Nemui Yonkoma's Story

Nemui arrived at the music room, passing by Erai. She bowed respectfully as she went before slipping inside the Host club. She was the start of a lot of FALSE fainting due to her spell that happened the first time she came to the club, so she felt guilty and wanted to help set up.. especially since their manager moved away.. She was responsible for a lot of the extra hassle the club was receiving lately.. so she hoped that by helping out they would one day come to forgive her... then she could go back to her normal life, pretending the Host Club didn't exist. If anyone paid attention to her last name...she'd shame her fashion savvy parents for sure.

She approached Hideki, seeing as he was one of the only approachable hosts, next to Ryuu. Not that they were any less radiant than the other hosts, it was simply because the two of them were more easygoing and mild mannered. They were easier to cope with and didn't immediately make her feel dizzy, "E-Etto... H-hideki-san...Is there anything I could help with... I feel bad that the customers are pretending to faint so I'd like to lend a hand since the lady manager moved away." she twiddled her thumbs, not making direct eye contact. Normally it would make sense to ask Walker, but he along with Raion and Orochi were high risk when it came to radiance. They were all rather excitable and energetic.. they were too fast paced to manage.. Hideki was more comfortable. She was making progress, even if it was only baby steps. At least she could be heard now. Her voice was too soft to even hear the first time she became a customer. She went to push up her glasses, but remembered that she was wearing her contacts today. She blushed a little, realizing she made a fool of herself and that there was NO way that Hideki didn't notice. She straightened out her uniform nervously, freaking out mentally over her mistake. At least most of the Hosts weren't present/paying attention to her. If everyone would have seen it she probably would have died from embarrassment.

She gave the room a good look, shaking her head at all of the pink decorations. Valentines day was coming up, and she was no closer to having a boyfriend than she was last year. No boys were interested in her, and if they were, she didn't notice. She was too taken by Orochi to realize... not that he was really even aware. Originally she had a crush on both twins, but as she got to know them a bit better, she began to favor Orochi over Raion. Though she finds both to be extremely radiant, despite their habit of being demonic sometimes. Their pranks is probably what drove the manager to move out of town. They were pretty harsh to that poor girl. Nemui thought, her timid smile disappearing from her features. She really felt pathetic for being alone so close to the romantic holiday. She probably would be forced to go to the event by her parents, and they'd force her into one of their wacky dresses to promote their company... they didn't care if she would be miserable or not the entire night. Publicity was publicity no matter how they got it, though the fact that school dances meant they could force their daughter into free publicity made Nemui's life so much worse. She really was regretting being born into the Yonkoma bloodline right about now. It always came back to bite her in the butt. Maybe I should ask someone approachable to the dance.. I need to stop dreaming.

"Honestly..I don't even know what there is to be done. Usually when there's some s-sort of event, I end up walking into the room and it's completely done up. I d-don't know how they do it t-to be honest.."

"Does the Prince sleep?" She asked in a curious tone, joking, but sometimes it made her wonder. Hideki was part of the club and even he never saw the renovations being done? It raised a lot of questions, but it also made Walker seem a lot more dependable than he passed himself off to be. To get this much work done overnight? He must have paid a pretty penny and kept a strict leash on all those involved.

"And I wouldn't be surprised if the twins were in fact the reason that our Lady Manager moved a-away."

Nemui sighed a bit, nodding her head in agreement, though it was a bit discouraging to hear. She noticed that Hideki adjusted his own glasses and it brought a similar smile onto her own features. This was why she enjoyed the host club so much. Unlike most customers, some, like Nemui, enjoyed actually getting to know the hosts as PEOPLE, not objects of affection. She was certain there was other girls that felt the same way, but she didn't know any right off the bat. Not many girls spoke to her. The ones who did were typically mean. She couldn't believe how many cruel things girls did after her initial fainting spell... A few of them cut up her school uniform with scissors during gym class.. She had to wear a dress that was too small the entire day until her parents got the chance to purchase a new uniform. The worst part was, she didn't even know who was doing it.

"A-are you excited for the Valentine's Day Ball?"

Shortly after Hideki asked about the dance, Nemui's eyes caught Raion running away, probably to go ask someone to the dance. She smiled a bit, but it faded soon enough. A blush spread across her cheeks as she noticed Orochi's gaze looking their way. She cleared her throat, shrugging her shoulders as nonchalant as possible as she attempted to keep her attention on Hideki. If she allowed her mind to wander, her imagination to run wild, she'd surely get herself worked up over something that would most likely turn out to be nothing. Perhaps he was looking behind their conversation? She turned to look over her shoulder and noticed Walker and Hikaru conversing, well Hikaru seemed to do most of the talking, but who was she to judge?

Finally when she made eye contact with Hideki again, she gave him her answer, "H-Honestly..?" She asked with a nervous laugh, tugging at the sleeves of her uniform in a fidgety manner, "I'm not." she admitted smiling weakly at him. Just the thought of returning home with news of the dance made her cringe. Her mother would get wild ideas about dresses and makeup, she dared not even fathom what they'd do with her hair, "M-My family name is...Yonkoma.." she admitted, which is something she rarely said aloud. Sure, there were people who knew, but most times even teachers would address her by first name basis to protect her family's reputation, "They'll put me in some monkey suit. They absolutely go crazy whenever they find out they have a shot at free publicity... I don't feel comfortable in the clothes they pick out. Honestly I hate these kind of school functions.."

The she laughed a bit, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't want to dampen the mood. Perhaps Hideki was excited about the event, "Besides, the guy I would like to go with is really unattainable." Her eyes briefly returned to Orochi, but she quickly forced her gaze back to Hideki, not wanting either boy to realize. It was bad enough that the first time she fainted in front of everyone was when Orochi's fingers lightly brushed her own. It definitely raised a flag or two, but she felt that she was doing rather well at masking her interest since then. Almost all of the hosts, sans Seiji, Hideki and Ryuu made her feel lightheaded...Orochi was simply the easiest to cause a fainting spell, Raion fell right behind him, looking similar to Orochi and such, "Who are you going to ask, Hideki-san?" She asked curiously, trying to change the topic to something other than herself.

"Walker! I wish to join this Host Club!!"

Her eyes widened a bit, seeing as not many boys waltzed into the club and requested to join so easily. What kind of guy is this person..? She thought to herself, and took this moment to steal one last glance at Orochi before the drama would unfurl. Walker definitely would not make this announcement a light affair especially after she saw how he handled Hikaru's announcement that there was a thief in their midst.

"Riko, I wholeheartedly refuse to let a first-year student take ANY position of power in my club."

She kept her bright smile, but it slowly faded into a sad expression. On the inside she was stabbing the Ouran Prince with a thousand daggers. THIS arrogance was why she would stop at nothing to dethrone him. He seemed to think that simple good looks and charm could take him anywhere, which was not the case. She would prove to him, and all the other boys in this club that in the end, intelligence was the most important attribute when it came to business.

"On top of that, the fact you assume you can teach him the intricacies of hosting without any personal experience of your own, while a pleasant gesture which I appreciate, is in no way a good idea."

Now THAT was laughable. He didn't even realize he was being played the entire year thus far, so in her opinion, it was Walker who had no experience. For someone who claimed to be such an esteemed actor, he had no idea that she was planning his ultimate demise. If anyone could teach someone to host, it was definitely Riko. Though she forced a weak laugh, "I-I guess you're right about that... I-I don't know anything about Hosting. I-I...I just offered because I was so close to Tsu-chan..." Her voice was shaky, and she kept her head down. She wasn't embarrassed by this, actually things were going BETTER than planned. Walker was coming across as narcissistic, arrogant, and cruel. He was judging her capability based off being a first year? What did that say about the newly recruited hosts? . Surely this offended plenty of his young customers. Especially the feminists. Go on, keep talking Walker. Her shoulders shook, showing that she was growing quite upset as Riko forced tears to her eyes. She bit the inside of her cheek to make the waterworks flow, seeing as she was not truly hurt by the Prince's refusal.


"I-I....I will not accept ANYONE so narrow-minded and biased as Ouran's Prince!" She snapped in a hurt tone, finally lifting her head. The tone was one she used several times with her parents when she didn't get her way, she'd had years of practice doing this. It felt good to express her disgust for once. Too bad she had to do it in an acceptable way. She was pretending that the Prince's words hurt her feelings, but all in all...she just hated him. Her whole body was trembling as she continued, even her lip as she forced herself to get upset. She felt the eyes of customers falling onto her as she put on her show, "T-Tamaki Suoh, the REAL Ouran Prince did not judge people based on their age." she informed the room, fists clenched as she feigned an attempt to keep her cool, when in fact she was doing just the opposite, "Renge Houshakuji, the FIRST Host Club Manager; she was a first year." She had tears streaming freely down her face now as she shouted. She knew her words would stir up a little controversy, plus many would feel bad for her. She approached Nemui, seeing as she was a second year student and handed her the money she was going to pay to see Ryuu, "G-give that to Ryuu..." She shook her head, flashing Nemui a look of guilt as she continued to speak in a low tone. The younger girl not making direct eye contact with the older blonde female, "I-I apologize to everyone for my behavior, but it's not right to judge people... P-please tell Ryuu I won't be visiting t-today." She was beginning to hiccup due to getting so worked up, and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she ran off, swinging the door open and fleeing from the music room in a fit of tears. She made it down the hall and around a corner before sliding down the wall. She put her hand on her chest, trying to calm her beating heart. The tears kept flowing, seeing as she used personal experiences to affect her mood, she truly was feeling sad now, just not over Walker, or his words.

Walker closed his eyes and sighed again, letting himself take a moment as he set down his tea. Afterwards, he stood up with a brief apology to Erai, and spoke to those watching, switching back to his princely manner so as to ease the girls watching.

"Everyone, allow me to explain myself, so you see where I'm coming from. Renge was a first year, yes, BUT SHE PROVED HERSELF by doing things without asking and basically managing the club before she was even named as such. Riko essentially walked in after seeing us work and assumed she could handle the group, and her immediately breaking down after my saying no is proof she wouldn't be able to handle the task. Secondly, to assure those who question my decision, I don't judge based on age, gender, race, or sexuality, I judge based on experience and good personality, which Riko just showed me she currently lacks. It would be an insult to both myself and her to place my judgement on anything less. And since Riko was so kind as to remind me we need a new manager, I believe now is as good a time as any to make my decision." he said, pausing just enough drag out the suspense.

And here was his own masterstroke. He was way too genre savvy to know when someone was actively trying to sow dissent in his club, and Riko was more obvious than a man tossing a finger in his burger at Wendy's. The cheekbiting WAS a nice touch though, he had to admit, if a bit overkill where a simple hand to the face and tear pod could have done the trick. Regardless, Walker would choose her outright shooting him rather than try to take his club down from the inside. But she'd made a fatal mistake. She left in tears rather than smiling and accepting her closer position in the club by helping with activities. That allowed him to prove to everyone she failed the secret test they would all think he'd had for her. And so, in need of a manager so as to avoid controversy, he chose the one person he knew would refuse to bend to anyone but the Host Club, shy as she may be.

"Nemui," he said, noticing half of the girls turning to see her, the other half still watching him, "you've been with the Host Club long enough for me to see how you work, and while you might think you aren't good enough, I see a manager to surpass even Tsuki. Let's make tomorrow a more beautiful day for our wonderful ladies, and today one to be a challenge to top!" With that said, he sat down and turned back to facing Erai.

"I'm deeply sorry for that, Erai, if it is okay to call you that, but as head of the club, I must sometimes make decisions that are painful for one for the better of the club. As a show of goodwill, forget the questions, you're in, if you want to stay after seeing that escapade. I can start teaching you the basics, if you so desire, or we can first finish this tea before it goes cold."

Was Erai probably also trying to bring the club down? Most likely. Was he going to do so in ways that Walker could mitigate easier while in the club? Walker'd put his singing career on it.

"I-I will support you, regardless of who you choose.. as long as they're not like twenty-five..." She tried to assure Hideki with a soft smile. She wasn't sure if she understood what he was insinuating, but she had a decent idea. She wasn't about to say it out loud. This was Hideki's secret, and she wasn't about to out him, especially since she wasn't even certain she understood him properly, "The Hosts would support you as well. Ask whoever you want, Hideki-san." She told him, then her eyes widened a bit. She was giving him this advice, but she was too frightened to take it herself. How could she tell him to be brave, when she didn't have an ounce of bravery herself? It was kind of hypocritical, but she hoped the boy would take the advice she couldn't. She knew he'd be happier for it.

"Prince~ He has potential, right? He could be the Dark type? Is that a thing? I'll take over as Lady Manager and teach him the trade of Hosting~?"

"Riko, I wholeheartedly refuse to let a first-year student take ANY position of power in my club. On top of that, the fact you assume you can teach him the intricacies of hosting without any personal experience of your own, while a pleasant gesture which I appreciate, is in no way a good idea. At the end of this year, I'll think about you being manager depending on how much effort you've put in helping out with different things. Tsuki joined the Host Club as manager that way, you can too. Til then, my opinions are mine alone and no attempt to look like you have sway here shall be made. Are we clear? However, I do agree with you on him possessing the look for the Dark and Brooding type, which we're in desperate need of."

Nemui instantly found herself shocked. Sure, Riko was a bit forward, but she was only trying to help. He didn't have to be so cruel about it. Effort? She just offered to attempt to help train Erai, and she was shot down... Nemui had a feeling regardless of Riko's efforts, Walker would never allow the girl to become manager. Why? Nemui had no clue, it was completely beyond her, but she did know the sight of Riko so upset was clawing at her insides. She never saw Walker behave this way, and she had to admit, it wasn't radiant. In fact, Nemui didn't even feel like she knew this person. The girl was in tears and Walker didn't even seem to care.

"I-I....I will not accept ANYONE so narrow-minded and biased as Ouran's Prince! T-Tamaki Suoh, the REAL Ouran Prince did not judge people based on their age. Renge Houshakuji, the FIRST Host Club Manager; she was a first year."

She...has a point. That is true.. I just want to hug her, she looks so sad.. Nemui thought to herself, chewing on her nails now. Her own eyes began to water as this went on. Though she didn't have long. Before she knew it, the upset girl approached her, and handed her some money. Nemui opened her mouth, but no words came out. Why is she...?

"G-give that to Ryuu...I-I apologize to everyone for my behavior, but it's not right to judge people... P-please tell Ryuu I won't be visiting t-today."

"I'll tell him...I'm not mad at you, Riko-chan." She reassured the girl, but she quickly ran off before Nemui could attempt to calm her down. She closed her eyes, calming herself down, listening to Walker's next words. He seemed rather emotional as well, but why wouldn't he be? Obviously the girl hit a nerve in him somehow, and now he was stuck cleaning up a mess. He let his anger get the best of him, and now he looked like the douche in the room. Nemui was still unsure about why Walker disliked Riko. She didn't understand what that nice girl did to him, but she knew he was holding something against her... and now he was struggling to return from it.

"Everyone, allow me to explain myself, so you see where I'm coming from. Renge was a first year, yes, BUT SHE PROVED HERSELF by doing things without asking and basically managing the club before she was even named as such. Riko essentially walked in after seeing us work and assumed she could handle the group, and her immediately breaking down after my saying no is proof she wouldn't be able to handle the task. Secondly, to assure those who question my decision, I don't judge based on age, gender, race, or sexuality, I judge based on experience and personality. It's wrong to judge them on anything less. And since Riko was so kind as to remind me we need a new manager, I believe now is as good a time as any to make my decision."

Something didn't seem right... based on Riko's personality, what Nemui had seen of it, she was sweet, confident, energetic... all traits Tsuki had.. She began chewing harder on her nails as she tried to make sense of it. Even Nemui would have caved in that situation. Honestly, she wasn't sure she could have stood up to Walker as Riko had. She really did look up to the girl for that ability. She had spunk, and despite Walker's clear dislike of Riko, Nemui was beginning to idolize her. She wanted that kind of confidence. Though why did this girl get under his skin..? It was maddening that she didn't understand.

"Nemui, you've been with the Host Club long enough for me to see how you work, and while you might think you aren't good enough, I see a manager to surpass even Tsuki. Let's make tomorrow a more beautiful day for our wonderful ladies, and today one to be a challenge to top!"

Nemui just stared for a moment, but instantly froze. Walker seriously...put all eyes on her? Manager? Eh? What!? She felt like fainting then and there.. Even though most of the Hosts weren't looking, too many people were. It was almost suffocating. Not to mention she was just handed the job that Riko wanted, without even asking for it. She really didn't want it, she just wanted to make up for giving the customers the idea to faint for a cheap thrill of getting to touch the Hosts. Due to being shocked, she quickly walked over to Orochi's and Raion's station, staring into blank space. She didn't know one thing about hosting...not to mention her parents would have FAR too much involvement in her life once they caught wind of this. Me!? She was in a complete state of panic. She was practically mentally shutting down from the pressure. She didn't even seem to notice the chatter of the nearby girls or Orochi's presence at all.

.......... Manager.......... Manager.......... Manager.......... Manager.......... Manager.........

No matter how hard Nemui tried to recover, Walker's voice would not quit echoing in her head. She tried to focus on something else, but nothing helped, that is... until Hideki's secret finally registered in her brain. He said it long before she took a seat, mostly to keep herself from passing out again... but apparently she had been listening, despite the wave of shock that overwhelmed her.

"C-Can I tell y-you a s-s-secret, N-Nemui? I-I guess s-some people would c-c-call this a c-conf-f-fession? B-But anywa-way.. I-I k-kind of s-s-struggle with th-this..as y-you can p-p-probably t-tell.. I-It's not something I r-really k-k-keep secret on p-purpose. I-It's nothing t-t-to be a-ashamed of, a-as far as I kn-know. B-But..I-I-I have f-feelings f-for b-b-both g-girls and g-g-guys.."

Bisexual?? I had a hunch, but...I'm horrible! I walked away from him right after he confessed his secret! I really am a bad person! She moped around, until she finally caught a glimpse of Orochi. She didn't really panic, until she noticed he was coming her way. She began to fidget almost instantly, but took a deep breath. Someone else...someone else... He's going to talk to someone else... She kept repeating it in her head, reminding herself to not get too worked up over it. It was probably nothing. Nothing at all. She was overreacting, definitely.

"So.... Miss Nemui was it?"

Nemui instantly felt a wave of anxiety pass through her entire form as she heard her name sound out from the all-too-familiar voice. She looked up, instantly blushing as soon as she realized they were within arm's length. She once again tried to remind herself not to freak out. Perhaps he was just curious about the previous events...or wanted to know someone's name..or maybe just congratulate her on becoming lady manager? Oh crap..That meant pranks. She instantly wanted to wring Walker's neck because he just put a bulls eye on her back. If they were purposely making her embarrassed, they'd definitely do it a thousand times more now that she was no longer a customer.

She noticed his smile, and although it reassured her, it also was far too radiant for her liking. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, that is, until Orochi finally spoke up about why he was actually there. It was definitely a prank! Or maybe she was dreaming? Did she faint without realizing it? It had to be a dream... so why not reply? It's not like it was real or anything.

"Perhaps you would like to give me the honor of escorting you to our little event here. Who knows. Maybe it will be fun."

There was no way in this universe that he'd pick her. She was 150% confident that she was dreaming. Still nervous, despite knowing that this HAD to be a dream, Nemui nodded her head at Orochi, "E-Etto... I-I'd be happy to accompany you to the event." she stated with a shy smile, not really making direct eye contact for very long. She really needed to grow some confidence.. even in her dream she was this nervous? She was really disappointed in herself, "I-if you're certain that is, O-Orochi-kun." She finished. Then to prove to herself that it was fake, Nemui pinched herself so she'd wake up... but it hurt. Then it hit her. This wasn't a dream, at all. She actually...He ACTUALLY? She was in a complete state of panic. How was she supposed to dance with someone she was too embarrassed to touch?!

I-I can't blame this one on Walker... I can't believe.... Oh my god... W-why does this stuff always happen to me!?

Suddenly her face turned a dark red and she grew faint. She brought both hands to her cheeks, trying to calm herself down, attempting to keep herself from passing out, until she fell the opposite way onto the couch she was sitting down on. Yep. Out cold. At least she was in a suitable place to pass out, right?

Nemui tugged at her dress nervously, standing outside of the Ouran High School building, listening to her parents yapping about how she needed to model the dress nicely for her classmates. Many had parents that were already customers of the Yonkoma family, but there were many that were not quite ensnared by her parents, and they intended to keep advertising their brand until they were the top name for fashion worldwide. Nemui was just free, living advertisement as far as her parents were concerned. They began primping her up, making sure that not even a single hair was out of place before shoving her into the building. A few students began whispering, but Nemui ran as fast as her heels would allow her to. She eventually made it to the music room, sliding down the floor outside of the door. How was she supposed to survive this? She didn't realize that she was ACTUALLY agreeing to Orochi...and the last week they had been texting about the event. In the end, her parents didn't let him pick her up, but they did allow her to go.. Now here she was sitting outside of the room, feeling helpless. She knew she should go inside, there were more boys at the event for once.. but wouldn't a lot of girls hate her? There were tons of girls dying to go with each of the hosts, dozens, if not more for each individual host. It was unreal that she was one of the few chosen to go with one of the Hosts.. She stood up, brushing her dress off, looking at the door, then down to the floor once more. She had to work up the nerve sooner or later.. She couldn't stand Orochi up. She was the manager now, whether she liked it or not apparently, she had to make an appearance..it was mandatory for all Host Club staff to attend, right? She forced her way inside, approaching Hideki once her eyes landed on him, "Hideki-san.. You look nice.." She said in a nervous tone, trying to break the ice. It wasn't flirting, more so...she didn't know what to say, so she decided to say the first thing that came to mind, "Where is your date?" she asked, though the same could be said to her...

---

---

Hikaru never really got to talk with Walker since she ran after Riko, mostly because their responsibility as hosts, but also because Hikaru wasn't really good at handling situations like that. She made the entire club think she had a crush on Riko, and now all of the customers that usually visited Hikaru were a bit...moody. Though a few got over it by the time of the dance, seeing as Hikaru wasn't dating Riko, nor did she bring the girl up since she ran after her. A lot of girls asked Hikaru to the dance, but she told them all that she would be arriving late, so she couldn't take a date. That it wouldn't be fair to leave her date waiting a couple hours, she would arrive alone and dance with whomever asks. She didn't realize that the way she said it made her come across as a bit of a playboy, but what could she do? She wasn't used to this host stuff like Walker, nor was she naturally gifted at it like Seiji. That boy had so much progress in so little time that it was scary. Perhaps he would get kidnapped by a cult like Eri had? She really was feeling bad for the Boy-Lolita type.... it was cursed or something. She stepped into the music room, but it wasn't like anyone would recognize her. Well, other than her mother who took about two memory cards worth of pictures before letting Hikaru even enter the school building. She looked around, noticing that not everyone was present. Well, at least she wouldn't be the object of everyone's attention. Hikaru leaned against a pillar inside of the room, checking her phone for the time. This was a lot quieter than she would have liked.. It was so awkward. Girl Hikaru never actually agreed or finished talking to Walker about whether they would go together as friends...so she didn't have anyone to lean on as a crutch. Lots of girls began whispering and inquiring to their dates about her and Hikaru blushed, turning her eyes away from the crowd. Why did it matter who she was? It was infuriating and unnerving at the same time. Anyone who paid attention would realize she wasn't a student here... Too many people are staring..

Walker was sitting at his table feeling completely worn out. One of the people he'd had come to get the room ready ended up breaking their arm last night, so he'd had to fill in and do his job instead, pulling almost an entire night's worth of work and being lucky enough to have the teachers give him the day off so he could get in a few hours of rest. However, he'd also taken the time to get ready for the ball, and his outfit would take anyone who saw him in it off guard because... it was relatively normal. He had gone for simple black dress pants and a purple dress shirt, complimented by a leather vest that was perfectly tailored for his body shape and a dark blue tie. In his vest pocket, he had a small, square bulge that was the necklace. He clenched his fist and smirked to himself. Tonight would be the night. After all, if he never asked, the answer would always be no, wouldn't it?

He saw the doors open and everyone arriving. Erai was surprisingly one of the first people to get there, despite his obvious distaste for the whole celebration thing. Walker stifled a laugh at the irony of it all. He was sure Erai was up to no good, but the mere mentioning of "Dark and Brooding" had brought more girls than ever to the club, and while Erai was getting most of them, the girls who weren't able to get to his area in time would usually end up sitting with another host, who they would invariably start to like. Besides, he was starting to like Erai, his whole attempt to look and act evil made him look absolutely adorable in Walker's eyes... No homo. Maybe some homo. But only if Erai was a girl. He was more like a brother to Walker anyways. Hideki was also among the first few, and Walker's chest swelled with pride when he saw the first-year walk in, already seeing slight changes in the lad's posture as he gained more self-confidence by being around people who liked talking to him. Nemui was talking to him, and Walker was rather impressed at the effort her family had put into making her their walking talking mannequin for the night. He adored the design, and made a mental note to see into co-oping with them for an Arctic Rush line, through his agent, of course. Aside from that, he was interesting in how Nemui would handle tonight, what with her now being a part of the family.

Then the crown jewel of the ball walked in. He could tell right away it was Hikaru, the way she moved was just too... her. As he stood up and walked over to her, he felt his step gain a bit more spring and his smile grow wider.

"Ah, good evening!" He said with a sweeping bow he would normally deliver to one of the clients, with an extra glint in his eye as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "I was wondering if you'd be able to make it, Fumiko! When I'd heard your flight had been delayed, I was terrified you wouldn't be able to enjoy tonight!" As he straightened himself out of the bow, his smiled softened as he looked her over, trying his hardest to not squeal at how cute she looked, and almost letting it show on his face, though he caught the look in time and gave it a thorough talking-to. "And you look every bit as beautiful as expected, but it's missing something... Something a certain two someones were kind enough to let me borrow from their room without my asking." As he spoke, he pulled the box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal her grandfather's necklace. "Now, it's only a loan for tonight, since my dear friend Hikaru has been worried sick about it, but since he's not here to get it, he can wait." After he finished, he motioned for her to turn around so he could place the necklace on her. "Here we go... Perfect." he said once he got the clasp in place, allowing her to register the situation. As he did so, he turned his head to Riko, who had just approached, and smiled.

"Ah, good evening, Miss Riko, I do hope there are no sore feeling about my decision? As I said before, I'm more than willing to put forward a good word for you as a manager next year or even hire you this year if you feel like putting the effort to earn it forward!" He wouldn't, of course, but that was simply something she wouldn't, or rather, couldn't know. It would throw off his entire plan, and he rather liked this one.

"O-Oh. Th-thanks, Nemui.. You l-look very pretty."

She went wide eyed, blushing a bit, "T-Thank you. It's nice to hear, especially after getting talked into this... d-dress.." She stated, smoothing it out. She really wasn't ecstatic about the color, but she couldn't tell her family no. They wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyhow, "M-My mother designed it.. Though I'm not really fond of the color.. What would you even call it..? Gold or Y-Yellow..? Either way.. I don't think it s-suits me very well.. It's reassuring to hear someone else finds it n-nice."

"I-I don't have one.. I n-never asked anyone.."

"O-oh... well it's okay to come by yourself, it means you can dance with whomever you want without someone getting upset." She said, giving him a thumbs up accompanied with a small smile. She wanted to reach forward to pat his shoulder, but she was afraid to.. Even though he didn't make her nervous the same way Orochi did, she didn't want to risk it.

"I'd wanted to ask Walker..but I realized that he's way out of my league.. Asking Seiji also came to mind, but why would he want to go with me anyway??"

She wasn't sure why, but his words caused her stomach to twirl itself into knots. She felt really bad for him, she understood the feeling, but Hideki wasn't like her. He was a Host, therefore he had been proven to be a beautiful young man. He was smart, and kind, he had no reason to feel so worthless, "D-don't say that Hideki-san! I think anyone would be lucky to be crushed on by you." She stated genuinely, fists clenched in front of her chest, hoping that she wasn't coming across as corny or weird. He was the first person to make her feel comfortable in the Host Club room, so she felt comfortable enough to say it.. but it didn't mean anything if he didn't believe she was being sincere... She also might have found the bravery because he was bullying himself, causing her inner fire to come out, "If you want to dance with a guy, go ask them. Everyone should get to be who they are at a school dance. Don't worry, I'll personally beat up anyone who says otherwise." She stated, nodding her head at him in reassurance. She couldn't watch someone be so lonely at a dance, especially someone who helped her in her time of need, when Walker nearly made her pass out to be exact. Though now that she'd said her piece, she blushed a bit. It felt like all the confidence was sucked up into a vacuum.. now she was back to plain old Nemui, "W-well...I'll try to beat them up..."

"What about you? Do you have a date?"

Nemui paused on the question, checking the time on her phone before nodding, "Yeah, I do... though I really don't know how it happened.." She admitted, thinking back to the day. It was only a week ago, but it was still really hard to believe. Why would someone like Orochi ask someone like her to go with him? He had plenty of girls throwing themselves at him at what she would presume would be all hours of the day. She tried to not think into it too much, seeing as it was just a dance.. but she wasn't sure how she'd survive it whenever her date showed up, "I-I don't know how I'll be able to dance tonight...I-I might faint if Orochi gets too close... It's too embarrassing." she admitted, seeing as Hideki was being very open with her as well. Although, she instantly felt the need to add additional clarity to her words, seeing as it could have been taken awkwardly. She didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea.. Actually it was the right idea, because she was interested in Orochi.. but she wasn't exactly attempting to pursue.. She didn't know him very well and she knew for a fact she wasn't his type. She would enjoy getting to spend the night as his date to the dance, but she wasn't getting her hopes up, "T-that happens around pretty much all of the hosts I suppose... except for Hisoka-kun, Seiji-Senpai, and Hikaru-kun... it's just worse around Orochi-kun.."

Walker snapped instantly from his lovey "act" to focus on Riko the second she brought up Nemui, letting go of Hikaru with a stunned look on his face. Any thoughts he had on the ongoing yaoi(which were mainly "eh, go backstage at The Producers and then we'll talk about man-on-man") or his want to talk to Hikaru(which were mainly going to have to wait until later anyways) were gone in a heartbeat as he spoke in a slow, measured, tone, as if he was seconds away from going on a one-man crusade to find out who was ruining the ideals of the Host Club.

"Riko, I want you to be very clear with me. Are you saying that you KNEW one of the Host Club, no, ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, was being bullied and you hesitated to take any form of action? Especially Nemui, who, I might add, is one of the people who will finally decide if you become a manager or not? If she can't handle her job because of bullying, it'll be a disaster."

This was his own act, of course, which, unlike hers, was flawless(Seriously, why does a hormonal high school girl think she can out-act the guy who LIVES for the stuff? I mean, I know the script calls for me to fail at least ONCE, but come ON, man!) (...Cuz she's a hormonal high school girl that thinks she's capable of anything and everything, and the audience needs to see that you aren't just the Gary Stu of lie detecting and acting?) (...Derp. Right.) Unlike Riko, he'd been around when the Host Club was, and knew that Renge's role of manager was not only unofficial, but relegated to suggestions and advice rather than any ACTUAL form of management, which Kyouya(And now currently Walker himself) was handling, he'd chosen Nemui because he'd wanted to see her family's designs and was calling it a disaster to troll Riko. The part that WASN'T a lie, however, was his concern for Nemui. He'd known Nemui was being bullied as well(and considering he'd basically made it so she would be in the company of the hot young men known as Hosts almost every day, he expected it), but as the club president and a Host, he could not take action until he either had evidence or Nemui came to him, and Riko had just given him evidence to act upon. Although, knowing her, she was probably the bully in question.

"No matter, do you know the names of any of the girls involved besides Nemui?" he asked, making sure he kept looking like he was chomping at the bit to punch someone.