<Recap:>

Those twins have got to learn.
Even if they did play me like a toy,
I'll always be twice as lonely as they were before this host club.

<End of Recap>

~The Elementary School~

"Oh, there you are, Shiro. The rest of the club is assembled and ready to go. You should get to the music room", the man said to the little boy who had his hand on the door's handle.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm quitting the Classical Music Club", the boy, Shiro, said.

"Huh?", the man asked with a shrug. "What made you decide to quit all of a sudden?" He started to approach him. "I think you have a natural talent for the piano. It'd be a shame to waste it." He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "So forget about quitting and come back to the club. If you play piano, you're sure to be popular with all thr ladies."

"But that's gonna take too long!", Shiro said. The man was confused as the brown haired boy turned around to reveal his angered dark blue eyes. "I don't have that much time!" The boy left the room and began walking through the school buildings.

The top floor of the south building. At the end of the north hallway. In a music room that's never used. This is it. This is the place.

He reached out and opened the door to be created by a bright light and rose petals.

Max's POV

A little boy opened the door to the room and fell backwards when he saw the members of the Host Club. "Welcome to the Ouran Host Club~."

"Oh, it's just a kid", Hikaru said.

"Not only that, it's just a boy", Kaoru added.

"What's wrong, little boy?", Tamaki asked as if he were some sort of king. It was safe to say he was deep in his role as an Arabian king. "Did you come to my palace in search of something?" The boy stood up. I gained interest and looked at him confused.

"A-Are you the king of this place?", he asked. Tamaki's eyes widened and he sighed in delight. "Well, are you?"

"Come closer, lost one", Tamaki said. The boy walked towards him. "What was it you just called me, little boy?"

"The king", the boy said confusedly. Tamaki sat up dramatically.

"Oh god there goes his ego." I muttered.

"The king!", he repeated. He began to twirl around with his arms spread out. "Yes, I am the king of the Ouran Host Club!" He stopped spinning with stars in his eyes. "Long live the Host King!"

"I'm an elementary fifth year, Shiro Takaoji", he said. Tamaki looked over at him, snapped out of his daze. Shiro pointed at him. "I want the Host Club king to take me on as an apprentice." Everyone gave him shocked looks, excluding Mori, Kyoya, and I. Tamaki put his hands on his own cheeks and they turned a slight pink. I just sighed annoyed and secretly felt bad for the kid.

~Magical Time Skip~

"Oh, my, Tamaki. You have an apprentice?", one of the girls asked.

"Yes. He's still in elementary school, but I like the fire in his eyes", Tamaki replied.

"But are you sure it's okay for such a young boy to become a host?", she asked. Tamaki gently took her chin in his fingers.

"Oh, why wouldn't it be?", he asked. "Love has nothing to do with age. Take us, for instance. Whenever I look at you, my heart starts pounding." He brought their faces closer together. "Suddenly, I feel no different than a love sick little boy."

"Oh, Tamaki", she said. Shiro sat in a chair with them and just stared at them.

"Don't you think it's weird he's making the kid observe him up close like that?", Haruhi asked.

"It does to me." I contributed as I stood beside Kyoya.

"There is a theory that people are considered more beautiful the closer they are viewed. Tamaki seems to live by that theory", Kyoya said and turned back to his notebook to write. "Well, let's leave them alone." Tamaki grabbed the girl's hand.

"You naughty girl. You've drawn me to the forbidden fruit, dearest", he said and brought their faces closer again. "You're the mermaid who's brought the light into my lonely sea. My mermaid princess."

"I remind you of a mermaid?", she asked.

"You look more like the carp that swims in my pond at home. I'd never give false compliments like that", Shiro said.

"Carp?!", she turned away in tears.

"Oh, don't listen to him. He's just a kid. You know how kids are", Tamaki said while trying to comfort her. She looked at him as her tears slowed. "They can't help but be honest."

"Honest?!", she cried and started to cry again.

"But that's just his opinion", Tamaki said. "I wouldn't say you look like a carp. And, even if you did look like a carp, you'd be the most beautiful carp of them all."

"So I am a carp!", she said and started crying again.

"No. That's not what I meant", he said. The girl got up and ran away in tears.

"Tamaki, you're an idiot!", she said as she ran.

"No, wait! Mermaid princess!", Tamaki called.

"Man, what a crybaby", Shiro as he watched with a straight face and sat back down. Tamaki sighed and then gritted his teeth in anger. He then snapped his fingers and motioned towards the kid. I sighed as I went over there and picked him up under his arms.

"H-Hey put me down!!" He protested as I ignored his squirming.

"So how's it going, Boss?", Hikaru asked as he and his brother approached, laughing. "That's an adorable little apprentice you've got there."

"Hikaru?", Kaoru asked as he stopped laughing. Hikaru turned to face him. "Do you wish you had a little brother like Shiro?" Hikaru pulled Kaoru into a tight embrace.

"Don't be silly", Hikaru said. "I could search the globe and I'd never find a better brother than you, Kaoru."

"Hikaru", Kaoru said. Two gurls watched them with bright eyes.

"Look! They're doing it!"

"Forbidden brotherly love!"

Shiro looked at them in horror. "They're homos! And they're brothers! That makes this totally insectuous!", Shiro said in horror and disgust.

"I think what you meant to say was 'incestuous'", Tamaki corrected as he stood behind me, who was holding Shiro, with crossed arms. Shiro looked back at him with wide eyes before being tackled out of my hands by Honey.

"Hey, Shiro-chan!", Honey said. "You wanna have a piece of cake with me? We've got three kinds! Chocolate, strawberry, and lime!" Shiro knocked Honey off of him.

"Hey, back off! What grade are you in, anyway? Why are you wearing a high school uniform?", Shiro asked harshly. Mori approached them, casting his shadow over the two.

"Something wrong, Mitsukuni?", he asked. Both boys looked back at him and Shiro's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide as his hair stood up in fear. Honey climbed up on Mori's shoulders with teary eyes while Shiro screamed at him. "That's not fair!! A little kid like you isn't supposed to have a cool older friend like him!!" Shiro backed away and bumped into Haruhi, almost making her drop the tray she was carrying.

"Are you all right?", she asked. Shiro turned to face her. "I know. It's kinda hard getting used to all the weirdos around here. It took me a while to get adjusted to all the craziness, so don't freak out. I'm sure you'll get used to it." Shiro looked at her for a while. "Something wrong?"

"Are you a cross dresser?", he asked plainly. Tamaki and the Twins went white. I just sighed in annoyance as I walked over to Haruhi.

"Oh no", they whispered. Tamaki rushed over and covered Shiro's eyes.

"Okay, that's enough! I think Shiro should take care of the tea for us, don't you?", Tamaki asked as the Twins approached Haruhi and I.

"Wow, Haruhi. You're looking extra manly today", Kaoru said.

"Now, do what the Boss says and let Shiro take care of the tea since it's part of his training. You're too macho for tea sets", Hikaru said. The three of them laughed awkwardly as Haruhi and I sighed. Shiro pulled Tamaki's hand away from his eyes and Tamaki and the Twins each glared at him with a bit of horror. Haruhi held the tray out for Shiro.

"Now, be careful with it. It's pretty heavy", she warned. As soon as she let go, it fell to the floor and I managed to catch it before it shattered. They all looked down at the tray in my hands.

"It's not my fault I dropped it", he said. He looked up at Haruhi. "It's your fault 'cause you're the one who made me take it in the first place."

"Say what?", Haruhi said flatly with annoyance.

"Haruhi, that's another 100,000 yen", Kyoya said.

"Huh?!", she exclaimed. "But Max caught it!"

"Hmph. Fine. I won't add the potential charges to your debt." Kyoya replied.

"Hey, you should make the cross dresser do all your stupid chores!", Shiro said. "I'm not here to carry tea sets. I'm here to learn how to make women happy!"

"You won't get anywhere with that attitude", Tamaki said. "And I am not going to let you disrespect Haruhi, so put this brat in isolation!" He pointed to Shiro as the Twins saluted.

"You got it, Boss!", they said and a cage fell from the ceiling and trapped Shiro. He grabbed the cage bars. I put down the tray and made my way back over to the cage and leaned against the bars.

"What's going on here?! Why'd you put me in a cage all of a sudden?!", he asked.

"Yeah and where'd it come from?", Haruhi asked. "This is supposed to be a music room, right?" Shiro climbed on the bars.

"I installed it on Tamaki's request." I answered and Haruhi nodded in understanding.

"This is no way to treat your loyal apprentice! Now let me out of this cage!!", Shiro screeched. Tamaki sat calmly while sipping his tea.

"Not until you've learned your lesson. I made you my apprentice because I thought you were serious about becoming a host, but I guess I was wrong", Tamaki said.

"I am serious! Totally serious!", Shiro said pleadingly while Tamaki drank his tea. "I want you to teach me how to make a woman happy!" He looked down and closed his eyes tightly and fell to his knees while still gripping the cage's bars. "I'm gonna run out of time. Please, won't you teach me?" Haruhi looked over at him. "You're a host because you like girls. You like bringing a smile to a girl's face. That's why you do it right?" Tamaki looked at without turning his head. "Please, won't you teach me to be like you? You're a genius at it! You're the king!" Tamaki's eyes widened at the compliments he received. He stood up.

"Well, you may be a brat, but I admire your desire to become a host, so I'll teach you", he said. Tamaki looked up a little while the air around him seemed to sparkle. "You know, Shiro, you and I are so much alike."

"You poor kid", Haruhi said plainly. Shiro stood up and smiled.

"He had so much to live for." I added.

"Then you'll help me become the kind of host that can make any woman happy?", he asked.

"Of course. Making women happy is the soul purpose of being a host", Tamaki said. "If this is what you really want, Shiro, then you'll have to figure out how to use the material you already have."

"What does that mean?", Shiro asked confusedly.

"You see, here at the Ouran Host Club,  our policy is to use our individual personality traits to meet the needs of our guests", Kyoya said and Shiro faced him. "For example, there's Tamaki, who is the Princely Type. There's the Strong, Silent Type. The Boy-Lolita Type. The Little-Devil Type. And the Cool Type. It's all about variety. And now our group is complete with the addition of Haruhi, the Natural and Max, the Intimidating Type." Each person appeared by Kyoya as he listed their type and Shiro watched.

"The Natural?", he asked.

"It would seem that right now we have a perfect blend of characteristics, so it's going to be difficult to find a new type for Shiro", Kyoya said.

"If you go by his age, he should be the Boy-Lolita Type", Hikaru said.

"But Honey-senpai's already got that covered", Kaoru pointed out while Honey held Usa-chan with teary eyes.

"Is he gonna replace me?", he asked sadly.

"No he isn't." I replied and Honey cheered up instantly with a smile.

"Oh, come on. Is that all you've got?", Renge's voice asked as a powerful motor powered up and she spun into view on her rising platform.

"What's up with this place? It's supposed to be a music room", Haruhi said. Renge sighed.

"Sorry to interrupt, gentlemen, but what's with the lack luster character analysis?", Renge asked. "I must say, I'm quite disappointed. I thought I taught you better." Shiro looked up at her in shock.

"All right then, Miss Manager", Tamaki said. "How would you work Shiro into our collection of characters. He can't be the Boy-Lolita because Honey's already got that covered." Tamaki smirked a little as he lifted a tearful Honey up.

"You just don't get it, do you?", she asked. She pointed at the Host Club. "Now, listen up! There are plenty of girls out there who have a thing for younger boys or boys with baby faces. These girls would be considered Shota fans. Now Shota can be a fairly broad catagory, so it's important to know that the genre can be broken down into many different smaller subcategories. For example, Shota fans with an interest in Lolita boys would favor a boy like Haninozuka-senpai, but this little boy is different. If I had to pick a character for him...Yes! He'd be the Naughty Boy Type, without a doubt!" Kyoya was writing the whole time Renge spoke.

"The Naughty Type?", he mumbled. The cage lifted up from around Shiro and Renge blew a whistle and pointed to him.

"Now, to play the Naughty Type you have to wear shorts. Okay", she said as she pointed to his shorts and blew her whistle again. "You've gotta have bumps and bruises! Give him a couple of scars." The Twins put random bandaids on Shiro and drew some scars with a black marker. Renge blew her whistle again. "Run like a spoiled child! Make it reckless." Shiro took off running as she spoke and she blew her whistle again. "Now, I want you to trip and make it big!" Shiro tripped on a rope and landed on his face. Renge went to him and spoke sweetly. "Are you okay, little boy?" She blew her whistle as he sat up. "Now, give 'em your catchphrase!"

"No big deal. It was nothing", he said as he wiped his cheek with his sleeve.

"That was perfect! Absolutely perfect, Shiro!", Renge said happily. Tamaki clapped.

"That was outstanding", he said. "I never knew you were such a great coach, Renge." Renge laughed as Shiro stood up.

"I've had enough of you people!", he said. Everyone looked at him. "This is so stupid. None of this is ever going to help me make her happy." He sounded like he was about to cry.

"Who's 'her'?", Haruhi asked quietly. Shiro started running away.

"Wait, Shiro!", Tamaki called. "We haven't taught you how to apply the techniques you've learned yet." Shiro kept running.

"I swear, younger boys are good for nothing", Renge said as she began to sink with her platform. "I went to all that trouble to coach him and he quits."

"I believe he ditched us because he didn't like the lesson", Tamaki said. "What a selfish little brat."

"There aren't many people who would enjoy that kind of lesson", Haruhi said. Tamaki looked at her. "But, never mind that, were you listening to what he said? He said he was going to run out of time. What do you think he means by that? I think that, maybe, it's a girl." Tamaki looked back in the direction Shiro ran in and thought.

"Kids. Sometimes I can't stand their ignorance." I mumble.

Honestly.
This kid is more trouble than he's worth.

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