Chapter 25- New Developments

It was four-thirty in the morning.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kyoya sighed. Another night's rest was gone.

He looked towards his king-sized bed, his heart telling him to stop and take a well deserved sleep whereas his logical mind told him that he still had another thirty more emails to go through… His mind won in the end- it always did. With a resigned air, he put on his glasses again and turned back to the illuminated screen, ignoring the smarting sensation of his eyes that protested of being overworked.

No, he had to keep going. The luxury of sleeping could wait.

The long list of unread mails popped up on the screen and he scrolled through them, deleting a few useless ones and moving a few to new folders. His cursor stopped and lingered one of them that was sent by his father, deliberately pausing before he clicked on it.

It wasn't often that Ootori Yoshio sent him letters using his personal address- the older man had a particular habit of which account to use on different occasions, and Kyoya, having started assisting his father in business, more often than not, received only mails sent by his father's personal secretary. He thought back to the filtered emails and he couldn't help but feel exasperated at the numerous number of letters that were sent by his sister- As if her three phone calls per week weren't enough!

His father's message to him was simple, with only two words-

- 'Call me.'

Without any hesitation, his cellphone was already in his hand, his mind whirling with all possible reasons of the elderly Ootori's strange command.

The line rang thrice before there was a click, and his father's stern voice came through the receiver.

...

"Minori nii-san, why don't you get more rest? You look tired."

Akino Eri had a look of concern in her eyes as she led her cousin to the library- by his request. It was the second day since his arrival yesterday afternoon and she hadn't been expecting him to come knocking at her door at seven a.m.- especially since he had only gone to bed at twelve the night before. But Minori would not be dissuaded. He had come here for a purpose and Eri knew that whatever it was, it was serious and major enough for him to want to tell her about it face to face. She had heard his undertone in their last conversation through the phone though he diverted the subject immediately.

She motioned for him to take any seat he wanted while she went over to her new favourite spot- the window seat. Minori raised a brow at that and looked at her in silent questioning- to which Eri smiled with a hint of carefree mischievousness, "Why are you looking at me like that? I had this library slightly reconstructed four months ago, if you're wondering, and the window is the first thing on the list of things to be altered."

Minori watched her with amusement creeping into his growing smile, "I see," he said, settling down on a leather sofa, "Glad to know you're taking liberty to make this place more to your liking. I'm sure uncle will be pleased to hear."

"So," Eri began, a little uncertain of what news her cousin will be bringing, "Why are you here, really?"

Minori leaned forward in his seat, his eyes never breaking away from her unsure ones. There was a long pause as he pondered on his words, in the end, he chose to say nothing, in lieu, he pulled out a folder from his bag and handed it to her, watching her intently as she opened it with a wariness he could understand.

Eri flipped through the pages carefully, her fingers unconsciously trailing the printed words as she read. Pale blue eyes grew wide as they reached the middle, shock and disbelieve became obvious on her face as she snapped her gaze to his in astonishment, "You mean to say that father is planning to create a branch here and let me run it?" Her voice, though somehow managed to remain soft, was higher than usual, and as the news set in, the earlier shock was wiped clean away as panic took its place.

Minori nodded, however, before Eri could say anything more, he said-

"And I'll be staying here with you until everything is sorted out."

Eri sighed in relief at that, "You should have told me that earlier," she told him half-reproachfully.

To be honest, this wasn't anything she hadn't expected. If anything, she had an inkling feeling that her father was planning to do something of this sort when she began receiving minor assignments one month after she came here to Boston. And as much as she disliked it- lack of interest would be a better term, really- she had tried to do her best. And aside from the struggles and blank-outs at the very beginning- and from time to time even now- things had gotten easier as she got used to it.

Minori reached over and turned a page for her, "Continue reading, Eri, and I'll answer all your questions after this."

She complied obediently, knowing he will never steer her wrong. It took her a long time scrutinising over the text before she managed to get a gist of what those absurd business jargons- to her- meant, and when she did, all thoughts left her and all she could squeeze out of her tight throat was a soundless-

"What?"

Eri stared at her cousin, trying to discern what he was thinking at the moment…

"This-" she pointed to the folder, her voice barely above a whisper, "This is not a joke, is it, Minori-nii?"

Minori stood up and went to her, a large hand rested on the honey brown head-

"And that, is actually for you to decide, Eri. Just remember whatever you choose to do next, I will be on your side all the way."

...

Mixed emotions warred against each other, not caring the slightest that the mind they were tormenting belonged to a young girl- a girl who shouldn't, by right, experience all these inner chaos at her tender age.

"And now that you're informed, I'm going off to bed."

"Wait, Minori nii-san!"

At her call, the young man turned, patiently, knowingly, waiting for her to compose her sentence.

Her eyes were almost desperate when she stared at him beseechingly. Her lips parted, a question escaping through them-

"How long do I have to decide?"

"…Tomorrow night."

She broke out of her thoughts when a hand waved in front of her face, she blinked, and found herself staring into worried brown eyes of a familiar honey blond senior.

Haninozuka Mitsukuni gazed at the girl with a slight furrow in his brows, "What's wrong, Ri-chan? You've been lost in your own world since we arrived. Are you feeling ill?" Beside him, the normally stoic Morinozuka Takashi nodded in agreement.

She took in the sight around her and felt a smile tug at her lips at their peaceful surroundings. It had been an 'ambush'- or so she called- when these two seniors appeared outside her house at eleven sharp out of the blue and pulled her into their car without any explanation, and drove off… She had a suspicion that Yamaguchi-san knew about her friends' intent beforehand, however, if his respectful bow as he watched them drive away was of any indication.

She didn't even have any recollections on how she got out from the car but looking at the beautiful park they were in, she had to admit that this was what she needed. A little nature, a little sun, and company.

"It's nothing, Honey-senpai. Just… a lot of things going on in my mind."

Honey hummed, a little sceptical but allowing the issue to slide for now. Taking the basket from Mori's hand, he presented it to Eri with a wide grin, "Let's have a picnic here in the park! We have a lot of food here; there's strawberry tarts, chocolate buns, vanilla cream puffs, mint chocolates, caramel puddings-" and he went on rattling a dozen more names before turning to look at her with sparkling eyes, "Let's eat! I'm hungry~"

Eri accepted the tart Mori handed to her and took a bite, her smile growing as the simple yet delicate taste filled her mouth, "It's good," she told them honestly, her voice soft and noticeably uplifted. Honey exchanged a pleased look with his cousin before he began his own 'feast'- the treats and desserts vanishing at an alarming rate as he took one after another though he did remember to leave some for his companions.

"It's nice having sweet things for lunch. We should do it more often! Oh, and next time we'll bring Kyo-chan along with us."

"Kyoya…"

Honey looked up from his cake with a questioning look when he heard her utterance. Tilting his head a little, he asked, "What is it, Ri-chan?"

"How- is he?"

"He's still sleeping when we came to fetch you, if you want to know, Ri-chan. Though, I think I heard movements from his room when I woke up at three this morning to grab a dessert so I'm guessing that he pulled an all-nighter again," Honey answered, "It has been quite common lately, since Tama-chan and Haru-chan as well as the twins left. Isn't that so, Takashi?"

"Yeah."

Honey watched the girl in front of him with a knowing glint flashing across his eyes which went unnoticed by Eri, "Say, Ri-chan, why don't you come over to our apartment after this? I'm sure Kyo-chan would be awake by then, and we can even buy lunch for him!"

She hesitated but nodded all the same; Honey smiled gently at her minutely troubled expression and just knew that whatever it was, she would be able to resolve it- with Kyoya, if needed.

Eri eyed the well-organised stack of cardboard boxes at the side of the living room, and from the peripheral of her vision, she could see Honey knocking at one of the doors- Kyoya's room, no doubt.

"Mori-senpai, when are all of you planning to move into the new apartment?" She questioned the silent senior beside her, her eyes evaluating the boxes, mentally calculating the cost of probably hiring a mover to move all their things to their new place.

"As soon as possible, Kyoya doesn't want to spend more than necessary."

"Kyo-chan, are you up yet?"

Honey's raised voice interrupted them. Both of them turned towards his direction just in time to see him sigh, saying defeatedly, "I guess this means 'no'."

"Maybe I should try?" Eri offered, "If what you told me was true, senpai, then it would mean that he had skipped breakfast. It wouldn't be good if he missed lunch as well," and not to mention it was already two o'clock in the afternoon.

Honey's eyes brightened considerably, "I'm leaving Kyo-chan to you then, Ri-chan! I'm going back to my room for a shower so I'll see you later."

"I'm going to change," Mori stated, resting his large hand on her head for a second before leaving the living room.

Seeing that she was now left to her own device, she made her way to the door Honey had knocked on and mimicked the older boy's actions, rapping her knuckles against the wood softly, "Kyoya?" she called, though she knew that chances of receiving a reply was close to none. "Kyoya, if you're not answering I'm coming in," She waited for ten seconds before letting out a resigned sigh.

It wasn't the first time she was doing this. When Haruhi and the rest of them were here, she was the one who was always 'appointed' with the task of waking up the 'Demon Lord'- though she found herself wondering from time to time what they meant by that. However, it was only during those handful of times she visited them… even if they did- the twins and Suoh Tamaki especially- call her, all the while wailing for help over the phone. Of course, all those phone calls ended with Haruhi's apologies for bothering her and the confusion Eri always felt after hanging up soon after.

At first, Eri had tried to respect Kyoya's privacy by staying out of his room. But when the dark-haired young man found out that she had stood outside his room for a whole thirty minutes while waiting for him to wake up the first time, he had granted her permission- to the awe of the rest of the hosts- to enter his room freely. The only condition being that she must not allow any of those 'pests'- his words- to follow her in.

His room was spotlessly clean, even more so with most of his belongings packed up. Eri blinked a few times as she stepped into the room, her eyes needing time to adjust to the darkness they were suddenly bathed in. The thick curtains sure did their job well, she mused, walking over to the King-sized bed in the middle of the room, a lean form wearing a plain white t-shirt beneath a thin sheet of blanket. She shivered as a gust of cold air hit her, and, to her disapproval, she found his air conditioner turned on full blast.

She watched his sleeping face for a while, noting the light dark circles under his eyes. She almost felt sorry for having to wake him up. Almost.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she shook him gently until he stirred.

"Kyoya, wake up. It's afternoon and you need to eat."

His eyes opened at the sound of her voice and he sat up, suppressing a yawn, "Eri? What are you doing here?" His smooth tenor voice a little husky as he asked groggily.

She handed him his glasses and waited for him to regain his bearings before she answered. "I was out in the park with Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai earlier and they brought me here just fifteen minutes ago."

He massaged his temples as he stood up, "Five minutes," he told her, heading towards the bathroom.

Understanding his message, she walked to the window and parted the curtain, sunlight flooding into the room immediately. Dust particles swirled in the air, clearly visible now that they were exposed to the light. She gazed out from the glass, absent-mindedly observing passersby on the street below.

An almost inaudible click came from somewhere on her right and soon enough, a familiar presence came up behind her, a warm hand placed against the small of her back.

She turned and smiled up at him, her heart skipping a beat when he returned the gesture.

"You should eat your lunch now," she told him quietly, breaking the silence.

He complied.

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

Kyoya regarded the girl in front of him wordlessly as he ate his meal, trying to look for an indication- any indication that she had heard the news from her side of the family as well.

What his father said to him this morning still echoed in his ears and to be frank, he did not know what to think of it… yet.

What he was told wasn't unexpected, however. If he had to say, he had suspected that much from all the things he heard from his sister as well as the not-so-subtle hints he got through the months. His father had made his meaning clear, though implied, and Kyoya found himself contemplating about that subject for a great deal of time.

He gazed at her, taking in every detail of her features; throughout his life he had had the privilege to meet all sorts of people, women and girls who possessed indescribable beauty but none left any impression on him. In fact, he found all those makeup-caked faces almost repulsive; the way the majority of them behaved, all cocky and arrogant… It made him sick sometimes. But Eri was different, very different from the norms of their circle. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that she was a 'commoner'; she wore nothing on her face to 'make her eyes pop out', she wore the most simple of clothes- yet somehow managed to look effortlessly stylish, she was soft-spoken- preferring to keep out of a crowd when it wasn't necessary. To put it plainly, she was everything he found himself admiring. And the fact that she hadn't been interested participating in the host club proved more to him that she was not an air headed rich girl who just wanted to flirt and waste their days away.

So what if the host club's aim was to make their customers happy? A picture of her hardworking figure in class flashed across his mind's eye and he found it highly commendable.

Akino Eri wasn't the most beautiful girl he had seen, but there was something in her countenance, that simplicity that she bore, that made her more pleasing to the eyes than the others. Her integrity, her goodwill, her genuineness- all these inner traits were reflected outwardly, overshadowing the shallow beauty so many strived for.

He watched as she sipped on her green tea, and it was then that he found it: that thoughtful and uncertain look that underlined her blue eyes.

She was informed.

"Eri," he called her, setting down his eating utensils.

She turned to look at him with an inquiring gaze.

Sitting up straighter, he went straight to the point- knowing that the both of them preferred it, "I see that Hatano-san had informed you of the news?" and your options. The last three words were left unsaid though he knew she would understand his meaning.

Her eyes were lowered as she nodded, "Yes. Minori nii-san told me this morning… about the new company father is going to set up here and-"

"And the Ootori's offer to make it into a joined venture between our families," he finished, sensing her uneasiness towards the whole matter.

Mutely, she nodded once more.

There was a short pause as he waited for her to speak.

She finally did-

"I'm confused," and the first thing she said, was a blatantly truthful confession. "There are so many things I don't understand, so many things I have yet to learn. I'm not ready for such a huge responsibility and I certainly am not prepared to make such a major decision. I can't help but wonder what would happen if I chose to accept your family's offer, and what would happen if I did not. Which would be better, and why is the decision up to me. Our families had no relation to each other in the past so why now?"

Secretly, both of them knew what the utmost motive was. With the Ootoris dominating the medical world and the Akinos presiding over the mines and the business market, their joint forces would be a power to behold- and the endless benefits that would follow would be the very thing both families could ever wish of getting. The joint venture, the Boston branch, the involvement of both Eri and Kyoya…

She bit her lips as she locked eyes with him again-

"Kyoya… what should we do?"

…What have I gotten myself into?! *staring at this newly finished chapter in horror* I have just made life harder for myself! (I'm absolutely horrible with these kind of conflicts… TT_TT)

So… bear with me! (Honestly though, this story is really going in a direction I would not expect in a million years… What happened to the short sweet, simple romance I had in my mind?!)

But still, I hope all of you liked it. =)

Here I really want to apologise to those who reviewed on the last chapter for not being able to reply your reviews one by one. Molly Grace 16, Marzgrl98, Counting Sinful Stars, slashingfruit101, Snowgirl7589, thank you all for your encouraging reviews! Really, all of you as well as those who added this story to their follows and favourites are the only reason I kept going.

To tell you the truth, there are just some days when I reread my story and hated it. I find so many faults and mistakes that I'm really considering to quit writing altogether. But every time I thought about it, I go through your reviews and looked through all the people that are following it, I tell myself to not let my readers down. There will be days when everything I write feels wrong and truly, I'm grateful to each and everyone of you for your support and understanding.

When I started this story, I did not expect it to reach 50 reviews, or even pass the 100 followers mark… but it did, and I can never tell you how much it means to me.

All I can say again is 'thank you'.

...

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

PS: someone asked me in the last chapter about the relationship between Eri and Kyoya. 'Are they dating or are they friends?' Here's my answer-

No, they are not a couple yet. While it is true that the both of them harboured feelings for each other, there are still so many uncertain factors to resolve. It will happen soon though, the confession, I mean. I like to take relationship slow, and falling in love slower. And, personally, I don't really believe in love at first sight. (I'm kinda old-school…) =D