Phew! Another long chapter, I apologize for the delay but as my chapters are becoming longer, my editing process becomes much more in depth. I'm also very involved with the other story I'm currently writing "If I Fail" which is also another alternate pairing, KaoruXSano of Rurouni Kenshin. I don't want to neglect either and I'm still very inspired and full of ideas for both fics. That being said I can promise at least one update a month since I have to split my time amongst the two of them. I'm going to shoot for two updates a month but that will depend solely on how quickly I can write and edit. So I thank you all for bearing with me and waiting so long for an update on this story, I wanted to get this up before the long holiday weekend. Also, MAJOR SPOILER ALERT if you have not read through the end of the manga. Proceed with caution. Now that you have been properly warned please enjoy!

CHAPTER 10

Absence

Mori walked out from the steamy bathroom, fresh from his shower, a pristine white towel hung loosely around his slim waist as several drops of moisture traveled down the expanse of his torso. One such drop happened to catch in the hallow created by his collar bone for a moment before it broke free of its confines to continue its downward path, between the crevice that his chiseled stomach created before it finally disappeared beneath the fabric of the towel. He was rubbing another, smaller towel through his thick damp hair, in an attempt to dry it.

With that task accomplished he threw the towel into the laundry bin, leaving it for the maids to take care of when they came by in the morning. The tall youth made his way over to his bags retrieving a pair of boxers and some gym shorts. The evening was warm so he would not need to wear much more. His size alone made his temperature just slightly higher than a normal persons so he had a tendency not to get cold. He had the windows open allowing the fresh clean air to circulate through the room. Even though he'd been here only a short time, he was already feeling rather trapped, claustrophobic even.

He and his team had been training brutally and he was pleased with the progress they were making. However, that was all they did, train and return to their hotel rooms. The schedule was monotonous and it was starting to wear him down. He felt they truly had a shot at winning the competition this weekend, though in his heart, he wasn't particularly interested in doing so. The last time he had been so utterly absorbed in accomplishing this feat, he'd unwittingly put Haruhi in danger. He knew the odds of those events recurring were slim to none but still. Even after all this time, even after all the discussions he'd had with Mitsukuni where his smaller friend would assure him that it wasn't his fault, after the countless hours spent meditating and self reflecting, he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that her accident occurred because of his pride.

If anything he wanted to win for his team. Those men had worked diligently, enduring hours of ferocious training, and they deserved to win the title of champions.

He was brought out of his internal musings as he heard a familiar ring tone sound from his phone. Mori picked it up from the nearby nightstand and pressed the button to connect the call, waiting for the customary greeting of his best friend.

"Takashi!" the man on the other end squealed happily.

"Mitsukuni." came the subdued response.

"Are you having fun in Tokyo? How is the team doing? Do you think you'll win?" he asked in rushed excitement, pleased that he was finally able to speak with Takashi. He missed him more than he realized.

On his end, Mori smirked, it seemed Mitsukuni was doing well in his absence.

"Aa." he said, knowing the other man would understand what he meant, that everything was going well and he was confident.

"You know, Takashi I was upset that you left without saying goodbye, not only to me but you didn't say anything to Haru-chan either!"

Mori's face fell upon hearing this news, he knew he should have said something to the two of them but he honestly didn't have the time. After his students found him and relayed the message, he immediately met with the University's chairman who then arranged for him to be taken straight to Tokyo to get set up in the hotel. The entire situation had been very rushed and due to that there was little to no prior preparation. He'd had no choice.

"But don't worry Takashi, I'm not upset anymore." he said, assuring his friend that he didn't hold any ill will towards him.

Mori felt eased by his friend's reassurance, he'd never meant any ill intent by not saying anything to the two of them. He hoped Haruhi wasn't angry with him.

The thought of Haruhi brought to mind a rather pressing question that he needed to pose to his small friend. "Mitsukuni, are you overseeing the judo club?" he asked.

Honey frowned, "Eh? I thought you told Katsu to handle it. That's what he said, that you entrusted it to him. He said he had an injury that would keep him from going to the nationals but you never told me about that." he said, trying not to sound accusatory.

"Mitsukuni, he never told me of any such injury." Mori stated calmly, or so it seemed that way. In truth he was feeling rather ill at ease. He never gave Katsu permission to continue with the judo club in his absence, he had fully intended on leaving that task in the capable hands of Mitskuni, should he agree, but he had been unable to arrange that before his departure. If Mitskuni declined the offer, he was going to put the club on hiatus until his return. He wondered what Katsu's true motivation for staying behind was and his heart seized up in his chest as he realized what it most likely was… Haruhi.

"Why would he lie about something like that? I thought he would want to participate in the competition so why did he bother to lie just to stay behind?" Honey mused aloud, unable to comprehend why he would do such a thing.

"Haruhi" Mori breathed, not truly meaning to speak her name but his anxiety forced her name from his lips.

"Haru-chan?" Honey questioned, not following or understanding his friend's train of thought.

"Mitsukuni, please, while I'm gone do not allow Haruhi to be alone with Katsu."

"Takashi? What's wrong?" he asked, now slightly alarmed by his cousins previous statement. Then suddenly all the pieces fell into place, he read between the lines and he understood what Takashi was trying to convey.

"You think he's going to hurt Haru-chan?" he demanded, his usually shrill voice was now several octaves lower and venomously cold.

"I do not know… but he makes me feel uneasy." Mori countered because in all honesty he did not have proof that this man was trying to do Haruhi any harm. In fact, the other man had never done anything to her but he just couldn't risk it. He would not ignore his baser instincts this time. He couldn't take the chance of putting her in danger again.

"I understand Takashi… but…" he began, and then faltered, not too sure how he should proceed. "I didn't know! This afternoon he asked to speak with her and Haru-chan said it was alright. I didn't know so I left and this afternoon she wasn't at judo…"

Mori swallowed hard against the rapidly growing dread he was currently feeling. He knew he couldn't be angry with Mitsukuni, not that he ever would be. He had never informed him of his wariness of Katsu.

"Takashi! What have I done?" Honey yelled through the receiver, in a full blown panic. He was frightened something had happened to Haruhi. "I'm going over to her place right now, I have to make sure she's okay."

The blonde man was already trying to maneuver his shoes onto his feet while trying to keep his phone at his ear. He cursed as he realized he was putting his left shoe on his right foot.

"Mitsukuni… I'll try calling her first." Mori said, panicking wasn't going to get them anywhere and they didn't know for sure if anything had happened to her. If Mitsukuni just showed up at her house in hysterics it would put Haruhi on edge as well, she didn't need to be worried. Even though he was wary of Katsu, he could not condemn the man and accuse him of trying to harm her without any proof.

Honey took several labored breaths, trying to get himself back into some semblance of control. He would always be impressed by Takashi's capability to navigate stressful situations while still keeping a level head.

"Okay, call her now! Right now! But make sure you call me back to let me know that she's alright!" he said in a rush.

"Aa." And with that Mori hit the end button with his thumb, disconnecting his call to Mitsukuni.

The stoic youth scrolled through his meager contacts list until he reached Haruhi's number and for some reason he hesitated to hit the call button. It wasn't that he was frightened she wouldn't answer, he was fairly certain Haruhi was alright. If something truly had happened to her, they would have found out one way or another. News always travelled quickly within their group of friends. He could not prove this theory but he suspected Kyoya still had them all under some form of surveillance. Besides, he took comfort in the knowledge that the rest of the judo club was still on campus with her as well, they wouldn't allow any damage to befall the young woman. Still, he couldn't help but find himself feeling nervous.

He'd never called Haruhi before… ever.

Anytime they'd ever spoken had been in person, he really only had her number because of the host club. Tamaki had insisted that everyone be included on every members contact list, and it came as no surprise to anyone that this command came shortly after the fiasco in Karuizawa where he tried to be added to Haruhi's "friends" list.

He let out a long sigh before he finally pressed the button. To his surprise he realized he was pacing, upon this realization he made a conscious effort to sit still. It was just Haruhi, there was no need to feel nervous.

The line rang about four times before he heard her pick up and at first he wondered if she was going to hang up on him, all he could hear on her end was shuffling.

"Hello?" was the quiet response he received.

His brows furrowed, for a moment he wondered if he possibly misdialed, this certainly didn't sound like the Haruhi he knew.

"Haruhi?" he questioned.

Silence was all he heard for several beats, "Mori-senpai?" the girl asked.

He smiled, he could hear her shock over the phone and he could envision her skeptical face, the one she wore so many times over the years when she was dragged into the fiascos of the host club. She had every right to be confused. She probably had not even realized that he owned a cell phone, let alone used it to contact anyone.

"Aa."

"I'm sorry senpai, I didn't check my caller ID before I answered the phone, I didn't realize it was you." She said, though she was still quite shocked that he was actually on the other line. He had never called her before, she had been unaware that he even had her phone number

He didn't respond, not that she truly expected him to. He was still the same person whether it was on the phone or not, which meant he was quiet, she imagined he wouldn't be the one offering up any sort of conversation.

"How is Tokyo? Did you get settled in there alright?" she asked, hoping to keep their conversation alive. His phone call, surprising though it may be, was a welcome distraction.

"Aa. Everything is going well so far." He said. Only now did he realize how strange this must be for her. He wasn't sure what he should say to her, he'd only called her to make sure she was alright and now that he knew she was he didn't truly have any reason to speak with her. However, he didn't want to hang up just yet, it was pleasant hearing her voice.

"How are things back at home? Is Mitsukuni behaving himself?" he continued, hoping to keep her interest.

Haruhi laughed, though the reaction sounded almost choked.

"Honey-kun is just fine. I made him a bento today and would you believe it, he ate the whole thing. Not just the dessert I'd made for him."

He smiled, that was surprising news indeed. Mitsukuni, though more disciplined with his sweets intake than in the past, still enjoyed having his dessert before the rest of the meal and more often than not he filled up on the sweets before he'd ever gotten to the main course. But Mori knew how delightful Haruhi's cooking was, so he understood why his small friend had eaten every last bite.

Mori tried to ignore the nagging question in his head, when Haruhi had answered the phone he instantly noticed the strange pitch in her voice, almost as if she'd recently been crying. He debated on whether or not he should ask, but decided it was best if he knew.

He wanted to know, he cared for her and if she was upset he wanted to offer any help he could but he also needed to know if it had something to do with Katsu.

"Haruhi, is everything okay?" he questioned, hoping to gain some insight into why she sounded so down. It was much harder for him to decipher whether or not something was truly wrong with her as he couldn't see her. As a man of few words he relied heavily on his other senses to communicate and to gather information as well, his hearing was the only sense he could rely on now and if it wasn't deceiving him, something was wrong.

He heard the shaky expulsion of her breath, confirming that she truly was struggling with something.

"Tamaki came to the University to see me today…" she began before trailing off, unsure of how to continue. Was it acceptable to speak to a man that recently tried to kiss you about your ex-boyfriend troubles? Somehow she thought it wasn't really appropriate, however, Mori had provided her no insight into that encounter, nor had he ever brought that conversation up. As far as she knew, he had completely forgotten about it.

Still, Haruhi felt compelled to continue, Mori-senpai wouldn't have asked what was wrong with her unless he was truly interested in knowing and it might help her to cope with the recent situation if she spoke about it with someone else. Her senpai had always extended the courtesy to listen to her, however, she was reluctant to take him up on the offer. Since he was close-mouthed others had a tendency to take advantage of that and talk to him incessantly while he patiently listened for as long as she imagined he could tolerate until he finally excused himself.

She didn't want him to feel like he was obligated to listen to her troubles.

"Hn." He grunted as a reply that explained a lot. Mori knew that she had been avoiding her ex in recent months but that never tended to hinder his obtrusiveness. Tamaki was as dense as lead.

"He was so upset, I didn't realize that I was hurting him by not speaking to him. I never meant to… I was only trying to make things easier for him." She choked on the raw emotions that she had welling up inside of her. "I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I'm not so sure."

Mori's mouth twisted into a frown, he'd never heard Haruhi struggle in this way. He could plainly hear the doubt she was feeling but if he were in the same position, he wondered if he would have handled the situation in the same sort of manner.

"Do you still love him?" he asked, unable to hold the question back. He pushed down the surge of defeat that threatened to wash over him. He had no right to feel disappointed if she did still love the man, the two had been lovers at one point, it would not be strange if she still harbored feelings for him.

And yet, he still hoped she did not because that would only prove his theory that she was more suited to that type of man and for once he truly wished to be wrong.

However, he was genuinely interested in her answer no matter what it may be. Depending upon the reply he could give her some sort of guidance. No matter what her answer was, he would make sure he did his best to help her.

Haruhi was quiet for a long moment as she tried to hold back an outburst, she'd come to the definitive conclusion today that she was not still in love with Tamaki, though she did love him in some fashion, it was not romantic in nature.

"No." she finally said and for some reason the declaration made her feel better. If she truly didn't love Tamaki any longer there was no reason for her to feel so badly about this. Yes, she had hurt him but she'd never done so out of spite or distaste for the man. Tamaki was her first relationship, which in turn became her first breakup. She was not aware of the proper conduct that situation required as she had never experienced it before. This entire process had been a learning experience, a lesson in love. A lesson she was not sure she had excelled in but at least she had tried.

This afternoon, the two ex-lovers had said what they needed to the other, laid all their cards out on the table and because of that they both gained the closure that was imperative to the restructure of their friendship. Even though she'd caused him pain, Haruhi knew it would hurt him far worse if she were to continue on as if she did still love him. Sure, in some respects her life would be infinitely easier. She imagined a life of wealth and grandeur, a life where she would never again have to worry herself over the mundane, dishes and laundry would be a faded memory of the past but within that imaginary world she also knew that she would be dying. Slowly but surely her sense of self would be stripped away as she learned to be a proper lady, a woman of high society. She had no doubt that she would be pulled in all directions, expectations far beyond her comprehension would be thrust into her lap and she knew she would do her best to comply until she was nothing more than a shell of her former self and that was unfair for the both of them. She would be trapped in a marriage, a life that she never wanted and he would be trapped into loving a woman that resented him for taking it all away from her. He would continue to try to give her the world, never understanding why it wasn't enough. A tangled mess of deceit and lies on her part, she could not allow herself to be responsible for that. The entire scenario made Haruhi shudder and her stomach turned but it proved to harden her resolve, she had chosen the correct path, it had taken her longer to get there than necessary and she had caused damage along the way, but still she'd made it right again.

Haruhi didn't wish to deceive herself or Tamaki, they were better off as friends, not lovers. She would not jeopardize her dream or her happiness for another.

Mori let go of a breath he had not realized he was holding, relief coursed through his body in sweet release. For a moment he feared that he had overstepped his bounds with her, after all, she was not obliged to confide in him and his question had been rather... personal. It was rare that he ever asked her about her personal life but he was worried for her, he could tell something was amiss. Even so, when she had answered he knew he was pleased with her reply, a small part of him was ashamed that he was managing to take pleasure in someone else's pain, their anguish. He was taken aback by how strongly he was reacting to all of this. Love was an emotion that he had experienced before but not to this severe of a degree and he found himself becoming exceedingly leery of it because of the way it made him react to the simplest of things.

This emotion was an opponent that he did not know how to defend himself against.

"I see, then you have nothing more to worry about. You did what you thought was best and stayed true to yourself." was his response.

Mori heard the beep that indicated someone else was trying to call through, he removed the phone from his ear to see it was Mitsukuni. He'd forgotten to call him back once he spoke with Haruhi. He ignored the call so he could say his goodbyes to Haruhi, he would make sure to call his cousin back in a moment.

Haruhi wasn't really invested in their current topic of conversation as she felt her senpai did not really know how to respond, this was a very personal subject, so she decided to shift the attention back to him.

"Class just isn't the same without you there, Mori-senpai." she said, she debated on whether or not she should tell him about her achievement the day before but decided it wasn't really necessary. It would be nice if she could surprise him with something when he returned.

Mori smiled in spite of himself. Though she didn't exactly say it, it almost sounded as if she were trying to say that she missed him in a roundabout sort of way and it made him happy. He wanted to ask her what she'd learned and more specifically who had taught her but his other line was ringing again and he knew he needed to answer it before Mitsukuni had a panic attack.

"I have to go, Haruhi." he said rather reluctantly.

"Oh, that's okay, I understand. You must be busy." she almost began to apologize for calling and bothering him before she remembered that he had been the one to call her. "Good luck, Mori-senpai, I'll talk to you later."

"Aa."

Mori ended his call to Haruhi, and switched lines.

"Takashiiiiiiiiiiiii!" he wailed, clearly distressed and nearing hysterics, "Where is Haru-chan? Is she alright?"

"Mitsukuni," he said, effectively bringing the smaller mans tantrum to a halt. "She's fine. She was at home, Tamaki came to the University, that's why she was not in class." he relayed the information he'd gathered.

"Eh? Tama-chan came to the University?" he said, seeming to have recovered from his outburst. He was clearly surprised by that development. "I'll bet she wasn't happy about that."

"Hm." the stoic man hummed in agreement, he didn't really wish to continue discussing this topic.

"Okay, Takashi. Now that I know our precious Haru-chan is safe, I'm going to go now, I know you need your rest. I promise to take good care of her while you're gone!"

Mori heard the soft sound of his cousin's laughter before the call ended and he smiled to himself. He hoped Haruhi would be alright, she'd sounded so dejected...

The young man placed his phone back on the bedside table and finally donned the clothing that he pulled out long ago. He reddened as the knowledge that he'd had an entire conversation with Haruhi while he was practically naked sunk in, he shook his head, banishing any unsavory thoughts and readied himself for bed.

He brushed his teeth vigorously and thoroughly with his favorite cinnamon toothpaste. He'd always been meticulous when it came to his teeth, mainly because he was always reminding Mitsukuni to brush his own when they were children, he made sure to set a good example for his sweets addicted cousin. If he couldn't stop Mitsukuni from over consuming the treats, the least he could do was make sure his teeth didn't rot out of his head as a result.

His task complete he pulled back the sheets on the hotel bed and slipped between them. Mori fluffed the pillows several times before finally laying his head to rest upon them, he closed his eyes.

After a few moments he turned to lie on his stomach, finding the position on his back to be unsatisfactory. He moved his arms to rest beneath the pillow and closed his eyes again.

Several more minutes passed and he was still unable to achieve a comfortable position. He became agitated, his body was exhausted, his muscles ached and he just wanted to sleep but it seemed his mind was not on the same track. He sat straight up in his bed, contemplating his problem and searching for a possible remedy.

His face. He had forgotten to wash his face, which had to be the reason he couldn't seem to fall asleep. He was, if nothing else, a creature of habit and this was the only abnormal factor in his evening routine.

Mori pushed himself up out of bed and moved to his bags. He sighed, he searched through them once more just to be sure.

His housemaids had forgotten to pack his face wash. He would just have to call the front desk and use whatever brand they had handy for the evening. It was too late to venture out and purchase some, besides, all of the drug stores were closed at this hour.

After making a call to the concierge, he received a small, complimentary bottle of facial cleanser. In the bathroom he ran the hot water until it was to his desired temperature, he squeezed a decent amount of the liquid into his hand before rubbing it on his face, a rich lather forming. It smelled nice... familiar. He rinsed and dried his face, feeling refreshed.

He returned to his bed to attempt sleep once again and this time it seemed to take, his body relaxed into the soft mattress. The completion of his evening routine seemed to lull him, his eyes slid closed and he soon fell into a restful sleep. But what the tall youth didn't realize, what he did not consciously register was that the provided face wash held the distinct, comforting scent of cherry blossoms.

The scent of Haruhi.

Haruhi awoke the next afternoon, her eyes stung, she blinked several times to try to dislodge the sleep from them. She shuffled her way to the bathroom, she had no classes today so she planned to take a long soak in the tub then she would curl up on her couch and prepare study notes for her law class. Her midterm was rapidly approaching and she was not nearly as confident as she should be about taking her exam.

Haruhi didn't feel very well this morning, her head hurt, her eyes hurt, her throat hurt, everything hurt. The skin around her brown orbs was red and puffy, her muscles were still sore from the last judo class she had attended. All in all, she felt horrible. She rubbed at her temples in an attempt to soothe the ache. Throwing open the medicine cabinet she took some aspirin. The girl prayed that the effects of the medication would take place soon, she did not know how long she could bear the pain.

She ran the hot water in the tub, fiddling with the knobs a few times until she was happy with the temperature. She shook a handful of bath salts into the water and smiled to herself as the clean scent began to fill the room. This would be just what she needed, she wanted to clean herself, rid herself of the difficulties of the previous day.

Yesterday, she truly said goodbye to Tamaki as a lover. Though she had ended their relationship months before, the two had never received any closure and unwittingly she hurt him because of it. She resolved to be more aware of his feelings in the future. He was an outstanding friend and someone she did enjoy very much but she never wanted to lead him on. Yesterday afternoon and all through the night she had mourned the loss of her first love, the finality of the situation finally brought forth the tears she knew she should have shed long ago.

As soon as the tub was filled she shed her night clothes and sank down into the hot inviting water. She let out a long sigh, feeling like the water was already going about its task of ridding her of her foul mood.

Her mind flashed back to the very strange phone call she had received the evening before and the conversation that followed. After Tamaki had left she parked herself on her bed and cried for what seemed like hours. She grieved over the loss of her first love, she lamented the harm she had done to that man, she was angry that she could not be a better woman and love him the way he deserved but she knew it was an impossibility. Just as she was finishing with her latest bout of sobs her phone had rung, not knowing who would be calling she flipped it open before checking to see who it was. At first, when she had heard that deep, strong voice on the other end of the line she thought she was hallucinating, that her mind was conjuring up that familiar sound just to torment her, but when she'd asked he had replied that it was indeed, Morinozuka Takashi on the other line. Her heart seemed to break all over again. Not because she wasn't happy to hear from him but because without knowing it, he managed to show up when she was at her weakest, her most vulnerable and would undoubtedly try to comfort her and for that she hated him. Even so, she could not deny the relief she felt upon hearing the cool, composed tenor of his voice. It seemed she would never be allowed to even attempt to be strong on her own.

The conversation had started off light enough just exchanging pleasantries. She was pleased to hear that everything seemed to be going well for him in Tokyo and she prayed that he would find success there. He deserved it, no one was as dedicated as Mori-senpai. He seemed amused when she told him about the bento and the conversation was doing a fantastic job of lightening her dark mood but of course, he had noticed. Whether it was her voice that gave her away or something she said she may never know but he asked what was wrong. She knew she could have lied, said she had watched a sad movie or read a rather emotional book but Mori-sempai was not stupid. She could not easily deceive him the way she could with Tamaki. He could sense if she lied and she knewit. So, for the sake of maintaining her integrity, she relayed the information about Tamaki, which she felt almost uncomfortable sharing. It wasn't often that Mori-senpai asked about her personal life, if at all and then he had asked her a question she never would have anticipated.

He had questioned if she still loved Tamaki. Why he would ask something so bold was beyond her scope of understanding. What purpose would it serve for him to know? Was there a hidden motivation behind the inquiry that she was not privy to? Or was she just getting ahead of herself? Still, even though she did not necessarily feel that his question was acceptable she felt compelled to answer anyway. When she said no, she felt a large weight seem to lift off her chest, the heaviness of grief seemed to dissipate and she wondered if he had known all along that this would happen. She was almost saddened when their conversation had to come to an end but she was happy he had called, she felt better than she had all afternoon.

Haruhi stared at the far wall of her bathroom.

Mori-senpai.

What did he think of her?

She knew how she regarded him and she was well aware of how she felt about him. She felt her cheeks begin to burn as she recalled that evening not so long ago, where she stood in his arms in her own kitchen. Where she had felt his lips so very close to her own, just shy of touching. The memory made heat flare violently within her body and she shivered against the reaction. She was becoming accustomed to her body's response whenever she recalled that fateful evening and she was fairly certain that she could name it now as well, though she didn't dare to. Haruhi was never able to ask him what he had been thinking that night, why he had tried to kiss her. She felt she had the right to know but even so, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear his answer because she knew it was impossible that he could have feelings for her. So what did that leave? Morbid curiosity? Was it just her proximity to him at the time that made him lose his focus? She frowned, there was no way for her to be sure. She wanted to ask, to gain some awareness but she did not know when the right time for that would be.

She scrubbed herself clean before rinsing herself off and stepping out of the tub. She toweled herself dry, feeling revitalized, her energy returned and she felt at ease for the first time since Tamaki had contacted her the day before. After dressing she gathered her text books for her law class and made herself comfortable on her couch. The afternoon was going to be long but she knew once she was more comfortable with this legal jargon the easier it would be for her to relax.

Two hours into her intense study session her phone rang, she squinted at the display on her phone, the swift change from the text in her book to the digital display hurt her eyes. It was an unknown number. She ignored the call, if it was important the person would leave a message but she knew chances were good that it was probably a solicitation. She returned to her text book, her pen scratching furiously across the page of her notebook. The small woman was taking the most immaculate notes this world had ever seen, ones that she knew she would get all too familiar with in the coming week. She needed to do well on this midterm but more than that she wanted to learn this information. It would be vital to her achieving the goal she'd set for herself, her dream.

Her phone chimed from the place she had left it. Her eyebrows came together on her forehead in confusion. Whoever had called earlier had left a message. Placing the phone at her ear she dialed the password, then pressed one. The recording began:

"Hey, Fujioka. It's Katsu. I didn't hear back from you yesterday and I know you don't have class this afternoon, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed sort of bothered by that Suou guy. Anyway, call me back if you get a chance, I want to see when you'll be available to make up the class you missed yesterday."

The girls brown eyes widened. How did he get her phone number? She assumed that the instructors for every class probably had a register of all the student's names and telephone numbers on them. These past two days had just been full of surprises. First Tamaki's unceremonious reappearance into her life, then Mori-senpai's phone call and finally this from Katsu. For now she wouldn't return the call, she was on a roll as far as her notes were concerned and those took higher priority. She couldn't afford to break her stride now.

Flipping the page, the girl continued on with her task well into the evening.

Katsu's teeth ground together in his head absently as he looked at his phone once again. Why wasn't she calling back? Who did she think she was, making someone wait around like this?

He grumbled to himself. He wanted her to call back... he had plans that could not be put into effect until she did. In truth, he wasn't really trying to arrange for a way she could make up for her absence he just wanted to ask her the question he'd tried to pose yesterday afternoon.

He drummed his fingers on the tabletop absently. He was sitting in the coffee shop just a few blocks down from the University nursing a cappuccino. He had finished with his last class of the day and was just wasting time before he was due to meet with his father at a local restaurant later in the evening.

He scoffed at the title. His "father" was a cold man who was rarely around when he was growing up, he often thought the only reason he had married his mother was so he could produce an heir, nothing more. Love was a completely foreign concept to that man. Upon reaching adolescence his father had finally begun to show an interest in his only son, which at first had delighted the youth but it soon became clear he was not trying to become more involved with his sons life, rather that he was trying to control the direction in which it went. His father was the catalyst for his involvement with kendo and later judo, which didn't prove to be too much of a dilemma because he enjoyed and excelled at it. Katsu couldn't be too sure but he felt his father was proud of the progress he made and the skill he portrayed, though he knew he wouldn't be completely satisfied until he won a championship. It would serve as proof of Katsu's superiority over his peers. He thought it would be nice if he could gain some form of approval from his stone faced progenitor. He could have achieved that by now if it wasn't for that damn mute, Morinozuka.

He scowled, he was in no mood to deal with the old man this evening. His scheme to spend some time alone with Fujioka had been thwarted once before. If she would just return his damn phone call he could set this into action. Katsu took a deep, cleansing breath, reminding himself that he needed to be patient and that this was only phase one of his operation. With any luck, he might even gain Fujioka as a prize but he needed to play his cards right, to continue to portray the good guy so she would favor him over Morinozuka.

One way or another, in one facet or another he would surpass that man. Whether it was in martial arts or personal affairs remained to be seen. Though Katsu was sure neither party had confided in the other, it was plain to see that they were attracted to one another. The way Fujioka blushed whenever her sensei wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to execute a throw and the way Morinozuka's eyes followed her every move, even when he was instructing other students made their feelings blatantly obvious to anyone that bothered to look. Katsu felt beating Morinozuka in kendo would be pleasant but it was near impossible to do. The man was a virtuoso in the art of kendo. It seemed surpassing him in his personal endeavors would be far more satisfying and it would be something he could actually achieve. The handsome young man grinned to himself.

"Excuse me, sir? Is there anything else I can do for you today?" a young blonde girl asked him, her eyelids fluttering, shamelessly flirting. It was not lost on Katsu the suggestion that hung heavily on the last question, either.

A sly smirk settled on his face as he appraised the girl, she was attractive enough but a bit too young for his taste.

Still, she could prove to be a little fun.

He scribbled several characters on his napkin and slid it across the table to her. "No, thank you." He managed to say politely enough, he rose from his place at the table. As the young lady moved to retrieve the paper he leaned close to her, his warm breath ghosting across the shell of her ear. "If you aren't busy later, give me a call." He whispered and one would have to be dead to not recognize the seductive tone of his cool voice. The young woman trembled and she turned to the door, their eyes caught for just a moment before the man walked out the door and down the street. The girl clutched the paper to her chest, trying to catch her breath. She looked down and recognized very quickly that it was a phone number. A satisfied smile broke across her face.

'Finally! I can bag one of those rich bastards that goes to Ouran.'she thought to herself.

A smug smile broke across the young man's face as he continued on towards the scheduled meeting place.

'Some girls are so easy.'He thought to himself.

Haruhi's cheeks puffed as she let out a long, exaggerated breath. Six hours. Six whole hours and finally she had the most beautiful, painstaking notes she had ever created. It was a thing of beauty, she thought. Maybe not another person's idea of beauty but for her it was.

She stretched her limbs, reveling in the delicious pull of her muscles. The young woman knew she had spent way too much time being sedentary this afternoon. As she moved around her stomach grumbled loudly, a clear protest to the attention, or lack thereof that it received today. She had only munched on a few crackers while wildly running through her notes and now her hunger was making itself known.

She rifled through both her fridge and her cabinets, searching for some remedy, however, her search was fruitless. Haruhi really needed to make a trip to the supermarket, she could not procrastinate any longer. She slipped on a light, hooded sweatshirt and pair of jeans, her hair was in a lazy messy bun on the top of her head. She pulled at one of the loose strands. Haruhi was really considering cutting it off again, this was too much of a hassle. Today she wore her grandfather's glasses. Since her departure from Ouran Academy and the host club her style and appearance, much to the chagrin of the other members, had gone downhill, reverting back to the genderless and fashion challenged style she'd had before. She paid no mind to their vocal protests, easily ignoring them. Personally she was relieved that she no longer had to worry or fuss over the way she looked. Only when she attended class did she even attempt to make herself halfway presentable and even then it was a far cry from the primping she'd been forced to do through her years as a host. She fiddled with the glasses on her face, sometimes it felt strange to wear them. She had grown accustomed to wearing her contacts. Haruhi had gotten the spectacles repaired after her incident jumping through Tamaki's window. She smiled as she recalled that brazen action. Before that moment she never knew she could be so brave.

What she was able to remember now, very clearly, that she didn't register at the time, was how she achieved that. None other than Mori-senpai had gathered her in his arms and launched himself, with the help of Honey-kun, through the window. He'd shielded her with his own body as they broke through, shattered glass scattering in every direction, some shards managing to pierce his skin. She remembered the small, seemingly unnecessary precautions he had taken into account like telling her to close her mouth and taking off her glasses. He had known there would be the risk of them breaking, which they did. Had she been wearing them she very well could have damaged her eyes, he had protected her from that possibility.

He had shed his blood for her.

She let go of a shaky breath. How could she have forgotten his kindness? He'd risked his own body, his own safety and well being to ensure she would reach her destination safely, that she would reach Tamaki safely. Her heart clenched in her chest, he had done that all for the sake of his friends, not only that, he had done so for the sake of her love. Her heart ached when she thought of him and she wasn't sure why.

She recalled how many times she had been taken into her arms and she was irritated to realize that she had taken those moments for granted because now she would do just about anything to return there.

Shaken to her core by yet another revelation concerning her senpai, she made a conscious effort to continue on with her task. She slid her shoes onto her feet, one at a time. Before leaving she did a spot check, keys, phone, purse, and wallet. They were all there, she was ready to head out. The young woman switched off all the lights before walking out and locking the door behind her.

The walk to the super market was short and familiar so she wasn't worried that the sun was rapidly descending in the sky, street lamps were already beginning to illuminate the road ahead of her. She heard several mothers calling to their children to come in for the night and she heard the grumbled responses. She giggled quietly to herself, they may moan and complain now, wish that their mother's would just disappear so they could have more time to play. A childish wish, one that she knew the devastating reality of and there was nothing she would not give to have her mother around just one more time, even if it were just to chastise her. It would be worth it to hear her voice and look upon her beautiful face.

Haruhi walked through the automatic doors of her local supermarket and scooped up a basket in her arms. She had been in such a hurry to leave the house that she never bothered to compile a shopping list, she would just have to improvise.

She looked through the fresh produce that was available, selecting the finest specimens she could find. She was pleased to see that spring fruits and vegetables had made their way to the store, proof that warmer weather was on the way. She ended up with several beautiful green bell peppers, a head of cabbage, several onions and some broccoli. This was enough to construct at least a few meals until she could find time to make a proper grocery run. She shuffled her way to the back of the market where the meat was housed in coolers. She noted that beef was on sale, her eyes lit up as she looked upon the display. Being the bargain shopper she was, this was too good of a deal to pass up. She bought two pounds, she could use one pound for several different meals and the other she would freeze to use at a later date. Practically glowing with elation she made her way to the front to pay for her acquisitions.

The elderly cashier smiled at Haruhi, despite her quirky appearance. She had grown accustomed to the eccentric young woman, Haruhi had frequented this market very often in her childhood and teenage years, gathering groceries for her father and herself. During that time, the cashier had learned that she lost her mother at a very early age, which explained quite a bit of her personal quirks.

"How are you Haruhi, dear?" the older woman asked.

"I'm doing well, Hanako-san." Haruhi said, pleased that the old woman remembered her every time she entered the store. During her youth, Hanako-san often kept an eye on her while she was in the market, making sure she stayed away from any suspicious characters and making sure she completed her list. "Have you been well?"

The older woman waved a wrinkled hand in front of her face in a dismissive gesture.

"As well as an old woman like me can be. I'm not dead yet so that counts for something!" she laughed to herself as she continued to scan and bag the groceries.

Haruhi smiled, though she wished Hanako-san wouldn't speak that way. She may have been old but she was still full of vitality, she was plenty spirited.

The bespectacled young woman paid for her food and bid her friend a good evening.

She exited the establishment, noting that the sky had completely darkened during her time in the market. She moved quickly, the streets had all but emptied out and she passed hardly anyone along the way. A few blocks from her house she heard footsteps sound behind her. Haruhi tried to ignore them, convinced there was no way that anyone could possibly be trailing her but every time she increased her pace the footsteps would do the same. She began to panic, she was debating on whether she should just drop her bags and run when a hand settled on her shoulder.

She screamed before she grabbed the appendage firmly and doubled over, using her attackers weight as leverage she threw him over her shoulder and onto the ground where he landed with a muffled thud.

"Ow, Fujioka do you really think all that was necessary?" an injured Katsu mumbled from his placed on the ground.

Haruhi's hands moved to her mouth in shock, her eyes wide. She could hardly believe that she had pulled that off. Mori-senpai had shown her that throw several times, had her practice it over and over, not once had she been able to pull it off so successfully but somehow this time she had. Perhaps the adrenaline coursing through her body had something to do with it?

"Katsu! Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I didn't know!"

He laughed quietly as he pushed himself up off the sidewalk. "It's okay, I shouldn't have snuck up on you."

Haruhi was moderately relieved that he wasn't seriously injured but she did have to admit she wouldn't have been sorely upset if that had been the case. He had snuck up on her after all, he deserved it.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she inquired. She knew he didn't venture out this late in the evening just to shadow her movements through the streets.

Katsu brushed off his clothing, ridding himself from the various articles he'd picked up from his brief time on the ground. He cradled his wrist in his opposite hand, it had twisted a bit on impact but there was no other damage. Honestly, he was surprised she had managed to throw him but he didn't have his guard up, had he been prepared he easily could have maneuvered out of that position. Perhaps she had been paying closer attention to her lessons with Morinozuka than he previously believed.

"I had dinner with my father this evening at a place right down the street. I was walking out to my car when I noticed you walking by. What are you doing out so late?" he questioned, it was then that he noticed the scattered articles about him. "Grocery shopping?"

She nodded, "I had absolutely nothing in the house so I had to go out."

"I'm sorry, I made you drop all of this." He began placing her groceries back in their bags.

His task complete the young man looked her up and down, from head to toe. "Wow, you really must be starving. You didn't even have time to put yourself together before you went out."

Haruhi flushed violently, a mixture of anger and pure embarrassment washed over her entire being. Usually, she didn't care how others perceived her but coming from someone like Katsu it upset her. If she had known she would run into him maybe her choice of clothing would have been a smidge more appropriate, though she doubted it.

"I look just fine! Damn you rich bastards, all you care about are looks and money." she grumbled, gathering her bags in her hands once again before adding "Good grief, I'm going home."

The small woman made her way past her classmate, intending to make a quick entrance but Haruhi was notoriously slow, so it only looked as if she were moving at her normal pace.

"Wait, Fujioka" he reached out and grabbed her forearm, halting any further retreat. "I didn't mean it to come out like that, you look fine!"

Haruhi glared back at him for a moment before she calmed down "Well, whatever you meant, it doesn't matter. I'm going home. I'll see you in class tomorrow, Katsu."

"Aw come on, Fujioka! I'm sorry, look... can I at least give you a ride home? Or walk you there? It's late and it's dark, what if you meet another creep who isn't me?" he said, and a very small, miniscule part of him was guilty because he knew he was probably one of the worst people she could be around right now, but no, he couldn't allow his resolve to be shaken.

Not now, not by her. He needed her for no other purpose than to get to Morinozuka. That was all.

Haruhi mulled the idea over for a moment, she did not necessarily dislike Katsu's company and he did owe her since he snuck up on her earlier.

"I suppose that's alright. You can walk with me." she conceded.

Katsu smiled, a brilliant expression that lit up his whole face, his eyes included. "Great! Here, I'll carry your bags." He took them without waiting for a response and walked beside her as she led the way to her home.

They walked in silence for a moment, Haruhi contemplated her newest companion. He seemed pleasant enough but she frowned as she realized she did not know the first thing about him, yet he was willing to do her the courtesy of walking her home and even carrying her bags. She frowned at how ungrateful she always seemed to be.

She wanted to know more about him, this man that Mori-senpai had deemed talented enough to assist him in the dojo. "Katsu? How did you and Mori-senpai meet?" she questioned.

It took every ounce of self control Katsu possessed not to grimace at her question. Why would she want to talk about that guy? He wasn't even here!

"Well, we sort of started out as rivals I guess you could say. Until I went to Ouran Academy we were always on opposing teams, once I started at Ouran our sensei always put us against each other. I have faced him a few times in kendo matches but his skill far surpasses mine. I've never been able to beat him." he said out loud, though to himself he thought his luck might soon take a turn for the better, especially if things went well with Fujioka.

"Really? Mori-senpai has been the kendo champion for several years running but I wouldn't let that discourage you. I have heard you are quite good as well, Katsu. He would not have chosen you to be an instructor if he did not believe you were talented enough."

Katsu was surprised when his heartbeat increased at her awkward praise, people were always complimenting him on his skill and he'd never reacted that way before.

He shook his head, "I guess I am but I will never be as good as Morinozuka. It would be nice if I could exceed him just once..."

Haruhi gave the man beside her a sidelong glance, he sounded so wistful. She knew it must be hard, always coming in second to someone and more often than not she imagined people pointed out that fact to him. The situation sounded very similar to that of her friend, Kyoya. For most of his life, he was compared to his brothers and their achievements but it only served to fuel his drive to surpass them and he had in so many ways, he had affirmed his brilliance to anyone that had ever doubted him.

She was not sure if Katsu would be able to do the same, she didn't know the man outside of the dojo. Mori-senpai was outstanding, she could not imagine anyone being talented enough to beat him in any sort of physical challenge so long as he wasn't unnecessarily distracted. She assumed this might be a hard topic to discuss for him so she tried to switch gears, "Do you have any siblings, Katsu?"

"No, I'm an only child. I think my father only allotted enough time for my mother to produce an heir, he wasn't around very much when I was growing up."

She frowned, "I'm an only child too. A few times when I was younger I thought it might be fun to have a younger brother or sister but I don't think I would have made a good sibling..."

Katsu laughed loudly at this statement, "What? Why not? I think you would have done just fine, I mean, you were able to handle the host club guys pretty well and they're all practically children. A sibling would have been no sweat for you."

This time Haruhi laughed, she had never thought of it in that way but it was true, the host club had been like a crash course in handling children.

The conversation continued for several minutes longer until finally the pair reached Haruhi's apartment complex.

"This is my place, I think I can handle it from here." she said, holding out her hands to retrieve her bags.

Katsu suppressed the scowl that threatened to appear at the sight of her living conditions. So meager and common but he did not voice aloud his concerns. He placed her groceries back into her small hands, his fingers brushed against hers in the process. She had very soft skin, he noted. His eyes caught hers as he went to say his goodbyes and even though she did not look her best this evening, he still thought Haruhi was very beautiful. She had an innocent quality about her that appealed greatly to him.

"Fujioka, did you happen to get my voicemail this afternoon?" he asked rather awkwardly, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright after what happened yesterday…"

She blushed, embarrassed because she had completely forgotten to return his call.

"I did, thank you. I'm sorry I was busy studying for my midterm exams so I did not get a chance to call you back. I'm sorry."

Haruhi bowed in apology but stopped as the boy caught her chin. He raised her back up to her full height to face him.

"It's alright, no need to be so apologetic but now that I have your attention I wanted to ask you something."

Haruhi nodded, unable to form a response. She was trying, with some difficulty, to ignore how large and warm his hand was.

He grinned, Katsu could see very clearly the way her cheeks darkened. A response from his touch he would venture to guess. He released her, albeit grudgingly.

"This weekend, I was going to a foreign film festival with my friend but he bailed on me. I was wondering if maybe you might want to accompany me? I already have the tickets." he stated very confidently even as his hands shook by his side. He was startled that he was so nervous, this was all part of his plan, nothing more. It was not a real date.

Haruhi was taken aback by her senpai's request. She was completely astonished and for a moment she was stunned into silence. She noticed that Katsu was fidgeting, that seemed to bring her out of her stupor for a moment. Was he asking her on a date? She never would have guessed that Katsu was interested in her at all. She was very interested in foreign film, often times those were the ones she favored. Throughout her relationship with Tamaki, he had introduced her to several French classics that she adored. Still, she was going to decline until she remembered that she needed to start making an effort to be more grateful to others. Haruhi felt obligated to say yes, she was after all indebted to him. Katsu had taken the time to continue teaching her martial arts, he excused her from class the day before and this evening had even accompanied her home, carried her bags for her. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. It might not be so bad, Katsu was nice enough. He was polite, attractive and charming. They had a little in common and she was intrigued to think that they may possibly have more in common than what she learned this evening.

"Alright." She agreed and even though she was not completely sold on the idea, she was not displeased with the idea of spending more time with him. Besides, he never did say it was a date so she shouldn't treat it as such.

"Really? Excellent! The matinee starts at 1:00 on Saturday so I will come by and pick you up around 12:30. Will that work for you?"

"Yes, that's fine." That would give her ample time to put herself together. After his comment this evening she wanted to make sure she looked presentable. She hated that the affluent people she knew looked at "commoners" such as her self the way they did.

"Fantastic, well I will let you get on with your evening. Will you be in class tomorrow?"

She nodded her head in the affirmative, "Yes, I'll see you then."

Katsu shared another dazzling smile before he turned to leave, Haruhi watched him as he walked. He turned around one more time and waved before he disappeared around the corner to head down the block, back to his waiting car.

Haruhi turned and trudged up the stairs to her apartment, once inside she put away her groceries. She set out an onion, green pepper, and some of the beef she had. She could make a quick pepper steak stir fry for dinner, that should suffice. She chopped her ingredients mechanically, trying not to think of Katsu. He really had caught her off guard, she never would have guessed that he would be interested in a commoner such as herself but he seemed rather grounded considering the others that attended Ouran University. She wondered how she never noticed him before while in high school, she knew he went to the Academy as well but she could not remember ever seeing him, not that she really ever had time to meet anyone outside of host club activities. Those men monopolized all of her free time. She mused over what he had said about Mori-senpai, that they were once rivals. She wondered if Mori-senpai felt the same way about Katsu.

Did he view him as an adversary?

She was curious to know though she couldn't imagine he did think that way.

When her meal was prepared she sat and ate slowly, though she didn't pay much attention to the flavor of the food, her mind far too preoccupied. Was this considered a date? He had not addressed it as such so she assumed not. Regardless, what should she wear?

She frowned, she hoped he wasn't regarding this as a date, she was not interested in anyone except Mori-senpai, possible the most unattainable man she knew. Her frown deepened as she quickly realized she owned nothing that would be appropriate enough for a film festival, she was sure that it would be a high class event. Haruhi feared she may even have to ask the twins for advice.

She shook, that was a scary thought indeed.

A lot of thoughts are bouncing around in Haruhi and Mori's heads, if only they would just TALK to each other about it. Oh well, I suppose we will have to wait just a little bit longer. I know all of you are probably longing for a reunion of these two and I have to say, so am I. I cannot promise that it will take place in the next chapter but it will be very, very soon. I can't stand to keep them apart much longer!

Katsu's unsavory intentions are becoming a little clearer even as his resolve seems to be wavering just slightly. It will be interesting to see how things pan out with this young man. As of right now I'm still undecided about where I will take him but I don't think he will ever be a proverbial nice guy but he may not be as big of a creep as we've all been made to believe.

Thank you for reading. Seeing the amount of traffic I get on my stories makes my day so much brighter. Please leave me a review, let me know what you think! I love hearing from you!