Part One: Kyoya Ohtori
Chapter One
I accidentally bump into the young woman standing behind me.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, miss." I bend over and help her pick up her dropped items.
"It's alright. It's just food. At least it doesn't shatter," she says somewhat sheepishly.
I look up at her from the ground. Something about her seems familiar.
I suddenly hear my phone ringing.
"Shouldn't you answer that?" the girl asks me.
"No. It's just a friend that I can call back later," I reply.
She glances at my phone, like she's reading the caller I.D. that says 'Tamaki Suoh' in black letters.
For a second, I think I see her eyes light up with satisfaction. Even her big chocolate brown eyes look familiar.
"Oh! I know you! You're one of the Ohtori's aren't you?" she exclaims.
"Yes," I say, slightly confused. "But how did you-"
She cuts me off by saying, "I'm pretty sure you and I went to the same high school together; Ouran Academy. You were a year ahead of me."
"Yes. I went there," I say back.
"Weren't you in... some sort of club?" she asks.
I smile at the thought of the Host Club. "Yes. The Host Club."
"So, do you talk to the others a lot?" she asks.
"Others?"
"From the Host Club. You know, Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, Hunny, Mori, and... wasn't there one more?"
"Haruhi Fujioka," I say instantly. "I don't think he enjoyed the Host Club very much, though."
She looks amused at my comment. "Did you ever ask him how he felt?"
I reply, "Uh... no."
"Why not?"
"Well... because I didn't want to tip off that I wanted to be friends with him. REALLY good friends," I admit.
She gives me a knowing smile.
"By the way, what did you say your name-" but I don't get time to finish, because I run into a shelf with three glass figurines and it almost topples over.
"That would have been bad," I say.
The girl just shrugs and says, "At least you didn't knock over an eight-million yen vase, Kyoya-senpai."
And now I see what's so familiar about her. I've just come face to face with the twenty-one year old Haruhi Fujioka.
Chapter Two
"I'm surprised you didn't recognize me, Senpai," Haruhi says. "What happened to the guy who figured out I'm a girl within thirty seconds of meeting me?"
"You've just... changed," I lie through my teeth.
"Really? Because you haven't changed at all," she exclaims.
"How'd you know it was me?" I ask.
She points to my black book. "Anyone who has ever known Kyoya Ohtori could recognize that."
"Kyoya! Why didn't you answer my call?!" a familiar voice says from behind.
Haruhi cracks a smile and says, "Tamaki-senpai."
"Oh, who's this, Kyoya?" Tamaki asks.
I face-palm. For someone who's still in love with Haruhi, he's an idiot.
Then I get an idea. I 'accidentally' spill my drink on Haruhi's shirt.
"Oh, let me help you, miss," Tamaki says.
"It's fine," Haruhi says back.
"But you're all wet," Tamaki complains.
"A little water will never hurt anyone. Besides," Haruhi smiles, "people are always saying that I'm dripping with good looks."
I think I see a flicker of recognition on Tamaki's face, but if he does know it's her, he doesn't say.
"Hey, Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi says.
"How do you know my name?" Tamaki asks idiotically.
I watch Haruhi's smile fade away. She looks almost hurt. But she also looks amused at his stupidity.
"We went to Ouran Academy together," she replies.
A smile appears on Tamaki's clueless face. "Really? It doesn't seem like a commoner like yourself-" he stops in mid-sentence. Haruhi and I watch his face turn red.
"Haruhi?" Tamaki asks as he takes a step toward her.
"Senpai..." Haruhi says as she hugs him.
"Haruhi! I can't believe it's really you!" Tamaki shouts. "Daddy missed you so much! And mommy did, too! In fact, mommy talks about you almost every day! Ever since you graduated!"
My face turns red, and Haruhi laughs at me, "Wow, Kyoya-senpai! Are you BLUSHING?! You actually feel emotion now?!"
I roll my eyes. Her sense of humor certainly hasn't changed at all.
"Tamaki-senpai?" I hear two voices say.
"Hikaru! Kaoru!" Haruhi runs over and hugs the twins.
"Woah! Who's this?" Hikaru asks.
She lets go of them, grinning. She clearly wants to see how long this joke will last.
"Sorry. I just have a thing for twins," Haruhi lies.
Hikaru and Kaoru look at her smugly. "Can you tell which one of us is Hikaru?"
"This one's Kaoru, and the other one is Hikaru," she says while pointing.
"Oh, boo-hoo. You got it wrong," the twins say.
A smirk crosses Haruhi's face. "No, I know I'm right. You two make look alike, but you're very different. You guys still play that a lot, huh?"
Without saying a word, Kaoru lifts Haruhi up off the ground in a hug.
"I missed you so much!" Haruhi says as she kisses Kaoru on the cheek.
"Oh, my god! Haruhi?!" gasps Hikaru, apparently just now noticing.
"Takashi, look! It's Haru-chan!" Hunny's voice says.
Before she has time to turn around, Hunny's on her back, giggling.
"Hunny-senpai! Mori-senpai!" Haruhi pulls Hunny off of her back and hugs them both.
Chapter Three
"So have you started college yet, Haruhi?" Hikaru asks with an arm around her.
"I started college two years ago. I go to Kyoto University," Haruhi replies.
I notice people starring at us, and say, "Maybe we should go some place where we won't look like idiots."
"We could go to our place," the twins suggest.
On the way to the twins' house, I can't help but notice how quiet Hikaru has become. He keeps looking over at Haruhi and Kaoru as they merrily chat away.
"We're here," Hikaru says grumpily once we reach a house that very well might be as big as my own.
"Hika-chan, you seem upset about something," Hunny says.
"I'm fine," Hikaru replies flatly. "I'm just tired."
Once we're inside, Kaoru drags Haruhi off upstairs. And Hunny takes Mori off to the garden. Hikaru says he has to go lie down.
And I'm all alone with Tamaki.
"Did you hear the news?" Tamaki asks me.
I look over at him and say, "What news?"
"Kaoru and Haruhi have been dating for over six months. And Hikaru says that Kaoru is thinking about proposing," Tamaki says in a disappointed tone.
"Is that so," I say, trying hard to maintain my anger.
"Really? You sound like you don't even care. And yet you've been talking about how much you love her for the past several years," Tamaki says.
"I know. But I can't control fate," I reply.
"Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi's voice says from behind. "We have something to tell you."
I turn around and see Haruhi and Kaoru standing there.
"Kyoya... I've realized that... me and Kaoru have been together for a while, and... we're getting married," Haruhi says. Then she instantly says, "I'm so sorry! I know how much you all love me! Especially you and Hikaru! I am just... so sorry!"
She breaks down onto the stairs, crying.
I go over to her, and say, "It's alright, Haruhi. Yes, I am a little upset. But I'm happy for you."
Haruhi sits up and looks at me with teary eyes. She suddenly wraps her arms around me in a hug.
"It's gonna be okay," Kaoru says. "I'm gonna go tell the others."
After he and Tamaki leave, Haruhi puts her head on my shoulder.
She whispers, "You were my second choice."
"Huh?" I ask in confusion.
"If Kaoru wouldn't have agreed to date me, you would have been my second choice to date," she says.
I smile secretly to myself. "Why would I be your second choice?" I ask. But it's too late: she's already asleep.
Chapter Four
"Yay! Haru-chan's getting married to Kao-chan!" Hunny shouts while on top of Mori's shoulders.
"Congrats, Kaoru," Hikaru says.
Haruhi stands next to Kaoru with her head up against his shoulder.
"When's the wedding?" Tamaki asks excitedly.
"In nine months," Kaoru says.
"Why so far away?" I ask.
"I'm going on a trip to America," Haruhi says. "And Kyoya-senpai? I need to tell you something."
Haruhi drags me aside and says, "How would you like to come with me and Kaoru to America?"
I gape at her for a moment, then say, "It would be my pleasure."
"Kaoru!" she suddenly shouts across the room. "He said he'd come!"
"Yes!" said Kaoru.
Haruhi turns back to me and says, "By the way, we leave in a week. So you had better start packing."
"You three are going to America?! How amazing! Will you bring us back souvenirs?" Hunny asks.
"Of course we will," says Kaoru. "Why wouldn't we?"
"Well, you three might be so busy having fun, that you might forget!" Hunny says cheerily.
"I could never forget something as important as that!" Haruhi exclaims.
"So what are you gonna do while you're in America? Where are you gonna stay?" Tamaki asks.
"We're gonna stay with my dad. He's studying Americans there. He's in some place called Seattle, Washington," Haruhi says.
"Sounds exciting. Isn't it really cold there?" asks Hikaru glumly.
"Should be. We're going in the winter," Kaoru says.
"Haruhi?" I ask. "Do you think that Hikaru looks a little depressed?"
Haruhi looks over at Hikaru, then looks back at me and nods.
"Hikaru?" Tamaki asks. "Are you alright?"
Hikaru glares at Tamaki and says angrily, "I'm. Fine."
"You sure?" asks Haruhi.