Change

"That headband makes you look cute."

Kaoru snapped out of his creative trance. It wasn't the first time he got into such a frenzy. Usually, Hikaru was the one who got him out of these, but he knew that one day they would have to go their separate ways as twins. He's happy with how his brother is handling things and how he grew up so much in a year. He's proud of Hikaru.

This doesn't make the adjustment period a bit less difficult. Hikaru decided to start his own tech company which was sponsored by the Shadow King himself and other notable investors. Until last year, they did all their shows together, even if he did most of the creative work. This was his first solo flight. He never realized how dependent he was on Hikaru.

Kaoru looked at his watch. The last time he stopped working was 5:30pm and it was now 11:15pm. That explains why he was feeling somewhat drained. He didn't even notice the time.

Chizuru took one of the stools from the other table and sat beside him. She gently traced the furrow between his brows. "You've been working too hard."

"I was…" Kaoru placed his cheek on the table and sighed. "It's just that the concept doesn't feel that baam."

"Baam?" Chizuru repeated as she took out some food she bought on the way to the studio.

As per Hikaru's instruction, Kaoru's mind restarts when he has his artisan peach soda and white cheddar popcorn. The two boys haven't been working together, but without each other knowing they've been telling other people to do what they would have done for each other. Just two days ago, Kaoru also called Megumi and told her about Hikaru's midnight comfort food.

Hikaru also told her that Kaoru makes the worst sound effects with matching hand gestures when he's trying to explain the concept in his head.

The concept was simple. He wanted it to be whoosh with a hint of shiiiing and a snap. The designer started running through all the fabric samples creating quite a spectacle of a mess as he tossed one material after another.

Chizuru rested her head lightly on her hands as she looked at the color scheme Kaoru was trying to put together. "So, you want formal wear but with a 'gentle summer night breeze' feel? Something that you can wear on a warm garden party without sacrificing comfort and style."

Kaoru looked at her in awe and hugged her tightly. "That's exactly it."

This was mainly the reason why Kaoru knew he had feelings for Chizuru. To be honest, it wasn't the romantic love they were both looking for, but they found complete empathy with each other. It wasn't a total love at first sight kind of feeling. There were plenty of things he couldn't say or express fully that she was able to grasp and interpret with precision and accuracy. He also had the same effect on her.

They've been like this for a long time even if they were now dating exclusively there wasn't much change with how they treated each other. Back in the university, they dated several people and even ended up liking someone else, but they found comfort in each other. Not everyone was lucky to find someone that flowed the same way.

It didn't take long for Kaoru to finish his creative trance. He also had a few things he wanted to discuss.

"Chizuru?"

"Yeah?" she replied as she looked through her phone. Sensing the seriousness in the air, she placed it down and looked at Kaoru.

He scratched the back of his head and made little eye contact. "You don't have to wear flat shoes for me."

If there was one thing he knew about Chizuru, it was how the opinions of others got to her at times. Even with flat shoes, she was already an inch or two taller than he was, but that didn't bother him. It bothered other people though and that fact that others were bothered by it bothered Chizuru.

"I wanted to wear flat shoes because it was comfy." She replied quickly.

"Chizuru, I'm serious." Kaoru held her hand. There were plenty of bandages on his fingers because of all the sewing he was doing. "If it helps, I think you look amazing in heels and you shouldn't change that style of yours."

Chizuru looked at Kaoru's hands. He had calluses on the tip of his index finger and thumb and a compulsive habit of biting his nails. Kaoru always took the difficult words out of her mind. Things she denies, he knows already.

"Thank you."

"Besides, I told you we should sell pictures of your hands. Those with a hand fetish would totally lose it." Kaoru said as he examined Chizuru's fingers.

Her hands were always polished and clean. She never left home without her hand cream.

Kaoru then started laughing out of nowhere. Chizuru raised her brows and wondered if he was overworked and was losing his sanity. He suddenly got into an uncontrollable fit like he remembered something so funny and he couldn't compose himself to tell her what happened.

When he finally calmed himself down, he cupped Chizuru's face. "What I'm going to say is absolute top secret. I swore an oath to the Ootori Clan, but this is something you need to know."

The other thing that kept the two close was their interest in gossip. It was an unhealthy curiosity, but they just liked knowing more things about others. Who didn't?

Kaoru looked around to make sure no one else would hear what he was about to say. "Remember we had a family dinner with the Kyoya's family?"

"Ah, yeah. Julia did mention she had a dinner with you guys."

"Did she tell you?" Kaoru whispered.

"Tell me what?" Chizuru was confused. Julia refused to say a word about the dinner. Saying something how it was nothing special.

"Let me start from the beginning." Kaoru wrapped his arms around her waist as he laughed. The whole situation the previous weekend was too much for him to handle. He needed someone to share this with.

The Partner

"Part of your terms are marriage with a suitable partner."

Julia nodded. It wasn't the first time she heard this, and it definitely won't be the last. She's probably heard all the possible variations to this sentence the moment she was officially the Mizushima Chairwoman.

The board of directors have pushed all their sons in her face. She saw the agreement her own father signed and authored. The family should have amassed a certain amount of wealth. If the person in question had no such pedigree a certain amount of assets was needed.

To think that the board members took the effort to compile a list of those who fulfilled the requirements and those who had the potential to fulfill it. They even made a PowerPoint presentation and it was the most grueling thing in history. She never thought a PowerPoint about men could bore her.

"We have Taro Ushitake as one of the top choices. Good family, good pedigree, stable business."

Julia was only half listening at this point. She couldn't have another decorated peacock trying to win her affection. One of the board members spoke again about the merits with each photo that was flashed on the screen. A familiar blonde Frenchman was somehow part of the presentation.

"Suoh, Tamaki would have been a perfect choice if he wasn't married." One of the members mentioned. "He would be a top choice in the event of a divorce with his wife.

"She's a commoner, right?" Another member confirmed.

It was at times like this when Julia's patience was tested. They didn't consider her to be a commoner because she was biologically related with Sadanobu Mizushima and Haruka Mizushima.

"I'm not going to marry Suoh, Tamaki in the event of any separation." Julia had to draw the line. "Attorney Suoh was the one who fought for my case and I respect her as an individual regardless of whatever social standing you brand her with."

There was some uncomfortable silence in the air. "I think it would be best if the board takes note that I personally identify with these 'commoners' you speak of." Julia said sternly. She said it in such a way that people felt like they were watching the previous patriarch of the Mizushima Family himself.

"Please, do continue the presentation." Julia said with a curt nod.

"Takashi Morinozuka-"

"Is engaged to one of my closest friends." Julia replied promptly. "Next candidate please."

"Kaoru Hitachiin-"

"Is seeing someone." Julia dismissed politely. "May I add something to the criteria?"

The board members looked at each other and agreed. It was her marriage after all so there should be a say from her.

"Can the candidates be single? Not just legally, but socially. As long as they're in any relationship, they're out of the picture? I'm not going to use my position to steal any man. What kind of a foundation is that for a marriage?" Julia said. She used all her energy to hide the disbelief in her tone, but the common sense needed for basic values was somewhat lacking in the room.

She now understood why her father wanted to keep her out of here. It would skew with how she sees things.

"Of course, Mizushima-sama. We'll have to skip the next few candidates then." Replied another member.

"Ootori-san's sons that meet the criteria are all married." Another man mentioned. "Kyoya-kun would have been a fine choice, unfortunately, he's too unpredictable for the company."

Julia muttered something underneath her breath. Yoshio Ootori glanced quickly at her direction signaling her to stop.

Yoshio Ootori knew that Kyoya in terms of merit had very few for now, but he knew that he has secured his future daughter-in-law. It was only in times like these where he was thankful that his son was always a few steps ahead of others. Yoshio had no interest in playing a game he knew he already won.

One of the secretaries pulled out their file on Kyoya. Obviously, they were trying to convince the chairwoman otherwise. There were other opportunistic individuals who found out about their friendship prior to her gaining the position. The thought of Kyoya was threatening enough.

"Ootori, Kyoya. The youngest son of Yoshio Ootori. Thirty-year-old bachelor with no previous history of any stable relationships. Had several alleged affairs with almost 20 women. He has investments in a wide array of businesses. The most notable investments are the supermarket chain, a new café franchise, tech firm, and a…" the secretary's voice was barely a whisper at the end.

"Well, what is it?"

"A hentai magazine." The woman almost whispered.

"The Houshakuji family is a close partner of the Ootori Group. It seems like this was the eldest daughter's hobby." Yoshio reasoned. "Unfortunately, my youngest doesn't meet the criteria. I'm not even sure why you went through the extra effort of adding him to the list."

Yoshio's tone was courteous, but his words were scathing. It goes without him saying that if his son didn't make the cut why were they so threatened to make such an effort to tarnish his reputation.

Of course, Yoshio knew why they were doing so. Without any warning, Kyoya recently retook some of his shares from the Ootori Group. The sudden increase in Kyoya's success was putting them at an uncomfortable situation. What they didn't know was how well thought of Kyoya's plan was.

Julia took a deep breath. "I feel like the board should be the one married to my supposed husband."

There was one thing Julia learned from managing pop stars and actors. She's perfected the art of creating an illusion. The board could be swayed if the public opinion was strong enough, and Julia had the right plan. Luckily, her knight in shining armor was willing to take the risk.

All they had to do was drop crumbs of information and people will make speculations about it.

It worked to their advantage to play it like this. Sometimes the longest games had the most benefits.

The Opportunity

Now that Kyoya was busy with running his own company. He and Julia were limited to a few calls each week since they couldn't go public about their relationship for now. He had to travel so often he was barely in Tokyo. However, K.I. was gaining a lot of popularity with the younger workforce.

It was a haven for those under 40 years old. The benefits were amazing, and the work hours were shorter compared to the average Japanese firm. Kyoya decided to restructure the company in a way that they measured productivity with how much work quality work was being done in a set amount of time. He wanted maximum efficiency without sacrificing work-life balance.

"Ootori-sama, your next meeting is at 7:00pm with Hitachiin-san." The secretary said as he left the proposal on Kyoya's desk.

"Thank you, Inoue-san. Please ready conference room C for our meeting."

The man bowed and left the room in a hurry to make the arrangements.

Kyoya reviewed the revenue projection for Hikaru's tech firm. It was going well now with the mobile games, but there was an application from China that could be of use to them. If his computations were right, this social media platform would skyrocket if used properly.

He leaned back against his chair and he looked at his phone. Nothing recharged him more than looking at his home screen photo. His phone notified him that today was the long-awaited presentation of eligible bachelors to Julia. He heard from a certain source that a long line of men were getting ready to impress the newly appointed chairwoman.

It was an interesting game, and nobody enjoyed games more than Kyoya Ootori. He approached situations like in the most rational way he knew possible.

An excel sheet.

Kyoya wrote listed the minimum qualifications needed to be a candidate for the chairwoman's roster of future husbands. Pedigree, health, current social standing, value, and other criterions were mentioned. He then assigned a numerical value for each and tabulated how he faired with the rest of the prospects. In terms of pedigree, he knew he got a perfect score. Health would get a few deductions, but it can be improved. The criterion set by Ryusei Mizushima was so steep it was as if he didn't want to wed his daughter. All in all, he realized that he got a total of 67%. It's unacceptable considering he must have gotten an 88% before this.

After all, he was technically an over glorified Industrial Trends Analyst. He provided companies a sure growth strategy and claimed ownership of other firms in the process. It was a perfect give and take strategy, but it was not a stable corporation like the others he was competing with. That has always been the nature of his job and everyone in the industry knows that no one does it better than him.

It was the perfect high risk-high reward gamble that Kyoya's entire being was addicted to.

"Ootori-sama?" Inoue said as he peered through the doors.

"Yes?"

"Hitachiin-san is on his way up."

"Thank you." Kyoya took his laptop along with him.

Regardless of who Kyoya met, he extended the same level of courtesy when meeting them. It didn't matter if they were a large client, a friend, or an alumnus from Ouran. Kyoya made sure he personally greeted them.

Kyoya arrived just in time when the elevator doors opened.

"Oi, Kyoya!" Hikaru greeted casually. "You said you found something nice from Beijing?"

Kyoya nodded briefly as he led Hikaru to the conference room. "Yes, I was hoping it would pique your interest."

Hikaru's lips were now a fine line. You really can't take Kyoya out of the Ootori. His previous office looked like an extension of the Ootori Group, but the entire place was redecorated recently. There were still hints of the Ootori style interiors here and there, but Kyoya was doing a drastic change in image.

"You do realize the new comic Renge released is based on you and milord." Hikaru snorted.

"I am aware of that. In fact, you and Kaoru also have a part of the story as the 'B couple'." Kyoya pushed his glasses as he gave Hikaru the proposal. "Fortunately, it's gaining a lot of popularity now and there were offers of animating it."

Hikaru flipped through the pages. The revenue projections were almost difficult for him to believe. "Kyoya, is this really your computation?"

"Yes, I've rechecked it and if you look at the second page, I've laid out how it would possibly play out with different scenarios." Kyoya explained. "It looks like a gamble, but with a bit of tweaking that I know you can manage with your level of expertise, you can turn it into something of value."

Hikaru nodded several times. Buying off this mobile application before it blew up was the cheapest way possible to get it.

Kyoya explained point by point how this would change social networking. It works as a platform for companies to do direct advertising without the price tag for each commercial.

"It sounds good though." Hikaru looked at the next page that shows the functionalities of the app. It had a lot of room for changes in the interface to make it more user friendly. "This would benefit a lot of people."

"Precisely. This would create a steady flow of income and you can focus on developing other applications." Kyoya crossed his legs and smirked. "I may have primed the current CEO with the numbers, and it looks like he's more than willing to sell it to you."

"Who would have thought you'd find an app where people lip-sync and dance as a source of revenue?" Hikaru smiled. "I'll call them soon."

Now that Hikaru made his decision, the rest of the meeting was spent with contingency plans and all the specific measures they would need to take. It wasn't a plan from Kyoya if it didn't have a darker side to it. The revenue generating portion wouldn't be from the advertisements, but from the information collected from the users. Kyoya suggested on changing the terms and conditions with all the apps Hikaru developed so he could double the revenue.

"Is there anything else you'd like to add?" Kyoya asked as he concluded the meeting.

"Not really. More of the technical stuff, but that's already on my end." Hikaru said. He looked at his watch and sighed. It didn't seem like he was getting home soon. The meeting lasted a bit longer than intended so he was going to miss the comeback stage of his favorite girl group 'Thrice'.

Hikaru even signed up for the premium fan membership that notified him directly and sent limited edition pictures. Shortly after, Kyoya's secretary went back with some drinks in hand. The two men celebrated briefly. Then without any warning, Hikaru's phone notified him that the live performance was starting soon and without meaning to look, he was 100% sure he saw the same countdown notification on Kyoya's phone.

His lockscreen was the same as the Shadow King's. The two men found themselves staring at each other. It was the same feeling as finding a comrade in the middle of the wasteland.

Hikaru pointed at Kyoya. "You…"

"It's best that certain things are kept secret." Kyoya cleared his throat. No one could know that he was rooting for the rival of the girl group Julia used to manage. It would create chaos.

"Does this…" Hikaru pointed at the television in the room. He was in so much shock that he couldn't complete his sentence.

Kyoya nodded and he went to the program he was waiting for as well. The commercials played along and other artists that they had no interest in were still performing.

"I was thinking of also tapping into prominent figures for your app." Kyoya suddenly added.

Hikaru nodded. "It would be nice to feature something that the younger generation can relate to so it can go viral."

Kyoya agreed. "Yes, it would increase revenue as well."

"Yes, I think I'll buy the company soon so we can invite popstars to start the app off." Hikaru now watched the screen intently.

It was purely a source of revenue. It wouldn't just benefit them but the other members of the Host Club as well. The two men had no ulterior motives with inviting a girl group to endorse their new venture.

Comfort

Tamaki curled beside one of the most important people in his life. He watched this special person propped up on a few pillows. One page was turned after another. The warm afternoon sun and the sound of rusting bamboos, and the smell of roast chicken was enough for Tamaki to be happy today.

"This really takes you back, doesn't it okaasan?" Tamaki placed his head on Kyoya's shoulder.

The first time Tamaki did this to Kyoya, he threw the poor hafu across his room, but it's been more than 10 years of friendship. He adapted to the man's need for physical touch. Instead of kicking him, he 'lightly' pushed the man away.

"Don't you miss our youthful excursions?" Tamaki crawled back to Kyoya's side. Reading the book Kyoya's attention was focused on.

"Not as much as my privacy." Kyoya replied as he flipped the page without looking at him.

Tamaki pouted and pressed the tips of his index fingers together. "When will you admit that you miss me?"

"Never." Kyoya had a brief smile on his face barely lasting a second. He will never admit it, but he did miss Tamaki's antics.

Through the years, Tamaki realized that Kyoya accumulated knowledge from reading all sorts of books. He even read in between customers back in high school when no one was looking. People would think that he was limited to reading things like Wallstreet Journal or some business book, but Kyoya enjoyed reading fiction. He would read anything he got his hands on except for those stupid sappy love stories. He recalled Kyoya calling those books as a good option for firewood during the winter.

Tamaki was already running out of books to bring from the Suoh Main Mansion. Kyoya was such a fast reader and he could finish almost two to four books in a week especially when he was still pretending to be dead. Last week, he brought the entire collection of Man Booker Prize nominations for that year. It should take Kyoya some time to read those since he started working again.

Kyoya stood up without putting down the book Tamaki brought. He followed his best friend down the hall and he watched Kyoya take out the rosemary chicken from the oven.

"You're doing a lot better than I expected." Tamaki cupped his face and watched Kyoya moving so effortlessly in the kitchen. "It came as a surprise to us that you would be so…domesticated."

"I was quite surprised too."

Tamaki saw through all the walls and layers Kyoya placed. Ultimately if he were to summarize the Shadow King, he liked taking care of things. It started with watching over him as the heir to the Suoh Enterprises, then the Host Club. When that was finished, Kyoya moved on to Honey-senpai who wanted to start his own business, then to Mori who was expanding the coverage of their family business. Kaoru's special growth was more of how to execute the ideas he had. He helped Haruhi claim one of the most controversial cases in history with the Mizushima family, and now he was moving onto Hikaru with his tech firm.

Kyoya had a knack for growing things out of nothing. This was the very reason why he refused to continue the path of being the heir to the Ootori Group.

Tamaki also knew how much effort Kyoya placed to help those around him. Even if it he wasn't aware of it. Just a year ago, one would never see Kyoya touch any kitchen appliance except for his espresso machine, refrigerator, microwave, and toaster. Now, he was cooking all sorts of things from scratch.

"That's a lot of food." Tamaki looked at the amount of roast potatoes, salad greens, and heaven forbid chocolate cupcakes.

"You did say you wanted to have a 'Boys sleepover party'." Kyoya replied. The first time they had a sleepover, Haruhi had to go through the rules saying everyone brought snacks. She didn't mention it was the commoner chips and soda, so the first official Host Club slumber party had all sorts of hord d'oeuvres.

"Did you make these?" Tamaki looked at the picture-perfect cupcakes on the counter. He was nervous because Kyoya hated sweets but was somehow getting into baking. He took a bite and he closed his eyes.

Even if Kyoya hated something, he made sure he did it properly. The cupcake was moist with a gooey chocolate mousse center filling. The icing was light and it didn't overpower the entire thing.

"Due to budget restrictions, Tachibana and I had to do the baking ourselves for the new line of afternoon pastries for Noel's Pub." Kyoya explained. "It would be too costly to hire a pâtissier for a single branch and I need Honey's opinion on this."

Tamaki looked at Kyoya meticulously make a bento. "Who's that for?"

"Julia." Kyoya bit the bottom of his lip as he tried to slice the apple into a bunny.

Tamaki shook his head. That's why Kyoya's trying to cook. It was the only thing he could do for the chairwoman now. When will Kyoya admit that he goes far beyond his comfort zone for other people? He watched Kyoya call Hotta instructing him to bring the chairwoman's dinner to her office at exactly 6:30pm.

"Neh, Kyoya. When they were clearing your stuff at your old place, there were some belongings you asked me to keep for the meantime." Tamaki recalled a small velvet box in Kyoya's belongings. He didn't have to open it to know what it was and who it was for. "When are you planning on asking her?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Kyoya answered with the unfamiliar feeling of uncertainty. "I want her to get used to her new lifestyle before I add more changes to it."

Kyoya paused for a moment. He wasn't sure if the hesitation was with him at this point. He knew what he wanted, but he didn't feel like he was deserving of it for now. He wanted to stand on his own two feet before moving to the next phase.

Tamaki found himself laughing as he gently shook his head. "Who would have thought you'd be considering marriage?"

Kyoya found himself laughing along. "Who would have thought?"

The Kyoya Ootori two years ago was allergic to terms such as marriage, commitment, and relationships. He ran as fast as he could away from those. He always thought that he would probably marry at age forty to some trophy wife when he was tired of being a bachelor. He's never been in a steady relationship with any woman except Julia. This relationship was a first for him as it was for her.

"You seem happy." Tamaki placed his hand on Kyoya's shoulder.

"I never thought I would be." Kyoya pushed his glasses up. Hiding the emotions that left him too open and vulnerable.

This was actually the continuation of Omake 6.

How are you guys though? I hope this omake is keeping you sane. It's my only escape from the world now. Also, a softy Kyoya is just too much. My poor heart can't take it. I wanted some closure with how the Hitachiin brothers are doing since they've officially parted ways. The most symbolic thing to do was to feature them in their own element now.

Again, I'd like to hear your thoughts, comments, and suggestions. What scenario do you want me to write next? I'm writing just for therapy now and not for the plot anymore (since it's done). My therapist told me to keep writing since the situation now is so bad and that's what I'll do. I'm just working from home now and the whole situation is stressing me out.