akagami hime chan : Haha yeah. There's a lot going on there XD but it will keep progressing. Hope you keep enjoying it.
Thank you all for the favs, follows, and reviews!
Check out Pinterest links on my profile page for character stuff. I'll be adding some stuff on there here and there. (I will let you know when there are new things)
Enjoy!
Chapter 11
Shared Secret
(Aiden's POV)
For once, in a long time, I was early to class and had arrived before my three friends. Some of the girls had greeted me but they didn't stay for a full conversation. I was lost in deep thought with my hand resting on top of my palm. I was thinking back to yesterday when I had been kicked out of the apartment because I had called in sick to school. Of course, it was only until Adrian was with me that we could go back. This only made me feel uneasy. I was painfully aware of how easily I could be thrown out.
But I don't know how much longer I can… I stopped myself from thinking about it. I shouldn't dwell on that. I had to focus on staying here for my brother. Why was it so hard? Yesterday, my body had decided to be against me. I suppose that everything that had happened to me was finally catching up. Yet, I refused to go down without a fight. I would continue to bury everything deep inside me.
"Which one are you this time?" I heard Hikaru's voice whisper in my ear. This had caused me to jump in my sit, my mind coming out of my thoughts. I turned to look at him, his face was close time mine as he leaned down to my level.
"Hikaru, you are in my personal space again," I told him, sending him a look to back away from me.
He laughed, stepping away, "Glad you're back. How are you feeling?"
"... Fine," my eyes wandered around the room, "Where's Kaoru?" I turned back to look at Hikaru who frowned at me. "You're like never apart," I told him, "It's kind of weird not seeing you two together. By the way," I pointed at his blue hair, "Loving the hair." In the corner of my eyes, I saw Haruhi entering the classroom with Kaoru as they talked to each other. "Kaoru has pink hair, huh?" I let out.
I was already aware that they had colored their hair yesterday. They had swapped colors today. But I couldn't let them know that. I wasn't supposed to know. Or at least, Hikaru would find it weird if I knew. Maybe I was thinking about it too much.
I turned back to look at Hikaru that was still frowning, "Now you are just making it way too easy for me to tell you both apart."
"Somehow," he started as he turned away to look at our friends walking towards us, "I feel like you will never get it wrong." I felt a sort of warmth in my chest from his words. Somehow, they had meant a great deal to me. It was like he was putting his faith in me. That he trusted me.
"It's nice to see you smiling, Adrian," Haruhi said as she stood in front of me with a smile on her face. I was stunned to find out that I had just been smiling. I didn't even realize it. Her smile widened, "Good morning."
I nodded at her, "Morning."
"Is your friend's girlfriend feeling better?" she asked me.
Aw crap. I had completely forgotten about Adrian's idea of making a new 'me'. My identity as a girl was now 'Ai' and somehow I had gotten myself in a relationship with 'Aiden' aka me or my brother depending who is pretending to be Aiden.
I groaned, letting my head hit the desk, "She's fine." But I won't be if people keep asking me about all this.
"Did something happen?" Kaoru asked me, seeming concerned.
I lifted my head off my desk to look at him, "No. But talking about their relationship just… Confuses me. I'd rather not." I was saved by the teacher walking in to start the day. Haruhi shifted to her seat in front of me while the twins sat on either side of me.
XXX
Another day at the host club. I was once again asked to seat with the twins as it had been requested of us. I was sitting on some chairs with the girls as the twins were standing in front of us.
"Time to play 'Which of us is Hikaru?' game," they said in unison, up to their old game.
The girl on my left lifted up her hand to say, "I know. The one with the pink hair is Hikaru."
"We have a winner," they said to her, as they hugged each other. I had to bit my tongue at their lie. I sent them a look that I was not pleased with them.
The long-haired brunette on the couch asked, "So, are you two going to keep your wild hair color even though you've made up? It's much easier to tell the two of you apart now."
I snorted, muttering under my breath, "Not if they keep lying when someone is wrong." I felt eyes on me. I looked away from them, heat in my cheeks at being caught. I shouldn't have said that out loud.
"What do you mean, Yukimura-san?" the girl on my left asked me.
I sighed, "Today, Hikaru's hair is blue, not pink." I looked at the two of them, "Sorry." I felt like I had spoiled their fun. But I still didn't like how they had lied. Maybe there was a reason I wasn't seeing.
"Wow!" I heard the girls say as they all looked at me with smiled and excited looks in their eyes.
"You are really close to them," the black haired one said.
"It's so amazing how you can easily tell them apart like that," the brunette said.
"I'm so jealous," the one on my left said, "I wish I could do it easily like you."
Then maybe you should stop seeing them as one entity here to entertain you and actually take the effort of getting to know them, pay real attention to them. I was surprised at my own thoughts.
I looked away, letting the next words fall from my lips, "It's important to me."
"What do you mean?" one of the girls asked me.
"Well," I started, "It's not like I am doing it to win something. It's important to me that they know that I can tell them apart because they aren't just amazing together but also individually." Why did I have to say something so embarrassing like that? I didn't dare look up.
"Oh, Yukimura-san," I heard a girl say as if close to tears, "That is so beautiful."
"Yukimura-san is really a tsundere like his friend told us."
My back straightened up, "I am not!" My face must have been a deep shade of red. "Gah!" I let out, bringing my hands to cover up my face.
"So cute~!"
"I want Yukimura-san to end up with one of them even more now!"
"Me too!"
"It would make me melt!"
Why do they insist on shipping me with them?!
"Does anyone else think that Yukimura-san is adorable blushing like that?"
"Yes! He is totally adorable!"
"He is so enigmatic and with his tsundere added character it's even better!"
"I am NOT a tsundere!" I finally yelled, getting up to go head myself in the other room inside the music room. I hated my brother so much for putting that in their minds. Ugh. Now it seemed like I was stuck with it. I leaned my back against the wall, telling myself to take deep breaths. I closed my eyes to keep myself from boiling over.
"Somebody couldn't get out of there fast enough," I heard Hikaru's voice say after he opened and closed the door.
"Not in the mood, Hikaru," I warned him.
"It's Kaoru."
"Ha," I faked a laugh, "And I'm the Easter Bunny."
I heard him chuckle, "Couldn't even fool you now, huh?"
"Nope."
I heard his footsteps coming closer before stopping a foot away, "They bothered you that much?"
"No," I said as I opened my eyes, "It bothers me that I was painted as a tsundere. I'm not that hostile and cold, am I?"
He looked at me in amusement, "You don't exactly scream cheerful and warm."
I glared at him, "That's not funny." He laughed at me, causing me to frown at him. "It really isn't funny, Hikaru!" I shouted at him, making him stop laughing. I was stunned I had gotten so angry and took it out on him. I turned away, "Sorry. I..." I felt so guilty to have yelled at him like that.
"Are you really dating him?"
My eyes shot up from the sudden question, "What?"
"Aiden. Are you dating him?" he asked me. He had a serious face on.
"Uh," I let out, "No. He just said that to cover my real identity. No one can find out." I hadn't really realized how tense he was until his body seemed to relax.
"Good," he said, looking away, "I really don't like that guy." This time it was my turn to laugh. He turned his head to look at me, his expression only making me laugh even harder.
"S-stop… looking… at me…" I said between breaths. My body slid down the wall, arms clenched around my middle. My sides were beginning to hurt. Why had I found that so funny? Because was meant to be me in disguise. And then my brother took that persona over. It was funny because he disliked me and my brother as Aiden. I couldn't help myself at the absurdity of it all.
"..." Hikaru was still looking down at me with a look of astonishment. It was as if he weren't sure what he was seeing.
I had to rub at my eyes to dry the tears of laughter that were falling down my cheeks. Why was it that when I was around Hikaru I was either crying or laughing? He just had that kind of effect on me. It was strange but to me, I saw Hikaru as my best friend. I kind of wonder what he would say if I told him that.
"Sorry," I was finally able to say without laughing, having calmed down, "I don't like the guy either."
I bit my lip in an attempt to not start laughing again. It was probably not in the same way as Hikaru. I disliked 'Aiden' because he was a fake persona. It was everything that was wrong with my life. I wasn't allowed to be my real self. No matter what. Even if I hadn't taken Adrian's place at Ouran, I would have still been forced to be someone I am not. I hated what 'Aiden' stood for. I guess I was grateful to my brother to have given me a separate identity. As 'Ai', I could be myself. Who that may be.
"Is everything okay in here?" Kaoru asked as he walked into the room. He looked between the two of us, "Okay. Is someone going to tell me what is going on?" Hikaru and I exchanged a glance. Kaoru frowned at us, "Are you keeping secrets from me?"
"Don't be upset with Hikaru," I said, standing up as I dusted myself, "I made him promise not to tell anyone."
Kaoru suddenly smiled at us, "Oh. I see. That's okay then. I'm surprised he hasn't told me. He usually tells me everything."
"Kaoru," he said his brother's name with pink cheeks.
I turned to Hikaru, "Is it bothering you? Keeping it from your brother?"
He looked at me for a second before looking away, "It doesn't matter. I promised…" I glanced at Kaoru. I honestly felt bad for making Hikaru keep this from his brother. They were really close siblings. I didn't want Hikaru to have to keep hiding this from him.
"If you trust your brother, then so do I," I said before looking at his bewildered expression. I turned back to Kaoru, "But first, you have to promise me the same thing. That you will not tell another soul my secret."
Kaoru looked at his brother as if to ask him if it was okay that I tell him my secret. I shrugged that off. He turned to me with a smile, "I promise. My brother and I will keep your secret as if our lives depend on it."
That was the moment that Kaoru was made aware that I was a girl taking my twin brother's place at Ouran. I made sure to say it in hushed whispers so no one that would be eavesdropping could hear us. If this secret was let out… I didn't want to think about what would happen. I was putting all my faith and trust in the 'devil twins'. Little did I know, that this shared secret was only the beginning of our story.
