The bet

The stupid bet and it's deadline

The hospital

A chat along with Shiro's sleeping body

...

This all happened after

MINUTES IN A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Chapter ten: Expiry Dates are True

"Alright, two guesses! So, Mr. Ootori Kyouya, give it to me!" she yelled. The wind was blowing strongly. Her hair was flowing rapidly. The school uniform, which she completely hated, was moving higher and higher. Today was surely a windy day. If she had not yelled, I could only believe that I was deaf.

I leaned on the railing. It's been quite some time since I've last gone here. She walked towards me, holding tightly to the yellow dress which we call school uniform.

"I'll give you two and I'm only saying it once." I said, forcing my voice through the wind.

"Fine, whatever you say. Why do you need to tell me more than once, anyway?" she asked.

"One!" I yelled. I didn't want to explain any further. She sighed and waited for my answer. "I can actually paint." Her eyes widened. I bet she thought I was lying.

"Oh sure... as if you can." She murmured.

"I'm not repeating what I said. No explanation, whatsoever." I adjusted my glasses.

"Fine, fine."

"Two!" I paused to think. This morning I woke up, not wanting to wake up at all. Yes, I do that every day but today was different. Because today, I was going to do something I didn't want to do. I looked at her eyes intently. She was impatiently awaiting an answer. She's always been excited for this day. I was practically indifferent. My breathing was unstable. I closed my eyes for a whole two seconds. The second reason wasn't so bad. There was nothing to be scared. The second reason was just unusual. It was plain surreal. It was a reason which I would never in my entire life say. But I had to say it for the benefit of my victory and her defeat. I placed my hand on her shoulder and leaned down. I whispered to her ear, "There really isn't any other reason. It's just love isn't it? Love?"

She pushed me away immediately. "LOVE! What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know you understood every single thing that I just said. Besides, no explanations." I said. Her cheeks quickly turned pink. I knew it.

"So, Okawa Miyuki, is it really love?" I asked once more.

"Never!" she shook her head.

"Are you in a state of denial?"

"NO!"

"Confusion?"

"You're being crazy! Don't continue you little... little... weirdo!!" she screamed. She had obviously wanted to cuss. It probably was just too hard for her. I must agree.

"Alright, let me rephrase that for you." I moved away from her. My face was just a few inches away from hers. Her face had changed to the color of blood, or probably lighter than that. "Your thoughts on jealousy are only overshadowing that thought of love inside of you. Isn't it true? The only reason why you want to get a drawing of me is because you've started to have this certain amount of liking to me. Why would you be so desperate as to even draw my face?" I titled my head to the left awaiting a reply. The wind blew rapidly, her hair hit my face.

"Love, huh?" she quickly pulled her hair back away from both of our faces and held onto it. Sighing, she closed her eyes and thought for a moment or two. "That would be a good reasoning, Ootori Kyouya, but slightly wrong."

"Slightly?" I questioned.

"Let me explain to you why I suddenly thought you felt jealous."

I watched her walk to the edge of the rooftop. She held on tightly to the railings. "One!" she yelled. The same way I did awhile ago. Except the wind was blowing as crazily. "Your face said it." She grinned. "I liked watching your face like that. It seemed so fascinated, so exhilirated to see a better picture of yourself."

"Hmm…" I adjusted my glassed. "Anything else? True, actions speak louder than words, but how can you be sure that was the meaning of my gesture?"

"Who said I was sure? I'm just saying, just a guess." She turned back, facing the setting sun. How long have we been in here? "Numero dos!" She said with a weird japanese- spanish accent. "You can never draw as great as I can?"

"You sound too proud of yourself. Don't be too full of it."

"Bla bla… You're jealous already! You don't like it whenever you have been utterly defeated by someone who is lower than you are. I'm not saying, YOU are superior, I'm just saying you treat yourself as if you are higher than everybody else."

"Is this an insult?" I asked. I was being insulted for saying that I don't respect others. I do not act as a proud bastard. "Why do you think I would even give you a chance to talk to me if you think I would treat people like that?"

"Easy, because you benefit from it, right?" She replied with pure humility in her eyes. I feel like I've just been lectured by Haruhi but with a different voice. Someone less humble than her. I mentally laughed.

"May I ask a question?"

"Wait, may I read your mind?" she suddenly asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Was your question something about Haruhi telling me that phrase? Because, you see, Haruhi did tell me that phrase."

I sighed. "So, first you insult me and then you take me aback with such humorous words." I pushed my glasses, "And yes, that was the question I was going to ask."

She punched the air, "Yes! I can be a psychic!"

"So, did I win?" I interrupted her happiness. "I gave two guesses. The question is did I win? Or are you getting that novel of yours published?"

"Either way, if you win, I still get it published, and if I win, I still get it published."

"But if I win, you have to share your earnings to the publication with me." I reminded her.

"Well, your first answer was convincing but the second one was just plainly wrong. So basically, I take the win!"

I smirked; this was obviously going to happen.

"So, where's my prize?"

I adjusted my glasses, "Let me remind you, that contract…" she nodded, awaiting good news, "had an expiration date."

"Eh? Expiration date?" she asked, as if confused with the whole situation. Wait, she was confused.

"I was given that a month before this day. I had already planned of showing it to you, but I had just been waiting for the right time. And so, this publisher had said that if you don't give a reply within one month, then the contract is invalid. You prolonged things a little. If you had proved to me you're so called greatness in the art of manga, I would have given the contract immediately. But instead, you made this weird deal and unexpectedly; you chose this date for that deal to happen. And, coincidentally, this date is also the expiration date." I held out my hand, "Congratulations, Okawa Miyuki, you've just ended your dream."

She slapped my hand, "Stop joking with me! I have seriously waited for this day to come!"

"Don't tell me you prepared a banquet at your home?"

She shook her head.

"You told your closest friend?" I guessed.

She shook her head once more.

"You told your mom?"

She shook her head rapidly.

"You never told anybody about this?" I was surprised.

"Well, no, I myself wasn't sure if it was reality and so I kept it to myself till it would come true." She mumbled.

"Then there's nothing to be mad about." I concluded.

"I think so, but it's kind of painful to bring your hopes up and then it suddenly goes down." She explained

"Well, those times have to come, huh?"

She nodded slowly, "I guess"

"Well, now that our deal is over, I should be off then." I told her. I held on tight to my file and walked to the door to the stairs. I, once more, adjusted my glasses and prayed that the evening would end quickly. I didn't want to concentrate any longer to the studies. The short conversation I had with the self- proclaimed mangaka had already taken away my life. I have no heart enough to continue any project or to even open a school book. I opened the door and then I heard a voice from behind me.

"One more thing!"

I looked back. Okawa Miyuki was running towards me. I wonder what she wanted. Probably she wanted to apologize. Maybe she didn't feel obligated to insult me, because in reality she isn't supposed to insult me. Or maybe, she would apologize for creating a big mistake and thinking that I was jealous and in truth I wasn't. It's her imaginative ways that make her believe the wrong.

"What is it?"

"That time, remember when you brought me to a room and you got mad at me or somehting. And you kept on going on about why you should be interested in me?" she asked, her breath chasing right behind each word.

"Ah, that time." I recalled, the way I held on tightly to her wrist. And the way I continued to babble about her weird characteristics. That was a weird gesture. "We were late for the next class."

"Yeah, that time." She breathed in and out, "You said something about how I was the only girl other than Haruhi who was bla bla bla." She quoted, "Are you pointing out that Haruhi is a girl?"

I mentally smacked myself. Indeed, I said that line. Why would I blurt out such a line in the first place? Why place Haruhi's name in danger? My mistake, I shouldn't have spoken. "Well, now that you've analyzed the sentence, you could say that I was pointing out that he was a girl."

"Wait wait wait!" she waved her hands around rapidly, as if erasing something, "Slow down, your saying that Haruhi, your natural rookie HOST, is a girl." She said, giving emphasis on the word host.

"I believe so."

"Wa-a-a-a-ait" she began giggling, "so the guy, that most of the girls in the first year class is going crazy about is actually a girl."

"Yes" I said frankly. How many times should I repeat that answer?

"This is too crazy. Why in the first place is she a host?"

"Problems caused it." I summarize the whole episode where that occurred into one word.

"Problems, like what?" she asked.

"Curiousity kills the cat, Okawa Miyuki-san."

"I don't care about the damn cat! This is just too darn interesting." She beamed. "Wait, is this supposed to be some secret because I was planning to tell a few of my friends."

"If you do say a single word to your friends, then the whole world will be out to cut your tongue." I threatened her.

"Yes yes, I will not, and I promise," She raised her right arm, "I will never tell this secret to anyone!"

"Haruhi-chan! Today, I would want to designate you!" the mangaka yelled from across the room, as she entered the club. Haruhi was busy making some tea. She looked up at the customer and told her to wait for a few moments and settle down. Like a normal host that she was, she was oblivious of the whole aura that Miyuki was showing.

As soon as they settled down, I excused myself from my customer and took a seat in front of my laptop. Just yesterday, Miyuki was laughing about Haruhi being a girl, now she is busy bothering Haruhi with her weird tactics. I watched them intently while they chatted with gigantic smiles on their faces. Not later, did Miyuki stand up and gave a bow, ending the conversation completely. Miyuki then looked at me and signaled for me to come over with a wave of her hand.

I walked to her. Haruhi had gone to the few other customers in the room. "What do you need this time?" I asked, a little irritated and a little tired.

"Well, you never said that there really isn't any difference with her being a girl or not." She pointed out.

"I didn't even say anything about her. Besides, isn't that the reason why she's the natural rookie." We both looked at Haruhi who was joyfully serving the other girls in the room.

"What if she'll end up liking the girls?" she suddenly asked.

"Tamaki would kill himself." I replied immediately.

Our eyes then moved towards Tamaki who was casually making a girl enjoy the time.

"You'd think he'd kill himself for his own selfish reasons?" she inquired.

"It's possible; he cares about Haruhi like she was his own daughter." I explained.

"Your whole family picture is crazy, mother." She said.

"Indeed, do you want to be the second daughter?" I asked jokingly.

"Of course not! I would never want to participate in this nonsense ever in my entire life."

And that reply is one of the greatest replies I heard from her. And I believe that she would never break that promise.

"By the way, what did you tell Haruhi?"

"Oh nothing, just a little girl talk."

"Tamaki would be happy to know that she's talking to a girl. That reminds me, I still have to tell them that you know our dirty little secret."

"Well, Ootori-kun, that secret isn't so dirty and it isn't little." She clarified.

I simply nodded. "Do you have any more business to do in here?"

"Are you kicking me out?" she pouted.

"Idiot, of course I am."

She sighed, "Well then I'll be going, I still need to pick up Shiro from his painting classes."

"Yes yes, leave this room immediately so that nasty scent of yours would disintegrate immediately." I said, hurrying her up while she fixed her hair.

"How ruuuuuuude." She disappeared in an instant.

"Dad, why did you call me?" I asked as soon as I entered the room. I found someone else sitting on his chair, and him sitting on the sofa. This was a pretty odd scene.

"If I'm not mistaken, you've met Okawa Miyuki. Am I right?" He asked.

"Yes, she's a classmate." I replied.

"This is her father. As you know, he is a doctor. He's here because we have some things to talk about." He explained, "It seems that his daughter had arrived with her. Kyouya, May I ask you to escort her around the house?"

So this was the main reason. It wasn't for me to meet and understand her father nor is it to understand her family. It was for me to escort Miyuki around the residence. If I was allowed to, I would have given an outright no to the answer. But when talking to my father, the reply "no" is something out of the question. Miyuki stood up from the sofa in front of my dad. She gave me a smile and bowed kindly.

"I'd gladly give her a tour around."

A/N: I last updated 3 months ago, and here I am apologizing for not updating in those three months. I found out just awhile ago that this chapter was almost finished and I had not uploaded it! I feel so mad! Anyway, I hope you guys don't hate me!

-lynx... Kyouya loves you!