//Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.//

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

SIBLINGS UNITE

"Asami, can you tell the jury what your relationship is to the defendant, Miura Emica?" Mr. Okano asks. Asami nervously sits in the witness stand, picking at the hangnails on her fingers. It is weird hearing Emica's legal last name instead of Watanabe, the name she changed it to. She glances up to lock eyes with Tamaki. He, along with the rest of the host club, are sitting in the viewing area in support of her since she was called to testify today. She has been avoiding attending any of the court proceedings because she was unsure if she can emotionally handle all of this. She ignores her father and grandmother, who are sitting behind the host club.

"She is my kidnapper." Asami replies.

"And how old were you when Miss Miura kidnapped you?"

"I was three years old."

"Did Miss Miura attempt to kidnap you again?"

"Yes, she did."

"This second time, did Miss Miura drug you before attempting to abduct you?"

"Yes, she did."

"Did she say that she was going to abduct your brother, Tamaki Souh, as well?"

"Yes, she did."

"Asami, who is your mother?"

"Anne-Sophie."

"And once more for the record, what is your relationship with the defendant?"

"She is my kidnapper."

"And do you have any other relationship to the defendant?"

"No." Asami says coldly, glancing at Emica to see her expressionless face staring back at her.

"Can you tell the court what name you have decided to go by?"

"I have decided to go by Noémi Asami de Grantaine-Souh." She smiles at Tamaki. "It is my legal name." She legally added Asami into her legal name before school started so she can use it on legal documents without any issues. Tamaki did the same when he decided to go by this name instead of René in Japan. It made things easier for the both of them instead of having to constantly fill out alias name paperwork.

"Thank you. No further questions at this time." Mr. Okano sits back down and Mr. Kenichi stands up. She stiffens, knowing that he was going to do his best to throw Asami off.

"Miss Souh, is it true that you and the defendant lived together for 11 of your 15 years?" Kenichi questions.

"Yes."

"During that time, was your relationship with the defiant a hostile one?"

"No, but I didn't know the truth about everything."

"Was it, in fact, a loving relationship?" Asami notices where this like of questioning is going and does not like it.

"Well, it depends on what you define love as."

"Did you ever tell the defendant that you loved her?"

"Yes, I did."

"Was there a special pet name Miss Miura called you?"

"She calls me her little butterfly."

"Can you explain the meaning behind the pet name?"

"Butterflies represent transformation, and she claimed that I transformed her life for the better." Asami pauses before answering, numerous memories appearing in her mind.

"Miss Souh, can you describe for the jury what your 11 years with Emica were like?"

"Normal."

"Can you please go into more detail?"

"Yes, she fed me, sheltered me, clothed me, educated me, took me out to do fun things, took care of my health, like any other normal person would do for a child."

"Would you say that pet names are usually given to others out of love?"

"I guess."

"Do you think Emica truly loved you?" Asami sucks in a breath, wanting to lie but knowing that she cannot.

"I do, but it was an obsessive love."

"Was she kind to you?"

"Yes, but this is all subjective."

"I am merely trying to establish what kind of mother Emica was."

"She isn't my mother." Asami strongly states.

"But you thought she was for 11 years."

"Yes, because I was tricked. She acted like a mother to me, but that does not change the fact that she kidnapped me from my real family when I was three and tried doing that again recently."

"Miss Souh, did you recently find out recently that Miura Emica was the woman who birthed you?"

"She was a surrogate for my biological parents." She stresses the word biological in order to make the distinction that Emica wasn't biologically related to her.

"Would you say that someone who carries you for nine months and births you, feeds you, clothes you, provides a roof over your head, and loves you could be called a parent?"

"Well, yes, but that isn't the point here."

"Ah," Kenichi smirks as if he got Asami right where he wants her, "that is exactly the point here. Emica, in all aspects, is considered your parent."

"No, she is not."

"Did you meet up with Miss Miura while visiting Shirakawa, your hometown, a few months ago?" Asami freezes, grinding her teeth together. She takes a quick glance at her brother to see him staring at her with shocked eyes. She only ever told the police about the meet up because she thought that by going to the meet up, she encouraged the obsession Emica has over Asami.

"Yes."

"Can you tell the jury more about that meeting?"

"She and I met up in the bathroom of a cafe," Tamaki sucks in a breath at that information, "she implied that she was a surrogate for my parents. She told me she always planned on taking Tamaki as well, not just me."

"Would you say that she was sad?"

"I'm not a licensed psychiatrist. I cannot answer that accurately."

"Was it difficult seeing her again?"

"Yes." Asami sends a look toward Emica to see her smiling sadly.

"What exactly did you say to her in that meet up?"

"I don't recall." 'Please stop talking about this,' Asami begs in her mind.

"Did you say something to the effect of," he walks over to the defendant table and picks up a piece of paper, "'I want to hate you and forget about you, but I still see you as my mother despite everything'." Asami's lip quivers as she tries to hold in her emotions. "Was this woman," he pointed at Emica, "in fact your mother or not?"

"Once upon a time, she was, but she is not anymore."

"Is there any part of you that still loves her?" Asami glances at the host club, recalling her numerous conversations with a few of them about how Asami desperately wants to cut all bonds with Emica, but has consistently struggled to. She looks down at her hands and watches the blood from her hangnails drip off her fingers. "Miss Souh, please answer yes or no to the question."

"Yes." She whispers as tears start to fall from her eyes.

"No further questions." Kenichi walks back to his table. Emica has tears streaming down her cheeks as she stares lovingly at Asami.

"The court will now take a short recess." Judge Sasaki announces. Asami leaves the witness stand, wiping her tears off her face as she makes her way over to the host club. Tamaki pulls her into a tight hug.

"I wish you would've told me everything." He mumbles. "But I forgive you for not doing so. Everything is going to be okay."

"No, it's not. I just completely blew this case." She whispers through her sobs.

"You told the truth, which was the right thing to do."

"But she's going to get out."

"And who cares about that?" Tamaki pulls away from the hug and smiles at her. "No matter what happens, you and me will always be family." Asami returns his smile. Kaoru reaches over and grabs her hand, giving it a supportive squeeze. They all take a seat together as the trial continues and a new witness takes the stand. Asami eyes the brown-haired and brown eyed girl curiously. The girl seems to be around the same age as Tamaki or maybe a bit older. Asami narrows her eyes. If she looks close enough, the girl has strangely familiar facial features.

"Will you please state your name for the record?" Kenichi seems a bit gleeful with the witness's appearance in court.

"Ito Sakura." Asami turns in her seat to ask her father if he happens to know the girl, but stops when she sees how pale her father's face and the hateful glare on her grandmother's. She observes Yuzuru's facial features and quickly spins back around to stare at the girl in shock.

"Would you please tell the jury what your connection to the defendant, Miura Emica, is?"

"Miura Emica is my biological mother."

"And who, for the record, is your biological father?"

"My biological father is Souh Yuzuru."

•••

Asami storms out of the courtroom, tightly holding Tamaki's hand as they navigate their way through the journalists and cameras. "Miura Emica has been found not guilty of federal kidnapping charges. Custody is already being brought up concerning Souh Asami and Souh Tamaki."

"How does it feeling knowing your kidnapper is free?"

"Did you know you two have an older half-sister?" Asami and Tamaki ignore the flashing lights and questions being screamed at them. They quickly get out of the building, practically running toward their car. Yuzuru and Shizue are already waiting for them in the car. Everyone is glaring at Yuzuru.

"You are such a stain on this family's name." Shizue slaps Yuzuru across the face with fire in her eyes. "Did you know about the child?"

"No," Yuzuru shakes his head in disbelief, "I don't even recall seeing her pregnant before Tamaki." Asami and Tamaki tuck themselves into each other's sides while watching Shizue and Yuzuru argue. Asami tunes them out and stares out the window. The car begins to move at the same time the doors to the buildings open once more to reveal Sakura and Emica. She locks eyes with them both and they stare each other down until Asami's car moves more away from the building.

A sister. Asami has a sister that she never knew about. Emica never spoke about Sakura. Sakura briefly talked about how she is currently living with the Ito family—a prestigious family well-known for competing against Kyoya's family medicine businesses. Why wasn't she with Emica? She turns her attention back onto the commotion occurring within the car.

"After all of these blunders, I believe it is time to officially announce Tamaki as the heir of the family. He will be immediately taking over your responsibilities when he turns of age." Shizue spats. "Tamaki, Asami," the two straighten their postures and exchange a surprised look with one another, "I will be organizing proper suitors for you both." Asami wants to say, 'you already have suitors for me' but wisely decides to keep her mouth shut. "You two will need to be engaged by next year to strength our connections. Our reputation is currently declining due to the shameful actions of a particular nuisance." Yuzuru winces at the amount of hostility his mother is giving him.

"I swear that I had no idea that this girl existed."

"Truly? Then why did you look so terrified when she took the stand?" Asami questions. "I turned around and saw how pale you got, it was the look of pure horror."

"I immediately saw the similarities between Sakura and you two," Yuzuru shares, "It felt like I was looking at you, but with my hair and eye color." He informs Asami.

"Since she is technically your eldest child, will she be brought into the family?" Asami asks.

"No." Shizue immediately states. "If you two see that girl, do not speak to her. She is not and will never be apart of this family." The car stops in froth of their mansion. They each exit the car, an air of hostility and sadness lingering around them. The servants noticed the tense atmosphere and stayed away.

"Engaged? By next year?" Tamaki whispers, holding Asami's hand as they slowly make their way to their rooms. His thoughts drift off to a certain commoner who makes his heart swell, but he'll never be able to properly pursue those feelings with the looming engagement over his head. His grandmother would never approve of him marrying a commoner.

"We're just mere pawns for our family." Asami grumbles. A certain auburn haired boy pops into her mind. She hopes that he is on her suitor list because everything would be easier for her, but she suspects that his family are not what Shizue considers ideal connections for the Souh family. "A sister, can you believe that?"

"I wonder how old she is." Tamaki muses. "She has to be older than me, but by how much?"

"Who knows? Hopefully we never see her again."

•••

Asami realizes she may have spoken too soon yesterday because upon entering the school, she immediately spots the one person she wants to stay away from. Emica and Sakura are talking to Takuji, someone who is on the recruitment board. Tamaki freezes next to her as well. It is clear that Emica is trying to get Sakura to join their school. "You don't think father could use his status to reject her, right?"

"I don't believe so," he sighs. "Let's go." They head to the host club, weaving in between whispering students who won't stop glancing at them. Today is going to be a long day. They enter the music room and immediately get to work. Asami is playing the violin, pouring her frustration out in her songs. Tamaki keeps his princely act intact and woos the various customers. They both ignore the worried look being directed toward them from the host club. Today is policemen theme, all the hosts are wearing policemen uniforms. Asami happily wears a dress that matches the colors on the uniforms. Suddenly, the door to the club opens and reveal a small girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Not another kid," Asami groans, recalling the little boy that stumbled here a while ago.

"My, what a special guest we have here. Welcome, lost little kitty." Tamaki crouches low to greet the child. "Little kitty, where did you come from?" The young girl stares at everyone for a moment.

"Is she alright?" Asami asks, making her way to stand next to Takashi.

"Reverse harem!" Asami's jaw drops as those words leave the child's mouth. "It's a reverse harem here!"

"Oh, this is bad. It seems like there's still some water in my ears from swimming." Tamaki hits his head as if trying to remove water from his ears.

"Hahahaha... Indeed, Inspector General." Hikaru copies Tamaki.

"There must be something wrong with our ears if we're hearing such a little girl say something like "reverse harem"." Kaoru nervously laughs.

"Did I hit my head today?" Asami mumbles.

"Debauchery!" The young girl screams. "Yay! There's so much debauchery in here!" The young girl begins to point out characters she sees in the Host Club members. "A glasses character!" Kyoya pushes his glasses up his nose. "A loli shota! A stoic type!" Mitsukuni and Takashi exchange a look. "Incest!" The twins blink in surprise. "A nerd!" Haruhi scoffs. The young girl turns to Tamaki and Asami only to stop.

"Ahh... brother...sister." The girl jumps into Tamaki's arms. "You're both blond, so you must be my brother and sister!"

"I've never heard of this." Hikaru crosses his arms with a raised eyebrow.

"You guys have another sister?" Kaoru asks.

"No, I'm sure I don't have any other siblings besides Asami! At least, that's what I thought..." He winces when he recalls Sakura.

"It could be true." Asami whispers, carefully eyeing the girl.

"You two do look alike now that you mention it. The three of you are blond." Mitsukuni comments with a bright smile.

"Are "glasses character" and "brother" in the same group of words?" Kyoya questions.

"Hey, you're not too bad. At least you're not a nerd like me." Haruhi states.

"Umm... What's your name, little girl?" Tamaki inquires.

"Kirimi!"

"Kirimi?" Haruhi imagines a dish of sliced raw fish.

"Kirimi-chan, are you sure you're not mistaking me for someone else? I'm pretty sure I don't have any other baby sisters..." Kirimi's face goes sullen.

"Mmm... You're not my brother even though you're blond?" She sadly asks before glancing at Asami. "Are you not my sister then?" Tamaki picks Kirimi up again and spins her around.

"Okay! I'm your brother starting today! Your brother! How cute, how cute!" Tamaki squeals. Asami crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows.

"Are you just going to forget about me?" Asami huffs. "I'm your only baby sister!" She pauses and adds, "that we know of."

"Even if you're easily moved, do you think it's okay for you to say such irresponsible things to little kids?" Haruhi shakes her head at him.

"I'm not being irresponsible! I'll take good care of her, so I'm going to bring her back home! Haha!" Tamaki grins brightly. "It'll be like making up for all the years I missed out on Asami being a young child!"

"That is not how that works." Asami comments.

"What should we do, Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asks.

"Hmm," Asami taps her chin and eyes the girl, "why are you familiar to me?"

"Perhaps she really does have a blond brother in this high school." Kyoya states, ignoring Asami who is thinking aloud.

"Ahh, don't listen to that." Tamaki puts Kirimi down and shields her from Kyoya's words.

"Kirimi... Kirimi?" A random voice appears. Nekozawa emerges from the dark magic club room without his characteristic black cloak and wig.

"Umm... Who are you?" The twins asks.

"It's a foreigner!" Mitsukuni excitedly states.

"The shape of the door changed, didn't it?" Haruhi observes.

"Umehito!" Asami calls out with a bright smile as she bounces over to him. "Wow, it's rare to see you without your cloak and wig on." She leans close in, unaware of the blush on his face. "How cute." Two servants appear and throw Nekozawa's robe and wig on him.

"Nekozawa-senpai?!" The hosts stare in shock.

"Umehito-bocchama really despises bright light. Therefore, if he doesn't wear this robe, he won't be able to withstand the light and will collapse. He even has to wear a dark wig to cover his fair hair."

"On the other hand, his sister, Kirimi-ojousama, really despises dark places."

"Ohhh, this is your sister you've spoken about before." Asami realizes. "I was wondering why she was so familiar to me." 

"So this girl is Nekozawa-senpai's sister, huh?" Haruhi says in surprise.

"Oh, what is there to hide? Indeed, you are right! Ahh..." Tamaki puts Kirimi down.

"K-K-K-K-Kirimi... So there you are..." Umehito stutters. Asami winces, because yes, he did look and sound a bit creepy while doing that. It makes a little sense why his sister is avoiding him. Kirimi jumps into Tamaki's arms again.

"Wahhh! A monster!!" She cries.

"Do not worry... This cursed doll, Beelzenef, isn't scary at all. The Nekozawa family has been worshiping feline-shaped objects for generations." He gently touches Beelzenef to show her it means no harm.

"Ume," Asami mumbles and tugs on his cloak, "that's not scaring her." Umehito blinks down at her in confusion.

"What else could she be scared of?" He asks.

"Yourself, Nekozawa-senpai." Haruhi replies. Kyoya nods in agreement.

"It's probably because of what you're wearing." Hikaru and Kaoru try pulling Nekozawa's cloak off.

"Stop! I'm going to die!"

"Will you two stop bullying him?" Asami shouts, grabbing the twins by their ears and yanking them away from the poor male.

"Then let's darken up the room!" Mitsukuni begins pulling the curtains closed.

"I don't like the dark!" Kirimi cries out, tucking herself more into Tamaki's arms.

"Oh, there, there." Tamaki comforts her.

"Now this one's complaining." Kyoya sighs.

"Well they did say she's scared of the dark, what did you expect?" Asami sarcastically comments.

"This tragedy born from the completely opposite physical natures of those two is exactly why they are called the Romeo and Juliet of the Nekozawa family."

"Romeo and Juliet were not siblings, and the situation was much different..." Haruhi says, exchanging a looks of disgust with Asami.

"I know. This is a catchphrase I just came up with. I thought it'd sound more dramatic." These servants are weird.

"By the way, we are responsible for picking Kirimi-sama up from school."

"Are all the folks with the Nekozawa family..." Hikaru trails off.

"... this suspicious-looking?" Kaoru finishes. The one servant begins frantically shaking Nekozawa around.

"What are you talking about?! The Nekozawa family is a noble family, part of the genealogy of the Tokarev dynasty of Russia!"

"Tokarev?" Kyoya repeats.

"D-Don't you mean the Romanov dynasty?" Tamaki asks.

"And a legend in the Nekozawa family that for some unknown reason, once every few hundred years, someone like Umehito-sama, who falls in love with the darkness, is born... may or may not exist."

"You're saying "may or may not exist"..." Mitsukuni points out.

"... but which one is it?" The twins ask.

"Because of his dark robe, bocchama has never been able to come close to his sister, and Kirimi-ojousama fell in love with the prince, the fairy tale-like brother she sees in his portrait painting. Ever since she knew that her brother was in the high school section, she would sometimes come over and search for Umehito-sama like this. Of course, we've been comforting her all this time with prince-themed story books, but alas, we ran out of material for her, so lately we've expanded the repertoire to shoujo mangas where princes appear, and she has fallen in love with them..."

"Shoujo manga?!" Asami shouts. "That isn't for her young ears or eyes!" She leans in toward them, "what manga do you recommend? I just finished My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom. I'm about to start Beauty and The Beasts."

"So this maid was the cause?!" The twins shouts in shock. "Don't take any recommendations from her!" They yank Asami away, protectively standing around her. Asami sighs, she really needs new recommendations thought. She just cannot find good stuff anymore on Crunchyroll (this is a cry for help from the author, I've been sucked into Isekai villainess and beastman anime/manga/manhwa and need more recommendations).

"Debauchery in shoujo manga? Then, Kirimi-chan doesn't know that you're her older brother?" Haruhi asks.

"Yes, we've tried telling her many times, but she doesn't believe it."

"Wahh... But that's so sad for Neko-chan..." Mitsukuni cries.

"Poor dude," Asami frowns.

"Yes... That's why... I've prayed every night for Kirimi to like the darkness." Umehito informs them.

"No, it should be the other way around!" The twins protest.

"You should get used to bright places." Hikaru comments.

"What did you plan on doing to your sister?" Kaoru asks.

"Well then, Kirimi-sama. Let us go home now."

"No!! I want to be with brother! I think it's better to be with brother!" Kirimi suddenly turns to Asami. "Sister wants me to stay too!"

"I don't know about that." Asami scrunches her nose in distaste.

"It is all right, Souh-kun. Do not worry about me. Please... Please take good care of Kirimi!" Nekozawa runs out of the Host Club.

"Siblings are always the cause of problems in any family." Kyoya comments. Tamaki, Asami, Hikaru and Kaoru all glare at him.

"What's that supposed to mean to mean?" They chorus.

"I envy them. I've always been a single child. Yet, even though they have other siblings, it's somewhat sad that they can't be friendly with each other." Haruhi sighs.

"Awe Haruhi!" Asami glomps her. "I'll be your sister! I mean, we'll be sister-in-laws one day, might as well get our sisterly bond started now."

"Get off of me!" Haruhi shouts and struggles to get out of her arms.

"Never! Let me show you the love of a sibling!"

"I'm not into incest!"

"How dare you taint our sisterly bond with such ugly words?" Everyone decides to ignore the two and pay attention as Tamaki sets Kirimi down.

"What's the matter, brother?" She asks.

"Sorry, Kirimi-chan. I'm not your brother after all." Tamaki informs her.

"Thank goodness for that, we don't need no more surprise siblings." Asami grumbles.

"But don't you worry. Kirimi-chan, you have a much better prince-like brother than me: your real brother. Since you came down here, Kirimi-chan is our host club's guest now. We, the Ouran Host Club, exist to bring fortune to girls! That two siblings that yearn for each other cannot be together is a problem that cannot exist! Starting now... we will commence a great plan to reform Nekozawa-senpai into a bright prince character that Kirimi-chan likes!" Tamaki announces.

"To reform Umehito-sama's darkness-loving character? Are you saying that's possible?"

"Hello? Just because you're easily moved, don't say such irresponsible things --" Haruhi begins to scold Tamaki, ignoring how Asami is still cuddling her.

"Heh... Did you forget? We have a strong ally who is extremely talented at reforming character settings." Tamaki smirks. Asami groans, knowing exactly who he is speaking about.

Renge appears on her platform. "Ohohohoho! Ohohohoho!"

"Why her?" Asami grumbles.

"I knew it." The twins sighs.

•••

In a lab at Ouran Academy, the room is darkened, and Nekozawa practices his poetic speaking under Renge's teaching. "Your golden hair that flows through the candles... Your shining skin that resembles ivory... Your smile that is more mysterious than a moonlit flower... Yes, it is... fufu... as ominous as a cursed wax figure!!" Renge slaps Nekozawa with a paper fan.

"No!! You idiot! Who taught you to say that?! I said it's forbidden to use any occult terminology! How many times does it take for you to understand?!" She shouts.

"But... my vocabulary holds nothing but stuff like this..." Renge continues beating Nekozawa with her paper fan.

"Do not talk back to me! A prince character cannot say sissy things like that so easily! Listen! It's good to have a shady side, yes, a shady side. A lonely character works very well on young girls, too. But these days, occult idiots are completely out of the question! Mori-senpai, add another bad word!" Takashi adds another banned word to a chalkboard.

"Wax figure, right?" He asks.

"Renge-kun is on a rampage." Kyoya comments.

"She's really into it." Mitsukuni agrees.

"Though I'm not sure those words would work on his sister..." Hikaru muses.

"Yeah, that seems a bit too romantic." Asami winces.

"My lord, you're just going to watch?" Kaoru asks.

"Well, I don't want to be cursed afterward..." He nervously says.

"Idiot," Asami backhands his head, "Umehito never cursed you. Stop blaming him for all of the negative things that happen to you." She rolls her eyes before pausing. "Actually...am I a curse? It seems all I bring is bad energy." She begins to sulk.

"No!" Tamaki shakes his head violently. "You are definitely not a curse! You're a blessing!"

"Well then, you've memorized most of the character setting lines. We should move on to that soon." Renge states.

"W-Wait... It's still too soon for that..."

"Evil beam!!" Renge shines a flashlight onto Nekozawa.

"Gahhh!!"

"I really don't like it when you guys do that to him," Asami frowns, "he doesn't deserve to be treated like that."

"Oh," Haruhi cocks an eyebrow with a sly smirk, "does someone have a crush on senpai?"

"No," Asami shots that down quickly, "he's just a friend."

"Don't lose your head to a mere flashlight! Show some guts! There are no problems with your qualities, so it's a matter of your willpower! Even Edward dealt with a cross with willpower and guts." Renge yells.

"Ah... Weren't you denying anything occult?" Umehito asks.

"It's okay for fiction. It's not okay for fashion." Renge shrugs. "More importantly, your lines don't have any heart. You must see your practice partner more as Kirimi-chan."

"I understand your point, but... Kirimi's face isn't such an ashen color." Nekozawa looks at Tamaki's teddy bear dressed up as Kirimi.

"No questions!! You must see her with the eyes of your heart. With the eyes of your heart!" Renge yells.

"Yes! This is all for Kirimi-chan's sake! If you can activate the eyes of your heart, then you'll be able to see that doll as the real Kirimi-chan!" Tamaki joins in. Hikaru and Kaoru present Tamaki with a mannequin wearing a bikini and a wig similar to Haruhi's hairstyle. Asami face palms, taking a giant step away from the fuming girl.

"We prepared something like this." Hikaru smriks.

"Well then, make love to this Haruhi doll." Kaoru snickers.

"Th-This... as Haruhi?" Tamaki stutters.

"It's important to set an example for everything!" The twins inform him.

"H-Haruhi... I..." Tamaki's eyes of the heart activate as he begins to dream about Haruhi. Tamaki snaps back to reality and pushes himself away from the mannequin. "H-H-H-Haruhi?! Th-The real one?! When did you get here?!" Tamaki tosses the mannequin aside.

"She's been here." Asami sweat drops.

"Kirimi-chan came over to the club room again today... so if you've got the time to be doing disgusting things like that, could you go spend time with Kirimi-chan instead?" Haruhi growls.

"D-Disgusting?!" Tamaki sulks in a corner. The twins burst out laughing.

"What, Haruhi? You're not good with children?" Kyoya asks.

"No, it's not that I don't like children... I've been reading around 50 shoujo manga volumes aloud to her these past three days. Man, some of those were really reverse harems and filled with debauchery." She grumbles. "Why didn't you take this job from me? You love shoujo manga." She asks Asami.

"Because I'm not fond of children." Asami comments. Kirimi stands in the doorway to the darkened room but begins to get teary.

"Mmm... This room is so dark! Wahh..." Kirimi starts to cry.

"Ah, Kirimi-chan! I told you to wait in that room..." Haruhi says after seeing the girl. 

"Aww, what's the matter? It's okay, it's okay, here!" Tamaki picks Kirimi up. "Scary no more!" Tamaki spins Kirimi around in the air. Asami glares at them, not appreciating that Tamaki is somewhat replacing her with Kirimi. Nekozawa holds a flashlight pointed at his face.

"I am a wonderful prince-like onii-chan... I am a wonderful prince-like onii-chan... I am a wonderful prince-like onii-chan... I am a wonderful prince-like onii-chan... I am a wonderful prince-like onii-chan..I'm not scared of the light! Evil beam on me!!" Nekozawa shines the flashlight in his own face.

"Yeah!" Asami pumps her fist in the air.

"All right!" Mitsukuni joins in the cheering. Takashi claps.

"Nekozawa-senpai finally is able to point a flashlight at himself!" Range exclaims excitedly.

"He did it! I'm sure Kirimi-chan will be happy!" Tamaki points at Nekozawa. "Hey, Kirimi-chan. This is your real brother." Nekozawa turns to face Kirimi with the light shining from below his face. Kirimi screams in fright and runs out of the room. Nekozawa drops the flashlight.

"That evil beam..." Hikaru starts to say.

"...has got to be scary for her." Kaoru finishes.

"I give up..There's no guarantee that doing any more training would make Kirimi accept me... Kirimi would like it better if Souh-kun were her brother instead of having a brother like me..." Umehito sadly comments.

"Don't give up," Asami approaches him and squeezes his hand encouragingly, "we believe in you. You just need to believe in yourself."

"You're the one she really wants to see, right?" Tamaki points out. "If you cherish your sister that much, then show some more willpower."The blinds open. Hikaru and Kaoru look out the window.

"Huh? Your sister is still in the courtyard."

"There's something with her."' Kirimi stands facing a stray cat in the courtyard below. "Oh, it's a cat."

"To be expected from a cat-loving family."

"Even stray cats come to fawn on you right away." The twins comment.

"No! Even if the Nekozawa family worships cats, there's no way that an occult happening like stray cats coming toward you can be possible!Kirimi does not like animals, and she fears living cats the most!" Nekozawa smashes through the window and jumps out. Nekozawa runs toward Kirimi. Kirimi tears up and jumps into Nekozawa's arms. Asami stares in worry because he does not have his wig or cloak on.

"Wahh... brother!" She cries.

"All right!" The host club cheers.

"This is the result of my training!" Renge wipes away a fake tear.

"See, Kirimi? No need to be scared anymore. Bad cats like that..." Nekozawa puts Kirimi down and pulls out his Beelzenef puppet. "... can be scared away with the power of this cursed doll, Beelzenef... like this..." Nekozawa collapses. Asami gasps in worry. The stray cat meows and wanders off.

Several days later, at the Host Club. The Host Club members prepare for activities. Nekozawa peers through the door to the Host Club room but disappears again.

"Nekozawa-senpai..." Tamaki trails off.

"He probably bathed in a lifetime's worth of sunlight back there." Hikaru says.

"He must've reverted back to his pre-training state as a reaction."
Mitsukuni observes.

"Geez... In the end, he's wearing that gloomy black robe again." Kaoru shakes his head.

"Leave him alone, that was hard on him." Asami tsks. She was proud of Umehito for saving his little sister even at the risk of his own health. Hopefully, their relationship is better. Her eyes narrows as she thinks about Sakura. Tamaki and her have been successful in avoiding the girl because she has joined the school—being placed in 3-B.  She wonders if they should reach out to her and form a sibling bond against their grandmother's advice. Siblings should always stand together, no matter what.

•••

Asami kicks her feet while she lays on her stomach on her bed with her phone in front of her. Small giggles escape her mouth as she eagerly reads Love Me, Love Me Not. She appreciates when authors can prioritize friendship relationships above romantic ones. Her door suddenly opens to reveal a panting Hana. "Miss," she leans forward to rest her hands on her knees, "Miss Souh," she eventually catches her breath. "You have a suitor here to accompany you onto a date." Jana freezes upon seeing Asami in pajamas and in bed. "You just got home from school!"

"And I wanted to relax," Asami whines, "who is the suitor?" She grumbles, rolling out of bed and getting dressed into whatever clothes Hana has picked out for her.  She pauses when she sees the grim Hana directs at her. "I'm assuming it's someone I know from how you're reacting." She follows Hana to the front of the house, smoothing out her dress and making sure her hair is laying perfectly on her shoulders. She stands near the stairs and nervously stares down at the bottom. She is unable to see who the suitor is, but she secretly hopes that he has auburn hair and amber colored eyes. She descends the stairs and eagerly looks at her suitor. Her form freezes when she realizes how her next suitor is.

"Takashi?"