A/N: Thank you everyone for your support! Here's the next chapter!
Chapter 10
Summer in Bunkyo was greeted with another really hot weather. The hosts settled into their own routine upon returning from Karuizawa. Haruhi managed to send all the hosts home and leave her alone to have some peace for the rest of the summer.
Tamaki requested to help his father with his work during the summer; his father agreed after much persuasion. It was not because he didn't want to but he knew his son's flamboyant behavior will cause quite a ruckus. While Hani and Mori went back to more training, the twins ventured into fashion designing and slacking. Kyoya on the other hand, worked on his businesses outside the host club.
Yuri went back to the book store just like any summer for the past years. It was a sunny week day when Tamaki and Kyoya found Yuri dusting the top of the bookshelves in a commoner bookstore. She was wearing a grey apron over her black jeans with a huge 'Ain't going down' at the back of her pale pink t-shirt.
"Morning, Yuri!" greeted Tamaki all of the sudden from the bottom of the ladder she was on. Kyoya immediately hit Tamaki on his head for his foolish action. Surprised but the sudden loudness Yuri staggered a bit, "Woah!"
"Yuri, be careful!" cried a lady from the other side of the bookshelf.
"I'm alright," laughed Yuri nervously. She looked down to find her senpais looking up.
"Senpai?" She climbed down from the ladder.
"Sorry, Yuri!" apologized Tamaki sheepishly. Yuri shushed at Tamaki's loud voice.
"No, it's ok. I got that a lot from the kids. Is there anything you need from the book store?" asked Yuri tilting her head.
"This idiot wants to take a look at how regular, common book store looks like," said Kyoya with affection though sounding irritated.
"Hello," said a voice who called out to Yuri previously.
"Oh! Senpais, this is the manager of this book store, Yuuko-san," said Yuri introducing a lady around her late twenties. Tamaki jumped into his host mode and greeted the lady manager sending her swooning her way to the counter.
"Senpai, please refrain from your perverse fetish," reprimanded Yuri. Tamaki immediately shunned himself at a corner.
"Mummy! Mummy! Look! Look! There's a weirdo rotting here!" cried a young boy pointing at Tamaki excitedly. The mother, suspecting Tamaki being some weird pedophile dragged her son away hurriedly.
"Tamaki-senpai! You're chasing the customers away. Please, stop sulking. I'll buy you coffee during break, kay?" coaxed Yuri quietly.
Tamaki bounced out of his stupor and hugged Yuri. He said in a hushed tone, "Oh! My daughter is so sweet! But I'm so sorry! I have a meeting to attend with my father later after lunch so I have to return early! Kyoya can make it though! Right Kyoya?"
Kyoya did not reply, instead he asked, "Is there a different between the two sections?"
"Oh yes, this is the rental section. The sale section is at the other side. Are you searching for any particular book?" asked Yuri.
Tamaki broke into a rant about books that he read in France but could not be found in Japan. Yuri chuckled before raising her hand to stop his rant.
"The good thing about the rental section is that it consists secondhand book from many different countries and it covers various different topics. Though it may be old and dispersed but you might find some little treasure in here," explained Yuri walking to a certain bookshelf.
"This shelf may have what you are searching for. I still have other matters to attend so you guys help yourselves, okay?" Both Kyoya and Tamaki nodded and Yuri left them on their own.
While both of the boys look through the books arranged neatly on the shelf, Tamaki asked, "Did you know she was working here?"
"No. I knew she was working part time, but I didn't know where," answered Kyoya curtly.
~break~
Yuri's break came after a while. She excused herself from her manager before searching for the senpais in the bookstore. She found Kyoya sitting at a corner reading a book titled 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and Tamaki nowhere to be found. He was so engrossed in the book he failed to notice an approaching Yuri. She gently tapped on his shoulder, "Senpai, it's lunch time. Wanna grab something to eat?"
Kyoya looked up from his book and nodded. "I want to borrow this," he said closing the book in his hand. Yuri brought Kyoya to the counter and helped him with the member registration and checking out the book.
They decided to eat somewhere nearby since Yuri's break was only 45 minutes long. They went into a quiet coffee shop at the corner of the street and took a seat at booth. A waitress came and greeted them cheerfully while attempting to flirt with Kyoya.
"Good afternnon, I'm at your service today. How may I help you?" she asked winking at Kyoya. Yuri held back a laugh while Kyoya brushed the waitress off. When the waitress was away from the hearing distance, she laughed, "Senpai, you do attract a lot of girls, don't you?"
"I can't help it when I'm born with such good looking features, can I?" smirked Kyoya.
"So full of yourself. The sandwiches here are nice, you might wanna try some," recommended Yuri.
"It's appreciating my talent, Yuri. I think I'll try the toasted sandwich with salmon and cheese."
"Keep telling yourself that and it might just come true one day. Good choice on the sandwich though," said Yuri putting up her hand to call the waitress. When they placed their orders, the waitress could not stop grinning and ogling Kyoya.
When they were done, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No," answered Kyoya before looking away. The waitress walked away with a dejected expression. Yuri pitied the poor girl who just got rejected coldly. "Poor girl. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes. Not in a million years."
Yuri looked at Kyoya who was staring at the street, particularly a woman with two kids in her hand. They were laughing happily. Out of the sudden randomness she asked, "So Kyoya-senpai, why is it after all this time I still know next to nothing about your family?" It was true. She knew all about the rest of the hosts' family (courtesy of Kyoya's research) but she never had the chance to find out about Kyoya's family.
"Because there's really nothing for you to know about my family, at least nothing that should be of interest to you."
"Well, considering that you help me twice in a critical situation and you knew everything about me and my life that seems to be a little bit unfair, don't you think?"
"That's a very intriguing notion in its own way."
They were interrupted by the same waitress who brought their coffees. The aroma of the caffeinated drink filled their nose in a pleasant way. Kyoya took a sip carefully not to burn his tongue while Yuri placed her fingers gingerly on the cup, playing with it.
"Well, why don't you start with your brothers? I've never met them despite visiting your house quite frequent."
Kyoya looked at her before a distant look took over, "They all say that we're all fine young men, men that live the name of the Ohtori family. I can confidently tell you that I'm much superior than my brothers in terms of academics, business talents and appearances but with them ahead of me, I don't stand a chance of becoming family's patriarch. However, they are rather exceptional, enough so that my father puts a lot of stock in them. Though, as the third son, things work out a little differently for me. My father always put us into comparison. Since, my standing in the family is so, I will have to out shine my brothers considerably in order to impress him."
Yuri saw the expression that Kyoya carried when he was talking. At that very moment, he look so mature and old and… tired that it put Yuri wondering what kind of life that Kyoya has at home.
"I didn't realize there's so much pressure on you to succeed," said Yuri. She felt the need to be by his side and help him. She wanted to see him achieve what he aimed.
"Pressure? Oh no, Yuri. I can't think of nothing more fun than this."
"Fun? Can you explain?"
"You see, Yuri. The fun lies in the process of catching up with people who had the privilege to start first on a higher platform compare to myself. To manipulate and calculate every strategy that I need to take and will be taking, participating in the predicted outcome and plan the next strategy is challenging enough to keep me entertain. I am striving hard so that one day, I can see the surprised and livid expression on my father who belittled my abilities," explained Kyoya with his trademark smirk on his well-perfected façade.
"You'll be able to one day, senpai. Trust me," said Yuri smiling gently at Kyoya giving him an assurance that no one ever did. He smiled in return and they both looked out at the street filled with people in silence. The peaceful atmosphere was disrupted by a different waitress, "Pardon me, here are your sandwiches." She smiled at Kyoya and batted her eyelashes. Yuri put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm while she stared at the new waitress with beady eyes. The waitress turned to her and laid the food on the table without a word.
"Here's a serviette for you, handsome. You might find the other side interesting," she said winking and walked away. Kyoya turned the serviette and found a string of numbers with a name. He put it back down and slid it away.
"This will be the last time I'm coming here," he said picking up his fork and knife. Yuri snorted and commented, "You're not the only one, senpai." She picked up her fork and knife and proceeded with slicing the sandwich.
When they were done, Kyoya suggested a plan that surprised Yuri, "I've been talking to Tamaki and the rest. We would like to promote you as a hostess of the host club."
"What? You've got to be kidding me," said Yuri flabbergasted.
"No, I'm not. So are you in?" asked Kyoya taking a sip of his coffee.
"I have other clubs to attend to you know."
"You don't have to be there every day. You can come on days where you have no club activities."
"But I like being yo… an assistant," said Yuri nearly slipped on her words.
"Let's arrange it this way. On days you don't have club activities, you can do your administration work on the first half and host on the second half. Yuri, just say 'yes' or Tamaki will never let both of us live it down," sighed Kyoya rubbing his temple.
"Okay, okay. But hosting will not be my priority," said Yuri sternly.
"Well, that's a deal."
Yuri huffed and pondered on what she has gotten herself further into.
A/N: Please Read & Review
