Helloo! I hope everyone is staying safe during these tough times :) It's hard but hopefully we can go back to normal soon :)
Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I have various ending in mind BUT i really am having trouble deciding on which one to go with. All suggestions are welcome! Thank you so much for reading! Stay safe!
Disclaimer: I do not own OHHC
"You know you could have stayed at any of our houses? Of all of the friends you have, you had to live in your one female friend's house?"
Haruhi scoffed and crossed her arms. "Does it matter that I'm female?"
"Well...yeah!" Hikaru insisted. "I mean not that you're female but that," he paused awkwardly. "Y'know." He vaguely gestured towards Tamaki and Haruhi. "Tamaki is...y'know…" he looked at the group helplessly.
Honey and Mori nodded. Kaoru just grimaced. Tamaki's face flushed red.
Haruhi seemed unfazed. "I was the only one actually in Japan at the time so I don't see the problem. Besides, we're all grown ups here. There's nothing wrong with friends living together."
In response Hikaru merely grumbled something about one sided love.
Kaoru smiled with a teasing spark in his eyes. "Don't worry about him. I'm sure he's happy that Tamaki senpai found a place to stay. He's just grumpy because his girlfriend broke up with him again."
"It was mutual!" Hikaru butted in.
"Suuureee" Kaoru rolled his eyes before stuffing a muffin in his mouth.
"How long are you two planning on living together?" Honey asked.
Haruhi glanced at Tamaki. She didn't know the answer to that. On the other hand, Tamaki avoided looking at Haruhi. He still hadn't talked to her and wasn't sure if it would be better for her to find out with everyone else. "I'm still looking into a house. My grandmother kind of blacklisted me everywhere so...we'll see how that goes." In the end, Tamaki chickened out.
Kyoya stopped in front of Haruhi but to his dismay she didn't even glance up.
He cleared his throat but got no sign of acknowledgement from her. It wasn't like he could call out to her when they were in the library. Sure, it wasn't a quiet library but it was still a place to study.
"Haruhi," He spoke up after a minute of silence.
Still nothing.
Kyoya glanced around him. Now people were whispering. Why was Haruhi ignoring her senior? And why the Demon King? Was he the reason Haruhi left the host club?
Annoyed, Kyoya leaned down to poke her shoulder. Haruhi jumped up. "What the-ow!" Haruhi sat back down, rubbing her head. Kyoya clenched his fist to avoid shouting from the unexpected, painful hit he had received to his face.
"Haruhi." He restated, this time through clenched teeth.
"I'm sorry Kyoya senpai." Haruhi showed him her phone. "I was wearing earbuds because it's so hard to concentrate with the noise." She trailed off when she noticed the bright red trail coming from his nose.
Kyoya just stared at her. He'd received a head-but to his face all because she was wearing earbuds? All he could feel was irritation and a buzz in his nose.
Haruhi calmly offered him a tissue, hoping that he would also remain calm when he noticed the blood. Kyoya took it. He didn't know why she had offered it but he was happy to have something to squeeze in anger.
Haruhi quietly pointed to her nose. Kyoya raised his hand up to his own nose and stared at the blood on his hand.
Haruhi watched as he calmly (or so it seemed) and without a word walked to the bathroom and returned with a clean face and his blazer folded up in his arm. He had his glasses tightly held in his hand. He wouldn't show his pain but those glasses would only be put on when his nose stopped feeling like it was about to explode.
Amidst the squeals and whispers of the girls in the library, Kyoya walked back to Haruhi and sat down right next to her.
Haruhi instinctively inched away from him. Something told her that almost breaking Kyoya's nose couldn't possibly end well for her.
"Are you scared of me?" Kyoya asked in response to her move.
"Why would I be scared of you?" Haruhi laughed nervously, trying to inconspicuously move even further away. "And why are you speaking so quietly?"
Kyoya didn't smile. He didn't show any indication of why he had sought her out. He just matched her move to sit right next to her once again. "I think we both know that in order to keep this conversation private we have to talk quietly." His voice was almost a whisper and it gave Haruhi chills. She felt that such a low volume was unnatural.
"Therefore," Kyoya continued. "it is only practical for us to sit close, right? How else would we hear each other?" Whether it was on purpose or not, Kyoya was only moving closer to her.
Haruhi's heart raced a bit more with every second that he moved. "We could always talk somewhere else." She had unconsciously matched her volume to his as she scooted away again.
"True," Kyoya said nonchalantly. He leaned back before looking at his watch. "But it appears that we only have two minutes left."
Haruhi looked at the clock on the wall. Of course he was right. Lunch was almost over and since she wasn't in the Host club anymore this was the only time Kyoya could talk to her. She looked back at him. To her relief, Kyoya hadn't moved closer to her again. Also to her relief, his voice was slightly above a whisper now. He really had been messing with her.
"Is there something you needed to talk to me about?" She asked.
"Yes," Kyoya said, finally putting his glasses on. "I suppose there are now two things." He added.
Haruhi just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"First of all, I wanted to hand you these letters of recommendation." He handed her two envelopes. "One is from the president of the host club, of course. The second one is from the vice president and treasurer, also known as myself. If you need copies, let me know beforehand."
"Really?" Haruhi couldn't help the incredulous tone in her voice. Kyoya was notorious for not writing recommendation letters unless he was completely certain there was no risk for him. That meant that if Kyoya Ootori vouched for you in any way, you were a damn lucky person.
"Why are you surprised?"
'As if you don't know' Haruhi thought. Out loud she said, "I guess I wasn't expecting one. Thank you."
Kyoya wanted to smile at her. It wasn't everyday that he could talk to Haruhi without any interruptions but instead he said. "Lucky for you the host club asked me to write one to balance out Tamaki's letter."
"Well, thank you anyway." Haruhi said. "Is that all?"
"It would have been if you hadn't hit my face."
"I'm really sorry, Kyoya senpai."
If Haruhi had stopped at that maybe she wouldn't have heard that dreaded sentence for the second time in her life. Unfortunately, she continued to talk. "In my defense you were standing right above me when you could have been next to me."
Kyoya's glasses flashed as he crossed his arms. "I'm sure you know I will have to go to the doctor to make sure nothing is wrong."
The girls around them squealed like it was everybody's business. It wasn't often they saw a host club member without his blazer on. That meant they could just about faint at the sight of Kyoya's arms.
However, Haruhi couldn't hear the commotion because her mind could only replay Kyoya's next words.
"So how will you repay me for the costs?"
Kyoya looked at the papers in his hand. The results were positive which meant he was apparently wrong.
It meant he would never convince anyone of his innocence.
It meant he was screwed.
"This doesn't make any sense!" He shouted to himself, throwing the paper down onto the desk.
There were only two weeks left until the court date. The DNA test was done at their hospital, in Japan, in the presence of one of his father's most trusted employees. How the hell was he supposed to convince others that he'd never cheated on Haruhi?
Looking at the paternity test, Kyoya wanted to punch himself. He knew he'd never done anything of the sort but, with this, how was he supposed to convince even himself?
"Speaking of relationships," Honey piped up. "I think Takashi has some news."
To everyone's surprise Mori sighed but they couldn't tell if he was happy or exhausted.
Before speaking Mori looked at Haruhi. Haruhi gave him a thumbs up, smiling broadly.
Mori sighed again. This time it was very obviously relief and happiness."Hana is pregnant."
Mouths dropped all around before an eruption of cheers was heard throughout the cafe.
"Who knew you worked so fast senpai?" Hikaru teased him.
Kaoru laughed. "Is it weird that I'm not surprised?"
"Congratulations, Mori!" Tamaki hugged him, sniffling a bit.
Honey was the next to join while the rest of the club followed.
Their meeting was no longer an ordinary catch up but a celebration.
"You know one of my friends is a real estate agent. Maybe they can help you find a house." Haruhi told Tamaki. She was driving the car this time. Her eyes were still firmly fixated on the road so she couldn't see Tamaki's smile.
"I haven't really thought about hiring an agent." Tamaki said. "Honestly I feel like it's pointless."
Haruhi came to a stop. Knowing that this light usually took a while to change, she risked looking at Tamaki. "Your grandmother couldn't have blacklisted you everywhere in Japan right?"
Tamaki frowned. "You'd be surprised by how much power our company holds. After all, we - or they -" Tamaki corrected himself. "They manage so many types of businesses that it's kind of impossible to not be affected by the Suoh Company. I don't think anybody would want to get on my grandmother's bad side."
"So what are you going to do?" Haruhi asked. The light turned green.
"Are you scared I might live with you forever?" Tamaki teased.
"Absolutely terrified." Haruhi responded with a smile of her own.
"Well don't fret I do have a plan. I've been pondering the best time to to tell you."
Without thinking Haruhi glanced at him with worry. Her grip tightened on the wheel when her focus was back on the road. That second could have been a devastating distraction. She was basically home but accidents could happen anywhere.
"Don't worry. My eyes are just as focused as yours now." Tamaki assured her.
Haruhi grimaced but her hold relaxed as she drove over to an open parking spot. "What's your plan?"
Tamaki fidgeted with his hands. "I'm going to find my mother. I'm not a Suoh anymore and I'm in the process of changing my last name so I think it's time I see her again."
Haruhi turned the car off before turning to him. "That's amazing!"
"Yes!" Tamaki replied excitedly. "I was secretly tracking her whereabouts until now. I guess my grandmother let me get away with it because she knew I wouldn't dare step foot into France but now that I'm free…"
"You can go see her!" Haruhi didn't know if she should clap or hug him or shake his hand but he had to be congratulated somehow.
"Yes!" Tamaki repeated, this time much less excitedly. "But um, because I'm already making plans to go to France I figured that staying there would be my best option." He closed his eyes.
How would Haruhi react? Would she be happy for him, or sad that he was leaving, or indifferent?
When he didn't hear anything he risked a peek at her.
She looked stunned. "You're staying in France?"
"Well I would visit as often as I could but yes...I've been looking for ways to obtain a dual citizenship and my French is still pretty good. Also, the company isn't as powerful abroad, especially not in France since it's been forbidden for any Suoh to go there. I found a house already actually. It's not big but it's just going to be me and maybe my mom so it doesn't have to be." He pulled his phone out. He'd had this tab open for days while he waited to gain the courage to tell Haruhi.
Haruhi took the phone silently. She looked at the house and scrolled through the pictures. "It's really nice." Her face slowly but firmly formed a grin as she handed the phone back to him. "Does anybody else know?"
"No. I wanted to tell you first because you're my best friend and I just felt that I had to tell you first." Tamaki finished lamely. "Are you…?" He didn't even know what to ask. Why would she be upset? Why would she be sad?
"I'll admit that I'm going to miss you, but above all I'm really happy for you Tamaki."
Kyoya sat at the head of the table. Everybody's eyes were on him. The meeting hadn't started yet but nobody dared approach him. He'd convinced himself that perhaps people were just scared of him but the reality was that they were scared of what they would say to him.
The majority wanted to rip his head into pieces. With a positive DNA test, the case was as good as lost. The rest felt sorry for him. Poor guy was so sure he'd get away with winning the case and now what would he do? Based on Riku's updates, one hundred percent of the group no longer believed that they could win. In Kyoya's opinion, that was rather unprofessional.
Riku sat at the opposite end of the table. His hair could have grayed in the past few months and he wouldn't know because of how damn busy he was. Served him right for leaving a comfy life behind to find "freedom and peace". He scoffed at himself. Some freedom and peace this job provided.
"It is now exactly ten so let's begin the meeting." Riku gathered up the last bit of hope to form a smile. "Since Mr. Ootori can only be here for half an hour let's get straight to the questions and comments."
Now the chewing out could begin.
Haruhi trudged up the stairs to her apartment. She didn't mean to trudge but that was the only way she could bring herself to do it. She was happy for Tamaki. Of course she was! So then why couldn't she say anything to ease the silence and why did her steps feel so heavy?
Tamaki followed behind her, staring at the steps as he moved up. He always walked up that way because he didn't want to risk looking like he was staring at her as she walked in front of him. This time, however, his head felt heavier than usual. She said she was happy for him so then why were they so quiet now?
Haruhi opened the door to the apartment, automatically taking off her shoes and putting on her slippers. She walked to her room only to stop halfway there. Tamaki began to do the same until he noticed that she was frozen.
"Dad?" Haruhi asked with surprise.
"Oh Haruhi you're home!" Ranka rushed to hug her.
"Yeah I was at the monthly meeting. Did you get the day off?" She asked.
"No, I just told them I'd be a bit late." Ranka laughed. He tilted his head upon noticing Tamaki awkwardly standing in the corner.
"It's good to see you Ranka-san." Tamaki greeted him.
"Likewise," Ranka said even though his tone implied the opposite.
"Well, I'll leave you two to it." Tamaki said. He stepped towards the room he was using only to find himself intimidated by Ranka. He stepped back. "I'm going to, um," Tamaki stuttered. "Anyway, I'll be back later. It was good to see you Ranka-san."
"Come back soon," Ranka waved at Tamaki.
Tamaki waved back before stepping outside. He had nowhere to be. As Tamaki descended the stairs he sighed while looking down at his feet. He'd forgotten to put his shoes back on. Nice.
The bell rang, giving Haruhi hope that she'd be saved. Their audience reluctantly began to exit the library.
"We have to get to class." She said.
"I believe you've found yourself in debt again, Haruhi." Kyoya ignored her reminder.
Haruhi wanted to get up but instead she continued to sit awkwardly in front of Kyoya. "If you get me a complete breakdown of your medical bill, we can discuss payment plans." Haruhi suggested.
"Or you can start paying me back by rejoining the host club."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Haruhi left the host club to focus on school and get away from a certain someone. There was no way she could go back. "So I'm going to pass on that offer but thank you for the suggestion."
Kyoya was disappointed. He really thought that would work but apparently Haruhi was more certain of her decision than he thought. "In that case, a rough estimate of the bill is 100,000 yen." He finally stood up. "However, expect to pay more."
"Okay," Haruhi replied slowly, already planning on how much to gather. "Thank you." She added as an afterthought. Haruhi began to gather her things quickly. When everything was packed she was surprised to see that Kyoya was still there. "Was there anything else you needed to tell me, Kyoya senpai?"
Kyoya shook his head but said, "If you want to stop by the host club after school tomorrow I can have the final bill done by then.."
Haruhi felt her heart skip a beat. There was something about the way he said it that made him seem... She couldn't find the word for it.
"I don't understand why but the other host club members appear to miss you." Kyoya added as he walked away.
And then the feeling was gone.
As soon as they were comfy, Ranka began to talk. "Haruhi, I would just like to begin by saying that I am very sorry to dump this on you with everything going on at the moment."
Haruhi shifted slightly, concerned. "What's going on?"
"Well...you know I loved your mother so much I promised to never marry another woman."
Haruhi nodded.
"While I still haven't found a woman I love, I think I might have found a life partner."
Haruhi blinked. Her mind was trying to process what this meant but given that her father had never mentioned this, it was hard. "Who?" She finally managed to say.
"They're a coworker of mine. You might have briefly met them." Ranka scrolled through his phone gallery and showed Haruhi the picture.
Haruhi took the phone slowly. She didn't know how she was feeling exactly but a part of her was definitely in shock. She stared at the photo. Her dad had his arms wrapped around the shoulder of a person she had briefly met before. From what she could tell the person was pretty quiet and almost the opposite of her dad. But then again, she had only exchanged greetings with them.
"So...how long have you been dating?" Haruhi asked. She wasn't sure which of her questions to ask first.
Ranka wrung his hands nervously. "A little more than a year now."
Haruhi's eyes widened. "And you kept it a secret this long?"
It was Ranka's turn to nod. "I just couldn't find the right time to tell you. Next thing I knew a year passed and I finally decided to tell you because…" He paused for a long time.
Haruhi didn't talk at all. Not only did she want to give him a chance to speak first but she also couldn't find the appropriate words at the moment.
"They recently asked me to move in with them."
Haruhi's mouth was slightly hanging open in surprise. "Wh- How-," Haruhi stuttered. "What did you say?"
"I said I wanted them to meet you first." Ranka said. "But that's not all," He continued. "If we were to move in together it would be in Karuizawa. They are opening a hostel because it's just an entirely different atmosphere over there. There are so many nice places to relax at and we both have many friends there."
Now Haruhi was speechless in another way. She was hit by the ton of bricks that was the realization that her father was ready to settle down again. "This is really sudden, dad." Haruhi began. "I-"
"It's alright." Ranka quickly stopped her. "I understand it's overwhelming so you can take your time to think about it."
"I don't really have anything to think about." Haruhi said. "Of course I can't say no to you pursuing your happiness."
Ranka beamed. "Really?" Excitedly, he threw himself to hug Haruhi. "Thank you honey."
"Although, even if I disapproved I wouldn't blame you if you still went for it." She laughed.
Ranka pulled away. "The thing is...even though I'm so happy to get your approval I can't move to Karuizawa."
"Why not?"
"I can't leave you here alone with everything going on."
"But dad I'm doing much better. And if you're worried about the court date then you can move afterwards."
"No," Ranka shook his head. "I can't leave you."
Tamaki walked into the hotel lobby cautiously. After he had left Haruhi's house all he could do was wander around the neighborhood in his household footwear.
Right when he was considering going to wait at a park, he received a text from Kyoya.
Now Tamaki found himself trying his best not to slip on the polished floor.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw the two redheads sitting on a couch in the lobby.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Probably the same thing as you." Hikaru said. In response to Tamaki's glance at his hair he added. "I'm letting my hair take a break from the black dye."
"I meant what are you doing here?" Tamaki repeated.
Hikaru shrugged. "We were just as surprised as you."
"You know we have no love for Kyoya but if he asked us for help then…" Kaoru trailed off as Honey and Mori approached them.
"Aren't you guys supposed to be at work?" Hikaru asked.
"We were on our way when we got a text from Kyoya." Honey sat next to the twins.
They looked at one another with apprehension.
"He must be in big trouble." Kaoru said.
"Or desperate." Mori added.
Kyoya walked up to them looking more disheveled than they had ever seen him. "Unfortunately, it's both." Kyoya added.
Haruhi knocked on the door softly. She had to make sure to get the bill before the host club opened for business or who knew when she'd leave.
The door whooshed open to show a familiar scene. The hosts were gathered at the entrance in full elegance ready to meet their first guest even though it wasn't time yet.
After the roses cleared they sat up even straighter at the sight of Haruhi.
"HARUHI!" They all shouted.
"You came back!" Honey bounces over to her with Mori walking behind.
"Actually-"
"You know we're surprised," Hikaru began while casually slinging his arm over her shoulder.
"But excited to have you back." Kaoru mirrored his brother on the other side.
"I'm here to see-"
"Haruhi have you really come back to us or am I dreaming?" Tamaki was uncharacteristically quiet and still.
"No-"
"Its not a dream?!"
"I'm here to see Kyoya senpai!" Haruhi shouted. The room fell silent.
Haruhi spoke again. "I'm sorry for raising my voice. That's all I'm here for though so if you'll excuse me." Haruhi politely nodded at them and walked with Kyoya to his desk. The hosts walked behind them, whispering even though it was obvious she could hear them.
"So is she a customer now?"
"No way! Why'd she pick Kyoya?"
"I could've sworn she'd see tono."
"I didn't even think she'd be a customer." Honey whispered.
Haruhi stopped at Kyoya's desk.
Kyoya sat down and typed on his laptop. "Give me a second to print it." Was all he said.
Haruhi nodded.
The hosts looked between the two, waiting for an explanation.
Everyone watched the sheet print out slowly. Kyoya grabbed it and handed it to Haruhi.
Haruhi read through the sheet, out of view of the hosts.
They waited anxiously and somewhat irate because she didn't let them snoop.
Haruhi reached into her bag and pulled out her purse. She counted through her money and handed Kyoya a wad of cash.
Kyoya stared at her hand. He gingerly took it, counted it and nodded.
"Would it be okay to get a receipt?" Haruhi asked, glancing at the hosts behind her. She was scared they'd rush to her at any moment but even more scared of being scammed.
"Of course. This is a business transaction after all." Kyoya scribbled on receipt paper before handing it to her. Haruhi signed it and got her copy.
She finally turned to face the rest of the club. "I guess I'll see you guys around." She waved and left.
Haruhi wasn't doing much really. She was just sitting at the edge of her bed, staring at the wall. Her dad looked so happy with his partner and yet he refused to pursue the relationship further because of her.
She plopped down onto her bed. She had to convince her dad to leave.
After serving everybody a refreshment Kyoya finally sat down. Every single host glared holes onto him.
Kyoya folded his hands then unfolded his hands. There was silence. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Finally, he just propped his head on his hands.
All eyes went from looking at Kyoya to Tamaki. Despite everything that happened, Tamaki still knew him best.
Tamaki uncomfortably scooted closer to Kyoya. "Um, Kyoya why are we here?" He asked awkwardly.
Kyoya lifted his head abruptly. "I need your help."
Honey nodded as if looking at a child. "I think we could tell from your text."
Kyoya sighed, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "As you might be aware of, there are only a couple of days left until my court date."
Again, everybody nodded.
"Before I tell you, please believe me that I am aware of how I was at fault in my marriage. However, I swear on my life that I was never unfaithful."
Tamaki paled, hoping he wasn't right. Kaoru closed his eyes. Something about this was familiar. Hikaru was as silent as Mori. Honey put his food down.
Kyoya found himself at a loss of words again. He was scared to speak because he knew what would happen.
"Usually, these cases are resolved easily but because I insisted on proving myself it's been dragged out and because it involves my inheritance, the Ootori Group was dragged into it which is why," Kyoya took a deep breath. "I need your help with this." He handed each of them a sheet with the same thing on it.
"Oh no," Tamaki couldn't help it. He was no longer the only pale one.
"Kyoya…" Honey shook his head. Mori couldn't even look at him.
"Didn't you just swear that you never cheated?" Hikaru smacked the page down onto the table.
"Hikaru," Kaoru placed his hand on Hikaru's shoulder.
"Are you defending him?!" Hikaru stood up.
"No!" Kaoru followed him up.
"Then why can't I curse at him?!" Hikaru screamed at his brother.
"Just shut up and listen!" Kaoru screamed back, pushing Hikaru back down. Everyone's eyes widened at the outburst. Kaoru sat back down without another word. Hikaru was silent but his face was quickly becoming redder. "Continue."
"I think you should just get to the point, Kyoya." Tamaki said.
"I never cheated on Haruhi which means this test was falsified." Kyoya said.
"So then why don't you just get one done at your hospital?"
"That's the problem. This one was done at an Ootori hospital."
"And you're sure you never cheated?" Kaoru spoke up. He'd just remembered what Kyoya told him so many weeks ago.
"Yes." Kyoya was drained. They were the only people that had an understanding of his good and bad sides. If they didn't believe him then he had no other way to defend himself.
"So you want us to help you…" Tamaki prompted.
"I need your help finding who is working with Emi and prove that this test was falsified." Kyoya finished confidently. "I can't think of a better group to do this and besides, you're the only people I can trust with this task."
"In less than a week." Mori clarified.
Kyoya's confidence vanished once again as he nodded.
"So," Tamaki casually walked up to Kyoya.
Before he could speak further, Kyoya shut his laptop. "She hit my nose and I billed her for the doctor's visit."
"I wasn't going to ask about that." Tamaki psh-ed nonchalantly. "But since you brought it up, how much was it?"
Kyoya looked at the copy he'd printed for himself. He remembered what the total was but had to look at it again. There was no way Haruhi could obtain that money in a week without some sort of steady and high income. Yet the number was still the same and Haruhi hadn't even flinched.. "106,000 yen."
"No way!" Hikaru snatched the paper from Tamaki. Everyone took turns looking at the paper, confirming that the amount was correct.
"How did Haru-chan get that much money?" Honey wondered aloud.
"A job." Mori responded. Everyone turned to him as if lightbulbs had gone off in their heads.
"Of course!" Tamaki explained. "She's never mentioned it to me but that's the only explanation."
The twins nodded in agreement. "She does leave right after school."
"Now that I think about it, the last time we spoke to her she mentioned being busy on Tuesdays and Thursdays." Honey added.
"And every other weekend." Mori agreed pensively.
Kyoya tried not to feel jealous at the obvious indication that Haruhi was in contact with everyone but him. "It only matters that she paid."
Tamaki turned to Kyoya. "Are you telling me you're not the least bit curious about how she's making this much money?"
"If you're suggesting that we figure out her work schedule, close the club that day, and follow her around to figure out where she works, I'm telling you right now that it will not happen." Kyoya said, reading his friends' minds.
"If I didn't know any better I would think that's what you want Kyoya senpai." Hikaru narrowed his eyes.
"I just said I won't let it happen." Kyoya retorted.
"Well it's a good thing you're not the President of the Host club." Tamaki smiled. "So guess what?"
Kyoya just \crossed his arms. Why even bother arguing? "If you can confirm her work schedule I'll begin to prepare for the host club's day off."
"Done!" The twins smiled devilishly.
Even though Kyoya told himself that he didn't care about what Haruhi did now that she didn't affect his business, he couldn't help but be curious about what type of work she was doing. He was so stuck creating possible scenarios that before he knew it, the day was over and it was just him and Tamaki in the music room.
Tamaki stretched before walking over to sit in front of Kyoya. "Aren't you getting ready to head home?"
Kyoya shook his head. "Haruhi works the day after tomorrow which means I only have one day to prepare for the loss of income."
"The twins worked that fast?" Tamaki laughed in surprise.
"Apparently." Kyoya replied, seriously. He didn't give them enough credit.
"Aren't you curious about what Haruhi's been up to? You don't talk to her much do you?"
"There's no merit in maintaining contact unless we make it public enough for our guests to see." Kyoya said monotonously.
"Uh huh," Tamaki nodded skeptically. "Kyoya, I know we haven't talked about it but whatever happened to your crush on Haruhi?"
Kyoya rapidly pressed the delete key on his laptop and restarted the word he was typing. Stupid falter. "I'm over it."
"Really?" Tamaki asked.
"It was a momentary lapse in judgement and there is no benefit in pursuing a relationship." Kyoya said.
"Okay," Tamaki stood up to leave. "Then I guess that means I can be honest with her about my feelings."
Kyoya finally stopped typing to look at Tamaki. Before he could say anything Tamaki spoke again, nodding more to himself than to Kyoya. "That's what I thought." He smiled at Kyoya once again before leaving him alone.
"Oh hey Tamaki," Haruhi greeted Tamaki in surprise as he entered the apartment.
"Hi," Tamaki replied. He opened the wrapper of his new slippers and placed them on the ground for him to change into. As he entered the living room he tossed his old slippers into the trash bin.
"What happened to your slippers?"
"I forgot to change back into my shoes when I left and I stepped in a puddle so I had to buy new ones." He replied. "At least I was able to change socks at-" he stopped himself. "The store." He finished quietly.
Haruhi tried to inconspicuously watch him from her spot on the ground as he moved through the apartment. He wasn't as peppy when he was relaxed but he most definitely wasn't feeling well.
"Are you feeling okay?" Haruhi asked before he could step into his room.
Tamaki looked back at her, briefly nodded and stepped into his room.
"I guess you want to be alone." Haruhi said to herself. She looked down at her puzzle. Why had she chosen a one thousand pieces, black and white puzzle again? Ah yes, to take up time.
She jumped at the sound of a door slamming shut. She looked up with wide eyes.
Tamaki stood just outside of the doorway. "I'm sorry for slamming the door. I left my window open and the wind is pretty strong."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Haruhi asked.
Tamaki walked over to the couch. "Haruhi...you trust my judgement, right?"
"For most things." Haruhi said.
Tamaki sat down next to her. He picked up a puzzle piece from the table and nervously played with it. "No matter what?"
"Sometimes you're a bit dramatic but in serious situations you do have a good sense of judgement." Haruhi looked through the pieces for the last edge piece.
Tamaki nodded absent-mindedly. "Okay. Thank you." He handed her the piece he was playing with. "Goodnight."
Haruhi nodded back just as confused and worried as before. "Goodnight." She looked at the piece he handed her. "Oh!"
Tamaki turned to look at her. "What?"
"It's the piece I was missing!"
Tamaki felt his heart flutter at her satisfied smile. He couldn't help the goofy smile on his face but quickly rushed into his room to avoid saying anything stupid.
Tamaki, Kyoya, and the twins hid behind a giant bush, peaking at the pair through some leaves and twigs. Mori and Honey were pretending to be tourists on a nearby bench.
"Who is he?" Tamaki whispered. He nudged Kyoya.
Irritated, Kyoya looked at the guy with Haruhi. He was avoiding looking at either of them because he didn't like the feeling that ran through his body when he saw them together.
He studied the guy carefully. "He's rich but not an Ouran student." Kyoya muttered. How interesting. They were sitting in a cafe but Haruhi only had water while he had a glass of juice. Considering how much Haruhi loved to eat, her lack of food meant he was most likely paying.
"Could she be on a date?"
Kyoya shook his head. "They have books out."
They leaned towards the glass as Haruhi reached across the table to point at something.
"It looks like she's tutoring him." Honey whispered from the bench. He quickly pretended to be looking at birds through his binoculars.
The rest of the club discussed amongst themselves while Kyoya wondered where his life went wrong. Why was he spying on someone from a bush?
Mori shook his head. "Look."
"This guy thinks he's slick by putting his arm around Haruhi's chair?" Hikaru narrowed his eyes accusingly.
"Someone needs to stop him before he gets closer to her!" Kaoru quietly exclaimed.
Tamaki surprised everyone when he said, "She's working. We can't cause a scene."
They received another surprise when Kyoya replied, "It's not professional to hit on your tutor."
"Look they're getting up." They watched as Haruhi and the guy packed up.
"It's still not professional." Kyoya said.
"Then you go out there senpai." The twins pushed him out of the bushes just as Haruhi said goodbye to her pupil.
Kyoya angrily stood up from the spot he had landed on. To passerbys he appeared to be glaring at the bushes but his eyes were fixated on those devil twins.
Tamaki's eyes were wide and scared but also glinted with mischief.
"Oh no here she comes!" Honey whispered before he and Mori took off to a nearby table. The three hosts in the bushes shrunk further inside.
"Kyoya senpai? Did you just fall out of a bush?" Haruhi asked.
Kyoya brushed his clothes off. "Hello, Haruhi. I fell off the bench actually."
Haruhi skeptically looked at the bench. There was no way he landed in that spot from all the way over there. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm-" Kyoya stopped himself. "Actually I don't believe I owe you an explanation."
Haruhi shrugged. "That's fair. It was nice to see you." She began to walk away before feeling a tap on her shoulder.
Kyoya's heart was hammering against his chest as she turned around to face him. "Since we're here, I must admit that I'm curious about how you were able to pay such a large amount of money upfront."
"I'm-" She paused. "Actually, I don't believe I owe you an explanation." Haruhi deadpanned.
Kyoya was taken aback. "That's...fair." He sputtered.
Haruhi smiled at the look on his face. It felt nice to mess with him instead of being the one messed with.. "See you around then."
Kyoya stared after even when the hosts had all come out of their hiding place, making remarks about how he'd walked into that one. Maybe it was the fact that he no longer saw her every day but he couldn't control his heartbeat. He didn't even care that she'd basically sassed and laughed at him. He just really wanted to make her keep smiling like that.
Kyoya stood with his hands at his side, then clasped together in front of him, then behind his back, and then back at his side. He didn't want to seem intimidating but couldn't look timid either.
He was currently standing outside of Haruhi's apartment waiting for her to open the door. He liked to think he'd be more relaxed without the two lawyers on either side of him but something told him that was unlikely.
One of the lawyers glanced at him. She wasn't happy about him joining them during the final meeting with his ex wife but it couldn't be helped. They couldn't risk anything going wrong. The other lawyer knocked on the door again. They'd been outside for about five minutes.
Finally Haruhi opened the door. "I'm really sorry for the delay. Come in." She stood aside to let the two lawyers in. When she saw Kyoya she nearly shut the door in his face but waited for him to enter.
The lawyers set up on her table. When refreshments and snacks were placed they stopped the pleasantries and became serious.
"I wasn't aware that Mr. Ootori would be attending today." She began stiffly.
"We apologize for not notifying you however we hope you can understand our motives." The female lawyer offered no other explanation.
Haruhi couldn't bring herself to say it was alright. How do you brush over such a big thing? "Where should we begin?"
The attorneys took turns asking her the same questions they'd been badgering her with for the past few weeks. When that was over they reviewed the questions she would most likely be asked and events she should be prepared for. Haruhi nodded along as always.
When they were done they asked her if she had any questions. Haruhi shook her head. She stood up ready to escort them out, as usual. When it seemed like they weren't planning on leaving she sat back down. "Are there any new questions you would like to ask me?"
Kyoya could feel his hands getting clammy. The host club had agreed to help him but they had no plan set in motion yet. He didn't want to keep any secrets from her and needed her to be prepared in case the host club failed.
"Yes. Mr. Ootori is here so that you two can have a conversation about the new development before we move any further." The male attorney replied.
Haruhi frowned. "What is it?"
Before either attorney could open their mouth, Kyoya said, "I received the result of the DNA test."
Haruhi felt her heart stop. If the results were negative Kyoya wouldn't be in front of her which meant…
"They were positive." Kyoya said before he could regret his decision.
The world slowed down before Haruhi. She could see Kyoya talking but all she could hear was ringing. She thought back to the gossip channel she'd seen. Were they right? Haruhi only stared at Kyoya even when his attorneys began to talk.
"So you can see why we needed you to speak to him before the court date. In order to save time we thought it would be faster to accompany him."
"Because that's just business, right?" Haruhi forced herself to speak coldly when all she wanted to do was curl up in her room. "To be honest I don't know what type of reaction you were expecting from me."
Kyoya was trying hard to maintain a stoic expression while the two attorneys looked struck.
"Ms. Fujioka, it is...great...that you have taken the news so well. We just needed to make sure that our cases could continue as planned." The female explained. Again, Haruhi could only hear bits and pieces of their reasoning because the ringing was getting louder. This child would only be a couple of months younger than hers.
"Mr. Ootori insists that the test was wrong so we are in the process of having it retaken but…"
Haruhi didn't want to hear any of it although she knew she should. She didn't even know how to feel about everything. Kyoya possibly had a child with somebody else. Even though she had thought of the news reports so many times, something in her wouldn't let her believe them until now.
"Is that all?" Haruhi asked after a long pause from both parties.
The attorneys looked at each other before nodding. They stood up to shake her hand. "We're looking forward to seeing you in court." Haruhi mindlessly shook their hand, including Kyoya's.
When they were out the door, Haruhi stood there for a moment before walking to her bedroom.
Knock knock
Haruhi sighed. She walked back to the front door. Somewhere deep down she knew who it was.
When she opened the door Kyoya stood in front of her. "Haruhi, I promise you-"
"Stop." She held her hand up. "Come in." She walked away from him without another word. It pained her to think of what was next, but they had to get it over with.
Kyoya closed the door behind him and followed her, unsure of what to expect. Haruhi turned back to face him. She wanted to scream at him and ignore him at the same time.
She didn't seem to realize that there were big, rapid, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Kyoya's heart broke. All he wanted was to make her happy but all he could manage to do was keep tearing her down.
