'What a great day' it's peaceful, quiet and serene. The only sound is the slight hum of air condition in the background. The sun is just shining and it's perfectly seen in his seat. A certain raven haired man in his thirties sighed and calmly took in the picture perfect scenery offered by the glass windows in his office. This is just the perfect setting to start his work. Nothing would absolutely go wrong

"KYOUYA!"

Or not.

The two big doors protecting his privacy were suddenly flung wide open. Unfazed, the current president of the Ootori University Hospital didn't bother opening his eyes to know who the intruder was.

"Kyouya! Kyouya, I have something—"

Touching the tip of his forehead, he was visited by the headache accompanying the owner of the annoying voice. Glaring through his black-rimmed glasses, he did his calmest way of expressing his thoughts "I don't want to hear it"

"But Kyouya, this is an emergency!" Tamaki whined.

"Yeah emergency," Kyouya remarked. "Last time I heard that word, you called me at three o'clock in the morning just to find your stupid dog"

"But Kyouya, it really is an emergency this time!"

"Did you know how many times you've used that reason?"

"Uh… twenty three times?" he smiled innocently. Kyouya sighed. Whoever said that people mature when they age is obviously wrong.

"No, it's a hundred and twenty–four and don't look so happy cause I'm not using up my time on you again. Go find someone else to trouble. Unlike some sole heir out there, I actually need to do my job if I'm going to stay at my position" Emphasizing the point by tapping on the keys of the keyboard louder than was necessary.

"But Kyouya, you have to help me! It's not my fault that you have two older brothers and-"

The clacking in the keyboard momentarily stopped. Tamaki shivered as he felt the room suddenly turned colder, 'Had the air conditioner malfunctioned?'

"Repeat that again and I'll make sure you never set foot in my office again"

Tamaki nodded, gulped and mentally berated himself all at the same time. Kyouya never gave empty threats. 'I'm so stupid, what did I just say, there's no way he's going to help me after that'

"Okay, what's the problem?" Kyouya closed his laptop and stood up from his swivel chair

"Kyouya~ I never thought you'd help me"

"Actually I don't want to, but since you have oh-so-wonderfully ruined my day" He took a post-it note, scribbled something in it, and put it in front of his secretary's desk just outside of his office. Tamaki followed him happily, finally relieved that Kyouya wasn't furious about the 'older brother's comment' earlier if he is willingly stepping out of his office "I don't think I'll be able to do any more work. Might as well do something productive"

Tamaki looked at his friend teary-eyed. 'He's such an angel' No wonder people respect him, 'He even considers helping me out as productive'

"So how much?"

"Uh… how much is what?"

"I'm asking you how much you're willing to pay for the amount of time I will be wasting on hearing your emergency"

Tamaki looked at him as if he had sprouted two heads. 'Was Kyouya seriously making him pay for his advice?' He just had to say something intelligent, "Uh…"

"Time is money, isn't it?" Tamaki cringed at the painfully fake smile shown his way.

'Okay, Let me rephrase it. He's a devil not an angel. Angels do not smile while seeing other people suffer'

0s0s0s0s0s0s0s0s0s0s0s*****************************0s0ss0s0s0s0s0s0s0s0s0s0s

Haruhi clutched at her heart, trying with all her might to calm her running heart.

'What just happened?'

With her swirling vision slowly coming into focus she spotted her other hand visibly clutching the steering wheel as if her life depended on it which it probably had a few minutes ago. Looking just beyond the windshield in front of her, she saw that she narrowly escaped death as she nearly collided with a nearby tree but manage to swerve her car a few inches beside it.

A few silent minutes shed light on her dimly lit brain and cause her to justify this near-death experience by blaming this uncalled for mistake on her friend's part. 'That's right! I didn't do anything wrong! It's because of Renge suddenly calling me about unproven rumors'

Haruhi's POV

Readjusting my earpiece which miraculously is still connected to the other end of the line, I managed to make out Renge's worried voice, "Haruhi? Are you still there? I heard a loud screeching sound! What happened? You're not dead are you? Please say something! HARUHI!"

"I'm here, I'm not dead but I'm not too sure about my ears though if you continue shouting" I choke out. Amazed by how my voice had sounded so calm as if nothing had happened, amidst the loud thumping of my heart, I asked again, "Are you sure it's them?"

"Of course, I'm sure. Absolutely positive!" I do not know if it's just the phone or me still hearing sounds after the almost car crash but did Renge's voice sound…?

"Uh, Renge you sound too…" I faltered not knowing how to put into what words what I feel.

"Excited?" she supplied. "But of course! Who wouldn't be? I told you time and time again that your boyfriend is just a cheap, lying bastard who doesn't deserve— Uh, sorry, didn't meant to offend you"

From the other end of the line, I could envision my best friend flailing her arms in an awkward gesture to dispel her immediate thoughts of my fiancé. "None taken"

This made me remember that Renge had taken no effort to hide her dislike for my fiancé at all. Perhaps now seeing the guy in question 'allegedly' cheating is probably something she has been dying to see just to give me the 'I-told-you-so' look. Her words echoing in my mind like an alarm 'You're choosing the wrong guy' and from the looks of it, it isn't stopping anytime soon.

"So? What are you going to do about it?" s

"Uh…" 'Damn, what was she saying again?'

"HE CHEATED ON YOU OKAY?" 'Why thank you Renge, for being so kind as to rub it in my face, err… my ear' I let out a mental sigh.

"That's what you told me"

"You don't believe me?"

I was certain she was teary-eyed by now. Taking a deep breath and forcing the best words I could think of at the moment to tell her that I'm not doubting her credibility in relaying such shocking news but it's just too much information for me to deal with at once and a part of me, the one who is emotional and trusted Arai with my heart still refuse to believe something so farfetched. I calmly replied,

"Renge, I'll be there in half an hour, Please, don't do anything rash."

At the coffee shop, adjacent Kyouya's office

"So you've come all the way here (bothered to pester me all the way here) to especially tell me that you are getting married?" Tamaki's horrified expression just then can hardly be painted.

"Kyouya?" An exasperated whine ensued by a look that says, 'weren't you listening to what I'm saying?' Tamaki pouted then rambled on "How could you not listen to me, I've been talking here for like hours. Hours, I tell you, this is a very serious situation. It's so dire I think you should pay a lot more attention!"

One glance from Kyouya that clearly translates to 'are you kidding me, who do you think you're talking to?' made Tamaki thought wrong of accusing him of not listening, so he kept his mouth shut and watched his friend sip from his coffee yet again before he heard him say "so your grandmother wants you to tie the knot, I don't see what the trouble with that after all it's about time you settle and give the Suoh's an heir"

The Suoh in question looked at his friend unbelievingly, "Kyouya how could you possibly think that's not a problem? You clearly don't understand" and with that he raised his hands up in the air with palms wide open, exclaimed theatrically "Because I'm too young to marry, and besides I don't have anyone to marry, what will become of the world if I were to marry-

'Here he goes again with his dumb narcissistic view about how he was a gift from the heavens sent to give love to humanity' At that exact moment Kyouya had already tuned out what Tamaki had to say, it was a talent he had cultivated after all the years he had stayed with the latter. It was kind of like an idiocy filter he had installed in himself. It's basic function? Take in all the valuable information about Tamaki but completely disregard at the same time the useless and nonsensical ones. How did you think Kyouya manage to stay sane after all this years? Was it an immunity he had developed over the years? Was it from pure luck? Was it an exclusive Ootori ability? No, Kyouya Ootori was not the fortunate type. Everything he had now he had to work hard for. Unlike some half-French half-Japanese guy over there who became the successor to the Suoh's just because he had no brothers to compete with. Speaking of, Kyouya peered from behind his glasses, 'where did Tamaki go?'

Clearly, Tamaki is acting upon his natural instinct (idiocy) again as Kyouya spotted him a few meters away from him. Walking straight to the nearest waitress planting a dainty kiss on her hand before turning back to him then continued his senseless theory about himself "-Oh, just thinking about the grief that would seize the maiden's hearts" with that he slowly turned and gave a wink to the waitress behind the counter and in that instant, the woman fainted, "if they get a hold that I was to wed, just the mere thought of it—" and Tamaki blabs about 101 reasons why he shouldn't be married.

Kyouya immediately thought of preserving his brain cells from dying from the blond's absurd ideas. After all, prevention is better from cure and he doubted there was a cure for senselessness especially if he had been infected by a strong one, courtesy of the great Tamaki Suoh himself. It was also to prevent the scary if not entirely repulsing fact from leaking that the University's President had a nincompoop for a friend. Oh how would that translate for his reputation as the most respected fellow in this whole building. Students would think that the school's administrator would be easy to fool and would suddenly not take him seriously. A highly unlikely occurrence since just one mere glimpse at him, crowded hallways would part like the Red Sea but Kyouya, cautionary as always, didn't deem his conclusion impossible.

Pondering over this, Kyouya continued to type on the computer, quietly watching Tamaki make a fool of himself. Honestly, he was no advisor, he is a doctor, for goodness sake! Counselor, psychologist or whatever of the same profession should be the one handling this moron. Backpedalling quickly on that thought though when he realized the well-beings of those people if Tamaki would become their only patient. It was from his own experience that he knew that a good amount of patience, firm grip on sanity and lots of practice – superhuman abilities if you will, to handle Tamaki and it is a fact that a week of this nutcase with normal people would make them lose their minds.

Pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose, he replied with what he obviously thought would make the man opposite him shut up. "I think you're being cowardly"

"Me?" Tamaki really heard his friend just fine but to be sure he pointed a finger to himself.

"No, I'm referring to a slow, blond idiot feigning innocence"

"I don't see anyone like that" Upon hearing the last statement, Tamaki scanned the whole room, but seeing no one in sight he turned back to his friend. 'Who was Kyouya referring to; they're the only two customers inside the restaurant. There's the male waiter but he's not blond. Just who could it be?' Meanwhile, Kyouya fought the urge to snap at his friend. 'Was their really no limit for his stupidity?'

"I'm being sarcastic, Tamaki"

"Kyouya, be serious, this dilemma will be the end of me"

"I can't wait" he muttered to himself.

"What did you say?"

"Oh nothing"

Looking up, Kyouya pulled out himself from reverie just in time to hear Tamaki's crazy assumption part two which again he has heard countless of times. Kyouya almost wondered why he always let himself be willed to listen to this guy. Paying attention to his rant had absolutely nothing in it for him and that is saying a lot since he had never done anything without a reason or without a bonus. You could say that it was trademark characteristic of Kyouya Ootori, something akin to a businessman who would always rethink twice if he could earn a lot more profit in this business joint or not and such business-related ideologies.

However, everything Kyouya believes is compromised whenever Tamaki comes to the picture. The sane man in him would be locked up. He suddenly agrees to Tamaki's ideas and at worst times it would be him encouraging Tamaki to act recklessly as means of support. It maybe perhaps due to the fact that when they were both in high school Tamaki was always with him. Unfortunately the blond was stuck like glue to him because he was the class representative at the time. He had the privilege or should he say curse to always be with him (orders from the teachers and his father). He was supposed to make him feel welcomed here in Japan as he was raised in France (the brief research he had on him). He also need to introduced him to the class and treat him well because apparently he was the son of the school's owner and chairman (his father's words again). It was perhaps due to his overexposure to the man while he babbles on and on about anything that troubles or interests him that made him vulnerable to declining his request to anything he says. Whatever it is, it sure had plagued him now. Finding himself unable to do anything but listened to him, he cursed inwardly, 'Old habits sure die hard'

He summoned all seriousness in his face clearing his throat as he did so and spoke out the first thing he thought of," I think the problem is you're afraid of commitment"

"Excuse me?" Okay, now Tamaki had heard that one line clear enough, but he thought that Kyouya must be just kidding him so he reiterated it again.

"Me?" He pointed a long finger at himself disbelievingly then he started laughing, "That's a good joke Kyouya"

Seeing that his friend didn't laugh and he did a double take and look at him head on, "Seriously, how did you come up with that?"

"I didn't come up with it; stop making me sound like some fortune teller, I knew it from the start" Kyouya replied casually, and took another sip of his coffee.

"But how can you possibly say that, isn't commitment something that is equivalent to relationships?"

"And you have had many relationships before so you think you don't have commitment issues? Is that it?" Kyouya completed for Tamaki.

"Well, I didn't say that" Tamaki is about to rebut the last statement but Kyouya beat him to it, he already knew what was coming, Tamaki's as transparent as glass if that isn't obvious already.

"But you were thinking of it, admit it," Kyouya could see him getting ready to spit out words to defend himself from the observations that is blatantly staring him in the face

"But-"

"No," Once again, Kyouya interrupted Tamaki, staring him straight in the eye a slight smirk made a brief appearance in his gorgeous face before hiding it in the perfected nonchalant look, he was so popular for back in high-school, 'Oh so you want to disturb me from my precious time to hear my advice huh, okay, I wouldn't hold back, I'll make you regret that you even went to asked for my help in the first place' "Tamaki, you and I both know that your relationships are merely PLATONIC in nature."

Tamaki made an appalled gasp but Kyouya kept talking.

"You only let the girls indulge in their fantasies in being treated as a princess when you made them your girlfriends and as I am in the same class as you. I had the misfortune of being the witness of your so-called relationships. You know what I realize?"

Tamaki definitely want to defend himself but his mouth is not obeying him.

"When those girls found the right guys for them and break-up with you, you never even looked half as depressed like the first years back then who were repeatedly dumped by your ex-girlfriends because of you." During Kyouya's comment, Tamaki is opening and closing his mouth like a puckering fish unbelievably wondering if he really heard his friend analyzed his courting ways as if he's a specimen and his relationship strategies are patterns to be studied.

He recovered easily though and defended himself "Hey, that's different, I am sad, I'm just not too depressed because we parted in good terms so…"

"Good terms" Kyouya repeated as if savoring the taste of the words rolling off his tongue, " I wish you can hear yourself Tamaki, cause to me it seems that having your girlfriend being snatched right under your nose doesn't bother you at all."

"It's not really called snatching if they are truly in love with each other, I have to let the girl find her true love, if she finds it in the arms of another man, then so be it. I'm happy for her" Tamaki huffed. 'Really, what was the matter with Kyouya, why is he making it like I never cared for my past girlfriends?'

"Now, you sound like a matchmaker rather than a guy talking about his ex-girlfriend and you always get that stupid look on your face"

"What look?" Tamaki magically produced a mirror and inspected himself then finding nothing wrong with his face, he turned to Kyouya to ask what it was he was referring to.

"That stupid, fond look," Kyouya poked his forehead with his forefinger, a little too hard to penetrate the thick-brained skull of his companion.

"Ow, you didn't have to do that!" Tamaki whined, rubbing the spot where Kyouya poked him.

"Stop complaining, are you portraying a father sending away his daughters to be married? Because if that is the case you sure act the part fantastically!" said guy commented sardonically.

"Huh, I don't get it"

A pulse started throbbing slowly in Kyouya's head, really if being this stupid and dumb is a crime Tamaki would be at the 'Most Wanted' list. "Seriously speaking, are you afraid of commitment?"

"Oh come on, that is what I'm trying to tell you, I am not—"

"Oh, just admit it Tamaki, in reality what would you lose if you just agree to what I say?"

"Would you at least let me finish what I have to say?" Tamaki shouted. Seeing Kyouya not attempting to cut him off this time he added. "I would agree if you are right, but I just couldn't because you're not!" Tamaki cried feigning a pull to his hair to complete an exasperated 'You-are-wrong' look. 'Why did Kyouya keep on giving him this afraid of commitment thing? They were supposed to find a solution for him to avoid getting married not be in a counseling/admitting session!'

Kyouya however, remained serene through Tamaki's hysterics "Oh, pray tell, how come you think I'm wrong, the fact that you do not want to agree to what your grandmother wants you to do,-to marry someone- spells to me that I got it completely right. You are afraid to get engaged because you do not know how to maintain one. In fact, if I'm being accurate in my assumptions, I'd say… …you never got the chance to even propose in your past relationships"

"Well, you do have a point there but still they do not really want to marry me, so why would I propose to them?"

"See, what I mean, not only do you have commitment issues you didn't even get the chance to experience it, so maybe that's what's been keeping you from marrying" Even upon reaching a conclusion, Kyouya's voice stayed in monotone while his fingers danced on the keyboard never taking his eye off on the screen.

"Wha- What you never even got the chance to propose before too, didn't you? How is that a proof that I have commitment phobia?"

"You should learn to ask one question at a time. First off, how did you know that I didn't propose to someone? Were you with me all the time to know what I've been up to? Second, you are the one hollering here dragging me from my precious office whining about a way to keep your grandmother from giving you to the first noble girl she could see suitable for you and yet you say you're not afraid of commitment?"

"You speak as if you know everything" Tamaki replied, defeated that he couldn't even win an argument with Kyouya.

"I Do Know Everything" Kyouya replied without missing a beat. But now he was staring straight into Tamaki's eyes challenging him to prove him wrong if he could, "want to bet?"

Tamaki missing the sly tone in Kyouya's voice agreed without even thinking. He answered, "Sure, what about?"

"Okay, actually it will be like this…" Kyouya inwardly smiled, it was funny, at how Tamaki after all these years gets easily trapped into challenges where he absolutely has no chances of winning. Kyouya knew all too well in his mind that he will be the one winning this gamble. It's only a matter of time before Tamaki realizes it too. Now all he had to do is sit back, relax and enjoy watching Tamaki make a fool out of himself.

At the restaurant where Renge is…

Haruhi was the perfect picture of serenity with her hands intertwined in the table and her eyes closed. One would think she was in someplace peaceful. One would think she is listening to some relaxing music with two earphones plugged in her ears but no in fact it was the total opposite. Inside her, it was complete and utter chaos, barrage of questions running in her mind while she listened to the live feed of the proof of her fiancé's not-so-alleged cheating.

"So when are you planning on breaking up with her?" the voice in the line sounded demanding. It was obvious the owner of the voice is impatient.

"Just give me more time, Cherie, I will break up with her, promise" Haruhi inwardly winced. That had been Arai's voice; he was actually pleading this Cherie girl to give him more time to break up with her. She felt her chest constricting but she continued to listen to the rest of the conversation.

"You know if I get money every time you say 'Just give me more time' I could've been a millionaire by now"

"I know, I'm sorry but I have to consider her situation, her house just caught fire recently, a break-up would be too much of a stress for her to bear and-"

"So are you saying you want me, ME to consider her situation, what about me then, I have to endure feeling bloated, confined and not be able to work for nine months, have you ever thought of what I would be feeling?" The girl's voice sounded on the verge of crying and Haruhi could've pitied her if not for the fact that this girl is the one who his fiancé had cheated her on.

On the other side of the restaurant at the farthest corner where no one would be able to hear their conversation, Arai felt like ripping his hair out. This was the exact reason why he had chosen Haruhi in the first place. She was not demanding like most girls and definitely not over-sensitive. On the other hand, Cherie was like a breath of fresh air when he first met her. She was everything Haruhi was not—flirty, fun, outgoing, and not too emerged in work—so what he thought was supposed to be a one-time deal with her got out of hand until they met constantly and it had led to this. With Cherie pregnant, of course, he couldn't just leave her and go marry Haruhi as planned. "Cherie, that's not what I meant, you know it. I promise…"

"Really?"

"Yes, so please stop crying and don't raise your voice people will hear us"

That seemed to have work with the girl as she started to wipe her eyes as inconspicuously as she could. She looked back at the guy with a more cheerful disposition as if she hadn't been sobbing just a few seconds ago, "Okay I'll take you on your promise, but you have to accompany me to the doctor after you're meeting understood?"

"Okay, okay, come on, let's go. She's waiting for me, she'll look like a fool waiting for me and I'm still not there."

After the two had made their leave a waiter went to their table and brought the vase over to the table where Haruhi is sitting. Renge was the one who received the vase. Fishing out her cell phone wrapped inside a foil which is currently connected to the earphones Haruhi had been listening on earlier. Removing the earphone from her ears, Haruhi was still as calm as ever, which made Renge a little worried. Shouldn't she make a scene or better yet weep her heart out after what she discovered? She was about to ask Haruhi if she was okay when she met her friend's gaze which made her heart plummet in disappointment. The woman's eyes were so expressionless they could've passed off as blank or worse even as doll's eyes. It was heartbreaking to see such an occurrence happen to Haruhi. For even as the not-so expressive woman as she was, her eyes always mirrored what she felt (angry, irritated, happy or plain amused). Now the latter doesn't know how to react to being the sole witness of this side of her friend. It appeared that she really loved the guy and what she saw or heard to be exact had affected her than it was supposed to.

"Haruhi-chan?"

No response, she held her friend's hand and tried calling her again but it seemed all in vain. It was if Haruhi had suddenly gone deaf, panicking, Renge grabbed her friend's shoulders and shook it hard. Finally the fruits of her hard work had paid off as Haruhi had been made awake by her actions. She felt the latter gripped her arm tight.

"I'm okay, Renge, thanks for the help. I think I'll be fine here; I'll just call you if anything happens or comes up." Haruhi explained without staring at her friend. She did so in fear that she might burst out crying if she saw the sympathetic look that the other woman held as if to say, 'I told you so, you shouldn't have trusted him' because truth be told that's the last thing she needed right now.

When she heard nothing, her shoulders sagged in relief believing that she was quite left in peace that is until she felt arms circling her around in a very comforting hug. Then she heard Renge's voice in whisper, "Don't hold it all in Haruhi-chan, I'm your friend, you can tell me when you're hurting. It's not a crime to cry."

And that is when she had done the unexpected, amidst the customers busy eating their lunches, beside the restaurant's glass window where people outside could see her clearly, she felt her view obscured when a lone, single tear had fallen on her face. She cried.

Thirty minutes earlier…

"WHAT? You want to me what?" Tamaki leapt from the floor after falling off from his chair when he heard Kyouya's last statement.

"Practice, Tamaki, Practice" his friend, stated in a most typical Kyouya-like manner, not at all surprised as if he had just Tamaki about what the weather was like.

A very confused look flaunted itself over Tamaki's countenance and Kyouya decided to explain the purpose of the dare.

"This is just a little experiment, you see Tamaki, and it will reveal whether you're truly…" Kyouya paused, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose catching some light in the process making it seem to glint dangerously, " afraid of commitment or not"

"But, Kyouya, this… I can't… I'm not supposed to toy with a girl's heart!"

Kyouya wanted to scoffed, 'like you haven't been doing that for the past six years' "It's not like the woman you will be trying this on will take you seriously, so what are you getting so worried for?"

"What if I get shouted at or worse slapped?" At this point, Tamaki cupped his cheek protectively the idea of being slapped is something he really is not looking forward to experience so soon.

"Tamaki, a woman will not slapped you for making her feel special and loved" Tamaki paused, suddenly remembering he was the one who said the exact same phrase before to Kyouya when his actions were questioned as to why he approached the female representative of their class that way back in middle school when they were first introduced to one another. 'I must've been a good friend for Kyouya to quote me directly' He smiled inwardly at the thought, then he remembered what he was ordered to do and pleaded his case again.

"Do I really have to do it?" Tamaki whined, producing a rose from his hand out of nowhere and give Kyouya his best puppy-eyed look and then added, "Can't I just practice here with you?" he was about to give the guy opposite him the rose and is about to start spouting off nonsense however halfway before he was able to direct the rose at Kyouya it was swiftly and ruthlessly crushed right then and there.

Tamaki gulped, he knew when not to anger his friend "Okay, I'm doing it! I'm doing it! Please don't be mad, what do I need to do?"

Believing that the blond finally understood what he meant, Kyouya returned to his seat and glanced at the window. He was about to point to a random woman walking on the street when a car pulled over

obscuring his view and from the car came a petite woman with short brown hair. "Okay, that one"

"But…"

One look from Kyouya and Tamaki found himself crossing the road towards the woman.

Back at the restaurant

Thirty minutes earlier

"Okay, will you be really alright?" Renge asked her friend, she was still reluctant to leave her. Of course, after all that happened she worried that Haruhi might be overwhelmed by depression and just decide to jump off a building or just try to get hit by a car. She knew that doing such things is out of character for Haruhi yet she can't shrug the fact that people tend to be irrational when it comes to love, so she really feared for her friend's life.

"Of course, I will, don't worry" Haruhi gave a meek smile in return, she was really grateful for everything her friend had done but she needed time alone for herself. A lot of unpleasant images of her committing suicide must be crossing through Renge's mind right now so she even smiled to assure her. Yes, given that she was depressed but she isn't THAT depressed to do such things. Those situations are just bordering unreasonable to plain insanity.

"If you say so, I'm going to leave now. You remember what I told you;" Feeling like a little kid being given reminders by an old teacher, she nodded. Only this time, the teacher was instructing her to do some bad things.

"Call me if any problem arises, okay" With that last reminder, Haruhi was finally left alone. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before she go and meet her fiancé for one last time. Doing so, she remembered Renge's advice…

"You should slap him! Hard! The type of slap that would twist his leg and detach it from his head" She was half-smiling at the thought of doing that. After all, she was feeling a little mad about being cheated, though she couldn't picture that happening for a couple of reasons. First, she wasn't tall enough and even though Arai was not a tall guy, he was still one head taller than her so strangling, like Renge suggested, is not an option. Second, she's a lawyer. She's the one that defends people who gets a charge pressed against them not the one who got charged against, much more for something like physical injuries or assault. That isn't really a very appealing idea at all. Third, the idea of violence is really far from her mind. True, she had been hurt, but what would hurting the other people result to? It's not like it can undo what has been done. It's not like if she tried hurting Arai he would be at her mercy and crawl back to her life. And it's not like she'll take him back again if ever that does happen.

Sitting around in silence, Haruhi decided that she's going to do the break-up her way. If she can't show her anger through violence she'd just make Arai a taste of his own medicine. With those confident thoughts in mind, Haruhi walked outside the restaurant and towards her own car to drive to the place where she will meet him. Confident and more determined than ever.