Kyouya looked at the sleeping beauty in front of him. He lowered his head and was going to press his lips to hers. Suddenly, a voice sang
"Kyouya – mon ami"
It was Tamaki. 'Damn Tamaki. You always know how to ruin the mood' Kyouya sighed
"Kyouya – mon ami. Pick up your phone" The ringtone sang loudly. He stood up, answered his phone
"What is it, Tamaki?"
Haruhi sat up, blinked. They totally forgot that they were on the stage. The crowd growled; someone chuckled. The director went mad because these amateur actors spoiled his play.
When they was kicked out of the stage, Kirimi yelled
"You two disappointed me"
"Because you made us attend this play unwillingly" Kyouya snapped
"But I just want to see the prince kiss his princess" said Kirimi sadly, almost tearfully
"You will see that scene at home because I take you to Nekozawa-senpai now" He said in a cold voice then dragged her toward the exit. Haruhi just followed them.
After having Kirimi got back to her brother, Kyouya and Haruhi went to meet Host club at the front gate. Antoinette led the boy to everywhere of the hypermarket but Haruhi's place. Tired of wandering around, Tamaki called for Kyouya. At the first sight of Haruhi, Tamaki ran up to her, gave her a big bear hug
"Oh my sweet daughter, where have you been? I thought you were lost. Please don't scare me like that again" He cried
"Can't … breathe … senpai" Haruhi struggled to get free of Tamaki's hug but she just succeeded when the twins interfered
"You're harassing our toy, Tono" said the twins while they pulled Tamaki off Haruhi.
"Which kind of dog food do you feed Antoinette, Tono?" Kaoru asked
"You should change it" Hikaru added
"Why?" Tamaki blinked
"Because she is just idiot like YOU" They finished at the same time. Then Tamaki chased them around. What a familiar scene!
Behind a pillar, someone was standing and watching them secretly "Little girl, I will rescue you" That person smirked.
Host club's day off was ended when they all were in the limo to go home. Tamaki kept giving Haruhi his bewildered look. And Haruhi, putting a hand on her chest, she sighed a relief
"Thank god, that strange feeling has gone"
Some days later
*Third music room*
Haruhi was in the third music room alone. It was 1pm, too early to open Host club and the others hadn't presented yet. This tranquil atmosphere was what, at her first day at Ouran, she had searched for – a quiet place to study. But soon the tranquility was destroyed by the rain coming outside. It poured heavily.
"Oh, I hope there won't be …"
As soon as she thought about it, a flash of lightning ripped the sky then a thunder followed. Haruhi dropped her book. The thunder made her blood curdle. She curled up under the table, closed her eyes, and used her hands to cover her ears. She tried her best to ignore the raging noise outside but it was no use. Her body shook terribly.
"It will be over, everything will be fine" whispered Haruhi.
Suddenly, the door burst open
"HARUHI"
She heard someone called her 'It's him'
"Senpai"
Hearing her trembling voice under the table, he ran up to her, pulled her into a tight hug
"I'm here" He whispered in her ear "There's no need to fear. I'm here" He held her protectively
"Thank you" said Haruhi softly "Thank you for always being there for me, Tamaki-senpai. How … How do you know…?"
"Kyouya called me. He said there was going the storm and you was alone in the club's room"
Another thunder clapped and she snuggled closer to him. He ran his hand up and down on her back. They just stayed like that for minutes then there was someone running toward the room. Standing near the doorframe, Hikaru was panting. He left out a sigh of relief when he saw Haruhi and Tamaki. After that, Kaoru reached him
"Hikaru, where is …" Kaoru asked while panting
"She is fine now" A smile spread across his face.
"Thank to Tama-chan ne?" Honey and Mori appeared from nowhere standing next to the twins. After watching that scene for a minute, Honey cried out:
"GROUP HUG"
Suddenly everything clicked; the twins and Honey bounced toward and hugged both Tamaki and Haruhi. Just some seconds later, Haruhi was crushed underneath four boys
"Can't … breathe … Bones … cracking …" Haruhi absolutely forgot the storm and thunders
The rain went away, rose the sun again. Haruhi's decision staying at Host club was right. She was happy very happy and now she couldn't imagine how her life would be without them. She looked over the room: Tamaki was going mad because the twins put a caterpillar in his coffee; Honey and Mori were eating cakes, so predictable.
"They care for you so much" A cold voice made Haruhi startle. She turned back and there was Kyouya "On hearing you was alone in this room, they immediately ran to you"
Her eyes widened "I made you all worry again, didn't I?" said Haruhi apologically "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean …"
"You don't have to. I didn't worry about you anyway" He pushed his glasses up
"But it was you who called Tamaki-senpai"
"Well, I didn't want him to call me and ask where you was so I just did it in advance." bluntly said Kyouya. "And don't have to feel sorry, it isn't your fault for scaring the thunder. Everybody has their own fear"
'The storm makes me fear and now it makes the others worry for me. I am becoming a burden?' She thought then looked at Kyouya "Kyouya-senpai, what is your fear?"
He shot her a look then pushed his glasses up "The Ootori fears nothing. And if I have one, you think I will tell you?" He smirked
"No, I just ask" She rolled her eyes at him
"I used to be afraid of thunder" Haruhi raised her eyebrows "when I was five, of course" He added
'He is teasing me' thought Hauhi then she asked him curiously "How could you be over that fear?"
"Think about something scarier" He shrugged. As if he knew her question 'Like what?' he continued "Like being scolded by my father. Believe me his temper is much more terrible than a thunder storm. One of many ways to get over your fear is finding a bigger one" He turned on his heel walked toward his table, left Haruhi in her confusion
"Find a bigger one?"
Another storm coming
Tamaki was sitting at a window ledge, looking at the grey sky outside. He sighed:
"Mother, where is Haruhi?"
Kyouya stopped typing in his laptop, shot Tamaki an annoyed look "You have asked me that question for ten times. She is…" He glanced at his watch "walking here from the library"
"No need to worry Tama-chan, when Haru-chan is here, she will have all of us to protect her" Honey said from his full of cake table.
"Do you think we should make this room become a soundproof one? It is storm season and I don't want my Haruhi…" Tamaki asked
"When does Haruhi become yours" Kyouya snapped that made Tamaki blush slightly "It will cost so much but I will think about it"
The twins burst in on the room. They panted as if they had had a marathon
"Have Haruhi come yet?"
"We didn't find her in the classroom or the library."
A thunder clapped roughly. Everyone went pale.
"She must be curling up somewhere now" Tamaki shouted nervously
"Poor Haru-chan, we must go to find her" Honey cried
All of them rushed out of the room. Each of them went in a different direction to find her faster. Tamaki ran toward the west corridor when the twins rushed to the east. Honey and Mori directed toward the garden and Kyouya went to the front gate.
"Silly girl, She said sorry for making us worry and now what she is doing" Kyouya mumbled when he was running under the rain. He was soaked to the skin. The rain became heavier and lighting ripped off sky with a terrible thunder coming along. He tried his best to seek her through the rain. And he saw, on the opposite sidewalk, standing someone near a tree
"HARUHI?"
"Kyouya-senpai?" The person said in a trembling voice. It was her. She was leaning on the trunk to be able to stand on her feet. Her body shook slightly. He was going to run to her but she cried
"DON"T … JUST STAY THERE. LET ME ALONE"
"ARE YOU CRAZY? WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?" He shouted angrily
"I must face my fear alone" A thunder clapped again. Haruhi fell on the ground. Kyouya immediately rushed to her, lifted her up
"You're the most foolish girl I have seen. How can you think about standing alone under this pouring rain?"
He slowly walked her across the road to come back to school. That lighting flashed made Haruhi freeze. She was going to shut her eyes up and she saw a car speeding toward them. Suddenly, all her fear was blown up to the air. Her mind came sane. Instinctively, she pulled herself from Kyouya arm and pushed him out of the road. Just in one blink, she heard a dreadful noise mixed together the thunder then everything was back out.
The hospital
In the white room, five men was standing around a bed, watching the person lying on it carefully
"When will she wake up? She have slept for a day" Honey asked worriedly
"Kaoru, don't push me"
"It's not my fault. It's Tono. Stand far away from me, Tono" Kaoru turned to Tamaki who was standing too close to him.
"I want to be nearer Haruhi than you two." Tamaki scolded
Kyouya was leaning on the wall far from them; he sighed depressedly 'This is what happens when I let them visit Haruhi at the same time'
"Look, her eyelids move"
Haruhi heard some noise, very disturbing noise. She tried to open her eyelids to see what that noise was. It was too bright. She adjusted her vision so that she was able to see. It was a white room and there were 5 figures beside her
"You're awake, Haru-chan" It was Honey's voice
"Where am I?" She opened her mouth
"In the hospital, you had a car accident" Hikaru said, gazing at her
"How do you feel now, Haruhi?" Tamaki asked
"Painful a little and thirsty" Now she could see them clearly
"Drink" Mori handed her a glass of water
"Thanks, Mori-senpai" She was going to stretch her right arm but she felt so tender. Then she noticed her arm was bandaged so she used her left one to take the glass then she sat up a little.
"Tell me, what did you think Haruhi?" Tamaki folded his arms, said in a serious voice
She gazed at the white sheet to avoid the others' looks "I didn't really know. My instinct told me to push Kyouya-senpai out or he would be hurt" said Haruhi timidly
"I didn't tell about that. I mean what did you think when you stood alone in the rain?" Tamaki voice was lower. All of them fixed her to wait for the answer
"I… I thought … if I was brave enough to face my own fear, I wouldn't fear it anymore. I didn't want you worry about me when there was the thunder. I didn't want to be your burden"
"WHO TOLD YOU WERE OUR BURDEN" Tamaki shouted angrily, made all startled. Hikaru had to hold him to calm him down.
"Tono, we're in the hospital. You can't shout like that."
"I thought … I thought what happened at Karuizawa taught her a lesson. But I was wrong. I … she …" Tamaki seemed so furious that he turned away, sat on a chair and didn't look at Haruhi
"We worried about you Haruhi" Kaoru said calmly "but it didn't mean you were a burden. We want to comfort you, protect you that are the way we show our love for you. We all love you" he caressed her arm.
"I'm sorry" Haruhi said softly, still gazing at the sheet
"Don't feel sorry for us, sorry for yourself. Because of your silliness, you hurt yourself" Tamaki snapped. Honey felt the tension in the room so he raised his cute voice
"Ok. I think Haru-chan understands now. Why don't we have some cakes? Ah, Haru-chan, did it work? Have you got over the fear of thunder?" He asked eagerly
Haruhi widened her eyes "Well, I'm not sure about it but when I saw that car, I forgot all my fear. Kyouya-senpai said "One of many ways to get over your fear is finding a bigger one". Maybe … maybe … I found it. Seeing the person I love be going to get hurt is my bigger fear. Do you think so?" She asked hopefully
"You mean you love Kyouya-senpai, Haruhi?" Hikaru narrowed his eyes
"What? Of course I love him. I love you all. If that person was Hikaru, Kaoru or Tamaki-senpai, I would do the same thing"
Everyone sighed and thought she was so oblivious. Haruhi noticed Kyouya standing in his corner, didn't say a word. About fifteen minutes later, a nurse came in and told the host club to get out and let her rest. The host club reluctantly bid goodbye to her then left. Just Kyouya stayed but the nurse ignored him. She said to Haruhi that she was very lucky because the car stopped just in time. She only had some scratches and she could leave the next day after having several tests. Then she left and there were Haruhi and Kyouya in the room. Haruhi looked up at him
"Kyouya-senpai, are you ok?" Kyouya walked slowly to her, just when he was in front of her, he opened his mouth
"I am not ok. I am angry. I am angry at you" He said in a dangerous voice and a bad aura was around him that made Haruhi tense
"Why do you angry at me?"
"Why?" He leaned down so that his eyes met hers "Because you made me worry. I worried so much and that I worried about you didn't bring me any merit so I'm angry at you"
On hearing he worried about her, Haruhi felt heat on her cheeks. Her heart drummed loudly. He had never said he worried about her before and she had the feeling at that hypermarket again
"Y-you worried about me?" She stuttered. He turned on his heels and walked toward the door.
"Don't ever do that again. Don't let yourself be hurt because seeing you like that … hurt me too" He turned the door knob and left. Haruhi stared at the closed door
"What does he mean it hurts him too?"
Meanwhile, at the corridor
"Ne, Kaoru. Do you see any difference?" Hikaru asked his brother twin
"What difference?"
"Tono has stopped calling Haruhi his daughter"
"Oh"
That night, Ootori's mansion
Kyouya was sitting in front of his desktop but he didn't work. He recalled the accident
*Flashback*
Being pushed away, Kyouya fell on the road near the sidewalk. Having a little shock, he heard a terrible thunder then swung his head back. He saw Haruhi was lying there. He rushed to her, lifted her head up, shook her slightly
"H-Haruhi, open your eyes, Haruhi. Wake up"
But her eyes didn't even move slightly when he called her name
"Haruhi, please, wake up" Holding her bleeding immobile body in his arm, he felt his heart stopped beating. His whole body shook strongly. The driver got out of his car, as realization hit him; he helped Kyouya get Haruhi in the car and sped up to the hospital
*End flashback*
The image of her took over his mind; he had never felt miserable like that before. Suddenly, a knock pulled him out of his thought
"Kyouya?"
"What is it, Tamaki?" He looked up and saw Tamaki come in
"I have something I must tell you" Tamaki seemed to have some confusion
"Ok, spit it out. I'm very tired. I want to go to bed early tonight"
I think … I think … I love Haruhi" Tamaki muttered
Kyouya froze "What kind of love do you have? Father-daughter love?"
"No, I love her … I love her as a boy loves a girl" Finally, he said it out loud. Kyouya expected it, hoped he would find his feeling for her one day. But now when he heard Tamaki's confession, he felt painful as if his heart was shot by an arrow.
"Finally, you found it out. I thought you would never admit it" He laughed, tried to keep his usual voice. His phone rang
"Hello?" Kyouya picked up his phone
His face went pale; he was so shocked that he dropped his phone
"What's that, Kyouya?" Tamaki asked nervously
"Haruhi … she's … lost"