NEW! Indeed: ~y/n's Promotion!~
➼ pairing: kyoya ootori x reader
➼ summary: A long awaited promotion, indeed...
➼ word count: 7.4k
➼ what to expect: "Compose yourself, y/n, smile y/n."
➼ warnings: teensy bit of angst if you squint
➼ chapter navigation
➼ welcome to season 2 of Indeed! i thought we would start it off with a bang :)
"Oh... dear God." You gawk at the dress placed in your arms by Hikaru, glancing up at him for reassurance. "You're joking." It's more of a plea than a statement.
"C'mon, surely you knew our theme for today was service staff by now." Hikaru scoffs, shaking his head.
"Honestly, Senpai, you're our manager dating our director... how are you out of the loop?" Kaoru tsks with a sigh.
You crane your neck to glance at your aforementioned boyfriend behind you, your glare worth daggers, "This was your idea?"
Kyoya's eyes merely flit to you for a moment, returning to his laptop quickly, "You know me better than that, y/n. Whose idea do you think it was?"
Another quick turn of your head to Tamaki, the same glare present. He sweats nervously, "Those idiots told me you'd look good in a maid costume! It wasn't my idea!" He defends himself adamantly.
You grumble, "Too bad we can't stick Haruhi in this dress."
"We can after club hours." The twins smirk devilishly.
"Senpai." Haruhi whines.
"Sometimes I forget why I didn't just go to London." You drape your costume over the back of a chair, threading your fingers through your hair with a sigh.
"Because Kyoya-Senpai begged you to stay, remember?" Hikaru and Kaoru deadpan, appearing by your side once more.
You snort, "Oh, yeah. It was just Kyoya. Mhm." You cross your arms with a cocked brow.
"And I didn't beg. I asked." Kyoya pipes up, not bothering to meet your gazes when the three of you turn to him.
"You're delusional." You snicker, throwing him a knowing glance. He rolls his eyes, returning diligently to his work.
"Enough of your bickering. y/n, our guests are arriving soon- hurry up and put the dress on!" Tamaki whines, pushing you by your shoulders to the backroom.
"I don't understand why I have to wear everything that you wear! Can't I just wear black and white? I'm not even a host." You pout as Tamaki shuts the door behind you. You tear the dress from its packaging and begin stripping down.
"You wouldn't be-"
"-as cute that way, Senpai."
"I beg to differ." You grumble, stumbling as you slide the bodice of the dress up your torso. You, personally, think you'd look just as cute in black and white clothing, but you digress.
"Don't forget the headband!" You hear the door handle jiggle at Hikaru's voice.
"Ah! Don't you dare! Give me ten more seconds." You exclaim in a scolding tone.
"Back away from the door, Hikaru." Kyoya pipes up. Hikaru does as he's told, gulping. You nearly laugh.
"How do I look, Haru-chan?!" Honey tugs insistently at Haruhi's arm, forcing her eyes to fall upon himself and Mori dressed in their servant uniforms.
"You look great, Senpai." She nods with innocent eyes, straightening her own bow tie around her neck at the collar of her crisply white button-up shirt.
"Oh! Daddy's little girl looks so cute!" The telltale sound of Tamaki's fawning reaches your ear as you straighten the straps to your apron.
"Look at you in your tailcoat!" By the sound of Haruhi's groans, it sounds like he's smothering her.
You crack the door open and thrust your hand into open air, wriggling your fingers expectantly, "Where's the headband I must wear?" You groan.
"Come all the way out and get it." Kaoru teases.
"I don't have to wear it, you know-" Suddenly, the headband is placed in your palm and you snicker triumphantly.
"Thank you, boys." You chuckle, shutting the door promptly.
You slide the headband over the crown of your head and allow it to sit just behind your ears, straightening it the best you can and dusting off your apron before stepping out hesitantly.
You grumble, "This feels really demeaning." You pull at the ends of your dress, turning in a circle to get a look at yourself.
"Am I going to carry around a tray and do little poses?" You demonstrate your meaning by popping a leg up and holding a peace sign to your eye.
Your ears catch a light chuckle, twisting your neck to find Kyoya dressed in a black tailcoat tuxedo, straightening his clean, white gloves, shaking his head at you.
"Well, don't you look fancy." You snicker as he moves a gloved hands to his glasses to adjust them on his nose.
"That is the intention, yes." With a somewhat knowing smile, Kyoya peers down at you in your own costume.
"Alright, men!" Tamaki claps his hands to gain each host's attention, and he does so effectively.
"And women." He adds secondly, continuing on with a coy smile, "Our guests will be arriving soon. Now, it is important that we all play well into our roles as servants for our ladies today. Today, we not only charm our guests, but we will wait upon them as well!"
"Now you get to experience what I do everyday." You nudge Kyoya in the ribs, earning a scoff from him. "I doubt it'll be difficult," he replies with a coy expression.
"I never said it was difficult. But remember, I never said you'd like it, either." You tease mischievously, offering him a soft pat to his shoulder as you waltz off to take your position for opening.
And as the first guest of many arrives, the club is there to welcome them warmly in perfect poise, hands folded diligently with deep bows.
"Welcome." The usual chorus of voices reaches the ears of the first guest as they enter, earning a second chorus comprised of gasps and soft exclamations of awe.
You bow traditionally, "Welcome, ladies. May I ask who you would prefer to serve you this afternoon?" In your one hand, a notepad, and in the other, a pen, as you await their reply.
The guests snicker to themselves, flattered by your sudden attention. One of them speaks up. "Hikaru and Kaoru, please."
You smile and gesture with an open hand for the girls to follow you, "Very good, right this way, please." You bring them to their seats as if you were a hostess. That very word causes your heart to flutter excitedly, but it quickly dies down as you focus on your duties that are simply those of a maid.
You continue to seat guests at the respective tables for each host.
The more and more guests you escort to Kyoya's area, the more you become confused. Your romantic relationship is more than common knowledge ever since the twins couldn't keep their mouths shut about the whole stunt Kyoya pulled on the last day of the Ouran fair. You assumed more guests would be devastated by this knowledge, avoiding Kyoya as a host, but it seems his numbers are skyrocketing.
"Kyoya, tell us how you saved y/n again! It's so romantic!"
Kyoya nearly loses his composure at the sudden inquiries flying his way, slotting a hand behind his neck awkwardly, "Well, I hardly think you'd want to hear about that. I'd much rather talk about you."
"But Hikaru says you fell off the bridge! And you confessed your love to y/n all at the same time!"
You can't help the own rosy tint that falls over the apples of your cheeks at the notion that the guests know all about your private affairs. Well, not so private...
"That is true, yes..." At Kyoya's confession, the guests crowding him squeal, faint, and shake each other incessantly.
Both you and Kyoya had discussed the possible repercussions of being together publicly, and he mentioned that he wouldn't particularly mind if his guests seemed to dwindle off into smaller numbers. But currently, you're looking at an insane influx of patrons surrounding him.
"Did you really dance in the water? Did you kiss her?"
"Oh, I wish someone would do that for me!"
"I can't believe she was going to leave!"
You make a mental note to bash Hikaru's head in when you get the chance, a more cherry tint spreading across your cheeks and inching toward your ears.
"Welcome, ladies! Can I get you some tea?" Honey approaches his table with a tray full of steaming teacups, one for each customer. "Oh! You know what would go great with this tea? Some cake!" he says, brimming with excitement. Mori appears at his side with one arm folded behind his back, the other gracefully carrying a tray of cake slices at Honey's suggestion.
"Thanks, Honey!" A guest says, graciously accepting his offering. "Won't you stay and enjoy it with us?" she requests curiously.
"Well... okay! But only for a little bit, because then I have to go back to waiting on you pretty ladies!" Honey leaps onto the sofa beside his guests and promptly munches on a slice of cake offered to him by the guest adjacent to him.
Tamaki glances over his shoulder, excusing himself from his guests for a moment, throwing in an excuse — something along the lines of bringing them more refreshments.
"Hikaru, Kaoru!" He hisses in a whisper, snapping his fingers briefly. The twins slide into view at his beck and call, saluting their leader and mimicking his tone, "Yes, sir!"
"Gather the others and meet me in the back room! Make sure y/n doesn't see any of you." Tamaki implores, shooing them away.
"On it!" they eagerly reply, bolting off to grab the first host in sight. Hikaru and Kaoru sweep up Honey first, who hums in question as they scoop him up effortlessly. Mori follows soundlessly after that, head barely tilted curiously.
"Thank you, ladies, I- hey! What are you doing?!" Haruhi stammers, suddenly feeling Hikaru and Kaoru's arms looped under her own, dragging her on her heels away from her guests. The girls seated in Haruhi's area blink disorientedly as she's whisked away.
Just as the twins are even thinking about taking Kyoya with them by force, he raises a definitive gloved hand, "No need, I'm coming."
They comply immediately, nodding shortly and making their way to Tamaki's designated meeting place.
And suddenly, when you glance around aimlessly for a host... there are none in sight. In fact... they're all gone. Guests slowly get up from their seats across the room, making their way over to you with curious expressions.
"y/n? Where did Tamaki go?"
"Yeah, and Hikaru and Kaoru are missing!"
Your eyes grow wide as you stand speechless in the middle of a sea of guests, all tilting their heads in your direction with questioning eyes.
"Uh..." You murmur, unsure yourself as to where you boys have wandered off to... all... at the same time...
Odd.
Meanwhile, in another room, Tamaki throws his arms around Hikaru and Kaoru's shoulders on either side of him, forming a makeshift huddle as Mori and Kyoya remain standing upright, all the while participating in the discussion.
"Alright men, we need to think about this carefully," Tamaki begins.
"What exactly are we doing?" Haruhi glances to each host for an explanation, completely and hopelessly lost.
"Discussing the operation, of course." Kyoya vaguely mumbles.
"What operation? What's going on?" Haruhi looks to someone else for a clearer explanation.
"When we go back out there, we give y/n a run for her money! This operation is improv style- come up with whatever ridiculous request you can, and make sure she does it!" Tamaki whispers harshly, earning nods from his fellow hosts, who seem to be following along diligently.
Haruhi tilts her head, "Huh?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Alright, 'Operation: y/n's Host Trial' is a go!"
~y/n's Promotion!~
"Wait, what? We're making y/n-Senpai a host?" Haruhi asks with wide, incredulous eyes. Glancing to Kyoya's side profile, he gives nothing in return but a small, slowly forming smirk tugging at his lips.
"Hikaru, Kaoru: You know your jobs?" Tamaki inquires, pointing to the twins with a determined finger.
Kaoru shrugs, "Make y/n-Senpai-"
"-as busy as possible. We got it." Hikaru finishes, mirroring his brother's shrug.
Haruhi nearly pales, grimacing. When the twins are making someone busy, they're usually not doing it in a way that's particularly... tolerable.
"Are we sure that's a good idea?" Haruhi tries carefully, but no one seems to be listening. And if they are, they're intentionally ignoring her... which is definitely the case — Kyoya sees, hears, and knows all.
"Honey-Senpai?" Tamaki turns to Honey next, who salutes him immediately.
"Make y/n-chan take care of all of my problems!" He beams, contradicting his words.
"Kyoya, you are to-"
"Make sure y/n stays on task and doesn't get distracted." Kyoya adjusts his glasses, interjecting.
"By any means possible! Make y/n work!" Tamaki declares to the general group.
"By any means possible!" The hosts chorus back to him, save for Mori and Haruhi. They glance to each other apprehensively, exchanging concerned expressions.
"Mori-Senpai, I want you to keep a lookout for anything going wrong. Bring it to my attention immediately." Tamaki orders authoritatively.
Mori hums, but he doesn't necessarily agree... something seems off about this whole operation, and only he and Haruhi seem to be the ones who are not completely agreeing with everything Tamaki is saying.
"And Haruhi-" Tamaki begins optimistically.
"Look, Senpai, I don't know if I'm okay with working y/n-Senpai to the bone... she already does enough. Besides, hasn't she proved herself worthy to be a host already?" Haruhi implores, her expression quizzical.
"Nonsense! y/n has never actually hosted before. We need to see if she's up to the task!" Tamaki exclaims with an aura of dedication.
"... and to do that is to give her even more menial tasks than she already has?" Haruhi's shoulders slouch over in defeat when she realizes that Tamaki has absolutely no logic behind these trials... and the other hosts seem to be going along blindly. Which is... worrying.
"Senpai, I thought you were smarter than this." Haruhi grumbles, glancing up at Kyoya with an disgusted expression.
"I don't know what you mean by that. Besides, I don't see the harm in testing her a bit." Kyoya shrugs, not sparing her a glance.
"You realize that giving her hostly duties would be the way to do this? Not more errand girl duties? I don't even know why she still does those in the first place... she's our manager." Haruhi rubs her chin between her fingers in thought.
"She used to have a debt, remember? I just assume it's second nature to her by now to do all of those things." Kyoya proposes.
Haruhi hums thoughtfully, barely paying Kyoya any mind now.
As the two think out loud, chaos has been orchestrating among the trio of idiots with the addition of Honey.
"You all have your jobs, now get out there! We've been gone for way too long!" Tamaki ushers the twins out the door, followed by the rest of the hosts, and only two of them are starting to already rethink this horrible operation.
"There you guys are. What on earth were you thinking, all disappearing at once like that?" You huff, hands angrily on your hips as you approach them.
"Just discussing host things!" Tamaki assures, which doesn't make you feel any better in the slightest.
You raise a brow, irked. Rolling your eyes, you wave them off, "Whatever." You grumble.
Tamaki and Honey make discreet eye contact, and Tamaki nods subtly.
"Wah~! y/n-chan!" Honey wails, immediately gaining your attention.
"Senpai, what's wrong?" You appear to his table in the blink of an eye, brows furrowed in concern as his tearful eyes look up at you.
"I'm out of chocolate cake! Can you please get some more?" He hiccups, his hands drawn to his chest as he sniffles.
Your eyes fall on a perfectly full tier of strawberry and white cake, glancing back at Honey with an unsure expression, "But Honey-Senpai, you have plenty of cake right here-"
"But I want chocolate cake!!" He insists with a whine you rarely hear from him, especially in such an insignificant situation.
His guests chuckle nervously, offering you confused glances, and you return them with an apologetic smile.
"Alright, alright... I'll be right back."
You turn to head to the storage room, stealing a slight glance back at Honey as you go. It's common for Honey to act childish, that's his whole gimmick... but you rarely see him throw a tantrum like a true toddler. Maybe you shouldn't have given in, like a responsible mother wouldn't have. Well, a responsible mother wouldn't allow her child to eat as much cake as Honey does anyway, so that idea is long out the window by now.
Upon reaching the cabinets that store treats and sweets, you find that the host club is completely out of chocolate cake — not one slice to be seen.
You tilt your head. "Odd..." you say to yourself, quietly. You swear you'd seen an abundance of it just days before... Honey couldn't have possibly gone through that much chocolate cake in a few days... could he? Maybe you just need to stay more on top of things. No matter: you mark acquiring more chocolate cake on your mental to-do list and suppose that the academy's refectory will have to do.
You return to Honey, who looks hopeful at your arrival. You sigh, "I've got to run down to the refectory, our cupboards are barren of chocolate cake... I'll be right back."
Honey's eyes water, his prominent pout returning.
"I'm going now! I promise, I'll be right back." You swear.
And before Honey can burst into tears, which he looks like he's about to, you dash off, determined to reach the refectionary in record time... hoping that they either have chocolate cake on hand or that they can whip some up at lightning speed.
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With two armfuls of chocolate cake slices packaged in plastic, you push open the club doors and are immediately bombarded by a host.
"Where did you go? You were gone for quite a while." The not so melodic tone of your partner's voice reaches your ears, arms crossed.
"We ran out of chocolate cake and Honey-Senpai wants chocolate or nothing." You groan, adjusting your stature to better cradle the inconveniently shaped packaged cake slices.
"You still shouldn't leave us without warning, guests have been waiting for their refreshments." Kyoya follows close behind as you start your journey to the storage room.
You blink, surprised at his lack of understanding, "Kyoya, I was only gone for fifteen minutes, you can't pour tea yourself?" You try your hardest to laugh off the comment.
"It's not our job to pour tea."
You haven't heard him belittle your duties like that since he disregarded your debt... since before you were dating. But, before you can react, you're promptly whisked away.
"y/n, where have you been?" Tamaki circles behind you, pushing you by your shoulders to the back room, "Put those away and come out immediately, and bring the tea!"
You blink as Tamaki leaves you to the storage room, putting the cake slices in their rightful place in a sort of daze. The boys have scarcely ever been quite this urgent with you. Even if they are, they try their best to be as forgiving as possible if you're running a bit behind.
You arrange the pot of tea and matching cups on your familiar tray, hoisting it off the table and into your hands as you scurry out to meet Tamaki, who apparently so urgently needs you.
It seems as though every time you pass through a doorway, you're needed by a different host. This time, the twins are at your side in an instant the moment you enter the main room.
"Hey, Senpai, we need your opinion." Hikaru begins, both twins effectively blocking your path.
"Yeah, it's urgent." Kaoru nods with a seemingly forced intense expression.
"Um..." You grimace, fingers tightening around your tea tray, but you don't see the harm in humoring them only for a moment.
"What was it that we wanted to ask her again, Hikaru?" Kaoru inquires, fingers stroking his chin in thought. Hikaru mirrors his twin, humming.
"I can't remember, Kaoru... hm..."
"Guys, I really need to-"
"No, no! We'll only be a second, just give us some time to remember it." Hikaru interrupts you.
You sigh with exasperation, shoulders slouching as you semi-patiently wait for Hikaru and Kaoru to remember what they spontaneously needed your opinion for.
"y/n, what on earth are you doing? We needed that tea tray two minutes ago." Kyoya materializes at your side, checking his watch and beckoning you to follow him.
"Sorry, guys." You hastily apologize to the twins, following Kyoya at his heels.
"Here, Kyoya, can you bring this over? I really need to make sure Honey-Senpai has his-" You offer the tray up to Kyoya as you follow him, but he turns sharply and holds his hand out.
"Nonsense, I have my guests to attend to. I simply don't have the time." He informs you.
Your brows furrow, "Well, neither do I, Kyoya, that's why I'm asking you to do it. If I had the time, I'd-"
"I don't want to hear excuses. Deliver the tea, then attend to Honey-Senpai." Kyoya leaves you with that.
You're left bewildered at his choice of tone toward you, gawking in the direction he disappears in.
You inhale sharply and exhale just as quickly, shaking your head to yourself as you arrive at Tamaki's table, setting down the tea tray and adorning a bright smile, "Here's your tea ladies. Now, if you'll excuse me." You direct your glower in Tamaki's direction, putting a particular annoyed inflection on your words as you find him simply lounging on the sofa, surrounded by swooning guests. Tamaki grins sheepishly.
You turn on your heel to find Honey-Senpai, who seems to be having the time of his life entertaining his guests... until he catches your eye. Suddenly, he blinks in rapid procession and tears are streaming down his cheeks.
"y/n-chan, I need my chocolate cake!" He whimpers, arms flailing in a tantrum-like manner.
"Okay, just a second!" You call over your shoulder, rushing back to the storage room and throwing open the cabinets. You all but snatch a slice of chocolate cake... grabbing another for good measure, and dash out to tend to Honey's blubbering cries. Placing the slices in front of him, you anxiously await his reaction.
His sobbing subsides all too quickly, and he's left beaming up at you, "Thanks, y/n-chan!" And with that, he's devouring his sweets.
You exhale with an aura of relief, folding your hands before you, "Not a problem. Can I get anyone else anything? More sandwiches?"
Honey's guests shake their heads, smiling, "We're okay, y/n, thank you!" They beam politely. You nod and slip away.
But you don't get a moment to yourself for long before the sound of shattering glass catches your ears, silence falling over the room after a round of surprised gasps.
You turn to find Hikaru and Kaoru at the scene of the crime, both standing over a mess of what looks like two broken teacups... that seem to have fallen straight from their hands and onto the floor... at the same time...
"Whoops! Clumsy us!" They chorus, a certain undertone of mischief present in their voices.
"y/n, could you get that for us-?"
"- yeah, we've got other stuff to do." They link arms, sauntering away to attend to their guests who are just as confused as you are.
You groan all too loudly for Kyoya's liking, apparently, as you make your way over to the mess and start to gather the bigger pieces.
"Remember, y/n, compose yourself. You'll have to learn to be compliant with anything if you want to get anywhere." Kyoya reminds, carelessly scribbling in his notebook as you slave away on the floor over a pile of broken china.
"Compose yourself, y/n, smile y/n." You mock in a high pitched tone under your breath.
"I heard that." Kyoya lifts his eyes briefly from his half-written sentence to meet your sheepish eyes, your lips drawing into a thin line. Kyoya's unamused eyes bore into your soul.
"Heard what?" You don't give him a moment to answer as you're off to discard of the larger pieces of china, acquiring a broom and a dustpan for the smaller shards.
Watching from afar, Haruhi crosses her arms, "They can afford to break fine china. If I broke a saucer, I'd be paying it off for two weeks."
As you pass her slouching figure, you giggle, "Yeah, double standards, am I right?" You snicker, dumping the shards of china into the nearest waste bin. Haruhi beams.
After making sure your palms are clean of glass, you swipe a tired hand across your forehead, sighing in relief at the momentary break you receive.
The key word is momentary, and you're not even sure you can call it that, as you're leaping to attention when Honey wails deafeningly once more. You grimace at his volume, cautiously peering over your shoulder to see what could possibly be the matter now.
"y/n-chan, I spilled tea all over my pants! I need new ones!"
Surely enough, just as you arrive at his side, your eyes immediately fall on the dark stain covering his pant legs, still slowly growing. Luckily, you know Honey's tea has been sitting out long enough to have grown cold. Still, you cannot fathom how he would be comfortable in a pair of damp slacks.
"Did you pack an extra uniform, Senpai?" You question, tilting your head.
Meekly, Honey shakes his head no. You suppress the strong, strong urge to groan loudly, as that would only upset him further.
"And I suppose you want me to find you one?"
At your offer, Honey beams, "Yes please!"
You feel your eye twitch involuntarily, forcing a strained smile, "Sure thing..." You say through clenched teeth.
As you turn around and lose Honey's attention, you snatch a throw pillow from a nearby sofa and shove it over your mouth, muffling a loud, frustrated groan, stomping your foot.
You inhale deeply through your nose, quickly regaining your composure and putting the throw pillow back in its place. You clear your throat and dust yourself off before setting off on your new mission.
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The only solution you found for Honey's problem was nothing short of embarrassing... to say the least. You've managed to venture all the way to the primary school building, thoroughly out of breath and practically begging for one of the sensei's to lend you their spare pair of boy's uniform shorts that they keep around in case of the elementary students having accidents.
You return to the club with the fresh shorts slung over your arm, receiving immediate attention from Kyoya.
"Where did you run off to this time? You were gone for-"
"Give me one second, please, Kyoya, I'll never hear the end of this if I don't give these to Honey-Senpai now." You forcibly shove past him, leaving him to watch you approach the elder, feeling anxious at the new frustrated attitude you've adopted.
Cautiously, you gain Honey's attention by tapping on his shoulder. "Senpai, these are the only pants I could find you," you say, presenting him with the elementary school uniform shorts. Although they're small, you expect them to fit. And, well, they're dry.
You barely notice the way, Honey glances to Tamaki for approval, as he would be fine accepting the pair of shorts you are offering him, but his boss shakes his head discreetly, indicating that Honey must give you a reason to do something else.
He sniffles on que, "I'm not gonna wear little boy's shorts! I want my uniform pants!" He hiccups.
Truthfully, by now, the wet spot on Honey's pants is mostly dry, and you can't even see the liquid given that his slacks are black to begin with.
You sigh in exasperation, "There's really nothing else I can do. These are the only-"
"No!" Against his better judgement, Honey smacks the shorts out of your hands and to the floor. The room grows silent at his outburst and everyone is patiently awaiting the next choice of words from either of you.
"That's embarrassing, y/n-chan! I don't wanna wear elementary shorts!" He insists, brows furrowed.
Your teeth grind in a heavy effort to reel in your outrage, afraid you'll explode and say something you regret to the poor boy.
"Senpai," Your tone is wavering, eyes shut as you do your best to regain a steady composure. "Unless you want me to drive all the way to your house and personally select another pair of trousers from your closet and come back here, there is nothing else I can do for you."
Honey can sense the sheer frustration in your voice, so he doesn't say anything further. He's decided he's played too much of a part in this little game, and he doesn't think it's very fun anymore... someone else is going to have to step in.
And someone else does. Just as Tamaki is starting to realize that this little "trial" has gone too far, Hikaru opens his mouth.
"Come on, Senpai, isn't this your job?"
Even his brother's eyes grow wide, tugging on Hikaru's sleeve to tell him not to push you anymore, but Kaoru freezes while doing so as you turn around menacingly, your gaze tearing daggers through Hikaru as you fume.
"No, Hikaru, it is not my job to be your personal servant-"
"Don't you serve your dad all the time at home? Get to it, y/n, we don't have all day."
Your fury is replaced by absolute astonishment at Hikaru's choice of words paired with the insult of lacking an honorific.
"Hikaru!" Kaoru scolds with a gasp, seemingly pushing HIkaru's consciousness back into reality as he realizes what he's just said to you.
And that's when Tamaki realized this entire operation was a mistake, uncrossing his arms in a state of shock.
Haruhi's attention turns to Mori as he stands adjacent to her. His eyes are closed in disappointment, as if he knew something like this would happen.
With an indignant huff, your voice slightly breaking, you throw the elementary boy's shorts to the ground, as a loud smack! echoes through the silent room. You manage to suppress your tears as you storm past the onlookers and to the grand double doors, slamming them behind you and bolting down the hall.
Tamaki does his best to disperse the crowd, directing intrigued guests back to their tea and snacks with a polite smile. As the crowd dissipates, Tamaki throws a panicked expression in Hikaru's direction.
"When I said make y/n as busy as possible, I didn't mean make her busy crying!" Tamaki stomps his foot, fuming.
"I didn't mean to! I just wanted to make her mad!" Hikaru whines, feeling the immense weight of guilt pulling at his heart strings.
"She was already mad, you pushed her over into hurt." Haruhi pipes up, arms crossed. She could have guessed that this was exactly what would happen if you were pushed to your breaking point.
Hikaru hangs his head, ashamed of his words toward you as his heart pulses painfully. Kaoru clings comfortingly to his side. "Don't worry, I bet Senpai knows you didn't mean it," He assures. Hikaru only nods slightly.
"I didn't think she was gonna cry!" Honey cries, now bursting into genuine tears. Honey seeks Mori for comfort, lip trembling as his mind runs rampant with his intolerable behavior toward you. Mori places a still hand atop his head without a word.
"I think we'll have to move ahead with the plan a little early." Kyoya adjusts his glasses, taking hold of the reins of this operation.
"Tamaki, could you have the room ready by the time I get back? I'll go make sure she's alright." Kyoya tucks his notebook and pen away.
Tamaki nods, "Good idea, Kyoya. You heard the man, get to work." He orders, clapping his hands twice. The remaining hosts scurry away at his command.
As Kyoya withdraws from the clubroom, he has the slightest inclination as to where you might have run off to. Trusting his intuition, he sets off to the place he has in mind.
It's a bit of a longer walk, and Kyoya can't imagine that you ran all the way here, but his intuition was, indeed, correct. He nearly smiles fondly to himself when he finds you perched on the edge of a familiar fountain in your maid's uniform, knees drawn to your chest. Kyoya's chest aches painfully when you brush a stray tear from your cheek, sniffling quietly. He can barely hear you over the calming sound of trickling water flowing in the fountain.
Kyoya steps out from underneath the covered walkway and you notice him immediately.
"Oh." You straighten up, quickly wiping your damp cheeks and hoping your nose isn't too red. Luckily, your cheeks darken to the same rosy hue to match the tip of your nose.
"Want some company?" Kyoya offers gently. You nod wordlessly.
At your given consent, Kyoya sits on the ledge of the fountain beside you, craning his neck only slightly to peer over your shoulder as your back is turned to him.
"Are you alright?" He tilts his head.
You sigh, closing your eyes for a moment, "I know he didn't mean it, it's all part of some stupid charade you're all doing, but it still hurts."
If it wasn't for your last statement, Kyoya would have laughed. Of course you were aware of something going on, you're incredibly observant.
"I know. I'm not entirely sure where that came from, but it was unnecessary." Kyoya reaches out tentatively. His fingers gently caress your arm with an aura of hesitancy. He can't quite tell if you want him by your side or anywhere else.
Soon his uncertainty is settled, however, when you swivel your body and lean into him, still hugging your knees to your chest. Kyoya slithers a casual arm around your shoulders, holding you secure to his side.
"I don't want to go back in there," you say. Kyoya can practically hear the pout on your lips. He smiles softly.
"I think you'll be surprised." His optimistic tone brings your head up toward him to meet his eyes, looking hopeful.
"Promise?"
Kyoya knows without a doubt that what they have planned for you will raise your spirits in the most wonderful of ways. He angles his head to face you, eyes landing upon your expectant irises. The warmth in his heart spreads across his whole chest.
"Promise."
And when Kyoya promises something, you don't have a doubt in the world. A faint tint of red spreads across the apples of your cheeks, reaching the bridge of your nose when Kyoya places a gentle kiss just below your hairline.
You sigh quietly to yourself, hoisting yourself from the side of the fountain, "I better go and give Hikaru a chance to apologize anyway, I bet he's worrying himself sick." You tease, walking closely to Kyoya's side and nudging his shoulder.
Kyoya chuckles, "You know him all too well." He puts a simple, guiding hand to the small of your back.
"Well who do I have to thank for that, huh? Back in the day when you used to boss me around..." You quirk a brow, grumbling.
"Something good came out of it, right? I know they're a pain, but they certainly hold you in high regards." Kyoya says, moving to shove his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, I sort of figured that after they staged an entire fight to get the chance to visit my house." You scoff, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
You reach for the handle to the clubroom, but you're quickly stopped as Kyoya grabs it before you. You glance up at him with questioning eyes, hand poised mid air.
"Allow me." And with that, Kyoya pushes open the door. It creaks all too familiarly, and unexpectedly, you're flooded with a surge of rose petals.
You swat stray petals away from your line of sight, thoroughly confused: "We already opened for the day, what's with the theatrics?" You blink, realizing the room is shrouded in darkness.
"... are you guys just sitting here in the dark?" You squint. You turn to find Kyoya for an explanation, but he is nowhere to be seen.
The echoing thud of a spotlight switching on turns you around, and Tamaki is standing illuminated under a beam of light.
Lining a pathway toward him is an additional, less spectacular row of lights that flash from above. Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi stand on one side in a row, and Kyoya, Mori, and Honey stand parallel from them. They all stand as if they're uniformed soldiers in their butler costumes, arms folded behind their back and eyes glued to you.
You blink, brows furrowed at their unusual formation. You haven't got anything planned... no special event or party that requires a dramatic entrance.
"y/n, would you please step forward?" Tamaki bows like a true prince would, one arm pressed to his chest and the other outstretched, head slightly angling up to glance at you.
Stunned to silence, your legs carry you to move closer to him, barely sparing each host an apprehensive glance on your way to the King.
You cannot even begin to fathom what is going on, a million ideas running through your head at a hundred miles an hour. Are you in trouble? Are they going to ask you to join a cult? Have they joined forces with the Black Magic Club and this is your initiation?
"You've proven yourself worthy against our trials, my dear." Tamaki announces in a royal tone.
"Trials?" You tilt your head to the side, looking curiously at the hosts around you.
"And so, I present you... with this." Tamaki looks to Kyoya a moment. Kyoya hands him a luxurious pillow, meant for ceremonies. Something is sitting a top it. It doesn't look too big, and it looks quite delicate.
When Tamaki is handed the pillow, he moves it into the light, lowering it to your level to reveal...
... a yellow rose?
"A rose?" You have to admit, it's quite beautiful, in perfect condition. However, you can't help but wonder what on earth he's giving it to you for... and in such a formal fashion.
"Your rose." Tamaki corrects in a gentle tone as if he were speaking to only you.
"My rose?" You parrot.
And then, it clicks.
Your rose.
Your rose.
The rose meant to represent you. To represent you as a host.
Your eyes tear from the beautiful flower to meet Tamaki's lilac irises, your lips parted in disbelief.
"Are you serious?" You absentmindedly take the rose with gentle fingers. The gorgeous pale yellow of its petals glisten under the sharp light above Tamaki's head.
"It's long overdue." Tamaki nods. He can't help but smile at your complete bewilderment.
With a cheek splitting grin, you let out a purely delighted laugh, surging forward and throwing your arms around Tamaki's neck, arms constricting tightly around him.
As surprised as Tamaki is at your reaction, his arms are quick to reciprocate, the warmth in his chest spreading to his lips as they smile fondly.
"Thank you." He hears you sniffle. He chuckles.
"It's wasn't my idea." As Tamaki gently lets you go, you know immediately who to look to.
Your gaze falls upon Kyoya's, already fixed on you with a soft simper.
He truly is a vision in his butler's tailcoat, arms tucked behind his back and eyes focused entirely on you with such an aura of adoration that it makes your heart pulse in the best of ways.
As you approach him, you can't wipe the smile from your lips, "You're really okay with this?"
Your consideration for his anxieties sets Kyoya even more at ease with his decision than he was before.
"Absolutely."
It's not necessarily the fact that you're becoming a host that excites you. Sure, it's a role you've longed for these past few years and you think you'd be an excellent candidate... but that's not the reason you're over the moon.
It would take only a bystander to realize how uncomfortable the notion of you becoming a host made Kyoya in the past. The idea of you catering romantically to anyone didn't exactly sit right with him, but that was when your combined futures were uncertain. That was before he knew the extent of your affection for him. It used to make him nervous to see you interact in such a way with others, but now...
Of course you're excited to become a host and explore the possibilities, but you're ten times more moved by the fact that you have gained such trust from Kyoya. A trust that exceeds his boundaries, a trust that allows him to put your ambitions above his anxieties.
And that is more important to you than anything he could have ever given you.
Such a notion brings a few tears to your eyes and your lip trembles in the slightest, a sound of appreciation caught in your throat as you reach toward him, hands cradling his jaw as you pull him down for a searing kiss. Although he hadn't expected it, Kyoya's hands quickly find their place caressing your waist, eyes slipping shut as he basks in the feeling of your lips pressed together.
Kyoya pulls back only just, gaining your attention and flicking his eyes behind you briefly, jerking his head in the same direction with a faint smile.
You turn to glance over your shoulder, making eye contact with the twins: particularly with Hikaru. He looks as though he might chew his lip off, eyes darting away from yours the moment he sees you looking at him. Kaoru nudges his shoulder a bit.
Kyoya turns you around by the waist and you take the initiative to make your way over to Hikaru.
Hikaru fidgets with his sleeve, "Senpai, I'm really sorry about-"
But as you lean up on the tips of your toes and peck his cheek, Hikaru's words catch in his throat, eyes growing wide as a flush spreads across his cheeks. He gulps as you flash him a charming smile.
"I know. Thank you." You nod, seemingly convincing Hikaru that you don't notice the profuse blush spreading to his ears.
"I'm sorry too, y/n-chan!" Honey exclaims, leaping into your arms. Although you have less than a few seconds to react, you quickly support his weight with ease, playfully grimacing as his hair tickles your cheek.
As you set Honey down, patting the top of his head, you glance around at the hosts surrounding you, "Who's going to do all of my chores now?" You inquire curiously.
"All of us." Mori declares, allowing the corner of his lips to twitch slightly upward when you turn to him with an appreciative smile.
"Yeah, we're all gonna chip in a little." Kaoru digs his fist into Hikaru's arm playfully, who rolls his eyes and rubs over the spot that Kaoru punched.
"It's the least we can do." Haruhi grins widely.
Tamaki sweeps in, taking you by the hand, "Without further ado, allow me to introduce our newest host type!"
Ever a lover of theatrical presentations, Tamaki turns you to face the rest of the hosts, bowing.
"The gentle type."
As your heart swells, gripping your yellow rose tightly between your fingers, the hosts erupt into applause.
"Does this mean Senpai has to flirt with our customers too?" Hikaru raises a brow.
"Guess we're gonna have more male patrons." Kaoru grumbles.
"Guys, your jealousy is showing." Haruhi deadpans, flashing you a knowing look. You return it with a smirk.
"Indeed." Kyoya teases, unable to suppress the smile spread across his lips.
"Now, y/n! Allow me to teach you everything I know about the art of hosting!" Tamaki takes you by the shoulder, casting his hand to the sky and starting on a monologue that you couldn't be paid to listen to in a million years.
Turning over your shoulders with a desperate call for help in your eyes, Kyoya merely shrugs. You roll your eyes.
"When talking to a customer, ask them questions about themselves! Everyone loves to talk about themselves-"
"Do they now?" You quirk an unamused brow. Tamaki completely overlooks your interjection.
You groan. It's going to be a long, long day...
🎵I run and run a thousand miles, and I am barely breathing. Only the fuel of a passionate heart keeps this body strong and moving forward.
Could it be I found a place to rest? How far until I’m OK?
Trees of the town reveal the time has come once again to shift our shade and colors. 🎵
🎵The world always changes around us but weakness will always remain;
Through all the pain, believe in who we are right here and now! 🎵
🎵Raise one hand to the sky; raise them both lift them high!!
And you’ll cut through the darkness make it go!
The time to start is now! And I can show you how.
Start with me, and the world will be even bigger than ever before. 🎵
♡Next time, on Indeed...♡
It's a certain someone's birthday who doesn't seem to share the same desire to celebrate it as much as everyone else...
♡We'll see you then!! ♡
want to read more? here's my ouran masterlist 🌹
and here's my bts blog💜
want me to write something you want to see? request something💌
have any questions? talk to my characters!🙏🏻
Adieu~ 🌹🌹🌹
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