Disclaimer: Like everyone else, I could only wish I owned the rights to this manga/anime.
All-together now! [/flourishes hands] "FINALLY!"
Yes, I'm updating! I know it's been five months (and four days) but at least I'm doing it. And I have good news, though it's also somewhat bad news. The good news is that I've already finished the next chapter (number nine) and have started chapter ten. The bad news is that the reason I've done all this is because I've been working at my mom's work. Around a month ago, they needed someone to fill in as a receptionist until they could find someone to hire (because they were apparently having a rough time with it and the woman who was doing it at that moment had vacation time the next week). So one lovely Monday morning my mom yells for me to get up and drags me to her work. For those of you who have never worked as a receptionist, it is quite possibly one of the most dull experiences I have ever had. The only benefit is that you're getting paid to sit there and basically do nothing. There's the occasional phone call and then there are the people who walk in to ask about jobs or what-have-you, but... really, you're paid money because it's so damn boring. Case in point - I wrote two and a half chapters in one week. Yeah, exactly.
And then I thought I was free after the second week (which was when I learned that I should just write to pass the time). I came back home after an impromptu trip to North Carolina and then I get asked to come back in for a couple of weeks (at least) to help them out since someone who works in Claims had to quit because their family had to move. (Don't even ask me to explain what the department is because I'm not totally sure, aside from the fact that I deal with people who need to return products.) But mainly, I'm the go-to girl for whatever someone needs done, so long as it's something they think is easy enough for me (which, really, there's not much I have an issue with doing, so long as I'm not dealing with customers on the phone because that's just a horrible mix). So... I've decided that (since I haven't been given anything to do just yet today) I'd go ahead and post this chapter. And just for timing purposes (to hopefully get me on a schedule) - don't expect another chapter posted until next week. If I can get chapter ten written sooner, then I may post it early, but I'm still trying to work out the details for it since I don't completely know what I'll be doing in it. (Woops?)
Before I finish, I need to address a few lovely reviewers. C:
Ashlyn Braere, I'm glad you like it! And I'm sad that I take so long to post chapters, too. I know that I hate it when others do it, but I've done really well for this story (for me). My friend and I are co-writing a story on a different site (not OHSHC) and it's been, like, two years since we updated. All because she thought it'd be a great idea to assign me my favorite pairing and make me hate just about everything I wrote for them (even if it didn't suck; I've actually gotten something done on that, too, now). But anyway~ I hate it that I suck at updating... And thank you for the opinion on what this chapter should be! It actually helped me a lot, and it made me enjoy writing this that much more (even if I didn't update as quickly as I'd hoped). I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you. It has quite a good bit of TsuKyo running through it~
Theroadnottaken, I really hope you know who you are because I wanted to thank you so much for taking the time to review this! It made me really happy to see that my story is appealing enough for you to encourage me. I hope I can continue to do well enough and have you continue to consider it one of the best ones. [/crosses fingers]
KaylaWolf7621, thank you! I really like Kyoya pairings, too~ I can only hope I'm doing him justice. (And I seriously cannot wait to start writing his and Tsuki's interactions in the episodes.)
Well, now that that's over with, I just wanted to say that I seriously enjoyed writing this chapter and the next one (mainly the next one, though) so I hope you guys like it! (And hopefully it'll keep me motivated to update more often. [/flails])
chapter viii
The next nine weeks went by rather quickly, though not entirely uneventfully. I was extremely busy getting my shows prepared for the summer tour, and since I had a new addition to my group, there was quite a bit to be worried about. My mother (and Kurisa's parents) had finally agreed to allow Kurisa to dance at my shows during the summer tour, which meant the choreographer we had paid for so many years was finally being put to decent use and finally doing what she was paid to do more often than not.
Aside from that, though, were the changes that had started in the Host Club, bad changes that I had barely managed to rectify. The Host Club, mostly because they charged a set entry fee, had started to lose quite a good deal of customers. Kyoya had set me to the task, and it hadn't taken long to figure out the problem. It took me the better part of an evening to come up with an idea to fix it, though, and when I had finally pitched it to Kyoya, he had almost immediately rejected it since it involved getting rid of the entry fee. I had silenced him with a look, however, and he (rather angrily) let me explain what I had simply taken to calling the "Points System."
It was rather simple, actually. The Host Club had always been lacking customers because of the charges most of the girls were not willing to pay; it made the club sound more risqué than it had already been perceived. I had taken a survey of the girls, and they had claimed that they would rather spend their money on something more tangible and long-lasting than a mere hour that they almost always had to share with others. I informed Kyoya that it would be simple to sell items any of the hosts had used, and that they would actually probably be very willing so long as they were told about it. It would also be easy to sell random photos or something else like that. Kyoya had eventually warmed to my idea and had given me a series of tasks to do before we implemented the new system, with a few tweaks of his own. Rather than simply start off just selling the items, he had online auctions for them, which included several items of mine (that I hadn't known about until after some girl walked up to me to show me what she had won).
Needless to say, the Points System turned out to work better than either of us had imagined. The Host Club's customer rate went up exponentially – and at one point I thought that nearly every girl in the high school had to be coming to Music Room #3 at least one afternoon a week. The Host Club was eventually able to afford better furnishings and dishware, and slowly Kyoya started buying different sorts of drinks and snacks; those were definitely items they would not run short of. Unfortunately, all of this meant that whenever I could actually be there in the afternoons, I was typically running errands, and thus the time I spent with Takashi (at all) became extremely limited.
Of course, things there had changed, though I wasn't sure it was for the better. It had been at least two weeks since we'd gone on any sort of date and we hadn't done much talking in those two weeks. In all honesty, we hadn't done much of anything at all – not even look up for a short moment at each other across the room. Our last date had even been rather awkward. We hadn't had long together (maybe an hour) and we didn't do much but idly talk. Typically, even then we would have at least held hands or something, but that hadn't even happened. Granted, the talk hadn't been much of a decent one by the end since Takashi had been worried about how stressed I was, and he'd brought up said concerns. It hadn't really ended unpleasantly, but things definitely hadn't been very pleasant either. What worried me most about it, though, was that it hadn't taken me long to realize that I would probably have to call things off with him before summer break—and it hadn't been an upsetting thought; rather, I had felt slightly relieved not to have the stress of our awkward relationship be a worry. We hadn't had the chance to talk about it, though, and even so, I was fairly certain Takashi had likely come to the same conclusion. We had always been like that, and I wasn't particularly dreading the conversation.
But that was about where my luck ran out; long-term stress and I had never mixed well since it put more of a physical strain on me than any martial arts session ever could, considering it was constantly there.
And then it lasted just that one twenty-four hours too long. (1)
"Nakamura-san?"
I blinked up from the homework in front of me to see Kyoya and Tamaki standing before my desk. "...yes?" I queried after a short silence.
"Are you coming or not?" Kyoya replied, his patience with me running thin rather quickly. If I were to be honest, I was getting sick of how he almost constantly seemed annoyed or angry with me when I had done nothing to make him feel that way. If he didn't stop, I would not be accountable for my reaction when I finally snapped.
It only took a second of tuning into my surroundings to know it was time for lunch, and I motioned to the paper in front of me. "This is for German; I've been busy planning out the concert for the Host Club at the end of next month, and I completely forgot we had homework due today. You guys go ahead; if I finish in time, I'll find you." I went back to my homework without waiting for a response, but it took a long moment for the two to turn away and head out the door, speaking to each other quietly as they did so.
I finished my homework just as students started straying back into the room, which told me I did not have time to get to lunch. I sighed softly, trying to ignore my grumbling stomach and the pounding headache that was coming on. Kyoya and Tamaki returned shortly, and I distracted them quickly. "Kyoya, will you please look over that damned thing for me? I'm not entirely sure if anything I wrote makes sense," I muttered, glaring at the paper as I massaged my temples. Kyoya didn't question my request, and he picked the paper up, glancing through it all.
"I don't know why you're so worried, Tsuki-hime. You've been making high marks on everything in here; one little homework won't hurt your grade too much," Tamaki pointed out, and I simply shrugged in response.
Kyoya set the paper back down on my desk. "The words made sense, and the grammar structure is fine. If you lose any points, it will be for how simply structured you wrote it," the black-haired teen assured me as he seated himself.
I nodded and slumped against my desk; I was not looking forward to the last few hours of my day.
It happened during Physical Education; go figure. The day was pleasant outside, and the teachers had decided we could play a friendly game of soccer—I'm sorry, football was the term they used, which, in America, we called soccer. It was easier for me to differentiate it that way, so I substituted the word "soccer" each time they said "football."
Now, sports and I typically do not mix. And with how horrid I was feeling that day, I knew we were going to have a row—I just didn't know who would win it.
It had all started off fine; Tamaki was even chosen to be on the same team I was. Kyoya, however, was not—but he was on the team who actually played the game well. My team was mostly on the defensive side of things because we could never get the ball and keep it. I don't know which idiot thought I should be given the position that constantly required me to run, but it became obvious to me, rather quickly, that I was not going to manage it for long.
I stumbled to the goal and supported myself against one of the posts when the shaking started. My head was pounding, my vision was blurry, and I was extremely dizzy. It didn't help that the gnawing hunger in my stomach was making itself very obvious, and I felt my heart start beating erratically before it developed into palpitations. "Tsuki-hime, are you okay?" I heard Tamaki ask softly. I managed to shake my head as I felt my body start trembling from a cold sweat, and Tamaki helped lower me to a sitting position on the ground.
It's going to sound crazy, but I felt even dizzier in that position. However, when I tried to move my arms so I could lie down, I just couldn't. "Tamaki, go get Kyoya," I managed to mumble. It must have been the fact that I even used Kyoya's first name that caused him to jump up and run across the field, but what surprised me most was that Kyoya even came running back with him. He knelt down on the ground beside me, and I blinked against the blackness crowding in on my vision.
"Do you want me to call the hospital?" Kyoya's usually calm voice sounded odd, but I couldn't place the note at that exact moment.
"No, I don't want you to. But you might need to because...on top of everything, I'm having heart palpitations. I've never had those before," I murmured, and I imagined I likely sounded giddy. "I'm cold, too..." I felt an arm go around my waist and help pull me up, and it was then that the worst wave of dizziness hit. I tried to take in a deep breath, but somewhere along the line I had started to hyperventilate, and it was useless. I slumped against Kyoya just as I blacked out. (2)
When I opened my eyes, I hissed at the bright light that assaulted them and clamped them shut once again. Instinctively, I had moved both my hands toward them, but a hand on my right wrist kept it from getting too far.
"You have an IV in your right hand. Be careful with it," Kyoya instructed softly, and I assumed the hand that released my wrist was his. "Will one of you turn off the main light?"
I heard a clicking sound and slowly ventured to open my eyes again; there was enough light to see by, at least, which was probably from something behind the bed I was in. "Ugh. I really do hate passing out," I mumbled, earning a chorus of chuckles. I glanced at the foot of my bed to see five males—the Host Club, minus Kyoya, who was instead standing beside my bed with my father. I smiled gingerly at my father, mouthing an apology. He simply shook his head at me, returning my smile with a slightly sad one of his own. I allowed myself to assess whatever damage may have been done to my body, and I barely suppressed a noise of pain as I realized that just about everything ached. "What good is an IV if they didn't give me anything for pain?" I muttered irritably.
"Actually, they gave you hydrocodone. Is it not working?" Kyoya answered, and I shifted my gaze to him. He was as calm and composed as always, and it irked me that even now he was still speaking to me with polite detachment.
I gritted my teeth before wincing in pain. I'd think twice before doing that again. "Why on earth do I feel like I was run over by a truck repeatedly?"
"Because you went without proper sustenance for over twenty-four hours and then decided to play soccer when your body was telling you not to," Kyoya responded rather harshly. "When you have hypoglycemia and don't take care of it, that tends to happen."
I looked over at him like he was crazy. "Hypoglycemia? Me? That is absolutely—" I stopped mid-sentence, because it made sense. Eating without gaining much weight at all; feeling horrible when I didn't eat; feeling horrible if I ate just a little too much sugar at once... "Oh, jeez. Well, there goes my favorite food group," I sighed, trying to make light of the situation. A few people rose to the occasion, and soft chuckles resounded in the nearly-silent room.
"This is not something to be joking about. With the amount of sugar you usually intake, it's surprising you haven't gone into a sugar coma at some point, Nakamura-san," Kyoya snapped, his voice harsh.
And that was when he pushed me too far. I forced myself up into a sitting position and glared at him. "Look, I don't know what the bloody hell your problem is, Ootori, but I'm getting sick of you always snapping at me! I can't make a single move around you without pissing you off! I've dealt with your short temper for the past two months straight, and I'm not going to take it anymore. I'm sorry that apparently by simply breathing I manage to make you angry, but if everything about me bothers you so damn much, then stop hanging around me. Your disapproval just...it hurts; I don't know why your approval matters so much, but it does. But I don't know how to make you approve of me, and I'm sick of trying." (3)
I fought back the tears I could feel forming, knowing that it was from a multitude of things, but most of them stemmed from having to actually face what I'd been feeling, underneath the anger. No one spoke, whether out of pure astonishment at my sudden outburst, or out of curiosity as to how Kyoya would respond—I wasn't going to know. A couple of nurses and a doctor came bursting in, and it was then that I heard the insane beeps coming from my monitor.
"All right, everyone out!" one of the nurses snapped, pointing at the door. "There are way too many of you. Once we know she's fine again, only three of you are allowed in here at a time."
They all filed out as I fell back against the bed, closing my eyes. "It's not their fault. I got mad at someone," I mumbled to the nurse nearest me. I felt a cold cloth rest on my forehead, and I sighed softly.
"Then that 'someone' doesn't need to come back in here," a woman's voice answered. I didn't say anything, and after they had assured themselves I was fine, they started to leave. "We'll be bringing dinner by shortly," the same woman spoke, and I nodded.
I heard soft footsteps, but I didn't open my eyes until the door closed. My father, Takashi, and Mitsukuni were all watching me worriedly. I smiled weakly at them all, though I knew that sometime during the night I'd be crying; I had too many pent up emotions not to. "I'm fine," I managed to tell them.
"It didn't sound like it a few minutes ago," my father answered wryly, moving to the side of my bed and reaching out to take my hand.
I sighed and looked up at the ceiling as I thought about how to word my thoughts. "The timing was rather poor, wasn't it?" None of them said anything, and I swallowed back a sob. "I've been stressed for the past two months; some complications came up with the summer tour, and then I forgot about the concert I was giving for the Host Club next month. On top of the problems that were happening with the Host Club's finances, that I mostly fixed—his constant, thinly-veiled annoyance with me just toppled the very precarious pile of things." I honestly didn't want to talk about it to them yet, if at all. Which was why I changed the subject abruptly by asking, "Uh, has anyone called Hiroshi and told him that I'm in the hospital?"
What proceeded would have been humorous on normal occasions, but I wasn't feeling particularly euphoric. It didn't help that Mitsukuni was giving me a look that reminded me just how old he was and how mature he could (rarely) be; it was also a look that said he had a lot he intended to talk to me about. And that was a conversation I was going to be dreading.
That evening involved many awkward conversations. The one I'm not going to go into detail about (since there isn't very much) was the one I had with Takashi about ending our relationship. He'd actually brought it up, surprisingly, and I think both of us were relieved to have that finally off our plates. I knew he'd still be concerned about me—he'd said as much—but he'd made me realize why things had turned so weird between us. Or rather, Mitsukuni made him realize, and he'd felt the need to enlighten me. Somewhere in the past couple of months (or maybe even before then) the affection Takashi and I felt for each other had altered. We expected certain reactions from ourselves, and because of that, we knew what to look for and could apply them to the situation as needed, but there wasn't really any physical attraction there anymore. We'd experimented, both of us unsure what to expect, and though it had been pleasant, it hadn't been anything that caused a reaction I had expected to find before. Things were fine, though. I was perfectly content to be friends with Takashi, and leave it at that.
But apparently Mitsukuni wasn't finished with his assistance.
I had been happily munching on the McDonald's cheeseburger (with only ketchup) that Hiroshi had snuck in for me when Mitsukuni, Hiroshi, and my father all shared a few three-way glances before looking at me. I tried to shrink back into my bed, not sure what their looks meant. "What?"
"You and Kyoya need to talk," Hiroshi answered bluntly. I winced, and he quickly continued. "You both deserve an apology from each other."
I frowned, setting my food down. "I'm sorry, but why should I apologize to him?"
"You said some really hurtful things to him earlier, Tsuki-chan," Mitsukuni replied softly, smiling sadly at me. "You scared him, you know. Tama-chan said that when you passed out on Kyoya, he didn't hesitate to thrust his phone at Tamaki, pick you up, and run you to the front of the school. Kyo-chan doesn't know how to react when he's worried; he just instinctively tries to shut down, and usually he tries to become detached. That's why he was acting the way he was, and he had a reason to get angry with the jokes you were making... All of us were worried about you and the foods you eat."
I closed my eyes, releasing a frustrated sigh. "I have already said the timing was not exactly great, but his harshness earlier was not simply the first time. He's been snapping at me over the littlest things for the past two months. I had thought it was simply because of the problems with losing customers, but if anything, he's simply gotten worse since I helped him fix it. I... I'm tired of trying to be his friend when he obviously doesn't want me to be—and I sure as hell have no reason to try and force a friendship." Talking about this wasn't exactly easy for me; I hated the feeling of tears burning behind my eyes, and I knew if we kept discussing this, it would only end up with me crying over something when I wasn't even sure why I was hurt—or if I even had a reason to feel hurt.
"But Kyo-chan does want to be your friend," Mitsukuni murmured, and I opened my eyes to blink at him.
Hiroshi, however, was the one who continued, "He does. Obviously, he hasn't said it in so many words, but... I could tell when I got here this evening that he was upset about something. When the others filled me in, I was actually slightly shocked to hear what had happened. I really don't think he meant to hurt you. And I don't think you meant to hurt him either this evening, but you definitely did. That's why you need to apologize to him, too."
I shifted my gaze to my father, waiting for him to throw his two cents in, and he laughed and held up his hands. "Those two said just about everything that needed to be said. I will add that I took the liberty of asking him to stay until after you were finished eating—though I did not elaborate as to why."
I let my head fall back against a pillow, casting my eyes up to the ceiling. "Fine. You guys win. I'll talk to him," I muttered, and I could easily imagine the relieved expressions on their faces. They likely had not expected me to give in so quickly, but I was actually starting to grow tired of having so many people in such a small room. I would have given anything to be alone right then, for just a few minutes, and I figured the easiest way to reach that goal was to face Kyoya, and hope that they'd all go home after.
I felt a hand on my left arm, and I lifted my head to see Mitsukuni smiling at me. "Thank you, Tsuki-chan. This really means a lot to us." He practically jumped in my bed as he hugged me, and I almost laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay~?" he chirped, beaming, before he turned and left.
"We'll be outside if you need us," Hiroshi stated, waiting for me to nod before he and my father walked out of my room.
I glanced down at the tray of food and pushed it away from me so that I didn't have to worry about it and could sit a little more comfortably. I looked up when I heard the door shut quietly, and I managed a rather weak smile for the black-haired boy. He walked towards me and stopped at the foot of my bed, saying nothing as he regarded me with a somewhat wary expression. He finally spoke after the silence had gotten a bit tense. "I asked them to change the pain medication. Is it working any better?"
I felt a pang of guilt at the same time that I felt a flash of anger, and I struggled to push both emotions aside. Mitsukuni had said he basically retreated into himself (even more, if that were possible) and I assumed that in doing that, he fell back onto normal, routine statements and questions that a stranger—or really, in this case, a doctor—would possibly say and ask. With a soft sigh, I finally nodded in answer to his question. "Yes, it is." I paused for a moment, meeting his gaze as I added, "Thank you."
Kyoya simply nodded in response, and it was silent once again.
This time, I broke it. "Earlier, I snapped at you." He blinked, and I was a little surprised that he was surprised. Everyone had always said I didn't do well with slowly leading into something. "I cannot honestly say that I felt—or feel—like I was wrong for saying it, but I'm not proud of it, either. Especially since I was told that I might have inadvertently hurt you in the process." His expression of surprise didn't change, and I took a moment to assess my next words. "You are quite possibly one of the most maddening people I have ever known. I've been here for four months—and oddly enough I've spent most of it with or around you—but I still don't understand half the things you do. I knew in the beginning that you were able to easily slip into polite detachment with people you didn't know. I respected that, and didn't try to—or really care to—attempt a friendship with you. The way I saw it was that you needed to have some sort of alliance with me, for your father's sake, and I didn't mind helping. I don't know when that changed, but it slowly started to bother me that after an entire month, we were still acting like complete strangers towards each other. My father told me it was because I had never changed my demeanor around you, and that I would have to be more open with you if I ever expected us to have a possibility of talking without the forced pleasantries. So I decided I could at least attempt it—and it had seemed like it was working. Then, when I saw you the night I was out with Takashi and made a hasty accusation, instead of correcting me politely you looked at me with something that seemed quite close to hatred and bit out an angry retort."
I looked down at the sheets on my bed and fiddled with them for a moment before continuing, "And that was when it all changed. You practically gave up even trying to be pleasant with me, while I literally racked my brain for everything I could possibly do to fix the issue without...well, fixing myself. I've never been desperate enough to change myself to get someone to be friends with me, but then again I've never been around someone who willingly spends time with me when he obviously does not want to. For a while I had thought it might be the loss of customers, and I just happened to be one of the unlucky ones dealing with your bad attitude. But then when I helped fix the issue, it honestly only seemed like you were getting worse. My patience wore thin, and you finally just pushed me too far today. I'm in a bloody hospital, for goodness sake." I heard (and felt) myself emit a bitter laugh and shook my head. "But snapping at you didn't really make me feel any better about it all, especially since everyone keeps bringing it back up. So even though I honestly think I was justified in what I said, I still feel bad about it, and... I'm sorry. What I said was rather harsh and possibly a bit on the melodramatic side, but at the time it summed up how I felt." I paused before feeling the need to add, "And I meant every word. If hanging around me is such a bother to you, I'd really prefer it if you just didn't hang around me at all. I really don't like being snapped at for basically just breathing." I tried to soften the last bit with a weak, wry smile, but I wasn't sure it worked.
Kyoya studied me with a frown, his arms folded across his chest—or, well, actually, it was closer to his stomach, and it honestly looked a bit like an emotional defense. It was close to the sort of way I held myself when I was uncomfortable in a situation, except there was something slightly different about his stance. There was a long silence as I waited for him to say something, and eventually I just looked away from him, swallowing back what was likely to be a sob or something equally as embarrassing. I had just done something I hardly ever did—explained myself and my actions before apologizing even if I thought I had the right to react the way I had—and he wasn't even going to say anything. I wasn't (nor had I been) expecting an apology, but it would have been nice if he had at least accepted mine.
"It's not you."
I blinked, turning my head back towards him. "Excuse me?" I was completely baffled by his statement.
"Well, I guess it is you, but not in the way you think," Kyoya elaborated, though he was still being completely vague. The small smirk that quirked his lips made it obvious he was purposely using a vague response. "I truly do not mind your company. It's honestly rather refreshing more often than not. I don't always know what response I'll get, but it's usually something interesting rather than annoying." He looked like he wanted to add something, but he apparently stopped himself. "I cannot explain why, but these past two months I have been attempting to make you angry enough with me so that you would choose to stop engaging in discussions with me."
I held up a hand to keep him from continuing. "So... you were trying to... what? Push me away?" The phrase sounded ridiculous, but it was the easiest way to sum up what he was saying.
Kyoya seemed to have the same sentiment because he made a somewhat pained and exasperated expression before he answered, "Yes. There was something about you that irritated me, and it took me some time to realize it wasn't your personality, nor was it your fault. I realized the latter when you managed to get all of us kicked out of here." His lips twitched as though he wanted to smile, but he didn't (of course) since he continued speaking. "I was not aware that I was upsetting you that badly. I was also unaware that you were attempting to be my friend, though it certainly makes sense now that I know. I had been quite confused by your resilience every time I snapped at you."
I sighed, shaking my head and smiling slightly. "Somehow I'm not surprised that you didn't realize it. I guess the easiest way would have been to be blunt and obvious about it like Tamaki was."
He actually made a face to show what he thought of that before retorting, "That would not have been very wise. Such an approach would have been more likely to succeed in making me ignore you."
I laughed before wincing at the slight pain that brought. "It was a joke, Ootori-san. Could you honestly imagine me jumping up and down and alternating between English and Japanese? And I most certainly would not have clung to you and rubbed my face against yours. That's something I would likely never do with anyone in my lifetime."
He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "I can agree with that. Watching you with Mori-senpai is enough evidence to attest to that statement."
I normally would have laughed at that, but I bit down on my lower lip instead, and I began fiddling with my sheets again. "Speaking of Takashi... I suppose now is as good a time as any other to tell you that we won't be doing any more 'shows' for the clients. I mean, I know we haven't been doing much lately, anyway, but..." Pausing, I took a deep breath before deciding to get it over with, "Takashi and I broke up this afternoon."
Kyoya blinked in surprise (quite possibly at the sudden change of subject) before he frowned. "The way you phrased that sounds as though neither one of you did the actual breaking up part of it."
"Well, Takashi brought it up, so I guess technically he broke up with me, but we both knew it was going to happen. Mitsukuni was the one who decided to bring certain details to Takashi's attention, and he decided today would be easier than sometime in the next week." I shrugged. "It's going to sound horrid, but both of us are actually relieved. It was more stressful trying to force the relationship to happen when neither of us really wanted it anymore." It was then that I realized I was talking to Kyoya about this, and I felt heat creep up my neck and steal into my face. "Er, sorry; I kind of forgot who I was talking to. That wasn't a necessary addition when all you were concerned with was if it was a unanimous decision." He didn't answer, so I took it as an affirmative. My eyes wandered to the clock nearby, and I blinked in surprise. It was a lot later in the evening than I had expected. "Oh, wow—I didn't know it was that late already. No wonder Mitsukuni told me goodbye before they sent you in here. You need to go home and get some sleep. I would think it's been a rather stressful day for you, considering all that's gone on. And you were already looking rather horrid this morning. I don't know what it is you do, but I don't think anything is more important than sleep. Take it from the girl who doesn't stay awake voluntarily." I flashed him a smile, and to my surprise he returned it.
"Well, I hope you have a pleasant evening, then. Typically, they'd like to have you stay here for another night, but I'll come by tomorrow afternoon to see about them releasing you early." I nodded, and he turned around to walk out. I closed my eyes and relaxed back into my bed, though I promptly opened them when I heard him say, "Oh, and Nakamura-san?" He had stopped at the door, his hand on the door handle, and he was looking over his shoulder at me. "I forgot to apologize earlier. For being so rude to you these past few months." When he paused, I assumed that was all I'd get, but then I heard him softly murmur, "I'm sorry." And then he opened the door and slipped out of my room. (4)
And so my best friend and my father found me blinking in shock with my mouth slightly agape; in response to their silent questions, I simply stated, "He actually apologized."
They shared a look and smiled.
The following Monday was when it started.
I had left with my first period teacher during our first break so that I could get an assignment I had missed the past Friday. It apparently hadn't occurred to Kyoya or Tamaki to get my assignments for that one day, so I figured that would be what I'd have to do after each class. When I got back, a pack of crackers had been left on my desk, though I hadn't noticed them until after I sat down. I frowned slightly and glanced over my shoulder in Tamaki's direction; he smiled at me as I held the crackers up questioningly, and I simply assumed he'd left them. I had to admit I was slightly hungry, and so I simply opened them and started eating one.
The same thing happened later on that day, before my last class. One of the girls who had finished getting dressed in her "gym clothes" came back into the changing rooms to deliver some more crackers. I shook my head with a sigh and took them, thanking her and putting them in my bag.
"Um... I was told that you needed to eat them before we started class," the girl murmured. "And to watch to make sure you ate at least one..."
I frowned, but I knew the girl would more than likely listen to Tamaki over me, so I fished them back out of my bag and opened them before tossing one in my mouth. The girl smiled and promptly walked back out of the dressing room, leaving me to debate over eating more than one. I decided against it since I needed to do the warm up stretches and was one of the last girls changing.
I walked out of the dressing room when I finished changing, and I easily found Tamaki and Kyoya in the gym since just about every girl was turned so they could watch them. I walked over to them and started doing the assigned stretches, aware that most of the students in our class probably thought our trio strange.
"Tamaki?" I queried during one of the stretches, and he smiled over at me. "Why did you make that poor girl watch me eat a cracker?"
The blonde blinked, furrowing his brows. "What on earth are you talking about? I didn't make anyone do anything."
I sighed, moving to sit on the floor so I could do the last of the stretches. "They were the same crackers as this morning, Tamaki. If you're trying to act like you didn't make the girl do it, you shouldn't use the same snacks."
"This... morning?" Tamaki murmured before his face lit up and he snapped his fingers. "Oh! I didn't leave those."
I abruptly stopped stretching. "Then who did?"
The blonde shrugged, placing a hand on his hip. "I wasn't watching."
I suddenly felt cold, and I'm fairly certain the blood probably drained out of my face; things like this—someone leaving me food or any item, really—never boded well for me. I didn't have the opportunity to express my concerns to either of them, because we were suddenly called to attention so the teachers could explain what we were doing that day. I shook off the bad vibes I had and tried to keep from fretting over it; it was always possible that Tamaki had left them and was just playing around.
The same thing happened over the next few days, and it was Friday when I finally wasn't sure what to do about it anymore. I knew Tamaki well enough to realize he was telling the truth when he said he wasn't the one leaving anything, though I was almost certain he had to know who was leaving the snacks, which led me to believe my initial worry was likely just me overreacting because of my experiences back in America. At least, that was what I hoped. I simply figured I'd have to find out a way to get Tamaki to tell me. It wasn't until after clubs on Friday that it occurred to me to ask Kyoya—and really, I should have thought of asking him before. He made it his business to notice the small things; surely he wouldn't have missed something like someone leaving food on my desk.
I was with the hosts, which had become the norm for my Friday evenings. We had finished eating dinner at the Ootori Estate and were simply wasting time with idle chatter. I stood and stretched slightly, intending to head to the restroom when Kyoya stopped me and stood as well. "The bathroom you are used to is currently being renovated," he explained when I blinked at him, and I hummed to show I understood. He started walking, and I easily fell into step beside him. Since I wasn't sure how close the bathroom would be, I didn't want to start a discussion, and so I waited until we were returning to the sitting room before I ventured to ask him about the snacks I kept receiving.
"Ne, Ootori-san?" I queried when we had started down one of the many hallways. He glanced over at me, so I felt it safe to continue. "Tamaki is either completely oblivious or is simply toying with me, so I was wondering if I could get an answer from you about who has been leaving food on my desk and sending girls into the dressing room before our last period."
Kyoya smirked, pushing his glasses up. "You haven't figured it out yet?"
I made a face before muttering, "Obviously I have not. And I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't be cryptic."
"Simply think it through, Nakamura-san. Who could know your schedule well enough to have someone deliver snacks to you, or have someone leave snacks on your desk? Aside from Tamaki, of course." He sounded way too amused for my liking, and I simply frowned as I did as he said and thought about it.
The snacks were not always left on my desk at the same time during the morning, considering I didn't always leave after first period to go do something. Yet it never failed that at some point before lunch, I would have something left on my desk. That meant it at least had to be a classmate leaving the food there, and it was never the same girl bringing me the snacks before physical education. I assumed that meant it had to at least be a guy sending the food, since a girl would just as easily give it to me in the dressing room herself. Not to mention, I didn't know any girl who could make another girl watch me eat something. For that matter, there probably weren't very many guys who could—
I stopped walking and blinked at the back of Kyoya's head. "Ootori-san?"
Kyoya stopped walking and turned around to look at me. "Hm?"
"You? You're the one who's been leaving the food on my desk and making those poor girls watch me eat something before physical education?" I was stunned; I truly was.
"I don't see why you're so surprised," he commented, his hands slipping into his pockets.
I fought for the proper words, not sure how to even begin explaining it. "I guess because I expected you would have said something to me, or tried a more direct approach. Apparently I haven't shown paranoia around you enough, or you wouldn't have approached the situation the way you did. I was literally scared out of my wits these past few days. In America it was common for me to get... gifts, for lack of a better word. They usually weren't safe, or they encouraged behavior that shouldn't have been encouraged. I've learned not to believe those types of people exist in one certain place, and this was the sort of behavior I've been taught not to encourage without at least some caution."
Kyoya looked thoughtful before he shrugged. "No harm was done, and it seemed to be the only approach at the time. We both know you would never have eaten as much as you did if you knew I was trying to make you eat."
I almost opened my mouth to remonstrate with him, but I kept it shut because he was right. More than likely, I would have taken the food from him but wouldn't have eaten any of it, just because I wouldn't have liked that he was trying to make me eat more often throughout the day. That still didn't keep me from being slightly irritated at the roundabout way he went with his scheme, however, and I narrowed my eyes at him to show my displeasure before I started walking again. I saw a flicker of annoyance cross his expression as I stalked past him, and he stayed a few steps behind me as we made our way back to the sitting room.
I sat down in the same place I had been before, but Kyoya moved to sit next to Tamaki. Apparently that was enough for the hosts to know something had happened because Hikaru and Kaoru promptly seated themselves on either side of me, slinging their arms across my shoulders. "We can't leave you two alone for even a few minutes," Hikaru sighed.
"You always manage to find something that irritates both of you," Kaoru agreed. (5)
"And then we have to deal with the awkwardness of it," they both finished in unison.
Hikaru leaned closer, making himself comfortable as he rested against my side. "So what happened this time, Tsuki-hime?"
I didn't even correct his nickname for me since it had basically become commonplace amongst the hosts—minus Kyoya, of course. "I finally found out who's been leaving food on my desk and having girls bring me food before my last class," I answered. "I know for a fact that he's heard me questioning Tamaki about it, but he didn't speak up at all."
Hikaru and Kaoru laughed, and I felt Kaoru finally relax against my side in much the same position as his brother.
"It sure took her a while, didn't it?" Hikaru queried.
"Yeah; we thought she knew already," Kaoru sighed. "But I do understand why she's upset. And that explains why she's been acting odd this past week."
I blinked in surprise. Had it been that obvious that I was fretting over something? Granted, considering how freaked out I'd originally been, it probably had been. But the way Kaoru was speaking made it sound like he'd known I'd been paranoid and worried that something would happen every time I turned around.
"If I were her, I'd be mad at Tamaki, too," Hikaru randomly added, and said boy blinked in confusion. "He knew Kyoya was the one leaving the food, and he lied to her about it."
"Huh. You're right, Hikaru. He did lie to me, didn't he?" I murmured.
Tamaki suddenly wailed, "Don't be mad at me, Tsuki-hime! Kyoya said you wouldn't eat the food if you knew he'd been the one trying to make you eat it! I just didn't want you to end up in the hospital again! I'm sorry!" He'd started flailing around while he continued to rant, and when he nearly hit the black-haired teen beside him, Kyoya narrowed his eyes at the blonde and snapped at him to be quiet. The room went deadly quiet, minus the snickers coming from Hikaru and Kaoru.
"Tamaki, did I say I was mad at you? I simply said Hikaru was correct that you had lied to me. I didn't say anything about being angry, and I'm fairly certain nothing in my tone suggested I was angry," I remarked. "There was no need in such a melodramatic response since I'm not angry at you."
"But Tsuki-chan, why are you mad at Kyo-chan?" Mitsukuni suddenly piped up. "All he did was try to make you eat more often during the day. That's what the doctors told you to do. He's just making sure you do what they said."
I sighed, closing my eyes momentarily before opening them again and looking at the shorter blonde boy. "I don't care that he was trying to make me eat more often. What irritates me is that he didn't stop to think through all his options. Making me paranoid about eating food did not help and was most certainly not the easiest way, when all he had to do was get Tamaki to give me the food and nag at me until I gave in so he'd shut up."
Hikaru and Kaoru laughed again. "That would defeat the point, though," they retorted.
I furrowed my brows and looked between the two of them. "Defeat what point?"
Hikaru lightly patted my head. "Don't worry about it, Tsuki-hime. You'll figure it out sometime."
"Yeah," Kaoru added, "when you're older."
I closed my eyes, trying for patience. "I'm older than both of you."
"You may be physically older than us," Kaoru agreed. "But there are definitely things we know more about."
Hikaru grinned at me before adding, "Things in which we're mentally older than you."
I found myself laughing softly and shaking my head, "I'm not sure how, but that does actually make rather twisted sense."
"Which is why you should trust us and make nice with Kyoya again," the twins stated as they rested their chins on top of my head.
I barely refrained from rolling my eyes at them, and my gaze shifted to meet Kyoya's. "Do you want them to shut up as much as I do?" I queried, and his lips twitched as he inclined his head, which I took as an affirmative response. "I thought so. Shall we call a truce, then?" '...however temporary it may be.'
Kyoya pushed his glasses up as he answered, "I suppose."
Nudging the twins, I muttered, "You can both get off me now."
Kaoru laughed. "Why would we do that?"
"All you're going to do is find a way to leave if we do," Hikaru added, and I cursed them beneath my breath. They both pulled away in mock offense, but Hikaru was the one who decided what they did next, and I wasn't expecting it. One moment I was sitting up and scowling at the two twins, and the next I was rolling around in the floor trying to get away from them as they tickled me, which proved to be a difficult feat as I reflexively laughed.
Several flashes of light in the dimly lit room interrupted our antics, and I heard Kyoya's exasperated sigh right before I heard, "Oh, this should turn out really well!"
I blinked from my spot on the floor and sat up, looking in the direction of the doorway. A familiar, raven-haired woman stood in its entrance, holding a digital camera as she squinted to try and see the details of the picture she had just taken. "Good evening, Fuyumi~" I chirped, sitting up and brushing my hand through my hair briefly. I stood up as she walked over to me, and a moment later Kyoya was beside me.
"Fuyumi, what are you doing here?" As I had noticed was custom with his sister, Kyoya sounded somewhat exasperated, but there was genuine warmth behind it that softened what would have been a biting edge.
"I heard laughter, and I followed it," she answered simply with a grin. When Kyoya simply gave her a look, she waved her hand at him. "Now, Kyoya, there's no need for that. Father asked me to come over. Since he's busy, I found something to preoccupy myself with, and then I heard Tsuki laughing. When I found you, I happened upon a cute scene that I felt should be photographed. I find it oddly entertaining, so I almost always have a camera with me now." She shifted her gaze to me and beamed. "I'll send you a copy the moment I get it transferred to a computer." I would have opened my mouth to tell her there was no need, but she didn't give me the chance. "Okay, okay. I know when I'm not wanted. I'm going, Kyoya." She laughed good-naturedly as she turned around and left us to ourselves again.
I smiled fondly as I watched her walk away, and then I glanced at Kyoya. "Is it possible to ever get used to her antics? She kind of makes me think of a female Tamaki, just less obnoxious and a lot more easygoing about how you treat her. Granted, she probably knows you love her, so it makes sense that she doesn't freak out like Tamaki does. Or randomly cultivate mushrooms in a corner." I added the last bit simply for my own amusement because it was probably one of the most adorable things he did when he was playing at melodramatic depression.
Kyoya's gaze was still on the hallway Fuyumi had taken, and his lips curved just slightly in a genuinely warm smile; though it was fleeting, it was definitely comforting to know that he didn't have perfect control over every emotion he felt (not including anger since that seemed to roll off him in waves when it struck). And honestly, for a moment, he'd actually looked... well, sweet.
Since I hadn't been assigned anything else to do, I was on my laptop during the end of club hours Monday afternoon. On a whim, I pulled up my email to find I had actually received a few messages during the day. Most of it held no appeal to me, and thus it was deleted, but there was one email that caught my attention; one sent by Fuyumi. I frowned in slight confusion as I opened the untitled message, and the body of the email did not help me in the slightest.
"Good afternoon, Tsukiko! I'm sorry it took me so long to send this, but I just now had the chance to do it. I think it turned out really well! Be sure to show it to the others, okay? Hope you have a great day!"
"Cryptic messages must run in their family," I muttered beneath my breath as I clicked on the attachment and gave my computer permission to download and open it. The moment I saw what it was, I remembered: the picture she had taken when we were all at Kyoya's. I was eager but reluctant to see it at the same time. There was no telling how weird this was going to look.
I was pleasantly surprised. Though I was lying on the floor and fending off the twins, it didn't look as silly (or unattractive) as I had thought it would. It was obvious that I was having fun, even if I was the one trying to defend myself. She had caught me in the middle of a laugh, and Hikaru and Kaoru were both grinning widely. Behind us Mitsukuni was standing with a cute little grin on his face, cradling his bunny to him while Takashi was seated with his back against a wall with one leg stretched out and one leg bent at the knee, and one of his arms was resting on said knee while the other one was resting at his side. He was smiling with his head tilted slightly, something I had always found endearing. Tamaki was watching us from his spot beside Kyoya, a sweet smile curving his lips with his chin on the palm of his hand and his elbow propped on the nearby table. Finally, my gaze shifted to Kyoya.
And my mouth dropped open in shock. His hand was still posed as though he were about to write something in the notebook in front of him, and he likely had just glanced up for a moment because his head wasn't fully lifted—but what surprised me most was the smile on his face. It wasn't one I was used to, and I had only seen a slight glimpse of it when he'd been looking after his sister, but it was a full-blown warm smile. And it was genuine.
"What's gotten you so surprised, Tsuki-hime?" Kaoru questioned, and I glanced up to see him lean over my shoulder to look at my computer. "Oh, is this from the other night?"
I nodded. "Yeah, Fuyumi sent it to me about an hour ago. It looks good, doesn't it?"
"That's why you're shocked?" Hikaru asked amusedly. "Because Fuyumi managed to take a good picture?"
I made a face at him before I laughed. "No, that's not why I'm shocked." I quickly zoomed in on the picture slightly, just enough to see Kyoya's face more clearly. I then moved my cursor in a circle around him. "That is why I'm shocked."
Hikaru and Kaoru took a moment to look before they shared a glance and started laughing. "Tsuki-hime, you're so oblivious; it's cute," they intoned, ruffling my hair. I didn't get the chance to ask them what they meant since they walked off. I started to turn around to try and get the others' attentions (just so I could do as Fuyumi had asked and show it to them) but it wasn't meant to be.
"Nakamura-san, if you do not wish to be locked in here overnight, I'd suggest packing up your laptop and leaving with the rest of us," Kyoya's voice rang out in the silent room. Blinking, I looked over my shoulder to see that the rest of the hosts were, indeed, out in the hallway.
Releasing a sigh, I closed my laptop and quickly put it away before standing and pulling both my bags onto my shoulder. I didn't hasten to the doorway since I knew what he'd said was mostly in jest, and it was only after I'd gotten into the hallway that he closed the door and locked it. I started my typical trek down the hallway with the hosts, not paying much mind to the discussion they were all having. My mind was still reeling over the fact that Kyoya did have his moments of uninhibited emotions, that he wasn't always in control over what was expressed on his face. I was also still mulling over what Hikaru and Kaoru could have meant by calling me "oblivious" – what was it that they thought I was missing?
A hand lightly touching my shoulder had me blinking out of my thoughts, and I blinked up at Kyoya with mild surprise. "Yes?" I queried after a short moment of silence.
"I haven't had the time to ask you if we need to reschedule your concert in a couple weeks. I was recently informed that you were quite busy in respects to some difficulties with your tour this summer," he answered, and I frowned (not for the first time) at the fact that the glare of his glasses hid his true expression from me. What on earth could he possibly have to hide in regards to a concert?
With a soft sigh, I simply shrugged and readjusted the bag on my shoulder. "Thank you for the concern, Ootori-san, but I have already dealt with the issues surrounding my summer tour, and as of yet, there have been no complications with the performance scheduled at the end of the term. Should something inevitably arise, you will be the first one to know."
Kyoya nodded shortly, his head shifting up so his gaze could rest on the hosts, as if he were checking to see if their discussion might interest him. It didn't seem satisfactory to him, considering he shifted his attention back to me as he asked, "What were you showing Hikaru and Kaoru just a few minutes ago?"
The topic didn't really surprise me; I had sort of been expecting it. "Your sister sent me that picture she took with her camera the other evening. She was right – it did turn out really well. Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves," I commented, smiling lightly. "Including you."
"Is that so?" Kyoya murmured with mild amusement after a moment of silence.
I nodded exaggeratedly, turning my head and tilting it back so I could look up at him properly. "Indeed, it is so. It was rather refreshing to see, actually." Kyoya quirked a brow in question, and I shrugged. "I don't know. You looked..." I paused, trying to figure out the best way to answer his unspoken query. "You looked sweet. It was nice. Cute, even."
Kyoya's steps faltered to a halt while he blinked in surprise, his eyes only slightly wide. (6) I realized just how odd my statement probably sounded, but explaining myself would probably just make it seem more awkward.
"Tsuki-hime, Kyoya~ You're getting left behind~" Tamaki sang out, and I shook my head with a laugh as I picked up my pace to catch up with the group of boys. Soon enough Kyoya was walking beside me again, and we walked the rest of the way to the front of the school in a companionable silence as the others talked.
I let my mind wander back to the photograph Fuyumi had taken, and I smiled to myself at the thought. These boys were definitely some of the closest friends I had ever made, and I was glad to say it. They were all warm-hearted (yes, even Kyoya) and it was apparent that they all fit together like an intricate and ever-changing puzzle—a puzzle I was pleased to watch as the pieces evolved and changed, but still managed to slide into place over and over again, as they formed multiple different images. The Ouran High School Host Club was a whole lot more than a group of good-looking boys who spent ample time trying to make others happy. They had a bond that went much deeper than some simple friendship—they were a family.
(1) I kinda suck at summarizing, if it wasn't obvious. But I didn't want to have pointless, small scenes when I could just do that. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to elaborate for you if you send me a message (or if you're a guest, you can ask in a review).
(2) This is loosely based on one of the attacks my friend had, but since Tsukiko could practically be a diabetic with all the sugar she ingests (and since she's put so much strain on herself) the attack is a bit different and slightly more upscale. (If said friend reads this, I looked up the symptoms and whatnot, so it may be off compared to your attacks.) Anyway~ This scene is rather important because internally, Kyoya is freaking out and is having to force himself to keep calm and in control of the situation, and he's having just a little bit of difficulty doing it. Now, the reason why the teachers weren't mentioned was because they're observing things from a little ways away, and they were tuning into the situation when they saw Kyoya and Tamaki running over to her and all the students stopping their activities. Ergo, Kyoya was not going to deal with them (and the trio probably would have ignored them, anyway, even if they were over there).
(3) Okay, so this scene gave me the most trouble because I seriously wanted to bawl for Kyoya's sake. Though it's addressed, this actually hurts him more than any of the others know because he seriously did not mean to hurt her by treating her the way he did. He thought she'd get angry. Now, his harshness in the hospital is his emotions getting out of whack. He's had a scare, and he's probably the only one that gets the doctor speak about her full condition, so he's lashing out at her to make her understand the situation. Unfortunately for him, she gets that, and she's trying to keep everyone else from worrying too much and he's just not picking up on that. This tirade of hers is also an insight to the fact that she might like Kyoya more than any of them (even herself) think. But only her father is going to pick up on that, for right now.
(4) So that entire scene is, in a sense, Kyoya realizing that he'd at least like to be friends with Tsukiko, even if he can't have anything else. It's also a way to show that Tsuki is (for some reason [/coughcough]) comfortable with talking to him about things that should be awkward/difficult for her to talk about. It's significant for her because it's a slightly obvious sign that she's letting herself get close to him, which will eventually be shown to mean she has some sort of feelings for him. The issue will be if she realizes it's romantically instead of sibling-ly (totally not a word, I know).
Kyoya's apology is also important. I think it may be the only time he ever apologizes to her in this story, but he's doing it for a reason. Thinking like Tsuki, it's probably to make amends and show he does want to be friends with her. Thinking like Kyoya, it's really because he cares about what she thinks of him and because he wouldn't be able to stand himself for hurting her if he didn't apologize for doing it.
(5) Just wanted to point out that this sort of useless argument could likely be somewhat common when they get together. I mean, they're basically acting like a couple at that moment, but no one's going to recognize it until later (and it's likely they'll tease the two relentlessly for it afterwards).
(6) Since I'm not sure Kyoya would ever blush (though it's become my intent to find out so he will) this is kind of like the equivalent of it. She totally blindsided him with that "cute" comment, and he was insanely pleased by it. The inner Kyoya is practically preening (and maybe even purring) because of it.
And that's it for this installment! c: It's roughly 17 pages, so it's one of my longer ones. (The next chapter will be my longest one yet, though, at 26/27 pages. [/totally excited])
In regards to the chapter title, it's a song called "Uh Oh" by Junior Doctor. It actually kind of sums up how Kyoya feels, give or take a few details (namely the lyrics talking about his friends and "bad pickup lines") but... Yeah. I guess I thought it'd be fitting since he's finally noticed his feelings, along with everyone else (minus Sook).
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! As always, it'd be lovely if you guys reviewed (I'm not asking for much!) but I'll keep updating either way. Thanks for reading!
~ DM ;)
