WHEW! Finally part 2 of Ch 1 is done!
Sorry to keep everyone waiting!
This past month I was busy preparing for finals and some events came up that I got sidetracked. All the studying I had to do...
But enough with the depressing moment! On to part 2!
Previously, new student from the commoner class Atsuko ends up from being the host club's errand girl to becoming an official host. How will she handle her first time on the job?
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CHAPTER 1 Part 2 - Welcome to the Host Club
The next day...Better than work as an errand girl, Atsuko chose to work as a host in order to clear her debt faster. And so the very next day began Atsuko’s first day as a host.
It was exciting for the boys that usually visit the host club to hear that there is a new host in the club. Much to Atsuko’s nervousness, she had several boys requesting for her on her first day.
The boys that requested Atsuko wanted to know more about her. Apparently thanks to the makeover the other hosts did to her, the boys were attached to her cute and pretty appearance.
“So Maeda-san, what are your hobbies?”
“Hmm…I like reading,” Atsuko first answered.
“Ooh~ what kind of books do you read?”
“Eto...”
Atsuko’s mind was blank. She has no idea what she’s supposed to say as a host. However she kept reminding her mentally to keep it together.
“
Get a hold of yourself. All you need to do is to get 100 customers to request me then I can get out of this club,” she thought, “I guess for starters, I should share something...But what?”
Atsuko was trying to come up with something she could tell her customers, but nothing came.
“Nee, Atsuko, you must come from a wealthy family if you applied here, huh?”
“Eh?”
“What’s your family like?”
That gave Atsuko the idea she needed on what she can share with her customers.
“That’s...”
A distance away from Atsuko’s table, Takamina was keeping a watchful eye on their new member, wanting to see how she does on her first try. She couldn't keep her mind off wondering about Atsuko that she nearly forgot her own guests to attend to.
“You are that concerned about your new member Takamina?” the girl sitting next to Takamina said.
Takamina came back to the present when she heard her guest speaking to her.
“Huh? Oh Acchan? Well, I guess I am a bit concerned, you know since it’s her first day of being a host and all,” she said with a hesitant chuckle.
Back at Atsuko’s table, after a while, the boys became saddened when they heard Atsuko share her touching story.
“I see...so your mother died a few years ago and now it’s just you and your dad.”
“Yeah… After Mom died, dad became depressed and has been getting sick more often. He doesn’t have a job and at his age, it’s harder for him to get work. Ever since, I try to take care of things around me when he’s not able to.”
“It must be so difficult for you Maeda-san,” said one of her customers.
But Atsuko shook her head. “I’m not that sad. Sure it’s been a bit rough for us once in a while, but in the end, I just enjoy how I’m living and the moments I share with my dad,” she said, ending with a honest smile.
From that smile of hers, the boys were instantly drawn to her.
“Maeda-san, would it be alright if I request you tomorrow?”
“Me too! I would like to have you again!”
“Why of course,” Atsuko willingly answered, “It means a lot to me.”
Of course she’s pleased by their requests only because she needed as many customers as she can in order to clear her debt.
Watching Atsuko just now, seeing how she made the boys lively after just a smile and bright words...a light bulb lit up in Mayu and Yukirin's minds...
From where she is, Takamina heard the boys around Atsuko’s table shower her with praises. She had never expected Atsuko to be successful on her first try.
“I don’t get it...She’s become a hit on her first day,” the president mumbled.
“No training needed,” Miichan included.
“Wow! Acchan is a natural!” Jurina said, giggling as she hugged her teddy.
In the meantime, Yukirin then brought up a new topic that she was curious about.
“That reminds me, does anyone know when
she’ll be returning to Tokyo?” she asked her fellow club members.
“Uh-huh! She called me and said she’ll be coming home by the end of this week!” Jurina mentioned.
“Well that’s good. Things will be more fun when all of our club members are here again,” said Miichan.
Then Yuko thought a bit and recalled, “If I seem to remember correctly, she and her parents were invited to be guest judges at some kind of cosplay contest in Sakaejima is that right?”
To respond, Jurina nodded to confirm Yuko’s sentence.
“I heard, she got to stay at this HUGE mansion where all the contestants were living together!”
“Sugoi~”
“If I recall, she told me there was a maid, a nurse, a sister, a cowgirl, a miko… Mm~, one was dressed like a man.”
“Maji?!”
“And there was also one person dressed like a princess, but… she kinda looked like a boy.”
“Sounds like it’s a pretty crazy contest.” Yuko stated. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Now here Takamina decided to do something with their new host.
She called out, "Hey Acchan, come here for a moment."
Hearing the president call for her, Atsuko approached the table where Takamina and her customer are.
"I'd like you to meet someone," Takamina said then gesturing to the girl beside her, "This is my regular guest, Yokoyama Yui.”
Atsuko then remembered her manners on what a host should do when greeting someone. She put on a bright smile and said politely, “It’s very nice to meet you Yokoyama-san.”
"!!"
What she just said and did just now made Takamina gasp and triggered a switch inside her.
The next thing Atsuko knew, she was receiving a crushing hug by the short president who is now filled with excitement.
"Oh that was so adorable!" Takamina praised as she spun in place with Atsuko in her arms, "So beautifully done! The way you greeted, the smile, so cute! I could just eat you up! Oh you’re just so CUTE!”
As Takamina continued shouting praises, she isn’t aware that Atsuko is suffocating in her grip.
Stuck in a suffocating hug and receiving the fatherly love by Takamina, Atsuko got to the point where she had to cry out to the first person she can think of that is sitting at the same table with Sae and their customers a distance away from where she is.
“Sayaka-senpai, help me!” she desperately cried when she spotted the 3rd year a distance away.
"!!"
Those words of plea triggered a switch in Sayaka, the switch that activates whenever she hears a person in dire trouble.
In a second, she was right there to grab and hoist Atsuko in the air and out of Takamina’s reach. Her magnificent strength was displayed once again as Atsuko was lifted up about 2 feet or so from the ground.
In that second while raising her in the air, Sayaka came upon a startling realization that made her softly gasp.
In her head...a light bulb switched on...
“Uh Sayaka? You can put her down now,” Takamina hesitantly spoke. It looked a bit awkward how the 3rd year was still holding Atsuko from the ground. “Come on Acchan, let Daddy here give you a big hug!”
“I don’t need another hug thank you,” Atsuko bluntly declined, “And why are you calling yourself my dad?”
"In this club I am your dad!"
"I already have a dad. There's no reason for me to have another."
Takamina pouted when she heard Atsuko's blunt response. Just then, a voice rose.
“Minami must really love ya, huh?” Yui said, revealing her Kansai-dialect.
“Eh..?”
“Oh, nothin’. Just talkin’ to myself.”
Atsuko just nodded it off, but she had no idea how the Kansai girl would affect her.
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Later that afternoon, when it was time for students to go home, Atsuko had come across a small problem when she noticed that her school bag was missing from her desk where she usually leaves it.
She spent a while searching through the school, checking the places where she’s been the entire day. It wasn’t until she was walking down a hallway when she spotted what she’s looking through one of the windows.
“My bag!”
Atsuko ran outside and towards the fountain, where she found her bag from the window. To her dismay, she saw everything was soaking wet and scattered in the water. She quickly took off her jacket and picked out everything. After a while of wading in the fountain and picking up her stuff, she realized her wallet was the last thing that’s still missing.
“Oh no…I need to find it, or I won’t have any money..!”
As she continued searching in the water for her wallet, she then heard the voice of Takamina from behind her.
“Acchan, what are you doing?”
The president had wondered where Acchan had gone when she was late to show up for the host club minutes ago.
“I have to find my wallet…or I won’t be able to pay for lunch...” said Atsuko as she still searched.
Mentioning this, Takamina looked down and noticed some of Atsuko’s things and schoolbag were lying on the ground wet after Atsuko had fished them out of the fountain just a moment ago.
“Hm? What happened to your bag and your stuff?”
“I uh...accidentally dropped my bag in the fountain,” Atsuko lied.
Takamina had a serious look on her face, a change in her eyes, watching Atsuko seriously looking for her wallet. She then took off her jacket, shoes, and socks, and stepped in.
“Takahashi-san?” Atsuko spoke with surprise when she heard Takamina enter the water, “You don’t need to help me. You’ll catch a cold-”
“I’m helping too,” Takamina said, her voice firm and confident, “I can’t leave you alone...”
Atsuko saw her search in the water with no complaints and a determined look to show that she is serious about helping her.
Just then, the other members of the host club, who Atsuko only saw as rich kids, had all arrived. After seeing the trouble, they all jumped in to join the search for Atsuko’s wallet as well. The girls Atsuko saw as princesses, now down on their hands and knees in the fountain.
“Brr! That’s cold!”
“It’s like a game of treasure hunt!”
“Count us in!”
“The more the merrier as they say.”
“I suppose we can close the club for today.”
Atsuko was speechless at everyone’s efforts to help her. “Everyone...”
Seeing all their members gathered, Takamina then proposed, “Alright, it’s a competition to see who finds Atsuko’s wallet first. Game...start!”
“Yosh! I’m gonna find it first!”
“No way! We’re going to find it!”
“Are there any fish in this fountain?”
“Is this it?”
“Kojipa that’s not a wallet.”
“Oops.”
While the girls continued their search for the wallet, someone was watching them from one of the windows in the second floor.
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“I can’t believe we couldn’t find it...” Acchan said as she wrung the water out of her socks.
“Maybe someone else already has it.”
“Takamina? Girls?” They all looked and saw Yui was already at the clubroom.
Acchan gazed at her, realizing what had happened.
“You… It was you who threw my bag into the fountain, wasn’t it?”
“Eh?”
“A-Acchan!”
“That’s rude.”
“I don’t know, girls… She had this off aura when she was around me. I think, maybe...”
“Maeda-san, please, don’t get the wrong impression of me...”
Acchan bit her lip, not knowing what to do. Could she really trust this girl, or was it all a mind game?
However Takamina had a face that showed disappointment.
“I’m disappointed, Yui...I didn’t expect this kind of behavior from one of our regular guests.”
“What? What are you talking about?” Yui responded.
“I believe you do. It was you who threw Atsuko’s bag out in the pond...wasn’t it?”
Not just Atsuko, but Yui was surprised by this statement.
“That’s ridiculous. Where’s the proof?” Yui questioned.
“Would this suffice?” Mariko inquired.
Next to the vice-president, Mayu held up an iPad and showed a photos of Yui holding Atsuko’s school bag and throwing it into the pond, catching her in the scene of the crime.
“See...” Mariko said as everyone stared shocked at the evidence. “As you can see, we’ve caught our culprit red handed, if I do say so myself.”
Her act exposed, Yui looked at Takamina. “One bag and a wallet with little money makes no difference! She’s just a plain commoner! Takamina…are you really going to side with someone like her?”
“Atsuko may be a commoner...but as long as she’s a member of this club, I don't treat Atsuko by her commoner status. I treat her as equally as how I do with all the members in this club,” Takamina began, “Unfortunately...those who act harsh to any of our club members do not deserve to be one of our guests.”
Yui stood there silent for a moment before arruptently trying to leave, when…
“Yui,” Takamina called out. “Even though what you did was wrong, the purpose of the Host Club is to please and show hospitality to any guests that walk in our doors. Please choose to reflect and reconsider your thoughts about what happened today, and after that, we will gladly re-accept you into our Host Club.”
She then turned to face their new host. “Is that alright with you, Atsuko?”
Everyone would expect Atsuko not to forgive Yui after what she did with her bag. However Atsuko surprised everyone, including Yui, by nodding and replying, “Yes. I hope you will continue to visit the host club.”
A sparkle seemed to shine in her eyes when she said that.
After a bit of silence, Yui softly began, “...I…”
“Hm?”
“..I’ll think about it.” she said before turning and leaving.
After seeing Yui leave, Miichan then wanted to make a comment. “Man that scene just now certainly looked like something from a drama,” she said.
“You definitely are something else Acchan,” said Sae.
Takamina then needed to clarify something that disappoints her.
“However...even though it all ended well Atsuko...in the end you did up disappointing a customer, which is not good for the reputation of a host. Therefore...your quota is raised to 1,000!” she declared.
Shock hit Atsuko straight in the face. That now meant that Atsuko’s quota of customers to get was now 1,000.
“Maji de?!” she exclaimed.
“I hope to expect a lot from you, our new rookie,” Takamina said with a smile.
Something told Atsuko that her time in the host club is going to be like living in a dream she will never wake up from.
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The next day, Acchan got a surprise when she found a huge stack of various kinds of instant meals, or what rich students call commoners’ food.
“Don’t tell me...this is from Yui?”
In her hands, Mariko held a note that was left by Yui. She read, “I’m sorry for causing trouble the other day. Please enjoy these ramen noodles. Hope you all will forgive me. -Yui.”
Jurina gazed at the huge stack in awe. “Whoa...What are we going to do with all this?”
“It’ll take us weeks to finish all of this on our own that’s for sure,” said Sayaka.
“No need,” the president spoke, having just conjured up a brilliant idea, “With all this instant refreshments on our doorstep, we shall hold an instant ramen buffet event for our customers!”
Several members like Yuko, Miichan, Jurina and Sae gave an “ooh…” and applauded to compliment their president’s marvelous proposal.
“Nice thinking, Prez.”
“Sasuga!”
Now that reminded Takamina of something she nearly forgot. From her pocket, she took out Atsuko’s missing wallet she had recently found for her, all dried and looked good as new.
“Ah, Acchan, you dropped this...”
Then, her sentence faded when Takamina saw it. Atsuko’s I.D. card. Or...what she thinks is supposed to be Maeda Atsuko’s card.
“Hm?”
On the I.D. card was a different face and a different name.
“Wha… Acchan...”
“Yes?”
Takamina looked from the I.D. photo in her hand, to the person that owns the wallet.
“So you’re… you’re… Ashiya Mizuki?”
“Uh… yeah.”
A gasp came from Takamina as she gave a face that looks as if she's seen a ghost.
“THAT Ashiya Mizuki?! The star actress? You’re… HER?!”
“Yeah,” Atsuko calmly and casually replied.
“EEEEEEEEEH?!?!?!” Takamina exclaimed and backed up a few steps.
While Takamina was shocked at this discovery, the other hosts for some reason looked pretty calm while others were showing mischievous smiles on their faces.
“Geez, it took you that long to figure out Bakamina?” Miichan teased.
Takamina snapped back to her senses when she realized the others’ calm expressions.
“What?! You mean to tell me all of you guys’ knew this from the start?!” she exclaimed, “And you didn’t bother to tell me?!”
“It was quite obvious to us, we thought you would figure it out easily too,” said Yuko. “Her initials are the same, just backwards.”
"If you've listened to Ashiya Mizuki's movies and songs numerous of times, you'd be able to recognize that the voices do sound almost the same," Mayu explained.
“Plus, if you look carefully, there is a slight similar resemblance in the faces,” said Mariko, the one who actually knew from the beginning when she saw Atsuko for the first time.
As for the rest of the girls, they just happened to figure it out along the way or they were told by others who figured it out earlier and just wanted to have fun watching Takamina eventually realizing it later.
Takamina was overcome with shock, her face blushing into a deep shade of red.
“USOOOOOO?!?!!?!?”
Thinking that her reaction just now seemed a little too much, Atsuko asked, “What’s with her all of the sudden?”
“Actually, Acchan,” Yuko spoke up. “Takamina is your number 1 fan!”
It was then Atsuko’s turn to react in surprise. “EEEH?!”
To the others, Takamina demanded to know, “Oi why did no one plan to tell me!? Aren’t I your president here?!”
Her response was a mischievous grin from Miichan and giggles of amusement from Jurina and several others.
"Cruel! Everyone is just so cruel!" Takamina cried.
Atsuko however came and approached Takamina with something to say.
“I’m sorry to have kept this a secret from everyone. But I really didn’t want everyone to know who I really am. So if it wouldn’t be much of a trouble, I’d like to ask everyone to please continue to keep this a secret,” she first apologized, “Look I don’t care whether you guys treat me as a plain ordinary girl. However...what Takamina said yesterday...I think she sounded cool. I really admired it, and.. well, I like that that’s how you feel, Takamina.”
BU BUMThose words made Takamina feel a strange tingling sensation in her chest. It felt as though her heart was pounding a bit harder and faster than usual and her body felt like it was getting warmer each second.
"Y...Y-You thought I was cool?" she stuttered as her face turned redder.
BU BUM BU BUM BU BUMFinally overwhelmed, Takamina ended up falling on her back on the floor and laid there out cold.
“Wow...To have the power to knock down the president, you’re talented Acchan,” Miichan had to remark.
Yuko, Kojiharu, Jurina and the Twin Towers gathered and surrounded the unconscious president.
“You know...this expression Takamina’s giving…” Yuko began with a sly smile on her face, “...looks like someone’s in love!”
“EEEH?!?!” the other hosts and Atsuko exclaimed, looking at Yuko in disbelief.
“
Maji de?! What’s going to happen now… now that they know who I am?” Atsuko thought.
Now that the girls knew who Acchan really was, it would start a huge uproar in the Host Club of AKB Academy.
To the hosts, they are now thinking about how things will start to be more interesting in their club with their new member.
For Atsuko, all she thought to herself was if she is going to be alright being in this host club.
Maeda Atsuko
2nd Year
Nickname: Acchan
The honor student (who is secretly an idol in disguise)
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There you have it! The big secret that Atsuko will have in this entire story is that she's a movie/idol star living the life of an ordinary high school student. Pretty Hannah Montana-ish eh?
Everyone already noticed that there are more characters in this story than the anime from which this fic is based off from. I apologize to those who expected more favorite members to appear, but the members you see here are going to be the main characters. But don't worry, me, Ruka and MaYukiIsLife plan to have lots and LOTS of guest appearances from other members as this fic goes on.
Please be assured Yui fans that I don't intend to keep Yui as the bad girl forever! I like Yui in real life and plan to one day have her appear in a future chapter of this fic as a good person.
Not pointing fingers or anything, but having Yui as the mean girl in this chapter was Ruka Kikuchi's idea. No offense Ruka. BTW, did anyone noticed a certain hint I gave somewhere near the beginning about a particular member of the host club who has yet to make an appearance? Yes you heard right...there is
one more person in this club.
I know lots of you will either be asking me questions to ease your anxious thoughts or you're probably going "Oh my gosh! It's
that person isn't it?!", or some of you are probably acting like this:
For now until the next future chapters come, I ask is that if you've figured it out, please don't spoil it for those who have no idea yet onegai~.
For those who don't know who is mentioned in the hint, be patient just a little longer for the next chapter...you'll find out eventually.
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luvsidney: Patience fellow fanfic reader...I'm sure you'll eventually see what you ask for. Thx 4 pointing out that Miichan part. It was my bad ^^; I've edited it and included her introduction. As for your Sayaka request, know that I have taken your idea in mind and am currently cooking up a plot for it.
@
AshuraX: Like I told luvsidney, please be patient. I have something in mind...^^
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MYJR: Thank you again for those awesome pics you made and sent! I hope you won't mind if I use them on this story thread's main post do you?
Next time, the hosts will host their very own ball, plus more surprises! Keep an eye out!