1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

"welcome, princesses. we've been expecting you." the doors opened and seven young men stood together, bowing slightly toward the awaiting horde of overexcited young women. the overexcited group of young women which i stood in. i wasn't yet sure how i felt about that. the rest of the girls stampeded into the not-quite-music room and i trailed along behind them, a peculiar burble of excited anticipation and nervous tension messing with my stomach. this wasn't the first time i had attended the host club's after school activities, but it was the first time i had attended them without on my own. it had always been minako dragging me along to these tea parties. however, minako had graduated the month before so i was on my own today.

while the other girls peeled off towards their various dates, i paused to look around, glad to be back. the idea of a high school host club was crazy, half of the members were some level of crazy and most of the clientele was well past crazy, but i had always found the club soothing. maybe that meant i was crazy too.

"princess shinobu," a cultured tone caught my attention and i turned toward the person who had called my name. "it's been a while since we saw you here. we are happy to have you back."

"thank you, kyouya," i smiled at the approaching bespectacled host. "but you know i'm no princess," i reminded him with only a hint of real censure. while every other girl and every host here was class a of their respective grade levels, i was firmly class 2-b; the lot of the perspective poor. when minako had first dragged me with her, insisting that i just had to meet the wonderful host club, i had felt completely out of place. minako had been a third year while i had been a first year. that combined with the fact that i was the only class b student there made me feel more like a lady-in-waiting than a princess. after noting the discomfort i felt with the term in passing to tamaki suoh, the host club's president, the entire club had taken to calling me lady shinobu instead. they had never treated me differently, but i felt more comfortable and stopped protesting whenever minako

ought me along.

"of course, my lady, forgive my thoughtlessness. though you cannot blame me for my forgetfulness when your beauty is so radiant." yes, i knew that everything the hosts said was an act, but i couldn't help the blush that rose in my cheeks.

"thank you, kyouya."

"i believe you are with mori-senpai today, my lady. would you like me to escort you?" he held out a hand in offering and a smile curved his lips.

"that's okay," a deep voice rumbled behind me. "i'm here." i turned yet again to see the oldest host and his slightly younger cousin surrounded by several other girls.

"c'mon, lady shinobu!" honey-senpai bounced while three of his dates fawned over him with adoring eyes. mori-senpai and honey-senpai were polar opposites—compliments in every way. mori-senpai was tall, dark and silent. honey-senpai was small,

ight and talkative. they were the same age and were both third years, but honey-senpai looked and acted like a kindergartener more often than not. mori-senpai constantly ran after his cousin, caring for and cleaning up after the smaller boy. he rarely spoke, but honey-senpai carried on enough for the both of them with his charming babble. the little boy took hold of my hand and dragged me with him, the two of us leading the others to honey-senpai and mori-senpai's usual table.

honey-senpai entertained all of us with his cheerful prattle and the other girls cooed over him, occasionally asking silly questions. mori-senpai and i quietly sipped our tea, watching the others for several minutes before either of us spoke.

"you haven't been here for a while," he said.

honey-senpai turned from his conversation and voiced his cousin's unasked question. "where have you been lady shinobu?"

"i've been around," i said vaguely. there was no reason to point out my lack of expendable funds.

"is it because princess minako graduated last term?" he pressed.

"partly, yes."

"what

ought you back?" mori-senpai asked.

"minako again," i explained. "she said i had to come for my birthday." my best friend was sometimes silly and frivolous, but she was always generous and gave excellent presents, like this afternoon for instance.

"it's your birthday?" honey-senpai practically yelled, calling the attention of several others our way and i blushed again. i only nodded, but he jumped up. "this calls for more cake!" he announced and rand off to get the apparently necessary treat. i wasn't going to object, of course; the host club supplied the best cakes and sweets.

"happy birthday," mori-senpai said in his low voice. throughout the afternoon, several people stopped by our table to wish me a happy birthday, including each of the hosts in turn. tamaki rushed over to wish me love, beauty and happiness with his usual flowery words. kyouya wished me good fortune. the hitachiin twins wished me an interesting year with a terrifying double waggle of eye

ows. the new host, haruhi fujioka, wished me a good year. honey-senpai wished me a sweet year as he presented me with a slice of lime cake. "i put extra whip cream on it just for you, lady shinobu," he told me with a wide smile.

"thank you, honey-senpai," i told him, wondering how he knew i loved the extra sugar. i sat with mori-senpai for the rest of the afternoon, occasionally making conversation while we watched honey-senpai entertain their guests. most of the girls cycled in and out of the room or through the hosts, but i was content to stay where i was. i enjoyed watching everyone enjoy themselves. i noticed hikaru and kaoru hitachiin teasing haruhi fujioka and the smaller boy laughing at their antics. the three of them looked uncommonly comfortable with one another in that moment, as if they all belonged together. obviously, the twins always looked like a pair, a matched set, but i had never before seen them extend the same sort of belonging to anyone else. i wished i had my camera with me to capture the moment, but i had left it at home. my teachers had begun to get upset with me when i started taking pictures midway through their lectures, even when my camera was only directed out the window.

i stayed where i was until the hosts announced closing time and began ushering us out. "wait, lady shinobu!" honey-senpai called as i was saying my goodbyes to mori-senpai. he handed me his beloved pink usa-chan and ran off, returning only a moment later with another slice of cake, chocolate this time. "here, you should take this with you since it's your birthday!"

"thank you, honey-senpai," i smiled at the small boy as i traded him his bunny for the cake. "but what about the plate?" i had already taken the offering from him, but the plate was fine china, too expensive for the club to just give away.

"you are welcome to take it with you, lady shinobu," kyouya said and i jumped. he was standing at my elbow, but i hadn't heard his approach. "as long as you return it soon, i don't see it as a problem." i knew an advertising tactic when i heard one. kyouya wasn't just reminding me that i had to return the plate, he was encouraging my return as well which would mean more revenue for the host club. i repressed a smirk, twisting it into a smile instead.

"of course, kyouya," i said before adjusting my bag on my shoulder and waving to the other hosts on my way out the door.

my phone started ringing the second i stepped into the hall and i smiled, already knowing who it was before i dug it out of my bag. "hello, minako," i answered.

"so, how was it?" she asked not bothering to begin with a 'hello'. i laughed at her enthusiasm. "how was the host club, shinobu?"

"it was wonderful, as always," i told her. "honey-senpai even sent me home with extra cake." i smiled at the slice still balanced on my left hand. "it was the best birthday present ever," i assured her and i heard her tinkling laugh echo across the line.