Kyouya knew he had ruined his entire life in a few short hours. He knew he could never go back to his father's house. He knew he could never be anything in the business world since the Ootori family was now an enemy. He knew he could never go back to Ouran, even if he hadn't kissed Tamaki, the school would surely alert his family. He knew he'd be lucky if he survived at all. He knew all this, but he could not force himself to care. He was in the worst crisis he'd ever found himself in and yet he was the most apathetic he'd ever been in his life.

He roamed the streets with no idea of where he was going, but around dawn he discovered he'd wandered into a park that he'd never seen before. It was not well kept and had he been more aware of his surroundings he might have noticed the commoners beginning to emerge for the apartment buildings around the park. However, he was not very aware and he did not notice; instead he fell asleep on a patch of dirt in a clump of bushes. As he curled around his laptop, his last thought was before sleep seized his exhausted body was a vague hope that someone might find him and kill him.

The sun was beginning to set by the time he awoke. He sat up stiffly and wondered what Tamaki was doing. Kyouya had nothing to do, but wander blindly through the settling dusk. He was famished, but he ignored his hunger and simply followed his feet along dark streets and winding alleys. He tried to image what had happened in the Third Music Room that day, but his brain was too numb.

Kyouya had thought that leaving Tamaki behind would somehow ease the pain that was his love for the blond, but the knowledge that he would never see him again only made it worse.

I couldn't live with you, Kyouya thought bitterly. But it looks like I can't live without you either.

Kyouya wondered how much longer he'd have to live at all.

It was nearly four o'clock in the morning when he realized he'd stopped. He hadn't been paying any attention to where he'd been going and it took him more than a moment to figure out where he was. When he'd first stopped, he'd been afraid to look up and see where he was. He'd feared he'd wandered back to Ouran or worse to Tamaki's house. He forced himself to look and found himself outside a nondescript, commoner's apartment building. He could think of no reason for coming here and the only reason he might have stopped was exhaustion.

Then he recognized it.

He'd come here once with his friends, with the Host Club.

Haruhi lived here.

Why? Why on earthy had he come here? Right now, he hated everything about the stupid little commoner. If it hadn't been for her, if he hadn't seen Tamaki with her, none of this would have happened. He'd be at home in bed and Tamaki would be none the wiser to his pain.

Nevertheless, Kyouya started counting front doors until he saw hers. There was a singe light on in the window and he could make out a shape behind the glass. Was it her?

Part of him, most of him in fact, wanted to turn around and put as much space between himself and that girl as humanly possible, but, as determined as that part of him was, it was then that Kyouya collapsed. He felt his head hit the cold pavement, but was unconscious before he could even register if he was in pain.