*Note to all readers: I apologize for not writing for so long. I have been busy with school, social life, chores, you get the picture . Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Kyoya could not help but think of the dark-haired mystery girl from time to time. Ever since the party, it was hard for him to forget about her. He had no clues as to who she is, which made him even more intrigued. He did discover that she used to attend the school during both elementary and middle school years, but in her ninth year, she transferred. To where, he didn't know. What fascinated him the most was that she was the first person he had met whom he knew nothing about. It interested him, but it also irritated him.
On the drive to school, he was looking at the profiles for potential hosts, for once he, Tamaki, Haruhi, and the twins graduate, they would need some new people to keep the club going. But even with that occupying his time, he couldn't stop his mind from drifting to Hitomiko. He, of course, knew the outcome of the results for the home room test, but she had such a positive attitude towards it, like she knew she was going to succeed. He didn't understand it.
As soon as he got to school, he was swarmed by girls. He noticed some of his regular customers from the club, and other members all together. But what truly caught his eye was the raven-haired beauty that he had been thinking about before step out of her limo with her friends. She happened to notice him and smiled and waved. He politely nodded and headed for class. As he was walking down the hall to the classroom, he heard footsteps running towards him. The feet belonged to Hitomiko as she ran up to him with a smile on her face.
"Good morning Kyoya!" She said cheerfully
"Good morning Miss Hitomiko." He replied with a fake smile.
"You know, you don't have to use 'Miss' with my name. We are the same age. You can call me Hitomiko." She said
"If that's what you would prefer" He replied, looking into his black book.
Hitomiko nodded and they walked into the classroom. He sat down in his desk and she sat in the one in front of him.
"So, ready for the test?" She asked eagerly.
"Yes, and are you?"He asked
"Quite" she replied with a pride-filled smile.
He nodded and went back to his book. He then realized her friends had vanished, for he remembered that she was alone when they had met. Which was odd, because they always walked with her to her classroom, despite the fact they were in a different grade level?
"Pardon me, but where are your friends, Ms Kinami & Ms. Tohru?" He asked curiously.
Then, strangely enough, Hitomiko began to laugh a bit. After that, she looks at him with a smile.
"They're in the assistant principal's office." She said
He looked at her with surprise and she laughed a bit more.
"Well, you see, as we were walking down the hall, Kinami saw a girl whose hair was a bit messy. She went over and gave the girl a few tips on how to style it better. The girl got defensive, saying that Kinami was calling her ugly, which was not the case, mind you. She and Kinami then got into a fight. Not a physical fight, but a verbal one. I tried to calm them down, but they were already down each other's throats to where I couldn't reach them. A teacher came and had them sent to the AP. Tohru went with Kinami to be her witness" she explained, laughing a bit more.
"I don't see how that's funny" Kyoya said
"Well, of course, fighting isn't funny. That I know. But it was good to see that Kinami is still her usual self, getting into trouble whether she did it or not. It made me feel like things are going back to how they used to be before… before I left." She said, laying her head in her arms.
He just watched her as she returned to her seat. He then noticed some girls in a group, glaring at Hitomiko, who didn't notice. He couldn't help but smirk.
"Well, it looks like we'll have some trouble in the near future." He thought to himself.
Soon, the teacher came and class began. After roll, the test began. After 15 minutes, he turned it in, which didn't surprise anyone. The teacher handed him his homework and he went back to his seat. He noticed from his desk that Hitomiko was still working. He decided to work on his homework so that he wouldn't have to do it later. He barely noticed time fly, for as soon as he knew it, the bell rang throughout the halls. He collected his things and left. Soon, at lunch, he met up with Tamaki and went to their table. He scanned the cafeteria like he normally does. He noticed girls from the club huddled in a group, red-faced and looking over their shoulders towards his table.
"More fans" He thought to himself
As he continued to scan, he saw Hitomiko with her friends, taking their lunches to a table not too far from his. As they sat down, he noticed some guys staring Hitomiko, though she didn't seem to notice. Oddly enough, he felt slightly irritated at this. He tried to shake it off, but failed. Tamaki followed Kyoya's gaze and saw the target. He smiled at this.
"Hey Kyoya, isn't that Hitomiko Shinkuzura, the new girl?" He asked
"Yes" Kyoya replied
"I believe it's time we be properly introduced." He said with a grin.
Before Kyoya could protest, Tamaki went off towards Hitomiko's table. He watched as he introduced himself to Hitomiko and her friends. What he wasn't expecting was that Tamaki invited them to sit at his table, which they had agreed to, for they got up and brought their trays with them.
"Damn it. Why must Tamaki be such an imbecile" he thought to himself.
Once they reached the table, Kyoya put on a fake smile.
"Hello Hitomiko, a pleasure seeing you again." He said
"Hi Kyoya. How's your day been so far?" She asked with a smile.
"Fine, just fine, thank you." He replied
They sat down just as Haruhi and the twins got to the table.
"Hey, who are they?" Hikaru asked
"Hi, I'm Hitomiko Shinkuzura, these are my friends Kinami Shouta, and Tohru Matsumoto. We were previously seated over there, but Tamaki came and asked us to sit with you guys. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Haruhi Fujioka. This is Hikaru and this is Kaoru Hitachin. It's a pleasure to meet you too." She replied.
They sat down and they started different conversations with one another. Kyoya just simply watched as Hitomiko and her friends chatted away with his friends. As he watched, he heard Haruhi ask Hitomiko a very interesting question.
"So tell me more about your family's company. I know it's a major music industry, but what's its main focus?" She asked, munching on a carrot.
At this moment, Kyoya was relieved that he already had his notebook and pencil in hand. He started to write more things down to pretend he didn't hear.
"Well, our primary goal is to discover & debut talented singers and musicians. On the side, we write and compose pieces of music which can later be put to use for beginners & trainees. We also started a college for the performing arts, including theater. We strive to help those who are willing to take the steps necessary to make it into showbiz. We even have our own saying. It's, 'Music is the sound of all life, and everyone has their own melody. If you bring them all together, you can create one perfect harmony. But the only way to do so is to listen close, because if you do... you might hear something beyond your expectations.' I have always lived by that saying, looking for the types of melodies in all people. Like you, Haruhi, your melody is kind of like a fun pop song that most people play at parties just for the fun of it. It's not too fast, but not too slow either. For Tamaki, it's one of those fast, energetic, life-filled rock songs that makes people want to get up and dance. For Kyoya, it's a smooth jazz song that makes people relax and reflect on life. And for Hikaru & Kaoru, it's a romance song with seductive tones and heart-like beats. With all these sounds combined, it creates an awesome song. You just got to know where to put the right parts in the right places. And that is what you did when you formed the club. Oh, I'm sorry, I was talking too much, wasn't I?" Hitomiko said
"No, I enjoyed listening to what you have to say." Haruhi said
"You certainly have a way of seeing things, don't you?" Tamaki said with a smile
"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. Somehow, she always manages to find something good even in the stupidest of songs. And even in people, she can move them with her words. A good trait she has, huh?" Kinami said.
Tohru nodded at this, and Hitomiko gave them both a small hug. Kyoya had taken up in his black book pretty much everything Hitomiko had said. The parts that seemed darker with pencil lead were her company's saying and the part about his melody. He was now a step closer to discovering more about her. What he noticed, though, was that Kinami gave him an evil glare and flicked a folded piece of paper over to his tray, fast enough to where no one noticed. He picked up the paper and put it in his black book. Once everyone left for their classes after lunch, he got settled in his desk and took out the paper. He opened it to find a note written in cursive. It said 'Meet in 2nd Music Room, 3pm. Come alone.' As to why they wished to meet him, he didn't know. But one thing was for sure, it had something to do with Hitomiko. After all, why else would a girl he didn't know glare at him and tell him to come along when meeting her. If it was a confession of love, which he usually got, she definitely wouldn't have glared at him. In fact, her face would have been red as the roses they shower people with. But she wasn't, so it wasn't a confession. And since she was friends with Hitomiko, it only made sense that it had something to do with Hitomiko. So after the last bell rang, he headed out for the second music room. He wasn't worried about anything. There was no club meeting today, so he didn't have worry about that. And his father was out of town with his brothers, so no one would really notice him gone for an extra few minutes.
Once he reached music room #2, he saw Kinami sitting in a swivel office chair. She was reading a novel, 'Just Listen' by Sarah Dessen. When she looked up and saw him, she put down the book and put her hands in her lap.
"Please, have a seat Mr. Ootori." She said, gesturing to a chair near hers.
"Thank you" He replied, sitting in the chair, placing his belongings on a nearby table.
Kinami looked at him a bit, then put her hands together.
"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you here." She began
"I'm assuming it's about Ms. Hitomiko, am I correct?" He asked, pushing his glasses to his face
Kinami's eyes widened a bit, then she smirked
"Yes. You are quite perceptive. But I am positive that as to what about Hitomiko I have called you here for is still a mystery to you, correct?" She said
"Yes" He replied
"Well, it's time you knew. Now, Hitomiko wishes to become your friend. As her friends, we want her to be happy and we support her with what she wants. But we also know of your history of exploiting people and using them by finding 'interesting details' about them. We only brought you here to make sure you understand a few things." She said, looking straight at him.
"We?" He thought to himself
He looked around a bit, but saw no one. But what he didn't realize until now is that someone had gone into his bag and had taken his black book.
"You know, you're quite the note-taker. I'm impressed you were able to write that much down, considering how fast she was talking." Another voice said
Kyoya turned to see Tohru Matsumoto leaning against that wall, reading a section in his black book. What didn't bother him was how she got there, but it was the fact that she was reading his black book.
"I would appreciate it if you give me back my property." He glared at her.
"Calm yourself, sempai. We have no interest in black mail. Tohru, give him back his stuff." Kinami said
Tohru tossed the book back onto the table where it slid towards the bag. She went over and stood next to Kinami.
"I apologize. Now, there are some things you should now. As Tohru pointed out, you're a smart man. Now while we appreciate smart people, we also know that smart people can figure things out quick. So we just wish to say this now; keep your nose out of things that don't belong to you yet. If you truly wish to know things about Hitomiko, you're going to have to learn it the old-fashioned way. By being friends with her and asking things about her. If she's willing to tell you, then she will. But if not, you're going to have to wait." She said to him
"I don't know what you talking about" He said, staring straight at her.
Tohru walked up to him, leaned down to where he could see his face, and glared at him.
"You know exactly what we are talking about. Now you need to stop doing background checks on Hitomiko! Even if you discovered the truth, you would barely even be scratching the surface of the iceberg of problems Hitomiko has gone through. And we are not going to stand by and watch you as you search for some key piece of knowledge that could give you leverage over her. We are only going to say this once, and once only. You hurt Hitomiko, and we hurt you. Got it?" She said
She and Kinami then began to leave the room. Kinami stopped at the door and looked back at him.
"You should consider this. Once you've discovered the truth, there's no going back." She said, his back still facing her.
She then left the room with Tohru and left Kyoya sitting there, pondering the meaning of what they had told him. It surprised him how Tohru acted, for it was like she was a totally different person.
"What is going on? I don't understand at all. Her life couldn't be that messed up if she can smile like that all the time. I just don't understand" He thought to himself.
XXX
"Hitomiko, where do you think we should go to eat" Her mom asked
Hitomiko was sitting in the back, texting Kinami as she, her mom, and her dad were just coming back from a concert. It was a newest debut, Avril Lavigne, with her album 'Let Go'. She looked up and smiled at her mother.
"You choose. I don't have any preferences" she replied
Her mom nodded and looked over at her husband. They began discussing where they should go. What they didn't see was the drunken truck driver behind them, going at 85 miles an hour. Hitomiko looked up and saw in the reflection of the head mirror the speeding truck.
"Dad, look out!" She screamed
But before he could react, the truck smashed into the back of the car and sent it over the side of the road into a ditch. Once they crashed, everything went dark to Hitomiko. The next thing she new, she was in an ambulance. After going dark again, she found herself in the hospital. She then realized she couldn't find her parents anywhere. She started to take out the blood needle and the IV line as the doctor came in and stopped her.
"You can't do that. You need to rest." He said soothingly
"Where are my parents? I need to see them!" she said
After a moment of consideration, he solemnly nodded to her request and he took her down the hall. As they were walking down, she noticed the sign at the top of the double doors said 'Morgue'.
"Wait… No, wait… no, it can't be! Stop… I don't want to go in there! It's not true! They're not in there! Take me to where they really are!" she cried
"I'm sorry. But this is truly where they are held." The doctor replied sadly
"No… No… No!" Hitomiko cried as the doors opened, white light pouring from the inside
Hitomiko woke with a start. She got out of bed and ran down the hall to where Kaede slept.
"Kaede" Hitomiko called
Luckily, Kaede was awake at the time. She was sitting on a quilt-covered rocking chair, reading a novel. She looked up and saw Hitomiko's sad face.
"Oh dear, you had that dream again, didn't you?" She asked, putting the novel down.
Hitomiko shook her head. Kaede got up and went over to her. They both walked to her room, Kaede holding Hitomiko's shoulder as they walked. Once they got to her room, she got Hitomiko into bed and sat with her until she fell asleep, holding her hand the entire time. Kaede felt very bad for Hitomiko. Ever since the crash, Hitomiko has been plagued with nightmares about the day her parents died. She didn't deserve this pain, what with having to deal with school, the company, and social life.
In the morning, Kaede brought breakfast up to Hitomiko to make her feel better. Once she ate, she got ready for school, ignoring Kaede's suggestion of staying home.
"I'm fine. I can't just stay home because of a bad memory." She said with a slight smile.
Soon after, Hitomiko left for school, working on papers that needed signing for an upcoming concert at her College. She had Hiro pick up Kinami and Tohru, who seemed to notice the slightly grey circles under her eyes. They then new that it was that dream. Only that dream would cause her not to sleep. Once they reached school, Hitomiko saw Kyoya, who was swarmed with girls, and waved to him with a smile. He nodded politely back to her and she went on into the school with her friends. On the way to class, however, Kinami got into a fight with another girl, so she and Tohru went to the AP's office with the other girl to straighten things out. As she continued to class, she saw Kyoya walking alone and ran up to him.
"Good morning Kyoya!" She said cheerfully
"Good morning Miss Hitomiko." He replied with a fake smile, which she could obviously see.
"You know, you don't have to use 'Miss' with my name. We are the same age. You can call me Hitomiko." She said
"If that's what you would prefer" He replied, looking into his black book.
Hitomiko nodded and they walked into the classroom. Kyoya sat down in his desk and she decided to sit in the one in front of his.
"So, ready for the test?" She asked eagerly.
"Yes, and are you?"He asked
"Quite" she replied with a pride-filled smile.
He nodded and went back to his book. After a minute, she heard him speak again.
"Pardon me, but where are your friends, Ms Kinami & Ms. Tohru?" He asked curiously.
Then, strangely enough, Hitomiko began to laugh a bit. After that, she looks at him with a smile.
"They're in the assistant principal's office." She said
He looked at her with surprise and she laughed a bit more.
"Well, you see, as we were walking down the hall, Kinami saw a girl whose hair was a bit messy. She went over and gave the girl a few tips on how to style it better. The girl got defensive, saying that Kinami was calling her ugly, which was not the case, mind you. She and Kinami then got into a fight. Not a physical fight, but a verbal one. I tried to calm them down, but they were already down each other's throats to where I couldn't reach them. A teacher came and had them sent to the AP. Tohru went with Kinami to be her witness" she explained, laughing a bit more.
"I don't see how that's funny" Kyoya said
"Well, of course, fighting isn't funny. That I know. But it was good to see that Kinami is still her usual self, getting into trouble whether she did it or not. It made me feel like things are going back to how they used to be before… before I left." She said, laying her head in her arms.
She smiled and then left for her desk. Soon, sensei came in, took roll, and began the test. After about 12 minutes, she turned it in to the teacher, who was a bit surprised. She gave Hitomiko her homework and she went back to her seat. 3 minutes later, she noticed Kyoya turn his in. She continued to work on her homework, not realizing that time had gone by, for as soon as she completed her homework, the bell rang. She then left for the cafeteria, where her friends were waiting.
"So, did you get that whole mishap taken care of?" She asked with a smirk
"Yes. I don't know what that girl's problem was. It was just advice. Besides, she should have known someone was going to mention her bed-head sooner or later. It's not like she could have avoided it. I just beat them all to the punch." Kinami said, still upset about it.
"You know, you could have found a better way to say it." Tohru replied
"What's better than saying 'Hey, your hair is okay and all, but you should really try doing it this way'?" She asked
Tohru face-palmed as Hitomiko laughed to it and they went to sit at their table.
"So you feel you did well on the test?" Tohru asked
"Of course. I feel I knew every answer on there." She said with a smile.
"You're so lucky, having a photographic memory. If I had that, my parents would leave me alone about my grades." Kinami said, chewing on an apple slice.
As they continued to talk, Tamaki Suoh came up to them.
"Hello ladies, my name is Tamaki Suoh, it is a pleasure to meet you." He said with a courteous smile
""Hi, I'm Hitomiko Shinkuzura, these are my friends Kinami Shouta, and Tohru Matsumoto. It's a pleasure to meet you too." She replied with a smile.
"I was wondering if you 3 would like to join me and Kyoya over at our table." He said
"Well that sounds great, doesn't it?" She said, looking over at her friends.
"Yeah, we'll get to meet the elusive Shadow King, Kyoya Ootori." Kinami said with an evil smirk.
They picked up their trays and walked over to the table where Kyoya sat. He greeted them with a fake smile, which they could easily tell.
"Hello Hitomiko, a pleasure seeing you again." He said
"Hi Kyoya. How's your day been so far?" She asked with a smile.
"Fine, just fine, thank you." He replied
They sat down just as a girl and two twin boys got to the table.
"Hey, who are they?" One boy asked
"Hi, I'm Hitomiko Shinkuzura, these are my friends Kinami Shouta, and Tohru Matsumoto. We were previously seated over there, but Tamaki came and asked us to sit with you guys. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Haruhi Fujioka. This is Hikaru and this is Kaoru Hitachin. It's a pleasure to meet you too." She replied.
They sat down and they started different conversations with one another. Haruhi then asked Hitomiko a very interesting question.
"So tell me more about your family's company. I know it's a major music industry, but what's its main focus?" She asked, munching on a carrot.
"Well, our primary goal is to discover & debut talented singers and musicians. On the side, we write and compose pieces of music which can later be put to use for beginners & trainees. We also started a college for the performing arts, including theater. We strive to help those who are willing to take the steps necessary to make it into showbiz. We even have our own saying. It's, 'Music is the sound of all life, and everyone has their own melody. If you bring them all together, you can create one perfect harmony. But the only way to do so is to listen close, because if you do... you might hear something beyond your expectations.' I have always lived by that saying, looking for the types of melodies in all people. Like you, Haruhi, your melody is kind of like a fun pop song that most people play at parties just for the fun of it. It's not too fast, but not too slow either. For Tamaki, it's one of those fast, energetic, life-filled rock songs that makes people want to get up and dance. For Kyoya, it's a smooth jazz song that makes people relax and reflect on life. And for Hikaru & Kaoru, it's a romance song with seductive tones and heart-like beats. With all these sounds combined, it creates an awesome song. You just got to know where to put the right parts in the right places. And that is what you did when you formed the club. Oh, I'm sorry, I was talking too much, wasn't I?" Hitomiko said
"No, I enjoyed listening to what you have to say." Haruhi said
"You certainly have a way of seeing things, don't you?" Tamaki said with a smile
"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. Somehow, she always manages to find something good even in the stupidest of songs. And even in people, she can move them with her words. A good trait she has, huh?" Kinami said.
Tohru nodded at this, and Hitomiko gave them both a small hug. Soon after lunch, they all went back to class. After class, Hitomiko waited for her friends by the gate, but was surprised by the text she got.
Going to stay after for some things we have to do. We'll call you tomorrow. Get some sleep!
"Huh, so they knew after all." She said, closing her phone.
Once she got home, she put 'I Write Sins, Not Tragedies' by Panic at the Disco on the I Pod device that is connected to all the speakers in the house, so that she could listen to it where ever she went. She went into the library and began to study more while signing more papers. She couldn't help but think about her dream. Her parents were her life. When they had died, it was like she had died too. But now they were gone, so she had to deal with it.
"I just hope that soon, one day, I can forgive myself for allowing them to die like I did." She thought to herself
