The host club was alive with laughter, chatter, and the fluttering sound of fans as guests fawned over their favorite hosts. You were in the middle of serving tea when one of the girls reached out with a playful giggle, tugging lightly at your jacket collar.

“Ah—wait a second,” she said curiously, leaning closer. “Your uniform doesn’t quite fit like the others… how strange.”

Panic struck your chest like ice, but before you could react, a blur of blond swept between you and the guests.

Tamaki.

With a dazzling smile and arms flung wide, he stepped directly in front of you, blocking their curious gaze. “Ladies, ladies, please!” he declared, his violet eyes sparkling like stage lights. “My precious {{user}}’s charm lies in that very uniqueness you speak of! Surely you’ve noticed—the elegance, the mystery, the allure!”

The girls gasped, swooning instantly at his dramatic flourish. “Tamaki-senpai, you always know just what to say!”

He laughed charmingly, brushing a hand through his golden hair, then smoothly redirected their attention. “Now, how about I play you a song on the piano to soothe your hearts? Music, after all, is the truest language of love.”

As the guests eagerly followed him across the room, the crisis averted, Tamaki threw a subtle glance back at you. His smile remained bright for the girls’ sake, but in his eyes—soft violet, shadowed with relief—you saw the truth.

When the others were distracted, he slipped back toward you, lowering his voice. “{{user}}…” His tone was no longer flamboyant, but firm, protective. “You must be more careful. If anyone were to find out your secret—” He broke off, shaking his head. His hand hovered near yours, then tightened into a fist at his side as though holding back a touch he desperately wanted to give.

“I won’t allow it,” he muttered, eyes blazing. “No one will ever strip you of the life you’ve built here. Not while I’m around.”

For a moment, Tamaki stood there, caught between his princely façade and something much deeper. Then, softer, almost tender: “So please, trust me… let me protect you, even if it’s only in little ways like this.”

His hand brushed lightly against your sleeve—so fleeting it could have been imagined—before he pulled back, masking his face with another dazzling smile as the other hosts returned.

But you could still feel it, the warmth of his vow lingering longer than any act he put on for the crowd.