"What did I do wrong, senpai? Geez, you're getting all fired up for nothing...all I was doing was talking to that nice dude over there." I say once we're in the car and the doors are closed.

"You cannot say anything bad about our engagement." Kyoya fires back at me. "At least not in public. That 'nice dude' is Atsushi Koizora, the son of the CEO of Japan Future News And Media. He could have it printed in twenty seven different languages in fifty business papers that ours is a loveless engagement. IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENS IF HE DECIDES TO," his voice suddenly rises. "This WHOLE engagement would lose its purpose and this would be the first 'scandal' to taint the Ootori name."

"What? Scandal? Isn't that taking it a little too far?" I am not angry, at least, not yet, but I am perplexed.

"You don't know what some companies want to happen to us." Kyoya's teeth are gritted and his knuckles are white. "They would make a big deal out of nothing."

"Fineeee," I whine. "I won't tell anybody. But can I tell Haruhi?"

"Who you tell doesn't matter as long as it isn't in public and it doesn't get out. Got that, Syrup?"

"Yes, I guess so," I reply and stare out the window on the other side. I look at the brightly clothed children, floating clouds and gray buildings.

This is not how I imagined my marriage to be. I wanted to fall in love with a man that valued me. Clearly not Kyoya.

A man who would always care about me, pick me up when I felt horrible.

However, Kyoya was the MAIN reason I felt horrible. A tear started to run down my face.

Immediately, the Demon Lord himself, asks in a rough and maybe a little caring voice, "What's wrong?"

"How could you even tell I was crying?" I ask, amazed. Hikaru and Kaoru don't call him a superhuman for nothing.

"Your reflection, idiot. The window is reflecting your face." He paused, and added, "are you still mad that I called you Miki Mouse?"

"Yeah…" I reply. "It kinda hurt me. I'm trying my best to make this work, and…"

I stop, voice trailing off. Minutes tick by.

After about ten minutes, Kyoya clears his throat and says, "I'm sorry. I won't call you that anymore."

"It's okay, as long as you remember. And I'll try to be quiet from now on and not annoy you."

"No, it would be a waste for you to stop chattering that useless garbage now that I'm used to it."

Translated from Kyoya-speak, it means, "no, it's fine, I don't mind now, talk all you want."
It would be sweet…

IF HE DIDN'T PHRASE IT IN SUCH A MEAN WAY!

The next morning, after successfully waking Kyoya without destroying the house, (I had to inject five needles into his arm before he even opened an eye.) I took a shower and put on my banana colored Ouran uniform.

The bow on the dress was pink, and I thought it would be a good idea to put on some sparkly white eyeshadow (not too much, though) to match with it. I also put on mascara and tinted lip gloss, because lipstick looks really unnatural on me.

I spent half an hour to carefully curl my hair, and then put on a polka-dot ribbon headband.

Deciding that was enough beautification, I exited the bathroom and called to Kyoya, who was sleepily drinking strong coffee on the bed that he could use the bathroom now if he liked. He nodded brusquely and swept past me to the bathroom after collecting his towel and clothes.

I went to the windowsill, where my sunflower was, in a little pot.

Well, it didn't really flower yet, so it was a green plant with a few leaves.

I watered it lovingly, while patting the leaves and soil.
You might think this is weird, but I felt as if the sunflower was my daughter, or something, that I had to take care of.

I really love plants and gardening. You might think this is boring, but I really am good at it!
I told it, in a soft voice of course, "You are going to grow into a beautiful plant with large flowers! Keep going and don't give up!"
I hummed "kiss kiss fall in love" while I adjusted the window light and pot placement.

I suddenly stopped. I felt like someone was watching me.
I turned around, but there was no one there.

Later that afternoon, after school, I decided to go with Kyoya to the Host Club. Why not? Besides, I wanted to talk to Haruhi and say hi to the hosts.

I went to the third music room alone (Kyoya had gone ahead) and opened the door. Roses swirled out, but this time, they were pink petals rather than red.

All the hosts were dressed as different types of candy. Kyoya was a chocolate bar, dressed in all brown with a 'Hershey's' logo imprinted jacket. Tamaki was dressed up as cotton candy, with a pink, wispy costume. Mori was a stick of licorice, his costume looking almost like the real thing. Hikaru and Kaoru were both Jelly Beans. And Hunny looked adorable in a strawberry cake costume.

A big banner across the room read, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNNY!"

I was drawn into the shouting, music and laughing that is the Ouran High School Host club. I wished Hunny a very happy birthday, and sat with Tamaki, just for old times' sake, and he told us about the time he tried commoner ramen for the first time.

"So when Haruhi told us there was ramen, I didn't know what it was! So I asked him (read: bugged him) to buy me some! When I put the first spoonful into my mouth, I felt like I was in HEAVEN!" His eyes glittered with happiness.

"Mouuu, Master Tamaki, can we please stop talking about ramen?" Risa Sakamoto, a whiny but otherwise nice blond customer griped.

"Are you sure?" Tamaki got up and held Risa in his arms. "Because you know, the best way to eat ramen is straight from my mouth…"

All the rest of the girls blushed and squealed while Risa fainted. I would have ordinarily, too, blush and giggle and all of that, but something had changed. This seemed a little too...shiny...a little too sparkly...a little too...what was the word?

Ah, yes, that's it. Fake.

Hurriedly, I excused myself and stood at the edge of the room, simply musing to myself.

I had always loved Tamaki's stupid, seductive, sparkling flirting...for a year or two, even!
So why was I getting tired of it now?

Breaking out of my reverie, I saw Kyoya talk with his customers. He was all gentle smiles, polite gestures and was very kind to all of his customers.

"Hey, watcha thinking about?" a voice too deep to be a girl's and too high to be a boy's interrupts.

"HARUHI!" I shout, and twirl her around, in true host club style. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

She laughs, and her eyes crinkle. I can sort of see why she is popular with so many girls (and guys) in this school.

"You were looking at Kyoya earlier," she says, with her characteristic bluntness. "With a sad look. What's wrong?"

"He is really mean to me, Haruhi! I think he hates me. And he's nice to all of these girls. They're all so much better than I am. Maybe he should have married someone better than, well, me."

"Oh, really?" The cross-dressing girl asks. "First of all, there isn't that many better options than you. You're good looking, smart, sociable, talented and rich. Second of all, look at his smile. It doesn't have any teeth and his lips are closed. That means he isn't really enjoying the company of these girls. Next time you're with him, get him to smile. See if he smiles with his teeth."

"HARUHEEEEE TRY SOME COMMONER CANDIES WITH MEEE!" Tamaki yells from where he's playing in a spinny chair.

"I have to leave now, Miki-chan! I need to make sure Tamaki doesn't choke himself. She sprints off and I'm left alone.

I sit and play chess with Mori while Hunny takes a nap on a nearby sofa. Mori doesn't really talk, but he and I occasionally play chess together. I'm not very good, and playing with him improves my skill level.

The sun is setting by the time the club is all cleaned up and the rest of the members have gone home. Kyoya locks up.

"So senpai…" I begin, wanting to ask him a question. "When are we going to have our wedding? I mean...you haven't made it very clear at all…"

"Not now, of course. Only after both you and I graduate." He smiles humorlessly. "So I have at least two years' time before you" and you was said in a very nasty type of way, as if I was a bug rather than a human, "and I are lawfully wedded."

"Would you have…" I'm slightly afraid to hear the answer. "Preferred to fall in love?"

"I don't know." He thinks for a while and replies. He looks at me with a shrewd, but otherwise unreadable look in his coal-black eyes. "What about you?"

Before, I would have shouted, "YES! OF COURSE! I'M A DIEHARD ROMANTIC!" But now, looking at the sunset through the window, and the brown panels of wood and Kyoya's angular, handsome face, I'm at a loss. I don't know.

"I don't know."

"Well, we're never going to know, huh, Syrup?" Kyoya flashes me a rare, albeit wistful and sad, smile. "Come on. Let's go home." He walks away and I hurriedly follow.