Hikari's Debut! (Open)

[Katsuo Hikari]

Needless to say, thus far Hikari's entrance to Ouran was going much more smoothly than she had expected. After having been denied any opportunity to be more prepared for her first day by her dear brother, thus not being able to obtain a map of the grounds ahead of time, Hikari had been at a loss as to how she would ever make it to her destination. The feeling had reminded her of a movie she had seen once where the protagonist was left adrift at sea with little more than a rusty compass and a coracle. At the very least, that fortunate soul had some experience at sea. That was more of an advantage than she had.

Then again, unlike the doomed sailor, she had stumbled across an unexpected beam of hope. Well, that's being a bit melodramatic... Right by the entrance, Hikari had met Morinozuka-sempai. Though she knew he wasn't talkative, so far he was turning out to be surprisingly kind. He was even going so far as to personally show her where the freshmen class was.

Initially, Hikari had been slightly uncomfortable since she could be imposing on the silent upperclassman. The feeling was quickly dispelled due to Mori's nature of being able to communicate more with his eyes when words would be awkward. Soon, Hikari found herself at ease in the comfortable silence.

As they went through the school, Hikari made sure not to look like she was facing anything too unexpected. She was fortunate enough to where her family had been living in a mansion for just long enough for her to feel relatively comfortable. Despite that, she couldn't deny that Ouran was done on a much larger scale, bordering on ostentatious. She was glad to have a guide since it would not have been much of a challenge to get lost in all the hallways and staircases.

The school was also showing some signs of slowly increasing activity. Soon enough some of the early arrivals that didn't have to do club activities would be arriving too. "Morinozuka-sempai, thank you for showing me how to get to the classroom. It would be easy to get lost here."

[Morinozuka 'Mori' Takashi]

Takashi kept his stride to a casual pace, knwoing that most had trouble with his usual speed.
That was also a reason he carried Mitsukuni, as the boy had reasonably shorter legs than himself. Although, his cousin did make up for that with his energy, so it all balanced out in the end.
His hands were located in his trouser pockets, not because he was being a rebel or trying to act cool. It just seemed like an appropriate place to put them as he walked. However, doing so made him seem somewhat lankier, according to the other members of the Host club because after all, on could not watch themselves walking. He was also requested not to do this around first time customers, as this, in combination with his already 'wild' appearance, made him look rather more intimidating. He didn't like scaring people, so he'd told himself to stop doing this period. He just seemed to keep forgetting.

As he'd now remembered, he pulled his hands out, letting them hang by his sides as he walked. Yes, this was better, not that he could tell, but the people, who they passed, granted him with their smiles. That they may have done this either way, did not cross his mind, it didn't have much time to as he found himself under expectancy of listening to his aquaintance's words.
"Ah." His one syllable reply meaning 'no problem'.
He didn't really mind helping out a new student. It made him feel good knowing that the girl would at least get to her first class without accident or embarrassment. That, and he knew how cruel some of the students could be, feeling that they not only have seniority but wealth above the freshmen.
He wondered how commoners felt, always hearing how outstanding and proper the rich were and then finding them to, in truth not all of them, be rather snobbish and acting with an air of all-mightiness. Nigheaded, would probably be Haruhi's choice of word here.
"You have friends here?" It was a necessary question, his thoughts on how some students were had him worry about how this girl would make it through the day, should she need to rely on such people.

[Katsuo Hikari]

Hikari was a bit surprised by the question, but she supposed it was an important one. Friends would likely help to get through the process of getting used to an elite school. "No, I don't. Well, not yet anyway." Frankly speaking, Hikari didn't know quite what to expect from the people here. Sure, she was expecting some snobs, but it was clear that there would be some kindness as well. "But if there's more people like you Moriniozuka-sempai, I think I will." She didn't mean to sound like she was trying to flatter Mori at all. It was just that she honestly thought he was a kind person.

Hearing someone else approaching, Hikari turned to see yet another new person. Wow, he has really big eyes for a boy. Kind of girly, but cute. She felt like she was going to say something, so she waited. It was obvious that he felt bad for not talking to to her, but she didn't mind at all. She was suprised and a bit embarassed when he bowed. She wasn't used to anyone doing that to her. Heck, she was just barely getting used to servants at the house asking her if she needed anything, much less getting bowed to. Fortunately, he stood up quickly after apologizing.

"Oh, don't worry about it at all. It's alright. You don't have anything to feel apologize for. I'd have to be pretty shallow to be offended so easily." She then remembered something that he had said. It seemed she had already met someone from her class. "You're from class 1-A Fujioka-kun? I'm transferring to Ouran today, and it looks like we'll be classmates." Wanting to make a good impression, Hikari smiled and held her hand out for a handshake. "I'm Katsuo Hikari. It's nice to meet you Fujioka-kun."

Hikari wondered how Haruhi and Mori knew each other. It would be hard to imagine that they had any classes together since there was definitely a significant age gap. The question was whether they knew each other from school activities or outside of school. "So, how do you two know each other?"

[Morinozuka 'Mori' Takashi]

Takashi noted the look on the girl's face, it had been an unexpected question, hopefully nothing he'd regret having asked. He nodded to her answer, glad that she wasn't offended by his prying, even if he had the best intentions.
Well, at least he knew she wouldn't mind meeting Haruhi now. And possibly the twins. Though they might be a bit to eccentric for the girl on her first day.
"Ah.." He blinked, rather unsure of what to do. He didn't often get compliments outside of the club activities, but ended up acting in the same way. A gentle smile and a nod that said thank you. Yes, even if his designators had shallow reasons for their flattery, his response was always genuine to his heart.

The sound of soft footsteps reached his ears just moments after his body registered an approaching presence. Turning his head at first to see who, his body followed suit upon seeing the familiar hazel eyes.
"Haruhi." His greeting came with a softening of his eyes, glad to see a familiar face. At the mention of his cousin, he tensed slightly, his eyes making for the floor.
"I arrived early before Mitsukuni.' It still felt like an excuse for not being by the blonde boy's side. He should have walked to the Haninozuka mansion, even if it would have taken him all day.
The girls conversed, even if one of them did not know that the other was indeed of the same gender. He was rather glad that Katsuo-san was getting along with Haruhi, but, truth be, he'd yet to find anyone who didn't get along with the natural type host.
The stoic senior was about to make his exit, till he heard the question from the girl.
Of course she'd be curious. It's not normal for seniors and freshmen to be so friendly, even in public schools he'd presumed. He looked to Haruhi with a blank stare, he didn't mind answering the question, but if she wanted to..

[Katsuo Hikari]

Hikari couldn't help but let herself chuckle a bit at Haruhi's comment. "Moping? That's a bit over dramatic. That didn't happen in my old school." She began to wonder just how much being overexposed to wealth at an early age affected a person's personality. She silently thanked her parents for letting her go to a public school for as long as she did.

As she shook Haruhi's hand, she noticed that the supposed he had wrists that were smaller than her own. He also had softer skin, but that was to be expected with how thoroughly she abused her own. She didn't place too much importance on the matter.

As Haruhi talked to Mori, she found out a bit more about the stoic senior. Whoever he was, it was clear that Hani-sempai was important to Mori. He almost seemed to be frustrated, and maybe just a bit depressed, that eh wasn't with him.

She put more priority on Haruhi's warning. He didn't seem to be the type to be melodramatic. "I'll be careful. I can deal with some...ruckus, as you put it." She was glad for the warning though. Whatever happened, it looked like she would be getting in to an interesting class.

The only thing she mentally winced at was Haruhi's use of her last name. It wasn't that she wasn't one for formalities, but she didn't like the meaning of what was behind it. She didn't want people to think she was, well, manly or a heroic type. The name association could be difficult to get past. "You can call me Hikari instead of Katsuo. I'm not too, well, fond of it. It's not exactly a feminine name." Quite the opposite, in fact.

Hikari was puzzled for a few moments after Haruhi explained how she knew Mori. "The Host Club? I've can't say I've ever heard of that kind of club." She supposed if they were both 'hosts', then perhaps they entertained others? "I think I get it. So, you entertain people?" Hikari puzzled over it for a moment, taking a thinking pose as she held her chin in her hand. "Rich schools are certainly odd..." She was thinking out loud, but it was loud enough to where the other two would be able to hear it.

[Morinozuka 'Mori' Takashi]

Takashi nodded. it really was easy to place the student body into two categories. Although it was kind of cruel to place Tamaki into his own. In truth it was really those that cared and those that didn't. It was the ones who did care that he was worried about, for the two girls in front of him of course.
Haruhi was known to be, ah, dense, when things came down to it and Hikari was new here so she may not know better. At least with the twins around he could feel somewhat at ease.
"Ah." He said with a blink. She was right, Mitsukuni would probably forgive him for coming to school alone as he'd helped someone. It made hiom feel slightly better, not by much, but still.

He smiled as Haruhi called him a friend, it really did mean a lot to him as he had trouble with making friends. Or at least keeping them anyway.
"Hnm. Drop by later, if you want.' He referred to the club, holding back a laugh as the new girl commented their oddity. It may be true that the rich class had different quirks than commoners, but she'd soon find out that even among the rich, there was those that were even..quirkier.
His mind didn't instantly jump to Tamaki. He first thought of Kyouya, almost like the devil himself with all that knowledge and scheming. Takashi then felt bad about thinking a such a thing of a friend and took to mentally pointing out the quirks of everyone he knew, including himself and Mitsukuni, as just to keep things fair. This put a deep look on his face, one that gave him more of an intimidating appearance than usual.

[Katsuo Hikari]

It seemed Hikari was right in assuming that this Honey-sempai person was important to Mori. He didn't seem quite as down as he was earlier. It was good to see that he was feeling a little better.

Hikari thought a bit more about the twins when Haruhi mentioned that they usually caused trouble when they got bored. She was suddenly hit with a mental image of a little kid getting bored in a sandbox then turning a magnifying glass on an ant. Hit with realization, she put her fist downward on an open palm. "I get it! So it's not that they're mean, just sort of like an ADD kid with a magnifying glass and an anthill." She wasn't trying to be mean, but just trying to get a rough estimate of them. She knew it would be going to far to mention that some Ritalin might solve the problem.

A look of slight puzzlement came from Hikari when Haruhi mentioned that he wasn't used to rich schools. She had assumed that everyone at Ouran was more than used to the environment since they all grew up rich. "Is that so? I had no idea. Well, I guess I feel a bit better now." Hikari brightened up a bit more, feeling more at ease than she had earlier.

After the invitation, Hikari smiled. It would probably be an excellent opportunity to make some more friends. "I'll take you up on that! I'll just have to time it right with kendo club. It shouldn't be a problem!" By this point, Hikari was just shy of beaming with a huge grin. She caught herself and reigned it in a bit, slightly embarrassed that she had gotten so happy over such a simple thing.

It helped that there seemed to suddenly be an intimidating presence in the hall. Looking around for the source, she noticed that by now the school halls were getting a bit busy. She eventually spotted Mori and noticed he looked a bit odd. "Um, Morinozuka-sempai, are you feeling alright?" She initially thought that he might have been feeling a bit sick, but she refrained from prying too much.

[Morinozuka 'Mori' Takashi]

At the mention of his name, Takashi snapped out of is thoughts, blinking a few times before responding.
"Ah." He scratched his cheek, not so sure as to why the girl was looking at him with such a worried expression. He realized he'd missed out on the conversation, so perhaps she'd asked him something and he may have given an answer absent-mindedly. And maybe that answer had upset her.
He added another bad quirk to his list before bowing his head. "Gomen." He said, expecting Hikari to understand why he was apologizing. In fact in his mind there was no doubt that the girl would not get it.

As if suddenly noticing the rise in noise around them, he glanced around seeing more and more students. Each were giving him a weird look, all unsure of why an upper-class was here. He managed to make his eyes sparkle, a sort of silent greeting just to make them feel more comfortable around him. He'd always find it strange how people reacted oddly when someone from the upper-class was near. Weren't they all students of the same school?
He wondered if it was the same for public schools. Surely with their lower level of formality, such a gap between years was not present?

[Katsuo Hikari]

A quizzical look appeared on Hikari's face as Mori apoligized. Just what was he apologizing for? A proverbial question mark could practically be seen floating over her head. Was is possible that Morinozuka-sempai had been daydreaming and was apologizing as a relfex? Or perhaps he thought he missed a part of the conversation? Hikari dismissed it and decided not to verbalize on it any further. There was no need to blow it out of proportion by prolonging it.

She noticed the looks that the surrounding students were giving him. True, it was unusual for a senior to hang around the freshmen rooms even in a public school, but it wasn't quite at this level. She supposed it wasn't too far-fetched to think that the gap would be magnified in a rich school. She received a few glances herself. They were probably among the more observant students who realized she wasn't a familiar face.

Hikari was a bit pleased that her assessment of the twins seemed to be a little accurate, but she made a mental not to be a bit kinder in the future. Sometimes when she focused a bit more on being observant, she could be a little bit cold. She didn't want to come across as rude or presuming that she already knew everything. That sort of behavior wouldn't impress the kind of people she wanted to get along with.

Listening to Haruhi's explanation, Hikari felt a mixed sense of relief and a tinge of confusion mixed with just a sprinkle of resentment. The relief was the first to show through. "That's a relief! I was thinking that there wouldn't be any other normal people here. But calling it 'commoner'..." Here Hikari frowned visibly. "...that's a bit alienating, isn't it? I usually wear stuff bought at regular stores when I'm relaxing at home myself. At least for now, that is..."

Hikari then sighed as she realized that those days were probably coming to a close. Her closet was already becoming bigger and with a higher concentration of designer clothes as things were. Images of parks, running across buildings, shopping malls, and even the supermarket began to float through her mind as if waving goodbye. She was then brought to attention by the sound of what might be the first bell to show when classes were going to start. She smiled again at Mori and bowed slightly. "Morinozuka-sempai, thank you for showing me the way to class." She then turned to Haruhi. "Fujioka-kun, I hope I we can talk again soon." She bowed again. "It was great to meet the both of you. I feel a lot more at ease now."

It was then that Hikari was motioned to by someone who seemed to be an instructor. She then realized that she was going to have to do one of those cliche introductions where the new student wrote their name on the board and introduced their self. An expression that practically wrote 'oh crap' on her face appeared. She nervously turned to the others as she walked away. "W-well, I guess I'll see you two soon..."

[Morinozuka 'Mori' Takashi]

Takeshi gave a small nod to the comparison made of the twins. It wasn't entirely accurate, but that was pretty much the general idea. They were just a lot more..gentler would be an appropriate word, he thought with a small smile.
Yes, not matter how bad the darker sides of any of his friends may be, they were always kind and caring, even if they had other motives than apparent.
He noticed the way the girls reacted to the naming those of lower status received, still finding it odd at how they didn't like it. Was there something wrong with being a commoner? He always thought that Haruhi quite liked being one, proving that it was better everytime she made coffee with that instant stuff or showed them how to shop cheap, with discount.

He understood how it sometimes seemed like they were putting her on display, what with all these demonstrations and taking her to places they knew she'd never been to or even be able to dream of going without their help. Just to see her reaction, although it was mostly just to let her enjoy their style of life.
Still, Takeshi had expected her to be annoyed with their behaviour, as the rich and wealthy were more known among commoners as snobs and stuck up brats. One had to hand it to the girl for putting up with them, even if she may have been slightly unwilling in the beginning of it all.

When kendo was mentioned, he caught the look Haruhi sent him, wondering if she was expecting an answer of sorts. So he blinked, twice even.
"Ah." He responded to Hikari's gratitude, watching her till she was approached by a teacher before glancing back to the female host.
"Haruhi." His tone sounded the same as usual, yet if you knew the tall senior, you would have picked out a hidden meaning to the way he said it. He was basically telling the girl to go to class, hearing the second bell. Which pretty much meant he would have been late to class if his first hour wasn't optional study class. Senior privileges.