Chapter 14- Goodbyes

Eri stood silently outside the emotional crowd and watched on like a bystander as Haruhi and Suoh Tamaki bid farewell to their guests and schoolmates. Her lips were pursed into a thin line as the ruckus caused by the girls grew louder and louder with each passing second. Finally giving up, she walked off to a farther end of the hall and sat down on one of the chairs.

Crossing one leg over the other, Eri tapped her fingers on her knee, contemplating quietly in her mind.

Today was the day the brown haired girl was leaving to Boston along with the half-European classmate of Eri's. The other hosts were catching the midnight flight on Wednesday, unknown to the prior two as well as the rest of the school. She wondered how they would react when they were to find all of the hosts missing on that day- too bad she couldn't be there to see their reaction... after all, she herself was scheduled to leave on Tuesday.

"...I'll miss you. Come back soon..."

Her gaze landed on the young couple standing horizontally across from her. They couldn't be any more than thirty, and both were quite ordinary looking- one of those faces that would be forgotten once you passed them by. But Eri couldn't find it in herself to turn away- she watched as the young woman clung onto her lover so tightly it seemed to hurt, but the young man didn't seem to mind. She watched as the young man circled his arms around her and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She watched as their lips met, not caring the onlookers.

She watched the truest form of love.

One without motives, one without gain.

But which was one filled with sweet, sacred promise.

Her heart thumped, the sound echoing faintly in her ears. And unknowingly, the edges of her mouth had twisted up into a small smile- albeit bitter, but also filled with good wishes towards the couple.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Haruhi's wandering gaze caught sight of the quiet senior sitting some distance away. She seemed to be in deep thoughts, with her honey brown head lowered. Turning and nudging her boyfriend, Haruhi whispered to him, "I'm going over to say goodbye to Akino-senpai."

Tamaki managed a nod before he was being whizzed away by the crowd again.

The younger girl excused herself from the circle of sobbing fans and heaved a relieved sigh as she made her way through the hall. Who knew such a small thing could cause such a commotion? But... she was one step closer to her dream as a lawyer, wasn't she?

Coming to a stop in front of the older girl, she wondered out of nowhere why wasn't she with Kyoya or even Honey and Mori-senpai. And, upon casting a glance over her shoulders, she found the rest of the hosts still engaged with Tamaki. A small frown made its way to her face. Somehow, she felt bad for this gentle senior being left out like this...

"Akino-senpai,"

Pale blue eyes met deep brown as the senior hummed in response.

Haruhi sat down beside her and held out her hand, "I guess this is a goodbye. It seems like yesterday- when you first came to the host club. I'm really glad I got to know you, you're the only normality I depend on most of the time," they laughed silently, "And," Haruhi continued, "To tell you the truth, senpai, you brought a change to this club," especially in Kyoya-senpai. Haruhi kept that last part to herself.

Eri's eyes softened considerably. Grasping the outstretched hand lightly, she said, "Thank you as well, Haruhi-san." But what she didn't say was that they would meet again... very soon.

As the girl walked away, Eri held back another round of laughter as the young girl was grabbed into a tight big hug by her father.

...

When they left to board the plane, Eri caught Tamaki's eyes for a second. The blond gave her a wide grin.

She smiled.

What a surprise for them it would be.

But all of a sudden-

"Hold on for a second..."

Eri turned at that menacing low growl and blinked as the Hitachiin twins held onto a furious- exploding- father. Blood vessels were popping out from his head and his brows twitched-

"Why is that moron going with her?!" Haruhi's father was yelling, "Come down, you idiot! Give me back my Haruhi!"

The twins and Honey-senpai clung onto the angry man- "Papa-san, Ranka-san, calm down~"

The father ignored them-

"I will remember this!I will kill you if you dare to lay one finger on my daughter!"

The reaction of that speech was instant.

The hosts and Eri were puzzled when the girls began murmuring among themselves.

"A... daughter?"

"Does that mean that..."

"Haruhi-kun-"

"-is a-"

"Girl?"

"What?" Eri muttered involuntarily. Didn't they already know? Wasn't the masquerade ball held just for that sole purpose?

It was apparent that the other hosts were equally stupefied as well. The twins shuttered- "B-but you said you knew..."

The girls tilted their heads, "But that was about the fact that Haruhi-kun would look good in woman's clothes..."

The twins blinked dumbly- "And about supporting her too..."

"That's because we definitely support their forbidden love..."

The twins finally exploded- "But as fans won't you try to gather as much information about your host as possible?!"

"But Haruhi's condition is very poor so we thought it would be very rude!" the girls cried.

...

What?

...

Kyoya sighed heavily beside her.

All of the hosts plus Eri were now on Kyoya's limo heading towards school. The others already had their respective limos waiting for them at the school gates; Eri, however, was depending on the Ootori to take her home.

"I can't believe it..." Hitachiin Kaoru moaned to his twin.

"Neither could I," the other twin replied with a drooping head.

Eri stifled an amused smile-

In the end, the guests only thought that Haruhi was a really feminine boy... In all their calculations, it never occurred to them that this would happen. In fact, this scenario was the last one they would expect. It was simply... unthinkable.

"Say, Ri-chan," Honey said from his seat opposite hers, he hugged his Usa-chan close to his chest, "When we go to Boston, will you be there to pick us up?"

She shook her head, "I'm not sure, senpai. But I'll try." she added the last sentence upon seeing that downcast look on his face. They had a sort of kinship that she cherished. It was strange. That a year ago, she was only someone who observed them from a distance... In a way, she suppose she was blessed. Finally relenting to go to the Host Club was truly a decision she never regretted. They had let her feel the warmth she had so desperately wanted to feel all along... even if... it was temporary. She prayed that it was not.

"Akino-senpai, you'll be attending Harvard, won't you?"

"Yes, I will be. Why?"

"Well," said Hitachiin Hikaru.

"Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are," continued his younger brother.

"-going there too." they finished together- as usual.

Eri's eyes snapped to the said two and an unspoken question formed on her face. The child-like face beamed, "Yep! We're going to Harvard just like you, Ri-chan. Right, Takashi?"

"Yes."

Eri didn't know why she was surprised. She shouldn't be. But perhaps it was because she did not really had the time to think- really think. She knew that all of the hosts would be going to the famous international high school there- the one Haruhi got in as an exchange student, but somehow or the the other, she had neglected the two eighteen-year-olds.

...But at least, she would have two familiar faces there for a year now.

For that, she was slightly comforted. And thankful.

On the way to the Akino residence, they were unfortunately caught in a heavy traffic. Kyoya was typing away on his laptop; Eri gazed out at the tinted window with a neutral expression.

Tomorrow would be the last day she would be going to Ouran. Eri tapped her chin thoughtfully- she was most certain that their form teacher would want her to say some sort of a farewell speech. Unlike the hosts' secret leaving, Eri's departure was going to be announced the first thing in class tomorrow morning- which was why even Tamaki was also ignorant about the fact- thought, she wondered why the chairman hadn't said anything to him.

Maybe ignorance was bliss?

She hid a small smile but it faded soon enough- sometimes, however, ignorance could be the very thing that destroyed a person.

They could never afford to be careless.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Eri peered over at the faces of her classmates, some of them for more then three years. The rays of morning sunlight shone in from the side, lighting up half of her face and giving her hair a golden hue.

Her pale blue eyes stared into the eyes of her classmates one by one, with a look so genuine that they unable to look away. It was a look that they had never seen before- not from this classmate of theirs that always placed herself on the sidelines.

Parting her lips, she gave them all a rare smile-

"So as all of you know, I'll be leaving for Boston tomorrow afternoon. And here, I am forced to give you all some cheesy goodbye speech," she paused, as laughter sounded throughout the room, "I know I have always seemed to be distant, indifferent, and sometimes cold; I know some of you might not have liked me; and I also know that some of you cared- deep down inside... just like me. It will always be my regret- that perhaps in my indifference, I have missed out an opportunity to have a friend- a true friend. But I couldn't be too careful, could I? This is the way we're taught, isn't it so? To be guarded, to be alert at all times. From time to time, I wonder: What would happen if we had casted all of that aside? What would have happened if we let the rivalries of our families be kept to the adults, where they belong? However, I know- it's not possible. We're born here, into this society, placed with this burden of responsibility that all of us have our own different share. And for that, I think coming to Ouran is one of the best choices my parents have ever made for me. Here, I've seen all of you- had the privilege to meet all sorts of people- I've seen how hard everyone works, and how to not see my life as being unfair. After all, we're all on the same boat, it seems.

"But while we may have our differences and guarded walls, I have seen teamwork. I have seen the unity. And I have seen the thin fragile bonds of friendship being formed throughout the years. I have seen shared tears and triumphant victories. And in a world like ours, I truly thank all of you for all these wonderful experiences. The future might be dark and uncertain but I'll cary this part of memory all the days of my life. This precious time in my life in this school would always be one of my ray of sunshine, and I hope that one day, I'll be able to look upon these days and smile and say, 'Hey, look, I was one of them too,'

"I'm proud to be a part of Ouran, I'm proud to be a part of this class, and most of all, I'm proud to be a part of all of you. One day, I wish that when we meet again, maybe for just a second, we'll be able to set aside whatever differences we have and say to each other 'Oh, it's you, my friend,' Maybe some of us would end up as enemies in the future, maybe some of us would end up as lifelong allies. Whatever that is, right here, right now, I thank you, for being a part of my life."

Eri paused as her eyes glistened and she lowered her head, "Thank you."

Thundering applause sounded. A few sniffs could be heard here and there.

There might not be another time such as this. For when the leaving girl lifted up her head, there was not one of them- not one- that did not smile at her. In that second, there was such unity that was never known to their young hearts. At that moment, after that very speech, something surged in those youngsters, filled them with a burning fire- a passion they knew noting of yet.

And maybe, just maybe... there could be a change in the future all together.

Here it is, the fourteenth chapter!

I was so busy the past few weeks: family camps and all that, plus my final viola exam which I just finished two days ago... ^_^

So now it is time for Eri to leave.

I do not own Ouran; OCs and original scenes are mine.

A big thank you to all those who have reviewed, favourited, and followed this story!

~Lura.

PS: I really didn't know what to write for her parting speech... I just typed anything that came to my mind... hopefully, it made sense.

PS 2: And for your additional information, I've never been to Boston- nor Japan, for that matter, but I know Japanese well enough- or any other places in America... except when I was three but I seriously don't remember anything from that trip... how sad. And so, for anything that is going to come up that might seem different from the reality- especially to you Americans- please bear with me.