Hello everyone! I know it has been a long time since anything has happened with this and am extremely happy for all of you who have waited so long for the updates to finally start again. It's still slow going at this rate, but it's coming along somewhat. I still would greatly appreciate any help anyone may have with what had happened last time cause I only vaguely remember at this point.

Just a note, I recently graduated from high school and my college only has four classes next year so, if I get a laptop, I will be able to update more often!

A Star Amongst Stars

A knock came to Koharu's door as she sat on her plush white couch with her laptop sitting lightly in her lap. She had been editting a video for the upcoming song her siblings and herself were producing and had felt the need to take a break. Her feeling clearly had come at a good time as the soft knock resounded around the room once again.

"Come on in Risako-chan!" she called as she placed her laptop on the glass table in front of her couch and grabbed her mug of hot chocolate to help warm her hands from the chilly house. She turned in time to see her door open quietly and reveal the small, black haired girl that was soon going to join their family if the other Veddette siblings had any choice in the matter. Personally, Koharu wanted Risako to join their ever growing family as well, but wasn't about to pressure her or Yuigo into marriage. Risako's dark hair was in twin braids that fell down to her waist and she was wearing a simple yellow blouse with a long white skirt and matching white flats that had large flowers on them. Risako's thick black framed glasses slowly slipped off her tiny nose as the younger teen bowed shyly at the young heiress.

"I'm sorry for interupting," Risako said as she slowly inched into the room.

"Risa," Koharu laughed as she looked at the teen in front of her curiously. Risako glanced up through her bangs and Koharu could see a slight blush coloring the girl's tan face. "Is there something wrong? The twins didn't try anything again, did they?"

Even before Koharu had finished speaking, Risako was shaking her head. Koharu sighed in relief, trully believing that she would have to go punish her sisters since their father and step-mother were out of town right now for their anniversary.

"Come on and take a seat, standing there can't be comfortable," she said, flashing Risako her 'host smile' in an attempt to calm down the clearly embarassed girl. Risako strode across the room and sat heavily on the couch beside Koharu, which surprised the female host greatly because Risako was normally a quiet and graceful girl. "What's wrong Risa?"

Risako looked at her clasped hands for a moment before she spoke.

"I'm not suited to be with Yuigo-kun," she said so quietly that Koharu had to strain to hear her.

"Wh-What?" Koharu was flabbergasted. She didn't know any girl, any where in the world that suited her brother more than Risako. The two had not only been dating since their freshman year, but also the three of them had been neighbors since they were children and the twins had first moved to the richer side of the city after their mother's death. Koharu tried to think, but could not come up with anyone who was as close to Yuigo as Risako other than herself. She turned her confused blue eyes on Risako to see tears within the other girl's own misty grey ones.

"He is too good for me and so many other girls would make better wives for him," Risako continued on, more tears streaming down her smooth cheeks as if she didn't care to even bother with them.

"Wait," Koharu said quickly, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of the clearly hurting girl that she had grown to love as a sister. "Risa, where did all of this come from?"

Risako glanced at her and blinked for a moment before frowning. "Yuigo and I had gone shopping."

"To the little commoners' shops around our apartment, I know," Koharu said, nodding encouragingly so Risako would get to the heart of the matter. "That's why I'm here, so you two can have the apartment to yourselves for the day."

Risako blushed a bit at her blunt explaination of the her being here, but decided to continue on with what she had been saying.

"We went to one of the shops for lunch and we ran into one of Yuigo's friends," Risako said quietly and a look of realization crossed Koharu's face.

"One of his fans," she murmured, thinking angrilly of the swarms of girls who nearly attacked her darling little brother every day for even a semblance of a chance at their money just because Yuigo was kind hearted and believed any sob story you told him.

Risako nodded before continuing on, her voice somehow getting even quieter. "She asked if Yuigo could escort her for the rest of the day because her friends had left her and she didn't know the area very well."

"And Yuigo helped her instead of staying with you," Koharu summed up, receiving a simply nod from Risako. Koharu thought for a moment before she became confused. "But how did that make you think you weren't worthy of being with him?"

"If I was more interesting or funny or better loo-," Risako began to stammer before Koharu calmly placed her hand over Risako's trembling lips. Koharu looked Risako straight in the eyes with a very serious expression and hard blue eyes.

"You are perfectly fine as you are. Yuigo is the one who needs to straighten up and realize that his girlfriend is far more important than any moment of chivalry," Koharu said in a deep, threatening tone. Risako's eyes widened as she looked at the slowly darkening expression of the older teen in front of her. "So stop all of this."

Risako could only stare at Koharu dumbfoundedly as Koharu's cell phone suddenly began to buzz, letting the angered teen know that someone was trying to call her.

"I'm sorry," Risako said quickly as she stood. "I'll leave now."

Risako quickly circled the couch and headed for the door.

"Risako-chan," Koharu called to her in a much softer tone than before, causing the dark heired girl to turn towards the older one. Koharu was smiling warmly at her. "Remember that we siblings want you as our next sister, not some ditz who, unlike you, would treat him like a slave."

Risako smiled at her words before turning on her heel to leave the room with a newfound skip in her step. Koharu turned back to her table to see that her phone was still buzzing so she leaned forward and picked it up.

"Hello Kyouya," she said as she flipped it open, barely supressing the giggle she wanted to release at his persistance.

"Why haven't you answered? I've been calling you for several minutes," he said in a quick, tight voice that made Koharu's thin brows knit in confusion.

"I was discussing something with one of my sisters," she replied shortly.

"Ah, okay then," Kyouya seemed to sighed and Koharu could hear a soft rustling coming from his end of the line.

"What did you need Kyouya? You don't normally call me so early like this," Koharu said as she shifted so she sat crossed legged on the couch with her phone resting in between her shoulder and ear. She leaned forward and pulled her laptop onto her lap so she could continue working while talking with her boyfriend.

"I was wondering if you would like to come to dinner at my home tonight," Kyouya said a bit off handedly, so Koharu knew he was preoccupied with something else just like her. None the less, Koharu was a bit taken aback at his sudden invitation.

"Ano," she murmured as she tilted her head back to stare up at the ceilng.

"I completely understand if you wish to stay with your family instead," Kyouya said calmly as Koharu sighed.

"No, it was just a bit sudden," she told him and she smiled slightly. "I would actually love to come to dinner tonight."

"Good, then I will send someone over immediately to pick you up," Kyouya said quickly as if he released a single breath to say it.

"What?" Koharu gasped, glancing at her clock to see that it was only a little past ten in the morning. "I thought you said dinner, not lunch!"

"Yes, well, you will see why when you get here," Kyouya said and Koharu opened her mouth to give a retort, but the line went dead before she could say anything. Cursing under her breath, she stood to collect her small purse that she used on the weekends so she could go down and find her family to let them know that she was going to be leaving for the day.

"Oh, Ko, you know nothing about formal dinners, do you?" Acelin sighed as he washed out the bright green dye from Caitlin's hair. Koharu had found the two blondes in Acelin's small studio/spa in between their rooms the floor above Koharu's own room. Acelin allowed Caitlin to sit up and reveal the now lime green streak through her crooked bangs as he looked at his step-sister with a sad smile. "Kyouya lives in a very strict rich home, doesn't he?"

Koharu could only nod as Caitlin stood as grabbed her wrist.

"Then it is only natural that they spend the day making sure their looks are absolutely perfect for dinner that night," Acelin said as Caitlin gently pushed Koharu down into a chair and spun her towards the mirror. "Thankfully, my darling sœur, you have a wonderful mixture of the Japanese's smooth, olive skin and the Italian's long lashes and perfect hair. There isn't really anything to do to you other than slap on a beauty of a dress and do something to your hair."

"Which is simple enough even with the ghastly length," Caitlin murmured happily as she ran a thin hand through Koharu's hair as if to prove her point. Koharu sighed as she let her siblings go on into their own little fashion world for a moment before she finally told them she had to leave and thanks for the 'help'. By the time she got down stairs, the door bell had rung and one of the butlers was opening the door to reveal a large man in a suit with a bald head waiting on the steps. He had an earpiece in and black sunglasses on that made Koharu think of the movie versions of the American Secret Service.

"Miss Veddette, I am here to gather you for Master Kyouya," the man said in a gruff voice. Koharu had to bite her bottom lip to keep herself from snickering at how formal the man was.

"Alright," she said after a second. She smiled at the butler as he opened the door wider to let her out. "I'll be back some time tonight, Orlando. You don't have to wait up this time. I am perfectly capable of letting myself in to my own home. Oh, and not a word of this trip to Papa, okay?"

"My lips are sealed Koharu," the middle aged man chuckled and mimmed zipping his lips together. Koharu giggled as he gave her a wink. She turned away from him to see that the man in front of her was scowling at Orlando from over her head. It was clear to Koharu that the older man was not pleased that Orlando was being so informal with his young miss. With a small sigh, she brushed passed him and started down the steps to the waiting limo. She heard a muttered curse come from behind her and laughed softly. She turned as she reached the limo to see that the man ws still half way up the long staircase that she had just ran down. Koharu waited patiently by the door, knowing that this butler was the kind that would frown upon a young miss opening her own door.

"Miss Veddette, please do not run like that, it isn't becoming of a young woman of your stature," the man panted when he finally came level with her. Koharu bobbed her head respectfully as he turned to open the door for her. She climbed in without a word, but had to let out a small, high pitched laugh in the moment it took for the man to reach his own door and get in. She glanced out the window towards her front door to see that many members of her own personal staff were hiding their own laughter behind their hands, aprons, and hankerchiefs.

It was a relatively short drive for them to get to Kyouya's home, seeing as how they lived in the same part of town. Unlike Koharu's own home on the edge of the 'rich' neighborhood, Kyouya's held nothing back and was a beautiful mixture of European elegance and Japanese tradition with its tall pillars and koi ponds that stretched out across either lawn that lined the long cobblestone drive. The vast grounds and elegant manor had everything in it that Koharu expected from the 'center' homes of their neighborhood. She expected that Tamaki's own home, Kyouya's direct neighbor and the very center property, was just as grand as this one, if not more.

"Miss Veddette," the butler called to her as she admired the grounds that stretched out before them. She glanced over to see that he was rolling down the privacy window and was looking at her through the rear view mirror. "Master Kyouya wished for me to tell you that the code under his name is THAT date, do you understand?"

"That date?' Koharu repeated in confusion, glancing out the window again before nodding in understanding. "Of course that date. Only he would be that heartless to Emiri."

They pulled up in front of the main house and this time Koharu didn't wait for the butler to open her door before she got out. By the time he was getting out himself, she was already halfway up the white stone steps that led into the large mansion. The door opened automatically as she neared, but she didn't care if it was a waiting butler or automatic doors that opened them for her, all she cared for in that moment was seeing Kyouya and giving him a piece of her mind.

"Ah, Koharu, welcome," she heard a familiar male voice say and she rounded on the tall man that stood a short distance from the entryway. Yuiichi Ohtori was beaming at her in a simple pair of black slacks and a deep orange shirt that had the first few buttons undone. If she wasn't so infuriated at him, Koharu would have thought that somehow Kyouya had aged into the extremely handsome young man that stood before her.

"Good evening," she replied through grit teeth. Yuiichi frowned at her tone.

"Is there something wrong Koharu?" Yuiichi asked, his medical mind racing to try and diagnose something that could be ailing the young woman before him.

"Where is Kyouya? I must discuss something with him," Koharu said, grinning in a fashion that Yuiichi was able to see that discussing was not the true verb that should have been used.

"He is in a meeting with our father," Yuiichi replied calmly, watching as Koharu paled.

"He told me that your father would be gone," Koharu said in a squeaky voice.

"Ah, it is just over Skype," Yuiichi explained, steppng closer to his former patient in hopes of calming her. "Now, you must calm down or I can't take you to Fuyumi to get ready for dinner."

"Okay," Koharu sighed and looked up at Yuiichi. "Thank you Yuiichi-san."

"Just Yuiichi is fine," the elder man said with a chuckle as he turned towards the grand stair case that stretched out before them. "I believe that all of my siblings would rather you just call us by our names."

"O-Of course," Koharu replied as she followed him up to the second floor and down the hall to a set of double doors.

"I'll leave you here for now," Yuiichi said with a smile. "Fuyumi would hate it if I saw either of you before dinner tonight."

They waved at each other as Yuiichi headed off further down the hall. With a small sigh, Koharu knocked on the door and entered the room before her.

The room was full of different gowns of varying colors and styles. A maid was bustling around the racks of gowns and accesories before heading towards the back of the vast room.

"Ah, you must be Miss Veddette," a maid with long black hair held back in a high ponytail said as she stepped up to Koharu from a small waiting area. She was gorgeous to Koharu with her olive skin and sparkling brown eyes. "Miss Fuyumi has been expecting you."

"I'm sorry if I was late," Koharu said sheepishly, unsure what to say to such a beautiful woman. She was used to charming people for the Host Club and her father, but this was a totally different case and this woman was a maid so her normal charms wouldn't work at all.

"Oh!" an excited gasp interuppted Koharu's train of thought and caused her to turn and see a petite woman with long blue hair. The woman rushed forward and hugged her in a tighter hug than Koharu would've guessed could have come out of the woman. When she pulled away, Koharu was out of breath and barely able to stand. "I've heard so much about you Koharu! I'm so happy to meet you."

"Ah, it is a pleasure to meet you too Fuyumi-sa-," Koharu cut herself off, remembering what Yuiichi had just told her about him and his siblings. "What are we doing here?"

"We are getting ready for dinner, of course," Fuyumi said excitedly as she turned to a rack and started searching through the different dresses. "We must look out absolute best."

"But isn't this only dinner with family?" Koharu asked, completely confused as she hid her distaste at some of the dresses Fuyumi was pulling out.

"Oh yes, but this is a good practice for when you finally have dinner with our father," Fuyumi said with a wink before she ducked behind another rack of dresses. It took Fuyumi several hours to finally decide on putting Koharu in a deep green dress that was tight around her chest until it flared at her hips down to the floor. Fuyumi herself was just in a leaf green dress that was more flowy and a lot more simple than Koharu's.

As they came down the stairs, Koharu could see Yuiichi and Kyouya standing by some large double doors with another man. Koharu assumed he must be Akito since he, like Yuiichi and Kyouya, had dark hair, a thin frame, and glasses. The three looked so much alike to Koharu, she began to wonder where Fuyumi got her looks from.

"Good evening gentlemen," Fuyumi called as she led Koharu down the stairs. The three looked up from the conversation to see them and Kyouya's expression softened when he saw his girlfriend come down the steps. Before he could move, Akito moved forward and offered each of his hands to the two coming down the stairs. Fuyumi smiled as she took her younger brother's hand while Koharu blushed and shyly took his hand. Akito then led the two ladies to the others before releasing their hands.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Koharu-chan," he said with a crooked grin and a small bow. "I am Ohtori Akito, second son and third child."

"The pleasure is mine, Akito-san," Koharu said quickly, fumbling into a bow. "I am Veddette Koharu, eldest."

"You didn't tell us she was this cute, Kyo," Akito said with a chuckle as he raised an eyebrow at his younger brother.

"I've never seen her react like this," Kyouya admitted as he came forward to wrap an arm around Koharu's waist, making her blush slightly at his show of affection. "Normally she is quite calm and cool headed when she speaks to new people."

"Stop talking like I'm a dog," Koharu snapped at him before striding over to Fuyumi. Kyouya frowned at his girlfriend, seeing the tension in her shoulders as she struck up a conversation with his sister.

"Masters, Misses," a servant said to them as he stepped out of the room they were waiting by. "Dinner is ready."

He then turned and opened the doors for them. Koharu's breath was taken away at the long oak table that had matching ornate chairs positioned at equal length around it. Silver dishes of food were placed in the center of the table in front of five chairs that had places set for the diners. Yuiichi and Akito stepped forward to pull out two of the chairs that were facing each other.

"Ladies," they motioned towards the chairs and the two women stepped forward to take the two brothers' extended hands. As everyone took their seat, servant came out to serve them their dinners.

"So, Koharu," Yuiichi began as they all began to eat. "How has Ouran been treating you?"

Koharu glanced up to see that everyone, even Kyouya, was staring at her.

"Ah, it is a lovely school," she began, not sure how to continue. "It's far different from any of the other schools I've been to."

"I hear that you were homeschooled for a little while. Do you not fear that has hindered you in some way?" Akito asked with a small frown. Koharu's eyebrows knit in confusion. She hadn't told anyone she had been taken out of school the year her mother passed so she could be with her father. She glanced at Kyouya to see that he was facing the other direction.

"I was homeschooled by my stepmother after my mother passed, but it was in primary school so it has no effect on my education now," Koharu replied through grit teeth. She kept staring at the back of Kyouya's head, waiting for him to turn around and see the fury in her eyes. Seeing that he was refusing to look at her, Koharu stood.

"Is there something wrong Koharu?" Akito asked in surprise, noticing the hurt and anger that were quickly building on the young woman's face.

"Nothing, Akito," Koharu nearly spat as she turned to address the three siblings across the table from her. "But I realized that I must be leaving."

"Why?" Kyouya asked, finally turning to look up at her in confusion.

"Because you dared to act like a total prick and use the date my cousin got kidnapped as the code to get into your own home!" Koharu said in a increasingly loud voice. When she finished her small rant, she was red in the face and was breathing heavily with angry tears rushing down her cheeks. Kyouya could only seem to stare at her until she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. Her mind was a whirling mess and she knew without even looking at herself that she would look similar to the jumble of thoughts that were rushing through her mind in that moment. As she stepped out into the cold night air that had wrapped itself around the Ohtori grounds, she could only think of getting away from Kyouya. She started off across the lawn, waving off the many servants that were rushing towards her from several different directions as if to help her. It wasn't until several minutes later when she reached the gates that she realized that she was never going to make it to her house in the gown and heels she was wearing. She patted the small pocket stitched just inside her sleeve before letting out a curse. She had forgotten her cell phone with her normal clothes, not thinking that she would need it before she got changed again. Looking around in the fading light, she recognized a tall blonde figure standing outside a tall brick wall with a golden dog jumping around at his heels as two black clad men watched on.

"Tamaki!" she cried without even thinking, rushing towards the blonde as more tears fell from her eyes. The blonde teen turned in bewilderment at the cry of his name, moving just in time to catch the stricken girl as she flung her arms around him.

"K-Koharu?" he stammered as he staggered back under her sudden weight and his two guards moved to extract her from him. Tamaki waved them off as he delicately unwound his friend's arms from him. He heard a quiet sniffle from his dear friend and lifted her chin so she was looking up at him. He frowned when he saw that tears were running down her face and she seemed to not even care. He tried wiping her tears away with his thumbs, but more came down and he was soon unable to keep up with them. "Koharu, mon ami, what's wrong? Who did this to you?"

Koharu only shook her head at his questions and Tamaki saw that he wasn't going to be able to talk her at all with her in the state she was in. He took a small step back from her and noticed that she was in a beautiful gown. He looked around as he pulled her close to him and noticed that the gate to Kyouya's home was wide open. He glanced down at the sobbing girl before making up his mind. He turned and began to guide Koharu towards his own home with his two guards quickly following into step behind them. Minutes later, he had Koharu sitting on his bed with a cup of hot cocoa in her hands and a blanket wrapped snuggly around her shoulders.

"Kyouya!" Tamaki nearly yelled as he stepped out of his room with his phone to his ear. He kept the door cracked slightly so he could keep an eye on Koharu as she stared blankly into the cup of cocoa.

"What is it Tamaki? I don't really have time for any of your games right now," Kyouya said in a tired tone.

"Well this isn't a game!" Tamaki snapped, getting flushed at the idea that his friend was so readily blowing him off. "I have your girlfriend on my bed right now and, guess what, she's crying her eyes out! I may not know the story behind why, but I found her right outside your house, mon ami, and I don't like that she is so upset."

"I'm coming over," Kyouya said after a breif pause, hanging up before Tamaki could say anything more. Tamaki tried several times to call back, but Kyouya seemed to refuse to answer. After several tense minutes of pacing up and down the hallway, a maid came to Tamaki to announce that Kyouya was indeed there to see him. Kyouya, not being one to wait, was only a few steps behind her as he purposefully marched down the hall.

"Kyo-," Tamaki began to say, stepping up to his best friend only to have the dark haired teen brush past him and into his room. Tamaki gaped after Kyouya as the older teen shut his door with a barely audible click. Tamaki stepped up to the door and placed his ear on it, hoping to hear something coming from the couple inside. He strained to hear, but nothing came from the two that he could hear until the door opened to reveal Kyouya. Kyouya glanced at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Things are fine now," he said as he headed away from the room. "I just had to explain a misunderstanding to her. She'll be leaving soon."

Tamaki stared after his best friend for a moment before turning to look at Koharu, who was staring dazedly into space with her hand to her lips.