Things continued this way for a few weeks. Mori would walk me home every afternoon when we had Club. We grew closer each day and it was wonderful to see Mori open up to me in a way that I assumed he only did with Honey. I savored the feeling, the bliss that came with having someone close to me. That feeling, however, did not last for long, for it was late that autumn, the Host Club began to fall apart.

November 19th

"Welcome, ladies! Today's theme is traditional Japan. We will be serving a variety of teas and desserts for your pleasure. My name is Kimiko and I will be your hostess and as always, enjoy your stay at the Ouran Highschool Host Club!"

It was the beginning of the perfect Friday evening. Tamaki was somehow able to convince the Garden Club to give us the keys to the greenhouse for sessions today. Okay, I might have done some persuasion as well, but rest assured that it was for the good of the bunch. Everything in the greenhouse was in full bloom since the room's temperature and conditions were all controlled electronically. Even the Sakura trees flushed a vibrant pink, their petals drifting in the air.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Startled, I realized that it was only Kyoya. He was looking up as if he was trying to inscribe the image into his mind.

"Quite. It's spectacular how they can keep the flowers in a perfect state year round."

"Oh yes, the Greenhouse is one of the school's pride and joy's." Kyoya meet my gaze. "I wanted to thank you personally for helping secure the venue. Your feminine qualities proved to be useful against the president."

"It was no problem really," I chuckled, "You guys can't have all the fun."

He laughed in return. "I suppose not."

I bowed my head slightly then parted from him in order to tend to customers. Kyoya was acting rather strangely. It wasn't hard to figure out that he was faking a polite personality. The real him was cold and selfish; he was most likely raised that way so I couldn't blame him. Don't get me wrong, I like Kyoya, I love every person in this club, but it always bothered me that I never knew exactly what he was thinking.

Everything after that seemed to fall into habitual routine. The usual waltz around the floor, from girl to girl, Host to Host, became a hazy blur of smiles, snickers, and grimaces. My kimono grazed my heels and the sleeves dangled over my wrist. My hair was wrapped up into a tight bun, my lips were plastered with red lipstick to match my attire. The brightness of the robe offset the color of my eyes spectacularly thanks to Hikaru and Kaoru. Actually, all of the boys looked spectacular. Each had their own signature color.

Ugh, why does she have to be so cute?

I don't understand why she works here anyway. What's her name again? Kimiko?

Lucky for me, I know that my wonderful Tamaki would never fall for filth like that.

They whispered to each other, cruel things that they would never actually say to my face. It was pathetic how they wanted so desperately to be loved that they thought it could be bought.

"As long as they're happy, I suppose." I sighed.

"As long as who's happy?" Mori loomed over me.

Smiling at his presence, I replied, "The girls, they buy your affection thinking that it might someday become real. It seems shallow to me, but... it doesn't really matter what I think."

"Well, I think you're right, but it has its own rewards. The only reason I am part of the Club is to give them happiness for as long as I can. Even if they never find true love, at least they can remember the feeling they got when they came here."

"That's noble." I was so proud of Mori. His heart was so kind and loving, I could only hope that he would stay with me because honestly, he is all that I could ever ask for.

"Oh, and by the way," he tugged at my sleeve and led me behind a trunk of a towering Sakura tree, "You look adorable in your kimono, Kimiko."

He pulled me close then, kissing me, for real. It was the most surreal moment of my life, with the cherry blossom petal wafting in the air around us, as sappy as it may sound, I realized that I wanted him for the rest of my life.

"No, no you two."

Kyoya.

"Someone might see. It would be wise to get back to work."

Smirking, Mori grazed my nose with his thumb and whispered and then disappeared.

"Well, aren't you a killjoy."

"Sometimes I can't help myself," he grasped my wrist, "I get jealous."

My heart sped up and pounded so hard in my chest. His hand was tight enough to bruise.

"Kyoya, I don't know what you-"

He kissed me, hard. The emotions came all at once, panic, fear of what was to come next, guilt, lust, hatred, I didn't know which were correct and which weren't. As if it were instinct, I kissed back, which as I had hoped, was the last thing Kyoya had expected. I pushed him up against a wall of flower pots, causing them to tremble and Kyoya to lose his grip just enough for me to escape. I ran past Kyoya, Mori, the rest of the boys, the girls, and out of the door.