First in a series of plotless one-shots.
Inspired by the idea of what the twins might do when they are older. :D No pairings in this one, but maybe later on.
Warning for the twins' regular-level "brotherly love" antics and possible suggestiveness.
Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High, but if I just bought some pocky, then maybe I'll own pocky.
"Pocky."
After three years, seven months, and fifteen days, one would think that people would stop over obsessing about a commoner's biscuit snack.
Kaoru counts the number of days a week they go to the supermarket section of downtown and purchase "pocky" in the snack aisle.
Six.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The supermarket is closed on Sunday.
Not good.
While keeping his brother in sight, he counts the number of times they come here daily.
Three.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
And that's not including the times the market goes out of stock and Kaoru orders them online.
"Found it, Kaoru!" the energetic Hitachiin yells to his brother, ignoring the strange looks he receives from the commoners, the ones who don't come here twenty-four seven.
Kaoru notices that he'd been simply staring at the sign that said "Ice cream sold for 200 yen!" and walks towards his twin, who had a basket on his arm and taking about six boxes of pocky off the shelf. Two chocolate-flavored, two strawberry-flavored, and two vanilla-flavored.
Routine, he remembers; Hikaru always buys two of everything.
"Hikaru, done?" He nods. "Okay, we have a business meeting in about ten minutes so get in line and pay for it." He concedes with a smile.
"You like pocky, too, Kaoru. If I'm not the one buying, you'd be sneakily ordering it from our little minions."
Hit the nail on the head.
Minions is what they like to call their employees.
Kaoru sweat drops as he follows his twin to the cashier.
After living with his twin for so long, the elder twin often forgets that they are twenty-seven and that they actually hold positions in the Hitachiin family.
And still unmarried.
After graduation, they decided to keep their eccentricity to ward off (un)potential lovers. Their mother's disappointed that never found their significant other yet (they're charming and handsome, who wouldn't want to marry one of them?), and the twins themselves want to keep that opportunity opened.
… If they weren't busy with hanging all over each other.
"Ne, Hikaru, may I have a bite?" Kaoru simpers with a small pout, knowing fully well that they are in the main street of the city. Hikaru smiles around the pocky stick, and the younger twin leans over and bites off the other half.
Weird looks are cast at the two seemingly incestual twins. Kaoru doesn't mind; he likes the biscuit part of the pocky more. Hikaru doesn't care, as long as he got the chocolate covered part.
How on earth a pocky being split with two very close brothers could be interpreted as an indirect kiss between two lovers is alien to both twins.
But the people's opinions don't matter because in and around the office, they are only joint-owners running the famous Hitachiin brand.
Hikaru finishes off a box of pocky (with the seductive help of his brother), as they both walk into the meeting, one minute close to the beginning time.
And like outside in the world, they don't hesitate to show open affection to each other.
Through pocky.
"Mr. Hitachiin, I've compiled a report on the latest fashion trends in all the regions of Japan. It seems that we can start with-"
Hikaru takes another piece of pocky out of the box and snaps it into perfect halves. He pokes the biscuit piece into his brother's mouth, who was intently watching the report presentation. Kaoru blinks, then rolls the stick around with his tongue. With a quick movement, the younger twin snatches the other piece from his brother's hand, the pocky in his mouth moving up and down.
And obviously, both twins are distracted from the presentation.
"… Mr. Hitachiin," the presenter clears his throat.
"Hai, hai. We heard you; continue," Hikaru mumbles, as Kaoru dangles the remaining piece tauntingly in front of his twin.
The man shuffles his papers again; the rest of the employees not bothering to ignore the twins' immature antics anymore and outright stare at them.
One man doesn't bother point out that they are twenty-seven.
But of course, no one notices that Hitachiin twins are more than people give credit for since, for the rest of the day, with some pocky-induced distractions, they actually finish reading the reports and set up the spring line for children. And in their spare time, give weekly calls to their close business partners.
They split the work entirely in half. While Hikaru calculates the profit margins and researches the average measurements of the current population (because everyone whether rich or poor, larger or smaller than the norm deserves to wear their famed brand), Kaoru takes care of the fabric qualities and quantities and clothes circulating within the company. Of course, anything they don't have to do separately are done together.
Such as, calling close high school friends to annoy the hell out of them.
"Good morning, this is the Ootori Group Network. We have everything from hospital management, expert therapeutic care, and professional medical treatment. Of what help can I be to you today?" the happy, but droning, feminine voice comes out of speaker.
"Ohayoo, we call from the Hitachiin Corp., but we would like to speak with a certain Ootori Kyouya," Hikaru replies, as naturally as possible.
"Unfortunately-"
"There is no unfortunately," Kaoru's smooth voice continues, "We want to speak with him as soon as possible. It about the health insurance of a certain employee."
"W-Well, then. I'll put you on his line."
Hikaru takes the fourth box of vanilla-covered pocky (the third was digested when they were reading the reports) and popped one into his mouth. The younger and pocky deprived twin snaps the other half from him, and savors the vanilla taste on the biscuits, whereas Hikaru chomps through the milky flavor and licks his lips.
Several seconds passes. They are beginning to get impatient when the phone is picked up on the other line.
"Ootori Kyouya, here-"
"Okaasan! Long time no talk!" they both yell into the phone. They beam happily at the stunned silence.
"… Hikaru, Kaoru, what's the deal of calling me in the middle of calculating the yearly profits?" the familiar demonic and cold voice reprimands.
They clap happily like little children. "Kaasanya remembers us!"
Hikaru imagines that Kyouya is possibly kneading his head at the tone.
"Of course, who doesn't call me every week on Monday, at two sharp?"
"Gomen ne, we just got bored. How are things?" Hikaru hums happily, while eating another pocky stick.
"Things are fine. Now, will you leave me alone, I just happen to be doing mental math right now."
"Kaasan, we're eating pocky," Kaoru randomly inserts. There is a silence where the Hitachiin twins believe that their "mother" is possibly imagining something worse.
"… Right, run off and bother Daddy. Mommy doesn't have time for your chatter."
"Aw, you never have time for our 'chatter'!" they complain, and then the phone went dead.
Truthfully, after their host club disbanded because of the lost of two vital members, they still hosted regularly (separately) on campus, in the middle of school hours. On the weekends, when they (didn't) have time, they would schedule a small host club get together, for several hours at the most. Although meetings like the "old times" have dwindled since all the members graduated, the twins still take their fun out of talking to busy members every single day of the week.
Ootori Kyouya just happened to be on Monday.
Monday for Mom! Hikaru commented on the first week after graduating from school.
The elder twin places the box of pocky back on his side of the desk. The younger twin leans back in his revolving chair and stretches. Hikaru eyes the other boxes of pocky in the plastic bag on the relatively organized desk.
"Why am I thinking of a Neapolitan based line?" he blurts out suddenly.
Kaoru smiles and meets Hikaru's eyes. The tips of their indexes meet. "Are you thinking, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry?"
"Think about it, Kaoru; the creamy chocolate with a flawless white dash, marked by strawberry stripes!" Hikaru waves his hands over his head in a childish manner. "Three colors that can go together perfectly."
"Wonderfully modern, yet crisp and traditional," Kaoru rubs his chin thoughtfully. "We can make it for young kids and sophisticated adults."
"Let's get on it!"
The day after, no one question where they got their inspiration from.
Because if the hints were enough, no one would like to know how exactly.
"Yum, chocolate," Kaoru leisurely licked on the stick, slowly depriving the soggy biscuit of its melt-in-the-mouth goodness.
"Kaoru, do you like vanilla or strawberry more than chocolate?" Hikaru watched, breaking small parts of the pocky off, preferring not to hassle with enjoying the taste.
"Either or, but you know it doesn't matter," the younger twin replied, giving the biscuit another lick before biting off half the uncoated stick.
"Ah, anything goes well with the biscuit," Hikaru smirked, finishing off his chocolate pocky stick at the same time.
But if the hints weren't enough, no one would be surprised if they were answered,
"Pocky."