A/N: It is not Tamaki. Sorry. I know bad author for messing with your heads like that. You may find out who the mystery person is, but you have to read to find out. I am actually updating this one sooner than scheduled because I wrote out half of it as I worked on the last chapter. I decided to finish it and give you the next chapter a little early. Enjoy!
Poll is up until Friday night and Mori has pulled into the lead.
Chapter 21 – The Spirit of Revenge… I Mean Competition
Haruhi had gone to bed and as Chika was turning out the lights in the living room so that he could bunker down on the couch, he noticed something, or someone, staring at the apartment from across the street. Without taking his eyes off of the figure, he flipped the light off and watched him or her for a couple of minutes before pulling out his phone and searching through his contacts while muttering under his breath, "Who is it now? First the trio of idiots, then Kameko, and now someone else?"
Finding the phone number he sought, Chika hit the talk button and brought the phone up to his ear as he stared across the street at the shadowy figure, "Kyoya-senpai, I hope I am not disturbing you, but do you still have people watching Haruhi's apartment?"
"I do, why?" Kyoya asked curious as to why the youngest Haninozuka would be calling him out of all of the hosts.
"There is someone across the street watching the apartment building and it appears that he is watching Haruhi's apartment. I am not sure who it is, but with everything else going on…"
"Hold on just a second," Kyoya stated and quickly switched lines so that he could call his officers that were in the area. After a few minutes of waiting for answers, he was shaking his head unable to believe the audacity of his friends. Hanging up with the officers and switching back over to Chika, he pinched the bridge of his nose and explained who exactly was watching the apartment.
Chika's hand closed into a fist, "You have got to be kidding me!"
"I wish I was, but there you have it."
"I'll kill him!"
Sighing, Kyoya knew it was up to him to try to diffuse the situation, but the question was, how do you do that when you are dealing with a hot head? Haruhi could do it in a couple of seconds, but the last thing she needed was to find out this latest bit of information. Pushing his glasses up his nose, Kyoya decided to try reasoning with him, "Yasuchika that isn't going to do anybody any good."
"It will make me feel real good and Haruhi won't have to bother with him any longer!" He exclaimed and then forced himself to calm down. Kyoya was right and this wasn't going to help anything. He would put it aside for now, "Fine, whatever."
"I have a question for you," Kyoya prompted. He had not brought it up earlier because he wasn't sure what Haruhi and the others knew, but he was curious.
Immediately feeling defensive, Chika queried, "What?"
"Earlier when Kameko was following you, why did you approach her?"
Chika was not expecting that. He should have known the Shadow King would know about his little run in with the reporter. Haruhi had gone into the market and he told her that he was going to make a quick phone call before joining her and pretended to pull out his phone. Haruhi had walked into the store without suspecting a thing and when he couldn't see her from his vantage point, he approached Kameko and warned her to back off. The girl had looked surprised and tried to come up with an excuse for why she was there, but Chika wouldn't let her talk, "I don't want to hear it. Leave Haruhi alone or else." He had turned on his heel and walked into the market to join his girlfriend after that. He knew Kameko may have backed off, but she was still there; he just couldn't do anything about it with Haruhi right there. Running his hands through his hair, Chika grumbled, "I was sick of her following us and trying to hurt my girlfriend. She may not have physically attacked Haruhi, although I wouldn't even put that past her, but she is trying to assault her character and ruin her dreams. I won't have that."
"I see. Haruhi has no idea that you confronted Kameko today, does she?"
"No, and I would prefer to keep it that way. She has enough on her plate to worry about. If she knew I approached that scum, she would be worried about me too and I don't want that."
"I agree. I will not tell her about it."
"Thank you Kyoya-senpai."
"If there is nothing else, I will let you go," Kyoya stated and disconnected the line. The Morinozuka and Haninozuka children always did amaze him with their instincts and skill, and Chika proved again why they were a top martial arts family.
Knowing now who was watching the apartment, Chika lay down on the couch and thought about him and Haruhi. They have had to contend with so much already and they had been going out less than a year, but he kept telling himself that if they could get through this current year and get rid of one of the morons, it would be so much easier to deal with the other two. He thought back to when he had won the championship which then prompted his brother to plan the party for him. Haruhi was right there in the crowd as he battled that day and then ran up to him and threw herself in his arms when he was finally crowned the victor. His family had laughed at her enthusiasm and recounted the tales of her mutterings as she watched him fight for first place.
Flashback…
"Yasuchika, your girlfriend is violent!" Satoshi exclaimed when he joined the couple. He was amused at how fast Haruhi left the stands and was at Chika's side. Not even Satoshi was able to catch up to her.
Scowling, Chika looked from his girlfriend who seemed clueless and then to his cousin who was looking at the girl with something akin to pride mixed with fear, "What do you mean?"
"I think your cousin is talking about what Haruhi was saying while you were fighting," Yorihisa Haninozuka grinned quite entertained when he thought about the phrases Haruhi used. She fit well with his youngest son.
He looked down at Haruhi again who seemed to be finding a new fascination with the floor and asked her, "What are they talking about?"
"I think that I got into the spirit of competition. I would just like to say that is not normally how I act and I have never been to a karate tournament of this caliber before. The competition here was more intense than the school meets," Haruhi defended herself.
Chika was holding in his laughter at her face, "What did you do?"
Putting her hands on her hips and frowning at her boyfriend, Haruhi snapped, "I didn't do anything."
"You didn't do anything Haru-Chan, but you sure said some things," Hunny giggled teasing his friend.
Atsuko Haninozuka took pity on her son's girlfriend, "There is nothing wrong with how she acted and you need to stop teasing her."
Now Chika was really curious, "What did you say?"
"I didn't say much… but I might have cheered you on and in the meantime told you to rip their heads off, show them who is number one, stuff like that," Haruhi explained looking at him in the eye, "And if you have a problem with it, oh well." Her hands had moved from her hips to cross over her chest.
Wrapping his arms around her and hugging her, Chika whispered into her ear, "I don't have a problem with it at all and I think you are my most favorite cheerleader, and I need you at all my competitions going forward no matter what." He felt her nod her head and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
End flashback…
No, he didn't have a problem with what she had said that day or since. When she watched him compete, her competitive side came out too and she cheered him on with a fierceness he had never experienced before; and the rare times when she was unable to attend his meets, he would usually win, but it seemed that it was harder to beat the opponent and it always felt like something was missing. Turning over onto his side, he decided that Haruhi was the best thing that came out of his fight with his brother that fated day in the host club.
He was smiling as he tried to go to sleep, but was before he could settle in he heard noises coming towards the living room. He knew it was Haruhi even before he saw her. Sitting up when she made it to the side of the couch and pulling her to his side, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Just couldn't sleep. I guess this whole mess is starting to get to me. What kind of person does that to someone else?" Haruhi could feel herself getting worked up again.
Kissing the side of her head, he shook his head, "I don't know. I just know that she is bad news and has been for a while."
They sat in silence for a little longer before Haruhi spoke up again humor making the words come out almost as laughter, "Can you imagine Tamaki-senpai drugged with a love potion?" The entertainment factor of just that thought sent her over the edge and she started to snicker.
"UGH! He is virtually impossible now. I don't even want to think about that," Chika declared, but he couldn't help but chuckle at that mental image; and based on how over the top he is with Haruhi, Kameko may learn a harsh lesson about drugging the Casanova. This could be enjoyable after all, and if he is susceptible to it, it might just get him away from Haruhi. "Maybe I need to get some for Hikaru and Kaoru's customers also…" he thought to himself as he smiled fanatically.
It may have been dark in the room, but Haruhi could see the
look on her boyfriend's face and rolled her eyes, "No drugging the others no matter how much they annoy you."
"How did you know what I was thinking?"
"I know you Yasuchika."
"I really don't like it when you call me that," he grumbled. His brother used to be one of the only people that called him Chika, but Haruhi had been calling him by his nick name since he met her and he liked the way it sounded coming from her. He always knew when she was irritated with him or was trying to butter him up because his name would switch from Chika to Yasuchika.
Turning slightly and wrapping her arms around his neck, Haruhi snickered, "Well that is your name isn't it?"
He was done with the teasing and threw her on her back right before he started to tickle her, "What's my name?"
"Yasuchika."
"What is that?"
"Ya-Yasu-Yasuchika."
"Wrong. Let's try that again. What's my name?"
Haruhi yelped and couldn't control the giggles coming out of her. Chika knew where all of her tickle spots were, "OK, IT'S CHIKA!"
Chika stopped his tickle attack and pulled her back up to a seated position, "So much better." He leaned forward and touched is lips to hers. When he pulled back, he was smiling, "Do you feel better now?"
Sighing, Haruhi snuggled with her boyfriend and laid her head on his shoulder kissing his neck before she answered, "Yah, I do. Thanks. I'm glad you came over tonight."
"Me too. Why don't you go ahead and get some sleep. I will still be here in the morning, and if you want, I will find the four troublemakers and line them up in front of a firing squad."
"Hmm I think I like the sound of that too much. Probably not a good thing," she joked before sighing one last time and standing up, "I will see you in the morning. Good night Chika."
"Good night Haruhi," he grinned and listened as she walked away from him and back to her room. Now they just had to get through tomorrow's meeting and hopefully the Kameko situation will be resolved quickly. Then they could work on the other three and he already had some ideas for that one. Smirking, he lay back down on the couch and decided it was time for some shuteye.
A/N2: Ok, so I am bad and didn't reveal. Do you want to take another stab at it?