Hello! Thank you so very much for waiting such a long time. I hope that everyone is safe and sound. Please take care of yourselves!
I think that the finale will be the next chapter or within the next two chapters! Please leave your thoughts if you get the chance. I have various ideas in mind so if you would like to see alternate endings let me know!
Thank you so much for reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own OHHC
Kyoya didn't know what to say but his hand automatically reached out to pull back the strands of hair sticking to her cheeks.
Haruhi leaned away, holding her hands up to stop him.
"I'm sorry." Kyoya brought his hand down to his side. Even though he hadn't thought of it, his body knew that when Haruhi cried it usually helped her calm down if he brushed her hair.
Haruhi tried to control her expression as she sat on the ground at her coffee table. She had to be tough and as unemotional as possible. But how the hell was she supposed to manage that? She nervously waited for Kyoya to sit down.
Kyoya averted his gaze to the table. "It's been a while since we sat so calmly in front of each other."
"I wouldn't say I'm calm," Haruhi remarked, beginning to harden her tone.
Neither would Kyoya but he couldn't find a better word for it.
"Listen Kyoya, this might be the last time we ever speak to each other before your court date. I would rather not talk to you at all but I realized-" Haruhi stopped before her voice could begin to waver. It had taken her a long time to reach a point where she could think about the past year out loud.
"I realized that maybe.." She sighed. " you really didn't have time to replace your phone. I could have told you about my pregnancy before I began to push you away." Haruhi's hands traveled down to her stomach as she spoke. She clasped them above her belly as if it could help soothe her when it hurt just to think about it.
Haruhi stared at the tissue box in front of her as she talked. She knew that if she looked at Kyoya she'd burst into tears again. "I can admit that I was partially at fault at that point because when you returned you were a little more open to being with me. You did try to talk to me... once." Her knuckles were pale because of how tightly she was holding her hands. "Still, I was set in my decision to divorce you. I thought that it didn't matter anymore if you were home an entire day. If you didn't care about me for months, then there was no reason for you to know anything about me." Haruhi paused. She always considered the baby to be hers but she couldn't keep avoiding the fact that the baby was also Kyoya's. "I thought you didn't deserve to know about our child. And even if she had survived..." Haruhi paused, trying to ignore the pain building up in her stomach and chest. "I couldn't imagine a future without resentment because you left us. You keep telling me you would have stopped everything if you knew but how am I supposed to believe that? You couldn't be bothered to hear me out and now it's too late to knoq."
Kyoya risked looking at Haruhi. Her shoulders were tense and her gaze was down as if she was reflecting as she spoke. It looked like she was in physical pain as she talked. "Haruhi," He interrupted. "You don't have to blame yourself for anything."
"I do." She inhaled deeply and shakily exhaled. "I've thought about it over and over again and I know that in some ways I could have done more to mend our marriage. I could have suggested couples therapy before divorce." She finally looked at him but it was only for a brief moment. "However,
recognizing my own faults doesn't mean I don't blame you, Kyoya. I accept that I am partially at fault but hell knows you played a bigger role." She cemented. "I'm only telling you this because in order for me to get closure I have to voice my thoughts." At this point, Haruhi was still trying to convince herself that this was the right choice.
"Even though our last conversation helped me, I won't completely recover until I can admit my own fault." Haruhi breathed a small sigh of relief. She'd managed to stay composed through her little speech and it really made her feel somewhat better.
"Although I'm happy that you're recovering, it doesn't make me any happier to hear how much you blame yourself. I agree that I'm still more at fault than you are and I'm sorry that you had to do it all without me. You should have been able to move on with your life, yet I keep hurting you with my problems."
Haruhi just nodded to acknowledge his words. She knew he was being honest. Yet, she just couldn't manage to say she forgave him.
The more Kyoya studied her the more he thought she was bothered by something else. He hesitated a bit before saying, "You have no idea how much I regret keeping you in the dark in the past. I know there's something else bothering you so you can ask me anything"
Haruhi frowned with uncertainty.
"I don't have any plans today," Kyoya continued. He did. It was a crucial time period for him but he wanted her to be certain he wouldn't rush her.
"I don't think I should ask." It was almost a whisper. She couldn't risk hearing the worst answer or even the most perfect answer. Either way, she had a feeling she'd be screwed.
"You're not curious about anything?" Kyoya asked cautiously.
"I am." Haruhi said, knowing what he was asking about. Her first instinct had been to ask why the hell she'd want to know the details of the affair? She'd barely come to terms with her accident. How could she possibly be ready to deal with her ex-husband's unfaithfulness? They'd briefly talked about it before but Haruhi had been trying to keep it as a work matter in her mind because it always hurt to think about it as her personal life. With the court day approaching it felt more real.
Kyoya added, "I suppose you might not want to hear my answers."
Haruhi placed her hands on the table but kept them clasped together. "I read everything in your file." She continued with uncertainty. "You left some things out, didn't you?" She didn't wait for his answer. "Was there a reason for that?"
"I didn't leave out anything important."
"She was your ex fiancee right?" Haruhi asked even though she knew the answer.
"Yes."
Haruhi glanced at him for a second before looking at the tissue box. "Did you ever really discard the idea of marrying her?" She kept her eyes fixated on the tissue box, scared of his answer. "You told me, once, that your dad saw more merit in marrying me but did you ever really abandon her as a candidate?" There were so many other things going on but she'd had this question nagging at her.
" The only reason I wouldn't marry you is if you told me it would make you unhappy."
She would have rolled her eyes if the situation was different. "Then why was she your only option when you went to the US?"
"Her father wanted nothing to do with our company unless we could convince her first. I tried to negotiate in other ways but he wouldn't budge. Emi told me that if I accompanied her to the restaurant, she'd tell her dad to reconsider. She kept her word but by then we were wrapped up in this scandal."
"And it took you months to come back."
"I stayed to control the media over there and settle things with our partnership." Kyoya thought back to what a failure that had been for both companies. He had been reluctant to pursue that partnership for many reasons and the results proved him right.
Haruhi nodded along blankly. "And then you went to Europe because apparently nobody else in your family was available."
"I tried to finish as soon as possible."
"Well, it wasn't soon enough. And I bet you're glad I didn't see the video the first time around."
"I was prepared to explain everything but you didn't seem to have a clue. I was relieved. Then you asked me for a divorce so I wanted to talk to you about it, but you wouldn't even speak to me. I figured that the reason couldn't have been the video or you'd confront me. Then I discovered the real reason you hated me. After I found out about how long you took to recover from the accident I was even more grateful. I didn't think anything else would arise from that situation so I didn't want to hurt you more by bringing it up."
"If you felt that way and knew how much it would hurt me, why did you do it?"
"I didn't do anything! I've said it a thousand times. I would never cheat on you."
"Unless your business depended on it."
"NO." Kyoya rumpled his shirt with how hard he was holding onto the bottom.
"Kyoya, I saw the video!" Haruhi raised her voice. "A kiss is still cheating!"
"She kissed me!" Kyoya couldn't help raising his voice too. He wasn't angry but felt indignant. "That clip was taken out of context and it cut off before you could see me pushing her away. How can I prove to you that I didn't cheat? "
"It doesn't matter if she kissed you first. You kissed her back even if it was just for a second."
"I can admit that at the time that partnership was my top priority. I don't blame you for thinking I'd stoop so low but-"
"It hurts to have someone doubt you, doesn't it?" Haruhi felt a flash of anger at the memory.
Kyoya's face reddened with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking rationally. I've apologized to Tamaki too but he had the same response as you."
"Obviously." Haruhi deadpanned. Ignoring his distress, she continued. "At least if this child is yours, you have a second chance." Haruhi couldn't help the hurt in her voice. "At least you can get remarried and start a family."
"Its impossible for that child to be mine. I couldn't imagine a family without you."
Haruhi stared at him for a second, debating whether asking more questions was worth it. Finally, she just shook her head. "I'm not going to ask about her anymore, Kyoya." Haruhi was sure she'd be bombarded by that person's life story once the media caught wind of the case. That was assuming they hadn't already. She wouldn't know since she'd been avoiding as many media outlets as she could.
"It's unlikely that you'll win in court with the DNA test result. Frankly, I think you're bold to say it's impossible when there's solid evidence saying otherwise. I don't even know why it's been dragged out so long when everything points to you being a liar. So, even if you're telling the truth you're going to have a new family soon." She really didn't want to admit that she had a lingering trace of trust in Kyoya. Why couldn't she just let it go?
Kyoya frowned at her dejected tone. How did they end up like this? His one goal had been to make her happy and he failed in the worst way possible.
"If there's one thing I want you to believe it's that I truly loved you Haruhi. I still do." Kyoya tried to keep down the lump forming in his throat.
Haruhi remained quiet with her eyes downcast so Kyoya couldn't read her expression.
"And I'm not saying that to make you forgive me. I'm saying it because I can't remember the last time I told you I loved you...and... I regret not telling you more often."
Haruhi quietly spoke up, "You didn't try to contact me. You ignored my you loved me so much why was it so easy for you to move away for almost a year? " She'd asked this question in so many ways but it still felt like there was no acceptable answer.
"I thought that the faster I got my work done the sooner I could be with you. I thought that if I built up my portion of the company, we wouldn't have to worry about our children's wellbeing." Kyoya propped his head up on his hands.
Haruhi frowned. "That's not a good excuse. I was doing the same thing without compromising our relationship. When we got married, you promised to try your best to balance it all." Even though she knew they were bound to come out, Haruhi kept trying to hold back her tears.
"I know." Kyoya's muffled response was barely audible.
Haruhi knew she was hurting him, but she couldn't help but continue. "And even if I could live with it, did you think I'd be okay with you being away from our children for so long? I wouldn't mind being a single mother but that wasn't even the case. We were still married!"
"Of course you wouldn't be okay with it." Kyoya whispered more to himself than her. "If I knew, I would have dropped everything for you. I would never have left you alone. And if we still lost Sakurako..." Kyoya's voice finally broke. "I'd give up everything to help you recover."
Hearing Kyoya say their baby's name for the first time and with so much pain felt like a jab to her chest. "And by the time you found out it was too late. We can't keep saying 'if', Kyoya. We can't change the past."
She heard Kyoya try to hold back a sound as he exhaled, prompting her to look at him. He was hunched over, hiding his face from her.
Haruhi had never seen him cry. He always told her that he never had a reason to cry. Yet there he was...
"I-" Haruhi tried to make herself say that she didn't forgive him and that she believed him even less. She tried to tell him that he deserved to suffer for everything he did. He deserved to lose his inheritance and his sanity. Instead, Haruhi's restraint broke.
She was never fond of lying.
"I hate that I believe you," Haruhi said shakily. She wiped her tears with her sleeve, no longer bothering to get a tissue because her tears were streaming too fast. Although Haruhi tried to stop herself, she tentatively reached out to stroke his hair. Of course, it was hard for him too. Kyoya had little time to process everything and even less people willing to help him get through it. She wanted to hate him so badly, yet...
Her hand shook as she stroked his hair. Every so often she'd reach up with her other hand to wipe her own tears away.
Kyoya finally looked up after realizing what was happening. "I'm sorry."
"I know." Haruhi sniffled.
He couldn't believe that after everything she was still trying to do something nice for him. He should've been the one comforting her not the other way around. "Haruhi-."
She shook her head silently begging him to stop talking. She pulled her hand away, once again wiping her cheeks with her sleeve.
They looked at each other fully for the first time that day. "Haruhi," He repeated. "I don't deserve-"
"I know you don't. " Haruhi backed away from him. She handed him a tissue, mostly to keep him at least an arm's distance away. "That didn't mean anything. Even though you weren't here, you still lost your first child. I know how hard it is to-" She brought her knees up to her chest. "...It's difficult to accept it."
"Thank you." Was all Kyoya could say. Kyoya cleaned his face. "I wish that at the very least I was here for you in that moment."
Haruhi just nodded. She knew he wasn't crying on purpose. He didn't plan to cry and he wasn't intent on manipulating her. That somehow made everything worse for her because she couldn't even pretend that he was completely evil.
"You have to go." She said hoarsely before standing up. Before she could regret it she said, "Regarding our conversation the other day...Of course I remember saying that I still love you." Haruhi whispered as if she was afraid of saying it out loud.
Kyoya looked at her from his place on the ground, surprised.
Haruhi was looking down at his kneel-resembling position. It was almost like he was begging her.
"It pains me to admit it but I loved you so much and for so long." Haruhi's arms instinctively hugged herself. "I truly feel guilty for even hoping that you're not the father. I feel guilty everytime I wish we could go back in time and fix our relationship. I feel so terrible when I think of our happier moments and when I remember how much I might still love you if things were different."
"We can try again." Kyoya suggested even though he knew what she would say. "We can go to therapy. I'll do whatever you want me to."
"No, we can't." Haruhi motioned for him to get up. "And we can't keep having this conversation. I think we both said everything that needed to be said." She began to walk to her door. " I'm still going to help you in court so you don't have to convince me."
When he didn't answer Haruhi turned around to look at him. He was still in the same spot, as if he couldn't process her words fast enough. "Get up," She said a little more harshly.
Kyoya slowly stood up. "At the very least, I'm going to prove my innocence."
Haruhi opened the door for him to leave. Kyoya followed her and stepped out. Before she could close the door he said, "I know I haven't kept my promises before but I promise that I'll make it up to you."
"It doesn't matter." Haruhi wiped more of her tears away, still trying to control them. "After I give my side of the story, I don't plan on seeing you ever again. I'm not going to stay to hear the results either so don't bother looking for me."
Before Kyoya could speak she shut the door. He debated knocking but he doubted she would open. And even if she did, he didn't have anything else to say.
Haruhi blushed as she took Kyoya's hand.
Kyoya happily smiled back at her as they ran across the field of daisies.
They turned to each other once they reached the middle of the clearing.
"Kyoya senpai." Haruhi smiled sweetly.
Kyoya felt his heart flutter but suddenly felt suspicious. Since when was Haruhi so...non-nonchalant. The worry was quickly forgotten as she let go of his hand and reached up to stroke his hair. "Kyoya. Kyoya. Kyoya!."
Kyoya sat up in a cold sweat. Cautiously, he looked around. Yup, he was still in his dark and cold room which was nowhere near such a warm and bright meadow. He jumped when he saw the host club beside him.
"Finally! My goodness how long does it take for you to wake up!" Hikaru complained.
Without answering, Kyoya lay down. This was the third time he had such a dream and the female protagonist was always Haruhi.
"Kyoyaaaa" Tamaki shook him.
Kyoya covered his face with his pillow but he could still hear the hosts chattering over one another. Even worse, he couldn't stop thinking about how nice it would be if Haruhi was the one waking him up and not these bugs.
After having both his pillow and his blanket ripped away Kyoya shot up. The hosts shrunk under the gaze of his deadly stink eye.
"Get out."
"But-"
Kyoya took a deep breath before getting up. "I have to get ready. Please," He pointed at the door. "Get out."
The hosts all smiled cheekily before running out.
As soon as the last one was out Kyoya walked over to his bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. At least he looked okay.
"Kyoya," Tamaki sat in front of the vice president's desk. "Since everyone has left, I need to talk to you."
Kyoya stopped packing and sat down with a sigh. "Tamaki, I told you I can't buy more props without cutting another portion of our budget. In order to fund it without cuts we'd need to host an event and in order to fund that we need new photo books so-"
Tamaki raised his hand to stop him. "I understand that. I don't like it," He emphasized. "But you're the financial boss."
Kyoya seemed surprised. "Then what is it?"
"Your performance today was mediocre at best," Tamaki didn't bother sugarcoating it. "Did you notice that half of your clients left earlier than usual?"
Kyoya tried to think about when this could have happened but drew a blank.
"Honey devoured half of his stash for the next week. Mori was too sick to say anything and you didn't remind them to ration."
"What?" Now Kyoya was really surprised. How did he not notice that? A headache was budding at the thought of having to restock. And Mori was sick? He didn't even think that was possible.
"The twins had a fight yesterday and you know I can't control them long enough to play nice for an entire afternoon. Their clients had to sit between them to stop physical fights!"
"Now you're blatantly lying." Kyoya said.
"No." Tamaki replied seriously, pulling his phone out. Kyoya stared at a recording of two girls hastily trying to keep the twins in different corners. "This video has been sent to me by at least a dozen peop-" A beep stopped Tamaki. He looked at his phone before continuing. "At least thirteen people now."
"Well, I can't babysit the hosts every day. I know you think I'm the mother but not even I can do it every day."
"Wrong answer." Tamaki shook his head again. "I know you don't care much for the mother term but you do care about making a profit and guess what? You didn't notice that YOU wrote a negative balance for today's report."
"What?" Kyoya said for the second time that day. He quickly flipped through the club's bank book and looked in astonishment at the "-10472.79 " written at the bottom of the day's page. He looked up at Tamaki with confusion. "Is this a joke?"
"No." Tamaki said. "I told you, your performance today was the worst I've ever seen. Lucky for you, I know why."
"I had a bad day." Kyoya said.
"You did and it's because you miss Haruhi. You've been pretending to be indifferent , but I think you've reached your breaking point, mon ami."
Kyoya scoffed. "I don't miss Haruhi. I have no reason to miss her."
"You have a crush on her."
"I admit that I did at one point but not anymore."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Besides, I would never let her affect my work."
"Is that so?" Tamaki asked again.
"Yes," Kyoya answered, becoming unconvinced by his own insistence. Now that he thought about it his work was still excellent but not exactly up to his standards.
"Kyoya, for the host club's sake, just ask her out." Tamaki finally replied with exasperation.
Kyoya frowned at the sudden advice. "I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"I don't like her and there's no merit in pretending that I do."
Tamaki rolled his eyes. "Ask her out and let's see your work performance after the date." He stood up, picking up his bag.
"What if she says no?" Kyoya asked.
Tamaki shrugged. "That'll work too. We can just see how it affects you and then figure out how to fix it.
"Haruhi."
Haruhi stopped midstep. It was the second time Kyoya had actively sought her out and she still couldn't tell if that was good or bad news. She turned around hesitantly. "Hi, Kyoya senpai."
"Hi." Kyoya said.
Haruhi glanced around awkwardly when he didn't say anything else. "Was there a problem with the hospital bill?"
"No." Kyoya answered. "I wanted to know if you'd…" He hesitated. Why was he doing this again?
Haruhi blankly stared at him.
"Would you…" Kyoya faltered again. Was this really the right move?
"Are you okay, senpai? You're getting a bit red." Haruhi asked, genuinely unaware of his intentions.
"I'm fine." Kyoya adjusted his uniform. "I just need to know if you have spare time later..." He was starting to get frustrated with himself.
"Oh," Realization seemed to dawn on her. "I think I know what you're trying to ask me."
"You do?" Kyoya almost sighed in relief.
"Yes," Haruhi smiled. "You don't have to be embarrassed, senpai. I know it can be hard to ask someone younger than you for tutoring."
"Excuse me?" Kyoya stuttered.
"You saw me tutoring the other day, right? If you don't want me to tutor you I have the number of the agency. You can look through other available people that might suit your criteria." She dug through her bag, found a business card and held it out to him.
Kyoya slowly took it. He stared at the card, unable to say anything.
"If you decide you want me to tutor you, let me know so I can check my agenda for a free slot." She smiled at him again before waving bye and heading to class.
Kyoya stared at the business card in his hand. In what world did an Ootori need tutoring? Then again, he'd rather not admit it to anyone but his grades had been suffering.
"That was rough."
Kyoya jumped away from the sudden voice beside him.
"Oops. Sorry," Tamaki apologized. "I guess you have to be more direct with her."
Kyoya shook his head, beginning to walk with Tamaki. "What makes you think I was going to ask her out?"
Tamaki laughed. "Right, because you definitely need a tutor."
Kyoya looked at him with irritation.
Tamaki stopped laughing. "Kyoya, I know damn well you don't actually need a tutor."
Kyoya grimaced. "I suppose you don't know me so well then."
Tamaki lightly patted Kyoya's shoulder . "Whatever helps you sleep at night buddy." He took his seat in the classroom.
Kyoya slowly did the same. Was Haruhi's response better or worse than a rejection? More importantly, was his failure to ask her out or the thought of needing a tutor more likely to give him nightmares?
Kyoya followed along as Haruhi explained a problem to him. She was entirely focused on the paper before them but he couldn't help but look at her every so often. He never had the urge to look at somebody so often. It was weird.
"So then, what answer did you get?" Haruhi asked.
"Four."
"That's right." Haruhi beamed. "You're really good at this, are you sure you need a tutor?" She was only half-joking.
"No. I'm worried there's something wrong with me." He replied without thinking about it.
Haruhi couldn't help her surprise. "That's...honest. Um, do you only struggle during tests? You seem to have a good understanding of every subject we've covered."
"Well, my scores haven't been up to my standards."
"Maybe we can take a look at the problems you answered incorrectly and try to pinpoint what you need the most help with."
"Okay," Kyoya agreed. He looked through his math folder.
Haruhi watched him. Why was he being so compliant? He wasn't making smart remarks or answering sarcastically or pointing out any of her mistakes. She had purposely messed up a problem to see if he'd react and there was nothing but a nod. Then another nod as she explained her mistake.
"This is my most recent math quiz." He handed her the paper.
Haruhi scanned through it. "You got an A minus. That's a really good score." She talked as she flipped through the pages.
"To others, yes. My family can only get perfect scores."
Haruhi's eyes snapped back to him. That was the first Kyoya-like comment he'd made during the entire session.
"From what I see, you only missed minor details. Like on this problem." She pointed at a question. "One deduction was made because you didn't show your work, but the answer is correct. Are there any other quizzes you want me to take a look at?"
Kyoya nodded. There was one specific score bugging him.
Haruhi flipped through the pages one last time before taking Kyoya's second quiz.
Her eyes widened. Before making any comments she reviewed the pages.
"So, you see why I hired a tutor."
Haruhi nodded. "A C plus isn't a bad score either, but considering your record, I can see why you're worried." She finished browsing the pages. "Still..." She trailed off, glancing from one packet to another. "Both of these cover the same topics. The A minus was most recent which means you have a much better understanding now." She looked at him. "Is there a specific topic that you feel could use more review?"
"What do you recommend?"
"Maybe integrals." She was still somewhat unconvinced that he truly needed a tutor.
"You don't believe that I need a tutor, right?" Kyoya asked so coldly that Haruhi got chills.
Mentally, Haruhi said no but out loud she said, "My job is to guide students through what they think they need help with. I can't say a student completely understands a subject unless they tell me so."
"So if I scored perfectly on my next test and told you I still don't understand the material, would you continue to tutor me?"
"I suppose so. That is my job, after all."
"Interesting." Kyoya crossed his arms. "And what if I failed?"
"Then I have to help you study more. We could explore different study techniques." Haruhi said carefully. What was with all of these questions?
"I see." Kyoya said. He picked up his pencil. "Let's start with integrals then."
"Sure," Haruhi said. He was starting to sound like himself. She began with the easiest question.
Kyoya nodded along as Haruhi explained the problem to him. "Do you understand how integrals are related to derivatives?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Good." Haruhi continued her explanation. "So then the answer to this problem is…" She leaned closer to look at his work.
"Six x."
"Good job." She smiled at him.
Kyoya's heart was beating so fast he was almost having an existential crisis. He just hoped it didn't show.
They covered a few more problems, each one more difficult, each one without any struggle from either student.
When they finished reviewing the test, Haruhi put her pencil down. That was the fastest she had ever gone through something and Kyoya answered every question correctly without any help.
"Kyoya senpai, I don't usually say this but I don't think tutoring could help you very much."
"Excuse me?" Kyoya crossed his arms.
"I just mean that you obviously understand everything on this test. I'm not sure that being tutored is helping you do much but waste time and money."
"So then what do you think my problem is?"
Haruhi flinched. She was not expecting him to ask. She thought he'd point out that she got paid either way. Perhaps he would comment on her unprofessionalism but not ask her a question!
"I'm not sure." She answered honestly. "Students can score poorly because of a variety of stressors. Maybe something was overwhelming you when you took this test." She shrugged. "It was just an observation though."
"May I see the test." Kyoya took the packet from her and flipped through it even though he had a suspicion of why his grade was so low.
He took the test three days after she officially left the host club. It was right after he realized that he missed her more than he wanted to admit.
"Do you want to continue?"
He put the packet down, a tad harder than he intended to. "No need."
"Did I offend you?"
"Not at all." Kyoya replied.
Haruhi was confused. If he wasn't offended why did he look so upset? Just the fact that she could see how he was feeling was telling.
"Do I look upset to you?" He asked calmly.
Haruhi nodded. "Kyoya senpai I'm really sorry. I didn't think you would be offended."
"I'm not. However, I believe you're right. I don't need a tutor."
Haruhi was at a loss. He looked bothered a second ago but his face was back to its usual neutrality. "Okay..." She looked at the clock. "I guess it's about time to end the session anyway." She gathered her belongings before getting up. "Um, I hope I helped you at least a little bit though." She gave him a small smile before leaving.
Long after she left, Kyoya was still sitting at the table. Of course he was upset, but it wasn't because he was offended. He was upset with himself because he had the opportunity to tell her but, once again, he'd chickened out.
"Hikaru, I know you don't care much about learning English but we have to know the basics." Kaoru tossed a Japanese to English guide at his twin.
Hikaru groaned, looking up at the car's ceiling. "I know the basics." He looked at his brother. "But remind me again why the hell we're helping Kyoya."
"We're not really helping him. We're helping Haruhi."
Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Yet the only one that'll be saved is Kyoya."
"Don't you think Haruhi would be relieved to know he didn't cheat on her?"
"Except that he did cheat on her. Remember the kiss?"
"Fine. Then Haruhi would be relieved to know that Kyoya doesn't have a child with that woman."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Haruhi already believes in Kyoya's innocence." Hikaru became annoyed at the thought of his friend. "She gives people too much credit."
"Hm…" Kaoru turned back to his book.
"What?"
"Nothing." Kaoru flipped to another page.
"Ugh," Hikaru put his book aside, knowing his brother was pretending to be wise again. "Speaking of Kyoya, don't you think it's weird how much he knows about these people?"
"It's Kyoya."
Hikaru shifted in his seat to face his brother. "Kyoya said he didn't speak to these people until he went to the US. He said he only ever kept tabs on their businesses. Even though Kyoya can be thorough when he wants to be, he's not that good. He either lied to us or he's getting information from someone else."
Kaoru finally closed his book and mimicked his brother's body language. Their first 'meeting' was filled with a suspicious amount of information about Emi's staff and their daily routine at work. They even got a brief rundown of her dad's office setting and the company building. The only reason Kaoru was even bothering with English was because they knew one or both of the twins would have to go to the US. He hadn't thought much about it but, how did Kyoya know so much?
"It is too much information even for him." Hikaru said.
Kaoru frowned. "But, I don't think he'd lie to us knowing that if we found out we'd dump him."
"That just means somebody is telling him everything."
"If that's the case why wouldn't he tell us?"
"Haruhi."
Haruhi turned around. That was, what, the third time he'd approached her? She felt like Kyoya didn't even talk to her this much while she was in the host club.
"Hey, Kyoya senpai."
"I took a test today and I was the last person to finish. Can you guess why?"
Haruhi knew where this was headed but she dared to hope. "Um, because you took your time and then wanted to double check your work?"
Kyoya shook his head. "I failed."
Haruhi was dumbfounded. "Was the test about the topics we studied?"
"Yes."
"But-" She paused, unsure of how to continue. "But you knew everything!" She finally blurted out. "You understood the concepts and did well on your own.!"
"That's true. But given that I failed my test, I think I need more tutoring."
Haruhi wanted to say that there had to be something else wrong. Maybe Kyoya was distracted? Or sick? Or had he been replaced by someone pretending to be him?
"I suppose I might have been distracted." Kyoya added, making Haruhi flinch. "In fact, I have a theory about why I'm scoring so poorly. And unfortunately, you're the culprit."
During their ride to the meeting, Kaoru had finally managed to remember what Kyoya told him before Mori's wedding. He wanted to wait for Honey and Mori but Hikaru wouldn't stop bothering him about it.
"And?" Hikaru asked.
"And what? That's all I remember." Kaoru replied.
"Do you think he was telling the truth?" The twins turned to a frowning Tamaki.
"I don't know."
"You've known him the longest" Hikaru persisted. "Can you at least make an educated guess?"
Tamaki sighed. "I don't think Kyoya would find the use in lying to a drunk person."
"So you think he was being truthful?"
"I don't know." Tamaki repeated. When he saw the twins' annoyed expressions he added, "Kyoya isn't exactly an open person, okay? I suppose he might have needed an outlet to express himself and he thought Kaoru was a good choice because he's a light drinker."
"Maybe he thought I would never remember so he could be completely honest with me." Kaoru agreed.
Hikaru didn't look as convinced. "Then again, maybe he knew you would remember and it would look good if he didn't lie. I'm not going to believe him until we find solid evidence."
Kaoru stood up. "Before you get angry, let's get some fresh air."
"Why would you think I'm getting angry?"
"Because you always get angry when you begin to question Kyoya. You need to be level headed during the meeting so let's go." Kaoru pulled Hikaru up and forced him out the door.
"Let's get some snacks while we're at it. All Kyoya has is instant coffee." Hikaru grumbled.
About ten minutes later Kyoya entered his home office. Tamaki was waiting at the small cluster of chairs around the coffee table. He was in the middle of pouring hot water into his mug.
"Hi," Kyoya greeted him.
"Hi." Tamaki responded. He studied his old friend as Kyoya walked to the seat across from him. His clothes were wrinkled. Still no tie. Still wearing his old glasses. "Did you talk to Haruhi?"
"Yes." Kyoya replied.
"Okay." Tamaki said, resuming his coffee mixing. He wanted to know how Haruhi was coping but he had to get the meeting over with first. Not to mention that if they wanted him to know the details they'd tell him.
As if reading his mind, Kyoya half whispered, "She said she felt better."
Tamaki looked at Kyoya then back at the spoon he was using to scoop instant coffee into his mug.
"She also told me that she believed me."
Tamaki stopped stirring. "Really?"
Kyoya nodded, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "Then Haruhi said that she wouldn't wait for the verdict."
Tamaki resumed his stirring, adding sugar. "That doesn't sound like she believes you." More importantly, it didn't sound like she felt better.
Before Kyoya could respond, Honey and Mori entered the room. They exchanged greetings, sounding as worried as they felt. Honey usually lost his appetite during tough situations but this time he felt like he needed to eat. At the very least it would prevent him from saying anything he'd regret. He looked around for something other than coffee.
Mori on the other hand was losing sleep. Both his friends' situation and Hana's pregnancy were keeping him up at night. Hana told him she was okay with him helping out as much as was needed. Still, Mori just didn't feel okay leaving her alone too long. What if she had a craving or was in trouble? What if there was a complication? He tried to push the thoughts away. "Where are the twins?"
Tamaki looked at his watch."They should be back soon." As if on cue, the twins burst through the door.
"Oh good, everyone's here." They said, plopping down on a couch, handing out the snacks they bought, first to Honey and then to everyone else.
Without wasting more time they all stared at Kyoya expectantly.
Kyoya sat up straighter, still recovering from his conversation with Haruhi. "We have four days left. Three if we plan on having time to talk before the court day."
"You know that traveling to the US takes about half a day right? We have to decide who's leaving as soon as possible." Hikaru interrupted.
"As I said before, the secretary likes redheads so it has to be one of you two."
Everyone looked at the twins who looked at each other.
"First we have to figure out what type of person the secretary likes." Kaoru said.
"From what I know she's more into looks than personality so as long as your hair is red you have a good shot. From what I know, the secretary likes to party and things like that so if you can convince her to go on a date with you that would be the perfect time to ask her questions. If you can figure out whether she remembers any of my employees visiting the offices that would be great."
"If that's the case, then we know I can't be the one to go. I'm not saying she needs to get drunk to tell us everything but if she likes to party she might like to drink and we all know how well I drink." Kaoru looked at his brother. "Right?"
Hikaru nodded. "I guess it'll be me then."
"Actually, I hope somebody else can accompany you. We need somebody to review the footage of certain dates."
"Hold on! There's no way you have the password to the camera system!" Hikaru said.
Kaoru agreed. "You said you'd tell us everything!"
"I told you I've been looking into the company for almost a year now-"
"You don't get this type of information with simple research." Hikaru deadpanned.
Kyoya hesitated. He looked at the group, debating how much he could say. He knew he should tell them or they'd never trust him. Still, that particular secret wasn't his to reveal. "I did get some help but I really can't tell you who has been helping me."
"Why is it such a big secret?" Mori asked.
Kyoya looked as if he didn't know how to answer. The hosts exchanged glances with each other. Kyoya was never the type to hesitate so much.
"The person helping me requested that I keep their identity a secret. It's really personal to them, however, I swear that you'll know by the end of the case."
When nobody said a thing, Kyoya continued. "Please allow me this one secret?"
Again, there was an exchange of looks.
Honey spoke up. "I can go with Hikaru. Even if the twins have different hair colors, they look too alike. We can't risk it."
Kyoya nodded. "That's a good point. Thank you. I had passes made so that you can enter the building without any hassles. You guys will be placed on the same floor but in a different area. They're all overlooked by the same manager so hopefully you'll have no issues there. On top of that, I'll give you both a fair amount of security clearance but Honey should be the only one to need it."
Kaoru touched Hikaru's arm. He didn't need to look to know his brother was frustrated. Hikaru pushed Kaoru's arm away lightly. They exchanged a look. Finally, Hikaru walked over to Honey. "I'm going to start looking for a flight with Honey senpai while you talk."
"What do you want the rest of us to do?" Tamaki spoke up for the first time.
"I need one of you to visit the clinic where they did the DNA test. It might be a long shot but I need you to listen to any gossip that may be floating around. I've already looked through the medical records available to me, but I'm not sure if they're still reliable. Anything can go on paper if you bribe someone."
"I suppose I can go. I'm guessing you have some sort of disguise prepared for me?" Tamaki volunteered.
"Thank you and yes I do. I'll write down the address for you after the meeting." Kyoya said. "Next would be talking to the media outlets about where they're getting their information. I know we all tried to stop them but it might be easier to find out where they're getting so many details."
"Right, if we can't stop them we need to find their source!" Tamaki agreed, convincing no one with his faux pep.
"Yes and I can't talk to them without receiving backlash. You guys are affiliated with me but I'm hoping that if you talk to the right people, we'll be safe. "
Kaoru and Mori looked at each other. Neither of them were known for a Tamaki-like charisma and in a duo they were usually the quiet ones. Kaoru supposed that being the quiet ones might even give them an advantage. After all, they were less likely to be recognized.
"I'll probably be up all night today," Mori began
"You should be fine then Takashi," Honey said as he nibbled on a piece of cake, his appetite finally waning. "After all, you're as easygoing as Tama-chan when you're tired."
"And Kaoru's so nice he'll get them talking eventually." Hikaru added.
"Thank you." Kyoya said. He mentally reviewed his checklist. "I know that our plans aren't concrete. No matter the outcome, I'm sincerely grateful for your help. I hope you will be able to forgive me for the trouble I've caused you." Kyoya stood up. Before anybody could say anything, he bowed.
The twins almost immediately looked away from Kyoya. It felt strange to hear Kyoya speak in such an expressive away. It was even worse to see him actually showing the sincerity. They always had some sort of remark but they couldn't even bring themselves to say anything.
Honey and Mori looked down at the table. They seemed less disturbed and more pitying, with a remaining soft spot for their junior.
Tamaki was the only one that actually looked at Kyoya and waited for him to finish. He still felt a badgering resent towards Kyoya but he knew nobody else would speak up. "I know it's hard for you to express yourself. I'm willing to forgive you for what you've done to me, as I'm sure everyone else is." Tamaki waited for every host to look up at them and agree.
"Honestly," Honey added. "I just hope you're ready to face the consequences if we don't find anything."
Haruhi stared intensely at her notebook. She finally found an empty classroom to study in. Yet, she wasn't actually studying because her mind was occupied with her conversation with Kyoya.
'Unfortunately, you're the culprit.' He had only said that before sighing and walking off.
"Haruhi." She jumped. Kyoya was suddenly sitting next to her.
"Please stop doing that. Also, how'd you find me?"
"I was walking by and I saw you walk in." Kyoya looked at her notebook. "You know that page is blank, right?"
She did not, but Haruhi nodded. "I was about to write something."
"If you say so." Kyoya crossed his arms, looking straight ahead instead of at her. "I apologize for our previous conversation. I haven't been sleeping much lately, so I talk without thinking." He stopped. He'd done it again. Damn it!
"So, you actually think I'm the reason you're failing?" Haruhi sighed. Although Kyoya didn't even seem to need a tutor, it was possible that her teaching style just wasn't a good fit. "I'm sorry my tutoring didn't help, but I'd be happy to recommend you to another person."
"You're an excellent tutor, Haruhi." Kyoya said. He glanced at the closed classroom door before turning to her. Could he afford to let his guard down?
"Then why are you blaming me?" Haruhi asked, genuinely confused. She didn't feel bad about not being a good fit for him, but his attitude deserved an explanation, right?
"You really don't know?" Kyoya asked quietly. He looked down at her paper. Nobody else was around so if he got rejected it wouldn't matter, right? Then again, what was he doing thinking that he could possibly date Haruhi. She would never like him.
"I really don't." Haruhi worked through the feeling in her stomach. It was like when the amusement ride was at the very top. She was anxious yet excited to feel the drop.
"It's a shame…" Kyoya said, almost wistfully.
"Why?" Haruhi was almost scared to ask. His attitude was one of the reasons she'd left the host club. Before the kiss he treated her the same as any other school mate. After the kiss, he'd been unusually cold towards her until she left the club. Then they didn't talk at all even though Tamaki kept trying to convince her to approach him. Lately, he was just plain weird. Could she really risk hearing his answer?
"Because I really would like to…" He trailed off, looking at the door again. "But there's no merit in doing so." He frowned.
"Are you trying to teach me something again, senpai?" Haruhi asked tentatively. "The last time you acted out of character was when you wanted me to make up with Tamaki."
Instead of continuing that thread, Kyoya muttered. "You dropped the honorific."
Haruhi seemed surprised at the sudden comment. "Oh, yeah. Tamaki has been asking me to drop it. I've kind of been doing it on and off though. He'll be happy to hear it." She smiled.
"I'm sure he will."
Haruhi sat up straighter at his razor sharp tone. What the hell?
'"To answer your question, I am not trying to teach you anything. I came in here because you said you'd teach me. Does that offer still stand?"
"Sure, but I can give you the number of other tutors. Maybe my tutoring style doesn't suit you."
"I can't have people talking about an Ootori needing tutoring. Besides, I really only want you-" He stopped abruptly.
Haruhi stared at him, almost scared that he was having a mental breakdown. His test scores must have really messed with him.
"I really only want you." He repeated to himself.
Haruhi repeated his sentence in her head, while pushing away her butterflies. She tried to figure out what it was that bothered him. He didn't mispronounce a word or anything.
"You're the only one that I want." He added, again more to himself.
Haruhi fought the feeling again. He wasn't talking to her...not really.
"Haruhi," He turned to her as he stood up. "Shall we resume our tutoring sessions today after school? I'll double your wages for the short notice."
Haruhi nodded, confused by what had just happened.
"Great." He gave her his best host club smile and walked out.
Haruhi looked at her notebook, astonished by how easily he flipped through his moods. By the time she managed to compose her thoughts the bell rang. She sighed. Another wasted lunch.
Hikaru looked at his suitcase then at the bed. Was there even a point in unpacking when they would only spend one day (at most) there? Why had he even bothered packing so much? He plopped down on his bed and unlocked his phone. Honey had already let the group know they were at the hotel. Hikaru could feel the time difference getting to him but he tried to stay up. He was about to doze off when a soft knock was heard on his door. Honey peeked inside. "Hikaru? I know you're tired but we have to go over our plan for later."
Hikaru stood up and stretched. "I know we're not doing anything super shady but is it legal for us to be doing stuff like this?" He walked with Honey to the small living room. Like every member of the host club, they both had property in the US but Hikaru's apartment was the closest to their target.
Honey fidgeted with a bag of cookies leftover from the airplane ride. "I don't know honestly. There's definitely something questionable about what I'm going to do. As for you, if Kyoya is risking it then it's probably not too bad."
"But he's also desperate." Hikaru trailed off. At this point they couldn't ignore it even if they tried. "That damn Ootori is learning his lesson the hard way."
"And he's trying his best to correct his mistakes." Honey chimed in.
"I know you don't like when I bring it up but I have to say it." Hikaru began as he looked over Kyoya's notes. "We wouldn't be in this mess if Tamaki had even tried to show Haruhi he liked her in high school. I mean weren't we all pretty much expecting it to happen after their accidental kiss?"
"Yeah, but that didn't happen." Honey cut him off before Hikaru could rant. "Besides, I don't see Tamaki complaining about how you didn't tell her." He added.
Hikaru's face pinked. "What are you talking about?"
"Your crush on Haru-chan." Honey ignored Hikaru's embarrassment. "You didn't do anything either."
Hikaru felt like he suddenly had a fever. "I didn't- I mean I did, but Haruhi is my best friend aside from Kaoru. There was no way I was ruining that! Besides, my other best friend had a crush on her too and I could never do that to Kaoru."
"So you can understand Tamaki's predicament." Honey smiled innocently. It was as if he hadn't just lured Hikaru into a trap.
"Of course I do! But that doesn't mean I can't complain." Hikaru grumbled.
"Anyways," Honey moved on. "We're here now so we need a plan."
Hikaru leaned back in his chair. He looked irritated but there was still a hint of his mischievousness. "We're getting too old for this."
Haruhi waited anxiously for Kyoya to arrive. She had been tutoring him for two months Like in the first session, he already knew everything so they would stop their tutoring sessions. Then he'd perform badly on his test and they would resume their sessions. The second time it happened, Haruhi and Kyoya decided to continue the tutoring even when he consistently scored perfectly. They hadn't stopped a session since then.
On top of that, Tamaki mentioned that Kyoya was acting strange during the host club's business hours. At one point, they had to cancel their activities because Kyoya forgot and went home. She shook her head at the memory of Tamaki's frantic run around the school only to find Kyoya sleeping (another abnormality) at home. The past two months had only served to puzzle her more.
"Good afternoon, Haruhi." Kyoya walked to the chair across from her. He looked uninterested as he sat down.
"Good afternoon. Did you get your midterm scores?"
"Yes." Kyoya took a paper out of his backpack. "Here you go."
Haruhi took it, almost afraid of what she would see. He'd done so well lately, she didn't know what she'd do if his midterm was a failure. She sighed when she saw the paper. "It's a perfect score." She smiled brightly, looking up at him.
Kyoya was silent.
"That's great, isn't it Kyoya senpai? I mean the midterm is a large portion of your grade, so hopefully your other quizzes won't have such an impact. And you're doing extra credit assignments every day so if you continue to do it maybe you grade can go back up to an A minus at the very least.
As Haruhi rambled on, Kyoya couldn't help but think one thing. "So pretty."
Haruhi stopped, eyes wide."What?"
Kyoya blinked, coming out of his trance. "Hm?"
"What did you say?" Haruhi asked. She hoped she heard him wrong. She couldn't risk having her thoughts about Kyoya resurface. It was difficult enough to keep her thoughts to herself for the last two months.
After a short pause, Kyoya spoke. "I'm not sure what you're talking about." He tried not to let his voice waver but it was more difficult than usual.
"You just said…" Haruhi looked confused. Finally she decided to just drop it. "Ah, nevermind. As I was saying, your midterm plus the consistent high scores are proof that you don't need tutoring, right?" She supposed whatever was going on was finally resolved because a lack of understanding the subjects was obviously not the problem.
"I suppose I don't." Kyoya picked up the menu. "What is it?" He asked when he saw Haruhi's expression.
"That's the menu. I think you meant to pick up your midterm?" She handed him his paper.
"I'm aware that this is a menu."
"But you never order anything."
"I'm hungry."
"So, is our session over?" Haruhi asked
Kyoya felt his stomach take a dive. He didn't want her to leave, but he had agreed that maybe he didn't need tutoring. He'd only picked up the menu to avoid looking at her after his mishap. How dare he call her pretty out loud? What the hell was wrong with him?
"Yes...unless you'd like to-" He stopped himself. His hand quickly went up to his chest in confusion. "Am I nervous?"
"Um…" Haruhi was speechless. "Kyoya senpai, are you okay?"
Kyoya looked as confused as she felt. "Yes," He replied slowly. "Did I ask that out loud?"
Haruhi nodded, awkwardly looking for the nearest waiter. If Kyoya was sick, she needed to plan out who she would ask for help.
"I'm not sick." Kyoya assured her. "I was just momentarily nervous."
"Why?"
"That doesn't concern you." Kyoya immediately regretted his answer but he didn't know how else to respond without admitting to her, and himself, the real reason.
Haruhi went from awkward to stone cold. "Really? Well, it's good that I didn't unpack then because our tutoring session is over, right?" She grabbed her bag and stood up. "Enjoy your meal senpai."
The only section of the company that Kyoya could give them access to was the HR department so Hikaru and Honey had their own cubicle. To avoid more suspicion, Honey clocked in later than Hikaru.
Nobody really seemed to pay them any attention anyway. Even the floor manager merely nodded at Hikaru in acknowledgement and hadn't checked up on him since. It gave Hikaru such a weird feeling. He didn't know if it was suspicion, doubt, or actual fear at how far Kyoya's reach seemed to be. He wondered if Honey was thinking the same.
At around noon, Hikaru was scrolling through random websites, bored out of his mind. Kyoya told them they'd each get a signal to go. He was beginning to wonder if his signal would be at the end of the day.
An hour later, a couple of his coworkers announced that it was lunch time. As they passed by his small cubicle, a few of them seemed to have barely registered he was there. He caught some surprised glances, some curious ones and some people that didn't seem to care. Nobody spoke to him but there were small whispers.
"Who's that?" "New temp?" "No way. We'd definitely know if that was a temp." "Maybe it's another silver spoon."
As soon as the group had left, Hikaru stood up and stretched. He walked out of the room and into the bigger lobby in the hallway. He glanced into the manager's office as he passed by. The manager looked up from his computer. "Mr. Hitachiin." He said in Japanese.
Startled, Hikaru stopped. He shook his head at himself. They had fake names for a reason!
"Mr. Hitachiin." The manager repeated.
Hesitantly, Hikaru walked back to the manager's door. "Pardon?" He asked in English.
The manager continued to speak in Japanese. "How have your coworkers been treating you?"
Still confused, Hikaru tentatively replied in Japanese, "They haven't talked to me all day, sir."
"Good." The manager said. Ignoring the expectant look on Hikaru's face the manager continued, "By the way, I need some papers signed by Mr. Sato. His secretary is on the fifth floor and she could arrange a time for you to meet him. Would you mind heading up there after lunch?"
"I'll go as soon as possible." Hikaru said before taking his leave. Was that his cue? He knew each department had different lunch times but how the hell was the manager in on the plan? Or was he not aware of it at all?
On his way to the cafeteria, he saw Honey walking back up to their floor. Honey completely ignored Hikaru and Hikaru reciprocated.
Honey was on his way back from their unpleasantly early lunch break. As he passed by Hikaru, he wondered if his junior was also experiencing an odd day at work. Maybe it was normal for people to ignore new faces at work? The more that Honey thought about it, the more he felt the need to stop helping until Kyoya cleared everything in the air. Still, they were doing it more for Haruhi at this point.
"Excuse me, I heard you're good with computers?"
The manager approached Honey almost as soon as Honey sat down at his desk. Honey looked around even though he was the only worker back from lunch. It took him a split second more to realize the manager was speaking in Japanese.
"I guess-" Honey began in English
"That is what I heard from the person who recommended you." The manager added, again in Japanese.
It seemed like a lightbulb went off for Honey. "Oh, yes, I am. What do you need help with sir?" Honey switched to Japanese.
"We have a camera room down the hall that needs to be monitored. The person in charge had an emergency and we don't have anybody to cover them. You have the security clearance right?"
Honey had no idea what level that would be but he assumed it was on his badge. He nodded.
"Good. The first shift will be over soon so you can go ahead and take over."
"Will do."
3…
Hikaru anxiously waited to arrive at his target's floor. Kyoya said the secretary was kind of like an American Renge but much more into gossip and gingers
4…
When he really thought about it, he felt bad about using her. He just knew Haruhi would nag at them if she knew.
5…
Well it was too late to turn back. He just hoped Haruhi would either never find out or be understanding when she did.
Ding.
Hikaru casually walked up to the secretary's desk. There was one person ahead of him so he stood to the side.
"My boss is out for the day so you can go ahead and leave." She said to the person while typing quickly on her computer.
"I understand but can't I leave him a message? You're the secretary, right?"
The secretary stopped typing with a small sigh. "Yes, I suppose you can. There are notes in the corner over there for you to write your message. Just drop it in the box when you're done and he'll go through it when he comes back."
"Thank you," the person said sarcastically as they moved away.
Hikaru was stunned. How was this lady anything like Renge? Renge wasn't always nice but he'd never seen her be so rude towards anyone but Tamaki.
He approached the secretary. "Excuse me Ms," He began. She glanced at him once, did a double take and began to inspect him. "Call me Mary."
Hikaru pretended not to notice. "I'm from the HR Department. My manager asked me to get some documents signed by Mr. Sato."
"I'm afraid he's going to be in and out of meetings all day." She smiled brightly. She was suddenly interested.
Hikaru could barely believe this was the same person.
"You can leave the papers with me and I'll let him know tomorrow." She reached her hand out to his.
"I'm sure you're trustworthy but and HR representative has to see him sign the papers in person. They're confidential."
The secretary laughed as if Hikaru said something hilarious. "I'm as trustworthy as you are handsome." She covered her mouth, pretending to be embarrassed. "Oh my goodness did I say that out loud?"
Hikaru smiled. "Was that a compliment?"
She nodded. "I'm so sorry."
"It's fine. I don't usually get compliments so it's nice to hear one."
"How is that possible?"
"Excuse me?"
"Who wouldn't compliment someone as good looking as you? And you work for the HR department? I bet you're also really smart."
Hikaru just shrugged. "I just don't get compliments from pretty girls."
"Oh really?" She leaned into the front of her desk. "So would this be one of those rare moments?"
He smiled a little as he moved a bit closer to her desk. "Of course." He moved away when the guilt came back to him. At the very least he could keep a distance. "So if I wanted to set up a meeting what would I have to do?"
She turned red but didn't hesitate. "Just let me know where and when."
Hikaru paused and laughed a little bit. "Doesn't your boss have a schedule to follow? I'd rather work around him. I'm not sure he'd appreciate me telling him when to meet."
She turned a darker shade of red. "Oh, right. Of course you're talking about meeting with my boss!"
"Yeah...but you know I wouldn't mind arranging a date with you." Hikaru added.
Now it was the secretary's turn to pause. She whispered a cuss word at herself before innocently asking him,"Really?"
Hikaru nodded. "I'm not usually this bold but if I'd known I'd meet you, I would've come up here sooner." He almost cringed at himself.
She laughed at his cheesy line. Obviously, she was happy with his attention. "In that case you can write your number down and I'll call you later?"
"I can do that." Hikaru said, looking for a piece of paper and a pen.
"Oh, here you go." She smiled at him.
"Thank you." Her hand lingered on his as he took the pen from her.
He handed her the paper with a number Kyoya set up specifically for this. "I know you're going to call me for a meeting with your boss but I'm free this afternoon if-"
"Should we meet at the front entrance?" She cut him off.
Hikaru smiled widely. "I'll see you then." His smile fell almost as soon as he turned around. Before meeting Tamaki and Haruhi, he wouldn't have cared about whose feelings were hurt. Now it was all he could think about. He stepped onto the elevator and gave a small wave to Mary. He had to make this break as clean as possible.
The majority of Honey's shift was spent actually supervising the cameras. Now the company had closed, but Honey still had 3 hours left. The manager tasked Honey with verifying employee claims. He basically had to review the footage on the dates written down and see if the employees were telling the truth. Coincidentally, most of the dates were the ones that Kyoya needed to look at. At this point Honey would be more shocked if the manager wasn't in on the plan.
From reviewing the footage, Honey had figured out where there were blind spots and he had a good idea of who was who in the company. The more he watched, the easier it was to recognize the heiress and her father. At one point, he paused the footage and studied the image for a long time. There was a person that he felt like he'd seen before, but it was impossible to place the face. He'd only given up because the date of the footage was far from the time Kyoya needed to know about. After scanning through hours of footage, Honey perked up when he finally caught a glimpse of somebody he knew. Kyoya!
"Wait," Kyoya blurted out.
Haruhi turned around, a little reluctantly.
"I apologize for my behavior."
Haruhi looked at him with suspicion. "It's okay. I'll see you around."
"Wait," Kyoya repeated. "Would you mind sitting for a moment? I need to tell you something."
Haruhi sat down, a little uneasy about the situation.
Kyoya hesitated, trying to decide if this was a good idea. He looked at Haruhi. She looked annoyed. Without thinking it through as much as he'd like to Kyoya said, "The reason for my attitude is that I have a problem that I can't solve. As you know, I'm not one to struggle with solving things so it's all quite new to me."
"It must be difficult for you, but that's no reason to take it out on me. I'm just trying to help you with your school work."
"I know. But you see, my problem is that I-" Kyoya looked at her, trying to see if realization would hit her. She still seemed irritated with him. Of course a vague statement wouldn't appease her. "I have a crush on somebody." He quickly finished.
"Oh," Haruhi said. She didn't really know what else to say to that.
"And I think that this crush is the reason for my poor performance at school. I brushed it off for a while but I'm beginning to accept that I was just lying to myself."
"So then your improvement is because you're," Haruhi tried to think of the right words. "On good terms with that person?" Was she bothered by his implication that her tutoring didn't help, thus wasting her time. Or was she bothered by the fact that he had a crush on someone ?
Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Well, I wouldn't say i'm on good terms but we are speaking more often. It's enough for me to just talk to her honestly."
Haruhi fidgeted with her bag strap, still around her shoulder. "May I ask you a question?"
"I suppose you have a right." Kyoya answered.
Haruhi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Are you sure that you're not just infatuated with them? Merely talking to them is enough for you to get back on track? Iit sounds like you just want them around you."
"I'm obviously not going to tell you about all of my feelings, Haruhi." Kyoya said.
"Right," Haruhi grimaced at his answer. He was the one that dragged her into this! "One more thing though. why are you telling me about your crush? You're a private person so for you to open up about something like this...I don't know it just seems like something you'd tell Tamaki."
"Tamaki is the one who told me to approach my crush. He hoped it would help me and it did. He's been encouraging me to confess. I just felt like it was now or never."
Haruhi nodded. "But what does that have to do with me?"
Kyoya didn't know whether to laugh or scream. "Well...you're…." He gripped the menu, realizing he was still holding it for some reason.
"I'm what?" She asked. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Wait, me?" Haruhi pointed at herself incredulously.
Kyoya nodded.
A second later, Haruhi began to laugh. "Wow, okay! You got me there senpai." Her face reddened from the laughter. "Good one!" She got up, a bit troubled because of her laughter. "Okay, I accept your apology. I'll see you at school."
As soon as she was out of earshot, her laughter stopped. She walked briskly to the nearest bus stop and sat down shakily. Kyoya wasn't the type of person to joke around. The one time he'd tried to do something implicating a romance with her, he laughed when she called him out.
He was dead serious this time and Haruhi wasn't sure what to make of it.
"Hey."
Haruhi jumped at the voice. Crap.
"I know that you understood what I meant. Nobody is that dense." Kyoya sat next to her.
Haruhi laughed nervously as she scooted away. "You're really committed to this one, Kyoya senpai. Just tell me what the lesson is this time so you don't have to pretend anymore."
Kyoya sighed. "You didn't do anything specific. I'm unsure of when my crush truly developed. All I know is that from one moment to another I liked everything about you. I mean I appreciated your work ethic from the beginning but these feelings-"
Haruhi shot up from the bus stop bench as the bus squeaked to a stop. "Ah, my bus is here! I guess you're going to play this game for a while." She forced herself to smile. "I'll see you at school." As Haruhi got on the bus she resisted the urge to look back at him.
Kyoya watched her board the bus. Was this as good as a rejection? He didn't expect her to like him back but it hurt him more than he thought it would. Kyoya stood up long after the bus had left. Ootori's couldn't be deterred by a rejection, but this crush was hurting his business and his schoolwork. Perhaps, it was for the best. After all, he still had an obligation to Emi. It was silly to even consider the possibility of a relationship with anyone else.
As he talked to himself on the way home, Kyoya tried to convince himself that it was fine. He couldn't possibly have a future with Haruhi. He didn't even like her that much.
"So, how long have you been working here?" Hikaru asked. They were walking towards a nearby club. He'd asked if it was okay to wear what they had on and she'd brushed it off saying clothes weren't important for the occasion. He'd just nodded. It was a Friday so it was possible she didn't want to waste any time getting to the club.
"About five years. You?" She batted her eyelashes at him.
Hikaru tried not to show his guilt as he lied to her. "I'm pretty new but I'm transferring to another branch tomorrow." It wasn't exactly a lie.
"WHAT?" Mary exclaimed. Seeming to catch herself she quickly snapped into a more nonchalant attitude. "I mean, that's so strange! I heard the company was closing many buildings because of-" She abruptly stopped. "Uh, nevermind." She laughed. "That's probably not the case since you're being transferred. Um, what branch are you transferring to?"
"It's out of state." Hikaru replied. Hikaru and Kyoya had gone over his answers to possible questions but he was still afraid she'd call him out. "But it's a shame we didn't meet sooner. I think we'd get along well."
"Me too!" Mary turned to look at him with a bright gleam in her eyes. They were stopped at a light. "Call me crazy but I felt a real connection between us ever since you approached my desk."
"Definitely." Hikaru could barely look her in the eye.
"At least we'll have all night, right?" Mary asked hopefully. The walk sign turned on, prompting them to begin crossing the street.
"It'll be fun." Hikaru abruptly stopped. He grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him and back onto the sidewalk as a crazy driver rushed through where she'd been about to step.
"What the hell is wrong with those people?!" Hikaru barely managed to restrain cursing in Japanese. He turned to Mary. "I'm sorry for pulling you so harshly. I-"
"It's fine." She looked flushed. "Thank you. I didn't even notice the car."
"Are you sure you're okay?" His eyes searched over her with genuine concern. He didn't know her but that didn't mean he wanted her to get hit by a car!
Mary felt like she'd melt at any second. "Yes." She was about to speak when her phone rang. Shakily, she answered. "Yeah, I'm on my way. I'm bringing a friend...Okay...Okay, I'll meet you at the entrance."
"Was that your friend?"
"Mhm. They have a table already. Oh, look, the light is green again!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him across the street. Hikaru didn't know whether he should let her go or let her continue holding his hand. What would lead to less trouble? Eventually, he decided to just let her lead the way.
Five minutes later they were at the club. Almost immediately they were met with blaring music, a swarm of bodies and people cheering or yelling all around them.
"Oh my gosh you made it!" A blonde girl ran over to Mary, immediately embracing her.
"Irene, I told you I was on my way." Mary laughed. "How are you already drunk?"
Irene pouted, ignoring the question. "But last time you told me that you ditched me for that guy-"
"Okay!" Mary shouted over Irene, trying to discreetly point at Hikaru. "Where's the table?"
"Oh, whoops." Irene giggled as she motioned for them to follow her. "Who's this?"
"Irene, this is Michael. He's a colleague."
Hikaru almost forgot his fake name. "It's nice to meet you."
"Is Mary attractive or what?" Irene shouted.
Hikaru blushed without trying. How was she so blunt?
"Irene!" Mary chastised her friend.
"Psh," Irene dismissed Mary's exclamation. She motioned for them to follow her. "Oh c'mon Mary, it isn't as if you weren't planning on-"
Hikaru tried to follow the conversation while they weaved in and out of the crowds of people. When they made it to the table he heard Irene say, "Let's just hope he's nicer than the last guy you dated."
Mary scoffed. She turned to Hikaru as she sat down. "Irene ordered us drinks, do you want some?" She grabbed a cup from Irene. Hikaru took it but looked at it a little wearily. If she really clubbed that often she'd know better than to pick up a drink that was out on the table, right?
As if sensing his thoughts, she added. "Don't worry! I'm not stupid enough to grab random drinks."
"Not until her third beer anyway." Irene snickered.
Mary playfully pushed her away. "Irene's boyfriend was guarding the drinks! Hey, Larry! Helloooo!" She waved her hand to get her friend's attention. He finally stopped flirting with Irene long enough to look over. "Meet Michael. Michael this is Larry."
Hikaru waved from across the table. "Thanks!" He shouted, pointing at the cup to convey his message. Larry just nodded and turned back to Irene.
When Hikaru turned back to Mary he noticed she was already halfway done with her drink. "Woah you drink fast."
"What? You can't keep up?" Mary teased him.
Hikaru laughed. "I'd rather dance, wouldn't you?"
"Duh! Took you long enough!" Mary finished her drink and stood up. Hikaru followed her to the dance floor. As they danced he looked around the club for the nearest exit. Nearest staff. Nearest security guard. As if being in an unknown place wasn't bad enough, he didn't have his car and Mary's friends seemed to be on the road to being wasted. If Mary was a fast drinker he only had a limited amount of time to get her home safely while getting information from her.
Not even halfway through the song, Irene ran up to Mary. "Here!" She shoved another cup at Mary.
"Ugh, go away!"
"Mary!" Irene whined. "Seriously, drink it. You'll need to be drunk to hear what I have to tell you."
Mary stopped dancing and took the cup. "What is it?"
"Drink it!"
Mary rolled her eyes and sipped the drink.
Irene gave her a disapproving glare. "I said drink, not sip!"
"Fine." Mary grumbled. Hikaru winced as she chugged the cup's contents.
"Was that so hard?" Irene asked, sarcastically.
"Just tell me what happened." Mary prompted her. She glanced apologetically at Hikaru. Hikaru just followed them back to the table. Usually he'd have something to say but his mind was occupied with planning the best course of action.
"Alex is here!" Irene said, looking annoyed.
"Shut up!"
"Can you believe the nerve of this guy! If Emi was here she'd throw a fit." At the name, Hikaru's interest was piqued.
"Don't even get me started on that girl! She needs a good slap on the head too." Mary shook her head.
As if remembering that Hikaru was still there, Irene turned to him. "Hey Michael. Would you mind getting us more drinks? Just tell them it's for table seven. They'll know."
"Sure." Hikaru walked to the bar, mind reeling. So Emi had something to do with this Alex guy… He glanced back at the table as he left. The girls were still talking to each other. He wondered if Irene, even through her alcoholic haze, had purposely sent him away.
Honey only had about half an hour left before he had to leave. He'd long since finished verifying the employee's claims but decided to do a final review of the footage. Kyoya was in and out of meetings. He never stopped to talk to anyone unless they approached him and even then it was a brief exchange. Just like he'd claimed, Honey saw Kyoya's phone fall out of his hand. Afterwards, Kyoya didn't have anything but a tablet mostly handled by his assistants.
Honey sighed. He'd spent so many hours reviewing videos but-
He shot up, immediately pausing the video. He leaned in closer to the video. That face was still bothering him and it was possible that he'd finally remembered who it was!
Or had he?
He glanced at the cameras filming him. He couldn't take a picture of the person without raising suspicion. If he could just remember who it was... Where had he seen him? Honey stood up and stretched, hoping it would clear his mind a bit. People who spent hours sitting stretched every once in a while, right? He walked around the room, stretching as he went. Finally he entered the small blind spot in the room. Faster than he'd ever been, Honey took his phone out and snapped a picture of the video. He'd finally remembered who that person was but the only one that could confirm it was Kyoya.
At this point Mary was about four drinks in and definitely tipsy. She giggled at everything Hikaru said and didn't miss a chance to make suggestive comments. So far, Hikaru had avoided kissing her or even touching her unless necessary. Irene and her boyfriend had disappeared so Hikaru was trying his best to remain sober. His second drink was still on the table.
"Hey, are you sure you don't want to get something to eat? It might help with your future hangover."
"Noooo! Just one more drink please?" She gave him her best puppy eyes. "Please? Just one more and then we can go home." She leaned into his arm.
Hikaru lightly moved her away. "Okay, one more."
"Yay!" She giggled. "You wouldn't mind getting it for me, right? You've been so nice all night." She sighed, dreamily.
"Of course not. I'll be right back." Hikaru got up from the table for his third trip to the bar. As he walked across the room he looked around the club. He felt so uneasy about leaving a drunk person alone but it would only take about five minutes at most…
As he waited for the drinks he kept his eyes on the table, prepared to intervene if a sleeze got too close to Mary.
"Your drinks." The bartender handed him two cups.
"Thanks."
During the second it took to get the drinks a guy had approached Mary. Hikaru quickened his step. It was dark but he was pretty sure he saw the guy slip something into the cup he was offering Mary.
"Hey," Hikaru reached the table, setting the drinks down. "Is that for me? I thought I was supposed to get the drinks." He laughed, snatching the cup out of Mary's hand before she could drink it.
"Actually, it's for her."
"Oh, whoops." Hikaru shrugged. "I thought it was mine since my girlfriend wasn't drinking it." He slung his arm around Mary.
The guy looked from one to the other before faking a smile. "Sorry, man."
"It's cool." Hikaru replied, his tone implying the complete opposite. When the guy didn't move Hikaru added, "So are you going to leave or?"
"It's free country."
Hikaru scoffed. "You want to watch a couple making out?" He put the drink down. "Suit yourself." Hikaru turned to Emi.
He heard the guy mutter "asshole" but the guy walked away.
Mary grabbed the hand on her shoulder, holding him closer to her. "Girlfriend?"
Hikaru slowly moved his hand. Mary just held onto it tighter.
"I had to lie. I saw that guy slip something into your drink. You didn't drink any, did you?"
"Nope." Mary giggled. "And you said makeout?"
Hikaru managed to pull away from her. "Y'know, it's pretty late." Hikaru began.
"Do you want to go to my place?"
"I don't know." Hikaru answered honestly. She wasn't drunk enough to pass out; he'd learned nothing so far. Still, he couldn't risk taking things too far.
"Oh, c'mon it's like ten minutes away if we walk." She insisted.
Hikaru looked at the clock on his phone. "I guess it couldn't hurt." He agreed. If he got no information, at the very least he'd make sure she was home safe.
Due to Mary's stumbling and difficulty remembering where her house was, they arrived fifteen minutes later.
As soon as they were inside Mary kissed him. Hikaru flinched, pushing her away as gently as he could. "Hold on."
"Noooo" She whined.
"You're drunk. We can't-"
"Yes we can! I'm not that drunk. Don't you want to?"
Hikaru frowned. She was still slurring her words. "Why don't you sit while I look for some water.
"Why don't we go to my room instead?"
"Maybe after we get some water." Hikaru suggested.
"I sobered up a bit on the way here!" She walked over to her couch where she pushed him down.
"Mary-" Hikaru held his hands up, hoping to stop her if she tried anything.
"Oh, wait!" Mary turned her head, suddenly remembering something. "I have beer!" She perked up, rushing to her kitchen.
Hikaru grimaced as she stumbled her way to the kitchen and back with two cans of beer. She wasn't sober enough to walk very straight but at least she could talk (and hopefully, think) a bit more clearly.
"Why don't you show me where the water is?"
"It'll be fun! Here!" She handed him a can while she (with some struggle) opened the other one.
"Fine." Hikaru took it, sipping a bit as she sat beside him.
"So, about your friend Irene. She's-"
"Awesome!"
"Yup," Hikaru answered. He sipped a bit more. It was now or never. "So when you were talking about an Emi earlier, was that-"
"The boss' daughter?" Mary snorted. "Yup. I wish I could tell someone about-" She hiccuped. "Oh whatever! You probably don't care about that stuff!" She leaned into him.
"You're right I probably wouldn't," Hikaru laughed, trying to scoot away. "But I am leaving tomorrow so if you need to rant…"
Mary tilted her head as she looked at him curiously. "You're weird."
"Am I?" Hikaru sipped some more.
"Mhm," She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I was just suggesting it because it is better to rant to someone who can't tell." Hikaru continued to sip his beer, trying to ignore her proximity.
"You're luck you're cute." She yawned.
Hikaru mentally facepalmed. Was she going to sleep before he could figure anything out? "Well, like I said I don't mind letting you rant. After all, I had fun tonight. I owe you this much before I leave."
Mary looked at him, leaning in again. "I think you owe me much more but it's a start." She pulled away smiling. "Where to begin?"
Kyoya made his way to the cafeteria, trailing slightly behind Tamaki. Tamaki was trying to grab a quick lunch while the majority of students were in the yard for an event. He'd thought long and hard about the previous day. He hated to admit it, but her rejection felt like a stab to the chest. He shook his head. 'Stop being dramatic, Kyoya. You don't know the pain of being stabbed in the chest.'
He stopped walking when he realized Tamaki was stopped about five steps behind him. Kyoya walked back. "Why-" He stopped when he saw Haruhi seated at the table Tamaki had stopped in front of.
Haruhi almost turned pale when she saw him.
"I was just stopping by to invite Haruhi to our event next week. Kyoya here finally got the funds for new props! So, are you coming?"
Haruhi fidgeted with her spoon. "When is it again?"
"Next Friday!"
"Um," She glanced at Kyoya before looking back at Tamaki. "I guess I can stop by before work."
"Yay!" Tamaki sat down. "There are so many things I need you to see. Oh," He turned to Kyoya. "Kyoya, aren't you going to sit?"
"I-um" Kyoya stuttered. "I still need to order my lunch,"
"That's a good point! I almost forgot it was lunch time. We'll be right back, Haruhi!" Tamaki stood up.
As they walked to the counter, Tamaki laughed. "She sure is pretty isn't she?"
"Yup." Kyoya answered.
There was a silence that seemed to stretch out forever even though it was probably only 1 second long. Kyoya looked at Tamaki. Tamaki looked amused.
"I can't believe you fell for that one," Tamaki teased.
Kyoya looked bewildered. "What? You meant the new prop, right? The big sword we obtained from-"
"It's okay, you don't have to pretend with me, Kyoya." Tamaki turned away to order his meal.
Kyoya followed suit. "The sword is rather magnificent. As should be expected when it cost so much."
"You like her." Tamaki sang as they received their lunch.
"Tamaki," Kyoya warned, looking around for any possible eavesdroppers. He couldn't find the right moment to tell Tamaki about what happened. After all, it wasn't everyday that Kyoya Ootori was rejected.
"I'm just teasing! Lunch is almost over so don't worry. We'll only be here for a couple of minutes." Tamaki happily walked back to Haruhi's table. Kyoya trudged behind him.
"Hey, where are the twins?" Tamaki asked.
Haruhi shrugged. "They said something about accompanying Honey and Mori senpai to-"
"Oh!" Tamaki shot up. "That's right! I'll see you two later!"
Kyoya stood up only to have Tamaki force him to sit back down. "Ooo, I forgot to mention you're not invited. Bye!" He scampered off.
Kyoya and Haruhi stared at each other, awkwardly.
"At least I'm not the only one that rejected you this week, right senpai?" Haruhi tried to joke.
"That's quite rude." Kyoya replied. It really was just salt on his wound but he had to admit that he appreciated her attempt at humor.
Haruhi smiled slightly, as if she knew he was trying to keep his own smile down. "Sorry. And since we're here, I'm also sorry for yesterday."
"That's in the past." Kyoya replied quickly. "I didn't really expect anything to come of it. I was acting rather rashly."
"That's strange since you're not the impulsive type," Haruhi said. She resumed her soup.
"Ah, so you've called my bluff again." Kyoya looked down at the table. "You know it's common courtesy to allow the person you rejected some time to get over it. I'd appeciate if you stopped doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Looking right through my facade. That's one of the reasons I li-." He looked down. "Nevermind."
"Oh," Haruhi put her spoon down. She usually didn't notice awkward situations but it was awful when she did. "In that case, I definitely thought you were acting impulsively. I mean," Haruhi shook her head, pretending to be exasperated. "Kirimi did mention I'm in a reverse harem. It was bound to happen eventually." She sighed. "And leave it to an Ootori to be the first one to figure it out." She smiled.
Kyoya allowed himself to chuckle. "I suppose it's only fitting that I realized it first."
Haruhi picked her spoon back up, feeling a lot better about the situation. She'd been freaking out all night about how she could possibly face Kyoya after his confession. When she'd seen him standing in front of her she'd almost bolted out of the door. Now, she was glad Tamaki forced her to sit with him.
"Still," Kyoya continued, pensively. "I liked you more than I thought."
Haruhi felt her heart skip a beat as he looked at her.
"But don't worry," Kyoya added. "I'm a gentleman. I'll respect your feelings and deal with mine."
Haruhi watched as he began to eat, as if nothing was wrong. How could he say something like that and then go back to normal? Had he reverted to feeling neutral so fast?
Kyoya forced himself to eat his lunch. Haruhi didn't say a word. He thought she'd come up with something witty but there was nothing but silence now. He'd only meant to reassure her but what if it made things worse?
"Haruhi," He spoke up again. "You might be thinking that I'm feeling nothing at the moment, but I am. I'm just not used to displaying my emotions."
Haruhi sighed. It sounded like relief.
"Are you relieved that I won't talk about it anymore?" Kyoya asked.
She shook her head. "I'm just glad you got it off your chest."
"Is that so?" He asked. "In that case, why don't you use this opportunity to get things off your chest?"
Haruhi blushed. "There's not much to say. Unlike you, I'm still confused."
"About?"
"Everything." Haruhi stated. One part of her really believed he liked her. The other part refused to believe it was anything but a setup for another teachable moment. When he didn't offer any other comments she finished her soup in silence.
Kyoya couldn't say anything else. Did her answer mean he had a chance? He quickly pushed the thoughts down. No! Her answer meant that she was still trying to figure out what his intentions were! She didn't believe him. He wished he could admit to her that, for once, he had no plan. He didn't know what would happen when he confessed and he still didn't know how he'd get over her. All he knew for certain was that it had to get done.
When Hikaru got home, Honey was up and had gathered their things at the front door. He handed Hikaru his suitcase. If they left immediately they'd have about five minutes to spare before their flight back.
"Is your driver ready?" Honey asked.
Hikaru nodded, rubbing his eyes before grabbing his suitcase. "Sorry I'm late. Mary didn't want to go to sleep."
"How'd you manage to leave?" Honey asked as they walked out of the apartment.
"I'm not proud of it but I got her drunk. She passed out on her couch after two drinks." He'd covered her with a nearby throw and made sure all of the doors and windows were locked. "Aren't you tired?" He asked as they walked out of the apartment.
"I just spent hours staring at screens. It's safe to say we're both exhausted." Honey yawned.
"But did you get what you needed?"
Honey sighed and nodded. "You?" He asked as they put their suitcases in the car.
"Yup," Hikaru said.
"So I guess there's no chance of sleeping just yet?" Honey asked.
"Nope."
