Sorry for such a long update!
I've been busy with a bunch of stuff, as well as writing a new story… The title is I'm Me; it's about Clare Edwards in the TV show Degrassi.
I think I've hit writer's block. It really sucks… but please bear with me!
But anyways, I hope that people are still reading this! Please read and review!
-x-
Last time on To See the World…
Kyoya blinked his eyes several times. How could he explain what he had felt when she had been asleep in the hospital? The sounds and the blinking machines, the oxygen tanks, the blood bags, the doctors' scrambling: he felt uncomfortable. He couldn't explain how he felt, why he was in the room, or why he stayed with her. "Hn."
Aiko looked down at her hands, dejected by his response. "Thanks for the outing. I really did appreciate it. I had fun while it lasted." She looked up at him and smiled.
Kyoya sat down on the chair and smiled at Aiko. "Do you want to continue our game?"
-x-
The next morning, Aiko woke up listening to the sounds of the beeping and blinking machines.
She cocked her head to the side and saw a young man sleeping on a chair. She smiled and chuckled at the man.
"He actually stayed all night?" Aiko murmured, putting a hand on the top of his head and ruffled his hair gently.
The young man stirred in his sleep and, waking up, slowly pulled himself into a normal sitting position. "What time is it?" He muttered, rubbing his eyes and putting on his glasses.
"It's pretty early for you."
He looked up at Aiko. "You slept well?" He looked at all the machines. "I wouldn't be able to get any sleep with machines beeping and needles poking in me."
She nodded. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm used to these sorts of things." She looked at him. "The question is if you got a good sleep. I'm pretty sure sleeping like that is very uncomfortable." She smiled at him. "Thanks for staying with me last night. I really do appreciate it."
-x-
Twenty minutes later, Kazuma walked into the room and saw Kyoya and Aiko conversing. "You're all set Aiko, you can go home now." He walked to Aiko and checked her vitals. "I didn't intend on keeping you overnight," he admitted, marking something on a clipboard, "But it looks like you are doing much better now that I have."
Two nurses came in and started switching off machines and taking out needles. Aiko relaxed in the bed and closed her eyes.
"Aiko, I'm going to ask you to wear an oxygen mask when you go to sleep every night. Your lungs aren't working as well as I would like them too. It would be optimal if you wear it all the time, but I know that that isn't possible for you."
Aiko looked at Kazuma. "Thank you very much for taking care of me."
Kazuma walked to Aiko and put his hand on her shoulder. "You know that you're always welcome here. You can ask me for help anytime."
-x-
An hour later, Kyoya and Aiko were in the car together driving to Aiko's city apartment.
"I really appreciate you staying with me. Thanks for everything." Aiko said, looking at Kyoya. "I had a lot of fun yesterday afternoon, and I'm really sorry for ruining it."
Kyoya moved his eyes from the window to look at Aiko. "You don't need to apologize to me. Whatever occurred has already happened, so there's no changing it. You don't need to worry about it. Besides, while you were sleeping, I got some paperwork done in the offices."
Aiko chortled. "In the end, you still end up focusing on work. I'm not surprised." She crossed her arms.
The two sat in silence while the car was in motion. Aiko leaned against the side of the car and looked at the city view. Within minutes, the car was at the apartment. The driver came out of his side and went to open Aiko's door.
Aiko walked slowly out with the oxygen mask. "Thanks for the ride." She started walking slowly up to the door.
She was ready to put the keycard into the door when a hand swooped by and opened the door for her. "I don't think it's safe for an injured young woman like you to go back home yourself."
Aiko scoffed. "You think I'm not capable? I'm not injured, I just have an oxygen tank to carry, and it's not a big deal." She walked inside the building and Kyoya followed.
The two walked up to the elevator and Aiko pushed the button. "Thanks Kyoya, I can take it from here. I'll see you later?" She smiled at him.
Kyoya smiled back and patted her shoulder. "Call me if you need to talk." He turned around and walked out the door.
The elevator opened and Aiko walked in. When the elevator closed, Aiko heaved a big sigh and put her hand on her heart.
Her heart was beating faster than ever. And for the first time, she wasn't in pain.
-x-
When Kyoya arrived at home, he went up to his office to see Tamaki sitting in his chair.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Haruhi?" Kyoya irately questioned, physically forcing Tamaki out of the chair.
"I thought you would be here! And I wanted to visit my favorite mommy in the whole wide world!" Tamaki stood up and opened his arms out wide, wanting to hug Kyoya.
Kyoya pushed him aside. "No one can take you seriously if you keep on acting like that."
Tamaki put his arms down and walked over to Kyoya who was sitting at his desk. "I looked through your computer. I've noticed that you have lots of pictures of a certain girl." He turned the laptop screen in Kyoya's direction. "Where did you get these pictures?"
In one quick motion, Kyoya leaned over and shut the computer. "People."
Tamaki smiled and nodded. "So you've been busy."
"Yeah."
"I heard that you went to see Aiko."
"Yeah, I did." He stared at Tamaki who was attempting to make a sexy pose on Kyoya's desk. "Now get off my desk before you ruin all my papers."
Tamaki refused to get off. "You know you like it Mommy." He laughed and went into a normal sitting position, his legs dangling of the desk. "So what did you learn about Aiko?"
"I learned that she only has a father; her mother died when she was little. She and her sisters have names with a '-ko' ending since her mother used to like it. She enjoys eating strawberries and loves to eat cake."
"So you've learned a lot about her."
He snorted. "I guess so."
Tamaki eyed Kyoya carefully. "And I'm guessing that you're in love with this girl?"
Kyoya opened his laptop and looked at Aiko's picture. "I guess I am."
-x-
Meanwhile, Aiko was sitting on her couch in her apartment thinking about Kyoya.
'He couldn't possibly like me…' She started twiddling her fingers.
"No," she muttered, "He couldn't like a girl who's always attached to an oxygen tank and IV. It's not possible."
-x-
The weekend passed by and when Monday came along Aiko was trying to hide from Kyoya.
Before entering the classroom, she would look to find Kyoya and when the coast was clear, she was slowly start to walk in and glide over to her seat.
Kyoya noticed her strange behavior and smirked every time Aiko tried to sneak into a classroom.
'Last period—I can do this. I've haven't seen him all day…' Aiko thought, looking around the corridors. She took one step into her history class and a large arm stopped her from entering.
"Where do you think you're going?"
She looked behind. 'Shit! It's Kyoya!'
"Kyoya…" She started blushing. "I…"
"Why are you still avoiding me? I thought that we were friends." He moved his arm and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Are you feeling all right?" His face looked solemn.
Aiko pushed him away. "Of course I'm fine! If I wasn't, then why would I even be here in school?" Her face started turning pink. "Stop trying to follow me!" She charged into the classroom.
-x-
The whole week, Aiko tried to avoid Kyoya.
'It's too hard to avoid him…' She looked down the empty hallway. 'I can't stay here; he and his friends will come here to go to their host club.' She started walking backwards until she bumped into someone.
"Oops! I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to bump into you!" Aiko looked to see Tamaki offering Aiko a hand.
"Suou-san, I'm so sorry!" She straightened out the bottom of her dress. She looked to see the whole group behind him. She walked in the opposite direction until a hand came to grab her.
"Come. Stay."
She looked to see Kyoya looking straight at her. "Fine." She walked towards Kyoya. "I'll stay for today."
Honey ran over to Aiko! "Yay! Now I get to eat cakes with Ai-chan! Kyoya said that we got all these new strawberry cakes!"
Aiko giggled and grabbed Honey's hand and started running down the hallway with him. She looked back and smiled at Kyoya.
Tamaki walked by Kyoya and put a hand on his shoulder before walking with Haruhi and entering the club room.
-x-
The whole time Aiko had so much fun. She spent two hours laughing, eating and joking around. She met new people and had actually started to like the Host Club.
At the end of the day Aiko walked up to Kyoya. "Thanks for inviting me. I had a great time!" She went to his side and entwined her hand in his. She went to his ear and whispered, "And thanks for the delicious cake. It was amazing!"
Kyoya looked at her smiling visage and smiled back. "I'm glad you had a great time. You looked more carefree than you normally are which is good."
She laughed. "Yeah, I kind of noticed. I feel different now." She stopped smiling and started to cough.
"Careful, don't wear yourself out." He walked to the back room and put away his clipboard. "Want me to drive you home?"
Aiko nodded. "That would be great."
-x-
While in the car, Aiko slipped a pill into her mouth and gulped a mouthful of water. "It is past five o'clock, I have to take my medication." She put the water bottle and pill bottle away.
She looked at Kyoya-he was giving her a strange look. "What's wrong?"
"I don't understand."
She smiled. "What don't you understand?"
He clasped his hands together. "I don't understand how normally you are so stoic and stiff at school yet now you're so carefree and nonchalant. It's like there's two different personalities in you."
She stopped smiling and looked at Kyoya. "You should understand. You're exactly the same! You're nice one day and cold the next. You act like a certain person when you're in front of your friends and another when you're in front of your father or anyone important. It's the way we work." Her voice lowered and became harsher.
"However, I know exactly who I am, do you?"
Aiko's eyes widened. "Driver," she shouted, "Drop me off here."
Aiko took her bag and purse and opened the door. "Thanks, but no thanks." She walked away and didn't look back.
-x-
'Shit, I just ruined it, didn't I?' Kyoya thought while doing his homework. 'I shouldn't have said that.'
He looked at his screensaver and saw a collage of pictures of Aiko and him when they went out for ice cream.
The phone suddenly rang and the name 'Aiko' popped up on the caller ID; Kyoya quickly picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi Kyoya-kun."
Kyoya couldn't recognize the voice. "Who is this?"
"This is Itsuko, Aiko's sister. You must remember me from the shopping mall and from the social."
"Sure."
"Well I wanted to ask you out to a date tomorrow afternoon. You and me out at the newest chic French bistro at four o'clock."
"How come you're using Aiko's phone?"
"Because," she paused. "I knew that if I called you with my phone, you wouldn't pick it up. You must be in love with my sister; you answered it right after the first ring!"
Kyoya cleared his throat. "I do that with all phone calls, regardless of the caller."
"Look," she started to say, "I know that you and my sister like each other. But there's a little issue with that… she's supposed to be with Suoh-san, not you. She's just using you; she's putting out her charms to get to you since you're Suoh-san's right hand man."
Kyoya rolled his eyes. "What are you talking about? Aiko wouldn't do anything like that."
"You have to admit that she is pretty clever. Poor Aiko with her weak heart. She doesn't look like the boy-snatching type. People think she's too fragile for something like that. But I know better since I'm her sister. So I'm saving you from her. Go out with me instead."
"Kyoya scowled at the phone. "I don't know what to say." This was not the Aiko he knew.
"You and me tomorrow afternoon at the French bistro. I'll see you then." Itsuko hung up the phone.
Kyoya put down the phone and clasped his hands together. 'Aiko would never do something like that… would she? '
-x-
"Oh Fuyuko!" Itsuko started in a sing-song tune, "I need your help!" she continued singing.
Fuyuko opened her bedroom door. "What's up?"
Itsuko clapped her hands together. "Oh I don't know… Maybe I need your help for preparing for my date with Kyoya-kun tomorrow!"
"You what?" Fuyuko turned her head to the side in confusion. "I don't understand."
"Oh come on Fuyuko! Use your brain for once!" Itsuko shouted. "I," she pointed at herself, "have a date with Ootori Kyoya tomorrow at the new French bistro that just opened last week!"
"But isn't Kyoya-san," Fuyuko said slowly, "Aiko's friend?"
"Oh puh-lease!" Itsuko put her hand on Fuyuko's shoulder. "They aren't a thing yet, and besides… I'm just helping Ai-chan, our darling little sister, get Suoh-san. Kyoya is nothing more than a distraction for her."
Fuyuko smiled. "Well, if it's to help our little sister, why don't we get you all pretty for your date tomorrow!"
Itsuko grinned and sauntered off in Fuyuko's room. "Make sure you shut the door. We don't want any little pests walking into your room, do we?"
-x-
Aiko walked into her room and started on her homework. She was replaying the events that had occurred in the car earlier in the evening and frowned about it.
What if Kyoya figured out what she was trying to do?
At first, yes she had to admit that she was only attracted to him because of what her father wanted to do. But afterwards, she realized that she was slowly falling in love with him.
And she didn't want to ruin it.
If Kyoya found out now, their friendship would be destroyed.
But she couldn't tell her father that she couldn't get together with Tamaki, because then her relationship with her father would be destroyed as well.
Aiko's eyes became blurry as tears started streaming down her face and onto her Japanese history paper.
But she didn't care anymore. Kyoya was right.
Kyoya was always right about everything, and the minute he found out the real truth, he wouldn't want to talk to her ever again.
-x-
On Friday, Aiko walked over to the nurse's office and waited for Kyoya to show up.
When he didn't, she looked for him in the cafeteria and still couldn't find him.
Therefore, after school when she saw him walking towards his car, she immediately followed him.
She followed him all the way to the French bistro. 'Why would he be here?'
Aiko quietly got out of her car without Kyoya knowing and followed him to the bistro.
'Oh my god.' She looked and saw Itsuko in a dress sitting on a table waving at Kyoya. 'No!' She stared as Kyoya nodded back at her and sat down across from Itsuko.
"I'm so glad you came! I thought that you wouldn't show!"
"I had stuff to do, but I wouldn't miss a chance to be with Aiko's sister."
Itsuko giggled. "You're only hanging out with me because I'm Aiko's sister? I thought it would because I'm pretty and have beautiful eyes." She said flirtatiously.
"Of course you do." He put his hand through his hair. "But I'm not here to socialize with you. I'm here to find out the truth about Aiko."
Aiko couldn't make out what they were saying; she tried to listen to their conversation but she couldn't hear anything, and she was too afraid to try and get any closer. Her heart was pounding furiously and tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.
She dashed away from the bistro and leapt back into the car.
-x-
'Itsuko and Kyoya? That's not possible…' Aiko put her hands to her face. "It can't be possible," she whispered to herself, "it's not…"
Once she arrived at her house she immediately bumped into Shizuo.
"I'm so sorry Nii-san!" She picked up her bags. "I didn't mean to."
Shizuo got up and scratched the top of his head. "I thought you were supposed to be with Kyoya today."
She shook her head. "That's Itsuko."
"Huh. I heard from her that she wants to steal Kyoya from you. So she's telling him everything."
She gasped and her mouth gaped open. "Everything?"
Shizuo nodded. "I could be wrong, but Fuyuko told me too."
Aiko sniffled. "Thanks. I really appreciate your telling me this." She got out of the way and hurried upstairs.
If Kyoya knew the truth—the whole truth—then she would be screwed. And Kyoya would never be able to forgive her.
-x-
Aiko sat down at her desk and started doing her homework. She tried to resist the urge to pick up the phone and call Kyoya; she didn't want to seem too concerned.
She continued her homework until the phone rang.
-x-
Ooh… And the chapter ends here!
So I promise that I will try to update—but I've been so busy with stuff and other projects that I've been working on, I haven't been able to update.
Kudos to my beta for sticking with me!
Please read and enjoy! I hope that even though it's a late update, I still have faithful readers! (: