This has been drifting in my mind for months. XD Piece by piece I fixed it all up and made this. I thought it could use some more tinkering and all, creation of a chaptered fic, but of course, I don't really like original characters period. XD It tests some parts out of my normal boundaries, a third person view on the intricate workings of those that are named Hikaru and Kaoru. And so, a one-shot is born. :D

This is done for a long overdue claim on the quote challenge, presented by SHINE. Please join, ne? :D The quote instantly reminded me of this little plotline so I wrote it in. It matches quite nicely.

Warnings: Nothing much; hints of a more than brotherly relationship and possible confusion if you can't connection two and two. Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran, nor the quote mentioned in here. But I do own the OC, Kodome Manako. Ya gotta feel sorry for her... a little.

She was a very lucky girl, a very, very lucky girl.

Just weeks after her mother and father decided to give her her own apartment, she managed to hook up with the most popular guy in the uni. She's always been told that relationships don't last in elementary school, middle school, high school, but this was college and college was the life.

He was a rich one, with more than enough to catch up to her high stature, and apparent heir to his mother's fashion label. Fascinating, cold, his smile was icy, his voice calm, just the type of person who had the entire school in the palm of his hand. And she loved him.

Of course, she never knew.

She was blissfully happy answering to his day-dates, eating afternoon snacks on the school bench, and snuggling up to his open arms. All the while being ogled at by lots of jealous girls and eyed by lots of jealous boys.

Kodome Manako had it all.

A rich lifestyle, the latest trends, top grades, and a boyfriend.

All eyes were on her.

But five months after uni and a year since she began dating him, Hitachiin Kaoru dumped her.

-

"Ara, you see all the birds up there?" he balances a pocky stick between his lips, gesturing to the pigeons' silhouettes, "They're kind of like you."

-

She didn't really notice it at first.

But she should've known.

The gossip-- I think, Kaoru-san has an older brother! I wonder if he's just as hot. The dates-- Manako-chan, gomenasai, I can't go on the date with you tonight, I have some work to do-- you know, designing and all. His behavior-- ah, gotta run! I have drawing lessons today, can't make it today, forgive me? She never realized.

The Hitachiin brothers were known to be abnormally close. Both brothers were rumored to inherit their mother's fashion brand. Both brothers had a "devil" reputation in their middle and high school. Both brothers were unmarried.

She should've pieced it together.

Hitachiin Hikaru was attending the university across the city. Kaoru never introduced him to her. He never brought her to his work, never showed her his sketches. He never went anywhere she suggested, always went to anything convenient for him. And as far as she knew, Manako was the only girlfriend Kaoru ever had, ever will.

He was right. He was always right.

And it never occurred to her that he was lying about everything he said and didn't say.

Kaoru never needed drawing lessons anyway.

But she didn't know that. She didn't know anything.

-

"Trust me on this, Manako-chan; would I ever lie to you?" he winks, a smooth smile etched on his lips. She looks at him, before she nods, smiling.

"Alright."

-

She only wanted to surprise him at work; a completely innocent gesture that sent the rest of the events in motion. After all, she didn't think his brother would be there, and she didn't think that his brother had never heard of her.

"When?"

Her breath caught in her throat, her amber eyes unblinking. She glanced furtively at her boyfriend, swallowing thickly.

"He doesn't know?"

He didn't look at her, his hazel eyes fixed.

"I asked when, Kaoru," his voice was shaking.

Kaoru seemed unaffected, "A year ago."

His frown thinned, his eyes narrowing.

"Hikaru-kun, you can't do this to Kaoru-kun!" she slid between them quickly, her amber eyes glaring. "I love him! You can't stop that!"

Hikaru's eyes widened. She blinked at him, confused, before his eyes narrowed, and he turned away sharply, "Tch."

A calm hand came upon her shoulder.

"Ma... nako-chan."

She flinched slightly at the sound of his voice, turning to meet her boyfriend's serene gaze.

"You can go home first," he smiled, but this smile was calm, distant, not the happy one she was normally given. She blinked, her amber eyes scanning the smooth marble floor.

"Ah... H-Hai..."

She looked up at the other twin cautiously. He wasn't looking at her either.

In complete silence, she walked off, her suspicious amber keeping an eye on the two abnormally silent twins.

She didn't know what it was that compelled her to doubt Kaoru like that, but- this wasn't Kaoru. Normal Kaoru would laugh it off and patch up the disbelief. Normal Kaoru would pat her on the head and smile through the problems.

Normal Kaoru wouldn't send her off without a word-- he would promise to see her again.

Something was wrong.

Against Kaoru's will, she slid behind the office door, the thin metal blocking their potential view of her. She waited, eagle eyes fixed onto them.

It was moments before Hikaru broke it.

"Why didn't you tell me, Kaoru?" he asked, his fists clenching anxiously. He looked at his brother, his eyes shining with accusation, betrayal.

Kaoru, surprisingly, didn't back down.

"A game."

Hikaru blinked. Manako widened her eyes.

"It wasn't important enough to tell you," she glimpsed blank, uncaring eyes. Kaoru placed a hand on his hip, his voice a casual, lifted tone, "An unnecessary bother."

She did a double take.

"It's just a game, Hikaru."

He was lying. He was lying.

He was lying to get them out of this mess.

But Kaoru had never... n-never lied.

"You aren't serious?" Hikaru's eyes lifted up, a fraction.

"A complete and total game."

"Like in middle school."

"Like in middle school, Hikaru."

A tear trickled down her cheek.

"Like before."

"I just wanted to mess with her."

With that, she tore out of the building, her footsteps imprinting the tears into her heart.

-

-

-

The footsteps didn't fade when Hikaru flung himself him.

Kaoru blinked, "Hikaru?"

"It's just a game, right?" Hikaru managed to choke out. He brought his twin closer to him.

"You don't believe me."

"No."

Kaoru sighed, bringing his arms comfortably around his twin, "Manako probably overheard that. It's fine."

The elder quieted, his eyes blank. A small tear attempted to escape.

"Don't worry--"

"Stop playing."

Kaoru blinked, cocking his head innocently to the side. Hikaru's hand tightened against him.

"Stop playing," he lifted his solemn eyes to identical, yet nonchalant hazel, "We're adults. These games are dangerous."

"I know."

Hikaru bit his lip, his mumble quiet, "So why do you keep playing?"

"You trust me enough."

Hikaru blinked.

"So you don't need to understand."

Kaoru smiled serenely, wrapping his arms around his twin tightly.

"Unlike you, I have no hesitation to keep playing this game. But I can't lie to you, Hikaru. I can't lie. So you don't have to worry."

Hikaru frowned, his eyes half-lidded, his hands trapping his brother in his embrace.

"It's just a game."

-

"When you really trust someone, you have to be okay with not understanding some things."

Real Life Preacher

-

The next day, Kodome Manako waited for a phone call that never came. Hitachiin Hikaru decided to ignore the very person he couldn't. Hitachiin Kaoru simply made a note to self telling himself never to play with his brother like that again.

But it was just a game.

A game played only by the professional.