The next day, I snuck out, leaving a note for Kyoya. I tried to avoid the maids, and his other family members, and after running a little, I reached the main street, where I took a taxi back to the general area of my apartment. I paid the guy and walked into the nearest breakfast place I could find. I couldn't exactly find the will to eat, and my thoughts kept circling back to the morning, leaving me a blushing and embarrassed mess.
In the end, I left my breakfast half-eaten, and didn't bother asking for change. Wrapping my arms around myself, I checked my phone; it was eight in the morning. "Oh, I have to meet Megumi soon..." I said, remembering I had promised to meet him for breakfast. "Should I tell him I already ate...?" I sighed slightly, pocketing my phone and going to the main street to hail a cab.
...
"Hey, long time no see." Megumi greeted as I stepped out of the cab.
"Yeah. We're not in the same class, so we can't see each other a lot." I said. Megumi held the door open for me, and I welcomed the warmth. "You must be a pretty organized guy to be hanging out with me on a Sunday. Have you finished your work? I'm surprised the doctors let you out of your room with your cast."
"You have no faith in me," Megumi placed a hand over his heart and twisting his expression to a fake hurt one. "Though I guess I am a little guilty of slipping away.
"Haha, you're right, you're right. I have no faith in the guy that fusses over the kitchenware at work." I said, laughing slightly. "You're going to get in trouble when they find out.
"Hey... it was one time..." He said, deflating slightly, "and they won't find out. I'll ask my friend to help slip me back in."
"Hehehe..."
"We have a double shift next weekend, you know." Megumi reminded me, I groaned slightly.
"And just when I thought I could relax without worrying about work. You sure you'll be okay to work by then?"
"Hey, the doctors said just a couple more days with this cast then I can start walking. I'll be fine."
"Walking on a leg that hasn't worked for weeks isn't that easy, you know." I said. Megumi sighed.
"I'll do my best to make it get better, then."
We ordered food and began to talk. I don't even really know what about; we just kind of let the conversation take us whenever. Well, at least until Megumi asked about new years.
"Are you doing anything for new years?" He asked.
"Hmm... The host club was planning a party for new years. You should go, since the whole school's invited. It'll be good for your recuperating spirit." I said jokingly.
"I might go. I wouldn't wanna disappoint a certain someone would I?" Megumi asked, winking. I laughed, flicking some water at him. "When is the party, anyways?"
"I think Tamaki-senpai said it was in few days..." My eyes widened, and I froze. "Oh no..." I checked the time; it was almost ten thirty, a full twenty minutes after the host club's scheduled meeting. "Shit! I'm really sorry Megumi, I forgot I had a meeting with the host club!" I said, hurriedly tossing some money onto the table. "I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you, promise! I really need to go now! Ah, but can you get back to the hospital on your own?" I ask, fumbling with my coat.
"Don't worry," Megumi said, surprised, "My friend will help me. I don't want you get stalled even more."
"I'm really sorry... arghh, where did the time go?!" I hurried out into the frosty air. "See you later, Megumi! I really will make it up to you!" Once outside, I hailed a cab as fast as I could, and it drove me to Ouran's gates. I paid the driver and began to run as fast as I could in the building, disregarding the fact that I could have slipped and fallen.
When I burst through the door of our meeting place, the others were already hanging up more decorations. I panted, placing my hands on my knees. "S-sorry! I was with Megumi, and completely lost track of time!"
"Yuki!"
"Yu-chan!" Hunny bounded up to me. "That's alright! Kyo-chan isn't here since he's sick!"
"O-oh," I said, feeling a bit disappointed.
"Yuki! Can you help hang these streamers?" Haruhi asked, holding up some white and gold streamers.
"Y-yes, of course." I said, tossing my coat over the back of a chair and rolling up my sleeves.
-
✪ η✪
-
"Good work, everybody! We powered through it!" Tamaki said, giving us thumbs up. "We won't be needing the tables until the night of the party, but we can at least test the music and lights!" On his cue, Hikaru and Kaoru turned down the lights, and Hunny and Mori turned on the music. "We'll have an accompanying orchestra to top off the party, and of course a large spread just right for snacking as we dance the night away!" The others cheered, and Haruhi yawned. I tilted my head. Did the others not know about the after party? I decided to confront Tamaki about it later.
"Hm. Looks like you all can work efficiently." We turned to the source of the voice and saw Kyoya dressed in a school uniform. He looked a little worse for wear, but he wasn't as pale as he had been when Tamaki and I went over.
"Kyoya-sempai!" we all rushed forward. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Well enough to see the progress of the preparations." He said.
"Just please don't get sicker, Sempai." Haruhi said. He smiled slightly.
"I'm careful about my health during times like these. Even if I'm sick, I'll still help." I found myself unable to say anything. I mean, I did spend the night, then run away to meet Megumi, so... but I mean... it wasn't really running away if I left a note, was it?
No, it was still running away, and I couldn't push away the unexplainable guilt I felt at the moment. 'I shouldn't feel so guilty for leaving, it's not like I chose to spend the night or anything.' I could feel my cheeks heat up as I continued to think, 'So why do I feel so guilty?!'
"Yuki, can you help me put these lights away? These are the ones that don't work." Haruhi said, bringing over a couple of boxes.
"Yeah! Are we going to put them in the trash or...?"
"I think we're going to try and replace the bulbs that don't work." She said. "Tamaki-sempai said something about it."
"I see... Wait, Tamaki-sempai did?" I asked. She nodded.
"It surprised me too, I would have thought he'd say we'd throw them away and buy a truckload of new ones, but I guess he's trying to save some money to not make Kyoya-sempai's job crazy."
"Huh... Hahaha~ Tamaki-sempai's a pretty considerate guy, isn't he Haruhi?" I asked, grinning at her. She turned away from me, but I could still see the pink tips of her ears.
-
✪ η✪
-
It wasn't a school day, so we had a few options. We could either hang out at school together, go to someone's house, or walk around in town and go window-shopping and go to an arcade. Kyoya insisted he stay with us, even though we encouraged him to go home and rest. "I'd rather not spend the rest of the day in that suffocating place." He said, and that was the last we discussed the matter.
"Then, how about we go to my place?" Tamaki asked, smiling excitedly. "Oh~ It'll be so much fun~! We can play game and have a great time: like a real family!"
"Sorry boss, but you're not our dad."
"I've already got a dad, Tamaki-sempai."
Tamaki sat dejected in the corner.
"Sure, why not? It sounds like a lot of fun." I said, making him perk up and latch onto me. "Whoa—Sempai, get off!"
"My darling daughterrrr." He sobbed, crying tears, which I hoped, were crocodile ones.
"I-I get it already, so please get off..."
...
When we arrived at Tamaki's house, some maids greeted us, taking our coats and ushering us to the living room. "We have video games, or we could go outside, or—I don't know, you guy can chose whatever you want!" He smiled, bouncing around the room. He almost reminded me of an excited puppy.
"Hm... it is rather cold outside." Hikaru said. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, and I excused myself from the room to answer it.
"Megumi? What's up? Is everything okay?" I asked.
"What, I can't call my best friend when I'm feeling lonely?" I hear him joke. I laughed slightly.
"As far as I know, you've got other male friends that might help you more in that situation."
"Hmm... well you're the only contact I have in my phone." I blinked. What? I had seen him with plenty of other guys and girls, so why...?
"Why, can I ask? Are you just so attached to me you can only ever consider my your friend?" I joked, laughing slightly. He didn't answer, and I pressed my phone closer to my ear. "Megumi?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right." His voice was low and quiet, and I felt an involuntary shiver run down my spine.
"Megumi...?"
"You're the only one who really gets my jokes, after all!"
"Jokes? Oh, I see. Yeah, great joke! Have you been practicing?" I teased.
"...sorry."
"Hm?"
"Me telling you that it was a joke was a joke. I really..." he trailed off midsentence.
"Megumi? Don't get all spaced out on me now."
"Yuki, I really lo—"
"Yuki." Turning, I saw Kaoru walking towards me with a confused look. "Are you okay? We're playing video games."
"Ah, Kaoru, sorry, I'll be right there." I smiled. He nodded and left, and I turned back. "Sorry Megumi, were you saying something?"
"...no. It's nothing. Nevermind. You're too young to know anyways."
"Hey... I'm only a couple months younger than you, I'll have you know."
"Heh, sorry. I'll tell you some other time." He sounded kinda distant.
"...okay..." I said. "Uh... Anyways, I need to go. Are you going to be okay...?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I scheduled to hang out with some guys during school, anyways."
"See? You do have friends." I teased. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Yeah. See you at school." We finished saying our goodbyes and hung up, and I put my phone back in my pocket and went back to the living room. The twins plus Tamaki and Hunny were playing a four person fighting game, so I sat next to Haruhi on one of the couches.
"Who's winning?"
"Hunny-sempai, so far." She said. We watched them play, the only noises were the sounds of the game and the four of them yelling at each other and their characters. It was oddly fun watching them beat each other up, and we rotated every twenty minutes or so. I beat Tamaki during one round, then Kaoru beat me, Haruhi beat Hikaru, and Mori crushed all of us—except Hunny. Kyoya declined the offer to play, so Tamaki stood in for himeven though he lost those rounds.
We played until evening, and Tamaki invited us to stay for dinner, which we accepted. Haruhi had to call her dad, and so we were lead up to his room in the meantime. The twins looked through Tamaki's belongings, trying on some of his clothes and showing off to Hunny while Tamaki sulked in a corner. I sat on a chair in his room, and Mori was staring intently at the stuffed animals. Kyoya was sitting in another chair, writing once again in that black book of his.
"I've requested that we have dinner in the living room, since it's just us tonight, after all."
"Is that really okay?" Haruhi asked, looking up at Tamaki. He just smiled.
"A hundred percent okay!"
-
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It was super relaxing to have dinner with everyone; Haruhi and I were amazed with the food, as usual. We ate and talked about whatever popped up, school, plans for vacation, the party, anything was fair game. The twins told some jokes, and had a contest of who could arrange their food in perfect shape. I guess since we were all together the atmosphere was less tense than it would have been in a formal dining room. Even Kyoya seemed relaxed.
We managed to stay until it was late outside, and the reminder that we still had homework caused everyone to deflate a bit. So after the dishes were cleared we said our goodbyes and left, the twins together, Hunny and Mori, and Haruhi and I went our separate ways. Kyoya had his car come, and Haruhi and I grabbed a taxi back, where we both fell asleep during the long ride.
It dropped me off first, and I paid the driver my share and said my final goodbyes. "See you at school." I said, waving. She nodded, still sleepy. I walked up the stairs and barely made it to my bed before I collapsed. It didn't even occur to me to take of my coat, and I was asleep within a minute.
-
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3rd Person P.O.V
-
For Kyoya, the rest of his night did not go so smoothly. Granted, he was responsible for calling him out on such short notice, but he did not expect their meeting to go in the direction if did. It was cold at night, and he wanted to avoid getting sicker, but he had to say the things on his mind before he could let the matter slide.
"Thank you for joining me." He sent a business-perfect smile to the person walking up. "Shall we go?" The two went to a coffee shop, the atmosphere tense. Around them, people who were walking around that night whispered behind their hands.
"They're so handsome... are they models?"
"I've never seen them in this area before..."
"So cool~"
They both ignored them and continued to a semi-busy café. Kyoya declined to order anything, but his companion ordered a coffee. "Drinking coffee so late at night, are you having trouble sleeping?" Kyoya asked, staring down the person across from him. The other did the same.
"Hardly. I just felt like drinking some coffee for the sake of it."
"I see. Very well then, I'll get straight to the point." The air around them seemed to drop a few degrees. "Mr. Igarashi, I would appreciate it if you gave Miss Takahashi some space."
"Why do you care what Yuki and I do? It's not like it's any of your business." He said, his fingers clenching tighter around the handle of his cup.
"As her club manager, it is very much my business. I can't have her spacing out during club activities. It would damage the business and ruin the point of the club."
Glaring at Kyoya, Megumi felt his eyes narrow. "What we do outside of school has nothing to do with your club. As best friends, it's only natural we hang out all the time."
"Really? Because I know that you called her today. Twice. And once yesterday. You even canceled your plans with other students to call her. A bit much, isn't it?"
"You don't know anything." He hissed. "Yuki and I have a strong friendship, much stronger than the bond you two share. You're just her club manager." The stare Kyoya sent him was so icy, even his hands holding the cup felt cold.
"I'm afraid it's you who doesn't know anything, Mr. Igarashi. But I won't drag this out any longer. At the very least, don't interfere with her time as a host, or things could get very troublesome."
"Heh. Are you threatening me?"
"This is just a friendly reminder."
The two males glared at each other, and a timid waiter stepped forward. "Um, w-will you be needing anything else, sirs?" Kyoya's eyes did not change, but he smiled icily, eyes never leaving Megumi's face.
"No thank you. That will be all." The waiter shuffled away.
"You can't tell me what to do. Yuki would never want you restricting her friendships."
"I am not restricting your friendship, just advising you to limit your contact with her while she's working."
"No." Kyoya's eyes narrowed. "I won't. And you know why?" Eyes shaded and burning, Megumi straightened his back and sent Kyoya a dark look, his eyes burning passionately.
"I love Yuki Takahashi."
eeekk please forgive me for not updating in so long i hope you enjoyed this chapter _ also holy crap 30 chapters thank you all for sticking with me if you're reading this, it means a lot. ; u ;