Hello! I finally got around to picking this story up again; it's been about nine months since my last update, I'm so very sorry! It's summer again, so I'm hoping I can get this story going again and finally get the real plot-line. This chapter's a tad short, but I promise there'll be more coming. (:

Thanks for reading!


It had been a week since Hikaru and Kaoru fought…and since Mika last entered the Third Music Room.

Throughout the week she tried to convince her mind that nothing was wrong, and that she ought meet with the Host Club as usual, but each day, when club time came, she lamely came up with some random excuse, and told herself that she'd just go tomorrow. But it's not like she could avoid the club members altogether—she did have class with Haruhi and the twins. However, every time they'd tried to engage in a conversation with her, she casually pretended to be busy and preoccupied. She ran away to the gardens during lunch, walked quickly through the halls, and avoided possible "host club" locations whenever possible. That was how she had spent her week, and at the end of each day she harshly reprimanded her brain and her heart for being so foolish and weak.

Currently it was the seventh day of her avoidance streak; Mika sat alone and disheartened on a bench in one of the school's many gardens, quietly waiting for lunch to end. Across a couple rose bushes, maybe some eight or nine feet away, two girls sat on another bench, eating lunch and loudly chattering away. Mika wanted peace and quiet right now, so she gathered her things and was about to walk away when she heard one of the girls mention Kaoru's name.

"But I thought Kaoru-kun and Hikaru-kun were inseparable!" exclaimed one of the girls. Her jet-black hair was tied up high in a neat bun, contrasting with the befuddled expression on her face.

"Apparently not," her coffee-haired companion began to explain, "they haven't shown any 'brotherly love' in two whole days!"

"What? No brotherly love? Oh, Ayumi-chan, what are we going to do without their love-love scenes?" her fan-girl friend replied, devastated.

Mika stood still by the bench as she listened to their conversation. "Brotherly love" scenes weren't really supposed to happen at all, so a two-day absence shouldn't be a big deal—but—this was Hikaru and Kaoru they were talking about, so something was definitely wrong. Mika shifted uncomfortably and scowled as she heard the conversation take a…familiar turn.

"I heard their slump is because of a girl…" the black-tressed girl whispered cautiously.

Her friend's eyes glistened with curiosity, "No way! Spill!"

"Well, " Ayumi began, "I heard that ever since that beach trip a while back, Kaoru has gotten really close with that transfer student, "she paused for a moment to think, "Asami…Mika, I think it was. There're even rumors that they're going out!"

The brown-haired girl gasped, "No! B-but I can't bear to even think of the twins being apart!"

She decided she'd heard enough. Mika spun her heels around and dashed out the garden to the outside corridor area. After a minute or two of walking, she slumped against a marble column and sighed heavily. What trouble she was causing for Kaoru and his brother!

Just then, the lunch bell chimed. Mika heaved another sigh, stood up straight, smoothened her dress, and hurried to her next class.

Behind a fountain near the rose bushes where Mika and the two girls had been, a tall, slim silhouette stepped out. A young man with hair the color of milk caramel stared in the direction Mika had gone, his emerald eyes glistened in the sun, but were heavy with worry and concern. He had heard the girls' conversation, and seen how pained Mika looked—she hadn't even remembered too take her empty bento box back. (A/N: Yes, she has a bento, not those fancy lunches—it suits her better.) The man ran his slightly tanned and slender fingers through his hair, grabbed Mika's bento box, and started towards the school's main building.

When the young man entered the school building, he was met with several stares and squeals from the female population. He was, indeed, quite the looker. Without even throwing them a glance, the light browned haired young man went up an ornate staircase and to the headmaster's office. Knocking twice, he was beckoned in, where he proceeded to ask,

"Where can I find Asami Mika?"

The headmaster recognized the green-eyed person immediately, and speedily replied, "Mr. Rosenthal, Asami-san might be in the Third Music Room, that's where her school guides usually are."

"Alright, my thanks," said man replied nonchalantly, "Pardon me then."

"It is my pleasure Mr. Rosenthal, do tell me if you need anything else, "the headmaster added respectfully.

"Mr. Rosenthal" quickly headed towards the Third Music Room after getting directions from a student. He gently pushed open the ornate pink doors and was met with the usual swirl of red rose petals.

"What, it's just a guy," Hikaru pouted. Curiously enough, Kaoru wasn't there to pout with his brother, he sat alone at a nearby tea table

"Is Mika here?" the visitor questioned.

Kaoru didn't spare the man a glance, but his eyes narrowed. The other host club members, alarmed to hear Mika's name, turned their eyes toward the speaker.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Rosenthal, Asami-san is not here at the moment," Kyoya said in his usual monotone, save the slight emphasis he had put on the "Asami."

"Oh, is that so, well—" Mr. Rosenthal was suddenly interrupted by a very confused voice.

"Shin?"

All eight people in the room looked in the direction of the voice; they were met with a pair of gleaming lilac eyes.

Mika.


Read/Review please, I'd really like some feedback since I just picked the story up again. It's been a while since I've obsessed over OHSHC, so I fear I might be a bit out of touch with the character personalities and such...it's also been a while since I've read my own fanfic, so please tell me if I've missed anything or messed something up.