Hiya!
So here is Chapter 10, strangely called 14. Why is that? You'll find out!
I got some nice reviews for the last chapter, so thank you for them! Its good to know people like exploring the other side of the hosts!
I've got some good ideas for this story, so please stay with me!
Please review, I love knowing what you like, don't like and how I could improve! I want to make this a story everyone likes.
Thank you! :)

~ F O U R T E E N ~

The twins' story remained in Yuzuki's head for the next week. Every time it managed to be dislodged by some other important piece of information, such as schoolwork, she would later pass Tamaki, or one of the twins on the corridor and it would all come rushing back. She hoped something would cause her involvement to spark again. She knew it was pretty nosey of her, but she couldn't deny it – and couldn't help it. There was so much behind Tamaki, his strange change of moods; and Hikaru and Kaoru were obviously pretty affected too. Yuzuki wasn't prepared to go snooping though. She was curious, but understood that it wasn't any of her business.

But something did happen to open the door again, although it was certainly not what Yuzuki had expected.

It began with one word in the library after school (she had been spending more and more time there recently, as the heavy workload began to overwhelm her), although at that time, Yuzuki had no idea what it would lead to.

"Fourteen".

Yuzuki looked up from her maths book, taking a break from looking at the numbers on the page she had been staring at for the last 15 minutes, to see who had spoken. As her eyes travelled up his body (quite a long distance, as this boy was tall) they eventually met the gaze of a dark haired, dark eyed, stern faced boy. He glanced at the book again quickly, and then promptly turned around and started to walk away.

"Why?" Yuzuki blurted out, puzzled. She couldn't see how the number on her page could possibly come together somehow to make fourteen.

The boy turned around, and Yuzuki had a flash of recognition at his expression, but couldn't quite place it. He sighed and raised his eyebrows. "I'm not going to discuss it with you. I've got other places to be." Once again, he turned to walk away.

"But it doesn't make sense!" She called out, which seemed to get his attention.

"Of course it makes sense! It's maths! It's logical! Just because your head can't figure it out, it doesn't mean it's wrong!"

Yuzuki was stunned and a little stung at his harsh words, but brushed them off. What did his opinion of her matter? She didn't even know him.

Or did she? The nagging feeling of déjà vu, and that she had seen him before, returned to her.

"Then why is it fourteen?"

The boy sighed again, and came closer, muttering the words "I don't know why I'm bothering" under his breath. He pointed at the calculation on the page and proceeded to explain, in perfect detail why the answer was, indeed, fourteen. He clarified the answer so fluently and effortlessly, that it might have been simple maths to him. Suddenly it made sense to Yuzuki. The numbers rearranged themselves in her head to make the equation she needed, and one she was able to comprehend.

"Oh" she whispered. Then, "Oh!" She couldn't help it; it was like a reflex response to the light bulb that had just been switched on inside her head.

And again, another reflex response to something else she had just realised.

"You're from the host club, aren't you?" She jumped a little in her seat, excited at the fact that she had finally become aware of who had just helped her decipher the calculation.

His gaze switched from the maths book, to Yuzuki. He looked her up and down, causing Yuzuki squirm uncomfortably a little.

"It's common knowledge..." He paused. "Although I don't recall ever seeing you there."

"I've only been once. I went to talk to Tamaki-senpai – and I walked into you on my way out..." Yuzuki looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry about that – I – er-"

"When was this?" The tall boy interrupted.

"Er... I can't remember... I while ago, I think."

"What we're talking to Tamaki about?"

Yuzuki was confused, which triggered a spark of curiosity to be ignited inside her.

"Why does it matter?"

"Just answer the question". He snapped. His sharp tongue had returned.

Yuzuki mentally scolded herself for being nosy. Maybe she had crossed the line, slightly. "I can't remember... oh – he'd found my maths book... this maths book, in fact". She gestured at the book spread out on the desk in front of her. She had made sure to be permanently aware of its whereabouts, remembering that horrible twisting inside her stomach when she had lost it. But the boy had stopped listening. Yuzuki's attention was drawn to his silence and she glanced up to him and saw his face staring off, his mind clearly focused on something else.

"What's up?" She asked, slowly.

He returned to earth. "Nothing. Please excuse me." He stood up straight, lifted his head slightly and gently placed one hand in his pocket, and the other clutched around his notepad. With a deep breath, he began to walk away.

"Hey – wait!" Yuzuki stood up quickly, almost knocking over the chair behind her.

He didn't fully turn round, but twisted his head to momentarily to listen to what she had to say, as if he was undecided whether it was something he was actually interested in.

Yuzuki knew this was her only chance to keep talking to him. She racked her mind for something interesting and thought provoking to say, to intrigue him and keep his attention.

"Those twins... Hikaru and Kaoru... they're not in the club any more are they?"

"I thought that was common knowledge too" He sighed. "Have you been living under a rock or something?"

Yuzuki stared blankly at him, waiting for a real explanation.

"No, they aren't. Is that all you wanted?"

"Why not?"

The boy seemed between actions. Tell this girl he didn't even know all about the inside drama of the host club, or just let it go. Who was this girl to him? She wasn't even a regular customer. She didn't bring in income.

He raised his eyebrows. "And why should I tell you?" He began to walk away.

"Because I know about the girl" She whispered, and he froze.

He turned round suddenly, and strode towards her aggressively.

"What girl?" he hissed, violently.

Yuzuki had not expected such an explosive reaction.

"Your friend"

"I don't know what you're talking about". He started to turn away.

"Yes, you do" replied Yuzuki calmly.

"Wha- don't contradict me" he spluttered angrily.

"It's obvious, by the way you reacted. And Kaoru mentioned her." Yuzuki was quite surprised at her own confidence.

"What do you know?"

"Only that she was you're friend. And now she's gone".

"That's right."

"And why does that cause the twins to leave the Host Club?"

The boy had obvious given up trying to hide.

"They – It's not the same without her."

"How do you mean?" Yuzuki tried to keep her voice soft and sympathetic. After starting a new school, she knew what it was like to lose friends.

"She made a difference to their lives. They were heartbroken when she left." He hesitated, and Yuzuki waited. She knew there was more he wanted to say. "We all were".

"Who? All the Host Club?"

"Yeah"

"Sorry, but, I don't know them all".

"Tamaki, me, Hikaru and Kaoru; and 2 3rd years".

"Ah, and she was important to you all?"

"Yeah"

They sat in awkward silence for a moment, until Yuzuki decided it needed to be broken.

"I'm Yuzuki, by the way." She said the first thing that came into her hair, realising they had not been introduced to each other. "First year" She added.

The boy had been staring down at the desk, and didn't look up to answer.

"Kyoya Ootori. 2-A".

Silence.

He rose.

"As I said before, I've got places to be".

Yuzuki watched him walk away.

The Maths book!
Why does it keep cropping up in Yuzuki's life? I can't help it, it just appears. Maybe because its an iconic, symbolic object about her and Tamaki. Or mabye she's just not very good at maths...