Sorry for being gone! I'm actually supposed to be doing projects and stuff because it's almost time for high school acceptance letters... but I'm not going anywhere that will hold me back on my writing. So, how's that, world? XD
I sit in the cafeteria, the table empty before me. A few people (both genders of new guests and frequents alike) attempted to ask me what my problem is, but I managed to keep up my shy girl "act" and tell them nothing was wrong at the same time. I also managed to avoid meeting any of the host club in the halls today, which involved skipping my one class with Haruhi and the twins and even once ducking into the alcove for a boys' bathroom when I saw Tamaki approaching from down the hall. (That action duly earned me more than one glance from the second years exiting said bathroom.)
"Excuse me, may I sit here?"
I look up from the tabletop to see a girl with flaming red hair. She wears jeans under her yellow Ouran dress and two jackets over it. This girl, and I may be wrong about this, well, there's just something about her. She carries her tray with one arm and a book under the other. Her fiery hair rolls in waves over her shoulders, her blue eyes are accented with glasses.
"Uh, yeah, sure," I agree. She sets her tray down and slides on to the seat, looking about as annoyed with the puffy skirt as I usually feel.
"I'm Leiko, by the way. Leiko Rin."
"Akira," I introduce.
"I know who you are," She says, almost offended. "You're the first girl in the host club. That's a really brave thing to do."
"Ah," I say, a little bit embarrassed. "Thank you for the compliment, but I'm really not brave."
"Oh, I know," She laughs. "It was just a fluke. But that just makes it even more brave!" Really, I think. Is she trying to tick me off? Leiko adjusts her jackets, flashing a leather cord around her wrist with a small, muddy chocolate pendant adorning it. It sort of reminds me of Daiki's eyes. Just a little.
"Oh, what's this?" I change the subject, gesturing to her hand. She flinches and rubs the jewel with her thumb fondly.
"It's a charm bracelet." There's a pause. "Are you going to get that?"
"Get wha-," I am cut off by my phone ringing. I flip it open and check the caller ID. Unknown.
"Yes? Akira Helleusa," I say into the tiny microphone, looking at Leiko out of the corner of my eye.
"A- Akira?" The unknown caller is immediately identified.
"Tomio?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"How'd you get my number?" I ask, suspicious.
"Not the point," Tomio says, cutting to the chase. He gasps in a shaking breath that sounds like static over the phone.
"What's wrong, Tomio?" I ask, worried. Tomio is almost never this upset. If he is, I'll never know because he hides it so well.
"Are you sitting down? You should probably sit down. You may have an attack."
"Tomio," I say, my voice low and threaded with anger and worry. He stuttered. He's usually so confident. There must really be something wrong.
"What is it? I'm sitting down."
"It's Dai-." he sobs, unable to finish.
"What about Daiki?" I prod. I can hear the worry clearly in my own voice, warping it to an impossible sound.
"Akira, there was," A gasping sob wracks the tiny speakers, and then there's a pause. Finally, after what seems like an eternal silence, he continues. "There was a... a crash."
His meaning hits me like an iron stake.
"You don't mean...," I trail off, leaving hm to figure out what I couldn't say.
"Yeah. Daiki, he's-," I cut Tomio off.
"Please, don't say it." I feel a tear leak out of my eye, catching on my eyelashes and blurring my vision. Memories flash over my retinas, as if I'm seeing them through foggy glass.
"You're the girl from the Host Club, right?" Tomio asks.
"Yeah. You've heard of me?"
"Everyone has," Daiki says. "No girl has ever joined the Host Club before. They're legends! At least, all the girls say they are. Tomio and I have always wanted to see what they go on about..."
I smile at who I was then. I had a panic attack after talking to them. I can't even imagine that now. Daiki with his arm around Tomio, making kissing noises at the beach in Okinawa. Daiki and I dancing, his eyes portraying his worry for Tomio. Daiki, drunk on spiked punch, his sleeves carelessly rolled up, shoving a plastic cup my way. He and Tomio laughing, his goofy grin and muddy eyes and dark brown hair, his foolish jokes and oblivious outlook. I already have a pull at my heart for his jokes. I long to hear his laugh one more time, see his silly smile.
"I'm so sorry, Tomio." I've only known Daiki for a while, but Tomio's known him his whole life. I can't possibly imagine how hard he's taking this.
"He stepped in front of a car," Tomio says quietly. "They say it was intentional."
"They're wrong," I comfort. "Daiki cared too much about you to leave you alone."
"I know. Wanna hear what I think though?" His voice is low, mixed with burning anger and hatred.
"Tell me."
"I think someone pushed him."
"You wha-," but I am cut off by a click. Tomio hung up. I close the phone, clenching it hard in my palm, that's already slick with sweat. I sway in my chair. My heart pounds and my lungs constrict. I gasp in a breath as my hands start shaking.
"I'm sorry," Leiko says. I'd forgotten she was there. I look at her and see that she's smiling.
"For what?" I say, my voice shaking a little.
"Your friend."
"Of- of course. Thank you," I say, gathering myself up and standing not bothering to question how she knew Daiki... I grab the shoes I'd kicked off under the table and slip them back on. "If you'll excuse me," I mutter, already halfway to the door.
I hurry out of that suddenly crowded room and habitually to the music room. I finally reach it on wobbling legs, open the door with slick hands, and slip inside. I throw my shoes on the ground, strip off my socks, and bury my face in the overstuffed cushions on the couch. I can't tell if it's the panic attack or the grief that causes tears to stream down my face. Daiki can't be dead, he can't be! Tomio was mistaken, it must have been someone else named Daiki, or someone who looks like my friend. There's no way that goofy, oblivious, friendly, sweet, caring, worrying, beautiful Daiki can be gone.
"Akira," a voice that takes me more than a few seconds to identify calls. Footsteps accompany the swish of clothing as said person makes her way across the tiled floor. Surprised, I ignore for a moment the tears stealing my cheeks. I look up from the cushion.
"Leiko?"
"Yes."
I expect her to comfort me, to do something consoling at any sane person would do. But she doesn't. The ginger giggles. I meet her exotically slanted deep blue eyes with ones I can imagine are filled with angry fire. My heart pounds at a rapid rate, so quickly it probably can't be healthy. I take a steadying breath, closing my eyes, and finally opening them again when I've calmed down a little.
"May I ask why you're laughing?" I ask.
"Sure. You could ask it," Leiko sits with a shrug on the edge of the couch. I sit up, kick off my shoes, pull my legs up to my chest and wipe the tears from my eyes.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Akira," the girl stares straight forward. "Remember, in the end, death always wins. She always gets her price."
"Excuse me?" I say, taken aback. "The Black Magic club is over there." I point to the looming black door set in the music room's wall.
"Oh, no. I was meant to be here the whole time." With that, she flashes me a bright smile, stands and leaves the room.
The first ginger I've ever met outside of the Club, and she's creepy as all the stereotypes say.
I am... so sorry. You may thing I'm heartless or I hate Daiki. I am neither of those things. Leiko wanted me to kill him. Tomio hates me now, too. And Leiko. Nah, Tomio hates everyone.
Any, Daiki. I love(d) him with all my heart, but my best friend (who Leiko is modeled after, but only a little in personality) waned blood. It was either him or Tomio, because I'm sure as heck not killing off a Hitachiin or Haruhi. So, I had to sacrifice my poor little Daiki.
I have a message for his gravestone.
RIP Daiki Yusimarea - Beloved friend, brother, son, and idiot. We'll miss you.
Akira's crying now. Gotta go!