The Return of the Twins

(This is the 3rd chapter! REPOSTED. I hope you all like it! I proofread it a few times and may do it again, but please enjoy!)

I had to report to the host club for training with Tamaki-san that afternoon. (I didn’t really need it, but Anya did, so I came.) Kyoya must have been used to this business by now because he turned this into a etiquette class for the customers. Tamaki-san would show Anya and I how, we would copy, and then Kyoya would explain to the customers. The girls there sure did love him, ‘squeeing’ and blushing all the way through each tip. Squee all you want, stupid aristocrats. Anya had a hard time serving tea and I was still having a hard time being rather cute in my actions. I once nudge Anya’s elbow and she tripped over her own feet and spilled her cold practic tea…. All over Kyoya. Score. All of the other hosts stared in horror, wondering what wrath Kyoya would unleash.

“Oh. Well. I needed a new uniform anyways. This will be coming out of your pay, Anya,” he said coolly. Of course, what happened next, none of us expected. Kyoya started to unbutton his shirt and looked down at his chest. "It eve soaked through. I had better get changed." Show off. I glared at him angrily. Behind me I heard light thudding noises as Kyoya walked away. I turned to see several girls on the ground with blood-stained faces. Wow. So aristocrats DO bleed. I thought sarcasticaly.

I expected him to be ice after what happened this afternoon. I could see Honey chatting it up with the almost crying Anya, probably about our new house. It was going to be great! Anya and I got to customize every inch of it to our tastes and needs. I finished off the business day with playing Brahms on the piano. Tamaki-san soon joined me and we slowly fell into a piece by Beethoven. The girls loved it, which was great, I needed good publicity. Mori and Honey then escorted the girls out of the club when Kyoya pulled me aside.

“Very well done today, I wanted to discuss a business proposition with you. Come with me,” he motioned towards the door leading to the garden and offered his arm. I didn’t take it, I didn’t want it. He walked to the door and opened it. I looked at his face, hoping to find a fault, some kind of hint of what he was thinking. There was none, his face was cool and calm as usual. I walked outside to the fountain and sat on the edge, Kyoya followed.

“Okay, what is it?” I asked.

“Your debut as a hostess is coming up soon. I want you and your sister host a special night this Friday. We will have the club room done like a nigh club for atmosphere. Of course, you would be the entertainment and the rest of us would be the staff. It will be an event that is limited the highest bidders on the tickets. Here is the outline, if you have any problems, let me know,” he handed me a small pamphlet.

“I see. I’ll read it over tonight,” I stood up, ready to go clean up and head home.

“Rengae told me that you like classical music and art.”

“Yes. I guess she told you more than that, right? My favorite movie, perhaps? Everything you needed to know for the business, or so you told her. I’m not as stupid as her. What else did she tell you? And why the interest?”

“You don’t remember me? When you came to Japan ten years ago?”

“No.” He’s pissing me off.

“Your father came here on a business trip and….”

“And what? I don’t remember! I was six! Tell me why I would remember!” I started walking to the school. Why now. I'm tired of dealing with this guy.

“Rika-san. Remember what I said. You should act how you feel.”

“I AM acting how I feel. I’m confused, I’m annoyed, and most of all, I’m pissed off! Are you acting as you feel? Huh? Or are you just trying to get with me for the money?! Yeah, I know the benefits of my family to you. Two huge pharmaceutical groups together would make a huge powerful corporation.” I could hear him following me.

“You don’t understand because you can’t remember. I can’t act like myself at the host club or here in front of you. It's a conflict of interests! It would ruin the profits of the host club.”

“’Ruin the profits’? Really? Is that all you care about? Your money? So that's it!” I was suddenly pulled toward Kyoya and felt warm. Everything in my body said no in every way. My hands acted on their own, pushing away with my left and the right swung at his face. I ran without looking at the remains of my blow.
I sat in the car until everyone was done packing up and said nothing when Anya got in the limo. Anya wouldn’t stop probing me with questions when we got home, but I didn’t answer them, all I wanted was relief from this nightmare. I locked myself in my room, turned on my blue tape recorder, and sat down at the piano. I don’t remember when I went to sleep, but I pounded out my insides on that piano until my fingers felt numb. I don’t know why I felt so scared and angry, but I knew that the only ones who would know would be me and the tape upon the piano.

Friday came faster than I thought, and the club got permission to set up the club during the day. Anya and I worked together most of the time, but I let her go later on to be with Mori-san. She obviously liked him, that was Anya for you. She liked the quiet handsome types, the opposite of her. I still didn’t understand the relationship between Honey-san and Mori-san, someone so little with someone so big.

Night fell and the club was ready. It was done up in a rather classy jazz night club, like New Orleans back in America, dark everywhere but the stage, nice tables with candles and a classic looking bar at the back. Mori-san and Honey-san were stationed as security, they looked like secret servicemen with black suites and ‘earwigs.’ Kyoya was stationed farthest away from me at the bar in the back, thank goodness. Tamaki-san was the waiter, bringing food the tables and constantly flirting with the female guests. We had male guests too of course, the girls' boyfriends and ones interested in Anya and I. To think, those prissies have boyfriends! Ha! More like arranged fiances. Suckers. I'm happy my family isn't like that. I eventually peeled Anya way from Mori-san for the opening musical act, Anya was a superb singer, while I played the piano. The night went on with Anya performing cute magic tricks, me playing a grand piano duet with Tamaki-san, and a final act of Anya dancing to a song I had composed. Mori-san and Honey-san escorted all the boys and girls out. It took a little while for them to get rid of a few ‘squatting squeers.’ Then, I noticed a table at the back of the room, two identical boys were sitting there. Tamaki was prancing happily around the table, obviously happy to see them. One caught me staring and glared back.

“So, you thought you could replace us, did you?” he said coldly. “No one can replace the Hitachiin twins!”

When I saw the Hitachiin twins standing outside the school the next morning, I knew this day was going to be bad.

“Hey! Look! It’s the TsuBAKA twins, Hikaru,” said Kaoru snidely.

“They don’t even look alike. What a disgrace,” Hikaru huffed.

“Let’s go Anya, we don’t have to deal with the devil’s sons right now,” I growled. Anya was obviously intimidated. She didn’t always have a thick skin like I did.

“Let us know if we can give you some fashion tips, Rika! OUR mom’s a designer!” Kaoru bellowed after us. He did NOT just insult Anya’s tastes, she had spent all night making this outfit for me! I shoved Anya in the door of the school and spun around. There was no way I was going to put up with this.

“It’s a good thing my father is a doctor, so he can FIX YOUR FACE when I’m done with it! You won’t be so identical THEN!” I yelled.

“How unladylike, practically a gorilla,” Hikaru moaned. “Kyoya won’t like this. American commoners are SO rowdy, it’s ridiculous.” I started charging them when someone grabbed my arm from behind and threw me over someone's shoulder.

“Bad idea,” he grumbled. Anya brought in the big guy, great.

“LET ME GO! AGH!” I struggled to get away. Man, this guy is strong. Mori-senpai threw me over his shoulder like I was nothing!

“I’ll get you! I’ll get you both! How dare you insult me, my family AND my country!” I screamed in English as the door slammed in front of my face, blocking my view. Mori-senpai eventually dropped me off in the nurse’s office and locked the door.

“Let me out of here! I need to beat those filthy brats to a pulp!” I snarled.

“We can’t have you acting like that in public,” Kyoya said from across the room. I sat down, no way I was going to talk to him if I didn’t have to. Besides, what is he? Some kind of publicity-conscious fiance afraid I'm going to be too unruly? I'll act how I please, thank you very much. Besides. HE was the one who told me how to act how I feel. What a hypocrit!

“You just made it harder for Anya to have a peaceful day too. The twins are in her homeroom, you know.” I knew that, I was going to check her seating chart once I got there to make sure she would be okay. Kyoya was walking towards me.

“How long until the new house is done? I need to estimate how long you will be staying at the villa.”

“Just another week.”

“So, about a month then, to pay it off. Are you sure you don’t want to stay in the club longer?”

“Only if Anya and I get paid. Cash.” I turned away from his voice. Just leave me alone.

“That can be arranged.”

“Homeroom is going to start, I have to go.”

“Do you rem—"
“No, I don’t. Now, let me out so I can recover my oh-so-important reputation.” I heard the lock click and the door open. I was in the hall before he could say anything else. Before going to class, I checked Anya’s seating chart, she wasn’t too close to the twins. Good, no assassination attempts. I spent the day mostly talking to Tamaki-san about cute things I liked and Europe, we had both been there, but I didn't get to stay in France that long. Then he hit the subject of housing. He had come from a wealthy family in France, which had a beautiful home.

“It sounds wonderful, Tamaki-san.”

“Oh, you can call me Tama-chan, Rika~!” he smiled.

“Oh, okay!” I blushed a little, I had to keep the audiences happy.

“So when are you moving out of Kyoya’s house?”

“In a week, final décor and furniture specifications are being made.”

“Ah, like what?”

“Anya’s chalk room. She loves chalk drawings, so I asked for a room to be covered in chalk-applicable walls.”

“I meant about you, Rika.” He chuckled.

“Oh, um, well…. My bedroom is being finished. It’s kind of a modern English room.” Why am I talking about my bedroom with a guy. This isn’t a good idea. “My Baldwin piano is going to take a while to get over here… And the kitchen is almost done the way I wanted, we just need the appliances.”

“Oh! You cook Rika-chan~?”

“Yeah…”

“Would you cook for me sometime~?” He moved in close to stroke the bottom of my chin with his fingers. Tama-chan’s signature move. I blushed to fit my image, the loud squees filled the room.

“U-uh, sure Tama-chan. You’ll be the FIRST to visit!” I giggled. Kyoya would LOVE that! Like I'd ever let him come to my house.

“Yay~! It’s a date then! I’ve got a date with Rika~!” He then started prancing around the room like he normally does. I blushed and tried to ignore the glares of his fans in the room. They're so wierd. They don't mind when he flirts with other girls, but once the word "date" enters the question, they get rabbies or something. The bell rang for clubs to start. I bolted out the door, I had to make sure Anya was okay. I found her rustling in her desk looking for something, with no sign of the devil twins around.

“You okay, Anya?” I asked in English.

“Y-yeah. I can’t find my cell. I knew I had it. It’s got a lot of pics on it of….” Of her sweety. Great. And the twins had it.

“You’ll find it, I’m going to set up the club now, I’ll see you later!” I skipped off. Time for action. I ran down the hallways and down the music room. Thank goodness these uniforms had long skirts! I burst through the group of swarming girls around the door and slammed it behind me. The club doesn’t open for ten more minutes, there’s still time to… That’s when my eyes saw them. Floor-to-ceiling posters of Mori-senpai in wide variety: shirt-less, in a garden, carrying Honey-senpai. I briskly walked around the room and ripped them all down, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai were still picking up the cakes from the home ec class right now. I stared around the room for the perpetrators. I saw them chuckling in the center of the room.

“Such a barbarian, tearing down our beautiful decorations," Kaoru laughed. Or was it Hikaru? Like I care! I crumpled up the posters and threw them in the trash. I spotted Kyoya with his stone expression in the corner, writing on his clipboard.

“Hey! Don’t you DARE sell her phone!” I yelled at him. He HAD to have known about this by now. I then pulled all the tables, chairs, easels, AND the piano out to the back patio and waited for Anya to show up with the customers. This was going to be a lot more stressful than I expected.

End