Episode 6

Meeting Big Sister!

Haruhi tapped her fingertips against the tabletop, grinning so widely her cheeks were beginning to hurt. I can't believe it! It's happening today!

The brunette had woken up this morning with a smile and an unusual amount of pep in her step. She had somehow remained focused in her classes throughout the school day, but now that she was sitting in Music Room 3, counting down her last hour before going home, the restlessness had returned. Even her guests were being affected by her good mood, so much so that the main topic of conversation for the day was Jin.

This group was proving to be no different.

"So, your sister is coming home today?"

"Yeah, she is! I can't wait to go home and see her!"

"Is she going to start attending Ouran tomorrow, too?"

"Mhm. She told me that she's really excited, but I can tell she's nervous about it too."

"Awww…"

One of the girls leaned forward slightly, "Haruhi, do you and Jin look similar?"

Haruhi tilted her head to the right side, thinking it over, "Kind of. I mean, we have the same eyes, hair color, and nose, but she takes more after my father's side of the family while I look more like my mother's side. Nēchan is taller than I am, but I like to think we look alike. She's very beautiful."

"Really? What does she normally like to wear?"

"Um, Nēchan prefers to wear pants and t-shirts, but I think she looks good in anything."

"Do you and Jin do anything together?"

"Of course! Nēchan is the one who helped teach me how to cook; she's amazing at it!"

"What else is she good at?"

"Ha, if I told you everything we'd be here all day! She's just one of those people who just… excels at whatever you throw at her."

"What's her favorite subject?"

"Probably maths."

"She's good with maths? That's so cool!"

"I think it's neat how both you and your sister are so smart! She must've taught you a lot!"

"Ha ha, yeah, I was her regular tutoring session! Whenever she came home from school she'd tell me all about what she learned in class. Honestly, I've pretty much been a grade ahead ever since she started Preschool."

"Do you always call her Nēchan? Does she have a nickname for you?"

Haruhi laughed, "I've called her Nēchan since I could speak. It was actually my first word! Oh man, my dad couldn't decide whether that fact was cute or just hurtful, but Nēchan smiles every time someone brings it up. And yeah, she calls me Haru unless she's being serious. Then she uses my full first name."

"You must really love her!"

Haruhi paused for a moment, and gave her guests a very sincere, warm smile, "Yes. I love her a lot. She's my role model, my constant… she means the world to me. I can't believe it's been almost a full year since I've seen her… it seems like so much longer."

"AHHHHH!"

As the two girls fangirled over Haruhi's cute attachment to 'his' sister, the rest of the hosts were listening carefully. And, truthfully, they were all kind of jealous. If Haruhi just wanted to spend time with her older sister when she came to Ouran, then what if she never hung out with the host club ever again? They'd worked so hard to keep Haruhi in their club during physical exams, and now this Jin was going to ruin everything!

As they entered the last hour before closing time, Haruhi's excitement escalated and Tamaki couldn't take it any longer. He rounded up the other hosts before calling out to her.

"Haruhi? May we speak with you for a moment?"

"Hm? Oh, sure thing, Senpai!" She stood up and apologized to her guests before walking over, a smile still on her face, "What's up, guys?"

Instantly, she's surrounded by everyone in a tight-knit circle, "Guys?"

"Promise us you won't ignore use when your sister comes back, my precious Haruhi!"

She blinked in confusion at the tear-streaked face of her senpai, "Huh?"

"You can't leave us, Haru-chan!"

"Leave… you?"

"What we're saying is you can't just forget about us when Jin comes to Ouran."

"Got it?"

"And don't think about skipping out of the Host Club, either. You still have a debt to pay off, don't forget."

Haruhi frowned, "How could I? You remind me about it almost every day."

"But you still have to prom-"

The doors opened and a new voice called out, "Wow, this school is huge! I'm surprised no one's gotten lost in here before." The hosts froze for a moment before Haruhi shoved the twins to the side and ran out of the circle.

"Nēchan!" She tackle hugged the person who had opened the door and knocked them both backwards into the hallway.

The hosts stare in shock for a moment. They just went from being Haruhi's center of attention to being brushed aside in a matter of seconds! Tamaki and the twins raced for the door, chasing after the sisters, followed closely by Mori and Honey.

Knowing he had to say something, Kyoya turned around and announced, "Please excuse us, ladies, as we greet the Host Club's newest, special guest." He exited the room and closed the door before joining the surprised looks of the other hosts.

They watched a blue and brown blur in the middle of the hallway as the two girls spun around and around in a tight circle. Haruhi's delighted laughter bounced off the walls, mingling with a similar, yet higher pitched laugh.

Once the two finally stopped spinning, Jin's back facing the host club, they were finally able to note a few things about her. First, she was much taller than her little sister; somewhere around the twin's height, if not a little taller. Her straight hair was the same chocolate brown color as Haruhi's, stopping just an inch past her shoulders with the ends coming up in a slight flip.

The hosts watched in silent shock as Haruhi's older sister cupped her cheeks, "Let me look at you… Oh, you've grown so much!" She pressed a quick kiss to Haruhi's forehead before pulling back again, "And your hair! It's super short!"

"Yeah!" Haruhi's smile was wider than the boy's had ever seen it, "Do you like it?"

"I love it! Oh, it's so cute, Haru!"

"Thank you! I love your hair too, Nēchan! It's much longer than the last time I saw it!"

Jin laughed, a full laugh, filled with joy, "Why, thank you, Haru! I'm glad you like it."

Haruhi wrapped her arms around her sister again and squeezed her tightly, nuzzling her shoulder a bit, "I missed you so much, Nēchan."

"I missed you too, Haruhi."

For a moment, the two sisters stood still for a moment, breathing in each other's scents, which was like a cup of hot tea for each other. They had missed their other halves so much…

"Ahem."

Haruhi's eyes opened immediately, the peaceful moment now gone. She peeked over her sister's shoulder (by standing on her toes) and mentally groaned. The host club had followed her out and had probably been staring at her and Jin the whole time. Figures. I can't even reunite with my sister in peace.

She sighed and pulled out of Jin's embrace, "Sorry guys, I kind of forgot you were here. Meet my older sister, Jin Fujioka." The taller female finally turned to face the hosts and they got their first look at the eldest Fujioka.

Jin was exactly as Haruhi had described. The two of them had the same exact eyes and nose, but other than that and their hair color, the two looked quite a bit different. Unlike Haruhi, Jin was curvy and had more defined muscles, her face not as rounded with more pronounced cheekbones.

Yet, despite how the two girl's body's contrasted, there was something about Jin that just screamed Fujioka. Maybe it was because, instead of a skirt or a dress, Jin was decked out in black skinny jeans, a loose t-shirt with a blue sweatshirt over it, and a pair of red & green plaid converse. Or perhaps it was while Haruhi was busy glaring at the club members, Jin's expression was more open. Friendly and warm and looking generally interested in the boys she was meeting for the first time. She had the same smile that Haruhi used when she spoke to her clients. It was a sincere smile, which made sense if Jin preferred showing her true emotions like her younger sister.

And, like Haruhi had described, she was most definitely beautiful.

"Well, you're definitely Haruhi's sister."

Jin's smile widened a bit and she laughed, her eyes shutting for a moment, "Why, thank you. And hello!"

Tamaki stepped forward, "Jin Fujioka! We, the Ouran High School Host Club, wish to bid you welcome to our school!" He whipped out a white rose from his pocket and offered the flower to the girl. For a moment, she stared at the boy and the rose, before she smirked and looked at Haruhi out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh… a host club. I don't recall Haru ever mentioning what kind of club she had been forced into."

The sister in question shrugged, "You never asked."

"Mhm," Jin turned her attention back to the blond, gently accepting the rose before gripping his hand and giving it a firm shake, "Well, it's nice to officially meet you all. Haru has told me quite a bit about you. But, uh, who's who?"

Haruhi stepped up and attached herself to Jin's right elbow before she gestured to each boy in turn, "Those two are Tamaki Suoh and Kyoya Ootori, 2nd year students and the club's president and vice president, respectively. The twins are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, 1st year students like me. And our 3rd year students are Mitsukuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka, but we all call them Honey and Mori."

Jin's eyes rested on the last two boys for a moment or two, her smile wider, "Well, you all obviously already know my name. I'm going to be a 2nd year student starting tomorrow in class 2-A."

"Really? That's our class as well!"

She turned to look at Tamaki, who had thrown an arm around a disgruntled-looking Kyoya, "Guess I'll see you two in class, then."

Honey finally spoke up from his position atop Mori's shoulders, "It's really nice to meet Haru-chan's sister! You're... not what we expected!" He and Mori were still staring at Jin, Honey with an extremely excited look on his face, and Mori with a surprisingly warm look.

Jin giggled and looked at the cousins before Kyoya cleared his throat, "In case you've all forgotten, we should probably head back into the club room. Our guests will be wondering where we've gone."

Haruhi frowned and held onto her sister's arm a little tighter, but Jin gently detached herself, "Hey, I'll see you in less than an hour! Besides, I should probably go home and unpack before Dad gets home." The boys watched as Haruhi's aura of happiness slowly dissipated until it was almost nonexistent. She nodded mutely before accepted another kiss on the forehead and walking back to the doors.

She's greeted by all the guests gathered by the door, trying to peer around the host club and into the hallway.

"Is Jin out there?"

"Is that her?"

"Haruhi's sister?"

Completely caught off guard, the hosts turn back around. Jin looks just as surprised as they do, but when the boys part to allow the guests to view her she smiles at them and waves a bit.

"Uh, hello! I take it you've heard about me?"

The girls let out a unanimous squeal and pulled the two brunettes inside the club room. The boys quickly followed and watched in surprise as the Fujioka's were sat down on a couch and bombarded with questions.

"It's so great to finally meet you! Haruhi's told us a lot about you!"

"You're so pretty! You and Haruhi look so much alike, Jin!"

"Oh! What's your type?"

"What class are you going to be in?"

"Haruhi, were you planning on doing something special with Jin now that she's back?"

"Jin, are you joining the host club? I think that would be great!"

The taller brunette blinked once before counting off her fingers, "Thank you for the compliment, I'm so happy that you think I look like Haru. I'm not sure what you mean by 'type'. I'm going to be in class 2-A. In all honesty I'd just like to relax and be with my family once we get home, and I hope that's all we do. And-"

"She's not joining the host club."

Jin looked over at Haruhi with a smirk, "I'm not?"

"No."

The older sister laughed out loud, throwing her head backwards before shooting Haruhi the warmest grin they'd ever seen on anybody, "Alright, if you say so. I can't see myself as a host, anyways. You've nothing to worry about, Haru." The two siblings smiled at each other for a moment before the guests started talking again.

"Haruhi talks about you all the time, Jin-senpai! I feel like I already know you!"

"Yeah, we were just talking about you before you came in, too!"

"Oh! You don't know what we mean by 'type'! We mean which host are you going to meet with!"

The last comment was the one that caught Jin's attention, and she cocked an eyebrow at the guests, "Meet with?"

"She's not going to be a client!"

Jin laughed again, "Well, I dunno, Haru. Maybe I'd like to come watch you everyday." She turned to the girls, "What exactly are my choices?"

"There's the Princely Type."

"The Mischievous Type."

"The Strong and Silent Type."

"The Boy Lolita."

"The Cool Type."

"And the Natural Type!"

Jin smirked, "Hm… well, I'd normally go with the Natural Type, but I assume that's my brother, so I should probably go with-"

"Nēchan!"

More laughter, "Okay! Okay, Haru, I won't be a guest." Jin reached into her right jacket pocket and pulled out a small wrapped candy. She pulled the purple hard candy out and popped it into her mouth.

"Any more questions?"

"Oh! Oh! Jin, has Haruhi changed much since you've been away?"

"Well, he's certainly grown. I remember when he gave me one last hug at the airport… the top of his head barely reached my shoulders!" The girls suddenly had a picture of a smaller Haruhi giving his older sister a teary hug, looking a bit like a lost toddler, and they squealed. How cute!

"I have a question." The group parted to let the 3rd year forward from the back of the congregation. She had long black hair pulled into a high ponytail and a fairly sharp face, which made her look as though she were almost glaring at the brunette girl in front of her.

"Jin, if you love Haruhi as much as you claim, then why did you go to America for a whole year and leave him behind?"

Jin's smile faded, "Haru and I are both our own separate people, who want different things. It just so happened that there was a school in America that was taking students interested in Accounting from the school I was attending, and I wanted to go. Haru understood. We messaged each other as often as we could, even though working around the different time zones was a bit of a hassle. And I meant to come home during winter break, but the town I was staying at got hit by a huge blizzard and all the planes were grounded. It wasn't for lack of trying."

"That's so tragic!"

Haruhi smiled and leaned over to hug her sister, "It's alright, Nēchan. I'm just glad that I get to hug you in person now."

Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! Ding!

A hush fell over the room at the sound of the Ouran clock tower chiming. Kyoya stepped forward until he stood between the Fujioka's and the guests, "And that, ladies, marks the end of another day of hosting."

"Aww…"

"Will we get to talk to you tomorrow?" It took them all a moment to realize that the question had been directed to Jin, who looked a little lost.

"Um… maybe. I mean, if that'd be okay with everyone."

The girls looked over at the hosts with wide eyes and hands clasped tightly in front of their chests. Which gave the boys only one possible response.

"Yes."

After that, the guests left happily, calling out their goodbyes until the doors echoed shut. As it did, the sisters fell backwards into the couch. Haruhi leaned to the left until she fell against Jin, the two sighing in unison.

"Jet-lagged, Nēchan?"

"Yup. Emotionally exhausted?"

"Of course. I just can't believe you're home."

"Ha, well, I'm not home just yet."

Tamaki inched himself closer, "Um, Jin? Would you mind answering some of our questions before you leave? We've also heard a lot about you…"

The girl smiled and sat back up, ignoring her sister's groan, "Sure. What would you like to know?"

"Well…" Tamaki looked like he was exploding with so many questions he had no idea what to ask first, "Why did you call Haruhi your brother just now?"

Jin smirked, "Haru's told me all about how everyone at this school thinks she's a boy and how you all want to keep it that way."

Honey picked up the string next, "What's that candy you're eating?"

"Oh," Jin pulled out another candy from her pocket, only this one was blue, "This is a Jolly Rancher. It's a candy I got addicted to in America. It's just a fruit flavored hard-candy. Sort of a sucker without the stick, and it's a great mix between sweet and sour."

"I have a question." Kyoya pushed his glasses further up his nose, "If you don't mind me asking, exactly how were you accepted into Ouran Academy? I was only aware of one full tuition being offered."

"Because there was only one. I'm here on a half tuition, and we're paying for the other half. I only need to be in the top five of my class to keep the scholarship, whereas Haruhi needs to be number 1."

"Yeah, yeah, but how can you afford it?"

"You and Haruhi can't even afford uniforms on your own."

"First off, we didn't have to pay for my first year of High school at all because school in America is free. Secondly, with her scholarship Haruhi's education is also free. Basically, between the two of us, we only have to pay the amount of one year stretched out between two. And besides, I've pitched in a bit of my own money. I worked two jobs the whole time I was in America, one at a restaurant and one as a bank teller. They both paid me a good deal over minimum wage and I actually have enough money saved up to pay for this year all by myself. Dad is saving up for my final year as we speak."

"Really? That's so cool!"

Jin clasped her hands together and pushed them between her knees with a grin, "Yeah. Not only that, but I was also able to purchase a few things for my family." She suddenly poked at her sister's side, "We have a laptop now~"

Haruhi grinned, but playfully batted at Jin's hands all the same, "I hope you didn't waste any money."

"Have you ever known me to be loose with it before?"

Haruhi giggled and pushed at her sister who was now leaning heavily into her side, "No… I suppose not. Anyways, we should go home, Nēchan. Dad's going to want to see you!"

Jin smiled and pushed herself up onto her feet, "Let's go, then!" She offered Haruhi a hand and quickly pulled her sister up so she could collect her school bag. The other boys dispersed to grab their own bags, each other wrapped up in their own thoughts, except for Honey and Mori. They stayed still as Jin waited for the others to be distracted before rushing over and wrapping the two boys up in a big hug, which they reciprocated gladly.

"I haven't seen you guys in forever! I honestly didn't recognize you at first!" The three pulled apart with big smiles on their faces.

"It's okay, Jin-chan, we didn't realize you were Haru-chan's sister!"

"Well, that was kind of the point."

"Nēchan? Are you ready to go?" Jin looked over to see Haruhi standing by the door.

"Oh, I have to go, bye you two! See you tomorrow!"

"Bye-bye!"

Jin lifted her right leg in a sort of half skip before running over to her little sister. Haruhi looked at her oddly when she bounded to a stop just beside her. However, she didn't say a thing until they were both out the door and walking down the hallway.

"Nēchan, what did you say to Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai?"

"Oh, nothing too important. I'll tell you on the train ride home. Come on, we'd better get home or Dad's going to have a fit." Haruhi pushed her lower lip outward in disapproval over having to wait, but she didn't push the subject. She could wait for the train ride.

*\/*

"Alright class, could I have everyone's attention?" The class of 2-A swiftly cut off any conversation they might've been having and turned to face the front of the room, where their first teacher stood with Jin Fujioka at her side.

"We have a new student who will be joining us for the rest of your time here at Ouran." Sokai-sensei gestured for Jin to step forward, which she did. The brunette was pretty much wearing the same outfit she had had on the day before: the same sweatshirt, a pair of light blue skinny jeans, a pink t-shirt with a small pocket above her left breast, and cameo converse shoes. Immediately everyone's eyes were boring into her, but she seemed very relaxed and bowed respectfully to her new classmates.

"Kon'nichiwa. My name is Jin Fujioka and I look forward to studying with you all here. Please take care of me." The brunette lifted her head back up and flashed a sparkling grin at everyone. Tamaki, who was sitting a little ways in the back, looked around at the other students for their reactions. The boys were staring intently at the new student, most of them with blushes or smiles of their own. And the girls were acting very similarly, except there were fewer blushes. Instantly, an idea popped into the blond's head.

"Alright, Ms. Fujioka. Please take the empty seat on Mr. Suoh's left side. Mr. Suoh? Please raise your hand." Tamaki did so, even though they both knew it was pointless. Nevertheless, Jin smiled broadly at both the blond and the ravenet as she sat down near them.

"I guess we're desk neighbors."

"Yeah!"

"Could everyone pass up last night's homework then turn to page 47 in their textbooks?"

The host and the new girl looked away and began moving their items across their respective desks, but the blond's mind was still running wildly. If she's just as good at conversation as her sister…

The rest of the school day passed in a surprisingly normal function. While the news of the new girl in school had spread like wildfire, most of the girls had already met her at the club yesterday. On the other hand, most of the boys had not. They were clearly anxious to catch a glimpse of her during the lunch period, causing more than one overly crowded hallway that forced said girl and her two host classmates to practically swim to the cafeteria. Or, at least the boys did. Jin got separated from them in the crowd and they didn't see her again until the following class period.

Inside the classroom, Jin proved herself to be worthy of her scholarship thrice over. Kyoya had once wondered how she had been accepted into their school so late into the semester with a half scholarship, but no longer. First off, during their math segment, it almost looked as though she already knew the new equations and she always finished the practice problems before anyone else.

Secondly, her English was perfect. She almost sounded native! And the thing was, she could pick up two different accents along with it. One, she could sound British, but not in the drastically-over-doing-it kind of way. The second apparently came from the state she had spent her time in America, which was Michigan. It was spoken fast and with a liaison, which meant her words were sometimes mashed together, but the teacher (who was nuts about accents) applauded her.

And thirdly, when they split off to their respective extracurricular classes, Tamaki asked her if she was taking a language class. Jin just laughed, and explained that Ouran didn't teach any language that she didn't already know, and she was currently teaching herself her seventh language in her spare time. She then walked away, leaving a shell-shocked Tamaki and an equally surprised Kyoya.

By the end of the day, Jin was officially the most interesting person on campus. To no one's surprise… but hers.

"I just don't get it. Why do people keep following me? It is because I'm the new kid?"

Tamaki looked at the brunette and blinked, "They want to talk to you. Everyone in class thinks you're wonderful and incredibly intelligent, so why wouldn't they follow you?"

Jin cocked her left eyebrow as well as the left corner of her mouth, "Everyone? Wow, don't I feel special."

The three entered the club room and Jin immediately bee-lined it for her sister, "Hey, Haru."

"Nēchan! How was your first day?"

She shrugged, "Oh, the usual. Class was pretty easy, especially since I'm so ahead in Maths and what not. Advanced Art was a lot of fun, though. What about you?"

"Well, I scored a perfect 100 on all of last week's homework assignments."

"Oh wow, Haru! That's incredible!"

"Haruhi, we need you over here for the welcoming."

"Coming, Senpai," the shorter brunette called over her shoulder. She took three steps before stopping and looking back at her sister, "Tamaki-senpai? Where should Nēchan stand?"

The boys looked around, "Well…"

"It's alright, Haru. I'll just sit over here. It's only for today, anyways."

"Okay, Nēchan."

Tamaki squirmed in his seat. Haruhi sounded so cute when she said that! But... it's all because of Jin. He bit his lip. If he did anything to Haruhi that Jin didn't approve of, then who's to say that Jin wouldn't find some way to pull her sister out of the club? Didn't she say something about working two jobs while in America? Exactly how much money was she talking about?

The doors creaked open and Tamaki was pulled away from his unnerving thoughts, opting instead for a warm smile.

"Welcome ladies!"

The greeting was met by the same exact enthusiasm as any other day, but this time when the guests flooded into Music Room #3, nearly half of them requested Haruhi, a new record for any of the hosts. And the moment that they reached Haruhi's couch?

"So, Jin, do you like your classes so far?"

"Is it hard for you to readjust to the curriculum? You missed about a month of school!"

Haruhi didn't appear bothered by the fact that all of "his" guests were more interested in speaking to Jin. She simply sat beside her and smiled as Jin blushed lightly from all of the attention she was getting.

"Well, I've always been a little above and beyond regarding a few subjects, such as Math and English, but it's still a little disorienting. Still, I think I'm doing just fine here. I like your school."

A redhead spoke up next, "Do you style your hair?"

"Yeah, I love the little flip at the end!"

Jin giggled and tugged at a lock of her hair, twirling the very slight flip around her finger, "I don't really do anything special with my hair, it just does this, but only at this length. Probably because the ends of it press up against my shoulders. Not that I'm complaining, of course!"

"Jin?" Everyone turned their heads when Kyoya spoke up, "The hosts wish to offer a proposition for you."

Jin blinked, "Oh, sure. What is it?"

"Would you mind becoming our waitress for the day? We'd only require you to provide tea and cakes to each host table, and this way you could speak to every guest one at a time."

"That sounds perfect!" Jin quickly stood up, her shoulders deflating in relief, "Where would you have me start?"

Ignoring the equal amounts of disappointed sighs and excited chatter behind them, Kyoya steers Jin to the storage room and gave her a quick rundown of all of their supplies. Five minutes later, the host club was in full swing, properly. Each of the hosts had their usual guests again, and Jin was able to answer a question or two for each guest she encountered.

Everything ran smoothly for perhaps an hour.

Then, Kaoru gently bumped his hip against a table. He let out an exaggerated shout of pain and his twin quickly swooped in, gently caressing the spot of pain through his twin's uniform.

"Kaoru! Does it hurt when I do this?"

"No… Hikaru, don't… i-it's inappropriate for you to touch me like this in public…"

Hikaru smirked and pulled his brother's face incredibly close, their noses nearly brushing, "Let the others stare… I don't care what they think."

"H-Hikaru… you're so brave."

Their two guests started squealing almost immediately, which was fortunate, because that was when Jin started giggling. She quickly set down her empty tray on an unused table and clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. Because of the loud praises for the "brotherly love" package, no one noticed the new girl's odd behavior except her sister.

Haruhi excused herself from her clients and laid a hand on Jin's shoulder, "What's so funny?"

It took her a moment to respond, but when she did it was a little difficult for Haruhi to translate through her laughter, "I… I do-hon't kno-o-ow! But somethin' about their act is makin' me laugh!"

By that point, some of the other girls had noticed that the Fujioka siblings were standing together again, and they all stared at Jin. The girl had a light pink dusting her cheekbones, which were even more pronounced with her wide grin and the way her eyes were squeezed shut. Her upper body bounced with each laugh and her face radiated complete and utter enjoyment and happiness.

Discovering that all of the attention of their clients was once again on Jin, Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged a glance. As usual, they were sharing the exact same thought. They knew what their guests wanted… so they might as well give it to them.

Hikaru struck first, sliding up onto Jin's left side, "You know Jin, we've been meaning to ask. What do you look for in a guy?"

"Yeah," Kaoru added from her other side, brushing Haruhi out of the way, "Do you look for someone intelligent? Or perhaps they have to be involved in a sport?"

"Or…" the two leaned in, their breath tickling Jin's ears, "Would you rather be in a relationship that's more than a little rebellious? Say… a taboo thre-"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Tamaki tackled the twins to the ground behind two shocked Fujioka's. They watched as the three boys tussled on the floor for a few moments. Tamaki continued to shout about inappropriate behavior in a club setting while the twins started taking sharp jabs at the blond.

It continued on for a few seconds before the redheads escaped and took off, calling out, "You're only upset because you didn't think of it first!"

"DEVILS! TWINS! DEVIL TWINS!" Tamaki gave chase, pulling a metal bat out of nowhere and wielding it over his head. The twins, laughing loudly, raced around the edges of the club room, jumping couches and tables. The guests only laughed and watched the show, shouting out encouragement to their new found entertainment. Honey was laughing as well as he jumped onto Mori's shoulders, instructing him to give chase of the redheads as well.

Suddenly, Jin let out a huge gasp. She stared at the running boys for a few seconds, mouth in a wide, open smile and her eyes sparkling.

"Nēchan?"

"They're dorks!"

"What?"

"Haru… they're dorks!" The girls looked over at the boys again, then looked back at each other, sharing identical smiles.

"You're right!"

Just then, Kyoya stepped out from his own corner, "Tamaki, I believe that's enough. As for the rest of you, don't you all have guests to entertain?" The chase slowed down until the boys were walking back to their respective couches, panting a little heavily. Haruhi and Jin were still grinning at each other, so Kyoya approached them next.

"Haruhi, your guests are waiting. As for you, Ms. Fujioka…" he inspected her for a moment. Her face was still a little flushed from all of her laughing earlier, and her eyes were sparkling clearly up at his. "Perhaps… for the rest of the day, you can remain at this table and serve your own guests. Would that be alright? It's just for the day, mind you."

Jin's smile dimmed into a playful smirk, "Oh, absolutely not, Mr. Ootori. That's the most terrible idea I've heard all day. Oh no, talking to guests, how will I ever survive?"

When she was done with the sarcasm, Jin agreed willingly and with a large smile. And, if Kyoya were to be completely honest, he was smiling a bit too. Jin Fujioka was turning out to be a very interesting person.

*\/*

Jin wiggled her fingers at her retreating guests, "Goodbye! I hope to see you again, ladies! It was great talking to you!" The brunette sighed and sat back in her chair, grabbing her tea cup again. Who knew hosting would be this easy, yet this tiring? Ever since Kyoya had offered Jin as a one-day-only host to the other guests, she had had a steady stream of girls coming over to her table for tea and a million and one questions about her.

In a word, she was exhausted.

Still, if it meant spending more time with Haruhi, then it would be worth it. Only one more guest today, and then I get to go home and sleep for ten hours. I wonder who my last client is going to be?

"You're nothing special."

Jin's hand stilled, her fingers pinching at the handle of her tea cup so hard that her fingertips grew white, "Excuse me?"

The girl who had spoken stepped around the table and sat directly across from her. Jin recognized her instantly. It was the girl from yesterday. The one who had asked why she had stayed in America for a full year without coming home to visit. And she was still glaring at Jin.

"Exactly what I just said. You're nothing special. I just wanted to clarify that before we began."

For a moment, Jin said nothing. Only when she was completely sure that, yes, this was her final guest of the day, she gently replaced her teacup onto its saucer and sat back in her cushy chair.

"And what, pray tell, makes you say something so rude? I've never once said that I was special in any way, shape, or form, so what brought this on?"

"You walk around this room looking so pleased with yourself. Almost like you've won everyone's attention or something. I merely wished to inform you that the only reason everyone is interested in you is because you're Haruhi's sister. In a week, no one will even remember your name, so stop acting so high and mighty and like the hosts are going to pay attention to you at all after this week."

Jin, again, said nothing at first. Nothing but a mildly amused look flickered in her eyes as the other girl glared right on back. After nearly a full 15 seconds, the brunette shifted in her seat and picked up her teacup once again, a small smile curving at her lips.

"Well, thank you for being honest with me. I had a feeling that all the attention upon my arrival at this school couldn't be completely by my doing, so I'm glad someone has clarified the true reason to me. Although…" she took a small sip before narrowing her eyes slightly at the other girl, "I also have a small nagging suspicion that you only said those things in an attempt to hurt my feelings or elicit some sort of rise from me. I hate to say it, dear, but you've failed miserably."

She set the teacup down with a sharp click, followed by an even sharper voice, "In case it's unclear to you, I have no intention of being the center of attention at this school. I simply do not care what others think of me, something which, I think, other people should try to strive for. The one thing I do care about at this school, other than maintaining my grades, is spending as much time with my brother as possible. If this displeases you, then I'm so sorry but nothing is going to change that."

The girl spluttered for a few moments before she stumbled up out of her chair, "How dare you speak to me like that! My wardrobe probably costs more than your home! You have no right! You're just being a menace by being here! Why don't you just get lost!"

"Excuse me, Miss Asato?"

The girl, Miss Asato apparently, whipped herself around to find herself under the scrutiny of the entire host club. And they didn't appear especially pleased.

"I-I… I was just… I-"

"You were being a meanie, is what."

"Jin-senpai hasn't done anything to you-"

"-that could warrant such unladylike behavior."

"We had planned on limiting Ms. Fujioka's visits to the host club to once a week, but now I believe she has earned the right to come as often as she pleases. To repay her for the unkind words she has experienced while in our presence." Kyoya swiveled his eyes to meet Jin's, "Does that sound fair, Miss?"

The brunette hid a small smile behind her teacup, "Undeniably. And please, call me Jin."

Kyoya smirked, impressed by her cool head, "Jin it is, then."

"B-but… that's not fair!"

"Oh, you are right, Princess Asato," Tamaki stepped forward this time, gently cupping the girl's chin, "It truly is unfair to allow someone so disrespectful unlimited access to our host club, where they could have negative effects on our other guests and their time here."

Asato's eyes filled with hope.

"So, it is only fitting to ban you from the host club. Forever. I am sorry, Princess, but I must ask you to leave now."

Asato blinked once. Twice. Three times fast. Then she let out a wail and pushed Tamaki aside, racing for the doors.

Soft conversation floated from all around the room, and Tamaki quickly turned around to face the remaining guests, "Ladies, I'm afraid today's final hosting hour will have to be cut short. But don't you fret, my darlings, as tomorrow we will be back on schedule!" The girls nodded their understanding before quietly walking out the doors. They were probably more surprised than the hosts at the sudden hostile act against Jin.

After the girls were all gone, Tamaki spun around and held his chin, observing the brunette who was sadly staring into her teacup, the drink having gone cold by now, "Hm... now, since this was all your fault how do you propose we punish you?"

Jin's eyes snapped up to stare directly into Tamaki's, a hint of anger shining through, "My fault? Please, explain to me how being disliked is my fault."

Tamaki ignored the question, "Well, you're not a client, so we can't cut down your hosting time. And you're not a host, so we can't give you a debt… Well, I guess we'll just add onto Haruhi's debt."

"WHAAAT?"

"Debt? Haru, what is he talking about?"

Her little sister froze in place, disbelief suddenly replaced with panic. Her entire body tensed up and she licked her lips, "I, uh, I was going to tell you eventually, but I might've accidentally knocked over a vase when I first came here… and now I owe them some money… which I pay off by being a host."

Jin's eyes narrowed a bit, "Uh huh... And, exactly how much money are we talking about owing here?"

"...mbby... eght mllen yn…" Haruhi ducked her head as Jin slowly stood up from her chair, placing her teacup down.

"Maybe...what?"

"I said maybe eight miln yn…"

Jin stepped closer to her sister, her face showing a hint of fear now, "Haru… Eight what…?"

"Eight… mill-i-on?"

The sisters froze, just staring at each other.

"Haruhi…"

"Yeah, Nēchan?"

"You broke a vase.. that cost eight MILLION yen?"

"... A bit, yeah."

"…Oh."

"Yeah… just a little bit."

"And now you're a host… to pay it off?"

"That's how it works."

"Uh huh." Jin sucked in a deep breath, letting her eyelids fall shut before speaking again, slowly, "So, to clarify, you are up to your neck in debt, and you didn't tell me or Dad, huh?"

The shorter of the girls looked down at her toes, "I didn't want you to worry. And… I almost forced our family into bankruptcy. I just wanted to fix it."

Jin took in and let out another breath, "Haruhi… honestly, when are you going to figure out that it's okay to ask for help every once in awhile?"

"Nēchan, I-"

"No, Haruhi. We'll talk more once we get home, alright? For now," she looked over at the boys, who had been watching the scene with as much fascination as observing a car wreck, "I'm joining the host club to help pay off Haruhi's debt. I don't care if I'm hosting alongside her or by myself or if I'm not hosting at all, but everything I do goes to paying off Haru's debt."

Tamaki and Kyoya looked at each other. Tamaki nodded once and Kyoya pulled out his black journal, scribbling down on an empty page, "You will become something akin to a waitress, providing new tea sets and refilling empty tea pots for each host between their clients, exactly as you were doing today. Should a guest request you, you will take a break from your duties until you have done so. You will take part in whatever cosplay we select and now require a school uniform, which we will provide for you, but will be added onto your debt."

Jin pressed her lips together, "I have one demand, and one question."

There was a very pregnant pause before Kyoya responded, "People in debt do not lay down demands."

"Well, this one just did. I refuse to wear the girl's uniform. Instead, I request one similar to the male uniform of Ouran. I will only require the blazer, the white shirt, and the tie, and will use my own black skirt and heels. This choice should cut down on the amount being added onto our newly shared debt."

She and Kyoya were suddenly locked in an intense staring contest. The others slid a few inches away. Never, in the history of the host club, had anyone ever dared to suggest something be handled in a way differently than Kyoya's decision (besides Tamaki, of course) and get away with it.

It took perhaps a full minute before Kyoya looked back at his journal, "Agreed. Any other demands, Ms. Fujioka?" All the air came rushing out of the other's lungs, but they all noticed how he referred to her as Ms. Fujioka, and not Jin, like she had asked for a few minutes prior.

"No, just a question." Jin smirked, "Do I get my own rose color?"

Haruhi stepped up to her sister's side, gently gripping the sleeve of her sweatshirt, still looking well chewed out "I think she should be green. Technically, it's on the opposite side of the color wheel as my rose color, but they still compliment each other very well."

Jin gave Haruhi a soft look as Kyoya scribbled a single word on the opened page, "Green it is. Well, Ms. Jin Fujioka… welcome to the Host Club."