and all he cares about is his stupid family's business!" Kyoya blinked, a little hurt by the comment, but outwardly ignored it as well as the glares he was receiving from the others as well. He gestured for the others to follow him and, surprisingly, they did. A few seconds later they were standing in front of a large map just outside of the changing rooms.

"Right. To put some perspective to our situation, this," he pointed to an 'X' at the top center, "is our current location. We need to get here," he pointed to a spot almost three-fourths down and all the way to the left of the map, "I have a feeling that's where Jin probably ended up. It might be tough because we'll have to make it through this jungle area here in the southern block. Distance-wise, we're talking about 800 meters or so."

Honey reached up and pointed at the question marks on the map, "What are these areas, Kyo-chan?"

"Under-developed areas. I'm afraid even I don't know what might be out in the jungle."

The twins looked at each other nervously, "Whatever's out there could be even more dangerous-"

"-than alligators."

Tamaki gathered the others in a circle and took a knee, probably to appear more serious, "Alright, now this is a mission of survival. I know we can make it through the treacherous jungle in one piece! It is our sworn duty to save Jin!"

*\/*

The seven hosts walked through the jungle with complete silence between them, each member wrapped up in their own thoughts about Jin. Where she could be. If she was hurt. How long it would take to find her… or if something had already found her instead. But what was almost worse than being left alone with their worried thoughts, was how shaken up Haruhi seemed to be.

The short girl was stumbling through the foliage, her gaze unmoving from its forward position. She'd already almost run into a few trees, she was so out of it. Haruhi's character switch was way more than just unnerving.

"Wow… this place is just like a real jungle, huh?" Tamaki's voice was a lot quieter than it normally was, but he just couldn't take the silence any more. It was like with Jin missing, their ability to make conversation disappeared. So, small talk it was.

"Yeah, and I keep hearing scary animal sounds." Honey was gripping onto his cousin's shoulders, his expression looking weighted down.

"You don't think those animal sounds-"

"-could belong to the real thing… do you?"

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure, but I do know that my family always strives for authenticity."

Haruhi let out a huff of air, but kept her straight face. She hadn't said a word since she threatened Kyoya a while ago. The boys thought that over.

I've never seen Haru-chan look so straight-faced before.

She's almost acting like Mori-senpai.

Surely she knows Jin can handle herself out here, no matter what she might've run into?

How did Haruhi handle being away from her sister for a full school year if this is how she's acting after only 15 minutes of separation?

Suddenly, the sky above them darkened.

Kyoya looked down at his watch, "Uh oh. It's about time for the squall." No sooner had the words left his mouth that Mori felt a raindrop on his head. A few more dripped down until the hosts were in the middle of a full on rain-shower.

Thankfully, there was a gazebo not twenty steps away in a nearby clearing, so they managed to not get too wet. Tamaki ruffled his short hair to get the couple drops of water off, but kept an eye on Haruhi. She was resting her forearms on the railing and staring out into the storm in the direction they were supposed to be traveling. The boys quickly huddled in the far corner.

"Wow, Haruhi is really taking Jin's disappearance hard."

"I bet Jin is out in the jungle somewhere acting just as out of it."

The boys heard a sniffle and looked down in surprise to see a few tears leaking down Honey-senpai's face.

"Honey-senpai, what-"

"I-It's a-all m-my f-f-fault! I-If I ha-hadn't needed to be r-rescued th-then J-Jin-chan wouldn't be all a-alone in this s-storm!"

"If Nēchan hadn't pulled you out of the way of that wave, then we'd all be out here looking for you instead, Honey-senpai." The hosts whipped around at the sound of Haruhi's voice. Her gaze still hadn't left the jungle up ahead, but her posture wasn't as stiff.

"It's not your fault, Honey-senpai. You didn't start the wave, and you didn't make Nēchan save you. That was her choice, and I bet that wherever she is, she's glad the wave got her and not you."

The girl sighed and rested her chin on her arms, "Actually, in all honesty, Nēchan's probably thrilled that you're safe here with us instead of her. If she hadn't saved you… she'd still be marching forward during this storm instead of waiting it out like we are."

Tamaki inched closer, "So… Jin likes to be the hero, huh?"

"Yeah, it started when Mom died. Jin was holding her hand as she passed, and wouldn't come out of her room for days afterwards, upset that she couldn't do anything to save her. It wasn't until… until I was all alone and scared that she came out to protect me. She's been my guard ever since, like how Mori-senpai protects Honey-senpai. Dad even likes calling her my 'Guardian Angel'. And something happened nine years ago that…" Haruhi stops talking suddenly and pulled her jacket hood up, "Nevermind. That's not really important."

Tamaki opened his mouth, but was cut short by Mori-senpai resting a hand on his shoulder. The tall 3rd year shook his head. No. Not quite understanding why, but not willing to argue, the blond shut his mouth and let the brunette be.

Honey, however, walked over to his friend and touched her elbow gently, "Hey, Haru-chan, don't worry about Jin-chan too much, okay? She's smart and tough. She'll be just fine, and we all know it."

"Yeah. She'll be fine."

Haruhi looked at the 3rd years, her face still blank and now darkened with the shadows from her yellow hood. The four other boys were watching with interest and slight apprehension. Just what were Mori and Honey doing?

Then Haruhi's face softened. Back to her normal calm look. Slowly, she rested her hand on the one Honey had on her elbow.

"Yeah, you two are probably right. I'm just being silly, I suppose. And I guess you two would know."

Finally, the twins and Tamaki's curiosity was too much to take. The twins crept closer, the blond hiding behind them.

"Hey... so, not to intrude or anything-"

"But Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai would know… what, exactly?"

Haruhi turned her head and gave the three boys a curious stare, "Well, they are cousins. Of course they'd understand what it would be like to be separated from each other."

Tamaki peeked out from behind the redheads, "You know about that?"

"Nēchan told me."

"And how did she know?"

Mori leaned against the wall of the gazebo, "We told her a long time ago."

"Yeah, Takashi and I have known Jin for nine years now. We met when we were all still in elementary school." Tamaki's jaw dropped, followed by Hikaru and Kaoru's. Even Kyoya looked stunned.

For a moment, the two groups did nothing but stare at each other, one side stunned into silence, the other somewhat amused. It wasn't until Kyoya's phone rang sharply that everyone broke out of their trance. He quickly answered it while the twins and Tamaki started talking among themselves about all the signs and hints they missed, as well as theories about how the three had met. Honey started laughing and went over to hear their funny, made-up stories.

Haruhi looked back out to the forest and noticed the rain was starting to let up, "Hey, check it out!"

Mori looked out as well, "We'll find her soon. She's probably coming towards us, too."

Suddenly, Haruhi grips his arm in a panic, "Oh no… Nēchan probably is trying to come back to us on her own! She'll follow the current pool! She's heading straight for the alligators!"

Without another word, the two take off into the woods. Knowing that time was of the essence, they left the others behind, though it was a bit of a surprise to them that the other five members of their club didn't notice them running out in a frenzy, but soon they both forgot about that. Haruhi because she was too focused on finding her sister, and Mori because he was soon preoccupied with keeping Haruhi from injuring herself.

He was put through a very time consuming task. Years of following his cousin around and keeping him out of trouble was a mountain of good credit, but Haruhi had tunnel-vision. She ran past a pair of snakes, narrowly avoiding stepping on them, and almost fell into a pool of swamp water before he managed to grab onto the back of her pullover.

And, there was also the fact that she was an incredibly slow runner. The boy couldn't help but wonder exactly how were Haruhi and Jin related? Mori finally just scooped her up into his arms to not only move faster, but keep her from breaking a limb or two. Haruhi seemed to understand and kept her mouth shut about it, just keeping her eyes peeled for her sister.

Noticing her vigilance, Mori's mouth quirked at the left corner. Or, maybe they're just more similar on the inside than the outside. The two made their way through the thick foliage.

*At the Gazebo*

"Yes, at once please." Kyoya hung up his phone and turned to look at the four boys who were arguing about the theory that Jin was secretly a princess who was there to arrange a marriage with Honey or Mori (which Honey denied with a vengeance) and cleared this throat for some attention.

"My family's police force is sending out a search and rescue party as we speak. They're better equipped to look for Jin and know the park's layout like the back of their hands. The head of force suggests that we go back to the main gate and wait for them to deliver Jin there. So, let's head back and-"

Kyoya noticed something was off, "Hey… where are Haruhi and Mori-senpai?" The four others looked around the gazebo.

"They're… they're gone!"

*\/*

*Tropical Aqua Garden General Administration Headquarters*

Sirens wailed down the hallways, red flashing lights illuminating every square inch of the place. Fifty men ran in an orderly fashion down the grey hallways, suiting up as their instructions repeated on the loudspeakers.

"Immediate emergency mobilization order! I repeat, immediate emergency mobilization order! Master Kyoya's friend has gone missing near the wave pool! Our search target is a tall brunette girl with golden glasses in a blue and green swimsuit! Orders are to eliminate any suspicious characters! Show them no mercy! Repeat! Eliminate any suspicious characters! Show them no mercy!"

*With Haruhi and Mori*

The forest was quiet, save for a few bird caws. The two had been walking for about five minutes and Haruhi was feeling restless. She wanted Mori to let her walk on her own, but at the same time she didn't want to slow their search down. After all, they had to cut her sister off before she reached the alligators further along the wave pool.

Assuming she hasn't run into anything more dangerous already.

The girl shook her head to get rid of the thought. No reason to think negatively. Besides, Jin was really smart and had survival skills.

Mori stopped in his tracks at the edge of a small clearing, causing Haruhi to feel a bit of a jolt. The space was hardly the size of the gazebo they'd left a little while ago, but the tall boy was looking around it like he was trying to find something.

"Mori-senpai? Is something wrong?"

The boy shook his head and set the girl down, "I heard something."

Haruhi blinked before turning around and shouting, "Nēchan! Nēchan, are you out there!?" Three seconds later, Haruhi heard the sound of leaves being pushed aside and the sound of running feet.

"Haru!"

"Nēchan!" Haruhi ran across the cleared space and tackled her sister in a hug. Immediately she felt warmth in her limbs and the tired feeling in her legs from walking so far was gone.

"I'm so glad you're safe, Nēchan!"

"I'm glad I'm safe, too, but Haru what are you doing out here? Who knows what's loose in that jungle! I was on my way back and-"

"But that was the problem, Nēchan! You're heading straight for some alligators! Besides, Mori-senpai was here to keep me safe, and so were the others until we split up." Jin looked up at the gentle giant who had walked over as soon as Jin emerged from the trees. She smiled widely and set her sister back down on the ground to give her childhood friend a tight hug, which he gladly returned. She pulled back and pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose with her middle finger.

"How did you not lose those?"

"I was lucky. And my hand never let go of them for a second."

"Ha, so you were really lucky. Alright, so, we need to head back to the gazebo and-"

"FREEZE!" Out of nowhere, a group of nine men dressed head to toe in black armor dropped from the treetops, pointing machine guns at the three. Jin quickly grabbed Haruhi's wrist and pulled her between her and Mori, eyes going narrow.

"Target confirmed! The target and a small boy have been captured by a suspicious man. We will take the target and child into custody. You there! Take your hands off the boy! If you refuse, we will remove him forcefully!" Jin glanced behind her and saw that Mori had his right hand on Haruhi's shoulder, probably so he could scoop her up and run if the opening presented itself. She approved.

But while Jin's head was turned, one of the guards had inched forward until he could harshly grab onto Jin's upper arm. He yanked her away from the 'suspicious man', but Mori's free left hand swung upwards and knocked the guy clear off his feet. Jin hissed as his rough glove was ripped free of her bare skin, but other than that ignored the pain.

She was more concerned with the fact that the remaining eight guards had guns aiming at Mori and Haruhi. Her sister turned and hugged Mori in terror, and Jin saw a flicker of fear in Mori's eyes.

Hell to the no.

As the two men on either side of her reached to grab her arms, she let out a battle cry and charged at the one on her right. Before the man could react, she grabbed his gun with her left hand and knocked the guy's head to the side with her right elbow. His helmet went flying and he crumbled to the ground. Jin pulled his weapon out of his grip and turned to face the man coming up behind her, smacking him in the face with the butt of the rifle.

Leaping over the downed man, she watched as the others turned towards her, screaming at each other what to do since their target was now attacking them. Jin rushed the next guy, punching him in the stomach to make him double over before spinning around and kicking the back of his head so he face-planted.

The five remaining men were just as quickly taken care of. Once the last guy was sent sprawling into the dirt with a roundhouse kick, she straightened up.

"Right, I think you all have learned your lesson. Don't point guns at the good guys."

The men simply groaned in response, or at least the ones that were conscious. Haruhi stared at her sister in awe. It had been a while since she'd seen her in action like that.

Jin looked over her shoulder, "You two okay?"

Haruhi and Mori nodded just as Tamaki's voice cut through the trees, "Haruhi! Haruhi! Are you alright?"

The twins and Kyoya stopped just short of the ring of downed guards.

"Oh… wow."

"What happened here?"

"HARUHI!"

Tamaki sprinted past everyone else and enveloped the small girl in a hug, "I was so worried."

"Wow, Tamaki. Feeling the love over here," Jin comments drily. Haruhi rolled her eyes and pinched the back of Tamaki's hand, forcing him to release his hold on her. She inched her way towards one of the soldiers and poked his side with her toes, drawing out a groan.

"Still alive, but I guess that's to be expected." She smirked at Jin, "You grew soft in America, Nēchan. Normally a group this size would've been taken care of in half the time."

Jin wrinkled her nose at her little sister, "Oh, please. What were you doing during that fight?"

"Wait a second. Are you saying-"

"-that Jin-senpai was the one who did this?"

Haruhi nodded, "Of course. Did you think Nēchan knew Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai from knitting club? She joined the Haninozuka dojo when she was seven."

Honey jumped onto Jin's back in a hug, "Yeah. Jin-chan is really good at it, too. She's even an honorary Haninozuka!"

The brunette waved at the boy's stunned faces, "I know, it's a little hard to take in at first, but it's true. In the Haninozuka owned dojos, I am recognized as Worthy Matron Fujioka."

"We humbly apologize!"

"Hm?" The group looked down to see six of the men on their knees in a deep bow, facing Jin. The teenagers could see the sweat shining along their necks, and their backs heaved with every breath.

"I am a second generation student of the Ishizuka Dojo!"

"I'm a student of the Todoroki Dojo!"

"I'm from the Otake Dojo! We are in your debt!"

Jin tilted her head, "Explain your actions."

"We're so sorry, Miss! We were unaware that we were searching for Worthy Matron Fujioka! I apologize for this confrontation! My dojo will be so excited to hear that I've come face to face with you and the great Haninozuka! I cherish this moment!"

The girl shrugged and leaned her weight onto her left leg, helping Honey slide down from her back, "Alright, alright, no need for all of that. It's really okay, I guess. You probably weren't told that there were others in the park… you were just doing your job. Well, men, return to your posts. You are dismissed."

"Yes, Worthy Matron Fujioka!" She nodded as they left, carrying their unconscious comrades away. Haruhi gave her sister another hug.

"Takashi! You did an amazing job of protecting Haru-chan!" Jin smirked as Honey patted his cousin's head.

"Yes, Honey-senpai. He did great, but we should probably head back now before it gets too late."

The eight nodded and started walking towards the entrance, exchanging their own versions of what had happened that day. Haruhi tried to walk by Jin's side, but Tamaki was adamant that the short brunette not leave his sight until they were out of the jungle. And, considering Jin was bringing up the back of the pack, she was walking by herself.

She didn't mind being the caboose. This way, everyone was in her line of sight, and she got to chose whether to listen to a conversation or just be alone with her thoughts. In her mind, the back of a group was the prime real estate.

However, she knew that there was still one conversation left to be had. But the person Jin was waiting for to start it didn't say a thing until they were almost back to the front of the building. The windows above them were a nice light orange color by the time Kyoya slowed his pace to walk beside Jin.

He eyed her with curiosity, "Nowhere in your file says that you are an honorary Haninozuka."

Jin smirked and readjusted her glasses, "That's because we kept it out of the official records. Also, it's not like I was adopted or married in or I signed a contract. The whole process was very informal. In the family and in their dojos, I am recognized as a member of the Haninozuka family, and I guess that makes me an honorary Morinozuka as well. But outside of those places? I'm just normal, everyday Jin Fujioka."

"Well, that certainly is interesting." Kyoya glanced down and his smirk vanished, "You have a bruise on your arm."

"Hm?" Jin looked down at the developing darkness that circled her upper arm like a thick band, "Oh, right. That. One of the guards tried to pull me away from Mori-senpai and Haru. He wasn't very gentle." She noticed Kyoya's eyebrow twitch so she gently bumped into his side, "Hey, relax. It's just a silly bruise. No need to fire anyone over it. Besides, Mori-senpai knocked him really good in the face after that. He probably learned his lesson."

Kyoya pulled out his journal, "Be that as it may, I can not have anyone under my family's employ be this casual with rough-handling civilians. I'll have to order extra policies regarding civilian and police interactions within the park be added to the men's training regiment…"

Jin rolled her eyes and let him disappear into his mind of calculations. If he wanted to be a workaholic, then let him be. At least he showed a bit of concern that she was hurt. That, she felt, was very good progress.

"You know, maybe we should go to the beach next." Jin looked around Mori's large frame. The twins were in the front of the pack, and were the first to emerge from the jungle area. They were back by the changing rooms.

"Yeah! The beach would be nice!"

Tamaki scoffed, strolling along casually behind the redheads, "You idiots. Haruhi's not interested in anything like that."

Jin speaks up, "Actually, Haru likes the beach."

The group stops and looks around, "She-"

"-does?"

Haruhi shifted her weight onto her left foot and looked over the darkening water park, "Well, yeah. I may not be into these silly water parks, but I like the ocean. It'd be nice to go to the beach. And it's pretty there too." Ding! Ding! Ding! Tamaki was sold.

"Yeah, alright! Okay, that's where we'll go."

As the boys went into the changing rooms, discussing plans to visit the beach next weekend, Haruhi grabs Jin's wrist, "Nēchan…"

"Hey, it's fine." The brunettes stared at each other for a few more seconds before Haruhi released her sister's wrist.

"Okay then, if you're sure."

The taller girl smiled and threw an arm around her sister, "Hey, we'll be there with the host club. What could happen?" They glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes before bursting into loud laughter.