Disclaimer* I do not own Ouran Host club.
Life Continues….
Chapter 7 The return of a friend.
Mystery POV
My eyes slightly squinted in concentration as I ignore the crowd of onlookers and shift gears to gain momentum on the racers ahead of me. With the sun's glare bouncing off my pitch black sunglasses, I decide to make an aggressive move and press down on the my gas petal with heavy force .Hearing the monstrous horse power come to life to thrust me forward while I swiftly slide between the two cars. A rather large big blocked dark blue muscle car that was surprisingly silent begins to fall back to my rear bumper.
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All that's left before the next group of cars is a happy little pink car. Shifting gears quickly one last time to push my vehicle to the utter limits. My cars flies past the misleadingly quick pink racing machine. Glancing back to see the two cars that are left far behind covered in my dust. With my hands gripped on the control tightly I begin to spin uncontrollably with unknown force as I'm thrown into a wall and off the track. I watch the dark purple racer with blacked out windows coolly rip down the road pass me. "Damn it!" speaking to myself.
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"Excuse me sir we have arrived."
With irritation, I pull my eyes away from the flashing words Game Over on my phone. "Thank you, just park at the gate please and I'll walk from there." I quickly toss my phone into my pocket. The cars slows as the driver searches for a spot to let me out.
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Glancing out the window with bored eyes, I can see the moving van has already arrived. More than irritated with the incompetent movers as they have now delayed our move to the dorm by three days. …..Something about a broken truck and a previous planned appointment with another client. My family was granted early access to the school's grounds to make the rather annoying process easier. Allowing myself and my brother to get begrudgingly settled into our new living arrangement… away from prying eyes of the other students.
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The car slowly comes to a halt, as my driver is finding it difficult to find a parking spot, among the never ending line of moving vans spread throughout the street. Crossing my arms, I find myself glaring out the window towards our incompetent moving company. Who unknowingly slammed the door on our extra time .Leaving us in a sort of fish bowl state, as our fans become aware of the Hitachiin's twins moving in the dorms.
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Between two parked trucks I catch a glimpse of the boss waiting at the gate. Slightly annoyed to see our "King" at the front gates, I roll my eyes. Figuring he must have gathered the club members to lend a hand inadvertently rubbing our proverbial noses into the fact that we were the only members not living off campus.
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I had a feeling our grandmother had something up her sleeve. The forced move wasn't really her style. She normally left the family decisions to my mother. Yes, she could be a somewhat of a pain in the ass, when she rarely visited from wherever her broom flew her from ….But as far as I've observed, she never stood against my mother… when it came to matters of our upbringing .
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So I found it rather odd when I called my mother to get the reasoning behind my grandmother's bizarre decision, to find she is emphatically against the new arrangements. Promising the dorm was only temporary until she could meet with our grandmother, to personally convince our matriarch to reconsider the rather unorthodox arrangement. Once her schedule cleared, she planned to fly out as soon as the new season was completely rolled out.
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Seeing as there were no parking spots available, my hand quickly feels around to find the handle of my door. "Driver, please stop, I'll walk from here." I spoke to the driver in a rather bored tone before my hand pulls on the lever to the door, stepping out of the car .A slight breeze blows my ginger hair back as I straighten my shoulders and readjust my dark sunglasses from the afternoon sun.
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I was about to turn away and close the door, when my eyes caught a glimpse of our golden haired "King". My eyes went wide as he wasn't accompanied by the remaining club members but a girl. Glaring at the couple, I quickly duck my head back into the car and slammed the door, behind me. "Driver, change of plans, follow Suoh-san."
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"Yes, sir." My driver nods his head and searches out the front window to find the Suoh family heir.
Leering out the window with irritation, I see Tamaki escorting one of his princess's to his private car. Glaring at the girl in question, as she isn't just another one of Tamaki's never ending line, of empty headed socialites conniving their way to the summit of high society. No, it's worse than that, our vanishing ghost girl was being escorted by our king….and I for one wanted to know why.
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As the car lurched forward my thoughts flow rapidly, mostly about my brother ….how was I going to break the news. After her last magic act, my brother walked around emotionalist pretending everything was fine ….But I could tell it hit him hard. To make matters worse we weren't even sure the art class girl was really our ghost girl. Even though I'm pretty sure …she's the same person.
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The question that haunts me is why ….why did she vanish, not once but twice on us. To now pop up two years later with the boss, and in front of our school, no less. Is it a date or are they dating? No, I figured if the boss committed to any girl the club would be the first to know. Well, besides the girl of course. Hell, if any of the club members decided to stop playing the field, it would be splashed all over the front page of the school's newspaper.
"Sir, they parked and went in to the building with the flashing lights."
Peeking out my window I notice it's some kind of arcade with a themed restaurant. What the heck is Tamaki doing in a place like this? It's has to have something to do with our ghost girl. I quickly make the decision to continue on foot. As I glance down to unbuckle my seatbelt I notice my attire. I knew the moment I stepped though the establishment's entrance I would undoubtingly attract all sorts of attention, including the Boss's. With no other choice I reluctantly turn so I can instruct the driver to continue on, when I notice a teen around my age, step in the building next to the arcaded. Paying closer attention to the store next door, I form a last minute plan.
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"Driver, I'll be getting out here. Please park around the corner away from Suoh-san eyes, but keep it close." After the driver nods I quickly throw open door and leap out, only turning slightly to close it. Once closed the driver swiftly pulls away to follow my instructions. I promptly enter the building next to the arcade and stroll to a rack closest to the male teen that walked in ahead of me.
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Studying the teen with a trained eye, I quickly shift through the racks of clothes in the store to copy the commoner teen's style with a few color variations .Once I have a complete outfit in hand I stroll up to the counter to hand the casher the smallest bill from my wallet, plus the clothes. "Whatever change is left is yours, I'm in a hurry. Where's your changing room? "
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The girl nods while staring at the bill and jesters to a door behind her. I quickly rip the price tags off my chosen Items and hand then to the cashier. She manages to tear her eyes away from the bill and gaze into mine when her mouth falls open while nodding. Folding the new outfit over my arms I hastily enter the box they call a changing room and with a heavy sigh I reluctantly remove my smooth Hitachiin originals to fold them and set down.
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Once stripped down to my shorts, I quickly grab the stiff jeans to slip my smooth legs through the rough pant legs. One by one I finished dressing, surprisingly the hoodie was rather soft. I swiftly snatch up my original clothing and leave, their so called dressing room .Walking to the counter once more I immediately catch the cashier's eye and give her a devilish smile. "Is everything taken care of?"
She nods with wide eyes.
"Thank you, may I have a bag for these?" As I motion to my clothes that were neatly folded in my arms.
Without her astonished eyes leaving mine she reaches down to fumble out a bag large enough to hold my things. I quickly snatch up the bag with my fingers. "Thanks again." Waving a hand over my shoulder, I quickly leave the store while cautiously placing my things in the store's bag. Being careful not to snag my clothes on the coarse paper bag's edges.
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Once done, I secure the black baseball hat on my head making sure the majority of my silky ginger hair is obscured. Before entering the themed restaurant and scanning the room. I notice Tamaki sitting in a far off booth in the back of the restaurant, with his back facing the door.
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Pulling another small bill out of my pocket to palm it to the waitress. "I wish to be discretely seated in the booth behind the couple in the back." The girl quickly nods her head and leads me to my self-designated booth where I slide in and glance at the menu. Pointing to a couple of items on before handing it back to the bewildered waitress. After the waitress leaves I lean my head back resting it on the back of my seat.
"Haruhi, please you must come, it's just a small gathering for a few of my family's clients "I hear Tamaki pleading to the girl.
"Uh, I don't know ….how can a ball be considered a small gathering?"
"My father, stopped by for breakfast this morning just to extend the invitation to you, he said grandmother wishes to meet you."
'With Tamaki's words my mouth about fell open in shock the so called small gathering Tamaki was inviting Haruhi to is the Suoh's annul Black and pink blossom ball. Held at the Souh's main country estate .The majestic event is the most sought after invitation in high society, not only that, but our ghost girl's invitation was requested by the Chairman and his mother. The same grandmother, who calls our kind hearted, idiot king a filthy child ….is not only extending but encouraging an invitation for Tamaki to escort a commoner to the most prestigious event of the season? Who the hell is she?'
"No, I really shouldn't. School will be in session and I want to start out on the right foot and make a good impression for my senseis. So, I'll be spending all my free time, locked in my room, studying."
'If she only knew how many of Tamaki's princesses were anticipating that very invitation, while holding their breath. She wouldn't be taking the invite so lightly.'
"Princess, haven't you been locked away enough these past 2 years? Come with me, please. I'll take care of everything. Please?"
'Locked away, what the hell… for two years? Did the Suoh's have something to do with her disappearance?' After hearing Tamaki's words my stomach begins to flip, mostly out of guilt, for giving up on my friend and the not so nice things …I wished upon her for hurting my brother, so badly.
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"Don't look at me, like that …..It's not going to work….Fine, I'm not saying yes, but I'll think about it but that's it… I'm not promising anything." Haruhi answers with a begrudging tone."
"Oh, thanks, Haruhi that's all I can ask." The excited princely host thanks his friend.
I roll my eyes, obviously the boss used his puppy dog eyes to once again get what he wanted .I knew full well the power of Tamaki's puppy dog eyes. I myself have fallen victim to his damn eyes on many occasions.
"You have made my grandmother extremely, happy." Tamaki happily touts.
'The last time the club members tangled with the Suoh matriarch, we nearly lost the Boss. We managed to all pile in our car and kidnap the Boss. Luckily, honey called ahead and had his family's jet ready which happened to be next to the Souh's private hanger. It was a good thing Honey despises Tamaki's grandmother. It wasn't easy to pull Tamaki away from Éclair….but before Honey's plane even landed, we managed to convince him to stay. Then we spent the next two weeks out of the country. Until Tamaki's lovely grandmother cooled down enough, so he could reenter Japan.'
The waitress gave me an odd look before placing my order in front of me.
"Oh this looks great, I read a recent article recommending these burgers. It seems the hot new trend in Japan our gourmet burger joints and this one just happens to be connected to an arcade." Tamaki touts.
"Hmm, that is pretty good." Haruhi agrees.
Glancing over my plate, I see just what I ordered an enormous hamburger with cheese and large thick fries and a chocolate milkshake. I chuckle, as I been to the states recently, and their burgers have shrunk considerably, due to the new health conscience awareness that has sprung from their schools and government. Picking up, half of my monstrous burger, I quickly take a bite and savor the seasoned patty. As I begin to eat my impromptu meal, my mind goes back to the Suoh's matriarch….
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Why would the grandmother be interested in our "ghost girl' ….the last girl the Grandmother was interested was Éclair who is french nobility? The grandmother out right "suggested" an arranged marriage with Tamaki. That can't be the case this time, with Haruhi ….She can't be related to him Tamaki doesn't have any other extended family, on his father's side. What was that evil woman up to?
Arcade 40 minutes later ….
With a rather bored expression, I watch the boss and our "ghost girl" play different archaic games .Wondering, what the draw is to ancient graphics and obsolete single joystick controlled video games. Our oldest gaming systems had far better graphics and storyline then these.
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…..And that's when Tamaki unknowingly shows me the answer to my rhetorical question, I've asked myself. As I watch Tamaki engulf himself around Haruhi, showing her how to shoot. He's far too close for polite society. Does he actually have his hands on her hips?
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Grabbing hold of the machine tightly until my knuckles are white. It took everything I have, to not march over there and punch my the damn french poodle square in his nose. Oh, sure the old straighten your posture by keeping your hips straight, routine. Shit! Does Tamaki even know how to shoot a gun? Hell, the only thing I've ever notice the Boss shooting off, is his mouth.
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There wasn't much more I learned from watching the two playing the old video games. Actually, I learned one thing… the Boss is the biggest freaking pervert in the country. He could take gold in the world pervert games. Any chance he could get he'd brush here or there. He would always be there to show her his expert gamesmen advice.
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Whether it be basketball, golf, shooting, dance …well, now, I know why he has an entire room full of these games, back at his estate….. This was too painful to watch. She is our "ghost girl", not the boss's but by the way he was all over her, it was clear. Tamaki Souh, the golden teen of Ouran Academy was doing just that, trying to make our girl….his.
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It wasn't long after that, when I was thanking my angel of mercy for pushing him out the door to end this nightmare of a date. She wanted to go back to the dorms .I'm hoping it's because she was tired of Tamaki man handling her….but no, from what I could tell, she was a little unobservant.
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I let them leave, I had absolutely no, intention of watching Tamaki try to connive his way to her lips, for a goodnight kiss. My stomach flipped just at the thought. Leaning my back against one of the caveman like machines for a few minutes, until I grabbed my bag and head for my car. My driver rolled up next to me, once I stepped out of the arcade.
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I didn't bother to wait for the normal formalities, I was getting rather good at opening my own door…and my thoughts, emotions of the day's events had me completely absorbed. The word dorm kept beating me over the head. Our ghost girl is living in the dorms? Which means she's attending Ouran. My thoughts immediately switch over to my emotionally driven better half. How was my twin going to take the news?
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Seeing as the ghost girl is the only subject that my brother and I didn't agree on ….well at least not until that day we found out she vanished. Then I 'm afraid I had lost all hope ….and seeing my brother fall once more I'm ashamed to say that a deep dark feeling grew from the deserted feeling …..Wishing she had never been invited into our world.
My racing thoughts were interrupted, when I hear a noise coming from my pants. 'Speak of the devil 'Hearing my phone ring, I can tell it's my brother. So I quickly reach in and retrieve it from my pocket to swipe my thumb over the screen and answer. In one fluid motion.
With concern etched on my face, I answerer in a masked, light hearted tone. "Hey, Hika, what's up?"
End of Mystery POV Kaoru
Later in the dark early hours…
Our sleeping beauty lays silently with the covers tossed haphazardly over her head surrounded by darkness .A sound of keys comes from behind the door. Before the door slightly opens and several people creep into the room.
"Shhh!" The smaller person holds a finger to her lips as she points at the unconscious girl.
The large men slowly creeps to the other side of the darkened room and quietly set large boxes on floor. The burly men slowly enter and reenter the side of the room previously unoccupied. Haruhi sleepily turns to face the wall.
The small person hisses at one of the large men. "Place the Okie Doki club cutout in the corner over there and be careful with it."
"Yes, ma'am. "As the man cowers in the dark room.
"Now, shoo." As the small person flinging her hands towards the burly men dressed in suits and shoos them out the door.
The lump covered in blankets, yawns while stretching one hand out over her head but snuggles in deeper under her covers.
Checking her clothes, in the full length mirror without even looking over to the sleepy lump on the other side of the room. "I must compliment you, this room is simply gorgeous, by the way I'm your new roommate and as long as you…"
"As long as you don't like Miyabi Ichijo or Ootori Akito or Kyoya, we should get along famously." a blunt voice interrupted from under the covers."
"The girl's body froze in the middle of fixing her hair .Astonished she let the words fall out of her mouth. "That's right my name ..." Before the girl could finish, she was once more cut off.
A soft voice could be heard under the blankets "Your name is, Ren."
The girl lets her hands fall and in a slow mesmerized state, walks over to the occupied bed, speaking softly. "That's right, how would you know that …..Haru, is it, really you?" As her hand slowly reaches for the blanket.
Peeking from the blankets, she slowly pulls the blanket off her own head. With bedhead she speaks softly giving her a wide smile. "Yes, Ren, it's me, it's great to see you, again."
"Oh?" As the blond girl quickly regains her composer folding her arms and turning her back.
Haru concerned leaps from her bed nervously, walking closer to the blonde. "Ren?"
"Sneering with her back turned. "My name is Renge-san, only my close friends call me Ren… I use to have a best friend that looked somewhat like you, but it can't be you… because she just dropped off the face of the planet with not even a phone call between us."
The brunette slowly walks over to the blond with her head bowed. "Ren…I mean Renge-san, I'm sorry ….I really did want to see you, I didn't have a choice….it wasn't my fault." Speaking in a nervously, apologetic tone .She reached out to touch her shoulder as the Renge's shoulder stiffened under the comforting hand of her lost friend.
She spoke with outrage in her voice as she reached up and brushed off Haruhi's hand from her shoulder. "Not one phone call, no goodbye, nothing."
"Renge-san, I really did want to call you ….but my cell was lost in the move and …."
Renge turns with her arms folded and gives Haruhi a hard glare before harshly interrupting her, once best friend. "And what… you were held prisoner. Speaking in an angry sarcastic state.
Haruhi crossed her arms and leaned in Renge's space speaking with irritation in her voice. Haruhi didn't much like the prisoner comment because in all senses of the word that's what she felt like. "Well, it was kind of like that, but …..More like home school …listen, my dad went nuts and moved me, one day….. He's been like that, since my mother's death." Haruhi throws both hands over her mouth as she's shocked at the word that just tumbled out of her mouth.
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Renge felt disgusted. "Death, you told me she was away on business. I swear its lie after lie, with you. Did I mean anything to you? Honey and Mori were devastated with your disappearance, Honey refused to take another apprentice. …..Your friend Hitachiin-san, almost crumbled in class, when I was given the unpleasant task of informing him and his brother, you vanished."
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Tears started to stream down the brunet's' face as her heart clenched in great pain. She slowly makes her way over to her desk and she reaches for the red tin, swiftly crushing it to her body before cradling it in her arms as she speaks in almost a whisper. "It's not a lie… that's what I call her…death."
Letting out a heavy sigh." It makes things easier, so I don't have to explain."
Renge's tone somewhat softens. "Explain what Haruhi? If you wish to come clean then…I want everything." Turning towards her one time friend with painful eyes.
Opening the red tin and pulling out the little blue car. Rolling her thumbs across the wheels, as she sets the tin can back down on her desk .Walking over to collapse down on the couch to sit in a hunched over position with tears rolling off her cheeks. It was like all the pain and hurt that she kept bottled up over the years about her mother's death was shaken loose like a popped cork with the contents spraying out with force. She softly speaks with a sorrowful tone. "To explain what… After my mother laid there slowly dying in her hospital bed…. after the car crash with some student speeding to defend himself in court. She allowed me to say goodbye and then everything went black the next morning."
Sounding heart broken. "Youmean, you fainted?"
The brunette beauty shakes her head. "No, I forgot everything ….my entire life with my mother it's gone, the only reason why I know how she died was my father had left some court papers out about the driver. The doctor told us that it was my way of protecting myself. So, ever since that morning my father never once spoke about my mother, again.
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She walks over sitting next to the brunette on the couch, and throws a hand over the girl's shoulders. Speaking through her pain of being forgotten for so long by her best friend. "Haruhi…I'm sorry, but that doesn't explain why my best friend left me?" Tears begin to fall against Renge's cheeks.
"My father is overly protective…that week something happened. To this day, I have no idea what set him off. He dragged me back to the apartment over the drag queen bar and that's where I remained… Until a week ago... no school no after school enrichment classes, nothing. My dad said it was to help a friend but after a while I realized that he was lying to me. He was protecting me from something and I have no idea what it is."
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"Hey, what's that your holding. "Motioning to the little car held in Haruhi's hands.
The blond notices, how the brunet smiles fondly through her falling tears at the little car, held so gently." It's the only thing I can kind of remember from my past. Someone of great importance asked me to hold on to it and keep it safe until I can return it."
Renge pulls her handkerchief from her pocket to dab the tears from her stolen friend's face. "Do you know who the person is?"
Haruhi shakes her head, as more tears begin to fall.
The Blond boldly stands, before sniffing her nose and drying her own tears. "Well then, as your self-appointed best friend and now roommate. I proclaim that it will be my job to find out."
Haruhi stood up and asked with a glimmer of hope. "Ren, do you mean it? We can be friends again?"
"Well of course, you were the best person I've found to drag to all my fan girl conventions. I really, haven't found anyone who's better at wearing the costumes." Chuckling while she wraps her arms firmly around Haruhi.
"Thanks Ren, I've missed you so much."
"Me too Haru …..Ah Haru, one question though don't take this the wrong way …but why are you here at Ouran." The blond drops her arms with a confused face.
"I don't really know …At around the same time my dad left for a job in America, the paperwork for my enrollment arrived in the mail…that's all I know."
"Yeah, but don't you think it's odd that your invited to attend the most prestigious private school in the country without even an entrance exam?"
Shrugging her shoulders. "Yes, but I figure my crazy father is somehow is behind it. So I chose not to look a gifted horse in the mouth."
Hmmm, I guess you're right .Forcing a smile on her face…but the blond felt this just might be the calm before the storm…little did she know she was right.
Kaoru's POV Begins
Leap backward to yesterday, early evening at the Ouran Academy, male dorms.
Glancing at the name "Hitachiin "elegantly engraved on a small golden piece of shiny metal next to the dark polished wooden door .I slowly creek open the door to see my older half, busy at work…..Well playing a game on his phone, leaning against the wall with a rather irritated expression on his face, not his normal bored expression that I know and love. I forced a wide smile on my face and cleared my throat. "Hey, I thought we decided against a nameplate."
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Hikaru snapped his head up giving me a beaming smile .Throwing his phone in his pocket and quickly walking over with wide open arms. Once were face to face he throws his arms around me in giant bear hug lifting my feet off the ground. "Kao, your back." Speaking with an excited tone.
"I told you, grandmother was letting me go, early." Squeezing my big brother tightly.
"Yeah, but you should have called, I would have picked you up, at the hanger."
I shook my head against my brother's cheek. "No, you had your hands full here, with the movers." Patting my brother's back once more while hugging him tightly.
"Yeah, well what do you think?" As Hikaru pulls away and lets his arms drop to motion one arm across the room.
I glance around the room giving it a once over, for the first time. I noticed it was actually nicer than our old room and around the same size. I figured mom was behind the interior design. "…..It's nice."
Hikaru chuckles. "Yeah, well, it's ok minus the game room, the gym, the home theater, the cooks, the maids ….yeah, but ….it's nice."
"Ok, ok, yes, I agree, it kind of sucks being ripped from a large estate of our own to a dorm flat… but we just have to make the best of it …..Speaking of, I thought we agreed no name plate on the door?"
"Trust me, after what I went through today, everyone noticed that we were moving into the dorms, a little plate isn't going to make a bit of a difference… in fact "Hikaru walks to a small table next to the door and picks up some envelopes and strolls over to his brother .
"Here you go, your half of today's mail." I looked down in my arms and there's four letters, all sprayed with various kinds of expensive perfume.
"Isn't it like the first day to be allowed on school grounds, when did they find the time?"
"Who knows?" My brother shrugged his shoulders to my question.
I gave my brother a sly smile. "So Hika, who received more letters, today?"
He flopped on the couch crossed his arms with a rather bored expression. "You won by two, but It's only the first day, basketball hasn't started yet." My brother spoke with a rather bored tone.
I chuckle at my brother's behavior.
Glancing at my letters he nervously asks. "Hey Kao, I was thinking, How are we going to work out the whole dating thing, now that we live here?" As he reaches up and scratches his neck.
"Hika, have you met someone?
End of Kaoru's point of view.
A/N Thanks for taking a peek please Follow/Review.
Ok so were you surprised? Renge is back! Not to mention Kaoru (When did you figure out which twin the Mystery POV belonged to. I'm hoping not until the very end….Well I off, have a great weekend.
