A Tale of Business and Romance. Chapter 16

Mori walked up behind his smaller comrade before kneeling down and lifting the smaller boy's foot. He was wearing a long, thin, deep brown kimono that had a light pink sash holding it together. Mori placed a small brown sandal that matched the one in Hunny's hand on the blonde's foot. "Mitsukuni, I noticed you dropped this."

Hunny jumped into Mori's arms with tears in his eyes. "Takashi!"

Kagome walked towards Kyoya's table and sat across from him. Kyoya flashed her 'host smile' and continued to write before she spoke to him with a raised eyebrow. "Teary scenes seem to be spreading through the Host Club lately. I wonder why?"

"I wonder how everyone can cry so suddenly," Haruhi said as she looked around the room at all of the teary hosts. She took a step back to turn towards Kagome and accidentally backed into Hikaru. A small blue bottle fell out of his pocket and Haruhi bent to pick it up. She frowned at the small bottle in her hand. "Fake tears?"

Hikaru and Kaoru came to her sides with identical grins on their mirrored faces. Hikaru leaned into her and took his bottle of tears back from her. "You should know that it is common practice for hosts to use fake tears."

"There isn't a girl around that wouldn't swoon when she sees a guy cry," Kaoru elaborated as he hugged Haruhi's shoulders.

"Isn't that cheating though?" Haruhi asked as she noticed Kagome purse her lips. "Shouldn't you try to cry yourself in a situation that deems tears needed?"

"Don't be so uptight," Kaoru grinned at her as he poked her cheek.

"Here, this is for you," Hikaru said, handing Haruhi a small sweet that was shaped as a pink flower. The flower was in a glass box that fit perfectly in Haruhi's palm.

"I can have this?" she wondered in amazement, staring down at the flower with wide eyes.

"How charming!" the twins called together, moving away to go stand by Hunny and Mori.

"Haruhi, you like sweets?" a couple of the girls asked, coming up to her shyly.

"No, not at all," Haruhi told them, surprised by their assumption. She glanced up at them before smiling slightly at the sweet in her hand. "It still might be a nice memorial offering for my mother."

All of the girls in the room stared at her as she smiled happily at the small sweet. They soon began to murmur and blush at the sight of Haruhi's soft expression.

"How admirable of you!" Tamaki called, appearing by her and ruining the kind moment for the guests, though many did swoon at the sight of Tamaki crying slightly. "Such devotion to your mother! Here, take as many as you want!"

Haruhi looked at him with disgust as he started to pile the small sweets into her cupped hands.

"Are those fake tears too?" Kagome asked quietly so none of the guests could hear, but the others hosts could if they listened. Haruhi coughed to hide the laugh she let out at her friend's question. Hunny slipped to stand behind her and thump her back lightly as she coughed, the little boy thinking she had choked on her tea.

"How can you say that?" Tamaki answered, suddenly getting very serious and his tears disappearing. "My tears are always genuine. Being able to cry without using eye drops is the mark of a true host! Well, are you impressed? Have you fallen for me again?"

"Not really," Kagome answered in a bored tone, turning to see Haruhi looking at her curiously. Haruhi sat down next to Kagome and the two began to talk quietly. Honey fell asleep in Mori's arms not too far away, the twins yawned and began to slump to the floor, and Kyoya continued to write in his journal.

"My overtures just don't seem to reach you, huh, Kagome?" Tamaki cried, being very dramatic. Haruhi glanced up at him with very bored eyes. "Perhaps I should alter my character somewhat."

Kagome's attention returned to her as she noticed a girl hiding behind a pillar. Tamaki stopped what he was saying and looked towards the girl as well. The rest of the hosts seemed to get interesting once again and looked towards their guest.

"So we have a brand new guest?" the twins voiced for the whole club, standing from their slump on the floor. The two made their way to the girl.

"What are you waiting for? Come on in," Kaoru said smoothly, producing a rose out of his kimono sleeve. The girl seemed to gasp in shock.

"It isn't any fun just to watch," Hikaru continued as he draped himself over his brother's should and also produced a rose. The girl backed away slightly so the hosts could now see that she had long brown hair with a large pink bow resting at the top of her head.

"Come on," they said together. The girl started to stutter under her breath and took a step back.

"Aren't I always telling you to be more courteous to our first time guests," Tamaki reprimanded the twins as he appeared behind the new girl with a rose in his hand. He extended his hand to the girl and smiled at her warmly. "Here, don't be afraid, Hime."

He took ahold of her chin and got close to her face, giving her his natural host smile. "Welcome to Ouran Host Club."

"No! Don't touch me, you phony!" the girl yelled suddenly, slapping Tamaki's face in order to move him away from her. The rest of the Host Club froze behind Tamaki and were forced to look on with shock clear on their face at the new girl's sudden violence.

"I'm. . . a phony?" Tamaki questioned as he clutched his face, surprise and hurt clear in his large eyes.

!!!Suscribe for more chapters in advance¡¡¡

Patreon: patreon.com/Suzy177