11If I owned this, don't ya think that I would have put my OC in the anime? Flamers will be used in my fourth of July bbq for hotdogs and burgers... and maybe the firecrackers.
Suzume looked down at the ball of blonde fluff, realizing it was only Mitsukuni Haninozuka, 3rd year, infamous loli-shota of the Host Club, and rumored WMD of Japan. Suzume gave her peer a weak smile, before patting him on the head and nodding to his silent cousin, Takashi Morinozuka, another member of the Host Club.
"Ohayo Mitsukuni, but would you please release me?"
He let go of her with a pout but grabbed his depressed looking rabbit from its own corner of despair.
"Suzu-chan, usa-chan wanted to know if you are doing alright? He thinks that you need a hug!"
Suzume faintly smiled at the actions of her classmate, inquiring after her state of being. This was a much better outcome than what she was expecting of him, where she had originally believed that he would attack her with questions that would be on everyone's minds. Was she okay? How did her father die? What would happen to her family? Was she poor now, or would her mother remarry? Truth be told, her father left his art dealing company to her and her mother had very nearly killed the last man to try and take her late husband's place. It was so much that he had placed on her shoulders, but Suzume had endeared all of the trials of the company and its employees not to mention her family's expectations silently and strongly. Her grandmother had compared her to a strong river that had just had a few rapids, to which Suzume had taken as a comment.
"Class! Please take your seats!"
And so her day would begin, as the rest of the school year would. Torment the insufferable gossips, comfort herself through Mitsukuni, and be as studious as she could, in order to keep her father's legacy.
It wasn't until halfway through the year that she was approached by Honey and Mori outside of the classroom. It was actually a Saturday and Suzume had gone to the most local library outside of her home in order to study for her latest foreign language exam, German. She didn't realize that there was a small, adorable blonde, (at least in appearance) young boy and his large, dark protector were beside her until Mori decided to speak. This would be one of the few first times that she had heard him speak to her outside of a greeting within the Host Club.
"Hanahashi-san."
"Hmm? Oh! Hello Honey, hello Takashi."
It didn't take much for people to notice that Suzume wasn't really herself after her father's death. Not too many of the student body crossed paths with her voluntarily before, but when they had it was a pleasant conversation. Even if came to be mindless, she was a great listener, however if one did seek her out she would only stare and make little effort to join in on the topic. Little to no hospitality was given, and so no there were even less that bothered her in her day to day life. Her visits to the Host Club, infrequent then, were nonexistent now and it had come to her attention that maybe the smaller senior was maybe missing one of the few people who didn't treat him like his size, or wail over how cute he was.
"Suzu-chan, why won't you come to the club anymore? Takashi and I miss you!"
He turned on his 'big, brown, sad eyes' as his cousin merely gave her a subtle questioning gaze. Suzume sighed as she looked down at her textbook.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't been feeling well enough to be out and about. I wish I could come, but I don't think I'm ready to be around so many at the moment."
"Please? At least come and have lunch with us?! PLEASE?"
"Mitsukuni."
The single word from the kendo champion was enough to silence Honey. Suzume gave a breath and a weak smile to her… friends?
"I'll try," Honey gave a cheer and Mori held a glint in his eyes. "But, I need you to let me come on my own. I just… I have a lot, 'kay?"
Suzume gave one the biggest smiles she had in a long time and waved goodbye as the librarian ushered the two outside of the library. Inside, she was still a little afraid to go.
What will they say? Would they judge her because she now ran her family's business? Could she handle it? Would she be tarnishing her father's memory in being with her crush of so long?
Though her fears were great, she closed her books, put away her things, and made an opening in her book for that Monday.