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Haruhi didn’t get why the other members of the Host Club were mad at her.
Well, superficially, she did, but it didn’t make sense. Yes, she was in danger-but so were the other girls. The girls who could have been raped. The girls who she was trying to help.
She watched Tamaki storm away from the dinner table after a mildly tearful outburst, her eye beginning to twitch.
“It’s not my fault, you know,” she told them all.
“You could’ve been killed! You can’t just go and do things like that!” Hikaru burst out. Next to him, Kaoru nodded slightly. Haruhi bristled.
“Yeah, I could’ve been killed, but I wasn’t! And if I hadn’t intervened, what would have happened then? If I ran to get one of you? What if I was too late? What if those other girls were assaulted and I could have done something and I didn’t?!” Haruhi shouted, standing up and pushing her chair back. She could feel their eyes on her, surprise keeping all of her peers quiet. Even Tamaki had looked up from his corner. Haruhi looked up, making eye contact with each one of the members of the Host Club.
“It’s happened. It’s over. Don’t you think I was terrified, for those girls-for myself?! I know I could have died but I don’t need all of you trying to blame me for something that didn’t even happen!” Haruhi yelled, inhaling shakily and reaching up to wipe away a tear track that had made its way down her face.
Honey and Mori were the first to act, the cousins getting up from their chairs and hopping over the table. Honey sniffled.
“Can we hug you?” he asked tearily. Haruhi nodded. Breaking out into loud sobs, Honey threw his arms around Haruhi’s waist and blubbered apologies, Mori pulling her into his looming frame and uttering a plea for forgiveness of his own. Tamaki was quick to join, his wails prompting Hikaru and Kaoru to join the hug-pile, offering an acknowledgement of their wrongdoings in unison. Kyoya was the last to make his way to their group, but he was quickly pulled in by the others.
“Guys, it’s okay,” Haruhi exclaimed, laughing a little. Hikaru frowned and talked over Tamaki.
“But you were crying just a second ago!” he said. Haruhi held his hand over her shoulder and smiled.
“All I wanted was for you guys to stop flipping out,” she said, casting a fond grin over her ragtag group of friends.