Note from the Author: Da da DA! Another host club member enters the story! Yes, they will all show up, but it'll be a relatively slow process. My original plan was to bring in a host every chapter, but I think that may change...I'm not sure though...Anyway, I seem to be moving pretty fast on this one so I hope it's all right! I'm just sort of...writing...
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or any of the characters, no matter how much I may want to.
"What's the problem?! I told you I was sorry, didn't I?!" Hikaru yelled from across the table, catching everyone's attention in the too-silent restaurant.
"But this was important! Our company is at stake! And the only person that could have saved it left because you were late!" Kaoru fought, matching his twin's anger.
"But I'm telling you, what I was doing was more important!"
"What are you talking about?! More important! Than this! Did you run into a pole or get hit by a car on your way here, because something must have messed with your mind!"
"Nothing like that happened!" Hikaru calmed down with a cough, clearing his throat so his brother would hear clearly what he was about to say, "I happened to meet someone." Of course, Kaoru didn't take this as well as Hikaru would have liked him to. Instead of yelling, Kaoru stood up and walked out of the restaurant. Everyone he passed was shrouded with the evil/tense aura swirling around him (as though the yelling hadn't been enough).
"Kaoru! Wait up!" Hikaru whined, chasing after his brother, who had no sign of forgiving him at that moment, if ever, "I'm sorry, okay? Look! I said it again! Come on, you know I don't do this all the time!" There was silence as the door was pushed open and the twins left from the business meeting that never began because of Hikaru's absence.
For three blocks, Hikaru tried apologizing and explaining the situation, but when all else failed, he decided to share his secret…
"Okay! Do you want to know what really happened?" he asked the other twin angrily. Kaoru gave him a curious (yet angry) side glance, still trying his hardest to ignore his brother.
"I…I ran into Haruhi…" Hikaru confessed, wanting to have kept that to himself, so he could have monopolized her time, thus catching up on ten years faster. After knowing all there was to know, he would have at last shared his news with Kaoru, but now, his plan was ruined.
Kaoru stood stiff, but in a different way. He suddenly drew all attention to his instantly forgiven twin and broke out into a triumphant smile.
"See? See! I told you! You two were meant to be together! I've said that all this time, and you didn't believe me!" he took a moment to laugh evilly at his "genius" before snapping back to Hikaru.
"So…?" he encouraged.
"So nothing," Hikaru answered, looking away, rather let down that the answer were true.
"Oh come on, two lovers finally reunited? Something had to have happened," Kaoru pushed further, feeling left out (though there wasn't much to be left out of).
"We weren't lovers!" Hikaru corrected, "That was some idea you created when I told you…!" Kaoru waited with a smile.
"That I…liked her…and stuff," Hikaru finished quietly. It wouldn't have been so embarrassing to say had it not still been a little true. The minute he had seen her in the park, it was like all his old feelings had hit him like everything hard and painful imaginable, but twice as hard and painful as they had hit him back the day he had admitted it to himself. He hadn't thought it was possible, but she was even more beautiful than she had been before…That's when he remembered…
"Oh! Kaoru," he started, "Haruhi has long hair now." Once again, Kaoru looked stiff.
"What?" he asked quietly, in a strange form of shock.
"Yeah, I know."
"It's long now…"
"Yup."
"Long…" The two twins looked at each other in deep thought before saying in perfect unison, "Think of all the things we could have done if she had long hair back then…" They thought for another moment before breaking out in their devilish twin laughter, which sounded almost as though they were taking turns laughing.
"Are you going to see each other again?" Kaoru asked, after the two had had their moment to be amused over the shared thoughts they didn't need to tell the others. Hikaru looked horrified.
"Hikaru?"
"I just told her to wait at the park tomorrow," he said so quietly, it was almost said in a whisper, "I forgot to set a time…Gah! She could be there any time during the day! How am I supposed to know when she'll be there!"
"Looks like you'll have to wait all day then," Kaoru bluntly suggested.
"Kaoru?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know how stupid that sounds?"
"Oh, it'll be fine. She doesn't need to know you've been there the whole day. You can tell her you just got there. It'll be a 'crazy coincidence' again, or something to that effect."
"But…isn't the industry in jeopardy?" Now Hikaru was just nervous and trying to find excuses to not see Haruhi again.
"Don't worry! I can take care of it!" Kaoru assured, completely disregarding his anger only moments before of how Hikaru had ruined their chances of fixing the company simply because he hadn't been there. This left the older twin in a rather confused state of mind. He usually knew how his brother worked, but when it came to Haruhi, trying to understand Kaoru's mind was a near impossible task.
"Besides, we still talk with Kyouya every now and then! He knows how to handle money and such! I'll just ask him for help!"
"Do you remember the last time you tried that?" Kaoru lost all pride, but kept the proud smile for as long as he could. Once the dark memories began to flood in, though, neither had any joy left…Only cold and empty souls…The twins shuddered.
"Maybe that's not such a good idea…" Kaoru re-thought, "Well, I'll think of something. What's one day? You'll wait wherever you need to, and call me when she shows up. I can take a little moment to say hello to our old favorite toy, right?"
"If I'm taking the day off, you shouldn't be able to go anywhere," Hikaru muttered almost to himself, but Kaoru heard and took the opportunity to "seal the deal."
"A-ha! You just said it yourself. You're taking the day off to wait for Haruhi!"
"I didn't say that-!" Hikaru tried to defend, but with no success. Kaoru was in another "I-won't-listen-to-anything-you-say" mood, and was humming joyously to drown out any protests Hikaru had. Haruhi was back and he had to get back to work on his "lovely couple" project he had started oh-so long ago.
And he had to finish it before Haruhi happened to run into one of the certain someone's who would ruin his perfect plans…
Little did Kaoru know, one of the certain someone's was already at Haruhi's door, unsure of whether to knock or just leave. And even more uncertain if he had the right house or not.
