“I’m not like them
But I can pretend….”
-Dumb by Nirvana

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She had known, from the moment she stepped into Ouran, that she was different. It had been fairly obvious to everyone, in fact; she was a scruffy looking commoner who couldn’t even afford the proper uniform. To put it simply, it had been obvious to everyone that, while she was slightly intriguing for being smart enough to earn a free ride in this prestigious school, she simply did not fit in with the glamorous world of the rich.

But, she was smart, which she had proven by being granted a scholarship, and thus had earned her place in this school. And so, she could pretend (during the times when it wasn’t so glaringly obvious that it wasn’t so) that she wasn’t so different.

And then, she’d broken that stupid, and fairly expensive, vase, and was adopted into the Host Club, thus earning herself a make-over and a uniform (though, the uniform only added to her debt). Suddenly, it appeared as though she fit in with this rich crowd. Granted, she was mistaken for a boy and had to continue playing the part of a male student, but she definitely looked as though she belonged.

She wasn’t a boy, of course, but she could pretend. She could pretend to be a boy, and be a host and pay off her debt.

The more time she spent with the Host Club, the more she got to know them. She eventually got used to their rich-kid ways, and found it almost normal. And, one day, she realized that she liked to spend time with them, despite how annoying their ignorance towards the real world could be. And she was fine with that; it meant she no longer had to pretend to at least be happy in the Host Club, to keep her clients happy. It meant she was happy.

But, still she pretended; she pretended to be a boy, and pretended to fit in with all of them. It became easier with time, strangely enough. Pretending came as naturally to her as studying.

Unfortunately though, pretending would not take her as far as she wanted.

Somehow, over the past few months, Haruhi had found herself completely smitten with one of the Host Club members. She’d never been one to have a crush, and so, at first, she didn’t know how to act around Takashi Morinozuka. She didn’t want anything to become awkward between them; he was very kind, and very sweet (once your got to know him), and the last thing she wanted was to make him feel uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form.

And so, Haruhi did what she seemingly did best: she pretended. It was easy to pretend that she didn’t like him that way. It kept everything in the club going smoothly and besides; it was just a stupid crush, right?

But, time went on, and the crush did not go away. Instead, it grew, and Haruhi couldn’t help but act a little stiffer around him, unsure of what to say or do, despite her skills in pretending. Mori seemed to catch on, and had, on one particular day, pulled her aside. It had been in between classes, and he’d taken her to the courtyard. At first, he hadn’t said anything, which made Haruhi slightly nervous, despite the fact that she’d known that he always had very little to say. And then, he began to speak, very softly in the deep voice of his. He said, in very few words, that he’d noticed her acting differently around him, and asked if he had done anything to offend her. Haruhi had blushed a little, out of embarrassment for making Mori feel he had done something wrong, and had assured him that he hadn’t offended her and, in her usual tactless way of speaking, accidentally let it slip that it was the exact opposite case, in fact. Realizing what she’d said, Haruhi gasped and covered her mouth, unable to believe that she’d confessed that to him.

But, instead of Mori ignoring what she’d said or apologizing, he smiled, a true, real smile. And then, he swiftly kissed her and whispered (also in very few words) that he felt the same.

And for the first time since she’d come to Ouran, Haruhi felt that she didn’t have to pretend; she felt that she fit.

They stayed together for a year before things went shaky. It wasn’t because they no longer felt for each other; they did, very much so. But, Mori’s father began interfering. Because Mori was no longer in high school, his father wanted him to start courting upper class women to find a possible suitor to marry; the only problem was that Mori was all ready in a relationship with Haruhi. And so, his father was constantly badgering him about social status and the like, and that he needed to date someone of the same class.

Haruhi had been surprised to hear this. She had always assumed that, since Mori’s family had once been of the same social status as hers, that there’d never be a problem like this. But, she’d been wrong. Mori was constantly agitated and stressed out from arguing with his father, and it definitely caused for some bumps in their relationship.

It was clear once again: she was not rich, and she would simply never fit in with the wealthy.

But, she could pretend.

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