Author's Note: Hello! For those of you in American, hope you had a safe and delicious Thanksgiving. I ate too much pumpkin pie. Enjoy the chapter and shoot me a review!

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xXx

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Date Posted: 11/28/2020

Trigger Warnings: Language and a quick smooch

The Way Forward - Chapter 10: The Suit

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Monday, May 2:

Ouran Elementary School:

"This way, Yuki-chan. Over here."

I laughed at Sota-kun's pure joy as he pulled me by my wrist into his first-year elementary classroom.

"Oh, wow."

Wow, indeed. The room was decorated in a Mother Goose theme.

"Look, Yuki-chan." He pointed at the ones he recognized. "There's the cow jumping over the moon!" He pulled me further into the room. "And the Itsy Bitsy Spider."

"Very good, Sota-kun. Do you recognize any others?" His teacher had walked up and bent down to his level.

"Mary Had A Little Lamb and Jack B. Nimble."

"Excellent. Today is international Mother Goose Day, so we're decorated for it." She stood up and put her hand on his shoulder. "Go find your locker and put away your things." He took off in a flash.

"Thank you for walking him in. Shido-san told me you'd be escorting him."

"I'm glad to do it, although he already seems at home, so I may not need to again."

"Most first-year students get over the separation quickly."

I bowed and said I must be leaving for the high school, but Sota-kun ran up to me and hugged my legs. "Thank you for walking me, Yuki-chan."

"You're welcome." I gave him a kiss on the head. "Good luck. I'll see you at home tonight."

And he ran off to talk to his classmates. He'll do fine.

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xXx

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Ouran High School Home Room:

The bell had just run when the Chairman started his beginning of the year announcements:

"Good morning students and welcome to the first day of the new school year.

"Today we welcome a new class of first-year students, including our new scholarship student, Eguchi Raizo. Learning your way around a new school can be difficult. If you have any questions, please ask your teachers or your senpai.

"I also have a special announcement. Two of our current second-year students and one of our recent graduates will be competing in the Summer Olympic Games this August in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. We wish them the best and to facilitate their three-week absence and those students that wish to attend to cheer them on, Ouran High School's schedule has been adjusted to give the entire school those three weeks as vacation.

"Please join me in cheering on Haninozuka Yasuchika in karate, and Morinozuka Satoshi and Takashi in kendo."

"Haninozuka Yasuchika has asked me to announce the Tuesday bring your own lunch charity event will continue. For our incoming first-years, this is a weekly event where students bring in their lunch on Tuesdays and donate the cost of their lunch to a worthy cause. This activity is strictly voluntary. If you wish to participate, there is a drop box in the library, or you can deliver your donation directly to Yasuchika-kun at lunch."

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I turned off the microphone and leaned back in my chair. An interesting school year indeed.

The school board was happy to rearrange the holidays to allow for the Olympics. Having three students compete, with an almost guaranteed two golds and a silver, will bring even more prestige to the school.

I had a meeting with the boys' teachers last week, and we worked out policies for them to make up any work and tests while gone for their different world cups.

I just might go to St. Louis myself and cheer them on.

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xXx

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Lunch, Dining Hall, Ouran:

"Hikaru, Kaoru, these new uniforms are so comfortable and are so much more attractive than the yellow dresses."

"Yes, and I'm so glad there's a slacks option. I'd become accustom to wearing the boy's uniform and did want to wear a skirt again."

"But the skirt options are so lovely. A long one and a short one so we can be cool in the summer and warm in the winter."

Kaoru and I smiled and took the complements with ease. I've been admiring the fit of the uniform on the girls all morning. It was no surprise to see Haruhi and Shinobu in the slacks, but I wasn't expecting Yuki to wear them too. Naoko and Renge wore the short skirts. I guess we'll see the longer ones as it gets cooler in the fall.

Several of our previous Host Club clients stopped by our lunch table to tell us how much they were going to miss our afternoons together. Were they always this dramatic?

"Satoshi, how will I survive without seeing you every afternoon?"

He gave her a host smile. "I'll still be around, and I'm sure you'll find another exciting club for this year."

And it kept coming and coming. Maybe we should find a private place to eat.

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"Haruhi? You can't have homework already?" Shit, I know class A is different than D, but the first day?

She barely looked up. "Just going over things for this weekend. I'm visiting the factory in Seoul."

"And then she's going to watch Chika kick some ass." Satoshi grinned and shook Chika by the shoulder.

"Get off," and he shrugged his arm off.

"Is anyone else from the company going?"

"No. Just me. I need to know everything about the company, so I thought it prudent to go see the factory. The manufacturing is contracted out, so we don't own it, so there's no reason for anyone else to go."

My company needs more business…

"Who does your importing?"

"It's a new company, or at least a new company for us. We did a year contract, and it's up in three months. The warehouse manager and purchasing are looking around for another. This one's been late a few times."

I gave her a smirk. "You know, Kasanoda Imports is reliable."

Haruhi gave me a look, but Renge interrupted. "Do you just import to the docks, or do you deliver to distribution centers around the country?"

"Currently, we import to the docks then facilitate getting the goods onto the right transportation. We don't own or run that side of things." My brow raised. "Why?"

Renge reached into her bag and pulled out a planner. "My baby clothes line, Pinku Shoshite Aoi, goes on sale at the end of the summer. The clothes are being manufactured in China and imported here. We're selling direct to stores in Japan, like Kaoru's 'Every Woman' line. To make management easier, I'm contracting out many different things, including importing."

"Interesting."

"Most of the big department stores have freight companies they work with. They could pick everything up at the docks. At that point, my company's responsibility would be over. The dock would be our POS [point of sale]."

"Kasanoda Imports is definitely interested. Let's talk after classes."

"Sure. How about tomorrow. I don't have the right paperwork with me."

I turned back to Haruhi. "And Petto Chinmi? Would they be interested in using Kasanoda Imports?"

"I'll talk to purchasing and have them send you the specifications so you can submit a proposal."

"Damn, Haruhi. Don't you sound all professional." Hikaru smiled, "Before you know it, you'll be teaching us how to do things."

She looked over and snorted. "Tanaki-san is a patient teacher." Holding out her hand, she asked, "Do you have a card, Ritsu? I'll pass it on this afternoon."

I gave one to both her and Renge.

"Bunch of business moguls at our table," Satoshi mumbled.

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xXx

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Black Onion Squad Headquarters:

"Ootori-sama, we've decoded several other documents you should see right away." Nishmori-san put a small stack in front of me as I sat down at the worktable. "We've decoded hundreds of others, but these I deemed as critical."

Shit.

I knew Yoshio was working in some gray areas, but these are pitch black.

Blackmail. This woman is the wife of a Cabinet Member, and this one is the wife of a high court judge. And there are pictures. Pictures of Yoshio fucking these women.

Shit.

And three more pages related to the one from last week. What was that moron thinking? He didn't need the money. Shit. How much of what we inherited was dirty?

"Does everything you've decoded so far describe illegal activities?"

"The majority, yes. The rest could be considered questionable. Once all the papers are decoded and matched up, we'll have a better idea of the scope."

I tossed my pen on the table, leaned back in the chair, and blew out a breath. "Am I mentioned by name in any document?"

"No, Ootori-sama. If we find such a document, I'll contact you immediately."

"My brothers or sister?"

"No. No one by name or implication."

"Do I have legal exposure for any of this?"

"So far, no. We can't say for sure until everything is analyzed."

Nishmori-san and I were sitting off to the side in the workroom. The staff was scurrying around, working hard. I trust all these people as much as I can trust anyone. And with the horrific nondisclosure agreements they signed, no one is going to say anything. Still, all this is becoming more and more sensitive.

"The decoders are not seeing the final product, correct?"

"No. They're running the machines, but not seeing the decoded documents."

"This is worse than I thought. You'll have one of the SCIF [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility] rooms for storing all the decoded documents. That's where the sorting and analysis will take place. Only you and the lawyers and paralegals are allowed in there.

"Will you be done by Friday?" I asked as I stood and moved toward the door.

"Yes. It will be done."

"Fine. Prepare the legal staff to spend all weekend here with me going through all this mess."

I left to coordinate the SCIF with security.

How do I even begin to clean this up?

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xXx

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Pickup Loop, Ouran:

Hikaru and I came out to our limos together.

That guy has to be some kind of lawyer. The shoes and briefcase are a dead giveaway. "Hitachiin Kaoru-san?"

Hika pointed at me, and I pointed at him.

Haruhi, who didn't realize we were screwing with the guy, passed us using our names saying goodbye. They guy handed me some papers.

"You've been served, Hitachiin Kaoru-san." He didn't stick around for questions.

"What the fuck, Kaoru?"

"I'm sure it's nothing. Go on to your internship. I'll read this at the studio."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Go ahead. I'll let you know if it's bad."

"You better."

I climbed into my limo. "Hitachiin Studios right away." Then I tore into the envelope.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

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xXx

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Dr. Inoue Office:

"When you were here two weeks ago, we discussed Ootori Kyoya. How have your emotions been since then?"

What do I even say? I'm tired of him. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder. I'm tired of avoiding anything about him. I'm simply tired of it all.

"Fine." That was snappy. I took a deep breath to take the edge off my voice. "Fine. I don't want to talk about him today."

"You haven't felt a spike in anxiety or a deeper depression in association with him?"

Yes, both, but I know why and talking won't help. I know I can get past this if life would stop shoving him in front of my face.

"No. I really need to forget about him."

Sayo-san spent a few minutes writing in her file. I'm sure we'll be revisiting him at some point.

Do I even need to be here if all I need is to forget about it all?

"How about a hobby? Did you think about it?"

Finally, something I'm comfortable talking about. I told her about the GO salon in Karuizawa and the one near my office. How they were places where no one knew me. Where my security didn't stand out because only one came in with me and he played too. How I could concentrate on the games and not think about anything else.

"Good choice. Will you continue to go?"

"Yes. I'm not sure if I'll go on a specific day or when I need to get away, but I'll continue. I like that it's near the office and away from all the estates of my friends. There's only a miniscule chance I'll run into someone I know."

She wrote a few more notes, then stared at me. "And your father? How are you doing with your grief?"

"The letters are helping." I squirmed in my seat. This is highly personal. "I write down what I'm going through, my thoughts and feelings, my questions and concerns. Writing all that helps me calm my mind. Then I put it in the box. It's like setting down a burden."

"I'm glad it's working."

Fortunately, we didn't talk about Kyoya-senpai for the rest of the hour.

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xXx

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Hitachiin Studios:

"Mom!"

I came out of my office, hearing one of my sons yelling through the building for me. I wasn't sure which one until I saw him. "Kaoru? What's wrong?"

"I'm being sued." He tossed some paper on the receptionist's table, and I picked it up.

"Intellectual property?"

"Yeah. He's claiming I stole his dress design for my line." I looked up from the papers and arched my brow. "It's complete bullshit. All my designs are my own."

"I know. You're a Hitachiin. You'd never design anything that wasn't 100% original."

"Damn right."

I told our receptionist to send our lawyer to my office. "Let's talk in there, Kaoru."

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I came into Yuzuha-sama's office, and she handed me some legal documents. "Please sit, Ota-san. As Hitachiin Fashion's legal counsel, we need your opinion."

After a quick skim, I turned to Kaoru-sama and started asking questions. "This dress was shown at the fashion show Saturday night?"

"Yes."

"Do you have the original sketches done when you designed it?"

"Yes. The original paper sketch and the scanned copy which will show a date back in January."

"Do you know this person making the allegations?"

"Never heard of him."

"Did you look him up on your phone?"

"No. I didn't want to do anything until I spoke with you and Mom."

"Good thinking."

I shuffled through the documents again, then looked at Kaoru-sama. He's still in his school uniform. A third-year and already a major designer with his own line.

Wait. Third-year?

"You were served these papers this afternoon?"

"Yes, as I was leaving school and getting into my limo."

"On school property?"

"Yes."

Kaoru-sama's brows drew together, but he couldn't figure out where I was going with these questions. Yuzuha's eyes, however, narrowed in anger.

"Kaoru-sama, you're still seventeen, correct?"

"Yes." Then it hit him. "I'm still a minor."

"Then serving this suit directly to you in the absence of council or guardian is illegal. They should have served it here where you are employed. The receptionist could have signed for it."

"What does that mean?"

"Basically, it's like you were never served." I flipped to the lawyer's name. "I've not heard of his lawyer."

I'd started a list on a legal pad. "I'll look him up. Not sure if it's worth playing the game."

"Game?"

I smiled, remembering he's so young. "We could wait until the court date and not show. Since these papers were not legally served, missing that date wouldn't be our problem. Their reputation would be tarnished, and the judge could sanction them for wasting the court's time."

"Sounds good to me. Makes them waste time and money and look stupid."

I grinned back. "At that point, they will probably suggest a settlement."

"No way," Kaoru-sama barked, standing up and leaning over the table at me.

"Of course not." I raised my hands in surrender. "I wasn't suggesting we settle. We have the power, prestige, and money to bury them in court. If they don't back off after we turn down the settlement, we'll end them."

"Damn right." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. Quite diabolical.

Yuzuha-sama leaned forward in her chair, placing her elbows on the desk. "Is that your recommendation?"

"Probably. I want to investigate the lawyer and the designer he represents."

"Use 'designer' loosely. If Mom and I haven't heard of him, he's at the amateur level."

I nodded in agreement. If anyone knew the designers in Japan worth knowing, it would be these two.

"Will you be here tomorrow after classes?"

"I can be."

"I'll do the research and have recommendations then. Until then, don't discuss this and don't do your own research."

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Ota-san left, and Mom and I stared at each other for a few minutes. "Don't worry, Kaoru. I've lost count of the times I've been sued for intellectual property infringement."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. I won all of them. You'll win this one. I have complete confidence in your designing abilities and Ota-san's expertise. Trust him. He'll take care of it."

"That dress is my creation."

"Oh, Honey, I have no doubt it is. Everyone here knows it's yours. There's no question this person is faking this lawsuit."

"Good." They better. I would NEVER steal someone else's designs. Mine are better than anyone else's anyway.

"Should I put production of that model on hold?"

"Absolutely not." She held up one finger. "First, it indicates you're taking the lawsuit seriously when you haven't been legally served. And second," another finger joined the first, "there's no way you're losing this fight."

Mom pointed to the door. "Now get out of here and make sure your orders and production are on schedule. You're the hottest designer in Japan right now."

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xXx

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Game Testing, Hitachiin Software:

"The spawning bug was fixed and fully documented."

For only being here two days a week and in high school, Hikaru-kun is on top of things here. Everyone I've talked to has a decent opinion of him that's separate from his father.

"Hey, Sasaki-san? Is your team almost done with that steering issue?"

"Not yet. Hopefully by the end of the week. I can see why the original programmer was fired."

"No kidding."

We'd gotten to know each other since I was transferred onto this game's team. He's a couple years younger, but relatable.

"Wanna go get dinner with the rest of us after work?"

I'd turned this down previously. I have a scholarship for tuition, room, and board, but still need money for everything else like supplies, toiletries, transportation, clothes, and other necessities of life. This internship doesn't pay that much.

"I'm not sure I can."

He came up close and murmured in my ear, "My treat. With classes starting, I bet you're tight. We're just going for pizza."

Do I want to be indebted to him?

"Don't worry about paying me back. You can fetch snacks for the rest of the week." It's like he's reading my mind. Weird.

I couldn't help myself from smiling at his smirk. He knows I think he's a mind reader.

"Alright. Just this once."

"We'll see."

The pizza place was two blocks away, so we walked. I keep forgetting he's the Hitachiin heir until I see his security team hanging around. They're discreet and keep to the outer edge of the group. It's not like he's a Suoh or something.

We ordered a few pies along with beers or sodas. I sat back and laughed at this gang of seven interns.

"And then I broke up with her."

"In the middle of a date?"

"When you know, you know."

"Are you always that big of a dick?"

"It's what I'm good at."

"No wonder your single."

"Hey," Hikaru-kun turned to a quiet intern whose name I can't remember, "you haven't said anything yet. What did you do?"

He just plastered a shit-eating grin on his face and shrugged. "Who knows?" Great. Whatever he did to the game, one of us will have to fix it.

The pizzas arrived. "Oh no. A fate worse than death!"

"What?"

"We didn't order mushroom."

"Chill." One of them called the waiter over and fixed it. What idiots.

"I can't help it. You're fun to mess with."

When did I join a group of middle school kids? Hikaru-kun leaned over. "Having fun?"

"Sure. I love hanging around with barely functional morons."

He burst into laughter. "What's so funny, Hitachiin?"

He finally calmed down enough to spit out, "Nothing." Then looked at me and we both lost it.

"Whatever."

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xXx

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Shido Estate:

I pulled Fuyumi and Akito aside before dinner. "Let me know if anyone talks to either of you about Yoshio."

"What about him?"

"Anything. If they hint at you about something. If they make you feel funny about him. Just anything."

"What's going on, Kyoya?"

"I can't tell you now. I may not ever be able to. Just know that I'm not done cleaning up his shit and some may splash on you."

"Great."

"Let me know, and I'll take care of it. Neither of you needs to be involved. I can handle it."

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"And then we sang the 'Itsy bitsy spider'." Sota-kun was talking so fast I could barely keep up. He's the only kid I've ever really been around that I've listened to.

"Lunch was so much fun. We marched to the lunchroom. In two lines. Like an army."

He turned to Yuki-chan and asked for help with his math. "You have homework?"

"No. It's so fun, I want to show you."

"Alright. After dinner." Then he started eating quicker. Kids.

"Akito-kun." I looked up at Yuki-chan. "How was your first day of classes?"

I smiled at Sota-kun, who was watching, "Medical school is a little different than first year elementary. I already have lots of reading assignments and a paper to write."

"Oh," Sota-kun mumbled. "Medical school sounds boring."

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "It would be if you didn't want to be a doctor."

"I guess."

"What about you, Yuki-chan," I asked.

She finished her bite and took a sip of tea. "With the Host Club ending, I decided to join the literature club. We read different books and short stories and discuss them. We also write our own short stories and offer suggestions to others."

She's radiant. This is what she wanted to do, but her father forbid it. How can you not want to see that smile on your daughter's face? "Sounds perfect. You'll have to recommend some to me."

"With your schedule, when would you have time?"

"I'll make it."

Fuyumi tried to hide her giggle, but Yuki-chan and I both blushed anyway. Dammit. It's like I'm back in high school.

I turned it back to her. "How is pregnancy treating you?"

That smirk means I'm not fooling her with the subject change. "I still have morning sickness, but not every day. When I'm not being sick, I'm stuffing my face."

"Sounds normal. Listen to your body and rest when it tells you to."

"Yes, doctor."

After dinner, Yuki-chan and I went to the lounge to study. It wasn't long before Sota-kun joined us with his math flashcards. She helped him until his bedtime.

It was oddly domestic.

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xXx

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Tuesday, May 3:

Group Text Messages, Before Classes:

(Includes all 15 of the hosts and girls)

Tamaki: Good morning everyone! How was your first day of classes? I miss all of you. It was absolute torture to eat lunch alone yesterday.

Honey: Tama-chan, what time is your first class? Mine's not until 11. It's too early for this.

Hikaru: It's too early, Boss. We don't get up until the last second.

Renge: Good morning my dear fiancé. Can't wait to see you for dinner tonight.

Haruhi: Good morning, Senpai. Sounds like you need to find a club or something that meets around lunch.

Tamaki: A brilliant idea, dearest friend. Perhaps a music club.

Cho: I'm crushed, Tamaki. We saw each other yesterday in English.

Tamaki: Allow me to apologize profusely. Seeing you in class was the highlight of my day.

Kasanoda: Get to class, Tamaki-senpai. You don't want to be late.

Tamaki:Oops. Bye.

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xXx

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Lunch, Dining Hall, Ouran:

"I'm so happy you are still doing the Tuesday charity lunches."

Chika smiled at the older girl. "We're honored to continue the fundraising. There are so many worthy charities in Japan, it wasn't hard to find more."

"Here are four for our table."

"And six from ours."

I leaned back and couldn't help smiling. Where would these boys be without my commoner influence? It's sometimes hard to see but thinking back to those first few months and their condescension, derision, and lack of any practical knowledge, it's easier. The charities, the way they operate their businesses, and their general outlook all show how they've changed.

"What's the charity?"

Chika managed to not roll his eyes. There is a poster on an easel right there.

"It's called 'Help Save Children in Japan', and it focuses on child protection, disaster risk reduction, and creating child-friendly communities. These statistics can be hard to believe, but did you know 2% of children in Japan are not in school, and 3 in a thousand die before their 5th birthday?"

"And 16% of people in Japan live in poverty." I made sure they realized that. While Dad and I were better as I grew older, we were living in poverty right after Mom died.

"Oh, I had no idea." She handed Chika some envelopes. "Here are three from our table."

"Now that they're all gone, I have a question." Chika nodded at Kaoru to continue, while organizing the envelopes and storing them in his bag. "How are you donating the money? It was done on behalf of the Host Club, but it's gone."

"I spoke with the chairman. It will be donated on behalf of Ouran until we come up with a different way, if we decide to."

"This money wasn't raised by Ouran, nor is it from their budget. I'm not sure I agree with donating on their behalf."

"True, however the money didn't come out of the Host Club budget either and we donated on their behalf, Haruhi-senpai." Chika was quiet for a minute, then continued, "I'm not happy with this arrangement either. There has to be another way that makes more sense."

"Well, if anyone can come up with it, it's you." Satoshi clapped Chika on the back.

"Yeah…" And we lost Chika to deep thoughts.

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xXx

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Afternoon, Hitachiin Fashions Offices:

Ota-san spoke up to start the meeting. "Good afternoon. We're here to discuss the intellectual property lawsuit being filed against Hitachiin Kaoru and Hitachiin Fashions.

"My team has researched the lawyer and the designer making the claim and is not impressed. This lawyer has no noteworthy case wins or clients. The designer is a university student and the design he claims was stolen was a class project. We can find no overlap between him and Kaoru-sama."

After Mom and I spoke yesterday, I managed to calm myself down. Of course, the hour in the gym didn't hurt. "University student? I haven't been near a university."

He gave me a look and said, "We can't find a link, but there must be one." Reaching into his portfolio, he pulled out some papers and handed them to me. "This is the information we need from you. Be exact about the garment's history, when it was designed, turned over to the seamstresses, first warn, everything."

"Alright." I handed to papers to Mao and asked her to get started on them.

"Did Fujioka-sama wear this one before the fashion show?"

Did she? At this point, she probably has most of the line in her closet. "I'm not sure. I'll have it in my records if I gave her the suit. Whether she wore it or not, I'm not sure I'll know."

"I'll have my staff sift through her hashtags," Ando-san said, writing down some notes. "As the face of the line, Hitachiin PR should know when she's wearing what. I'll also talk to her personal PR rep, Endo-san." She dropped her pen and bowed her head and Mom and me. "As head of Hitachiin Fashions, I apologize. This should have been policy since the beginning."

"I hadn't thought of it either." Mom smiled at her. "This is the first time we've had an exclusive face of the line that wears the line exclusively and before it's shown. Now we know."

I leaned back and ran my hands through my hair. "Haruhi's going to love this. Now she'll need to tell us what she's wearing every day."

"She has a personal assistant. They can take care of it."

"Still…"

"I know," Mom smirked, "she had no idea what she was signing up for when she agreed to this. All you can tell her is neither did you."

"That's not going to make her feel better."

We all turned back to Ota-san when he cleared his throat. "Getting back to the lawsuit, it's my recommendation we prepare, but do not show up for the court date, unless he manages to serve us the papers properly. Let him learn his lesson the hard way."

Mom leaned forward with a glint in her eye. "I agree. Why should we teach the lawyer to practice law?"

Our head lawyer looked around the room. "Anything else?"

"Just one more thing." I picked a piece of lint from my sleeve. "I'd like to ask Haruhi if she wants in on this." I held up a hand to stop them before I finished. "Hear me out. She wants to be a lawyer. All I'm suggesting is she shadow you as you prepare for this. Her name wouldn't be on any of the papers, and she wouldn't be officially tied to the suit, but she'd probably like the opportunity to learn from it."

I waited a couple minutes while Ota-san thought it over. Finally, he sighed, "I'll meet with her and bring her up to speed, but her involvement will be up to me. Despite the naivete of the lawyer, we could end up giving him some ammunition if were not careful."

"I'll check with her tomorrow to see if she's interested."

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Kaoru-sama and I went back to his office to coordinate for the week. As his assistant, I could see several large new projects looming on the horizon.

He was talking before he sat down. "Coordinate with Hitachiin PR with the log of what Haruhi's worn. Let them set up the recordkeeping, as long as you understand it and have access."

I scribbled notes as he continued. "Get with Haruhi's personal assistant…"

"Honami-san."

"Honami-san and find out what she has in her closet and what colors. Some of them won't have made it into the line, but we need to know everything she has. Don't forget the scarves.

"Check with Honami-san and Endo-san about finding out what she's wearing before she wears it. I know she's going to hate this, but maybe they could organize a week's worth of outfits at a time."

"Before I forget, Honami-san emailed me to ask about Friday. Haruhi-sama is going to Seoul to inspect her factory and wanted to know if there was something specific she should wear."

"Perfect." He slammed his hands on his desk and made me jump. "Let's get both of them on the phone and deal with all this now."

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xXx

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Group Text:

Tamaki: Are we still meeting to study and then eat at the diner tomorrow?

Haruhi: Yes, Senpai. We'll meet at the public library after classes and go to the diner from there.

Honey: Yea! Pancakes for dinner!

Cho: Tamaki, would you like to ride to the library together? We'll leave right after our English class.

Tamaki: Perfect. We'll take my limo.

Chika: It's getting late. I'm turning off my phone.

Renge: See everyone there!

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xXx

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Wednesday, May 4:

Akira's Private Study, Morinozuka Estate:

"I think that covers it."

"There are so many questions. Perhaps we should send a lawyer instead of a letter."

I glanced up at my wife. Her eyes were narrow, and her lips pursed. She likes this less than I do. "I want to keep this friendly until they make it not friendly. They are Haruhi-chan's grandparents, her only living family. We don't know how this will turn out, but, for her sake, we must investigate all avenues."

"It's still a lot of questions."

"Yes, but they've been written in a conversational style within the paragraphs. They must have realized that we wouldn't just open our home to them without questions."

"Alright. Send it, and we'll decide further when they reply."

She stood up and walked to the window. "I believe I'll go to Seoul this weekend with Haruhi-chan and Yasuchika."

"Why? Do you have specific concerns?"

"No," she turned back and smiled. "It's an opportunity to spend more time with her. We're all so busy, there are days I only see her at meals."

"Good idea. She's so self-sufficient, it's easy to forget she's still in high school and lost her father just a few months ago."

"Exactly."

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xXx

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Study Session, Public Library:

"My darling friend," Tamaki-senpai squealed as he pulled Haruhi into a crushing hug, "I missed you so much!"

I grabbed his arm. "Boss, you better put her down. Did you even ask?" Yes, I realize the irony of my asking him that after I spend half a year institutionalized for doing the same thing only worse.

Several of us winced as Haruhi thudded on her butt when he dropped her. "I'm so sorry, Haruhi. I wasn't thinking. I just missed you so much. And I'm so…"

She waved him off and stood by herself. "Enough, Tamaki-senpai. I'm fine, but please think first."

"Shhhhhhhhh. This is a public library, and you must be quiet." One of the librarians walked over and scolded us.

"I apologize," Haruhi said and bowed. "It won't happen again."

As the librarian walked away in a huff, Haruhi led us to the back of the building. "I booked this study room for us today. If it works, we can continue to reserve it."

Kasanoda dropped his bag on the table. "I like it. With the door closed, we won't have to worry about being loud."

"And there's plenty of outlets for the laptops," Yuki mumbled as she plugged hers in. "Mine's almost dead after taking notes in class."

We settled in and got to work.

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Since I'm not taking classes this semester, I wasn't going to come. I should be training. I can't let Satoshi beat me again. However, it was impossible to turn Haruhi down when she asked.

I decided to answer emails and finalize things for the bar opening. Still need to give Haruhi a tour.

"Takashi-senpai?"

"Hn."

"Thank you for coming. It doesn't feel right without everyone here."

I nodded as she turned back to her homework.

All heads snapped to the door when it opened. "Gorou-senpai, I'm glad you made it." Haruhi stood and pulled him into the room. It's the university student that helped her with her physics last school year. Why is he here? She's not taking a science or math class.

"Everyone, you remember Gorou-senpai? He helped me with physics, and I helped him with English?" She introduced him around the table. "This is his final year at university, and he asked if I could continue to help him with his English. Since I'm not taking physics anymore, he's offered to help any of you with science or math if you need it."

Satoshi grinned. "I'll take you up on that for chemistry."

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xXx

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Dinner at the Diner:

"Club sandwich."

"Grilled salmon."

"I'm going to try the BBQ chicken."

"It's Texas BBQ. Is that alright?"

I squeezed Tamaki-kun's arm in warning, but he went ahead and ordered it. Sometimes the new things he tries backfire badly.

"Loaded Nachos." Hikaru seems to order those more and more.

I'm going to be healthy tonight. The dress for the fashion show was a little too tight. "Grilled tuna salad."

"Chocolate and banana pancakes."

"Macaroni and cheese."

"Cheeseburger and onion rings."

My mind drifted to the meeting I had with the architect and designer yesterday. We have a year to remodel and decorate, but I don't want to be delayed. Things like this have a tendency to stretch out.

The most technical remodel is the conservatory and its acoustics. Everything must be perfect for one or two grand pianos. Sometimes I have erotic dreams of us on that piano. They start with the bench turned longways, and me sitting in front of him, leaning back, his arms around me while he plays.

We've actually done that. It's one of my favorite things to do with him.

He slowly starts nibbling on my neck, and I flush and pant as he drives me crazy. Then, I spin around and straddle his lap, keeping his mouth busy while he still plays for us. But soon he's too distracted to play, and his arms come around me.

The kisses become wild. One of his hands is up the back of my shirt, while the other is slowly gliding up my thigh and under my skirt.

"Renge?"

Dammit.

"Are you alright?"

I took a deep breath and focused. "Sure. Sorry, did you ask me something?"

Yuki smiled at me. It's almost as if she knew what I was thinking. "Just if you were thinking about joining another club now that the Host Club has closed."

"I haven't decided. The drama club and the drawing club sound interesting. I'll probably visit them in the next two weeks."

"You could always join me in the literature club."

"Thanks, but no thanks. After sitting all day, I need something a little more active."

"What about you, Haruhi?"

Not sure why she asked her. Haruhi, Kaoru, Honey-senpai, Satoshi, and Chika are all busy with either their companies or training. I'd bet that Kasanoda and Shinobu are too, but they'd never tell us what they're doing if it's family business.

"I'll be spending my afternoons at Petto Chinmi, so I won't have the time for a club. There are so many things to do. Tomorrow evening, Chika and I are flying to Seoul. He has a world cup, and I'm touring my factory. Next weekend is the national dog show. There's a lot that goes into that."

"Same for me. The fashion line is taking up so much time." He put his arm around Naoko. "Which club are you thinking about?"

"I'm going to come to the studio with you and help."

Not good. Kaoru's uncomfortable. He wasn't expecting that answer.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. I'll be crazy busy either dealing with orders, finances, or designing. Besides, It's Mao's job to help me."

"Oh." She recovered quickly after glancing around the table at our faces. "Perhaps Ikebana or tea ceremony."

Cho stepped in to cover the awkwardness. "I'm going to join an English conversation club at University. They discuss anything as long as it's in English." She stopped Tamaki-kun from taking another bite, "What about you, Tamaki?"

That BBQ sauce is all over his hands. When Hisa served it, he had to ask how to eat it. She said the Americans use their hands and brought him extra napkins. Yuck. He'll have to wash his hands before he takes me home.

"I thought about the drama club because it links to Noguchi Gallery, but I really don't have the time."

"Bu and I were thinking about the gardening club. It's what I was doing before the Host Club. But Pops is going to give me a syndicate project soon, and the import business won't run itself."

Some of the other people here were listening in and obviously recognized a couple of us, most likely Haruhi. Maybe I should switch subjects, but what's benign?

"Yesterday at lunch a couple of you expressed concerns regarding giving our charitable donations on behalf of Ouran."

Not what I had in mind, but whatever.

Haruhi nodded. "I thought about it and still don't agree."

"Here's my solution. I opened a bank account under the business name 'The Students of Ouran'. Donations will be deposited there, and I'll write the checks or transfer the funds out of there."

"That's brilliant. That's who's doing the donating." Hikaru smirked. "And the best part is you're still in charge."

"Ha. Ha."

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xXx

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Lounge, Morinozuka Estate:

"Alright, Kaoru. Everyone's here. Why did you drive me home?"

"I needed to explain something that's happening with the line and only want to do it once." The Morinozukas, Honami-san, Endo-san, Mao, Haruhi, and I gathered in their lounge at my request.

"This isn't about another interview, is it?"

"No." I shook my head and smiled. No matter how many she does, she'll always hate them. "This doesn't involve you directly, but you need to know. Monday I was served for an intellectual property lawsuit claiming I stole the designs for one of my suits."

"That's ridiculous." Haruhi's fists were clenched and her ears were turning red. "You're Hitachiin Kaoru. Of course, you didn't steal anyone else's designs. Yours are better than anyone else's anyway."

"Thanks for the support. You're right. I didn't steal his design. I've never heard of the guy. He's a university student and designed his suit for a class."

Akira-sama spoke up, "They served you directly? Where?"

I walked them through the meetings I've had and the decisions so far. He nodded. "A sound plan. Makes them look foolish in the eyes of the court."

Haruhi picked up her teacup. "How am I involved?"

"When my lawyer, Mom, and I tried to think of where he could have seen my design, we realized we haven't been tracking when you get the suits and wear them. We needed to comb through social media posts to find any pictures of you in it."

"Oh, for you to figure out when he could have seen yours and copied it."

"Exactly."

She took a sip of tea and thought for a minute. "You want me to keep track of what I wear when?"

"I love your brain, Haruhi." That smile hit me from across the coffee table. "I've already spoken to Honami-san and Endo-san about the best way to do that. Honami-san will report what and when to Endo-san and copy Hitachiin Fashions, specifically Mao."

"That doesn't sound hard."

Here's where she might object. "It would be easier to know what you're going to wear ahead of time. I'd like to plan your outfits for the week ahead. That way, if we need pictures of a certain suit, it'd be easy."

"More photo sessions?"

"Actually, more like candids on the street. Like walking down the sidewalk."

She looked into her tea, obviously considering the pros and cons. Then she looked over to Umeko-sama, who shrugged. I wanted the Morinozukas here so the lawsuit didn't surprise them and moral support for Haruhi. She's not used to this fame stuff.

"How about this. You pick the outfits for the days that matter to you, and I'll choose the rest. Then, Honami-san can send in the information. Keep in mind, after the national dog show, I plan to go into the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Wednesday I'll change out of my uniform, but I'll want to wear something casual for the library and the diner. You can pick for any event we go to, including the dog show."

What a relief. "That works fine. I appreciate it." I stood up and took her hand. "Let's go up and pick something for Seoul. You might get photographed at the factory, and probably will be at the karate world cup."

She stood with a big sigh. "Alright."

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xXx

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Ouran High School Host Club. I do, however, own any original characters and the plot of this story. I also do not own, nor am I making any money from, the following: Olympics, Lego, Duplo, any real restaurant, business, food product, or really anything else that exists.

Author's Note:

The group text will be ongoing. Something new I'm trying. The group is the following: Haruhi, Tamaki, Renge, Hikaru, Kaoru, Naoko, Mori, Honey, Cho, Satoshi, Chika, Kasanoda, Shinobu, Yuki, Keiko (basically what I've come to think of as our core group). So, when you see "Group Text" as a header, these are the players, although not everyone will text every time.

Had fun with Sota's first day of school. That's probably all you'll hear about him for a while.

Satoshi's right. Bunch of business moguls. Hadn't really planed this at the beginning, but their businesses just seemed to sprout. I'll try to lay off as much as possible, but they do matter for the plot sometimes.

So, more about what Kyoya's finding in his father's papers. Looks like there's some heavy shit coming.

Kaoru gets hit with a lawsuit. What do you think?

There are reasons to continue the Tuesday charities. You'll see. As for 'Help Save Children in Japan', it's real, as are all the stats.

Drop me a review and let me know how you like it, have any ideas, or any constructive criticism. I think my writing is getting better. Hope you do too.

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Next Chapter:

Trip to Seoul, date night, and more about Kyoya's father.

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