A New Friend? (Haruhi and Hiroshi)

[Fujioka Haruhi]

A New Friend?

Haruhi packed up her bag as the last class before lunch ended. The bell rang and half the class rushed for the door while the other sat up on desks or joined friends to talk. After slipping her writing pens and paper into her stachel she left the bag on the hook of her desk and slipped out of the room. The twins were speaking with the class president whom they had become friendly with since the Halloween spook fest the previous year. She moved through the corridors, her shoes sinking luxuriously into the rich red carpet of the halls. Down a staircase she followed the majority of the class towards the cafeteria her bento box in hand. Many girls watched her and smiled. She smiled bag only to produce blushes or giggles from the ladies.

Picking up the pace so they thought she had to be somewhere quickly she encouraged them to leave her alone. She would put up with girl's chit chat in the music room after school but lunch was her own time. She already had plans...

Hiroshi's words when she'd been in the courtyard yesterday had stayed with her overnight and haunted her thoughts for most of the morning.

I'VE HAD IT!... Did he really believe that? Had the twins words affected him that deeply? They were just jokers. Pranksters. They didn't often think about what came out of their mouths and how it would affect others- they weren't used to taking other people's feelings into consideration because they had never been in world that forced them to do so. It was clear to Haruhi that Nerozumi-kun was struggling with that idea.

Entering the cafeteria she felt a little out of place with her bento box against the high class food catered to the richer students. Looking around she searched for the student she was looking for. As around 95% of the students in the school ate lunch in the cafeteria she felt it likely for Nerozumi to be there. Whether he was alone or not was another matter. That's why she'd come down from her class straight away. Her plan was to sit down, speak to him while she ate- which didn't take her very long, and then leave before anyone from the Knights (or worse the Host Club- she'd never hear the end of it) saw them eating together. She had no hard feelings for either side of the rivaling host clubs but she knew that some members did- it wouldn't do her any good to annoy anyone on either side.

Suddenly she spotted him sitting alone at a table near the far corner against the far wall. Meandering her way through the tables and crowds of people, she eventually reached his table and sat down across from him. Setting her cloth wrapped box in front of her she asked politely,

"Mind if I join you?" She started to unwrap her box, not waiting for a reply. She wanted to speak with him and you could sit wherever you wanted. There was no reason for her to wait for his approval. "You were yelling yesterday in the courtyard. I thought you might want some company for lunch?" She looked up from the box she had uncovered and smiled. Tilting her head when she smiled was natural and always through a lock of hair over one eye in a cute fashion. At least that was what Tamaki-senpai always said. Haruhi guessed it must be true though or she wouldn't have as many designations from girls at the Host Club...

Gx

((OOC: Sorry that was a bit pants... Lol. Hope you don't mind my reference to your character Hiroshi! ^^))

[Nerozumi Hiroshi]

Looking up, Hiroshi had a dark, gloomy look on his face, but almost immediately, it seemed to brighten up. After taking a long slurp from his ramen, Hiroshi sat up, and sighed. He obviously was still angered by the twins actions. He didn't care how they were, he only wanted an apology and a promise, that they wouldn't do it again. Until then, he would never be able to be on good terms with the twins.

"Your twin friends act like jerks, I'm sorry to say. I'm not going to forgive them until they promise they won't do it again and apologize for last time. Unlike you, I can't tolerate their behavior. Teasing, bullying, it's what drives me to the brink of insanity, you know?"

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi shook her head.

"They're not bullying." That's not what Hikaru and Kaoru do. They tease but... Look. I can't explain their behaviour. Explaining why they act the way they do would involve revealing part of their personal lives and I'm not comfortable with doing that. They're not going to apologise. I guarantee that. They aren't like that; in their eyes they've done nothing wrong. So they wont apologise. I guess it's your choice whether you forgive them and try to get along or stay at odds with them." Haruhi shrugged. "I can understand how many people don't like the twins and don't like the way they act. I guess I'm more relaxed than most." Haruhi shrugged again and politely took a mouthful of her rice dish.

She then felt compelled to lean forward and add. "Not everyone in the Host Club acts like the twins. They all have their own personalities and quirks that make them who they are. You just have to accept them. They were a lot worse when I first joined the group. I don't think they noticed their more annoying habits around each other but when I joined..." She shrugged again not sure what to say. The problem was that though she accepted the fact that they had changed since she had joined the group she couldn't believe that she had been that monumental in their lives. Any changes or alterations they had made about themselves were of their own making.

"I would like to be your friend Nerozumi-kun." She finished off her meal. "I know that some of the Host Club don't like the Knights and vice versa but I don't see how the clubs we're part of should dictate our thoughts or actions. Even though we're in groups, we're still individuals, right?"

She stood up ready to leave, her now empty bento box in hand. "I'm going to leave before any members of our groups see us and start to ask questions. I wouldn't mind eating with you again. And don't worry. Not everyone is out to bully you as you seem to think. I think you're a very nice person who doesn't deserve whatever comments you get. I'd very much like it if you'd allow me to call you Hiroshi-kun?" She smiled kindly, a warm grin and without waiting for an answer left. The boy was obviously struggling with his life somehow, and he didn't need someone to barrel into his life, forcing her way into his private affairs. She'd let him decide whether he wanted to be her friend.

"Talk to me whenever you want okay?" She added over her shoulder, turned to walk backwards as she said and then turning again to head out of the cafeteria into the corridors beyond. It was a nice day. Maybe she'd wander amongst the rose maze a little...

Gx

((OOC: You can make Hiroshi follow her if you like or you can sit and ponder, start talking to someone else or whatever... Or we could just end the thread here! ^^ Sorry it's so short. I just wanted to pass on the message of friendship from Haruhi to Hiroshi- there wasn't much else I wanted from this thread. But like I said if you wanted something else just follow her out...))

[Nerozumi Hiroshi]

"Wait..."

Hiroshi, by now, was tired of sulking. He wanted to get back to his life, and sitting alone wouldn't be the way to make that happen. Standing up, he smiled slightly.

"Mind if I come with you? And I don't mind you calling me that."

Hiroshi actually preferred being called by Hiroshi, instead of Nerozumi. But that was just his preference. Most people didn't know that, and called him Nerozumi, but he didn't mind.

OOC: Bleck! Short post! Sorrai.

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi laughed and smiled at him, as he caught up and walked casually beside her.

"Of course I don't mind." Then she stopped mid corridor with a funny look on her face. "I don't actually know where I'm going." She laughed again, not realising that it sounded a little more girly than was good for her disguise as a male student. "I was planning on going outside but I wasn't really sure where. Do you have anywhere you need to be? Because I could come with you. Unless you actually want to go outside?" She laughed again. "I'm not making any sense am I? Sorry.

Looking down at her feet to collect herself- she was truly happy because Nerozumi- no- Hiroshi was looking happier. Some of the gloom had left his face. Looking up again and smiling Haruhi said. "I'm glad that I can call you Hiroshi-kun. I think that friends should call each other by their first names, right Hiroshi-kun?"

She started to walk down the corridor again, uncertain on where she was actually walking. They were in a corridor that was empty of students, and it made her realise that she should probably head for somewhere where no-one would see them together. It could cause all kinds of problems from either club if someone started thinking that there was more between her and Hiroshi than friendly aquaintance. Suddenly an idea sparked... She knew just the place.

"Come on!" She said. Reaching out to grab his hand she ran down the corridor and around the corner. Up three flights of steps she pulled him until she found the door she was looking for. As it was lunchtime no-one would be up here...

Pushing open the door she led him out, still holding his hand, to the roof of the South building. A gleaming expanse of blue water glittered under the sun. The pool's surface was flat as a sheet of glass. Letting go of Hiroshi's hand she moved forward, crouched by the pool, and reached out. She dipped her finger in. A series of ripples flowed from where her finger entered the water and moved lethargically over the surface towards the other side in all directions.

Standing up she watched as they grew bigger and bigger and then settled into stillness once more. She bent forward and did it again, this time poking her finger in several times to make sperate sets of circular ripples. She smiled.

"I love watching water. And how it changes and flows. I like ripples and waves the best. I think that it makes the water look alive." She turned to Hiroshi smiling.

Gx

[Nerozumi Hiroshi]

Smiling, Hiroshi sat down beside the water, criss-cross pretzel style, and tapped the water lightly, the ripples going out. Tapping again, the ripples got bigger, and went farther than before.

"My dad actually owns a very expensive clothing store. He rarely let me go swimming, mostly because I didn't have a swimsuit and he didn't want me ruining the fancy clothing he gave me. But those rare occasions I got to go swimming were incredible."

Standing up, Hiroshi turned to Haruhi, and looked at him.

"The one thing I don't like about this place is that all of the rich folk here are self centered. Just because you're rich doesn't make you god." he said, groaning.

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi frowned and sat down beside him, also criss-crossing her legs. She didn't frown in disapproval though. More in thought, as she looked out over the water and up at the clear blue sky.

"In some ways I agree. They are very often self centered. But I don't think they know how to be any other way. Think about it- you say that all rich people are the same. Well in a lot of ways they are because they've had the same security and worry-less existence til now. That means that they can't tell if their actions and thoughts are wrong or suitable in society. I think that for the futures they have ahead of them, they act in exactly the right way. I don't have that future and so I don't act that way. You kind of just have to accept that that's who they are and how they act. There's nothing you can do to change it. If something they say or do bothers you just say so. Not in an insult not in a horrid way that'll start an argument- just say. Then, if they're considerate people they'll try not to do it again. That's how the Host Club is. Sure they don't remember all the time but it's a habit to them and it's hard to break habits."

Turning to face Hiroshi she had a speculative look on her face. "You know I'm surprised you don't act just like them. You come from wealth. What made you turn out differently? Are you really that different from them?"

A breeze caught up and sent lines of flowing water streaking across the pool catching her attention. The soft wind tugged at her hair and clothes as he smile deepened. Drawing her knees up she wrapped her arms around her calfs, and braced her chin on her knees. She closed her eyes, tilting her head to one side a little and relished the soft ripple of air along her features. It felt good. Refreshing...

Gx

((OOC: Sorry, bit short...))

[Nerozumi Hiroshi]

"For the most part, it was my mother's doing that stopped me from being like the others. She made sure that my dad didn't spoil me, and that I learned what I needed to to function in society. She gave me chores and the likes, and told me constantly that I needed to earn my keep." Hiroshi scratched his head, and looked toward the sky. "She said I wouldn't get all the money I needed to live from them, that I would have to earn a lot of it. So, I sort of took it to heart that wealth doesn't mean lack of responsibility." Hunter said, looking toward Haruhi.

Sitting down again, Hiroshi smiled. "You're a scholarship winner, so that means we have one thing in common. We both study a lot, and are both smarter than the average person, as far as I.Q. What do you plan to be when you get out of here?" Hiroshi asked, then smiled. "I want to be an artist. I enjoy painting, and am studying right now in one of my classes to draw well."

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi smiled. She liked this companionship between the two of them. They hadn't really got to know each other before because they were in seperate classes and because of the whole different host club thing. But now that she got to know him Hiroshi was very nice.

"I think that sounds good. That your mother recognised that you need that I mean. It'll save you from the harsh reality of the world. Most people here wont ever learn that lesson. They'll just live off of their parent's money. Work in a position in a firm they were already chosen for. Others who will have to work later at hard jobs to get what they want will have a real shock when it comes to that time."

She looked around at him as he started talking about studying. "Yeah, I got in on a scholarship. Which means I basically have to have the highest grades in my class or I loose my place here at Ouran Academy. The Host Club help me though when I need it. They're all really smart." She listened to how he wanted to be an artist. "I've never been very good at creative things like art and drawing. I can cook fairly well which some people say is an art but I've never done anything that would ever hang in a gallery." She laughed and then looked out over the water again lost in memories as she was reminded just what she wanted to do when she left school. "I want to be a lawyer. Like my mother. She was so smart and hard-working. She was my idol as a child. She died a while back. But I still remember her. And I want to work hard and be like her." She smiled and then suddenly realised that as a guy, she probably shouldn't have said that she wanted to be like her female parent, but then Hiroshi had just praised his mother. She would have to be careful. The longer she spent with this guy the more he would suspect that there was something she wasn't telling him. He might even guess at her secret...

Gx

[Nerozumi Hiroshi]

"A lawyer. Interesting." Hiroshi stated, before looking at her with a warm smile. Hiroshi was handsome, but still wasn't as popular as the Ouran hosts. In fact, his club wasn't all that popular yet, but they were the only contest for the host club. Hiroshi didn't know how the host club was reacting to it, except for Haruhi, who he knew didn't really mind.

"So, do you like it at this school? Things can get really weird every now and then." Hiroshi asked, looking up towards the sky. He wasn't all that great a coming up with new conversation topics.

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi laughed. "I guess that's one way of putting it." She said. "Yeah, I'm getting used to the school. At first I found it hard to make friends. Not because people were nasty or because I didn't want to. I just didn't feel comfortable around people so much richer than me. I don't care that I don't have as much money as everyone else in this school but at the same time the difference in wealth made it feel like I wasn't welcome. Then I met the Host Club. Through an odd series of events I ended up as one of them. Their acceptance of me has opened everyone else up. Allowed me to be friends with others and feel confident in the school. It suddenly doesn't matter that I don't have as much money as everyone else. So I now feel confident in talking to others and making new friends."

She looked around at him again from her gazing at the sky. "Like you Hiroshi-kun." She said with a smile. Then she looked back out over the water.

"What about you?" She asked, her gaze on the turquoise water of the pool. She had never liked artificial looking water- the beach was much better- the salty air and the warmth of the sun... "You said how people at this school annoy you, and how you got bullied. I always thought you were very popular. The Ouran Knights are popular in the school and you're the leader of it. Don't you have a lot of friends through that?" She wasn't trying to be nosey but his interest in her personal life encouraged her to find out about his. That was, after all, what friends did...

Gx

((OOC: Now that we have a Tamaki, Hunny and Hikaru, I think it would be good for Hiroshi to find out that Haruhi's a girl... Not just yet but soon. Any ideas of how that could come about? Preferably in the presence of previously-formentioned host club members...))

[Nerozumi Hiroshi]

"I get bullied by the boys, the girls don't offer me any stress, but all of the male students end up acting like jerks to me. They consider themselves all high and mighty. They don't like the fact that I'm around, and I'm getting more girls than them." Hiroshi said, sighing. "They're just jealous, it seems, but it still hurts."

Looking up, Hiroshi gave a bright smile. "In truth, the Knights Club isn't all that popular yet. Since we just started this year, we're still trying to climb out of your shadow, the host club's that is. I'm estimating that about... only 21 percent of the girls prefer the Knights club, while the remaining 79 percent adore the host club."

Ooc: I was thinking Haruhi would make a slip up, and that Hiroshi would get the hint from that slip up that she wasn't male.

[Fujioka Haruhi]

((OOC: Hmm... I don't see Haruhi slipping up. Sorry. She doesn't care if people knows she's a girl but she is careful with her gender secret. Maybe someone else could slip up? Not one of the Host Club because they all want her to stay and so would watch their tongues but maybe someone like Bossa Nova? When we have a Bossa Nova I mean... Or we could have a walk-in-while-changing scene or she could fall in the pool or get wet at some point, therefore clothes sticking to her. Hmm... This deserves some thought...))

"I bet you're right." Haruhi said, smiling at Hiroshi. "I bet they're just jealous. You're a nice, good-looking guy who's popular with girls. But if they're jealous then it shouldn't make you feel down. Just ignore them. I know that everyone says that but I used to be the victim of bullying a lot at my old school. It happened once when I came here. A girl who didn't like me threw my bag into the pond out in the grounds, everything I owned was soaked. But after that, Tamaki-senpai told the girl off and made it clear that I was one of the group- one of the Host Club. No-one bothered me after that. Maybe this Knights club will help you. If you become a tight knit group of friends then other people's comments wont matter so much- you wont care what they think because you'll have your own friends who like you for who you are. And if things get really bad they'll stand by you."

Rocking a little where she sat she looked over the pool, and felt the sun on her face. It was good to just sit here and pretend that nothing else in the world existed but the sky and the breeze and the sun. "That's what I like best about the Host Club. Annoying as they are, and as infuriatingly narrow-minded as they are, they're still there for me when I need them. And that's what matters really..."

She turned back to Hiroshi. "Don't worry Hiroshi-kun. I'll get better. I really hope it will okay? And you can always talk to me right? Whenever you like, okay?"

Gx

[Nerozumi Hiroshi]

"Alright." Hiroshi said, nodding his head up and down. He would need to somehow manage to get the Knights club up to par with the hosts. He had no quarrel with the hosts, except for the twins. But that was a different matter. Looking back up at the sky. "As a man I know once said, 'The Sky is night as night is dark.'"

Hiroshi, of course, had made this quote up, but Haruhi wouldn't know that, unless she knew every quote in existence. This, of course, was impossible.

Ooc: I think the falling in the water is good.

[Fujioka Haruhi]

((OOC: Okay... well maybe she can fall in the pond sometime. I'll wait though until we have all of the Host Club. I don't want to make my character sound better than anyone else's but Haruhi'd gender being discovered is a big thing for the Host Club so I'll wait for them all to be on here...))

Haruhi frowned and thought about the quote. It wasn't something she'd heard before.

"That sounds... odd. Does it work? I sounds... gloomy." She smiled. "It's a good quote but I prefer more sunny and upspirited phrases like... Samuel Johnston "I look upon every day to be lost, in which I do not make a new acquantaince"" Laughing Haruhi smiled at Hiroshi. "You're my acquaintance for today Hiroshi-kun!"

Suddenly a bell somewhere gonged the hour and Haruhi jumped to her feet. "We're late! We have to get to class- come on!"

After holding out a hand and helping Hiroshi to his feet she turned on her heel and sped for the door back into the buildings. Swinging it wide she ran down the steps beyond, and down the corridors. When she was nearly to her classroom and knew that Hiroshi would soon be going in a different direction she turned to run backwards.

"Thank-you Hiroshi-kun! Thank-you for making my day worthwhile! See you some time soon!" And with a wave of her hand she turned back to face the way she was going and sprinted down the last corridor and headed into class...

Gx

((OOC: Sorry, I'm about to leave for tea and this thread seemed to be running dry so I ended it. Sorry! I'll be back in a bit once I've had tea!))

[Nerozumi Hiroshi]

{End Thread}

Ooc: Don't worry.