Kyoya put on his clothes slowly, endeavoring to keep the pain to a minimum. The doctors had told him to stay in bed, and fully recover before going back to school, but he just couldn't lay around. Especially not when Haruhi was at school, and still angry with him.

So he dressed, and when the chauffer was ready, he went to school. Classes were useless, since he already knew the material, so he did the bare minimum to not draw attention to himself. To outsiders, he seemed the same as always. He was charming, charismatic, and still with that air of superiority that set him apart. He was, as he had always been, a true host.

Kyoya's mind, however, couldn't even recall a single face or conversation from the morning, other than vague recollections of his interactions with the other hosts of his grade.

And now it was time for club activities. For once, he was excited. He would clear things up with Haruhi if it was the last thing he did. He didn't race down the halls, as he wanted to, since it would draw unnecessary attention to him, but he certainly didn't delay.

But when he got to the room, she wasn't there. No females were there, even though all of the male hosts were in attendance. "Do we not have any guests today?" Kyoya asked with narrowed eyes. "I leave for a few days and already the club has fallen this far?"

Tamaki jumped up and skipped over to where Kyoya stood. "Kyoya-kun!" Tamaki sang. "It's the day of the singing competition! The girls decided that we should use this time to get ready and practice, so we won't see any of them until tonight!"

Kyoya nodded, and perused the room with his eyes. Only Tamaki seemed to have any enthusiasm, which was odd. Normally, the hosts were happy to oblige what the girls wanted, and to put on performances for them. It was why they were hosts. They reveled in it. But not today. A coldness spread through Kyoya's body as he came to the only logical conclusion. "Why isn't Haruhi here then?" Kyoya asked.

The hosts looked at each other before looking back to Kyoya. "She decided she would practice by herself, in another room." Hikaru answered.

"She thought that someone," Kaoru's eyes darted over to Tamaki's blushing face. "Would try to sneak a peek while she got ready."
Kyoya felt relieved, but he couldn't shake the coldness from his body completely. "So she'll be back in here with us tomorrow then? After all, it'll be back to work as usual."

Silence met Kyoya's question. Without answering, everyone suddenly began to separate and practice their songs. Kyoya stalked over to Tamaki. "Answer me Tamaki." He growled.

Tamaki sighed and set down his fake microphone. "Haruhi isn't a host anymore… After the performance tonight, she is free from her debt."

Kyoya's heart stopped. "Why?" he asked softly.

Tamaki shrugged. "She wouldn't give a reason. If you want to know, you'll have to ask her yourself."

'I intend to.' Kyoya thought.

Tamaki watched as Kyoya left the room, no doubt in search of Haruhi, and a smirk spread across his face. This was sure to be fun.

Back in the garden…

Tamaki pulled her back into his arms, gently this time, and held her as she cried. "I love him sempai… But I-I've ruined everything."

"Shh…" Tamaki crooned. "It's alright Haruhi. It'll all be alright."

"Will it?" Haruhi asked brokenly. "I don't see how it ever can be now… Especially not if I remain a host."
Tamaki was the one to pull back this time, as he stared incredulously into Haruhi's face. "You don't mean you're quitting?! You can't!"

Haruhi gave a watery smile up at her dear friend. She knew that he loved her, but she could never return the love. In all honesty, she hadn't thought that she'd be able to love anyone, but now that she did, she knew for a fact that she'd never find love again. "I have to sempai… It's the only way."

A sparkle, barely more than a mischievous gleam, shined in Tamaki's eyes. "Maybe not…"

Present

Tamaki smirked, happy for what felt like the first time in days. Looking around the room, he saw the same expression on the faces of the other hosts. They were helping their Haruhi, yes, but the fact that they were managing to pull a fast one on the smartest, most astute, host of their club was quite satisfying as well.