Sorry for the long wait. We've been super busy with school and stuff.
Disclaimer: We do not own Host Club. It is purely the work of the ever so fabulous, Bisco Hatori-sensei! However, Anko and Keiko and all other characters not from the original story are ours.
Secret 14: Pain
Hunny backed away, returning to his senses. He dropped the kunai that was still in his hand and covered his mouth. Then he noticed the sticky liquid on them and his eyes filled with horror instantly as he saw the crimson beginning to stain. He swallowed hard and looked at the ground. Mori's life's blood was leaking out everywhere and staining the Earth. Hunny fell to his knees beside him.
"Takashi! Takashi!" he shouted at him. "Takashi, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" The tears fell from his eyes like a monsoon and he shook Mori's arm violently. "Wake up! Wake up! Takashi!!!" he screamed, suddenly overwhelmed with grief and disgusted with himself. The river of tears erupted and burst the dam of rage that had been holding them back. Along with the tears the sky opened up and mourned the loss of a gentle soul.
Above Hunny the rain disappeared and he looked up to see his driver holding an umbrella over him. "You must finish the task. You're father instructed me to make sure you completed the task. This lost was great, but necessary," the driver said softly and helped Hunny to his feet and back to his car. They pulled up to the hospital and parked the car. The driver took out a change of clothes and handed them to Hunny. "Musn't get suspicious."
Hunny nodded. He hadn't realized that his father had predicted something to go wrong and had left a change of clothes for him. He put them on quickly and cleared himself of all signs of grieving and walked in through the hospital doors. He remembered the way to Kaien's room. He had just over half an hour to get the poison into the IV. That was more than enough time. He knocked on the door.
Kaien looked over at the door and said, "Come in."
Hunny walked in, cute and happy looking as per usual. "Hello, Kaien-san!" he greeted with a huge grin and bounced over to sit by Kaien.
"Hello...uhm, what's your name again?" he asked with a raised brow. He looked familiar but the name slipped Kaien's mind.
"My friends call me, Hunny! ...I hope I'm not bothering you..." Hunny looked slightly bashful and pointed his fingers together as he cast his eyes downward. "I just thought that you'd like some company from other people."
"I don't mind, seeing some people outside of scrubs is nice. How's Keiko...? She kinda left here after a huge argument about leaving Ouran or not." he sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Where's the rest of your band of pretty boys?" he teased lightly, coughing a little since he had caught a tiny bug while being here.
"Hm, I don't know, Kei-chan hasn't been in school at all. Hikaru and Kaoru said that she left their house and haven't heard from her since. As for everyone else..." Hunny flinched noticeably, thinking about Mori, but continued on, "I don't know."
"She left!? To where!? She can't leave the damned psychos that hit me!" he blurted out. He had done a lot of research while he sat here and frankly nothing showed good signs of it being an accident. "Why'd she leave!? She was supposed to stay at Ouran and the Hitachin's!"
Hunny's ears perked up at the sound of Kaien's outbursts and became particularly interested while his face showed concern and shock, "I don't know why Kei-chan left, I thought she was going home to your father's house. What do you mean by the 'psychos'?"
He tensed a bit but looked to check the door is shut before he motioned Hunny to come closer. "I have a theory that the people that tried to hit Keiko were not just crazy drivers cause they made sure they hit at least one of us." he whispered. "I'm slowly remembering the license plate and the car but from what I've looked up, something fishy is going on."
Inside Hunny was a jumble of emotions. As he leaned in he took the syringe out of his pocket and held it, waiting for Kaien to look away so that he could slip the untraceable drug into the IV drip. "Why do you think that?" he urged on. "What did you find out?"
"Well," he looked around the room again to make sure no one was in before he had turned back to Hunny. "From what I've been checking, my father had some shady history with some group since I looked up stuff on him but things had not matched."
"Wow! Really?! Can you show me where you got this information?! Maybe you should get your laptop!" Hunny gasped in surprise. If he gets the laptop himself I can slip it in and in twenty minutes it should be in his bloodstream and take effect. He looked at Kaien, "Does Kei-chan know you've been looking this stuff up or what you think?"
He coughed a few times as he nodded and held a up a finger to signal one minute. He reached over to his bedside; the IV restrained him a bit so it it took a few minutes to get it and load it up. "I haven't told her just yet..." he had emailed her just after she left the room today since that is when he made the break through.
"Just yet?" Hunny asked, he seized the opportunity to slip in his drug as he spoke with great speed and stealth. "Does that mean you intend to tell her?"
"Well yeah, I mean they're probably still out there for whatever reason and I need to keep her safe." he said flatly. "She needs to be safe, that's all I care about, I mean wouldn't you do anything for the ones you care about? Even if it means taking a hit or two?"
Hunny looked at his lap and fought back tears, Mori haunting him. After becoming successful in hiding his grief he looked up again and responded, "Yes, that makes sense. So how will you tell her if she's fighting with you?"
"I'll find a way..." he said simply as a series of sever coughs racked his body. "Damn this cold is getting worse..."
"Let me get you some water," Hunny said and walked over to a pitcher. He watched Kaien from the corner of his eye and then at his watch.
"Thanks...." he coughed, his mouth blocked by his fist. "I found a way...." he said in a dry heave tone and drank the water. "Thanks man..." he grinned. "Ugh...can't wait to get out of her and just tackle Kei!" he sighed as he leaned back to lay down more, his body feeling far weaker at the moment.
"Ah, what way are you talking about?" Hunny asked, sitting back down.
"A sure fire way. I-" As he spoke, everything in his body slowly began to fail inside him and he turned to Hunny. "Tell Kei I'm sorry won't you." he mumbled, his heart rate spiked a bit before it suddenly dropped. He lay limp on his bed, pale and gone.
Hunny took a moment to smile at Kaien's dead body and as the nurses and doctors rushed in he put on a scared facade. "I don't know what happened!" he cried and a nurse told him to leave the room. He did so, taking Kaien's abandoned laptop with him and went out to his waiting car. He checked his watch again; the poison should be gone in three, two, one. Another man had entered the car and began going through the laptop, taking note of everything in it. A few hours later he snuck back into the room and left the laptop on the table it had been on before.
The doctors did all they could to revive but there was no response and they sighed heavilly. Her father was called first and he stood there in shock and begged the doctor to tell him that this was not true, that his beloved son is not gone but was sadly told againg taht nothingw as working and he was no longer with them. Tears slid from his eyes as he stood there, his mind numb. Without much thought, he dialed Keiko's number and told her the NEWS.
"Dear...I-I'm s-so sorry to tell you this but...but Kaien...." he choked a bit in his words. "He's gone..." Keiko froze at the words that were transmitted to her through the phone line and ran as fast as she can back to the Hitachiin residence for a car. Her phone held tight in her hand as she sped with speed she never knew she had. She banged on the door with her fist feverishly, calling out the names of her cousins.
Kaoru came around from the backyard, "Keiko! What's up?" he called as he ran towards her. "Hikaru, Anko! Keiko's here!"
"Take me to the hospital, now!" she demanded. "Please I beg of you! Take me to the hospital now!" She fell to her knees; her hands tightly clung to his sleeves as they slipped to the floor. "I need to go now!"
"Woah, woah! Calm down, Keiko. First off, how did you get here so fast and what's going on?" Kaoru said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Just take me to the hospital where Kaien is!" she plead loudly, not a shred of care for anything else. Her chest heaved violently which showed she literally ran from where ever she was. "I need to see Kaien now! I don't believe it-I can't!"
"Okay, okay, I'll get the car. Hikaru, Anko, stay here and take care of her," Kaoru yelled back, running off towards where the cars were and calling for their chauffeur. Anko sat her down and started talking to her while Hikaru stood like a statue, staring at the sky.
Keiko's nails scratched against the front steps as her fingers curled in tight fists,, gritting her teeth as she tried to hash out what ran through her mind at the moment. It just can't be! He can't be- She could not even think of it. You can't leave me! Not you too... she plead in her mind to an unknown being that this was some ultimate prank and that she would find him alright.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, we'll get going now," Anko said, pulling Keiko off the ground and bringing her towards the car when it pulls up. Hikaru lagged behind and got into the front seat with the driver. What's with him? Anko asked angrily in her head.
Keiko had not spoken another word, her hands gripped around her phone. Her knuckles were literally white from her grip and it was a miracle that her phone had not broke from the grip she had on it. Her bags had dropped from her at the front steps and she had not noticed Hikaru slipped to the front. Her eyes stung with tears but she dared not let anything slip. When they reached the hospital and the car was turning in, she yanked the door open and ran. Her heart raced like a war drum, her lungs burned with a need for air form all this running. She burst into the hospital and ran up to his room by the stairs, not caring to wait for an elevator.
Anko took Hikaru to the side and told Kaoru to go ahead. She pushed him back out of ear shot of others. "What's your problem?" she exclaimed. "Keiko's upset and everyone else is concerned. Stop being mad at her! So, what? She left to go home to her father and brother. That's no reason to be mad!" Hikaru looked at Anko, shocked. He knew he was being foolish, but couldn't help it. He looked away and she found his eyes. "You can't own a person, Hikaru. It's time that you shared. Come on," she looked at him with softer eyes now.
He looked slightly angry and replied, "What are you saying? I know I don't 'own' people!" He looked away from her, frustrated with his emotions once again.
"Hey," Anko said. Hikaru made to leave, but she grabbed hold of his arm, "Hikaru! Stop! Come on, why are you so upset that she left and I mean the real reason!"
Hikaru couldn't make himself leave, he thought hard and then he opened his mouth and closed it again. "...I don't know..." he admits.
Anko chuckled a bit, "Hey, it's not stupid! It's cute! It's totally understandable." She smiled at him, "You're so cute, Hikaru!" She kissed his cheek and stood up. "Well, let's join the others now." She held her hand out to him and he took it.
He put his arm around her and said, "Thanks, I'm glad you understand me."
"Good, 'cause I'm gonna be here for a long, long time." The two enter the building and make their way up to Kaien's room.
"Where's Kaien!?" she demanded, having run into the doctor. "What happened?! What went wrong?!" she snapped before she ran off to his room. She shoved the people that were there to take his body, along with her father.
"Wake up Kaien! Stop joking!" she screamed as she shook him but there was no response, his body was colder and not a slight breath came from him. She fell to her knees as tears streamed for her eyes as she begged for this not to be over and over again. The doctors tried to get closer but she shouted them back, not wanting them near him at all. Her heart was torn and the only hope she had was gone. She was nothing but a pain to her father, the killer of his beloved wife and darling son.
"Ke-Keiko...honey, it's alright," he croaked as he tried to mask his own tears. He knelt by her and placed a hand over hers as his own tears slipped from his restrain and stained his cheeks.
Anko and Hikaru came upon the scene to see Keiko in that state with Kaoru and Keiko's father grief stricken. They both added up the scene quickly and Hikaru went to his brother and held him. Anko stood on the outskirts, unsure of what to do. The scene was too familiar to her and she went away from it. She also wept, for Kaien and at the memories that she had to bear. She decided that once she was strong enough, she would go back in and try to comfort everyone.
Keiko was forced out of the room by her father with a good fight on her part. She finally gave in though and her tears kept falling like Nile during inundation. She did not know what to do but this all made no sense to her. He was doing just fine before and someone must have done something. "Who was the last to visit him?" she asked the nurse, her tears dried.
"Um, a small boy, he had blonde hair, he said he was a friend and your brother allowed him to come in," the nurse replied.
"Small blonde boy...Hunny Sempai!" she deduced easy and wondered why he would visit so randomly. She would have to ask him and the only way was to go back to Ouran. "I'm going back to Ouran..." she stated flatly. "I need to speak to Hunny and designating is the best way."
"Couldn't you just call him or go to his house?" Kaoru asked, coming out of the room now.
Hikaru nodded his head, "Why are you so concerned with Hunny?"
She shook her head lightly. "I don't want to talk to anyone right now...I might blame him and throttle him."
The two of them looked at her with quizzical expressions. They didn't quite get it and that's when Anko comes back in. "I got you all some tea. I thought it'd help," she says and holds out the tray, offering it to the four grief-stricken people. She shook her head and walked off, just not in the mood. She could not cry anymore and she did not want to. Her mind whirled with everything and she ended up punching a wall very hard.
"She's coming back to Ouran," Hikaru tells Anko as they watch Keiko walk away. "There's something about Hunny." Anko nodded, not really hearing the thing about Hunny.
"Keiko," her dad said, finding her all by herself. He looked tired, but kind
"Yeah...?" she mumbled lightly but had not turned to him.
"I'd like you to stay with your aunt again," he said, putting a hand on her back and holding her chin in his hand to look into her eyes.
"Why...?" she mumbled lightly. "Cause I screwed up your life completely?"
He was shocked, "What? I just wanted you to get away from the house for a while is all. Why do you think you screwed up my life?" Concern was in his eyes.
"Because I killed mom and I killed Kaien dad! If she settled for one kid she would be alive and Kaien wouldn't have thrown me out of the way of a car since he would have just dodged it!" she snapped a little, her guilt flooding from her.
"Oh, my dear, sweet girl! None of that was your fault," her father said, "You couldn't have predicted or prevented any of this. Don't blame yourself!" He wrapped his arms around her.
"How can't I, Dad!? She died due to complications 'cause she chose to give birth to both and Kaien came out first. If she hadn't, you know she'd still be here! And Kaien is smart enough not to just freeze when a car comes speeding!" she cried, a few tears forced from and flooded from her.
"Keiko, blaming yourself is wrong! These were choices that they each made, not you. The only thing you could do wrong is to spend your life blaming yourself. This is not the way they wanted it to be, Dear." He held her tightly, feeling a pang of guilt himself.
She hugged him tightly, her face buried into his chest as she tried to calm herself. "I-I'll go back...." she whispered as she pulled away slowly. "Kaien wanted me to attend, so I may as well go."
"That's my girl," he said and held her tightly. "I will send your things. I will call your aunt; go on with your cousins."
She pecked him on the cheek and hugged him tightly again before she headed back to the others. "I-I...I want to stay with you guys still...if that's okay...."
"Of course!" Kaoru said and hugged her. Hikaru nodded, "I'll get the car." Anko walked over and hugged Keiko.
She hugged them both tightly but hugged Hikaru as well before he walked off. "Thank you...." she mumbled and let him go get the car.
Keiko was welcomed by Hikaru and Kaoru's mother. On Friday she went back to school. She dressed in her usual guy uniform and was a dead zombie almost. Instead of the pants though, she wore a formal looking black skirt. "Keiko-san!" Tamaki called out and ran up to her. "Welcome back! May I do something for you?"
She looked up at him when he called her and smiled weakly. "Why would you want to do something for me?"
"Because, you're so sad, there must be something I can do for you. Even to make you feel the tiniest bit better?" Tamaki pleaded. "How about I buy you lunch or take you somewhere?" He smiled innocently at her. "By the way, you look lovely today."
Her stomach grumbled before she could speak, she could not eat at all and she never made herself lunch today. "I'm fine sempai, thanks for your concern though." she smiled lightly but is surprised by his comment. "Really? From the looks I'm getting and what I saw in the mirror, I look like pasty vampire that needs blood." she laughed.
Tamaki smiled, "You look perfectly fine to me," he said in his smoothest voice. His face turned serious. "I heard what happened. I'm sorry. From the small amount of time I knew him I could tell he was a good person. You are radiant for what you have been through."
She stiffened a bit at the mentioning and is glad she had barely any water in her to cry thought she found her eyes stung. "Y-yeah...." she mumbled lightly. "I-it was bound to happen one day anyway..." she reasoned off and stood. "Sh-shall we go to lunch? I'm sure the others are waiting for you...the twins went ahead with Anko and Haruhi…"
Tamaki's heart sank as he realized he shouldn't have said anything. He nodded and took her by the hand to lead her in. "You're a great guy too...." she said as she stopped him in front of the door. "You're amazing...the first to say anything at all.... The topic is sore, but to know you mean it is consoling. He will always be a great brother to me...and now I need to live up to his dreams and graduate for the both of us. Thank you...sempai." she smiled lightly and sincerely. "But you must be starving...c'mon." she perked up, just being with him making her do that. Tamaki blushed at the words and followed her in.
She noticed that both twins set by Anko, her in the middle, Haruhi across from them with Hunny who is going all out on cake. She noted Mori is nowhere in sight but it did not occur to her as suspicious. She figured Tamaki wanted to sit by Haruhi so she sat a seat over. She did notice are to take not of Kyoya was there or not, in no mood at all to see him of all people.
Anko looked down the table and waved to Keiko. She walked over and asked, "Are you going to the club today?"
"Hey...yeah, I need to speak with Hunny sempai...." she sighed lightly as her stomach grumbled again. The food offer of Tamaki is beyond tempting but she did not want to seem like a moocher so she kept silent. "You...?"
"Yeah, I'll be there. Hikaru wants to show me some of your aunt's new designs. So, what's with your thing with Hunny-sempai?" Anko asked cautiously.
"Nothing...I just want to know what happened.... The doctors don't know much and I ant to know if Hunny saw or heard anything peculiar is all." she shrugged lightly as she sat there ina model like fashion aside from her usual slouch and carefree manner.
"Ah, that makes sense," Anko replied. "Well, okay, then. Hey, want to have some girl talk?" Anko smiled at her, trying to evoke a sense of normality.
"Haha, sure." she grinned lightly and motioned for her to take any seat beside her since they were generally free. "I'm pretty free for that. So what type of talk we talking about?"
Anko glanced at Hikaru and saw that he was busy teasing Tamaki. "So, what would you think if I told you that I am totally in love with Hikaru?! ...I actually think I may want to tell him that." Anko blushed as she spoke in a quick whisper.
"No way!" she gawked a little. "So totally saw that coming but don't know why it's a shock right now..." she laughed. "Well uhm...maybe you should? I mean I don't see the harm in it-it's so obvious that he likes you too/" she rolled her eyes at the fact. "I think it's totally cool and sweet and I'm happy you could find someone you feel that way for."
"Aw, thanks, Kei-chan!" she exclaimed and hugged her. "I think once things are normal again I'll do something uber romantic and tell him. Oh, wow," she smiled brightly.
"I think that's simply brilliant," she grinned and hugged her friend back. She was just glad to hear some good news after the train wreck that was heaped on her starting from Kyoya thinking of her as a stupid specimen to examine which now lay beneath the avalanche of her brother's passing.
Time passed and the time for the club came. They were getting their Greek themed costumes ready and Kyoya looked around.
"What'chya lookin' for, Oniisan?" Anko asked, looking over her shoulder.
He took on last glance and said, "I was looking for Mori to bring a heavy table in."
"Huh? Yeah, I haven't seen him all day!" Anko looked around. "Mori-sempai! Where are you?!" Anko called.
Hunny froze and turned around slowly, "Um, Anko-chan," he said, "Takashi is sick today and couldn't come." He bounced over and took her by the wrist. "We can move the table ourselves!" he exclaimed and pulled her away.
Hikaru turned around and ran to help while Kyoya watched and suspicious thoughts encroached on his mind. Hm, why wouldn't Hunny mention this before? Kyoya thought, looking at the bouncing bunny boy skeptically. He made a note to look into that later.
Keiko walked into the room, ignoring the lack of flower petals that usually gently showered down to the coming visitor and walked to Tamaki who was trying to get Haruhi to dress like a Greek goddess. She asked of Hunny's where abouts and thanked him when he pointed in the general direction. She passed Kyoya without a glance or a word, as if was not even there before she caught up with the trio and pulled Hunny aside. "Can we talk sempai?"
"Of course, Kei-chan!" he exclaimed without hesitation and bounced over, leaving the others at the mercy of his admirers as they plotted against Keiko for being able to spend alone time with Hunny.
"Sempai...did you see you my brother last in the hospital?" she asked softly yet sternly. Her voice was scratchy due to the lack of proper sleep and nourishment, but that was beside the point. She had snapped herself out of her rut with the conviction that that death was abnormal and caused by another.
"Hm," Hunny looked uncomfortable. "...Yes... I-I was there when it happened and it was really, really scary! I didn't know what to do... I'm so sorry, Kei-chan!" Hunny was on the verge of tears as he looked up into her face.
"No! I didn't see anyone else come in. We were just talking and then all of a sudden... I-I don't know!" The tears fell and he wailed, alarming the rest of the club. Everyone was staring at them and some girls came and gave Keiko cold looks.
"How dare you upset, Hunny!" one exclaimed. "Yeah, what's he ever done to you?!" another one continued.
Kyoya walked over and looked at all of them. "Now, now, let's settle this. Hunny, why are you crying?" he asked, putting on his fake smile when he was truly filled with embarrassment and annoyed.
Hunny looked around, sure Keiko didn't want her tragedy spread around and said, "It-it's nothing. I just feel bad for Keiko."
Kyoya nodded and shooed Hunny and the girls away. He turned to Keiko, "Do you need to go home? You don't have to be here if you're upset."
"Oh like you care. I'm just another frog to disect and throw away!" she snapped, in no mood to talk to him of all people. She walked passed him with her head down as the tears began to well from the thought of not getting any closer to what caused her brother's death and the fact Kyoya faked his concern. "I don't want you false sympathy or any of your pity." she said bluntly. "I will find out what happened one way or another...." She walked off to a quiet end and looked out the window. Her mind racked with thoughts of what could have happened and Hunny bursting into tears was not helping the situation. The only other thing she could think of is going back to the hospital and try to find some clues.
Kyoya followed her and turned her around, "It's not 'fake sympathy'," he said, looking annoyed, but calmed himself, "Really, I don't think you should be here if you're this upset. You should go and heal," he said seriously.
Kyoya followed her and turned her around, "It's not 'fake sympathy'," he said, looking annoyed, but calmed himself, "Really, I don't think you should be here if you're this upset. You should go and heal," he said seriously.
"I have nowhere to go. The car arrives when the club ends. What am I supposed to do until then pray tell?" she asked simply as she wiped her eyes of the tears. Her stomach growled angrily at her for not being fed but that was the last thing on her mind. She figured she could wait until she got back to the Hitachiin residence. "I'm fine sempai...you should continue your hosting charade or else you will have more troubles caused by me for staying with me instead of the customers that designated you." she said simply as she smoothed out her skirt and adjusted her tie.
He took her by the wrist and led her outside to the courtyard of the school. He sat her under a tree and handed her a Sherlock Holmes book, "Here, read this until the car gets here. Those girls will just tear you apart."
She raised a brow as he grabbed her wrist and is about to tell him to let go but has not real chance to as he led her around. "Where are you taking me?" she sighed, not really in the mood to fight him and cause another issue. She looked at him curiously. "Why-" she noticed him gone when she looked up from the book of Sherlock Holmes and saw him browse the binder he had with him always. "You're so strange...you know that...?" she whispered to herself and started to read.
He had walked over to a bench and took out the book that kept all of the club's records in it. He began to look up Mori's records or attendance amongst other things. It wasn't like Mori to just get sick all of a sudden.
There you go, Folks! Chapter 14! Duh, duh, duh! We hope you enjoyed this chapter and will read and review. See you next chapter! ~ Hatori's Snowdrop Princess and xXLostDreamerXx