Well, this one is a bit sad again, but the next chapters will be a bit more light-hearted. ^^ And yes, sometimes I too wanna slap my characters or strangle them. By the end of the story you will definitely be hating both her mother and father. lol I think I'm making this story into a really tragic drama now. Oh, and about gifts, I need help with that! The party will be in just a few chapters, and I'd be grateful for some ideas as to what they could be. Shadowess had already mentioned a few, but if you guys want more gifts that you think would make Akira happy, just write them in the review! ^^ Thanks'!
Akira entered the Host Club, her usual smile on her face, as she hoped she was not too late. Well, the possibility of them mentioning Akira was not that high, actually, but it still was there and she feared it could turn into a catastrophe. No one was supposed to know about the real situation in the Heishi family. Her father had gone to great lengths to keep everything well covered up in order to protect his wife, who was too fragile to accept the truth and one thing was absolute – no one was to know about it.
As Akira went in, her sudden appearance shocked the poor Host Club, as all of them turned to the sound of the creaking door. She widened her smile and waved at them, "Hi, everyone!"
Tamaki literally froze in place and she could see him crumble away. Her mother seemed shocked and confused as she stared at her so called son. Kyoya was the one who walked up to her first, pushing his glasses up.
"I see. Was that your plan B - spying on your own mother?" He asked, chuckling.
Akira smiled at him innocently, "Who says so? It's pure coincidence, I think."
She passed by him to greet her mother, who seemed to be lost as to what to do, as well as the other club members. Akira kissed her mother on the cheek and turned around to the Host Club members, "I'm sorry if I intruded, I can see you're all busy with something."
Sakura smiled confused, "Well, that..."
"It's okay," Akira turned to her mother, smiling. "I know I'm just in the way and I'll leave soon. I just had to speak to…" She paused, trying to decide to whom she could trust this particular secret. "…to Kyoya. Urgently. As soon as I'm done, I'll leave, so don't worry, you can have fun, just don't tire yourself out."
Akira smiled at her mother again and lady Sakura returned the smile. She then turned to Kyoya, who was staring at her almost curiously, "Can we talk, Kyoya, please?"
He nodded curtly and the two walked a bit away from the others, so that her mother could not hear them. Akira glanced at lady Sakura, who had now resumed her chatting with Honey about cakes, as it would seem. As if there was anything else that would make Honey's eyes tear up and glisten with glee.
Akira sighed and turned to Kyoya, appreciating the fact he was waiting patiently for her to start, "My mother is very important to me. She may not look like it, but she's very fragile."
Kyoya remained silent and merely nodded his head, his eyes watching her attentively.
"Well, to cut it short. I know you're planning something, probably for my birthday," Akira continued, but Kyoya interrupted her.
"Now why would you think so?"
"Look," she glowered at him slightly. "I don't care what it is, as long as my mother is happy. I don't have the right to take it away from her."
She glanced back at her mother sadly, who was now listening to the twins chatter. Akira stared at them for a moment, half listening to what they were speaking of. They seemed to be telling Sakura something about how they used to play together in their childhood.
She turned to Kyoya again, "I don't know how to say this..."
"Why don't you start from very beginning, then?" Kyoya suggested and pushed his glasses up in his usual manner.
Akira smiled somewhat sadly, "Heh, that would be a long story."
She let out a soft sigh and then added, "Just... do me one favor, please. When my mother is present, don't mention-"
Yet, she stopped in mid-sentence as suddenly the meaning of her mother's words reached her ears. While talking to Kyoya, she was half-listening to the conversation between her mother and the twins and now the words lady Sakura uttered had rang an alarm in Akira's head, "Oh! I always wanted to have twins! So wonderful, I think! I mean, Akito's older brother didn't have much time to play with him. It would have been better if he had a sibling his age. Oh, a twin would have been amazing!"
"Huh?" Hikaru and Kaoru exclaimed in unison, exchanging confused glances with each other.
With horror Akira watched the scene unfold in front of her, 'NO, NO, NO!!! I MUST do something!..'
She quickly spun around, her head spinning from all the possible implications the conversation could cause and Kyoya watched her slightly baffled by her sudden queer behavior. Meanwhile, Akira panicked, her mind lost as to what she should do, searching for any kind of an excuse to interrupt them, and the conversation went on.
"But didn't you already have them?" Tamaki asked confused, his brows knitting together.
Akira searched frantically around, for anything, ANYthing she could use.
"Yeah, Akito had..." Hikaru started and Kaoru continued. "Akira."
And then, Akira finally noticed Kyoya was holding a pen in his hands.
"Akira?" Meanwhile, her mother wondered confused.
"I'll borrow this!" Akira grabbed the pen out of Kyoya's hands and spun around to throw it. Now she was glad she took that martial arts course.
"Yes, his sis-OUCH!" Kaoru yelled out as the pen stuck his leg painfully as Akira threw it full force.
Not wasting the time, she ran towards him immediately as everyone leaned to the hurt Kaoru.
"Are you alright?" Lady Sakura asked worriedly.
"Yea..."
"OH MY GOD!" Akira skid to a stop in front of Kaoru. "Are you ok, Kaoru? Hikaru, why don't you take him to the sofa?"
"No, I'm ok!" Kaoru started saying, but Akira kicked him hard into his leg and he screamed in pain again. "Ouuch! Why..."
"See? Don't act all manly! If it hurts, it hurts!" Akira pushed him towards the couch gently. "Come on, Hikaru, help him out!"
Hikaru gave her a confused look, but nodded his head, understanding only that Akira wanted them gone. Now.
"Oh my, is he gonna be ok?" Sakura wondered and Akira turned to her with a smile, kicking the pen away with her shoe.
"Of course," she turned around to face her mother with a smile. "He's a strong boy."
Meanwhile, Tamaki rushed over to the twins fretting over what happened and Akira sighed with slight relief. Instead, she was joined by Honey and Mori, who came closer because of all the ruckus. 'Well, these two know how to keep quiet, I don't have to fear them saying something unnecessary.'
"Oh, that's right! The twins were telling me something…" Her mother knitted her brows thoughtfully. "Something about Akira… Hmm."
'Damn!' Akira cursed in her mind as she rushed to speak, fearing someone else might say something first.
"Akira?" She put on a tender smile. "Don't you remember her, mother? She was my friend in elementary school. A very cute girl."
"Really?" Her mother glanced at Akira thoughtfully. "I don't recall anyone by that name, though it does sound familiar to me."
Akira flinched at her mother's words, but masked it with another smile. 'Don't recall anyone... how about ME?'
"It was a long time ago," she said instead. "Forget it, mother."
Silence fell between them and Akira stole a glance at Honey and Mori, who kept quiet, though, without a doubt, they were slightly confused. Kyoya shifted beside her and she noticed he had his pen back in his hand. His eyes were gazing at her impassively, but Akira knew better.
"Say," she flashed another smile at her mother, knowing she needed to take her mind away from that name. "Have you seen the Garden already?"
"The Garden?" Sakura's eyes lit up immediately.
"Yes," Akira nodded, still smiling. "I heard there are roses even from England here. Would you like to see them?"
"Oh, yes! That would be so nice!" Her mother smiled widely and Akira knew the name that could have caused so much distress was already out of her head.
And so, Akira took her by her hand, "Let's go then, I'll show you around and then we'll come back real quickly."
Her mother nodded happily as a child and Akira led her away, casting a quick glance at the confused faces of the Ouran Host Club members.
Kyoya's POV
Akito went out with his mother and I followed them with my eyes, feeling rather confused. How come she said she doesn't know Akira? Isn't Akira Akito's sister and her deceased daughter? A very bad feeling was gnawing at me and I turned to Honey and Mori. They seemed to be as lost as I was.
"Wasn't Akira Akito's sister, Kyoya?" Honey asked me, his eyes without even a speck of the childishness he usually expressed.
I nodded my head quietly, my brains working full speed.
"Waah, he kicked me..." Meanwhile, Kaoru cried artificially on the shoulder of his brother and I glanced at them, knitting my brows in thought.
Apparently, Akito didn't want Kaoru to mention Akira in front of his mother for that was the moment he created all the ruckus. Huh?.. I recalled how Akito was asking something of me but he couldn't finish 'Don't mention...' Hmmmm... Akito's mother didn't even remember that name, but Akito had a twin sister by the name Akira. Sill, his mother said she always wanted to have twins so that Akito didn't grow up alone. But she HAD twins... Something was amiss here. What is it that I'm not seeing?.. I frowned slightly, thinking hard and going all over the facts until suddenly it dawned on me.
"Ah!" I gasped.
"Huh? What is it, Kyoya?" Honey looked up at me wonderingly and I shook my head.
It's impossible. No, but if I think about it that way, everything falls into its place. I shook my head again.
"Honey, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere, any of you."
Honey nodded and so I left towards the Garden, still feeling rather confused over the conclusion I had drawn. Yet, I knew I couldn't be wrong about this one, for it was the only logical explanation I could come up.
It took me only a few minutes to reach the Garden and then a few more to find Akito and his mother. The boy didn't notice me come and I halted, watching his profile. Somehow, he looked so hurt and so fragile.
"Oh, Akito, you know, I always wanted to have twins," his mother Sakura smiled enthusiastically and leaned towards a bush of roses, smelling their scent. "It would have been so wonderful, I'm sure I could tell them apart!"
"You did," Akito whispered in reply and I felt my heart quench as if something stung it.
"Huh?" The woman turned around to look at her son wonderingly.
Akito merely smiled at her gently, "Nothing, I just said it would have been fun to have a twin sibling."
"Yes, indeed," she smiled happily and turned to the roses again.
I glanced at Akito, my eyes narrowing on his facial expression. For once, he was not wearing his mask, his eyes betraying his sadness and his hurt. I could feel his pain almost physically. And I didn't know why, but I had a sudden urge to hug him, to simply take away all his pain and suffering... Instead, I came up to him, calling him quietly, "Akito."
He turned to me, smiling at me sadly. I kept quiet. I wasn't sure of what to say. I was not sure if there were any words to comfort him. I simply knew I needed to come.
Akito turned away to look at his mother, "It's been 8 years like this. She just... refuses to remember."
I looked at his painful expression. What could I say to him? What could I do for him?
Nothing.
I clenched my fists in anger of my uselessness. For the first time in my life I felt something slipping from my hands and I felt so helpless.
Akito turned to face me again, another smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "I... I think I'll go home for now. She'll want to continue with preparations for my birthday party, I'm sure. Please, don't...
"I understand," I interrupted him, wondering how he could still smile. It must have been hell for him. "I'll make sure your sister is not mentioned in the presence of your mother."
I stared at his hurt eyes as he nodded his head in gratitude, "Thank you."
He took a few steps towards his mother, "I'll say goodbye to her and later I'll take her back to the Host Club. Please, go back first."
"Yes," I replied quietly and watched him go to his mother.
I watched him smile at her and laugh lightly at something she said. As if nothing happened... I always thought my family was quite messed up… or Tamaki's… But his pain, his life... I can't imagine how he's been holding up till now. I really can't. Or is it, that time heals everything? Do you get used to things like this?
I have heard of people with partial amnesia before, but I had never met one. The death of her daughter must have shocked lady Sakura so much that she locked up all the memories inside her head. And Akito... He was only eight at that time. How much pain and suffering did this cause to him? Not only to lose your other half, but being unable to even mention her? I could not imagine this kind of pain. And for a moment, I tried to put myself into his shoes. If I had a twin sister and she died… and I couldn't even grieve for her… I closed my eyes and turned away, heading back to the Host Club, mixed feelings bubbling in my heart.
