Pairing: KyouyaxHaruhi
Rating: PG.
Written for: 2013! The first update of the new year!
Dedicated to: DarkRavie for gracing me with a lovely (and the first) review for chapter 19! Thank you for your support! And a shoutout to Bubblybunny153 and, as always, Aletheotaku and greetingfrommaars (sorry about the last time—I misspelled your username!) for always sending me a review!
Warning: Beware of slight OOCness due to plot and character development.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran or any of its characters. They belong only to the great Bisco Hatori-sama (and BONES and Funimation)...and any characters you don't recognize would be mine. Unfortunately, they're not as cool as the Ouran gang. Mewmew.

Endless Story

A Kyouya and Haruhi Tale

By, Yue Guang Kuroneko

Chapter Twenty:

Life,

Got kinda hard, I faced it

Fought and cried and almost gave in

All negative forces faded

Love of me just walked right in

I'm just me, I'm enough

With myself I'm in love

I've been weak, I've been low

Made me strong, now I know

I'm just me, I'm enough

Nothin' less, nothing more

I wish everybody could just feel this kind of love
("Me" by KINA)

Kyouya was seated on the veranda, overlooking the city where he grew up. Tokyo lost its charms to him a long time ago. The large crowds, the blatant materialism, and the deception around every corner—they disgusted him. They disgusted him because they reminded him of himself, those years ago when he was willing to sacrifice and discard the most important people in his life, and the person who led him out of the dark depths of "progressive" and "innovative" humanity. He was back for one reason, and only one: his brother, who, at this moment, was refusing to see and acknowledge the youngest Ootori's return.

Haruhi was sitting next to him, eyes intent on her laptop, her glasses propped up against her nose, and a cute furrow of brows appearing on occasion. She refused to see Akito until Akito was ready, but by the looks of it—Kyouya growled. By the looks of it, Akito won't want to see Haruhi any time soon. The Asakura family was a powerful one—Reiko even more so with her smooth intelligence, impeccable manners, and indignant dignity. To cross them would be economic suicide.

Not that he had much to lose. He had to admit to himself that while he was ready to risk anything—meager as those offerings may be—the one person who has to be ready was currently avoiding him.

He let out a sigh as he placed his coffee mug on the table and pinched the bridge of his nose. He gazed down at the ugly ceramic thing. When he and Haruhi landed at Narita Airport, he had taken her, quickly, to a car rental counter after hurried good-byes to the rest of the Host Club members—he recognized the looks of some of the airport personnel and how they discreetly spoke into a microphone hidden in their collars. He didn't want to drag the Host Club too far into their—his—world, though any association with him rendered following eyes. Having any of the Host Club members to drive them would be tantamount to future inconvenience. Haruhi said nothing on the car ride back to his condo, but couldn't contain herself when she was in the kitchen and found his coffee mug. It was an ugly thing—nothing he was accustomed to using when he was still an official son of Ootori—but, as she gave a giggle, he explained that it had been one of the things he made for Tachibana as a child, but never gave to him. Now he wished that he had.

His condo was simple, and it was a decent enough size for one person, cozy for two. When he first moved in, he hated it. It was sparse and regardless of how he decorated the place, he felt like he was missing something. As a result, he was never at the condo often. Having Haruhi there was a blessing. She was what had been missing from his apartment. He gazed over at her. She was typing furiously, eyes moving across her screen, with a half-eaten croissant hanging from between her teeth as if she had completely forgotten about it.

"Haru," he spoke as he reached over to push a stray hair from her cheeks. She gave him a noncommittal hum to indicate that she was listening. "I'm going to drive by Akito's office. I'll be back soon."

She paused, eyes searching his for a moment. Taking the croissant from between her teeth, she took a bite and sat back to gaze at him thoughtfully.

"Do you think that's wise?"

"He can't avoid me forever."

"I don't think he wants to see you yet."

"Haru, I can't have my brother being taken advantage of."

"But what if he wants to be?" Kyouya raised an eyebrow at her. She continued, "Perhaps he doesn't see it as Reiko-san taking advantage of him. He sees it as an opportunity to help her. If he doesn't see it as been taking advantage of, I don't see how he would want our help. Perspective is everything."

"It will ruin the Ootori Corporation," he began.

"Which is no longer any of your concern," she reminded him.

"I just don't want to see him hurt in the end," Kyouya sighed as he leaned back into the comfortable wicker chair. "Perspective is everything, but perspectives can change. And the realization can damage far more than the actual offense."

"True," Haruhi said as she took another bite. She removed her glasses. "But that's where we step in. For now, perhaps we should give him some time to think things through."

"I just can't sit idly by."

"You won't be." Haruhi smiled at him. "You can help me with something."

Kyouya's eyebrows rose, "And that would be?"

"I've been trying to find information on the Asakura Corporation." Haruhi let out a sigh. "I've found nothing useful so far. Even if we have Akito's permission to go through and prosecute Reiko-san, I don't have the proof."

"You'd like me to do some snooping on the Asakura Corporation?"

"Not exactly. They don't have their annual reports on file. Most corporations do. I need annual reports from the past few years. That should be enough to give me an idea of what exactly it is we're up against."

"They won't be careless to have annual reports that don't match up. They're too clever for that."

Haruhi gave him a sly smirk that reminded him of his Shadow King days as she said, "Oh, but not clever enough. The person doing their annual reports is extremely well known for making discrepancies on false reports. They're not very thorough."

"They wouldn't hire someone like that without reason. They do thorough background checks on all of their employees," pointed out Kyouya.

"This person well-known to make inaccurate false reports—that's why they want them. This way, they can push all the blame on the report maker for it, and still get away with handling money on the Black Market." Haruhi finished the croissant and turned her eyes to the smoggy blue sky on the horizon. "But background checks only get you so far. It doesn't tell you about personality. This person is a potential witness."

"You want annual reports from the past couple of years," Kyouya said after a pause, "and this mysterious annual report writing man?"

"Woman," Haruhi smiled. "I'd like you to arrange a meeting with her."

One of the distasteful things about returning to Japan was his lack of mobility. He couldn't move about openly without the Ootori Police Force (OPF) watching his every move. After Tachibana's death, he let go of his bodyguards and staff (but not without setting them up with another employer). He wouldn't have had any use for them in Japan anyway. The OPF was merciless, but he was sure that they wouldn't harm him; he was still an Ootori, even if publically renounced. Still, he was on his own in Japan. He didn't want to risk anyone's safety at the hands of the notorious police force, especially at his expense. Not that he couldn't do these things as easily as his previous contacts—he could easily gather information by himself back then, but he never found any reason to. Now that he had dismissed his staff, and his business contacts were under strict surveillance, he was better off doing the dirty work himself. Disownment was a pain in the ass. But, he shook his head as he parked in front of the Asakura Corporation, he'd never felt freer in his life.

He never thought of freedom this way—unhindered by the society of which he worked so hard to be a member.

Haruhi left him to do his planning as she went to the library. He protested at first—he knew that the OPF had surveillance on his condo and had probably reported to his father that Haruhi has returned—but she reassured him that she has everything taken care of should she be compromised. And, she added with a wink, he was undermining the Suou, Hitachiin, Haninozuka, and Morinozuka families.

His cell phone rang and his eyes glazed over the familiar number.

"Ootori Kyouya speaking." He turned off the engine.

"Heard you have returned, Kyouya."

"Yes."

"And under surveillance?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps you are in need of some assistance?"

Kyouya could feel a smirk appearing at the corner of his lips. There was something to be said of Nekozawa Umehito. Umehito the Black Club president was a sniveling youth with dark passions and bright fears; Umehito the man was far more dangerous. He was never swayed by money, status, or fame. His Bereznoff puppet made sure of that.

He snorted at the idea of the puppet, but as long as it made Umehito an unrelentingly loyal business partner and friend, he was rather thankful for it. Umehito acted on his own wishes, not society's, and his priorities lie in friendship and the "good of the world" (Bereznoff's words, apparently). Or, in Umehito's case, he acted upon Bereznoff's wishes. Kyouya always believed Umehito only used that ridiculous doll to channel his own feelings and beliefs—this transference of quality to master was a brilliant one, Kyouya had to admit. Childish, but brilliant. In this way, Umehito can act as he wishes, all while saying that it was not his own wishes, but a god's wishes. A cat god by the name of Bereznoff. It chased away those of impure hearts, the Nekozawa heir once told him when they were discussing a new business plan after Kyouya regained his self-worth and had his heart set on creating his own empire and finding Haruhi. Those who were not of moral conduct were scared away by the cat god and the man's eccentricities, and those who were, well, they'd come to him when they needed him.

"How did you know I have need for assistance, Umehito?"

"Who else?" Kyouya could hear the shrugging of two sets of shoulders, one man, one puppet. "Bereznoff told me you're on a mission to help your brother."

"They'll be watching you." Kyouya eyed a few windows of the Asakura building. He could see just a glint of a pair of sunglasses at the upper left corner of the window within vision.

"No, they won't," Umehito's chuckle was dark and overdramatic. "The Ootori Police Force hadn't been able to get into my systems since you and I started our business deal. It drives them batty. Your father, especially."

"Have you kept an eye on Akito?"

"More or less. Seems like he's been avoiding any contact with the main family as well."

Kyouya's eyebrows rose at this, "What has the head of the Ootori Corporation said about this?"

"Nothing," Umehito's voice was quiet. "I don't think he or your eldest brother cares."

"I see."

"They're having their own issues maintaining the Ootori Corporation as it is. I don't think they know about the Asakura Corporation or what they're dabbling with on the Black Market. Also," the man hesitated, and Kyouya waited patiently for him to continue, "Haruhi has returned as well?"

"Yes. She's staying with me."

"I'll place a protective barrier around her, just in case then," Umehito said thoughtfully, quietly. "I hope that's all right."

He didn't quite believe in those superstitions or of a dark realm or a god (cat or otherwise), but if it meant protecting Haruhi, he was willing to take advantage of anything.

"Of course," Kyouya said. "Thank you."

"Not a problem," Umehito's voice was suddenly brisk. "Listen, Asakura Reiko knows you're on to her and her company. She won't be thrilled to see you."

"That's not a problem." Kyouya smirked as he stepped out of the car. He could see a line of men in suits just behind the revolving door. He straightened his red tie. "I can take care of them."

"Be careful," Umehito warned.

Kyouya hung up and gazed up at the foreboding building. This will most certainly be fun.

Asakura Reiko, president and soon-to-be CEO of the Asakura Corporation, tapped her fingers against her desk, careful not to ruin her manicure, as she awaited the arrival of a certain pain in the behind she was to call "brother-in-law." She was very aware of the fact that this certain Ootori was not like the rest of them; they were self-absorbed, greedy, and paranoid about their stocks and business opportunities. This one had nothing to lose, nothing to gain, and, frankly, it irritated the hell out of her. She couldn't read him or his intentions. That was new. She prided herself in being able to read people—how else would the Asakura Corporation be financially stable with millions to spare with millions more pouring in?

This annoying little brother was a mystery. Even her irksome husband couldn't read or control him.

Useless, her eyes narrowed.

There was a knock at her door, and she stood, lips curved into a professional smile.

"Come in," she called out as she moved to the front of her desk, hands clasped behind her, spine straight, head tilted at just the right intimidating angle.

"President, your guest. I will bring in the tea shortly."

Ootori Kyouya strolled into the room, a smirk hidden behind a grave, friendly smile. She could see that much from his face. Other than that, he was a blank slate, and she could feel something itching alongside the inside of her chest.

"Kyouya-kun!" She kept her voice friendly. "Welcome home." She made no move towards him.

"Thank you. How have you been?" Kyouya made no move towards her either.

"I've been doing well. Please," she stepped aside and gestured towards a chair in front of her desk, "sit down. We'll have tea served in a moment."

Kyouya inclined his head and accepted the seat. She moved back behind her desk again. As the tea was served, she kept her trained eyes on his relaxed figure.

He was too relaxed. This man wasn't so naive to walk right into the lioness's den without his own share of protection, yet here he was, looking as if he were at home. As if he had the upper hand. His face was passive, but not unfriendly. Had she been younger, she would have thought that Ootori Kyouya was the better-looking one out of the three siblings with deep, dark eyes, dark hair, and a refined air about him. But had she been younger, she also would have known that Ootori Kyouya was not one to be trifled with, and she wouldn't. This fact rests heavily on her current position and her vast knowledge of manipulation. She eyed his body language—neutral. Completely neutral. There were no signs of distress, superiority, anger, or even suspicion.

His posture had always been good—straight-backed, never slouching, but where he used to tilt his chin up, as if he looked down at the world, he now kept it at a natural angle. She eyed his hands, but they lay neutrally on the armrests of the chair, fingers relaxed and still. He had not touched his tea.

"Now, Kyouya-kun." Reiko picked up her teacup daintily. "How may I help you?"

"As you know, Reiko-san," Reiko was surprised to hear him say her name. He never liked her—she could tell—and he never called her "big sister" or anything remotely familiar; he avoided calling her anything, even her name. Her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion now. "I've started my own company."

"Yes." She replaced the teacup on the desk, leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, and her fingertips came together. She gazed at him past her hands. "Akito has informed me as much."

"I am interested in someone whom you have working for you."

Stealing an employee? Which outstanding employee did he want?

"Oh? And what do you want with this employee?"

Kyouya gave her a grin, "I'd like to meet them."

"You don't plan on hiring then?"

"Oh, that I can't say. I'd like to meet them first. I'd like to see if they are someone I'd like working for my company."

"So there is a possibility of hiring." Reiko was getting angry. Who did this little brat think he was? And he had the gall to just waltz right into her company and possibly steal an employee from right under her nose?

"Yes, of course."

Again, neutral tone, only mildly interested.

She was starting to feel curious. He hadn't asked her anything about her company and their profits, nor had he inquired after his brother after she deliberately brought Akito's name up first. She knew Kyouya's affections for her husband, and not asking after him could only mean one of two things: either he had already spoken with Akito (but she highly doubted that since Akito insisted he wanted nothing to do with his younger brother), or he was planning something else. There was a reason that Ootori Yoshio wanted the youngest Ootori to take over the corporation, and Reiko was not going to allow that little detail to go unnoticed.

"What makes you think that I would let go of a valued employee?"

That infinitely irritating smirk graced the younger man's lips, "Do you know who I'm asking for, Reiko-san?"

He was testing her. His ego was infuriating. She crossed her arms and leaned back into her chair to survey him. Still neutral, apart from that teasing little smirk on his face, he gave away no other hints of satisfaction. He was waiting for her to play her part.

"I don't know," she admitted, letting out a sigh. "But I assure you that all of my employees are valuable."

"Of course." Kyouya nodded. "I only wish to speak with this person. If there is any threat of my interest, I will discuss matters with you first."

"Knowing you, you don't take 'no' for an answer."

"And knowing you, you know there is no harm since I've come to ask your permission first."

That was true. Most executives would sneak behind her back to talk to any employee that showed great potential. It was one of the characteristics of her family's shining empire—those who chose to work at her corporation were high on the lists of other potential employers. This man was surely up to something.

"Who is it?"

"Houshakuji Renge. Your annual reporter."

Author's Note: I have been hired to teach in Taichung very, very soon, so I'm going to update this chapter now just before things get crazy busy with moving and lesson planning and the like. Never fear—I've got the next two chapters written, so I can still update as I adjust to a new lifestyle! Thanks for your patience!

Ah, the return of one of my beloved characters. I'll bet you didn't see that coming! Hehehe~ I've always loved Nekozawa Umehito—I was so disappointed not to see him often enough in the manga or anime. So I decided to improvise. Make note there's a reason Kyouya doesn't add any honorifics to Umehito's name, even though Umehito is technically his senior. They're both on a first-name-without-honorifics basis. Oh, yes, and helloooo, Renge!

Reiko is the president of the company because her father is still the CEO. She reports to him and the board of directors for the time being. Once her father relinquishes his position as CEO, she will take over and find a new president, should she choose to do so.

Just a note, yes, Akito really is Kyouya's older brother's name. Yuuichi is his eldest brother. Keep this in mind for future chapters, please!

Review if you'd like; constructive criticism is always appreciated. Hateful, angry flames, however, are NOT appreciated, and my army of zombified kitties will not hesitate to spit acid furballs at you or chew you up. That's why we should all be nice and support each other. Don't feed the angry zombie kitties!