This chapter turned a bit longer than it was supposed to be.
Haruhi went through her wardrobe and realized that none of her dresses were appropriate for the ball. Quite honestly, she didn't care, but she knew that if she showed up in her usual attire, Renge-chan would be upset. She was a principled young woman and chose to keep her promises―a solid reason why she was reluctant to promise anything. She scanned the grim scenery outside the thin glass of the window and grimaced. The winter was dreary and dark. What was she supposed to wear at this time of the year not to freeze to death and yet look ball-suitable with her weird friend's standards?
She heard her father's voice from the neighboring room and sighed frustrated. She didn't want to give her old man any ideas and fuel his overly vigorous enthusiasm of dressing her up for any reason like a live-doll. Unfortunately, she had no choice but to approach him with her current problem. She took a deep breath, calculated in her mind how to phrase her request and walked towards the door.
Her father was plucking out the artificial eyelashes he had glued to his eyelids. He was so concentrated on his current task that he didn't notice her enter the room. She stood there for a moment, awkwardly glancing at the man and then cleaned her throat. Ranka turned towards her startled, but a big smile followed as he realized that it was his pretty, kindhearted daughter.
"Daddy's cute, little daughter!" he screamed, getting up and rushing towards her. He wrapped his hands around her in a tight embrace and then lifted her up and twirled her around. Haruhi scowled. Yes, that was why she didn't like being around him. It was just way too affectionate for her health. She sighed and was relieved when her father let go of her.
"You look frustrated," her father's watchful eyes screwed up and peered at her closely. "Did something happen? Is there someone at school treating you unkindly?"
His voice now became lower and agitated, and Haruhi had to quickly shook her head to stop the man further fantasizing possible scenarios. "I am fine," she said grumpily. "It's just... you know I am invited to a ball with a friend of mine―Renge-chan, I have told you about her, and I was wondering if any of mother's dresses would fit me."
Ranka's face was impassive for a second then strange emotions coated his eyes; excitement, sadness, yearn for something that was left behind a long time ago and a hint of fulfillment as if he had waited for this moment all his life. Haruhi expected her father to jump forward and suffocate her in his arms in delight, but he nodded quietly.
He walked towards the wardrobe and took out a big box. He gave her the box and smiled. "I hope it will suit you," he said fondly, and she noticed a drop of tear shining in his eyes. Haruhi blinked surprised, and her stomach clenched at her father's reaction. She never realized how much he had missed her mother. She nodded in response and walked to her room to try the dress on.
It was a periwinkle blue dress made of soft, smooth silk. Haruhi smiled, looking at the dress. She had seen a few photos of her mom wearing this dress, and she looked very pretty there. The dress had a narrow plunging neckline, which didn't expose anything as she was pretty flat-chested. The skirt was flowing down the floor, and the arms were adorned with point d'spirit, soft and lightweight sleeves that still exposed her wounds as they were just flowing down her shoulders and not really covering her arms. Surprisingly, it was her size. She must have grown a lot and didn't really notice.
People rarely noticed how they changed through day, and then suddenly one day the person in the mirror seemed a lot of more different than they remembered themselves. And today the person staring back at Haruhi from the other side of the mirror was a completely different girl. When she walked out of the room, her father broke in tears.
"Daddy's little Haruhi had grown up so much and became a beautiful woman," he said, tenderly hugging her. "You look like your mother. Kotoko would be very proud of you."
Haruhi allowed her father to show his affections, because she felt he needed it. She patted on his shoulder, and he let go of her.
"You are so cute," he became enthusiastic again. "Let me put some make-up on you."
Haruhi shook her head, "I am fine," she said firmly. "I don't want any make up. That's already ridiculous."
She was already sacrificing her comfort, dressing up like this. Make-up seemed another unreasonable and unnecessary thing that she didn't have the patience to engage in. Putting on her short-heeled shoes, Haruhi rushed to leave the house. She needed to catch the latest bus and head to Ouran High school.
She arrived on time. The school yard was filled with students, and even though it was cold they were dressed in light, formal gowns. She spotted Renge-chan standing at the entrance, impatiently pacing around and staring at the driveway. She had a long, dark-coloured coat on her shoulders that hid the red dress she was wearing. Her hair was gathered into a tight bun, and she had make-up on her face. Haruhi waved at her, and the redhead's face lit up, seeing her.
"I was so worried you wouldn't come," she said, rushing to Haruhi.
She took a moment to glance at her and let out a admiring sigh, "Wow! You told me you were not going to buy dresses for the ball, but this dress is very elegant and pretty."
"I didn't buy it," Haruhi smiled. "It was my mother's dress."
Renge smiled and nodded. She knew that her mother had passed away. Haruhi had told her a while ago. They both shared it in common and maybe in some sense that made them feel closer than they otherwise would.
"It looks very pretty, and the satin choker suits you too," she said and grabbed Haruhi's hand. "Now let's go inside. I am freezing."
The host club's ballroom was enormous. Its high ceiling had the world's most glittery and ornate chandeliers―the teardrop-shaped crystal fragments were reflecting the light through the lucid flow of air. The walls were decorated with outstanding pieces of classical impressionist art. The curtains on big oval windows were drawn, and the cold winter light came in, mixing with the warm hues inside the ballroom. The soft music touched Haruhi's ears as they walked in with Renge-chan. There were so many people inside, dressed elegantly, dancing to the soothing, exciting melody. Haruhi's eyes widened in admiration, and she wondered what she was doing there at all. This ball had nothing to do with her.
"This is amazing," Renge screamed. "Oh look, Mori-senpai is there. I should go and invite him for a dance."
The redhead didn't wait for an answer, she just rushed forward and headed towards the tall quiet man, standing in the corner, observing the dancing couples in front of him in a deep contemplation. Haruhi sighed and realized that soon she was going to stand there just like that and stare at everyone else, not knowing what to do, just like the short-haired man. Brunette smiled when she saw how Mori-senpai's face changed from its neutrally stoic expression into a look of pure horror and bewilderment. Yes, Renge-chan could evoke all kinds of strange emotions.
As the music played on, the awkward couple twirled in the ballroom, dancing softly under the enchanting melody. Haruhi stared at her bare hands and the small bandages she had used to cover them. She was sure everyone would notice them, and Renge-chan would ask her many questions, but apparently, she didn't inspect her so closely today as she was head over heels in love with a certain host and couldn't think straight with him around. Haruhi even covered the fading bite marks on her neck with a periwinkle colored choker.
She was about to find a quiet corner and relax there while her friend was dancing when she spotted Kyoya Ootori walking into the ballroom. He was neat and trim. His dark hair cleanly brushed back, exposing his light-colored features and pale eyes, staring from behind those glasses. Strangely enough, he looked a little confused as if wondering in his mind what he had lost there. Haruhi waved at him, and he, spotting her, paused in his tracks, stared at her for a second and headed towards her.
Her heart started to beat faster as he approached her. She blinked surprised at her reaction and gulped audibly.
"I didn't know you would come here, senpai," she smiled.
He looked away for a moment as if trying to place the reason he had walked into this ball and then nodded at her, "I wasn't really sure about it either," he said, politely shifting to her side, "Suoh-san insisted, and I decided it would be impolite to decline."
He knew it was a lie, a pure, shameless lie. He knew she would be there and came. It was quite strange for him to admit it himself, but it was a fact. He glanced at her cautiously. She wasn't wearing those awful glasses, and her pretty eyes were staring directly at him. There was nothing between his gaze and her eyes. Those chocolate orbs were so deep that he could sense her soul in them. His heart flattered, seeing her small frame in that pretty dress. For a moment Kyoya thought that she looked like a princess, like one of those girls he would see often at family events, galas, charities. Only she looked better, more natural, more like a normal girl―more to his taste.
Being unnatural himself, Kyoya found her naturalism comforting. He spotted the soft, smooth ribbon wrapped around her neck, hiding the marks left by his fangs. His muscles flexed at the memory, and he had a strange vibration pass through him, paralyzing his body into sweet numbness. The dress was simple, but suited her, and he could see the outline of her curves, her bony chest, slim waist and her feminine shoulders.
"Renge-chan made me dress up and come here," she said awkwardly as a way of explaining her presence and appearance.
He didn't say anything, nodded and looked at the redhead who was dancing with Morinozuka Takashi. Everyone was dancing, and he guessed they were the only ones standing there and staring at others. He turned towards Haruhi and didn't know why he stretched his hand.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked.
"Oh," she looked at him, pursing her lips in hesitation, "I have never danced like this. I am not sure I know what to do."
"Think of this as a teaching lesson," he offered.
"Alright then," she placed her hand in his, and they moved forward.
It was surprisingly easy to dance with Kyoya-senpai. He knew where to put his feet and how to lead the dance, and that left no place for Haruhi to make mistakes. Of course, she would stare at her feet from time to time to understand what she was doing, but her focus was mostly on his face. His face bore a tranquil expression, his eyes were cold as always. She found herself enchanted by them and had to shake herself mentally to stop the deep diving in those silver orbs.
"I have read the novel you have lent me," she smiled. "I like it. I think his ideas on humanism are quite interesting."
"I am glad you are enjoying it," he said, twirling her around masterfully. "It's one of my favourite."
When the dance was over, they politely bowed and stood aside. "That was very much fun," Haruhi admitted. His lips twitched slightly in a sign of agreement, but his otherwise neutral expression didn't change. He was very reserved in what he showed, and Haruhi found it interesting. She thought at times if Kyoya-senpai was a crime suspect, and she was the attorney investigating the case, would she be able to ever understand what he hid and what he thought. The idea was entertaining and always brought a chuckling smile to her lips.
She squeaked when someone grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her towards themselves. She turned terrified to see who it was and wasn't that surprise to see Renge-chan's face. The redhead looked thrilled, and her eyes had those passionate, crazy glints in them the girl had when she was reading an over-the-top manga. Renge smiled at her, shot a surprised glance at Ootori Kyoya and dragged her away.
"We need to talk," she said in her enthusiastic voice.
Kyoya followed the exchange with a bit of apprehension and bemusement. Houshakuji was quite the thing. She was the female version of Suoh, only in his opinion even worse. He sighed as the redhead pulled the little commoner out of the ballroom into the bathroom. He had a vague idea of what she wanted to chat about after her dance. She was predictable like most girls even though was not exactly the normal kind. Kyoya felt a bit annoyed that Houshakuji had taken away Haruhi, and now he was stuck there alone.
"That was a very good move, Kyoya-kun," he heard Suoh's self-content voice and turned towards him. "And don't you deny that you were staring at Renge-san. You do it all the time."
Kyoya's lips slightly went downward in disapproval, but he didn't say anything, just gave the leaving girls a last glance. Why was this guy always around? He would jump out of nowhere to annoy him.
"Dancing with her friend, I mean," Tamaki suddenly elaborated. "That's a good method to get close to her."
"Suoh-san," Kyoya said politely, "I think it's quite honorable for you to try to help others to form the relationships they want, but I believe it would be for the best if you abandoned your misconception that I like Renge-chan. And you seem quite oblivious for a person who prides himself on his knowledge of the romantic inclinations of others, because I am quite sure Kanoya-san would be pleased for you to invite her for a dance."
He gave the blonde a parting bow and walked away. Suoh Tamaki was oblivious to his own feelings and was only perceptive when things were about others around him. Kyoya had noticed for a while that two of her classmates were not so indifferent towards each other even though none of them very quick to come to a realization. The third Ootori son walked away, but he could feel the blond's bewildered stare at his back. His hand brushed against his cheekbones when he stood next to the tables covered with food.
If Haruhi was not dragged away by that loon, he would have a conversation with her now and could have inhaled her sweet aroma. He got used to her during the week so much that actually enjoyed her company. She wasn't pushy like Renge and wasn't annoying like Tamaki. She was a very much interesting, intelligent young woman.
Haruhi, on the other hand, wished to be at home in her bed with a mug of hot tea and her favourite books. Renge-chan was absolutely insane. She had dragged her to the bathroom like a maniac to tell her about the conversation she didn't have with Mori-senpai.
"He just listens to me," she was explaining. "I feel so special when he listens to me carefully and nods."
"That's good, but he rarely talk anyways," Haruhi said, rubbing her chin.
"Oh, Haru-chan, we need to find a boyfriend for you," Renge screamed, not paying attention to Haruhi's protests. "I mean I just can't think of anyone good enough. You know Mori is the only one, and he is already taken."
"Yes, absolutely," Haruhi agreed. "You two are meant to be together. Can I go home?"
Renge didn't seem to catch her question, because her face lit up as she started to think about the older student. "But he doesn't say anything about his feelings," she said suddenly sad.
Of course, he doesn't! The guy is super silent. Talks only when it's absolutely necessary if stares and nods can't convey the necessary information he needs to exchange.
"He will come around," she said, patting on Renge's shoulder.
Renge's mood instantly improved, and she hugged Haruhi. They talked a little more before deciding to leave the bathroom.
"Listen, what was the thing with you and Ootori Kyoya," Renge asked as they were exiting. "I saw you dancing."
"I guess it was unnatural for us to stand and stare at others," Haruhi replied thoughtfully.
Renge-chan nodded uninterested and waving at her walked towards Mori-senpai. Haruhi sighed and rubbed her aching temples. What was she supposed to do now? Where was Kyoya-senpai? Did he go home? She quickly searched for him and spotted him standing at the tables all by himself. Her heart twitched excitedly, and she walked up to him.
"Senpai," she smiled, "I am sorry, Renge-chan wanted to talk."
He nodded and didn't say anything. Haruhi's eyes suddenly fell on the food. There were the most delicious dishes she had ever seen in her life. She had forgotten about everything in that instant and mumbled loudly. "Can I eat this?"
Fancy tuna, she had dreamed about having some, and now the opportunity was there. Her mouth watered, and she gulped the thickness in her throat and without paying any attention to anything went on to try the tuna. Its delicious texture and taste in her mouth made her feel extremely happy. Very tasty!
Kyoya looked at her curiously as the little girl started to put the food one after another into her mouth. He had never paid attention to other people's eating. It was always nauseating for him, and he tried to avoid such situations. His senses were always clouded by the smell of rotting and dissolving food. But with Haruhi, he discovered it was different. All he could smell was her, and she smelled really good. She was eating so enthusiastically Kyoya wondered how good it could have tasted.
"Ill-mannered commoner eats like a pig, and I am not surprised," the voice was soft, very low spoken, but Kyoya was close enough to the person who spoke that he heard her.
He shifted his head slightly to see the person. It was Ayanakoji Seika, a first year student. He knew her from the many times he had seen her in different events his family went to as well. She was a pretty girl and always behaved pleasantly. Although, Kyoya's interactions with her were limited with occasional polite greetings. At some point his father even suggested to form a stronger connection with the girl's family with the intent of marriage prospects. But as Kyoya had his little problem, the old man abandoned the idea very soon, and he found his other sons to be too old to court the girl.
Haruhi didn't hear what the girl said because she was still pretty much enjoying the food and wasn't looking around at all. The comment though seemed quite strange to Kyoya, and his gaze lingered after the leaving girl.
"It's so delicious," Haruhi sighed, closing her eyes. "You should try some, Kyoya-senp―"
She cut herself and cleared her throat awkwardly and then suddenly she grabbed his hand. "You must be hungry too, Kyoya-senpai, let's go."
Kyoya didn't know why he let her drag him and to the women's bathroom no less. But the gentle way her fingers clasped around his wrist and her warm skin prickled his skin in excitement, made her so much more agreeable. She closed the door behind them and looked around cautiously.
"I am sorry," she said. "I was so taken by the food that selfishly forgot about you at all."
"I am alright," he said, in his brain still trying to place this girl into some category as he couldn't really figure out what was in her mind at all times.
She pushed away the frilly sleeves and extended her arm. There were a few bandaged on her arm. "But I don't have anything to cover the bite with," suddenly she sighed and looked around.
"It's alright," Kyoya retreated.
He didn't need blood that much, because her blood had a very strange long term effects on him, and he could go on days without having any. Because it was so delicious, he couldn't resist the temptation when she offered it every day during the previous week. Her fingers suddenly came to rest on his chest near his heart.
"I can use this to cover it," she said, pointing at the pocket square. "If you don't mind, of course."
Her smell was already driving him mad, and he just shook his head in anticipation. He didn't care about bloody handkerchiefs. She pulled it out of the pocket, and the smooth material got unwrapped immediately. Kyoya closed his eyes as his sharp teeth pieced holes in her butter-soft skin.
Haruhi winced at the contact and gritted her teeth. It hurt a bit every time his fangs poked holes in her skin, it stung and hurt. But she didn't feel anything else afterwards. The pain receded quicker with each bite, and she started to wonder if she just got used to it. She looked at him. He was so vulnerable like this, so childish, so desperate. He suddenly pushed her forward completely submerged in drinking her blood. Her back hit against the wall, and she blinked surprised when he quickly stopped and retreated.
His breathing was heavy, and he looked confused. He always had that strange look on his face every time he had drunken her blood. It was one of a shame, awkwardness, satisfaction and curiosity. They both were startled when they heard a noise―someone was walking into the bathroom.
Haruhi opened the very first door and entering in, closed it behind them. They stared at each other in the small compartment; their bodies were pressed against each other. He could feel her heartbeats, her pulse, her breathing. He gulped horrified at how crazy it made his body feel. His attention hindered when he heard the noise of newcomers. Two girls were giggling about something.
"Did you see Ootori Kyoya-san, the second-year student? He was dancing with that honour student from Hitachiins' class."
"Yes," the other girl responded quickly with a big giggle. "I didn't know he liked girls."
Kyoya's eyes flashed. Haruhi looked at him and swallowed her lower lip clumsily. He smiled. It was funny to be around when you were being gossiped about.
"Did you fix your hair? Can we go?" one of the girls spoke again.
"Yes, let's go. I hope I will get to dance with Tamaki-senpai."
When the door closed, both Haruhi and Kyoya breathed relieved. It would have been difficult to explain everyone else what they were doing in the girl's bathroom together. Kyoya let go of her and then only realized how tight he was holding her. He was so focused on not making any noise that he didn't notice.
"Your wound," he said, noticing that the blood had flowed out and pooled around the small holes. He applied pressure and wrapped his handkerchief around it.
"I am fine," Haruhi assured him. "Let's go, or Renge-chan will go around looking for me."
The rest of the evening went pleasantly. They mostly spent together, talking about school and books, and Haruhi ate all the food she could get her hands on. Kyoya realized that he really enjoyed the day regardless of the circumstances. It was heart-warming to spend time with Haruhi Fujioka. When the evening came, and they needed to part, he felt a twinge of sadness, a kind he had never experienced before.
He felt so lively that even the next day when Sunday morning came, Kyoya was relaxed and full of energy. He skipped the breakfast and instead relaxed in bed, thinking about his new strange friend. He didn't know if the word friend was suitable to be used in her reference. He had never used that word to describe anyone so it was hard to say if she was his friend.
By the time he decided to go downstairs, the breakfast was over, and he was quite glad about it. His brothers were playing tennis. He loved to sit and watch them play. He had never played himself as his health didn't permit to engage in physically exhausting activities, but that morning he felt very fresh. He followed the game slightly amused at how Yuuichi was getting angry. Akito was winning as always. He was a better player than Yuuichi. But then again, Akito spend a great deal of time working out, while Yuuichi was mostly not being so physically active. They both were lean and well defined, but Akito seemed more energetic and skilled.
Akito was smiling in mirth. He loved to tease Yuuichi, he also loved to tease Kyoya. The ball hit the ground, and Yuuichi threw the racket on the ground and grabbing his towel, walked away annoyed. Akito couldn't repressed his laughter anymore and when Yuuichi walked out he burst to tears.
Kyoya grabbed the racket from the ground and fidgeted it carefully. It seemed more lightweight than he assumed.
"Want to play little brother," Akito-san winked. "Right, you can't, sorry I forget all the time about how your food preferences affect your capabilities."
He felt strong enough to twist the bat and break it. He shook his head suddenly, "I want to play, Akito-san."
His elder brother gave him a look, "Are you sure? I was just joking. Are you offended?"
Kyoya threw the ball with a swift stroke towards Akito. He stared at Kyoya surprised but managed to respond quickly. They kept playing, and Akito was shocked by how strong and fast his brother was.
"Wow," he exclaimed, running forward. "How did you learn to play like this?"
"I just watched how you and Yuuichi-san were playing," Kyoya replied, sending the ball to his direction.
"You play too good for a person who just watches," Akito said, breathlessly. "But I am glad, because it is boring to play with Yuuichi-san. He always loses anyways."
They kept playing until the ball fell on the ground and Akito lost. Kyoya found it strange that he was just as excited and intrigued as when he won. He patted on Kyoya's shoulder.
"You seem to be energetic lately," he commented. "Since you stopped eating, you started to look better. Maybe human food was bad for you after all."
"Yuuichi-san and father wouldn't agree," Kyoya said, putting down the racket and grabbing a towel for himself.
"Well, you know father," his brother said, "and Yuuichi will say anything that will allow him to spend more time in his lab. Between the two of us Yuuichi is an actual weirdo."
He laughed and walked away, leaving Kyoya slightly baffled. It wasn't always that he and Akito spoke. Their interactions were minimal. He didn't like spending time with any of the family members, and whenever Akito was around, he would make some kind of comment that would frustrate or irritate Kyoya. It was strange for him to know that Akito-san didn't really think of their elder brother in more favorable light.
Yuuichi was a cold man with a little interest towards others. He spent a great deal of time in the hospitals and would work even on Sundays. He wasn't interested much in conducting business. He considered himself a man of academia and medical practice. That Sunday morning after the short game with his brother, he got dressed to go to the research center.
"You are leaving," his father's voice stopped him.
"Yes, father," he replied. "I need to work on the medication for Kyoya."
"Alright," Yoshio nodded. "I will wait for you in the hospital later today."
Yuuichi bowed politely and turned to leave, but Yoshio spoke again with a sigh, "That foolish boy didn't agree yet. I don't know what to do. It seems he feels quite well recently. Do you think the food I was forcing him to eat was actually poisoning his body, and now that he stopped, he feels so much better?"
"You know father that he needs to be treated," Yuuichi said, straightening his posture to an unnatural degree. "You know it's for his own good. His obduracy can cause a lot of serious issues."
"I know," the older man sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Are you sure that the medication you are working on won't do any harm if it doesn't help?"
"Absolutely!" Yuuichi replied.
A/N-what do you think about this chapter. Also, even though Ayanakoji was a third year student I decided to put her in the same year as Haruhi. I hope you don't mind.