Chapter XX
It was early morning in England when she woke up. The sun was barely peaking out of the horizon, and the sunlight crept its way through her curtains. She lifted herself out of her warm cozy covers. Kaori sat still in bed with her eyes closed, groggy while processing the news as a migraine began to pound her head.
"I'm sorry, can you repeat that I… I didn't catch it," she shakily said over the phone.
"He's hospitalized. I'm afraid we need your permission for this surgery. Unfortunately as his lawyer, I'm not eligible," the stranger spoke over the phone like there was nothing to it. "Chances are high. Just give the consent and he'll be fine," they reassured.
"…okay," she reluctantly said.
"Call you back when it has finished."
"Th—" He had already hung up by the time she remembered to thank the person.
She tried slipping back into her covers. It was impossible to sleep. She couldn't sleep knowing that her father had just gotten into surgery. It was the middle of the school year too. There was no way she could leave. It was her third year meaning she was going to graduate.
Just a little longer. That was all she needed. Just until the end of June next year.
It was November in Cambridge and she only needed a few more months. Pulling strings and early examinations were not exactly permitted like it was in Ouran. She needed to go back with a degree, with at least something to make her father proud.
She sighed. It was another early morning. She tried going out for a jog to clear her mind.
Kaori went to class, trying to brush the issue off. She stood in the laboratory looking over the dissections that their classes had made. Kaori tried concentrating on the work, making sure her hand was nice and steady to peel over the skin of the animal.
"Nice cut," her classmate noted. "Let's peel back the muscle now."
Slow and steady. There was no rush. One of her dissection group mates took a minute to recollect himself as dissections weren't exactly in his comfort zone. Another group member was recording and taking photos of Kaori's handiwork.
"You have surgeon hands," the professor complimented as he watched the group work together. Minus the queasy one that stood off to the side.
The word surgery wasn't exactly appreciated. Kaori paused for a moment before she carefully peeled back the bloody muscle revealing the organs. The smell was horrendous. She turned her head away for a moment, getting a fresh breath of air before turning back to begin identifying the organs.
"Do you want to take a stab at it?" Kaori offered the scalpel and forceps to her classmate. He refused, not wanting to get his hands dirty. She made a round of offers to the rest of her group mates who also refused, saying that she would be better suited. After all, the professor liked her technique the best out of all of them. She was the one pulling up all their grades.
It was alright though. Kaori didn't mind the job. It was quite interesting, but the surgery comment made her queasy. She slowly removed each organ, beautifully keeping each of the parts intact and undamaged. The rest of her group mates took notes while she was getting the best experience, getting close to the real specimen.
"Open up the heart," her professor said. "Not exactly required for this lab, but since we have time, let's take a look. Go ahead, Vivienne."
The class crowded around the table, watching as she slowly cut apart the heart. The video camera zoomed onto her hands. It led to the projector that showed her handiwork, carefully using the scalpel to cut through the muscle. She stopped halfway, trying to get the image out of her mind of cutting apart her own father's heart.
"Why the pause?" the professor asked.
"Nothing, just… wondering if I was doing it correctly…"
"Straight down, Vivienne. Nice and easy there," he encouraged. She finished the job, earning applause from the rest of her classmates who marvelled at the beautiful heart.
Kaori scrubbed out of the lab as soon as she could. She had walked out with her hands shaking as she took off the latex gloves. She felt uncomfortable with the blood all over her hands along with a bit of it splattering over her lab coat. Usually Kaori wouldn't have minded, but today it was too much.
It scared her, she thought of all the things that could have gone wrong during surgery. Kaori walked out of the building and checked her phone.
No messages.
Anxiety took over.
It was his birthday.
And he was spending it in the Ootori Corporation Headquarters. Kyouya stood stiffly in his Father's office on the top floor that overlooked the beautiful city of Tokyo. He waited patiently as Yoshio walked in briskly with his secretary.
His father took a seat comfortably by his wooden desk, glancing over at the computer to check the company's activity on the market before letting his son take a seat.
"Your mother seems to be rather insistent on you getting married," Yoshio spoke as he opened up the numerous files that were stacked upon his desk. Yoshio Ootori waited for a reply from his son, giving him a quick glance.
"I see no benefit for the company," Kyouya bluntly replied.
"Wataru Industries. We can merge with the—" the Ootori Head was interrupted by his son.
"Their technology is lagging behind. Give them two more years to go bankrupt."
Yoshio narrowed his eyes at his own son who waited for the CEO's reply.
"Rotari Hotel Chain," Yoshio offered.
"Sakura Rotari would taint the Ootori family's name. We wouldn't want a drug addict in the family, now do we?" The rich and famous easily covered their mistakes and flaws. Dirt wasn't hard to find when you had the power of an Ootori.
"Rei Lu Corporation, China." Yoshio found this rather interesting, if not amusing.
"No flaws yet. But expect an embezzlement in a few years by the director that sits as a shareholder," Kyouya predicted. He was confident in his answers.
Yoshio Ootori leaned back on his chair, impressed by his son. He placed a few documents in front of his son of someone.
"Do me a favour and meet her. Your mother needs to stop pestering me about getting your married. I don't care what you do with her. Just get your mother off my back. Buy the girl a car, take her out, the options are endless."
Kyouya looked over the file of the girl. Lobelia graduate, and was currently studying in France. Interests included cooking, playing the flute and art. She wasn't particularly special. Her lineage was suitable for him as well. She was the sister of the Heir to a large-scale computer company.
"Your silly Host Club skills may finally benefit. She's downstairs," Yoshio said, hinting that it was time for his son to leave. Kyouya bowed and walked out of the office.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I uh… that test didn't go too well," Kaori lied.
"Oh please, like any test wouldn't go well. Your answers were all correct. I saw it."
"You cheated?" Kaori exclaimed.
"Kidding. But honestly, talk to me," Suzuku placed an arm on her shoulder. She shrugged it off, not comfortable with his prying. She never liked talking about her problems.
"Come on, please? It'll make you feel better, I promise. Just tell me," he begged as he walked her home. Kaori refused, citing the fact that she was more than capable of solving her own problems. On top of that, it wasn't any of his business. Suzuku gave her a worried look, letting her know that he was concerned.
"You're more than welcome to call me if you need it," he offered.
"I won't," she replied. They arrived at her door. Kaori exhaled, seeing how Suzuku was hurt by her refusal to talk. "Look, I appreciate the thought. But I don't need someone to talk to. Just give me time. I'll be fine by tomorrow." Suzuku looked down and sighed, as if to accept that she would be okay.
"You're so… distant and you pull yourself together like it's nothing," he muttered. "I just want to help."
"Thanks for walking me home," Kaori said before stepping into her apartment, leaving her friend outside.
She walked into her small kitchen to make a cup of tea. She never broke her tea drinking habit. Kaori waited for her phone to ring as she sat at her kitchen table. It was going to be a long night.
In the meantime, she revised her lecture notes and got some work done. She needed distractions, anything to keep her mind off. The buzzing of Kaori's phone came at around 11:30 at night. Her fingers stumbled to answer the call. Kaori quietly said hello.
"My apologies for not introducing myself earlier, Vivienne," he began. "My name is Anthony Erikson, your father's lawyer."
"Pleased to hear from you, sir," Kaori replied in the same professional tone.
"The surgery was successful. However, that isn't exactly what I am calling you for," Anthony voice lowered. He wasn't particularly fond of others hearing his conversation. He heard her sigh out of relief but she still stayed silent on the other line.
"Your father's will. I might as well say it. You're getting one hell of a fortune."
"You mean he's…" Kaori didn't want to say the rest.
"He's not dead, I assure you. But let's be frank. He's not going to be alive for much longer. So let's get this straight, I don't understand how you've gotten away with not visiting even once for these past few years, but you better be getting your ass down in New York soon."
"I can't," she refused. "I won't."
"Listen here, you little brat. This fortune—"
"It's not about the money. You can have it for all I care," Kaori snapped.
"Then what is it? What is keeping you away from your Dad that you won't even come to visit even once? Just once," the man angrily said. He couldn't believe how she could be so heartless. She knew. She knew that he was dying, but she didn't bother to show up. She never showed her face. Anthony despised her cowardly behaviour.
"His pride," she murmured after a moment of silence. She listened as he seethed through the phone. "If you know him well enough, you know that is the only thing I can offer him."
"Forget about his pr—"
"—and come home to see him sprawled lifelessly on a hospital bed? He spent his life trying to become someone I would look up to. The only thing he would ever want from me is to keep it that way so he can still hold his head up when he sees me."
"So you just leave him as a lonely, old man?" Anthony snapped back at her.
"Did you think I wanted to? I would give anything to see him, but I'm not coming back without a degree," Kaori stubbornly stood her ground.
"In case you haven't noticed, you're only bringing back a piece of paper that he's spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on," his voice dripped with sarcasm.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm on a scholarship and I'm taking loans. You don't seem to understand how ashamed he would feel if I came back to see him the way he is now. Do you know how much his pride means to him? Why do you think he never wanted me home?" She was just as angry as he was, but not because she was angry at his lawyer. She was beginning to become angry at herself. Kaori began wonder if she made the right choice.
"I don't care. You need to come back. He's dying, and you better be the filial daughter to stay with him because I can't. It's been too long," Anthony's voice quieted down. He was tired of arguing.
They both took a moment to calm themselves down. The line was silent for a few minutes.
"Please. I beg you," Kaori began to sound desperate as she broke the silence. "Just keep him alive. I give you all the permission you need to do so, but I need you to keep him alive." Her voice quivered as she spoke.
"Why? What's the point? He just got through surgery, and he's going to need many more to keep himself alive. We need to stop. He needs to stop suffering. Machines and IVs won't keep him alive any longer."
"He needs to see me, but it can't be now."
"Vivienne…"
"Please, Anthony."
"I just want to know why," he calmly said.
"He needs to die without worrying about me. He needs to die proud, and I'm going to give him a reason to be proud of me."
"By graduating from Cambridge?" The man scoffed. The piece of paper was nothing compared to family.
"By knowing that his daughter is capable of living on her own. Cambridge is nothing but another piece of proof, and also keeping true to his teaching of finishing what I start. So I can't go back right now. I can't go back in shame."
"June. You have until June," he said after a moment of contemplating. "After that, I will personally come get you."
Kaori settled for it. She ended the call with her fingers shaking, still anxious over her father. She took five minutes to put herself together.
And then it was time to get serious again.
Kyouya watched as she quietly ate her meal. Her name was Ariana Meizu and she was of mixed heritage. Half British, half Japanese. Her wavy brown hair fell softly on her shoulders that were quite bony. The girl was surprisingly delicate and fragile.
And Kyouya couldn't find a single speck of dirt on the girl. Their company was at its highest peak and showed a promising future. She was well versed in everything she did. She was smart, beautiful and humble. One would have described her as perfect.
"Is there a problem, Ootori-san?" Ariana softly asked in fluent Japanese.
"Not at all, Meizu-san. I was just admiring your beauty," Kyouya propped up his glasses as he spoke. He saw her blush slightly before taking a sip of her water.
"I understand that it is your birthday today, Ootori-san. I've prepared a gift." She handed over a wrapped box, coupled with a large bow on top. It was rectangular, around the size of a normal sized paper. It felt like a wrapped canvas. Kyouya thanked the girl, giving her his host club smile. She was easy to please, and easy to read. It wouldn't be difficult to deal with her.
He walked her out of the restaurant, keeping her close to protect her from the chilly autumn wind. She politely thanked him for the meal and gave a smile before stepping into her car. He could tell that she was already completely smitten by him. Who wouldn't?
His phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. It was Tamaki. He was probably going to wish him a happy birthday, like he always did. Kyouya answered it in a professional voice, as usual.
"Who was that?" Tamaki demanded.
"What are you talking about?" Kyouya replied, unfazed by his friend's fuming tone.
"Don't act like you don't know. Who was that woman?" his friend insisted on knowing. Kyouya couldn't understand why.
"It's none of your business, Tamaki. Where are you?" Kyouya looked around trying to spot his friend. Was Tamaki spying on him? Why would he do such a thing?
"Look above you. I'll be waiting."
Tamaki waited patiently for his friend on the upper floor of the restaurant. To be honest, it was by pure chance that he spotted his best friend with someone else. He initially wanted to invite him over to dinner but ended up witnessing something he never thought he would see. Did he finally forget about her? He wouldn't. Kyouya wouldn't forget about someone like her. Tamaki couldn't see his best friend happy with anyone else but Kaori. It just… it didn't seem right.
"I don't appreciate being spied on," Kyouya said, standing in front of Tamaki who was comfortably seated by the window. Kyouya invited himself to take a seat, waiting for his friend to speak. It wasn't often that his friend would be angry.
"It was by pure chance," Tamaki explained. "What were you thinking?" the blonde exasperatedly asked his friend. He couldn't believe his eyes. Kyouya… with someone else.
"I can't quite comprehend your shock, Tamaki. I wasn't aware that you had to approve of who I spend my free time with," Kyouya apathetically answered. "I could have any girl I want."
Kyouya, you can have any girl in the world… Why settle for less? It's not quite like you to do so.
That was what she told him. Kyouya's eyes narrowed at the thought of her words. He hated how she crept into every part of him. Just when he thought that he could forget, her words come back to haunt him again.
"Then what about her?" Tamaki didn't care anymore. It was time to address the elephant in the room. She never once came up in their conversation for the past few years, and it seemed like today was the day.
"Who?" Kyouya refused to acknowledge the person Tamaki spoke about.
"Kaori. Does she ring a bell? Or were you too clouded by profit and merits to remember her?"
"This conversation is over. Good night, Tamaki." Kyouya swiftly stood up and began to walk away from his friend.
"You're just going to walk away like a coward?" the blonde provoked him, knowing that he'd stay when his ego had been hurt. Kyouya was never the one to give up on a fight.
He stopped in his tracks, and confidently walked back to his friend who still sat comfortably in his seat. Tamaki made eye contact with the icy cold orbs.
"Come again?" the Shadow King said through his clenched teeth.
"Why do you avoid her like a plague? Is it so wrong to talk about your problems? We're all here to help and you brush us off like nothing. How long do you think you can drag this out for?" Tamaki raged. He understood the boundary of respecting one's privacy, but Kyouya… he never said a word. It worried him and it worried the Host Club as he brushed their displays of care like they were useless and absolutely ridiculous.
"I'm perfectly capable of handing my own personal issues without your help," Kyouya bitterly said. "You're not my therapist."
With that, Kyouya left with a heavy feeling on his chest.
Kyouya had a flight to catch. He had to go back to America. After all, finishing his degree was still one of his priorities. There was no way he was in shape to review and continue working on his on-going papers for school. He ordered some red wine and downed a glass before take-off.
He wasn't proud of the developing habit. But now that he was actually of age to consume alcohol and that he could afford the alcohol…he didn't see why not. It helped him sleep, and it drowned away his problems.
Temporarily, of course.
It wasn't like he had any problems in the first place. Kaori was just… a memory that he could never seem to forget. Just when he thought he could, she'd come back. She haunted him. She made him feel terrible, like a sickness with absolutely no cure. No amount of aspirin could take away his migraine when he thought of her. No amount of alcohol could fill the emptiness he felt without her.
It was absolutely ridiculous and stupid.
He didn't understand why. He couldn't get to the bottom of it. Why her? Why was he the one that had to suffer for it?
Another glass of wine travelled down his throat… and another. The bottle was empty after an hour.
At least he would be getting a decent amount of sleep before he landed.
Happy Birthday, he wished himself.
Lent term was coming to an end. Students spent hours and hours in the library, crowding the tables but worked in absolute silence. It was fascinating how such a large group of people could only produce the noise of page flipping and the clacking of keyboards. Kaori yawned and called it a day.
She made her way to her favourite coffee shop down the street of her apartment that was just as a crowded. Everyone needed their caffeine fix. She was at the end of the line. She got to the counter and smiled at the familiar face of the barista. His name was Henry.
Crowds tended to come and go, and Kaori just happened to be at the end of one.
"The usual?" he asked. Kaori nodded, too tired to reply. She took a seat by the wall, on one of the high chairs. The place was dimly lit. It oddly also had the fastest internet she could ever find in the area. People sat on the couches that were provided, or by the wooden tables. The aroma of coffee and tea was relaxing. It was the perfect place to work.
The barista dropped off her drink and took a seat beside her.
"Don't you have to go back to work?" she asked.
"Another wave will come in half an hour or so, trust me," he replied with a smile. He owned the place anyway, he knew from experience. "You're graduating this year, aren't you?" Henry tried making small talk with the girl, as usual. She was always a pleasure to talk to. Something about her was strangely uplifting.
Kaori nodded as she took a sip of her matcha green tea latte.
"I remember the first time you walked through that door. Hard to believe those three years had gone by so quickly."
She nodded and looked around the shop. "I'm going to miss this place. You have the best internet, by the way."
The barista chuckled. "I know." Henry watched as the girl drank her latte silently, calming herself down. She looked exhausted, like she could collapse any second. But then again, that's how she looked like for the past few months. He deemed it as normal for her.
"Any plans after graduation? You could stay for another year and get yourself a Master's degree," the older man suggested.
Kaori shook her head. "I promised to go back home. I think I'll take some time to get myself sorted out after Graduation," she vaguely answered.
"You mean… you never visited home these past few years? Where did you go?" Henry had always thought that she had gone back home during the summers.
"I backpacked across Europe."
The barista looked to the other side of the room where a framed photograph hung on the bricked wall. It was black and white, with contrasting tones of the beautiful homes along the canal in Amsterdam. She had brought it to him one day, as a thank you for letting her stay long nights and constantly serving her without any complaints. He loved it. It was a beautiful piece of artwork that went well with the rest of the place.
"You mean that photo wasn't a print?" he pointed to the wall. Kaori chuckled in response and nodded her head.
"It's an original by yours truly."
"My goodness, you didn't even sign the piece." He went to grab a thin tipped marker from the counter and handed it to the girl despite being told that she signed the back of the photo. She always signed the back of her photos, along with the date.
"No one is going to see the back, geez. Even I didn't. Come on, sign the frame. I'm going to miss you. At least let me remember you somehow."
Kaori reluctantly signed the frame and handed back the marker. She sat in the same spot again, finishing up her latte. It was a good break before she dived into her books again. Henry broke the comfortable silence.
"I wonder what you'll be doing in a few years," he said. He cared for her like a little sister. It had been three years since they first met. It was sweet of him to do so. Kaori gave a small smile.
"Something. Somewhere. Somehow. I don't know. I have other things to worry about right now," she said. "How did you ever end up here?" Here as in, the coffee shop in the middle of the beautiful city of Cambridge. He was relatively young, maybe in his early thirties.
"A girl," he replied. His wife was a teaching assistant in Cambridge. One day she was going to become a professor. He supported his wife's dream, and stayed with her.
Henry nudged the younger girl and teased her about having a boyfriend or not. She rolled her eyes. It was always the same answer. No, she didn't have one.
"Did you ever have one before?"
"Uhh… I don't know," Kaori replied, drinking her latte as a way to avoid talking about the topic.
"Then what is that ring around your neck that you always wear? It surely isn't just any piece of jewellery."
She didn't answer. Instead, Kaori gave him a long stare. When did he ever become so observant and perceptive to her? Kaori didn't want to talk about it. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and looked away from her friend.
"Was it a nasty break up?" he teased.
"Actually I'm not sure what it was," Kaori honestly replied. "But they were good memories."
"Don't you want to… go back to him?" Henry curiously asked. He watched as she thought about his question. She never said a lot, but she always said enough to answer the question. Or at least her expression showed a glimpse of what her answer was.
"I don't think it would be appreciated. He's doing well without me," she murmured after a few minutes.
"And what about you?"
Kaori shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know. Does it matter?"
Rumour had it that they were engaged. It was true. They had been engaged for quite some time.
It was only tonight that they made it official, mainly for the press. A high class party was called, with a few hundred guests that arrived at the large mansion. Flashes from the paparazzi crowded the entrance, taking photos of each of the guests. This event was not to be missed.
"Quite the party pooper, isn't he?" Kaoru snickered to his brother.
"What was he thinking?" Hikaru chimed in, shaking his head as he watched from afar.
"Keep it down, guys," Haruhi tried to quiet the two troublemakers.
"'Just friends' my ass. Look at the way he's holding her," Hikaru continued, ignoring the brunette.
"His arm is on her waist at a perfectly acceptable place," the girl calmly said. "Stop it, you two. It's none of your business."
"Oh please. That dress—" Kaoru stopped speaking when he saw Kyouya making his way towards the three former host club members with a woman on his arm. He was still the same Shadow King, intimidating everyone everywhere he went. He gave a smile to Haruhi and congratulated her on her engagement to Tamaki. The girl beside him introduced herself, shaking Haruhi's hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Meizu-san," Haruhi politely said.
The stranger turned to the two twins out of obligation to make some conversation. Unfortunately, the Hitachiin twins brushed her off and moved on to get some champagne. Kyouya was busy speaking about business to a group of men, leaving Ariana alone with Haruhi.
"Don't mind the two twins. They're quite childish," Haruhi reassured. "So tell me about yourself, Meizu-san," the brunette put her hosting skills to use.
"Ariana is fine," she corrected. She smiled brightly to the engaged girl that stood in front of her. Haruhi wondered what was really between her and Kyouya. She certainly didn't seem like a good fit for him, not that there was anything wrong with her character. She was sweet and polite. She was too good for him. He didn't deserve someone like her.
"If you don't mind asking, what is it between you and Kyouya?" Haruhi was always the blunt one.
"Whatever the world wants to deem our relationship," Ariana replied, with a bit of resentment in her voice. She already knew he didn't love her. He wasn't looking for a relationship. He just bought her gifts and took her out because he needed to. She didn't care if they were friends, or in a relationship.
Haruhi pitied the girl. Ariana's smile fooled everyone, including Kyouya. He was blinded by the company to see that she was miserable. She didn't deserve to be constantly played and manipulated with, just for the sake of money. Haruhi shook her head in disappointment.
"Why are you still with him then?" Haruhi asked, hoping the girl would come to her senses.
"For the sake of my family name, I suppose."
"You're willing to do that?"
"That's how we're raised, aren't we?" Ariana said. "I mean, how I was raised," she corrected, forgetting that Haruhi wasn't exactly familiar with how their social class worked.
"I don't think so," Haruhi disagreed. "If I'm able to marry the man I love, regardless of where he stands in the social hierarchy, I'm sure you can bend the rules as well."
Ariana smiled, appreciating the thought. "Easier said than done, Fujioka-san. The Ootoris are like a binding contract. There is no escape."
"Unless he lets you go," Haruhi reminded. "Will you leave when that happens?"
"In a heartbeat," she replied. "But I would appreciate it if you kept this conversation between us."
Haruhi gave a small smile and nodded. "Of course, Ariana."
On the other side of the event hall, Kyouya went to greet his best friend. Tamaki was busy laughing heartily with business associates, not even noticing his friend approaching him.
"Congratulations, Tamaki," Kyouya curtly greeted. They clinked cups and took a sip of their champagne. They hadn't seen each other since Kyouya's birthday. Their relationship was still tense, with neither of the two wanting to apologize for the previous incident.
"Ariana seems like a wonderful partner," Tamaki politely said. He was careful not to label the girl as anything besides a partner, business-wise of course.
"Oh?" Kyouya didn't see them even speaking to one another.
"I heard from Haruhi," he explained. Kyouya nodded. That made sense.
"Well then. I must get going. There are plenty of guests to take care of," Tamaki cleared his throat before he left. "Don't feel obligated about staying. I understand if you have business elsewhere," he coldly added.
In that case, Kyouya gladly took his invitation to leave. He didn't bother with letting his date know. He walked out of the mansion, with his Mercedes-Benz conveniently parked in front by the valet. Without a word, he got into his luxurious car and drove off with the revving of his engine echoing into the night.
He didn't even glance at the meter. He could speed, why not. He had one of the best lawyers in the country and could easily get the charges dropped. Kyouya drove into the bright city of Tokyo where his apartment was. The mansion was too… empty. He opted for the apartment because it was cosier.
It was ironic, seeing as it was his first time in the apartment since he bought it. It was exactly how it was before.
The open-concept design coupled with the beautiful view of the city. There was plenty of empty space. The kitchen was on his right, the bedroom to his left. No doors, except for the washroom and laundry room. The large screen TV was still there, along with the comfy black leather couches. Everything was untouched.
He noticed the collage of photos on the wall. A large piece of glass was attached to the wall, protecting the piece of artwork. Kaori had finished the collage of photos he had helped her with, years ago.
It was her apartment. He had bought it out of impulse after she had left. He couldn't resist.
Kyouya made his way to the kitchen, sitting on one of the high chairs that were by the granite countertop. He had brought a bottle of wine, and easily opened it without struggle. He had done it so many times before, it became natural.
He poured the red substance into the glass, reminiscing about her. He imagined her cooking in front of him.
Kyouya envied his friend. He scoffed at his friend's happiness. The image of his friend's smile and his success angered him. Kyouya wasn't angry at Tamaki. In fact, Tamaki deserved the happiness. It was himself that he was angry at.
He gulped down some more wine.
Why was he miserable? He had power, he had money. He was good-looking. He could have any girl except for her. Plenty of fish in the sea, but he wanted the only fish that wouldn't swim towards him.
He wanted her smile, her laughter, her sarcasm and her cooking.
He downed another glass and passed out.
She waited patiently for her named to be called. Kaori looked around the beautiful building, embellished with details that were carved into the stone walls. Cambridge and its buildings were truly a magnificent place. She couldn't believe she was already graduating. Kaori looked down, careful not to trip on her oversized graduation gown as she got up from her seat.
She calmly walked up to the podium, shaking the hands of the two men that stood before her to present her the degree. Kaori smiled brightly in front of the camera before her hands took the paper. A camera flash went off and she couldn't help but to feel like it was a Kodak moment. She hadn't been happy for quite some time.
Kaori imagined her father's smile. His proud stance as he watched over her walking down the podium into the Senate house. How happy he would be to see her walking through the prestigious ceremony, but instead he was on the other side of the world. She lingered around the place for a while after the ceremony, surrounded by the new Alumni of Cambridge. She envied those that had their family and friends fly to the place to attend their graduation. It truly was a beautiful scene with the smiles of each and every person illuminating the place. The bright summer's day could not have been more perfect.
Kaori took her own camera and captured some of those candid moments herself.
"Vivienne," a deep voice called out for her. "Care for a photo together?"
She turned around to see one of her favourite professors behind her. Kaori had grown close with her Pathology professor. She spent long days in the lab just to watch him work. She never got over the beauty of microbiology.
"That would be lovely, sir."
Everyone was occupied, not one having the time to take a photo for the two. The professor and the student laughed it off. Kaori took the hefty camera and held it at arms length and told her professor to smile. It took a few tries to get the perfect picture.
Kaori sighed when she looked at the time. She had to leave soon. Kaori parted ways with her classmates that stopped her for a quick photo. She said goodbye to each person she knew. This time she tied up loose ends before she went back home.
She didn't own a lot of belongings. Just her clothes, her laptop and a lot of paper that had accumulated over the past 3 years. It wasn't difficult to pack. One last photo of her apartment to celebrate the time she had spent in the small place and she was out the door and off to Heathrow.
And then it was time to go home.
Home, as in New York City.
A/N: It would be wonderful to hear what you all think. :) I added a story cover but it looks a lot nicer in higher quality... oh well. As always, thank you all for reading. You guys are amazing. Reviews will always, always, always be appreciated.