Author's Notes: Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. I am very happy to know that you like the progress of the story. Please continue to support my fanfiction.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. We have to than Hatori Bisco for creating such wonderful and lovable characters.

Near You

Chapter 6: There's No Easy Way

"I still love Tamaki..." Those words were echoing in his ears. Kyouya sighed. He barely touched his dinner which was noticed bu his two companions. He was bound to leave Japan by tomorrow morning and he believes it will be good for him. Having heard from Haruhi the truth about her feelings for Tamaki is enough for Kyouya to know that he really does not have a place in her heart.

"It's so unlike of Kyou-chan to easily give up." Hani-sempai commented. Kyouya snapped out of his reverie.

"I'm sorry what was it Hani-sempai?" Kyouya asked.

"I said, it is unlike of you to just give up easily." Hani repeated.

"What am I giving up exactly Hani-sempai?" Kyouya questionned. He was offended by the older man's comment.

"I don't know." Hani-sempai answered. "If any one of us knows what it is or rather who it is your giving up, it is you not me nor Takashi." Hani added. Kyouya's eyes widened at what Hani said. His seniors were and will always be observant and wiser.

"If you give up, you are no different to Tamaki." Takashi added."You have done so much already just to be near her."

"I wonder if we can go see her again Takashi. Since Tama-chan broke the very promise he enforced, we can go eat cakes with her again ne?" Hani said cheerfully.

"Hai." Mori simply answered.

"I'm looking forward to see her again!"

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Haruhi was packing her things for their company's team building when she heard the doorbell. "Yare-yare, it must be Kyouya-sempai." She told herself. Somehow, she got used with Kyouya's unusual habits of dropping by her house just to have tea or dinner, or calling her late in the evening just to check if she was at home. It has been a month since that night, when Kyouya came to her place just so he could keep her in company while there was a thunder storm. He came straight to her place after he arrived from South Africa. After their first dinner together at her place, he frequently visits her.

Another doorbell and Haruhi decided to run downstairs. Knowing Kyouya, he is the type of person who does not like to wait long. "Coming!" She shouted. She reached the stair landing, quickly walked to the front door and openned it. Nothing could have prepared her for the person whom she saw.

"Hello Haruhi. Sorry to come here so late." Tamaki said.

"Tamaki..." Haruhi was stunned to see the former host club king and her ex-flame in her door step.

"Can I come in?"

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Haruhi had invited Tamaki inside her house. They were in her living room. She served tea which Tamaki was quietly sipping as of the moment. Awkward silence surrounded them and neither one of them was trying to break it until...

"Haruhi, I came hee because I want you to listen to what I have to say." Tamaki boldly said. Haruhi just looked at him and nodded. Tamaki exhaled.

"I...truth be told, I don't know how to begin...but...Haruhi..." He let inhaled deeply and then exhaled. "I want you to know that I'm still very much in love with you." Haruhi's eyes widened upon hearing those words. "I was foolish for leaving you...I was really an idiot and I coerced the others to stop seeing you. It took a lot of effort to force them to stop seeing you but I though I was doing it for your protection. I thought, if we stayed away from you, you will never have to face the harsh world of the aristrocrats and elites. You won't be judged by them because of your background. I thought I was sparing you from a miserable life but I was the one miserable...I tried to forget you. I tried so hard to move on with my own life but I can't..."

"Please stop..." Haruhi said. Her tears were falling already she was trying her best to keep a calm exterior but she failed.

"Haruhi...please...take me back..."

"No more Tamaki...please stop...I don't want to hear you anymore." Haruhi said, trying to steady her voice.

"I'm sorry." Tamaki apologized. Haruhi did not say anything. She wiped her tears away. "Haruhi..." Tamaki stood and approached her. He attempted to embrace her but Haruhi quickly stood and walked towards the window. She was hugging herself and she was unable to stop herself from crying. After a few minutes. She calmed down and wiped her tears again. She looked at Tamaki with a blank expression.

"Let's stop living like teenagers and grow-up." Haruhi said. "I won't lie, I was happy to hear that you still love me." Tamaki's face brighten. "But, you were really an idiot for thinking that you'd protect me from the scrutiny of your society if you or the whole host club stayed away from me. You know me better than that!"

"I'm sorry..." Tamaki apologized as well.

"I spent countless nights thinking what went wrong or what was wrong with me. I felt like you all moved on and I was stuck in my own misery. I was miserable for almost ten years only to find out that the reason why I was left behind was because of my perceived vulnerability?"

"Haruhi...I'm sorry, I was foolish!"

"Yes you are." Haruhi said back. Tamaki fell silent. "Let's stop this sempai. I won't lie to you, I am still in love with you..." Tamaki's eyes widened.

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After meeting Hani and Mori, Kyouya went staright back to his condo unit. Upon reaching his condo, he entered his room and threw himself on his bed. "Its for the best." He told himself but Hani and Mori's words were crumbling his resolve. He sighed. "Feelings are really troublesome." Kyouya said to no one. He snapped out of his reverie when he felt his mobile phone vibrate on his pant's pocket.

"Ootori speaking." Kyouya said sternly.

"Kyouya-sempai..."

"Haruhi?" Kyouya was surprised to hear Haruhi's voice

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After Haruhi's call, Kyouya quickly left his condo unit. He went to a small coffee shop a few blocks away from Haruhi's house. He was sitting in the coffee shop for almost ten minutes already when Haruhi arrived. Kyouya looked at the young woman walking towards him. He could not read the expression on her face. When Haruhi took the seat in front of her, Kyouya sighed.

"I'll add this to your new debt." He stated.

"I don't mind. I badly need someone to talk to right now. Mei isn't available to talk and I wouldn't know if Kasanoda would understand me. I'm taking the risk that you would at least care to listen to what I would say." Haruhi answered lifelessly.

"I'll try my best to hear you out." Kyouya said trying to comfort Haruhi. He noticed that Haruhi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then she let it out.

"Sempai, Tamaki and I met earlier. He came to my house." Haruhi started. Kyouya could feel his chest constricting but his face did not betray any emotion. "He said that he still loves me and he begged me to take him back."

"You finally heard what you wanted to hear." Kyouya commented. He wanted to bang his head on the table for he felt like he sounded bitter.

"He also explained to me the reason why you, the host club, did not contact me all these years...the truth hurts sempai most espcially when you find the reason illogical." Haruhi said. Kyouya just nodded. "Now I understand why you keep on saying sorry." Haruhi said. Her brown eyes looked staright into Kyouya's gray orbs.

"Did you get the closure or the continuation you wanted Haruhi?" He asked. Haruhi shook her head.

"Sempai, when I heard him say that he still loves me, my heart soared with happiness. However, if I close my eyes right now, I only see my 16 or 17 year old self smiling at me because she is happy of what she heard. But I also realized that I'm no longer a child nor a teenager sempai. Sometimes, what we want and what we assume we'll make us happy is not usually right for us." Haruhi explained.

"How can you say that it is not right if it will make you happy?" Kyouya questionned. "I thought you wished you wanted to go back to those days?"

"I will be happy but what about his finace? What about his reputation sempai? We are adults and we have responsibilities and obligations to face." Haruhi answered.

"Haruhi..."

"So I decided to close all doors and windows of opportunity for us to be together again." Haruhi said with a sad smile. "I can now move on." She added and she said it with determination. Kyouya's eyes widened in surprise and for the first time, he let his emotions slip out of his control. "I know its not easy but I'll get by. I learned tonight that I was so naïve to stay stuck in a moment that will never be back. We can never go back ne? We can only move forward." Haruhi said.

"I'm sure you will." Kyouya said with a smile and he was rewarded with a smile from Haruhi.

"Thank you for listening sempai. I'm sorry to have invited you this late. I know you are scheduled to leave for South Africa tomorrow." Haruhi apologized.

"There has been a change of plans actually." Kyouya said as he took out his Blueberry and sent a message to his trusted right hand man and bodyguard. A smile full of hope could be seen on his face.

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Ouran High School

Race between the Host Club and Football Club

Haruhi ran frantically to reach the final location where they could get the price and eventually to the end of the race. The Football club caught up with her. The rest of the host club followed the football club.

The football club captain caught up with her and he accidentally pushed Haruhi in the pool. Tamaki was about to jump in to save Haruhi when...

"Go and get that price. Reach the goal Tamaki, I'll take care of Haruhi." Kyouya said as he removed his heavy costume and jumped in the pool to save Haruhi.

"Un. Take care of Haruhi!" Tamaki yelled

Kyouya reached Haruhi and help her to get to the side of the pool so she can hold on to the pool ladder.

"Sempai, arigato!" Haruhi said while smiling at him. He just pushed his eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose.

To be continued.

PS: If you will notice, the title of the chapters (save for chapter 1 and 2) are actually song titles :)

Chapter 3: STUCK IN A MOMENT (song by U2)

Chapter 4: SAME GROUND (song by Kitchie Nadal)

Chapter 5: WHAT HURTS THE MOST (song by Rascal Flatts)

Chapter 6: THERE'S NO EASY WAY (song by James Ingram)

Just thought of sharing this :) hehehehehehe. :