DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ouran Host Club. I do, however, own a keychain now!
One day and thirty-seven minutes ago…
Kyouya couldn't sleep. Rather, he couldn't breathe without feeling somewhat guilty for what he had to do. He had confronted his Father about the whole ordeal, and because of that, he couldn't think straight; how did he not see this coming to a close?
Eleven hours ago…
"Father, why did you not tell me about this engagement?" Kyouya slammed the door to his Father's room and stood before him. Yoshio stood from his chair at his desk and coughed before speaking.
"This is a test for you, Kyouya, to see if you can handle having a wife while taking on our company. We have been at this for two months now, and it seems you had not realized what was going on, and you took the news well. It has not disrupted your behavior to the company." Kyouya grinded his teeth together to avoid yelling at his own Father, but still angrily spoke.
"But why to her?" Yoshio turned away from his son and whispered:
"It's business."
Eleven hours later…
During the night, he messaged the Host Club to tell them about his engagement, but never contacted her. He couldn't tell her; how could he? There were no words that could come to mind that could ease the pain in his own heart. He laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling above him while servants ran in and out of the room with his things in their hands. So this is what it all comes down to, is it? He rose from his bed and rested his back against the headboard before hearing the birds chirp outside.
The servants did not react to his movements, nor did they want to speak to their Lord and continued with their business. One servant, however, brought his breakfast and tea into the room and spoke to him. "Kyouya-sama, is there anything I can do for you?" Kyouya placed his glasses on his face and looked at the servant. She was old, older than the rest, and always smiled in the morning. Kyouya shook his head and looked down at the food along with his phone. Messages from the Host Club flooded his inbox with 'of course!' written in them, but nothing from Haruhi.
He could hear his things being packed into the cars outside, along with other cars just pulling into his home. He could already hear Tamaki's idiotic voice whining about the twins doing something to him while Huni and Mori stared in awe at the sight of Kyouya's things being stuffed away. Before their car doors slammed, Kyouya composed a message and glanced at his servant next to him. Sending that one message on, he gave the phone to the servant. "If someone responds, do not look or answer the phone in anyway."
He took a bite from his food, and the servant went away.
0o0o0o0o0o
Haruhi sat at the table with her Father enjoying breakfast for the first time in a while. She wasn't hungry, but to see her Father eat like that was something she wanted to witness. I'm surprised he hasn't asked for seconds yet. She stared down at the food and played with it for a few minutes before Ranka spoke. "Haruhi, are you not hungry?" Haruhi looked up at her Father with tired eyes and smiled.
"Oh, I am, but I'm trying to get more room in my stomach." Ranka took another bite of his food and became worried.
"But, Haruhi, ever since you came home last night from getting those things, you have been acting distant! Is there something wrong?" She wanted to tell him everything and wanted to scream until her lungs would collapse. But, she knew it would be impolite and she shook her head.
"No, nothing's wrong. I was just exhausted from walking around the mall all day trying to look for those foods." The phone on the table vibrated and she looked down at her screen. Recognizing the name, she snatched the silver phone away from the tabletop and opened the phone. She carefully read the message in her head. I'm coming later. It won't be until tonight. She sighed and placed the phone back down. Of course it would be tonight, when I planned on catching up on my studies. Ranka leaned back in content and smiled.
"Oh, Haruhi, you cook wonderful meals! You make me so happy sometimes," he said. Haruhi smiled and shook her head again. You really do act like Tamaki-senpai. She gladly swooped some of the food in her utensil and ate whatever was there. And when she chewed on the food she had made, Ranka rose and walked away.
0o0o0o0o0o0o
"You're engaged?" They all asked in shock. Kyouya nodded and looked down at his laptop's screen. The glare hid his eyes again and the rest of the Host Club sat down on the bed and took it all in. Tamaki looked like he was about to cry. "Kyouya, you can't go! Where are you going? When are you leaving?" Tamaki asked. Kyouya continued to type.
"I am to leave this evening around midnight and I am going to Osaka, where she has asked my Father if that would be a perfect spot for our wedding," he calmly said. Hikaru and Kaoru looked at one another in disbelief before looking at Kyouya.
"Why are you going? Don't you have a say in all of this?" Kaoru said. Kyouya shrugged.
"Normally, I would reject this engagement and continue my schooling at Ouran. However, my Father has put me up to a challenge to see if I am capable enough of running a company and a family." Hikaru watched as the servants took some of Kyouya's clothes away from the room and exited as fast as they came into the room. "Today is the last day that I am here and I won't even be attending Ouran on my last day." Hikaru looked back at Kyouya.
"What about Haruhi?" Kyouya blinked and stopped typing. All throughout the conversation, he had been typing ways to tell her the news, but none of them could work or would work. Tamaki rose form Kyouya's bed and started to act as though it was nothing to be worried about.
"Mother, you cannot leave our Daughter behind! She needs both of her parents here to support her! And you know Father will not be able to do this alone! Kyouya, please stay and help poor Haruhi to be accepted into our family!" Kyouya slammed his laptop shut and looked up at Tamaki. He was crying again and Kyouya still listened to the whispering cries for family staying together. Kyouya leaned against the laptop and inwardly sighed.
"Tamaki." Tamaki stopped whining for a moment and looked over at Kyouya. Kyouya wasn't looking at anyone but his laptop and held out his hands to stare at below him. They were not shaking, but they were certainly not still. "I do not believe in 'family' in the Host Club." Tamaki's eyes rose for a quick second before he walked back towards the bed and sat down beside Kyouya's lying body. Kyouya then glanced over at Tamaki and hid his eyes from him the best he could, but Tamaki saw everything.
"You're…" Tamaki's eyes widened and Kyouya blinked. The servant from before walked into the room with the phone in her hands and placed it down by Kyouya's side. Kyouya watched as Tamaki reached over his body and grabbed the phone away from him. Then, Tamaki read the message aloud: "'I'll be waiting.'" Kyouya let his head rest against the headboard and closed his eyes. Tamaki let the phone rest against his sheets and looked at Kyouya. "You're in love." Kyouya opened his eyes again and sighed.
"Yes, I am." Huni turned and faced Kyouya, this time, with concern.
"So how are you going to break it to her that you won't see her again?" Kyouya opened his laptop again and began typing in the same word document as before. Again, he came up with nothing and stared at the meaningful words.
"This is the one thing I don't know how to manage."
0o0o0o0o0o
Haruhi glanced at the clock next to her. Nine at night, and still no one knocks. She shrugged and continued reading her textbook for her History class. It was about the struggling relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States. 'The Cold War had not begun until the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, in August of 1945. Stalin had no idea the United States had such power and betrayed him in a way that he was not included in the making of the A-bomb.' She sighed and listened to the clock tick in her house. Soon enough, her phone rang.
Haruhi jolted from the noise and walked over to the kitchen. She picked the electronic up and clicked on the 'talk' button. "Hello?" Then, a loud noise came through the speaker. It was Tamaki.
"Haruhi! Haruhi, do you want to do something tomorrow? I was thinking we could go shopping, or—oh! I heard about the zoo that poor people go to! I want to go there!" Haruhi shook her head and sighed. Poor people…?
"Tamaki-senpai, you do know that we have the Host Club to manage tomorrow, right? We're doing our theme of Spring, remember?" Tamaki was silent before yelling again. This time, Haruhi let the phone wander away from her ear. He could just talk like a normal human being.
"But, Haruhi! I want to bond with my Daughter! We could go after the Host Club! We could go during school hours! I can talk to my Father about attendance and get us out of class! You know, Haruhi, I can get you out…" Then he started to ramble. Haruhi stopped listening and began cooking dinner for herself. "Haruhi! Are you listening to your Father?" Haruhi ignored his comment and continued to steam the vegetables on the oven. Then, she heard crying.
"Oh, Haruhi, you're so mean to your Father! I can't believe that you don't want to spend any time with me because you hate me! My heart hurts by your silence and yet you don't care! Haruhi, why don't you love your Father!" Haruhi laughed and took the vegetables off the oven.
"Tamaki-senpai," she started. "I love my Father. You're not my Father." Silence buzzed through the phone and she figured he was growing mushrooms in his room. Not that it affects me in anyway. Then, he started to yell again, this time in an angry voice.
"Let me talk to your Father right now! I want to hear him tell me that you do not love me! I don't want to believe that you would want to break this family apart!" Haruhi sighed and spoke again.
"He's not home. He's working." Then, a click, followed by a dial tone. He hung up on her because she was so mean to him. Tamaki threw the phone on his bed and glanced down at Kyouya's picture on the desk. I only want her to be happy after this, Kyouya. Please don't hurt her. Haruhi stared down at the phone in confusion while the dial tone resonated through her home. Then, she clicked another button and the sound abruptly stopped. Fixing her dinner instead, she placed the phone down on the countertop and smelled the flavors. My stomach is already happy. She smiled.
Then, a knock at her door turned her stomach upside-down.
0o0o0o0o0o
Kyouya stood outside the door waiting for someone to open it for him. He could hear the clicking of the oven being turned off, followed by a muffled, "Just a minute" go through the cracks of the door. He stood in his black tuxedo—the one he wore for the Cinderella theme—and waited for the doorknob to turn. Outside, his cool self remained calm. Inside, however, his heart was racing, nervous that he was going to break it at any moment. He remembered the hours before thinking of what to say to her, but nothing had come before this moment.
Haruhi stood behind the door to her home before touching the silver doorknob. She didn't know what to expect when she opened the door, but when she did, she was surprised. Kyouya stood in the darkness with his tuxedo on waiting for her. Haruhi stepped back and took in everything she was seeing. Then, Kyouya spoke. "May I come in for a minute, Haruhi?" She nodded, of course, and motioned him to come in.
"Sorry if it smells rotten. I just got done cooking my meal for the night." Kyouya shook off the smell—even though it was heavenly—and heard the door close behind him quietly. "Take a seat anywhere, I'll be there in a minute." She wandered into the kitchen while he watched her prepare tea for him. He followed her and leaned against the refrigerator. Haruhi poured the liquids into the cups as he stared at the steaming tea being poured.
"It's not necessary that you get anything for me. I won't be long," Haruhi shook her head and handed him the liquid. He stared at her hands holding the cup before engulfing her hands with his. She could feel the tea burning her hand, but she didn't care; his warmth was all she wanted. Both stared into each other's eyes before Kyouya took the cup away from Haruhi. Then, he stared down into the tea to see his reflection. "Thank you," he said. She nodded and continued to pour her tea into her own cup. She could see her hands red from the burn, but she didn't mind.
Haruhi stopped pouring the tea out and looked out the window. There was a car parked outside of her home. Probably Kyouya's. But, she noticed the stars out and she admired how they were carefree, not worrying about love or happiness; they were always shining, smiling down at the Earth. Kyouya leaned against the countertop and looked at her; she was admiring the universe. "May we step outside?" She whispered. He nodded and held out his arm, to which she wrapped her arm around it and held on. They walked in silence again before Kyouya opened the door.
Haruhi walked out first and stared at the sky above. Kyouya joined her by her wooden railing outside the door and stared at the stars. "Lovely night, isn't it?" Haruhi nodded before turning her head to Kyouya. It was like he was his own star in her world, guiding her through her own life without a care in the world every time he was near. But, Kyouya… She spoke.
"Why are you here?" He looked down at her figure and saw the worried look he didn't want to see that night. This is it, he thought. He turned away from the street towards her home and continued to look down at her. She didn't leave his sight.
"I'm leaving."
0o0o0o0o0o
There were a few minutes of silence before Haruhi blinked and spoke again. "What do you mean?" Kyouya fixed his glasses and found that another glare went over his glasses. Haruhi's heart was starting to pound against her chest and she watched as Kyouya looked back at the stars.
"What I mean is that I'm moving to Osaka. Akira and my Father have planned a wedding," Haruhi's world stopped, "and it has been planned for over two months now. To my knowledge, there was nothing I could do. I won't be back until my Father has passed on and the company is in my name."
Haruhi looked at him in disbelief and saw a strained look on his face. It was hard for Kyouya to tell her the news like that; there were no words to soften the blow. "So, you're telling me that this was only a way to say goodbye." Kyouya nodded and turned back towards the street. "When are you leaving?" Kyouya glanced over at Haruhi again before saying his answer.
"I told everyone it would be around midnight, but my flight does not leave until four in the morning." Haruhi looked out at the street and felt water rim her eyelids again. There's nothing I can do. She closed her eyes to feel some of the water fall down her face. Then, she felt Kyouya move next to her and straighten his posture. She opened her eyes to see him shake his head in disgust. "Haruhi, I do not want to go, but there's nothing I can do now. And while I don't feel threatened by the Ishibura family, I feel as though I am obligated to her." Haruhi let her head drop on her arms on the railing and stared out into the dark streets of her neighborhood.
"It's because she fell in love with you, isn't it?" She whispered. Kyouya shrugged. "Perhaps that is the reason why I am obligated to do this." Kyouya hesitated when he saw Haruhi's shoulders start to shake from keeping in her tears. She kept blinking her tears away, but they kept falling off her face. She felt her shoulders tremble from her cries, but she couldn't help herself; they were doing it on their own. Kyouya turned back towards the street and leaned on the wooden railing. He let his hand touch her back and she closed her eyes in content.
Everything was soothing from then on out when his hand touched her back. It was as though everything was perfect and everything was right. No one was leaving and no one was getting married. It was just a night to themselves and the stars were smiling at their relationship. Kyouya slid his hand up to her shoulder and pushed her against the side of his body. He held her, hearing her cries before speaking. "Don't cry." He blinked, and he cried with her. He then said, "I think now is the right time, Haruhi." She blinked and realized he was talking about the book instead.
She nodded, and the stars hid behind the clouds.
0o0o0o0o0o0o
They stood there for an hour, watching the world around continue on without them, and the car stopped in front of them; Tachibana turned it off. They talked every once in a while about what was going to happen, when he was going to finally leave, and what the Host Club would be like without him. She told him that he was the only sane one, and it made him smile; he told her she was the only normal one, and she smiled. Then, he let go of her.
"I must be going. Arrangements for the flight are to be made with her father." He whispered, and while he did not want to go, she was going to find him sooner or later. He didn't want to be found near Haruhi. Haruhi didn't lift her head from the railing and continued to feel the wet tears cover up the dry ones. She didn't say anything, nor did she look at him; she didn't want him to see her tears. He bowed before her and said, "Farewell," and slowly walked past her crying body.
Haruhi saw out of the corner of her eye his body slowly walking down the stairs to his car. The car roared again in the darkness, and she closed her eyes. She didn't want to see him leave, and she pushed herself away from the railing and into her home again. Kyouya looked back at her body before seeing it run into the light; he couldn't blame her. She hates me. He turned to the car and heard the door close behind him again before he placed his hands over his face and cried. It was business.
It was all business.
0o0o0o0o0o
Eight hours, thirteen minutes ago…
The clock read 11:47 P.M. Haruhi sat in the lonely living room staring at her History textbook again, waiting for someone to knock at the door. It was absurd to think that he would be back, but she had wishful thinking. 'Stalin felt betrayed' she kept reading over and over again, knowing that it was the same that she was feeling.
Six hours, twenty-seven minutes ago…
The clock read 1:33 A.M. She opened the black book he gave her as a gift and looked at some of the pages. It was true: some of the pages were full of notes for the Host Club. The debt of Haruhi's was circled almost every page, and calculations on their budget were underlined every page. She read every single note about the Host Club, intently hearing his voice as she read.
Five hours ago…
The clock read 3:00 A.M. She was still reading his notes, still hearing his voice. Kyouya was walking towards the airport staring down at the dried flower she gave him before entering the noisy airport. Akira smiled. Haruhi flipped to the next page, and read the last notes that were visible. The next page was empty, waiting to be written on.
Three hours, thirty minutes ago…
The clock read 4:30 A.M. She heard an airplane fly over her home, and realized it was his plane. She felt more tears fall out of her eyes and held onto the black notebook in her hands. She flipped through all the pages that were empty, and could find nothing else that was written in the notebook. She was almost to the end before she stopped and listened to the airplane fly away. Kyouya searched for her home, but instead was distracted by the nuisance next to him.
Two hours, seven minutes ago…
The clock read 5:53 A.M. She heard her father come home and she continued to stare at the empty pages in his notebook. She then started to flip through the pages again, wondering and hoping that there was something there. She reached the last page, and there was writing, but only a few words written on the page. She read aloud: "'I'm sorry, Haruhi. Save me.'" And she broke down to cry again. Ranka, in the living room, looked down at the History textbook on the table and saw the word "betrayed" highlighted.
Forty-five minutes ago…
The clock read 7:15 A.M. Haruhi walked out of her room in her uniform with puffy, tired eyes. Ranka held out breakfast. "Here, Haruhi! Have some breakfast!" She shook her head. "I don't feel like eating." Ranka sighed and watched her sit next to him trying to pack the History textbook in her backpack before feeling tears drop on the pages. Kyouya landed in Osaka, and he felt so alone.
Six minutes ago…
Ranka held onto his daughter, hoping that she would smile again, but knew that it was hard to lose someone. From just that past week, her smile began to fade. She walked out of the home, and he heard her words talk to someone else. He walked away from the door and cried himself. Kyouya arrived at the place where he was staying, and looked out into the city that he didn't want to be in.
One minute ago…
Then, she had enough. "I miss him. I miss--" she finally screamed. "I miss Kyouya!" Then, she ran. She didn't know what else to do. Kyouya glanced at the morning sun in the sky and closed his eyes. He felt Akira behind him, but pushed her away. She walked into the room, planning for the wedding again. He closed his eyes to feel the cold warmth before whispering:
"I miss Haruhi."
SNAP! That's the end of the whole flashback scene stuff!
And long chapter. UGH.
The next chapters will all happen in the present and everything will be depressing for the first couple chapters. I hope to end this within 15 chapters, so that's a good goal for myself, right? 8D
I hope I didn't upset too many of you with this ending 8( Actually, I planned this from the beginning, so ta-da, I can torture you! xP
REVIEWS from the last chapter:
CardcaptorSakura16: 8D I tried to make it intense, so I'm glad I succeeded at that! And I hope this chapter didn't fail! (Although, it's long and full of information about the engagement, kind of xP)
maple the wacky tree: 8D A new reviewer! Why, hello there! Dx I'm sorry that I'm horribleeee! I said in a previous chapter that I wouldn't make them kiss in the past! And I try to torture you KxH fans out there with that ;D Makes me feel good inside~
Now, I have a question: I don't know if after this story, I should do a sequel. Personally, I don't want to, but I do want to do another KxH story, or a TxH one... or a MxH one x3 Maybe I can do series of oneshots like I am doing for KxH 8D I don't know yettt~
Preview!: "This isn't right."
Review! And critique! I know, I didn't really help with the development of her feelings or anything and she just cried, (OOC! YES!) but hey, she's cried about Tamaki in the manga, so I'm safe.
Until next time!
TLS