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It's Just Good Business	By : Desert_Mango Category: +M to R > Ouran High Host Club Views: 13254 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter Five: “Lessons in Trust”

By the time classes had ended on Monday, Kyoya had dismissed the conversation with Tamaki from his mind. There was no point in dwelling, after all. He did not know if Tamaki had already spoken to the lady in question; and quite frankly did not care enough to ask. This was all Tamaki’s dilemma; Kyoya could see no point to getting involved.

Releasing a small sigh, Kyoya slid the glasses off his face to rub tiredly at the eyes behind. It had been a long day, and given that the Host Club had just opened their doors for business; it was only going to get longer. The only positive thing to all of this was the fact that Kyoya had purposely cleared his appointment schedule, to work on other, more important things.

Thirteen sessions still needed to be arranged.

Replacing his glasses, Kyoya gazed over the top of his laptop screen to survey the activities around him. Gentle voices and soft laughter filled the room; a good indication each Host was doing exactly what they should. Good. That meant he could work in peace.

Reaching into his bag, he withdrew the first stack of neatly organized envelopes, and placed them on the table beside him. Honey’s name had been carefully written on the brightly coloured post-it note attached to the first envelope; giving Kyoya a good place to start. Honey’s sessions were never difficult to schedule.

He’d been so submersed in his work that he did not hear her approach. It was not until she laid the cup and saucer beside him, that Kyoya realized he was no longer alone at his corner table. Looking up, his surprise was quickly replaced with a look of warmth as a smile bloomed over his lips.

“Renge. Welcome home.” He gestured to the empty chair beside him. “You’re back earlier than we’d expected. How was your time in France?”

Accepting his offer to sit, Renge settled, hands curling around her own teacup as she returned Kyoya’s smile. “Thank you.” The love interest she’d once held for him was gone, replaced by a bond of friendship. After the incident at the Ouran Fair, Renge had stepped up her role as the club’s manager, and Kyoya had been more than willing to help her.

“Daddy got called away on business, so I had to come back early. Still, I had a very enjoyable visit. It was great to see my family and all my old friends again.” That smile faltered slightly, and her eyes dropped to the milky liquid between her palms. “For as much fun as I had though, it feels good to be back at Ouran.”

“That’s understandable.” Stated Kyoya. “You do have friends here to miss also.”

Something about what he said caused her to bring her gaze back to his. Something she couldn’t identify and didn’t understand. “I,” Not having the words to follow that, Renge sighed softly and tried again. “You’re probably right.”

She watched the whisper of a smile pull at his lips, and she could not help but smile back. Even without the romantic feelings, Kyoya still had the ability to bring out the best of her.

“Did you miss me?” Renge questioned, a playful twinkle dancing through her eyes.

“Always.” Answered Kyoya, lips curling further into a smile. “Things aren’t the same when you’re not here.”

Again Renge’s smile slipped from her lips, and she found that she could not keep those black pools in her gaze. “That’s not what I’ve heard.” She commented softly, speaking more to her teacup than the other occupant at the table.

One perfect eyebrow arched over those silver frames in response to her statement. What was that supposed to mean? Moistening his suddenly dry lips, Kyoya attempted to settle the uneasy feeling; and answered in a voice of masked calm. “What are you talking about?”

She exhaled a slow sigh, still not meeting that unwavering gaze. Admittedly, this was not the reaction from Kyoya that she’d been expecting. Then again, if what she’d heard was true, she could understand his reluctance to talk about it. “Rumour has it the Host Club is offering more than cosplay tea parties to their guests.”

Now he could justify that churning uneasy feeling pitted at the bottom of his stomach. While the club fully recognized Renge as their official manager, she herself was not a Host; therefore exempt from Tamaki’s all or nothing rule. So for the sake of keeping things simpler, it had been decided that Renge did not need to know about their new packages.

Kyoya was well aware that he had let silence fall after her words, and his brain scrambled to correct that. In this case, silence was a sign of acceptance. The longer he let it run, the more he confirmed this ‘rumour’. Pushing a heavy breath past his lips, he reached for her; laying a hand against her arm lightly.

“That’s absurd.” He bold-face lied, proud that he was able to deliver on such a firm tone. “We’re doing exactly what we’ve always done.” Pausing, he forced a light smile to his lips. “Tea parties and cosplay.”

Her eyes rested on the fingers against her arm before slowly trailing up to meet his lensed gaze. The previous silence had begun to unsettle her; but in true Kyoya fashion he’d been able to dispel that cloud of doubt. Well, almost.

“So then all those envelopes are…?”

“Social invitations.” Answered Kyoya; more quickly than he had intended. “I’m doing my mother a favour.”

He hated lying; and for an awkward moment Renge looked as though she wasn’t going to believe him. He felt his breath catch in his throat, and he found that he could not release it. Then Renge nodded, just once, and Kyoya felt it flee past his lips.

“I guess with your sister’s wedding coming up, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of spare time for your Mum, does it?”

“No.” He answered, a feeling of relief washing over him as he answered honestly. “I’m really the only one who can deal with these.”

Accepting that, Renge chuckled softly. “Perhaps I should stop distracting you then. Looks like you have a lot to go through.”

Removing his hand from her arm, he used those fingertips to push up his glasses. “I would appreciate that.” His lips curled into his signature hosting smile. “However you’re welcome to distract me any time you wish Renge. You should know that by now.”

Giggling softly, she rose to her feet. “I’m flattered Kyoya.” Her words teasing and tone playful. “That’s not something you’d say to just anyone.” An agreeing look moved over his features, and Renge grinned.

“True.” Kyoya admitted, almost shamelessly.

Renge shook her head, still lightly giggling and gathered her cup and saucer. “Oh, I almost forgot. I won’t be at today’s club meeting.”

“We’ll miss you.” He stated warmly, raising a curious brow as she turned to stick her tongue out at him. “I’ll be sure to email you the details. There shouldn’t be anything important though; it’s just a regular meeting.”

Content with that Renge moved away; and Kyoya felt a weight settle over his shoulders. They were going to have to be very careful of how they operated now that their manager was back. There was only so long that he was going to be able to give those answers for.

And Kyoya hated lying.

*****

Haruhi hid her yawn politely behind her palm, even though she was alone in the small dressing room. Their host club time had finally come to an end. Now all she needed to do was get through this meeting, and she would be home free … Where she could complete the several hours of homework she still had to do before bed. Yet again, she was going to have a late night.

Catching her reflection in the mirror, she stopped the process of stripping off the costume, to get a good look at herself. A quick make-up job from the twins did well to cover the dark circles that ringed her eyes. Now, however, the bloodshot look was starting to show, and Haruhi knew nothing but good sleep would change that. Even her skin was looking more pale that usual. It really was a wonder that none of her ladies had commented today. Probably too polite to, she thought with heavy sarcasm.

Maybe it was time she asked for some time off. Enough to get caught up on her studies and her sleep, before the end-of-term exams hit. Haruhi wasn’t even sure time off was something Kyoya would grant. Outside of school functions and the rare sick day, she’d not missed her obligated Host Club duties. Surely that sort of devotion should have earned her the right to some time for herself?

Pulling a face at her reflection, she shook her head. “Not likely.” She stated softly, turning back to the task of changing. She’d ask for the time, Kyoya would remind her of her balance owing, and that would be the end of that.

Kyoya’s main interest would always be the bottom line.

*****

The seven hosts sat comfortably around the table, listening to Tamaki’s grand plans for the next big party the club was going to be throwing. Something the vice-president had stopped listening to long ago. When it came to party planning, Tamaki’s help went as far as telling what he wanted. It was up to everyone else to make those wants happen. Having already discussed the larger and more important details with their president earlier, and in private, Kyoya felt no need to focus. His mind had already gone to the stack of files that lay beside him.

It had taken some creative scheduling, but he’d made it work. Once he handed out the client files, his part in this process would be done. Then he could move on to the next task – party planning. Perhaps, if he was lucky, Renge would want to get involved with that. If he was even luckier, she’d want to handle the entire thing; and that would save him a whole lot of grief and time. It was an amusing thought that had the whisper of a smirk ghosting over his lips.

“Kyo-chan?” Honey’s sweet voice invaded his thoughts, quickly bringing him back into reality. “You’re smirking. Should we be worried?”

The younger teen swallowed down the first comment that flew to his lips, and instead shook his head. “Just because I’m smirking doesn’t mean that I’m plotting.”

“No.” Agreed Haruhi. “You’ll plot without smirking.”

Sounds of agreement moved around the table, and Kyoya resisted the urge to sigh. “If Tamaki is done?” He questioned, changing the topic from smirking and plotting back to the business at hand. He acknowledged his friend’s nod with a soft ‘good’, and reached for the files. “For our last order of business; here are your next private clients.”

The sorted pile was quickly divided between the hosts, and a moment of silence was left to follow as each member reviewed the information inside. Well, almost each member.

From across the table, Tamaki sat in complete shock, eyes fixed on the file in Haruhi’s hands. His own client files lay forgotten about. Having a very strong feeling about what was going to happen next, Kyoya decided that ending their meeting may be best; before Tamaki says whatever it was that he was currently thinking. That was a conversation the raven-haired teen did not want to share with the rest of his fellow club members.

“If there are no objections…?” Kyoya questioned, breaking the silence. Head shakes and no’s followed. “Then I think that concludes our business today. As always, thank you for your time.”

It did not take long for the club room to clear, leaving Tamaki and Kyoya as the only occupants. Having watched Tamaki robot his way through the motions of saying goodbye to his friends, Kyoya’s previous suspicions had been confirmed. He knew exactly what was to come next. Collecting his drink, he motioned towards the velvet couches, still set up from their earlier entertaining. “Can we at least be comfortable for this?”

Tamaki nodded, moving with his friend but not taking the offered seat. Instead he started a slow, thoughtful pace across the other’s vision. “You gave Haruhi a client.”

The statement was so obvious, and so Tamaki that Kyoya sighed. “Yes I did.”

“Why?”

Another obvious question. “She’s just as much as part of this as we are.” Tamaki opened his mouth to speak, and Kyoya was quick to cut him off. “Besides, I didn’t have a choice. We’re experiencing an increase in volume. I needed her to take that client, to balance the workload.”

Tamaki’s pacing stopped for a short moment, before resuming. “How do we know she can handle this?”

“What’s there to handle?” Questioned his friend; irritation starting to fill that usually calm voice. “It’s a base package request.”

Base package, also known as the entry-level package. A full sixty minutes of cuddles and kisses. More commonly known as the make-out package. The most innocent of all the services they offered.

It was an answer that did every little to ease the panicked whirl-wind of Tamaki’s mind. “Haruhi’s never kissed anyone before.”

Kyoya held back making a comment about Tamaki’s much earlier slip-up that caused Haruhi to give her first kiss to another woman. Instead, he did what he always did in these situations, and provided rational answers to ease the blonde’s concern. “It’s just kissing, Tamaki. It’s not that difficult.”

Those words were enough to stop Tamaki’s pacing. Resting his hands against his hips he eyed the other with a very serious and somber look. “Still … Someone should teach her.”

“… What?” Okay, so it wasn’t the most intelligent response Kyoya could have come up with. But it certainly was the most accurate. “Teach her?” He echoed, not holding back the surprise that filled his words. “Tell me you’re not serious about this.”

Tamaki nodded, and Kyoya groaned. Well, this was an unexpected turn of events. Here Kyoya had been preparing himself for a verbal sparring match, not an approval and the suggestion that someone actually tutor Haruhi! Feeling the tell-tale signs of a headache coming on, the seated teen reached for his cool glass of ice water.

“Who?” The vice-president questioned, teeth gritted against the face that he’d even asked such a question. He tried to tell himself that the only reason he’d asked, was to satisfy his curiosity.

Pursing his lips together in thought, Tamaki continued his pacing. “Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai are both out. While I have no doubt of their skills, I don’t think either would make an effective teacher.” Kyoya nodded in silent agreement. “The twins… I just don’t trust them, so they’re out also.”

By process of elimination, that only left two people. Not liking where this was going at all, Kyoya gave his friend a firm shake of his head. “No. Absolutely not.”

“But why?” Whined Tamaki; turning once again to face his friend. “You’re the only one I can trust.”

“No.” Said Kyoya again, this time folding his arms over his chest; as though to emphasize his decision. “If you want someone you can trust, why don’t you do it?”

Tamaki paled, a sharp gasp passing his lips. “She’s my little girl! That would just be wrong!”

Behind those lenses, Kyoya’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Any more wrong than asking me to teach Haruhi?”

“Kyoya, please…” Now the whining had turned to pleading. “We can’t just send her into these sessions unprepared and inexperienced. She’s a host, after all. Her clients need to see that she’s confident and comfortable in everything she does to please them.”

The other teen pondered those words carefully. So now it was about the reputation of their club? That was a reason he could understand. In some respects, Tamaki was right. Their clients were paying for experience and confidence from their host. Dissatisfaction of a client was not an option.

But what about him? Could be really take on the responsibility of showing Haruhi the art of physical pleasure? Teaching her would not be as clinical as Tamaki was thinking it would be. There was also the whole side of emotional attachment – Even if it was rehearsed and practiced into perfection for the ladies.

He did find himself agreeing, however, with Tamaki’s need to have someone they could trust in this role. It would not take much for someone to quickly take advantage of the situation, and in turn take advantage of Haruhi. As much as he hated to admit it, the earlier process of identifying those who were unsuitable for such a task; was accurate. Out of their club members, perhaps he really was the best man for the job.

“Fine.” Kyoya finally agreed, reluctance filling his tone. “I’ll do it.” He watched the relief pass over Tamaki, and his reluctance rose further. “Purely for the sake of our good business and our clients. Nothing more.”

It was a statement that helped Kyoya attempt to justify his acceptance to himself; and did nothing to calm the raging thoughts that whirled around in the back of his mind.

*****

A/N: AkimiB, you can fic-stalk me any time!! I love the feedback that you provide!

To all my readers who haven’t introduced yourself, I love you too – I just don’t know you by name to give you a personalized shout-out. So hey, if you want to get a thank you addressed specifically to you, you need to tell me who you are. And you know, what you think of my little fic wouldn’t hurt either.

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Thanks for reading!
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It's Just Good Business