A/N: Ok, the grandmother has been taken care of and is now out of the way. Sapphireanguill… I don't really like her either. She needs him and yet instead of treating him like a person, she treats him like garbage. Tamaki may be many things, but he is a good guy that doesn't deserve that. Ok, we are getting closer to finishing this story. Just a couple more chapters to go and then it will be put to bed. You will see exactly why Koji has a problem in this chapter. It is something I have actually had in mind since I introduced him. Enjoy the new chapter minna!

Chapter 29 – Secrets of the Ochi Family

Koji fumed as he walked into his first period class on Wednesday morning. Everything had gone wrong and everything he put into motion had been stopped in its tracks. Almost succeeding was still a failure according to his father, and in this instance, he had to agree.

Sitting back and watching everything unfold while pretending to be contrite had been an easy job. He had been warned not to do anything else, and after he had set the wheels in motion, Koji didn't need to do anything else except wait to see what his little act produced. It was more than what he could have ever hoped for. Tamaki's grandmother had tried to marry him off when he was still a second year in high school, and had been in the process of shipping the Host Club's president off to France… where in Koji's mind, the blond belonged. However, he never counted on the lengths the other hosts would go through to keep their friend with them, and in the end, Tamaki had been rescued and brought back safely; too bad a few of the others weren't so lucky… and that included a platoon from the Ootori private police force.

The fair had come and gone four days ago and now there were rumors of an upset in the Suoh Corporation. Koji wasn't exactly sure about the details, but he did know that the matriarch of the family had been forced into retirement and the Host Club was somehow in control, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was next. He went to school and club activities like normal, and yet he was hyper aware of everything that was happening around him, and the people surrounding him. Were they coming for him, or was he just paranoid? Kyoya had shipped off the girls that had caused Haruhi harm in the past to mental institutions, so he had to wonder what lie in wait for him at the end of the journey. Surely the Shadow King would not let this pass and just let him off scot free when no one else had managed that. No, something was coming for him, but he didn't know when or where.

Many people would probably wonder why he had targeted the Suoh heir, and it was simply that Koji hated Tamaki more than the others. If he could get rid of one person at the school, it would be the blond president followed closely by the filthy commoner they allowed into the doors of Ouran. Yes, the bastard child of the chairman was his most hated adversary, and in his eyes he had good reason… very good reason: the father of his half-sister was none other than Chairman Suoh. Yes, his mother tried to claim she didn't know who the father of the girl was, but Koji had found a letter and proof, and in his mind the father could only be one person. Unlike what he had done for Tamaki, Yuzuru had chosen to deny the relationship and never once admitted that the little girl was his. Tamaki walked around knowing who his father was, was somewhat accepted by him, carried the Suoh name, and did whatever the hell he wanted to because he was the precious heir to the Suoh Corporation; in the meantime, his sister didn't have a father, didn't know who he was, and his mother was an outcast because she had been seduced by the womanizer Yuzuru Suoh. It was all his fault and since Koji could not get to him, he would get Tamaki.

As Koji continued to make his way through the school day, across town at an apartment a few blocks away from Haruhi's, a knock sounded on a door. A lovely woman with black hair and violet eyes answered the door, "Yes, may I help you?" She was smiling, but there was a dullness to her skin and she looked tired.

"I'm sorry to bother you madam, but are you Rei Ochi?" A man dressed in a black suit inquired.

Recognizing the insignia on the man's dark tie clip, the woman nodded, "I am."

"Could you please come with me?"

"I have to work in an hour and my daughter will be getting out of school right after my shift ends, so that is not possible," she tried to close the door, but was stopped.

"I assure you that my employer would be more than willing to pay for any missed wages and I have already discussed your absence with your employer. You will be done in enough time to collect your daughter from school."

Rei was nervous and scared. What did this man want? Why did his employer want to do with her? She had already suffered for her sins and was still paying for it, "I… I don't…"

"Please ma'am. It concerns your son Koji."

That was all she needed to hear before she was grabbing her purse and following the man. Rei may be walking straight into a trap, but she would do anything for her children… even if they were no longer part of her life.

Back at Ouran, Koji was walking towards his second period class when Nekozawa stopped in front of him and prevented his entrance into the classroom, "Did you need something Nekozawa-senpai?" He was still on guard and did not trust anyone around him.

Chuckling, the Black Magic Club president lifted his hand to reveal his puppet and stated, "Beelzenef and I need to talk to you about an urgent matter."

"Sorry senpai, but I have class right now."

"Your sensei is already aware that you will be absent from class this morning. I have already talked to her. Please come with me."

Koji could insist on going to class, but that might not work since the instructor had already been informed. Not only that, but if he put off Nekozawa, he would only have to face him later. There was no escape for him. Rolling his eyes and sighing in exasperation to give off the air that he was irritated more than he was terrified, he asked, "Fine, whatever! What is this about senpai?"

"Just a meeting to discuss certain events and behaviors," Nekozawa smirked as he led the way towards the infamous third music room. Per the fact that they were going to have a special guest at this meeting, it was necessary to move the location from the Black Magic Club room to a more… "normal person" friendly environment.

From the words used, Koji knew this was about his role in almost sending Tamaki out of the country. In his defense, he only spoke a few words and rumors; the grandmother was the one who took the measures she did. He had not control over what the woman did or her actions, and therefore he believed he was untouchable… or at least that is what he told himself in order to tap down on his fear. He actually felt like he was currently on a death march as he followed his president and the puppet to the meeting. He was not sure where they were heading, but it looked like the Host Club's stomping grounds, "Senpai, are we going to music room 3?"

"We are," Nekozawa answered.

Swallowing hard and hoping that the other teen did not notice, Koji inquired, "Why are we going there and not to our club room?"

"Certain reasons prevent us from having this meeting down there," Nekozawa replied and turned around smiling, knowing his kohai was afraid and secure in the fact that he was adding to that fear. The bewigged teen didn't care of Koji was terrorized, when he had heard that Haruhi had fallen off of the bridge and into the water… Nekozawa's own heart had stopped and he couldn't stop touching her and making sure she was still alive and with him. The cloaked president had never known a horror such as that, and even though she had been the one to tell him in that no nonsense way of hers, he was still severely shaken; and there wasn't any harm in giving Koji a taste of his own medicine. The other man may not have been the one to call the Tonnere family, but he was the one that set everything into motion, and therefore he held some of the blame for what happened to Haruhi and the others… and of course a few minor curses spoken over the weekend helped to cool Nekozawa's temper as well.

"What reasons?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, let's be on our way. Beelzenef says if we don't hurry, we will be late," the president chuckled and turned around to continue in the direction of the third music room, his cloak swishing about his feet as he moved.

He knew it was best to keep his mouth shut for now. His senpai was still a bit touchy over what happened to Haruhi, but again it was not Koji's fault. She had chosen to chase after Tamaki in the carriage. It was a decision she made and therefore it was her fault for being thrown into the water… thankfully it was deep enough that she wasn't really hurt. Just a little winded.

Walking closer and closer to the music room, Koji couldn't help but feel like he was getting closer to death. If the meeting was being held in the music room, it meant that the hosts (at least some of them) would be in attendance. If Kyoya was there, it might mean certain death… of course that could happen anyway with the man walking two paces in front of him.

As they approached the double doors, Nekozawa stopped and looked behind him giving Koji one last glare through the bangs of his wig. He then opened the doors and ushered the other teen in front of him. He, Reiko, and Koji were the only ones in attendance from the Black Magic Club; however, all of the hosts were present as well as one other guest.

"Mother?" Koji gasped as he glanced around the sea of faces and fell on hers lastly.

"Koji, what is going on here?" Rei asked of her son. She hadn't been told anything other than the fact that there was a matter that concerned her son.

Scowling at the group before settling his glare one more time on his mother, Koji sneered, "Nothing, nothing at all." He had been told time and time again that his mother was nothing to him any longer, she was nobody, and he should not feel any kind feelings or love for her. It was something he tried to practice, but never quite mastered as well as his brother had.

Rei stood up and took a step towards her son and watched as he took a step backwards, "Koji, I am still your mother. What is going on here?"

"You might have given birth to me, but that is all. You are nothing more than a sl…" he was interrupted before he could get the word out.

"If you will both sit down, we can discuss this whole situation," Kyoya announced loudly preventing the other teen from saying anything else he might regret later.

The mother returned to her seat and noticed her son took a seat as far away from her and the others as he could. It almost seemed like he was standing alone as an island, and she could feel her heart breaking a little bit more. She knew he was hurt by her actions and the choices she had made in her life, but she wanted love and affection, and those were two things her husband never gave her and was more likely to show his mistresses. In her circle there was a double standard: it was ok to have an affair as a man, but not as a woman.

Nekozawa took his place next to Haruhi and wrapped his arms around her before kissing the side of her head. He still needed to touch her and remind himself that she was alright and still by his side. He loved her so much and if anything had happened to her… well, he didn't know what he would do.

Looking at his own girlfriend out of the corner of his eye, Hunny could understand Nekozawa's feelings. All of them had been afraid when the saw Haruhi fly over the side of the bridge and then watched as Tamaki jumped in after her; it was not something any of them wanted to repeat. He laced his fingers with Reiko's and knew if anything like that had happened to her, he didn't know if he would be able to handle it; so the fact that Nekozawa kept touching or holding Haruhi was completely understandable.

Kyoya looked around their small group and observed that Tamaki and the twins were glaring daggers at Koji, Mori looked stoic as usual but no one could mistake the fire in his eyes as he looked at the guilty party, and the two couples looked to him to begin. Pushing his glasses up, he started, "We are here to discuss what happened this past weekend."

"What happened this past weekend? If it has to do with Koji, shouldn't his father be here?" Rei inquired.

"No, I don't believe he does. I think you are the better person to be here at the moment," Kyoya stated before explaining his reasoning, "Due to rumors Koji spread throughout the Suoh household, Tamaki was almost shipped off to France, Hikaru broke his arm, Haruhi flew off the bridge and landed in the water with Tamaki who jumped in to try to save her life, the Host Club and Black Magic club had to buy shares of the Suoh Corporation to prevent future problems, and we had to basically threaten both the chairman and his mother into complying with our wishes."

Hunny spoke up, "We also had to steal the carriage, beat up the Ootori police, and almost closed the club, Kyo-Chan."

"Very true, Hunny-senpai," Kyoya nodded.

Gasping, Rei covered her mouth with her hands, "Koji? Why would you…?"

"I believe he has a vendetta against the Suoh family due to you," the Shadow King declared.

"Me? Why would he have a vendetta against them?" Rei asked confused.

Koji shook his head and narrowed his eyes derisively as he spat, "Why? You can actually ask that? I know better. I know he slept with you, got you pregnant, and then wouldn't even claim his child. He claimed Tamaki, but not his daughter. You had to pay the price for the chairman's mistakes! I found the letter. I found the proof. You said you didn't know anything, but you are nothing but a liar and a slut."

Taken aback, the mother was shocked at the contempt dripping off her son's tongue. It saddened her that her actions in the past had brought him to this and tears stung her eyes as she gripped her hands together and stared at her lap, "He isn't the father of your sister. I will admit that I had a one night stand with him when we were both drunk, but he isn't the father. He loves Tamaki's mother so much, and that night we were both feeling lonely. I was already pregnant though."

"Stop lying! Don't try to protect him!"

"I'm not. I made a lot of mistakes, and that is just one of many, but he isn't the father."

"Oh please, she looks just like him! He deserved to be punished, and since I can't touch him, Tamaki will have to do."

Rei lifted her head and looked at her child with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her actions had done this, but she could not allow him to needlessly punish someone that was innocent, "It isn't Yuzuru."

Kyoya opened his black book and pulled out a sheet of paper, "Actually, she is correct. Your sister is in no way related to Tamaki and therefore not related to the chairman at all."

"Yah right," Koji scoffed.

"I have the DNA results right here," the vice president smirked and held up a sheet of paper.

"How did you…?" Rei asked, her maternal instincts to protect her daughter kicking in.

Lifting an eyebrow, Kyoya answered, "It is fairly easy to get what I want. It only took a visit to the school to obtain a can she had drunk out of and threw away. I had a feeling this may have been related to you, and I like to have all my bases covered before I face the enemy." He looked at the results and then back at Rei, "However, the results did surprise me. Would you like to know what they are?"

Rei shook her head, "I already know what they are. Contrary to what my husband says, other than the one night with Yuzuru, there was only one person I had an affair with."

"That's not true!" Koji yelled.

"It is, but your father wanted me to look more like the bad guy than I was and couldn't stand the fact that I found solace in his cousin's arms. Yuki was the only man that I had an affair with and the only man that really loved me. He died shortly after I got pregnant, which is why I was drunk and lonely and slept with Yuzuru," Rei explained sadly reliving the past and the moment she found out that the man had that given her so much comfort had died in a car accident. She had asked for a divorce time and time again before that happened, but her husband would never give into her wants or demands because they didn't divorce in their circle. Instead he made up lies and kicked her out of the house, separating her from her children. The only reminders she had left of Yuki was the little girl she was raising and the memories he had given her.

Koji looked to Kyoya for confirmation. He was a man that always had answers; surely he had to know this as well.

The Shadow King knew what those eyes were asking of him and he shook his head, "There is even a limit to what I can find out, however, I will say that your father hired a private investigator at one point in time. I was unable to obtain those records since they were not electronic, but you might be able to find something out on your own."

Everyone in the room was looking from Kyoya to Koji to Rei. No one had expected this outcome or the information that was thrown at them. How was this even possible? They could just sit there and watch on as if they were watching an accident or train wreck.

"I… I don't remember a cousin Yuki, so how do I know you are telling me the truth?" Koji snapped.

"Ask your father or research the family. Koji, I didn't want to leave you and your brother, but I had no choice. I had no rights where you two were concerned. I'm so sorry," Rei cried.

If what his mother said was true, his father had lied to him and could have planted evidence since he had found the letter and such in his father's personal files. Not only that, but it also means that Koji had targeted the wrong person and almost got several people killed… No, it wasn't his fault. He only planted the rumor; it was Tamaki's grandmother that made her own decisions.

Adjusting this glasses again so that they caught the glare of the light, Kyoya leaned forward and stated, "You are probably thinking that this wasn't your fault… the whole Tamaki incident, but think of it like this, would she had made the call and forced Tamaki and the rest of us to act as we did if it hadn't been for the lies you spread? You call your own mother a liar, but I think before you sling that word around, you need to take a long look in the mirror. So the question is what are we going to do about you?"

Koji's head shot up and he looked horrified as his eyes widened and he stared at the Shadow King of Ouran. Shaking his head, he quickly spouted an apology, "I'm sorry for what I did, but she chose to believe what the maid said."

Kyoya nodded, "She did, but you fed her hate and disgust with lies. People got hurt in order to protect our friend."

"Mommy, we're a family!" Tamaki declared.

Smiling slightly, Kyoya agreed, "Yes, our family."

"Please, he wouldn't have done anything if it hadn't been…" Rei started and was cut off.

"I'm sorry, but that isn't true," Nekozawa told her, "We warned him not to do anything, and he even tried to hit my girlfriend, as well as threatening her. He made the decisions he did of his own accord. You cannot take on his punishment. He needs to learn that he cannot take matters into his own hands without dealing with the consequences."

Rei looked at the brunette sitting next to the dark figure that had just addressed her. Was he really a student at Ouran… he looked kind of creepy, "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"Umehito Nekozawa. I am the club president for the Black Magic Club; your son's club," the bewigged teen explained.

"I am asking you to forgive him and understand…" Rei begged.

Shaking his head, Kyoya stated, "We can't do that. I asked you here so that he could fully understand how wrong he was and that is all. Nekozawa-senpai is right, Koji needs to understand and deal with the ramifications of what he did himself. People could have been killed because of him."

"Anything anyone does can have ramifications down the road, and my son should not have to bear all of the responsibility for what happened!" Rei defended her child.

"And he won't. We have already dealt with Shizue Suoh and Yuzuru Suoh. They have learned their lesson, and now it is time Koji did as well," Kyoya explained, not realizing a certain dark art practitioner had already cursed the student who started this whole mess.

Nekozawa nodded, "Your privileges in the Black Magic Club have been suspended."

"In the interim, you will be helping out the middle school karate club as they need; the captain, Yasuchika Haninozuka will be expecting you tomorrow. In addition, you will work as the Host Club's dog for the remainder of the year, running our errands and doing whatever else we need you to do. Be happy, you're getting off lightly. It could have been much worse," Kyoya leered.

"What? You can't…" Koji tried to argue.

"Actually, we can. Be grateful it isn't worse and I am only suspending your membership in the Black Magic Club!" Nekozawa growled.

When the meeting finally ended, Rei walked up to her son, but wasn't surprised when he turned away from her and walked out of the room without a backwards glance. The girl that had been sitting next to the dark figure walked up to her, and the mother couldn't help but notice the difference in the couple. Where Nekozawa was dark, cloaked, and hid himself, the girl was light, upfront, and seemed to shine.

"Don't let his attitude bother you. He has had a lot of information thrown at him today and then he was cornered by the lot of us when we basically forced him to this meeting and made him account for his actions. It might have been a little much since it probably seemed that we were ganging up on him, but he did need to see what he did, and my club tends to stick together when we have to meet a challenge head on," Haruhi tried to give the woman sympathy and handed her a tissue.

"Thank you," Rei accepted offering and smiled a little, "I didn't realize he would…"

"He had a choice to make and he made it. Just like we had to choose to let Tamaki go or fight for him, and we decided to fight for our friend."

"He called you family."

Snickering, Haruhi beamed, "I guess in a way we are. A little dysfunctional, but still a type of family."

"Are you really with Nekozawa-san?" The mother asked. It just seemed like an odd pairing.

The female host's eyes drifted back to where Nekozawa was talking to Kyoya, and a soft smile graced her face, "I am. We may seem like opposites, but where I am weak, he is strong, and where I am strong, he is weak. We balance each other. I don't think of it as opposites." She turned back to Rei, "Give Koji time and I think he will find the answers he needs to move past this. He wants to hate you, but can't, and in that he feels like he is disrespecting his father."

"You seem to understand him well."

"It was something that Tamaki-senpai said, and I have to agree," Haruhi said before she was called over to her boyfriend's side, "Don't worry. Goodbye."

Rei looked at the girl that had spoken to her and observed as she sidled up to the cloaked man. They looked so different and opposite, but the young woman had the perfect outlook for them; and Rei hoped she was right about her son as well.

"I will have my bodyguard return you to your home, and do not worry about your wages," Kyoya said as he walked up to the older woman.

Clearing her throat, the mother spoke, "Thank you for not being too hard on him and for helping me speak the truth. It was the first time I ever said it since Yuki died."

"You're welcome," the vice president nodded his head and then signaled for the man that had brought her to take her home.

That night, Koji woke up from his sleep in a cold sweat. He could have sworn he heard something almost beast like calling out his name, and the nightmares were enough to make anyone not want to sleep again.

"Be happy I didn't kill you," a voice echoed from the shadows.

Flipping on the light, he was alone in his room with nothing but the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees to break the silence. Was he going crazy?