Title: . No One Has to Know, "Lover's in Japan" challenge by skaruux, from Lunaescence

Category: Ouran High School Host Club

Rating: T

Pairings: one-sided Nekozawa/OC, Nekozawa/Tamaki

Written by: Juno Tartini

Prompt #o1 title: Apology

The Black Magic Club president, Nekozawa Umehito, could not fathom, for the life of him, the reason why he followed Inoue Hayato*. He was a person of the light, and was rarely seen after the sunset. This simple fact disheartened the Russo-Japanese teen for a long while, but . . . it still didn't deter him. Inoue did accept his invitation to the Club despite Tamaki's frantic disagreements. That counted for something, right? It meant that Inoue had some kind of interest in him—there was still hope for the Dark Prince.

"Eh, is that you, Nekozawa-senpai?" the curly-haired brunet asked softly, not wanting to disturb his senior, who seemed to be deep in thought. Umehito regained his focus and stared into forest green eyes with his own light blue orbs. Oh those accursed eyes! Remarkable of how easy it is to lose himself in them! "Senpai?" Hayato gently placed a slender hand on Umehito's shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Are you all right?"

This time, Umehito lifted his eyes to see Hayato's face. A beautiful, peach-hued face had worry laced in light wrinkles around his frown.

"Y-yes, I am. P-please forgive me. I did not mean to worry you, Inoue-kun." Umehito shifted, his dark cloak rustling, echoing in the large empty halls. Hayato's face relaxed and he released a soft sigh of relief.

"You looked as if you were going to black-out, senpai! Have been outside the club room for long?"

Umehito had to think. Did he stay out in the light for too long? He didn't have an answer; he was too busy looking for the nimble violinist to even worry about the light.

"I don't know. I don't believe I have," he answered at last. His kouhai smiled before bursting in a fit of laughter. It wasn't a taunting laugh; no, it was more of a melodic chuckle. Umehito could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat. "What is so amusing to you, Inoue-kun?"

". . . It's just . . . that senpai . . . has never . . . forgotten about . . . the brightness before!" Hayato answered in between laughs. "It's as if . . . senpai was distracted or something." His laughter died down to giggles. Now Umehito's heart skipped a beat, or rather stopped for a second. Was he that distracted today?

"Have I? If that's true . . . it's Inoue-kun's fault."

Well, that's what he wanted to say. Instead, his sky-colored eyes widened significantly before Hayato took note.

"Is that so? I see . . ."

Hayato raised an eyebrow at Umehito's sudden reservation. What is senpai hiding?

"Senpai—"

"Inoue-kun." Umehito took hold of the slightly shorter boy's shoulders. A heavy sigh left Umehito's lips and a feeling of dread weighed heavily on his heart. It's now . . . or never. "I . . . To tell you the truth, I have been distracted lately and I know that. And the cause of my constant distraction . . . is you Inoue-kun. Ever since you took my invitation to the Black Magic Club, I've been plagued non-stop by thoughts of you. It's as though you had put a curse on me . . . to fall in love with you. And since I realized that, I've shadowed you . . ." He let go of the boy's shoulders while his own slumped with despair.

Hayato's eyes softened, his green-colored iris liquefying. "Senpai . . . I am flattered to know that you have such feelings for me. But, I must apologize. I'm afraid that I do not have feelings for you with the intensity that you have."

He said it. Although Hayato said rejected him in the kindest way possible, Umehito felt a sharp pain in his heart. He should have known. The light was never destined to mingle with the dark. But . . . Hayato was his artificial sun. He was the light that never hurt him.

Hayato apologized once more before reluctantly turning away.

No, I should be the one apologizing, Inoue-kun. I shouldn't have done that.

* - For now until I decide when the poll closes, Inoue's name is going to be Hayato. So please vote!