It was the day after the Ouran school fair. The academy had declared that there would be no classes, and that instead the students would spend the day cleaning up and putting everything back in order.
The Host Club was busy fixing up the music room. After three days of open house, the place was just short of chaos. Mori pushed tables back into position while Honey rode on top of them, laughing. The Twins swept the floor; Kaoru with the dust pan and Hikaru with the broom. Haruhi was sitting on the floor, rubbing lamp fixtures with a polishing cloth. Kyoya sat on a sofa typing on his computer, as always.
"Hey Kyoya! Why don't you come help clean, like everyone else?" Hikaru asked.
"If you'd spend more time cleaning up than being an annoyance to others, you would get done faster." Kyoya replied, smirking.
"Takashi?" Honey said, cuddling Usa-chan, "Yesterday one of the girls told me that if i was a flower, I would be a honeysuckle. What kind of flower would you be, Takashi?"
"Hmph." Mori said, and shrugged.
"I bet if Kyoya was a flower, he'd be a Venus flytrap!!" Hikaru seethed, his eyes narrowing at Kyoya.
At this, Haruhi, who had been silently polishing the whole time, fell back and burst out laughing.
"A VENUS FLYTRAP!? THAT'S HILARIOUS!! Good one, Hikaru!" she cried.
Kyoya's eyes widened. All concentration broken, he stopped typing and looked up at Haruhi.
"HA HA HAAA..." Kaoru laughed evilly. "Deadly as a flytrap and cuddly as a cactus--that's Kyoya!!"
SLAM! Kyoya snapped his laptop shut forcefully.
"I've had enough of you idiots!" he glowered, and stalked out of the room.
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As Kyoya walked down the hallway, he could feel his head pounding.
"I knew that Hikaru was an idiot, but does Haruhi really agree with him?"
He stopped walking and leaned up against the wall.
"Why do I even care what Haruhi thinks? She has paid off her debt--so I no longer "need" her for anything...why should I care about someone that means nothing to me?"
Kyoya took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"It's because she does mean something to you, you idiot." he whispered, and let his head fall back against the wall.
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"Hikaru...don't you think you were a little harsh? It looked like you might have hurt Kyoya's feelings!" Kaoru said, looking at his brother.
"No way!" Hikaru said, shaking his head. "That jerk doesn't have feelings. He's nothing but a big..."
"Oh, knock it off, Hikaru!!" Haruhi stood up and knocked him on the head. "If it wasn't for Kyoya-sempai, this club would be in ruins!!"
"Well, well, well! If someone isn't getting defensive of their little boyfriend, 'The Shadow King'!" Hikaru said scornfully, rubbing his head where Haruhi had thwacked him. "Of course, after last night, I was sure that you had chosen the Boss!"
"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" Haruhi roared.
"Wait, everybody!!" Honey piped up. "Where IS Tama-chan? He's been missing this whole time!!!"
"I'M BAAAAACK!!" Tamaki twirled through the door with a flourish. "DId everyone miss me? I went on an adventure to the commoner's supermarket and brought back a fresh supply of instant coffee!!"
"Wow, sempai...you got it all by yourself without my help?" Haruhi asked. "I'm impressed!"
"Oh come on!" Hikaru grouched. "Like going and buying some coffee is a hard thing to do. Big deal."
Kaoru stood back and looked at his brother. "Hikaru is sure in a bad mood today," he thought. "I wonder if it has anything to do with the way Haruhi looked so happy last night when she was dancing with Tamaki...?"
He sighed. So it was just his brother being jealous. Typical. Besides, he was much more concerned with Kyoya at the moment anyway. Kyoya had never been one to care what people said about him. Why was he suddenly so touchy? Could it be...?
"Hey Kaoru!" Hikaru called. "I think Haruhi thinks she's too cool to be our friend anymore!"
Kaoru turned away and shook his head, smirking. Maybe it was time to put Hikaru and Haruhi on another date. That had seemed to help Hikaru the last time. Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat.
"No wait--that's it! That's it!!!" Kaoru gasped excitedly. "If it worked for Hikaru it might work for Kyoya!! What better way to help him come out of his shell (and clear up his attitude!) than to fix him up for a day with Haruhi? It's perfect!!"
Kaoru spun around and furtively sneaked over to Honey and Mori.
"Hey you two, can I ask you something?" he whispered.
Honey looked up. "Sure, Kao-chan!" he replied not-so-quietly.
"Okay...here it is." Kaoru grinned slyly. "You know how Kyoya's been acting really strange today? I guess there are times when even he feels overworked! Well, i have the perfect pick-me-up for him...a day out with Haruhi!!"
Honey blinked. "But, Kao-chan...Kyo-chan already spent the day out with Haru-chan that one time we lost him at the department store...and I don't think that day went very well for either of them--did it, Takashi?"
"No." Mori replied.
"Oh...but this is different!" Kaoru insisted. "We only have to find a way to trick Kyoya into going with Haruhi..."
"Kao-chan?" Honey said, suddenly looking very serious. "I think the only way to make this not turn out like last time..."
"...is if Kyoya actually wants to be with Haruhi." Mori finished.
"Oh, wow, Takashi! You know exactly what I'm thinking!" Honey squealed happily.
"You're right," Kaoru sighed. "It wouldn't do any good to try to force him into it. Somehow I've gotta find a way to make Kyoya want to go on a date with Haruhi!!"
"Good luck, Kao-chan!" Honey offered cheerfully.
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Kaoru sat on the steps outside thinking. How was he going to do it? Kyoya was too smart to believe any random excuse he could scheme up. Perhaps he would just have to be direct. Yes, that was it. Even if he was turned down, he had to try.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spied Kyoya leaning up against a wall nearby. Kaoru jumped up and ran to him.
Kyoya's head was back and his eyes were closed. He appeared to be very deep in thought.
"Kyoya! Kyoya!" Kaoru skidded to a stop a few feet away.
"What do you want?" Kyoya mumbled, without opening his eyes.
"Uh..." Kaoru stammered, already losing bravery. "Well...here it is. since Haruhi has finally paid offer her 8,000,000 yen debt, don't you think it would be awesome if you took her out for the day to celebrate?" he smiled his most convincing smile.
Kyoya opened one eye. "Kaoru...you are fond of Haruhi, are you not? Why don't you take her?"
Kaoru grinned. "Are you kidding? I've got my hands full with Hikaru--he's in a MAJOR bad mood right now!"
"I suppose you're right," Kyoya stood and pushed his glasses into place. "All right--I'll do it."
"WHAAA? BLUH!?! GAAAH!!!!" Kaoru choked. "You're gonna consent without a fight!? Without a brain-to-brain analysis!? WITHOUT PLAYING A SINGLE ROUND OF THE "GUESS WHICH ONE IS HIKARU" GAME!?!?!?!"
Kyoya tapped Kaoru on the head with a pencil. "Never forget, Kaoru...if i can benefit or gain something from a situation, I will do it." He smiled mysteriously and walked away.
Kaoru followed him with his eyes. "Something to be gained...? What the heck does that mean!? I'm starting to think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all..."
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All eyes were on Kyoya when he walked through the door of the music room.
"Kyo-chan! You're baaaaaack!!" Honey bounded up to Kyoya and hung from his pant leg.
"Haruhi, may I see you outside for a moment?" Kyoya asked.
Haruhi looked confused. "Uh, sure, Kyoya-sempai. Coming." She followed him cautiously out the door.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?!" Tamaki cried. "What is he doing to my little Haruhi?!"
"Relax, Boss," Kaoru patted Tamaki on the shoulder. "He just took her out so I had a chance to talk to you and Hikaru privately."
"What is it, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked, his attention piqued.
"Listen you guys," Kaoru tried to make his voice sound as secretive as possible. "To celebrate Haruhi paying off her debt, I was thinking that we should plan a super-romantic evening for tomorrow night."
"Super...romantic!!?" Tamaki stopped listening. The theatre of his mind was rolling. In it he saw himself and Haruhi, together under the stars. What a perfect idea this was!
Hikaru was thinking too. He was thinking of a way to get Haruhi away from Tamaki so he could spend some alone time with her. How would he do it?
"...Of course," Kaoru continued, "I have not been able to find the perfect location for this to take place. That's why I need your help! Can you do it? Can you find the place to make this a night to remember?"
"Never fear! Your KING will scour the globe for the perfect romantic location!!" Tamaki cried as he sprinted away.
"Not if I find it first!!" Hikaru called, right at Tamaki's heels.
Kaoru clapped his hands together. "That will get rid of THEM for the rest of today and tomorrow. My work here is done. Kyoya's on his own, now. But judging by what worked for Haruhi and Hikaru, it's starting to look like the only way to really bring Kyoya and Haruhi closer together is to hope for a thunderstorm."
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"Haruhi, as you know, you have successfully paid off your debt to the Host Club of 8,000,000 yen." Kyoya tried to sound blithe, but why instead did it sound more like he was delivering a punishment? He tried again.
"As a reward for your achievement, I ask that you would accompany me tomorrow for a day of recreation."
Haruhi was shocked. She shook her head unbelievingly. "I never thought I would hear this from you, Kyoya-sempai." she said.
"Well, it seems that the Host Club took a consensus and that I am the best man for the job. You will not need to worry, as I have enough money to pay for both of our activities tomorrow."
Haruhi flinched. "Gee, thanks, sempai." she replied through clenched teeth. "You're too kind."
"I'll pick you up tomorrow at your house at 9:00 sharp." Kyoya turned and walked away. "Farewell until tomorrow, Haruhi." he called over his shoulder.
Haruhi stood, fixed like a statue. "What could Kyoya-sempai possible want from me?" she wondered.
Down the hall, Kyoya's step faltered. "God, please let this go well." he whispered.
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Bright and early the next day, Kyoya's limousine pulled up to Haruhi's house at 9:00 sharp. Neighbors poked their heads out of windows to get a better look. My, what a fancy car! What was it doing here?
Haruhi stepped out of her house wearing a light pink sundress. She had tried to part her hair into two stubby pigtails. Kyoya stepped out of the car and held the door open for Haruhi. The neighbors all gasped. where was Haruhi going with this handsome gentleman? With a slam of the door, the limousine sped away into the bright sunshine.
"Where are we going, Kyoya-sempai?" Haruhi questioned.
"You will see." Kyoya answered cooly.
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"ZOO" the sign read. Haruhi looked up at it and raised an eyebrow.
"You brought us to a zoo, sempai?" she asked, with a weird expression on her face.
"Yes." Kyoya replied. "I have heard that commoners derive great enjoyment from visiting zoos, since they are able to experience the thrills of seeing animals from faraway places that they could never afford to visit. Come along, Haruhi!"
Haruhi tensed. "Again with the commoner schtick." she thought. "This guy never ceases to remind me of my place in society."
"What would you like to see first, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked, trying even harder now to be polite.
"Ummm...I'm not sure. To tell you the truth, I haven't been to a zoo since I was very little." Haruhi said.
Kyoya looked to his left. "There's a monkey exhibit that way, Haruhi. Let's go there." he offered.
"All right." Haruhi said, and they were off.
Kyoya's stride was long, and he walked briskly through the crowd. Haruhi had to dodge people right and left and almost jog just to tag a few feet behind him. Kyoya noticed and shook his head. This was all wrong. He was supposed to be spending the day with Haruhi, not hurrying along like he was late for an important meeting. He slowed his pace and let her catch up.
Soon they were at the monkey exhibit. The cheerful chatter and wild antics of the monkeys made all the children watching squeal with laughter. Haruhi was laughing too.
"Look, Kyoya-sempai! That one looks just like Tamaki-sempai!" Haruhi pointed to a blonde, frizzy-headed monkey that was leaping back and forth in the cage and screaming loudly.
"They do show some stunning similarities." Kyoya agreed, and cracked a smile.
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The day wore on smoothly. After a couple hours, Haruhi stopped and looked at Kyoya.
"I'm getting really hungry, aren't you?" she asked.
"I suppose we should stop and get something to eat." Kyoya replied.
He looked around. All the food stands that he had noticed served only commoner's food. Oh well. He would just have to make do.
"Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to eat?" Haruhi asked.
"Huh? No...wherever." Kyoya sighed to himself. It was all probably inedible anyway. Suddenly, he had an idea.
"Haruhi...do they have a McDonald's here?" he asked.
"WHAT!?" Haruhi was in shock. "The last time we ate there, when we were stuck together in the department store, you said their food tasted like tripe!!"
Kyoya smiled. He had been looking for an opportunity to make this up to her. He smiled and his glasses flashed.
"Let's just say...I'm really in the mood for tripe today."
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Lunch went well. Kyoya managed to make it through a burger and fries without looking like he wanted to choke. Then he and Haruhi bought ice cream. Kyoya always did have a secret weakness for strawberry ice cream.
Now Kyoya looked up at the rays of the dying late-afternoon sun.
"It's getting late...the sun will set and the zoo will close soon." Kyoya said. "We probably only have time for one or two more exhibits."
"I'd like to see the parrots!" Haruhi was turning out better than she had expected.
"All right, let's go!" Kyoya was in the best mood he'd been in for a long time. Regardless of his lunch.
They walked side by side all the way to the parrot exhibit. Kyoya felt like should be saying something to Haruhi. But, realizing he didn't now what to say, he continued walking in silence.
"Oh, wow! Look, Kyoya-sempai!! They actually let you inside the parrot enclosure so you can feed the birds!" Haruhi looked excited.
"Interesting..." Kyoya replied, and he followed her into the enclosure.
They were met with the sights and sounds of a real rainforest. Brightly-colored tropical birds flew nimbly from branch to branch. It felt misty and warm, like a greenhouse.
"Here." Haruhi pushed a cup of parrot food into Kyoya's hand. "Let's try to feed them!"
It wasn't long before a curious, green-and-blue bird landed on Haruhi's shoulder.
"Look! Look!!" Haruhi cried. She fed the bird a food pellet and laughed as it gobbled it down.
Just then, a bright red bird swooped down and landed on Kyoya's head. He tensed.
"Kindly get off my head." he said to the bird.
Haruhi looked up at the comical sight and began to laugh. Kyoya felt a smile spread across his own face, and before he knew it, he was laughing too.
It felt good to laugh. He rarely ever got a chance to. At home, life was so strict that he didn't have much time for...for what? For happiness? But this girl, Haruhi...she was so easy to be around, so easy to laugh with, so easy...
"Kyoya-sempai! Look out!!" Haruhi shouted.
Kyoya blinked. He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed the red bird on his head lean over and softly pluck the glasses from his face. Now, with a great "Squawk!", the bird flapped it's wings and took off.
"HEY!!" Kyoya yelled, and started chasing the read streak.
"Sempai!! Wait!!!" Haruhi shouted, before taking off after him.
Haruhi darted back and forth, trying to catch the parrot. For a second, she had it cornered. Then, all of a sudden, a little boy opened the door to the enclosure. In that split second, the bird saw its escape and flew through the open door.
"NOOOO!!!" Haruhi cried.
"What? What is it, Haruhi?" Kyoya stumbled up to her, out of breath.
"Th...the bird!" Haruhi pointed. "It escaped!! It's outside, flying around somewhere!"
Kyoya turned his back to her and rubbed the bridge of his nose. What was he going to do? Without his glasses, he couldn't see...
"We gotta do something!" Haruhi said frantically. "We have to get your glasses back!!"
Kyoya heaved a sigh. "Don't worry about it, Haruhi...I have three more identical pairs of glasses at home."
Haruhi looked at him. "Well, do you want to go home and get another pair...?"
"There's no time!!" Kyoya gritted his teeth. "The sun is setting. The zoo will close soon. Just forget about the glasses...I don't need them."
"Are you sure...?" Haruhi began, but Kyoya was already out the door.
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Back outside, Haruhi found Kyoya. This was no difficult task; he hadn't gone far. He walked every step with caution, squinting his eyes like a blind man. Haruhi saw at once that without his glasses, Kyoya was completely vulnerable. She walked up to him and took his hand.
"Here, Kyoya-sempai. This will make it easier. I'll be your eyes!" Haruhi said cheerfully.
"No!" Kyoya snatched his hand away. "I'm fine! I don't need your help."
"Really, sempai, it's not a big deal!" Haruhi insisted. "Let me help you!"
"I told you that I am perfectly capable of walking on my own!!" Kyoya asserted.
He started walking briskly. Every few yards he'd trip a little, but it was okay. He had to prove that he could do this on his own.
Haruhi trailed behind him. She was getting more and more worried about Kyoya. What was he trying to prove? She was only trying to help!
They passed the entrance to a cave-like structure. A young zoo employee stopped them there.
"Ah! You two came by here at just the right moment!" She said cheerfully. "Dusk is the perfect time to visit our "creatures of the night" exhibit...we have a wide variety of bats and flying foxes alike!" The woman motioned toward the entrance to the cave. "So how about it, folks?" she asked.
Kyoya nodded his head. "Come on, Haruhi, let's go in. We still have enough time."
"Are you sure about this, sempai?" Haruhi asked. But, once again, Kyoya had already started off without her.
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It was cool and dark in the cave. looking up, Haruhi could see the glittering eyes of bats clinging to the ceiling. But she wasn't afraid. She had visited caves many times with her father when she was little. For her, a cave seemed more peaceful than haunting.
She looked ahead at Kyoya. He was inching along, with one hand on the cave wall. Suddenly, he tripped on an uneven rock behind him. With a sickening thud, he fell face-first to the ground.
"KYOYA!!" Haruhi gasped, and ran to his side.
Kyoya grunted and tried to get back on his feet.
"Let me help you." Haruhi said, putting out her hand.
"No." Kyoya pulled away. "I can do it myself. I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!!!"
Something inside Haruhi snapped.
"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!?" she yelled, her body as rigid as a board.
Kyoya looked up, blown away at this outburst.
"I don't understand!!" Haruhi continued. "I've only tried to help you, and you act as though you can't stand the thought of that! Why is it, Kyoya-sempai? Because I'm a commoner!? Is that it, sempai? You've always made sure that I knew my place in society...I bet the real reason you came with me today is because you were forced to!! Did you lose a bet or something, sempai? WELL, DID YOU!?!?"
Kyoya slid to the ground and pulled his knees up to his chest.
"That's not it...that's not it at all." he whispered.
"Then what is it? I know you could care less about me. You've made that very clear. You're the only one in the Host Club that treats me this way. Have you ever seen Tamaki-sempai acting like this...?" Haruhi's voice trailed off.
Kyoya buried his head in his arms. "You are a very smart girl, Haruhi. But there are still some things you just don't understand. I DO care for you...oh, you'll never know. But Tamaki! Haruhi, Tamaki has loved you...loved you since the beginning. And as much as I think Tamaki is an idiot, he is still my best friend."
Haruhi's eyes widened. Every fiber in her strained to hear Kyoya's words.
"I know that you have never showed the slightest romantic interest in Tamaki." Kyoya continued. "So to assist him the best way I could, I took it upon myself to ensure that you would never become interested in me either."
Wave after icy wave of realization swept over Haruhi. Suddenly, it all made sense. Everything.
"Kyoya-sempai," Haruhi breathed, "I get it now. I finally understand." She dropped down next to Kyoya.
"So all those times you acted like a jerk...all those times you tried to convince me that you were heartless...that you were a completely different person than Tamaki..."
Haruhi laid her hand on Kyoya's shoulder. She felt him tense, but he didn't pull away this time.
"You know what, sempai? You're the kindest person I've ever met. I mean it." Haruhi whispered softly.
Kyoya felt himself shaking like a wet leaf in the wind. He couldn't believe he was letting someone else see him like this. It was not the Otori way. He had always been taught to hide all emotion..to keep it locked inside. But he couldn't any longer. Not now.
"Haruhi, I..." he started. But he choked on his words and could say no more. He rose painfully to his feet and caught Haruhi up in his arms instead.
Inside that warm embrace, Haruhi could feel months of pent-up frustration at long last flowing out of Kyoya. She held on tight and didn't let go.
Finally, Kyoya straightened up and rubbed his eyes. Haruhi offered him her hand, and he took it.
"Come on," Haruhi said, smiling. "Let's go home."
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Haruhi guided Kyoya safely back out of the cave. Near the entrance, she felt her foot kick something and heard it skid across the floor. Curious, she reached down and picked it up. It was Kyoya's glasses.
A giant grin spread across Haruhi's face.
"Look, Kyoya-sempai!!" she cried. "I found them! That stupid parrot must have flown into the cave and dropped them--"
"SQUAWK!!" The red parrot appeared, sitting on a tree branch outside the mouth of the cave. It's beady eyes seemed to mock Haruhi and Kyoya.
"You sure caused a lot of trouble today!" Haruhi scolded. The bird replied by flapping its wings and flying off, squawking as it went.
Haruhi turned back to Kyoya and put the glasses on his face.
"All better!!" she laughed.
No one saw Kyoya's glasses begin to fog up as Haruhi led him out of the zoo that day. No one saw that single tear slide down his face and fall to the pavement.
And all the way back to Kyoya's limousine, Haruhi never let go.
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The next day, back at the Host Club, Tamaki was fuming.
"HARUHIII!!!!! WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT!? WE HAD THE PERFECT ROMANTIC EVENING PLANNED FOR YOU AND YOU MISSED IT!!! NOW TELL DADDY WHERE YOU WERE!!!!" Tamaki bawled.
Haruhi bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"I'm sorry, Tamaki-sempai. I didn't know that you had anything planned."
Haruhi's unaffected manner took all the wind out of Tamaki's sails.
"What about Kyoya? Where was he yesterday!?" Tamaki cast a suspicious eye in Kyoya's direction.
Kyoya flushed, but kept his poker face steady as he continued typing on his computer.
"Kao-chan?" Honey whispered to Kaoru. "Do you think yesterday went well for Kyo-chan and Haru-chan?"
Kaoru turned away. "I'm afraid not, Honey-sempai. It couldn't have. No thunderstorm. There wasn't a cloud in the sky."
END