Chapter Text
-Chapter 24-
Honey Captures her Soul!
Which designs should I submit though? As she scrolled through every design sketch stored on her tablet, Miki hummed. The police-themed is a personal favourite of mine; the guests loved the pirate-themed, Heian-themed was another fan favourite.
"Achoo!" Honey's sneeze was just the wakeup call she needed as she snapped back into reality from her wonderland of designs. She glanced over at the lolita, spotting him with Mori nearby, passing him a tissue box. Four guests fussed over him as they placed down their forks.
"Oh, Honey-senpai, do you have a cold?" One girl asked. "It's easy to get sick when the seasons are changing."
"No, I'm fine." Rubbing his nose awkwardly, Honey giggled.
"Take care of yourself." Another girl who Miki recognized as Sumire warned tenderly with her hand near her lip. "I actually feel slightly feverish myself."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Princess Sumire." He flashed his usual dashing smile as he offered the tea to her. "Warm yourself up with this ginger tea, and we'll use it to divine whether that fever is from a cold or your feelings for me."
Cupping her reddened cheeks between her palm, Sumire let out a squeal as she swooned over his sugar-coated words. "Tamaki-sama!"
"Tamaki-sama, are you also a fortune teller?" One of the guests asked.
"A fortune teller?" Gasping, Miki tilted her head. Like a cat, her ears perked up excitedly as her eyes shone with excitement. "Tamaki-kun, you can tell people's fortunes?!" She exclaimed with shimmers in her hazel eyes.
"Yes, of course." Reaching out a hand to no one in particular, Tamaki readjusted his hair. "Did you know that since ancient times, people have read their fortunes in flora and the stars? But today the common folk use everyday items such as electrical appliances and stationary." He informed them. "At first, I was impressed by their skill in entertaining themselves without spending money, but then I realized it was a symptom of the emptiness in their busy lives! They'll use anything to feel better, in an attempt to confirm the significance of their existence!" Hand clenching into a fist, he struck a dramatic pose.
"Tamaki-sama, you are so cool!" One of the guests exclaimed.
"Please tell me my fortune!" Sumire pled.
Bouncing over to an empty seat next to Sumire, Miki giggled. "Tamaki-kun, tell mine next!"
"You're amazing Tama-chan!" Honey praised.
"Milord seems to be in perfect form after recovering from that cold," Hikaru commented, sipping on a cup of warm commoner's coffee.
"If he had stayed abed longer, we might have learned to miss him." Kaoru shrugged with a sweatdrop.
"Oh, Haruhi! Haruhi!" Glancing up from his cards, Tamaki beamed as he gestured for the brunette to come closer. "Let daddy tell your animal fortune!" He offered. "Are you a bunny? Or maybe a birdie? Come here!"
"I don't really care about that..." Haruhi hummed before pulling up a chair and sitting at least five feet away from Tamaki. "Please make it quick." She spoke as if it were nothing.
Reaching out shakily, Tamaki blinked. "Huh? Why are you so far away? Daddy is over here."
"I'm just being safe." Haruhi reasoned.
Hearing her words, the blond jolted back in shock. "Eh? Why?! Did I do something wrong?" He panicked as his eyes darted back and forth, brimmed with comical tears.
"Hm? Don't you remember Tamaki-kun?" Miki tilted her head with a finger to her chin. "When you were sick, you-"
"It's fine if you forgot." Interrupting her upperclassman, Haruhi spoke firmly.
"What are you talking about?!" Tamaki shrieked as the tears poured out of his face like a water dam. "What should I do? My daughter is in a rebellious stage! I know! I'll seek the answer by fortune-telling!" And with that, he scrambled through the cards in an attempt to figure out what was wrong when a hand crept onto his shoulder like a spider.
"Ah! I didn't know you liked fortune-telling, Suoh-kun." Nekozawa peeked up out of nowhere with Belzenef in his other hand, scaring the two blondes half to death.
"Nekozawa-senpai!" Darting behind her chair, Miki peeked out cautiously.
"Eeek!" Tamaki yelped, and his face turned pale.
Laughing maniacally, Nekozawa grinned. "You should join the Black Magic Club!" He muttered. "We're currently holding our late-fall fortune-telling campaign. I'll give you some special training."
Tamaki let out another screech as he dropped the cards, he sprinted behind Kyoya who paid no mind to him.
"That's right... I have some great news for you Haninozuka." Turning towards Honey, who was indulging in his afternoon cake happily, Nekozawa announced with a dramatic finger point. "Congratulations! Our very own mistress of maledictions has chosen you to be her sacrificial victim."
"Malediction?" Sneaking sheepishly away with tears of shock in her eyes, Miki repeated with questioning eyes.
"In other words, curses," Kyoya replied, still not glancing up from his work.
"Eeeh?!" The host club's eyes widened.
~Miki's Mind Theatre~
Honey tied to a stake in a witches pot.
***
A girl with beautiful long black hair and dull eyes approached Kasanoda who jolted in fear at her presence.
"H-Huh?!" The redhead responded choppily, trying to retain his tough persona.
"You've been fraternizing with the host club recently, are you acquainted with the one they call 'Honey-senpai'?" The raven-haired girl asked with no emotion in her voice.
"Uh? N-No, not really." Kasanoda trembled slightly at her unsettling aura.
"I see, sorry to have inconvenienced you." With that, she pulled a wooden voodoo doll out of her bag and slid it towards the already horrified mafia's future leader. "Please accept this as my apology." And then, she walked away, leaving Kasanoda and the rest of her classmates in a panic.
"Kanazuki Reiko, first-year, class D, Black Magic Club member. Her family runs a high-class tailoring service in Japan. Her hobby is casting curses, and because of this she doesn't fit in with other students." Kyoya recited as he read through his notebook, glancing up at Tamaki, Miki, Hikaru and Kaoru who all peeked through the doorway of class 1-D.
"She's the one that wants to use Honey-senpai in her soup?" Miki blinked as she tilted her head in confusion. "She seems very nice."
"What makes you think she's gonna cook him?" Haruhi felt a sweatdrop behind her head as her shoulders slumped.
"Because Nekozawa-senpai said 'sacrificial victim.'" Lifting her finger, Miki with a serious expression. "She might use him to concoct a potion."
"Miki, she is the one cursing him, not cooking him." Readjusting his glasses, Kyoya corrected her.
"Do you know why she is cursing you, Honey-senpai?" Seeing that if this conversation went on, they'd be stuck here forever, Kaoru quickly changed the subject.
"I've seen her somewhere before, but I don't remember her exactly." Honey cried as he clung to Mori's back.
"She doesn't wear a black cloak like Nekozawa-senpai does." Haruhi pointed out.
In unison, the twins shrugged with a headshake. "Class 1-D sure has a lot of freaks. Like Bossa Nova-chi."
"Wahh... Why me?" Honey whined as tears circled in his eyes. "Why am I cursed? Is she really going to cook me?"
Seeing his cousin in such distress, Mori stayed silent as he placed Honey down on the ground. Then, in one crisp movement, he snapped around and marched towards the classroom. "I'll go have a talk with her..!" He grumbled.
"Ahh! No violence, Mori-senpai!" Tamaki was quick to stop the silent giant before Nekozawa appeared again.
"That's right." Placing an arm around Tamaki's shoulder, he chuckled darkly. "Interrupting the curse would only invite more calamity." He affirmed, causing Tamaki to shrivel in fear and crumple in Miki's arms as she too was as white as a sheet from the president of the black magic club.
"Wahh! I want to eat cake" Honey cried desperately as he clung onto Mori. "I don't wanna be turned into a potion!"
"Scary, no?" The twins whispered not-so-discreetly to each other.
Things are heating up... I want to go home. Overlooking the situation, Haruhi sweatdropped.
"Haninozuka, don't you remember?" Grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire cat, Nekozawa lifted the Belzenef puppet that moved with his words. "Kanazuki says you stole her soul. She intends to take yours as revenge. Here's proof, It's Kanazuki's eraser, I secretly took it. " Pulling the object out of his cloak, he took off the outer layer of paper surrounding it. "She wrote your name on it, once she uses it up your soul will be hers." Everyone crowded around, peering down at the object. There was the words 'Mitsukuni Haninozuka' with a heart, written in black ink neatly on the white rubber surface.
A moment of silence ensued as Hikaru and Kaoru snatched the eraser out of the dark-cloaked male's hands.
"There is a heart on it... Um... Isn't this..." Their voices trailed off as they laughed uneasily.
"And this is Kanazuki's hand mirror," Nekozawa continued, handing the antique to Tamaki and Miki. "She wrote Haninozuka's name on it using pink nail polish in order to steal his soul." Sure enough, this one had the same words, this time with two hearts instead.
"Her handwriting is quite adorable," Miki giggled as she held the mirror by its handle.
"Um... I think I know what this is." Hikaru's eyebrow twitched slightly as he glanced over the strawberry blonde's shoulder.
"Yeah... The girls used to do this in elementary school..." Karou added, looking equally weary.
"Huh? What is it?" Miki glanced up at the two, a little confused.
Nekozawa hummed."Are you not familiar with it? It's a relatively popular curse." He stated, holding up a reference book that read, 'A Lovey-Dovey Girls Victory in Love: Charm Book.'
Seeing the book, the host club moved back in shock and revelation. "Those aren't curses! They're elementary school love charms!" Hikaru, Kaoru and Tamaki gasped as Miki took the book curiously and began flipping through them.
As the twins stepped back, they bumped lightly into Reiko was on her way out of the classroom. With her monotonous voice, she informed them. "No... They are curses." Then, she noticed Honey. "It's nice to see you, Haninozuka-senpai." She greeted him with no emotion or enthusiasm what-so-ever.
"H-Huh?" Being suddenly called out by a girl he was afraid was going to cook him, Honey stepped back cautiously.
Reiko reached out and plucked a strand of hair off his head with a deadpan expression. "One hair, if you please." She muttered.
"Ow!" Honey cried as Mori hurried to comfort him.
"If I tie this with one of my own, it will bind your soul to mine." She explained as everyone watched her incredulously, not knowing what to say.
At this moment, Miki's eyes skimmed across the pages of the reference book. Finding a section that read, 'Eraser Love Charm! - Write the name of your loved one and use it up, the person will surely fall in love with you as well!'." She blinked slightly before glancing up at Reiko who had completed in attaching the short blond strand to her own raven hair.
"Kanazuki-san," Miki tilted her head. "Are you perhaps in love with Honey-senpai?" She asked bluntly.
Reiko glanced up from the two firmly tied locks with a blank face, almost mirroring Miki's clueless one. "Technically speaking, he stole my soul." She corrected as she pulled out a handkerchief and gingerly placing the combined locks of hair onto it.
"I think you mean he stole your heart..." Tamaki laughed uneasily.
Isn't that dangerous? The heart is an essential organ in the body after all. Holding the reference guide to her chest, Miki wondered. She glanced at Kyoya who lifted his glasses with a brow raise. It was as if she could hear his voice tell her, 'Metaphor, Miki,' as he always did.
"Well, I don't know what it's commonly called." After a moment of silence, Reiko folded up the handkerchief and tucked it into her bag. "But to be specific, Honey-senpai occupies 90% of my thoughts and causes my heart to palpitate. His external appearance satisfies my fetishist tendencies. I have a weakness for pixies. He took my soul, so now I must take his." Turning on her heel, her prim raven hair trailed behind her as she chuckled in an unsettling manner. "Thus, until Honey-senpai's soul is mine, I will continue to curse him."
"So she does love him," Miki gasped as she pounded a fist against an open palm as if it were some kind of major revelation at this point.
"That's what you took away from this?!" The twins shouted.
"Huh? That's not all," Glancing at Reiko's lone figure walk down the halls as people actively attempted to avoid her, Miki giggled. "Even though Tamaki-kun told me to stay away from the members of the black magic club, I think Kanazuki-san is a nice person and quite adorable." Tapping a finger to her chin, Miki chirped happily.
Miki-senpai, just what do you find adorable? Averting her eyes, Haruhi grumbled as she remembered her attempts to pet the 'adorable alligators' back at the water park.
***
Honey sat at his chair in a daze three days later, completely drained of energy. He arms slumped loosely around Usa-chan as he absently stabbed his fork into his usual strawberry cake, stuffing it into his mouth. Reiko's love curse attack has been intensifying day by day. First, she wrote their names on a pair of chopsticks to eat soba noodles with. Then she visited his classroom and requested him to write his name for the hundredth time on a piece of paper where she had already written it 99 times. Finally, she got him to untie a ribbon together, claiming it will 'bind their souls for eternity.' The raven-haired girl seemed intent on 'capturing his soul' with one of those curses.
"Honey-senpai looks exhausted," Haruhi pointed out, watching as he ate his cake at an abnormally slow pace. "Is there anything we can do?"
"We could try one of those curses for her," Miki suggested with an airy smile.
"No, I don't think that will help." The brunette instantly denied. "Also, those are clearly 'love charms.'"
"Hm..." Tamaki shuffled close to the two girls, standing next to Haruhi. "We now know they are only love charms, and I can never ignore the feelings of a girl in love-" Glancing down, the two noticed just how close they were and Haruhi immediately shuffled away, placing Miki in between them.
"Hey!" He shouted.
Suddenly, a fit of laughter erupted from the lounge area. Everyone turned to see the twins hovering over the coffee table. Kaoru was snickering into his hand like a child as Hikaru waved them over. "Hey, come here! Take a look at this" He gestured. "We used milord's cards to predict Honey-senpai and Kanazuki-san's love fortune."
"Really?" Bringing her fingers up to her parted lips, Miki gasped. Jogging over with a slight bounce to her step, she asked. "Let me see."
"They came as a perfect match," Kaoru told her as he held up an Ace of Hearts card clipped between his index and middle finger.
"if you think about it, it's rare for someone to seriously fall in love with Honey-senpai." They spoke in unison, glancing over their fortune-telling session. "They're polar opposites, so they must be perfect together."
"You two should take into account Honey-senpai's feelings." Tamaki scolded.
"Eh? What do you mean by seriously?" Miki's brows drew close as she cocked her head to the side. "There are so many girls who like Honey-senpai."
"Most girls tend to feel maternal towards him rather than romantic," Kyoya informed as he glanced towards the lolita who was still eating his cake in contemplation. "What should we do, Honey-senpai? This may interfere with the club's business. If there is anything I can do-"
"No..." Shaking his head, Honey looked down with a hint of sorrow and pity in his big brown eyes. "I've been watching her and..." His voice trailed off, his fork resting on his lips as he spoke. "She doesn't have many friends outside the black magic club. I don't think she can talk to other people that easily. The only way she knows how to communicate is through curses and charms." Letting out a small sigh, he picked up another piece of cake. "Although, it could just be her personality, but-"
"Excuse me, Honey-senpai." Before Honey could finish his sentence, Reiko appeared behind him out of nowhere. "May I borrow your bunny?" She more stated than asked.
"Huh?! Why?"
"If I can cast a spell on something important to you, your soul will be mine." With that, she snatched the pink stuffed animal out of the lolita's arms. "I'll give it back tomorrow."
"No! That's my Usa-chan!" In a fit of worry, Honey jolted up from his seat.
Paying no attention to his protests, Reiko was about to head for the door when Mori pulled Usa-chan out of her thin arms with a stern expression, shocking everyone. He fixed his stare at her, watching as she narrowed her onyx-like eyes in annoyance. "If you want his heart, shouldn't you do something else?" He questioned.
"Hand over the stuffed animal; if you stand in my way, I'll curse you." She spoke in a calm yet defiant tone.
"Being cursed by someone who doesn't consider other people's feelings will have no effect on me at all," Mori replied, his expression still not changing as he paced back to Honey, giving him back his Usa-chan. "You'll never win someone's heart that way, no matter how many charms you use." He told her firmly.
Reiko fell silent as she stood contemplatively. Her hands were resting before her as her eyes averted to the side. "But there's no point in thinking about the feelings of others..." She spoke quietly. "No one tries to understand me, and certainly no one will grow to like me. Talking is a waste of time, so now I use curses right from the start."
"You can't do that, Kanazuki-san." Miki's bell-like voice caught everyone's attention as she stepped closer to the first-year.
"You are... Class 2-A's Aphrodite, Suoh Miki." Reiko named her, her chilling eyes growing weary.
"Aphrodite?" The twins raised an eyebrow each.
"It seems to be a nickname she has gained among the girls of our class," Kyoya explained with his arms crossed.
"Please, just call me Miki." Giggling, she took Reiko's cold hands in her's. "However, Reiko-san, you need to communicate with others to be heard." Her eyes crinkled tenderly at the raven-haired girl. "If you don't say anything, no one will be able to understand your feelings."
Eyes flickering down, the black magician fell silent.
"She's right, Rei-chan." Honey approached her, holding Usa-chan. "If you want me to like you, let's talk more." He offered. "I don't want my feelings to be controlled by curses. I want to know about the things you like, the things you're not good at and what makes you happy. I'd like to hear all of those things." He admitted as a light flush of red to creep up on her pale cheeks. "Rei-chan, I..." Flashing a sincere beam, Honey tilted his head. "I like girls who fight to overcome their weaknesses." He revealed, causing Reiko to blush furiously. Her eyes widened as they began to sparkle in the bright light. She glanced at Miki for a few moments, who returned her look with a radiant beam as she let go of her hands with a nod of reassurance.
"I like... curses." Hands finding each other before her, Reiko admitted. "I'm not good at talking to people. But, a week ago, when you reached out for me when I fell, and you smiled at me... That made me... very happy..."
"Oh, now I remember," Honey muttered. "You're the one who tripped over Usa-chan when I dropped him." He pointed at Reiko with realization.
"Huh?!" Hikaru, Kaoru, Tamaki, Miki and Haruhi all gasped at the reveal of information.
So in the end, the perpetrator was Honey-senpai. Haruhi sweatdropped as she thought to herself.
Seeing the slight shame on her face in her previous actions, Honey chuckled. "So, Rei-chan would you like to eat some cake together?" He offered.
"Y-Yes!"
***
"Aphrodite?" A few days later, Kyoya raised an eyebrow at Miki as the host club was in session. The two leaned against a wall as the rest of the hosts were busy doing their thing at their stations.
Nodding with a sound 'mhm,' Miki responded all-too-cheerfully. "I think Sora-chan came up with that nickname. Did you know they said my advice on love is super effective? You could consult with me too, Kyoya-kun." She chimed, lifting a finger with that radiant smile of hers.
Readjusting his glasses, Kyoya felt his fingers twitch. "If you are still asking that, that title clearly doesn't suit you very well." He commented, causing Miki's expression to turn into wide-eyed.
"Hm?" Tilting her head to the side, she blinked. "Why is that?"
Not wanting to deal with her denseness at the moment, Kyoya's eyes flickered back down to his notebook. "Nevermind." He sighed with a hint of irritation as his pen moved at a rapid pace, jotting down the calculations for the monthly budget review. He felt his consciousness being distracted as a pair of hazel eyes remained fixed on him. He felt like a statue in a museum, being observed by a curious child from all sorts of angles. "What are you doing?" Finding himself unable to concentrate or simply ignore her, he finally questioned.
"I was just wondering when she'll be here," With an airheaded giggle, Miki bounced her weight between her two feet. "It should be time soon, shouldn't it?"
"The reservation book is that one," Pointing at an identical black book on the table next to them, Kyoya informed her. "But yes, she should be here soon."
"Can I double check?"
"Be my guest."
At that moment, the doors to the clubroom opened as Honey's new customer stepped in. Miki gasped in excitement as she turned on her heel to greet her, her fluffy hair trailing behind from the momentum of her twirl. "Reiko-san, you're here?" She greeted her underclassman enthusiastically, quickly darting away from Kyoya's side.
"Yes, it's almost my appointment time," Reiko replied with her usual emotionless face as she stared blankly at Miki.
"Come on, Honey-senpai should be done soon." Taking the silent girl's hand, Miki tugged gently as she guided her towards the lolita and his giant partner with a bright beam. "I'll get some cake for you guys, alright?"
Almost overwhelmed by her energy, Reiko nodded slowly. "Thank you very much... Miki-san." She called to the strawberry blonde by her name, averting her eyes out of the slight embarrassment that stirred in her chest.
Miki's bright smile, open posture and strawberry blonde hair made her an apparent contrast against Reiko's flat expression, closed-off body language and raven hair. Together they looked like yin and yang, the complete opposites, yet so natural together.
"Ah, Rei-chan!" Greeting the shy girl, Honey waved with a giggle. "Welcome! Come on, let's have some cake!"
This may be the start of a perfect relationship as well as the beginnings of an extraordinary friendship.