Work Text:
In a blur of holding hands and excitable babbling, Haruhi finds herself in Renge’s bedroom. Now Renge’s favourite host for reasons she can’t quite fathom, Haruhi remembers Renge linking arms with her and leading her out of the club room, the boys watching and not telling her that Haruhi isn’t a girl. Although Haruhi doesn’t tell her either, so she’s not really mad. Just… puzzled.
“Do you like my room, Haruhi-kun?” Renge says, still holding Haruhi’s hand and grinning a pretty cute smile.
Wait – cute? Since when does she think of Renge as cute? Annoying and hyperactive and a total otaku who forced her way into their lives but now they all genuinely like their manager in a strange way, but not cute. What the hell?
Haruhi shakes off that thought and surveys the room. Just as she suspected, Renge has merch related to that character who really resembles Kyouya-senpai. However, she never expected there to be so much merch here. Posters and art line the walls, dozens and dozens of figurines stand on custom-made shelves and plushies cover her large bed. Part of Haruhi wants to laugh at the extent of this collection, but she stops herself.
“Uh… it’s awesome,” Haruhi tries, wishing her cheeks would stop burning. “Would you call yourself an otaku?”
Haruhi knows some nerdy (AKA: anime-obsessed, fanfiction writing fandom obsessive) people don’t like being called otaku. But Renge grins, and she knows it’s fine.
“Yeah, I’m a total otaku,” she says. “Hey, Haru-kun—”
Where did that nickname come from?
“Do… do you like video games?”
“Um, well, n-not really. I’m more of a movie person.”
“Huh, that’s weird. Most boys love video games.” Renge stares at her – and grins again. “What was the last video game you played?”
Haruhi frowns, glad the conversation has moved on from stereotypes of the gender she’s masquerading as. “Um, probably, the first Danganronpa game.”
Renge stares at her, and her eyes light up. Haruhi never understood that phrase, but she does now. Because she sees Renge’s eyes widen and the energy that fills her gaze really seems to shine like lights. Her eyes sparkle with happiness, and Haruhi blushes even redder.
“Wow, good taste! After dating sims, my favourite video game genre is visual novels. Did you like it? Was the mastermind reveal a shock for you? Will you ever play the sequel? What other games do you like? Would you like to play a game with me? Haruhi-kun?”
Haruhi stares at her, overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. Where should she even start?
To be honest, what is going to happen now? Renge must have a crush on her, right? So will Renge want to kiss her? But if Renge wants to date Haruhi, does she want that because she thinks Haruhi is a boy?
As she forces some answers to the endless questions, Haruhi runs over her own questions in her head. Renge must like her to be doing this, right? But Renge knows her as a boy. Would knowing Haruhi’s gender stop her crushing on Haruhi, or would she still like her regardless?
Why does this have to be so complicated?
What should she say?
She… she thinks Renge is cute, doesn’t she? So… should she ask Renge out? But… that would mean telling Renge she is a girl, adding to the list of people keeping her secret.
“Um, Renge?” she finally says, before realising she is on the other side of the room.
Haruhi looks around and finds herself sat on a cushion by the TV, Renge kneeling beside her and studying her video game collection. Did Renge lead her over here whilst she was thinking? Just how deep in her daydreams was she?
“Yeah?”
“Do you… have feelings for me?”
Renge blushes a deep shade of red. “Oh, Haruhi-kun, was I that obvious?”
Haruhi smiles awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Just a bit. It’s okay. I just wanted to be sure. So… you’d want to date me, right?”
Renge wraps her hands around her arm, pulling Haruhi closer. “Of course I would!”
“Well… if you want that… there’s something I have to tell you first,” Haruhi says. “But you have to promise not to tell anyone, ‘cause only the guys at the club know. It’s a secret.”
“Oh, a secret,” Renge says, but her smile fades. “Is everything okay?”
Haruhi nods. “It’s nothing bad. Just… I think important. The thing is, Renge… I’m a girl.”
Renge blinks. “Pardon?”
“I’m a girl.”
Renge blinks again, and her eyes widen. “Oh, are you transgender?”
“Nope,” Haruhi says. “Just a cis girl cross-dressing.”
“I… see,” Renge says. “Is there a reason why?”
“You heard the guys talking about why I’m part of the Host Club, right?”
She nods. “Oh yeah, you broke a vase and were too poor to pay them back so they’re making you work as a host.”
“Yes, exactly. The thing is, they all thought I was a boy at the time. And when they finally worked it out, I realised cross-dressing doesn’t bother me and decided to stay on as a Host.”
“Even though you’re a girl?”
“Uh-huh. So… it’s kinda a secret. Other than the Host club, everyone at school thinks I’m a boy. You… you won’t tell everyone, will you?”
“Of course not,” Renge says, reaching for her hand. “And, Haruhi-k… I mean, Haruhi-chan – or can I call you Haru-chan?”
Haruhi shrugs, hoping she won’t blush. “Eh, Honey-senpai’s been calling that since the day we met.”
“Brilliant,” she says, grinning. “Anyway, Haru-chan, what I wanted to say was… thank you for telling me. And… I… I still want to date you.”
“Really?” Haruhi says, flinching at the unexpected answer. “But… I’m a girl.”
“I know. That’s the great thing about being bisexual,” Renge says, squeezing her hand tighter. “I still like you now I know your gender.”
Despite her attempts to prevent it, Haruhi blushes again. Even redder than before, she stares at Renge, wondering if you could actually feel the heat radiating from her cheeks.
“Oh…” is all she can manage to say. “You’re bi?”
Renge nods. “Why, are you as well?”
Haruhi has known that she falls for girls as well as boys for a while now, but she’s never told anyone (other than Dad). But the girl confessing to her seems to be a good person to start with.
“Um… biromantic. ‘Case I’m asexual. I don’t like anyone, um, that way, but I like girls.” Haruhi exhales slowly. Who knew coming out is so stressful?
Renge brushes her fingertips across Haruhi’s palm, before interlocking their fingers in an oddly intimate way. “That’s good. I like girls too. Haru-chan… will you go out with me?”
Haruhi smiles. “Yeah. I’d love to.”