The host club activities were finished for the day, but Tamaki sat in solitude, gloomily slurping down a cup ramen.

"Tama-chan?" Honey asked worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

Tamaki swallowed the mouthful of noodles and let out a long sigh.

"No, it's nothing," he lied.

"Don't mind him, senpai," Kyouya said, still typing into his laptop. "Tamaki's probably just upset that the twins devoured Haruhi's bento while he was away during lunch."

"Ah, okay," Honey nodded reluctantly. "Then I'll be leaving! Kyou-chan and Tama-chan bye-bye!"

And the third year students left.

"Well," Kyouya stood up, closing his computer. "when you're done, don't forget to lock the doors before you go—"

"Kyouya," Tamaki interrupted solemnly. "Something strange happened today and it seems I can't quite forget it."

The Outori zipped up his school bag. "If you're talking about the bento incident…" he said uninterestedly.

Tamaki cocked his head. "Huh? What bento incident?"

Kyouya now turned to the blonde with interest. This was strange. It wasn't the bento that Tamaki had been flustered about.

"Okay, then what," Kyouya said, leaning against a wall next to Tamaki, "is the problem? You've hardly been yourself all afternoon." He pushed up his glasses with his index finger.

"This girl," Tamaki started after a hesitant pause, "I've met her only once. Actually, I thought she was intimidating, so I've been dodging her. But today she…"

Tamaki looked straight into Kyouya's eyes. "She was crying. I think it was more out of anger than out of grief. Still, when I lent her a shoulder, she seemed really…I don't know. Different."

Looks like Haruhi found herself a rival, Kyouya thought with a bemused smile.

"Don't give it too much thought," Kyouya said as he headed for the exit. "Unless you plan to see her again."

The door clicked behind the Shadow King, and Tamaki was left alone to think.