So this is just a little story I came up with while listening to my iPod. Yes, it is a songfic. Enjoy! I don't own OHSHC, I Feel Pretty / Unpretty, or The Princess Bride!
I wish I could tie you up in my shoes, make you feel unpretty too. I was told I was beautiful, but what does that mean to you? Look into the mirror who's inside there, the one with the long hair? Same old me again today.
We hadn't seen each other from the time that he graduated until the time that I completed undergraduate school at a local university. Never in a million years would I have dreamed that we'd be on the same campus, me for law school, him for medical school. After high school, I had let my hair grow out. It was a pain to take care of, but I decided I liked it better long. I looked more feminine that way. All through undergraduate school, I had been fawned over. I was being asked out every other week. I know it sounds like I'm bragging, but I honestly didn't like all the attention.
Any way, I ran into him the day before classes were to start in the campus book store. At first I wasn't entirely sure who he was, but as soon as I he turned around, I knew. No one had eyes like his. They were so dark, so mysterious. They were eyes that gave nothing away. "Kyouya-senpai?" I asked hesitantly. He turned to face me.
"Haruhi?" the raven-haired man asked in surprise. He wasn't entirely sure it was me, but he took his best guess. "It's been awhile."
"Five years," I replied. Kyouya nodded. He went back to looking for the books he needed, acting as though I had never been there.
My outsides are cool. My insides are blue. Every time I think I'm through, it's because of you. I've tried different ways, but it's all the same. At the end of the day, I have myself to blame. I'm just tripping.
A few months into the term, Kyouya and I had started dating. I never felt quite good enough for him. He was intelligent, gorgeous, wealthy, and well… perfect. And I was, well… me. I was awkward, poorer than dirt, and I was lucky to be passing my classes. I knew law school wouldn't be easy, but I never would've dreamed it would be this hard. As it turns out, he was having trouble too. "Chemistry's killing me," Kyouya admitted. "I've never struggled with one class so much before."
"I can imagine," I sighed. I remembered undergraduate chemistry well enough. It was a miracle if anything at all made sense. "Psychology's what's getting me," I added. I thought studying the mind would be simple, but as soon as we got into the structure of the brain, I was hopelessly lost.
"I guess we're in the same boat, then," Kyouya sighed.
"Yeah, I guess so," I added before everything fell silent. That's always how it went. We'd sit in silence, there would be some conversation, and then everything would fall silent again. I had seriously thought about breaking the whole thing off, but honestly, I was afraid to. He had power. He could probably get my scholarship revoked if he wanted to. I needed that scholarship.
You can buy your hair if it won't grow. You can fix your nose if he says so. You can buy all the make-up that MAC can make, but if you can't look inside you, find out who I am to be in a position to make me feel so damn unpretty.
One day, as we were sitting in his dorm room, I decided to bring up the issue. "Kyouya?" I asked carefully. He had been doing some work for class the next day, but he still looked up. He shot me a questioning look. "Am I not good enough for you?" I waited for the answer that I was sure would come.
Kyouya shot me a curious look. "Haruhi," he began. "You're beautiful, amazing, intelligent… Of course you aren't good enough for me," he concluded. I looked down sadly. I knew it was coming, but I didn't expect it to sting that much. He raised my chin up so that I was looking directly into his eyes. "You're too good for me," he said. Before I was entirely sure what had just happened, he gently placed his lips against mine.
I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and bright.
Never had I felt more… right. Here I was, an average commoner girl, kissing the son of one of the most powerful businessmen in the Kanto region of Japan… if not all of Japan. Here I was, a simple, plain girl, kissing the most attractive man I've ever met. Yet still, deep in my mind, I felt insecure. I didn't believe him. His voice sounded… off. It was almost like he'd told a million other girls the same thing. Though I didn't want to believe it, I had a feeling it was true. I wasn't the first, and I most certainly wouldn't be the last.
Never insecure until I met you, now I'm being stupid. I used to be so cute to me, just a little bit skinny. Why do I look to all these things to make you happy? Maybe I'll get rid of you and then get back to me.
Just a few short months later, it was time for the semester break. I was going to go home to visit my father for the two weeks we would have off. Kyouya was going to France to see Tamaki. I had to admit that I was a little worried. It's not that I didn't trust him, I did… It was that I was worried he'd find some pretty French girl who would be ten times more than I could ever be.
My fears were confirmed when I got a call from him one week into the break. "Haruhi, this isn't working…" he said. I felt my heart sink. Everything I was worried he would say was about to come out. "It's been fun, being with you," he continued. "It's just that… I can't really commit to a relationship right now. It's not you, it's me." There it was, that clichéd phrase that everyone dreaded to here.
"Fine, Kyouya," I said coldly before hanging up. I went to the room I was staying in. I didn't cry. I had promised myself a long time ago that I would never cry over a boy. It wasn't worth it and it never would be. There would be others. Still, though I would never confess to it, it hurt.
My outsides look cool. My insides are blue. Every time I think I'm through, it's because of you. I've tried different ways, but it's all the same. At the end of the day, I have myself to blame. Keep on tripping.
One year after those events have taken place, I ran into a certain Hikaru Hitachiin at, of all places, the department store that Tamaki-senpai had dragged the whole club to when I was in my first year of high school. "Haruhi!" the redhead shouted happily. "I haven't seen you in forever!" he ran over to hug me.
"Hey, Hikaru," I said with a smile, the first genuine one I had given in a long time. I hugged him back. "Where's the carbon copy?" I asked jokingly.
"The loser's in Italy," Hikaru said lightly. "Has been all week." He hadn't changed a bit, well except for growing a few inches and filling out a bit more. "How've you been?" he asked.
"Okay," I replied. "School's tough, but hey, only two and a half years left," I smiled. It should've been awkward talking to him, after all we hadn't spoken since high school, but I felt totally at ease and I could tell that he did too.
You can buy your hair if it won't grow. You can fix your nose if he says so. You can buy all the makeup that MAC can make. But if you can't look inside you, find out who am I to be in a position to make me feel so damn unpretty.
Hikaru and I dated all through my remaining years in law school. I wondered why I had ever put up with letting myself feel so inferior when I was around Kyouya. With Hikaru, everything felt so right. I could be me and not be concerned that I'd never live up to some ridiculous expectations that I felt I needed for myself. I felt… free.
After I had graduated and started my law practice, Hikaru surprised me at my office. "Well Miss Fujioka," he said. "Looks like you're all grown up now. I can only hope you can make time for someone as immature and childish as me." I laughed at him. If there was one thing I could count on Hikaru for, it was making me laugh.
"I don't know," I said in a joking tone. "I have a pretty tight schedule. I'll see if I can fit you in, though." I pulled out my day planner from my desk drawer. "It looks like I'm free tonight," I smiled.
"Well then if you're free tonight, would you do me the greatest honor of allowing me to escort you to a surprise restaurant?" he asked still in a joking tone.
"I think I can do that," I smiled. I loved being around the little devil. I couldn't remember when I'd ever felt so happy.
I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and bright, and I pity any girl who isn't me tonight.
Halfway through the meal at the restaurant Hikaru had taken me, which turned out to be very nice, the power went out. Scared by the sudden darkness, I grabbed his hand. "It's okay," I heard him say. "It's just a short circuit or something." I nodded, hoping that he was right. I didn't think I could handle it had there been a storm. A few seconds later, the power came back on. My jaw dropped when I saw the redhead down on one knee. One hand was holding mine; the other was holding a black velvet box.
"Haruhi Fujioka," he began, looking directly at me. "Ever since I figured out you were a girl way back in our first year of high school, I had a huge crush on you. Not a day went by when you didn't cross my mind. When you left for college, I felt like part of me had been ripped out. I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing you again. When we met again during your second year of law school, you can't begin to imagine how euphoric I was. The last two and a half years have been amazing, Haruhi. You're amazing. The only thing I want to change about you is your last name… Will you marry me?"
My free hand was now covering my mouth. I hadn't realized I'd started to cry, however, these weren't tears of sorrow, they were tears of joy. I guess I was wrong when I said I'd never cry over a boy. I couldn't bring myself to speak, so I just nodded. He slid the diamond ring onto my left ring finger, stood up, and kissed me. To quote The Princess Bride, since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.
I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and bright. You can buy your hair if it won't grow. You can fix your nose if he says so. You can buy all the makeup that MAC can make. But if you can't look inside you, find out who am I to be in a position to make me feel so damn unpretty. I feel pretty, but unpretty.
One year after the proposal, I walked down the aisle of the church that Hikaru had found me in after our first 'date' back in high school. I wore a pure white ball gown and had a bouquet of bright red roses. It's amazing how two simple words can change your life. I looked into the golden eyes of my soon-to-be husband, and said the words, "I do."
Yay for fluff! The end!