The Next Day
"Late shift tonight?"
Hikaru nodded, getting his shoes on.
"Not too late, but I'm also probably going to stop at the store and get more coffee, we're running low."
Haruhi glanced at the bag, picking it up and shaking it a little.
"I think we're completely out, actually."
Hikaru shrugged.
"Alright, good to know. I'll get two bags. You have a late shift, too?"
Haruhi nodded. Buttoning the white sleeves of her uniform above the elbows.
"Not as late as yesterday, but yeah. I texted Kaoru earlier, so hopefully dad and everyone won't badger us for needing to reschedule. I should have brought it up yesterday when Tamaki called."
Hikaru frowned, making sure everything he needed was in his work bag. Haruhi petting their kitten, who they named Velvet, and making sure she was cozy. They'd be out for a couple hours, and Velvet usually slept a lot when they were gone.
"They're getting pretty persistent. Do you think they found out?"
Haruhi swallowed, nervousness bubbling up in her chest painfully.
"I hope not. But we would probably be getting angry messages if they did. So I'm calling it safe for now."
Hikaru paused and went to sit next to Haruhi, trying in vein to put a clip in her hair.
"Need help?"
Haruhi nodded, turning her head so Hikaru could pull the top part of her hair back evenly and clip it. Showing off her bright red roots more and preventing some of the longer strands from getting in her face while she worked.
"We should start thinking about telling them, huh?"
Haruhi sighed.
"Yeah. I know we need to tell them eventually, but I'm scared. Not just for me, but for you as well."
Hikaru hummed leaning over to plant a kiss on the distinct line that divided her hair into two directions.
"I know. I get it."
Haruhi leaned against Hikaru a bit, looking up at him.
"Still dealing with it?"
Hikaru nodded.
"It's partly my fault, though. I don't know how to tell them that the comments hurt me and Kaoru without getting in another big fight. I mean, yeah, I made it through that fight and got here. But Kaoru helped me, and we only barely made it. Now, Kaoru's treated like an understudy that doesn't know how to do his job despite how openly enthusiastic he is about it. And I'm stuck having comments directed at me for being irresponsible and dropping a promising career over a "random impulse". Kaoru and I like what we do, but... To be honest, sometimes we wish we just didn't pick the fight."
Haruhi hummed.
"That's why you haven't brought up me telling everyone yet?"
Hikaru nodded.
"Well, yeah. I'd be a hypocrite if I did. If Kaoru and I could have kept our current lives a secret, we would have. I understand why you're scared. Kaoru and my situation wasn't exactly the same, but we did have to deal with the fact that Kaoru was the twin who was passionate about the job. But I happened to be older and was then obligated to take the job instead."
Haruhi stared at the ground. How had they not had this conversation sooner? Were they really so wrapped up in separating the real from the fake that they forgot the buildup to the split?
Haruhi spoke up.
"Not the same, no. I've known since I was a kid that I didn't want to be a lawyer. Even before my mom got sick, it was like: "Oh, great! I don't think that's for me, but I'm still rooting for you!" But after we needed to start paying medical bills, and I started taking extra jobs to help keep us all afloat, my grades didn't drop at all. Which was when some of the teachers started taking notice and I wound up being labeled a "gifted student". Then everyone in my neighborhood found out because dad was excited for me and told everyone. When I kept my hair long and started looking more like my mom, they started wondering if I'd become a lawyer like her."
Haruhi fiddled with her engagement ring as she continued. A light blush on her face as she recalled the moment they'd both accidentally proposed to one another, and then went out to get the rings made later.
"I didn't entirely mind, as far as I can remember. It was only curiosity at first. But then a strict teacher said that I would make a great lawyer. And then, it wasn't a question anymore. I just went with it because I didn't know what I actually wanted to do. If I admitted that, it would have meant disappointing everyone who was counting on me to succeed. Then I met you guys, joined the host club, and started noticing actual interests of mine. Only to nearly give up at the finish line."
Hikaru smiled.
"It's good that's not what happened, then."
Hikaru was nervous about how that sounded. But Haruhi only lit up more. Glee filling every one of her features.
"Yeah. It is good. Why,"
Haruhi took a deep breath.
"Why am I so scared of telling them how I feel? It's just how I feel. Surely they'd care! What have I been so worried about?"
Hikaru paused, a small, confident smile appearing on his face as well.
"Hey, you're right. If my family doesn't like hearing about how Kaoru and I feel about the comments, they're not worth our time! We should talk to them—in fact, I'm going to call them later and tell them! I got nothing to lose!"
Haruhi beamed.
"Great! I'll do the same. You call your family, I'll meet up with everyone after my shift and tell them! No more hiding! I'm sick of pretending to be perfect!"
"So am I! I'm so ready for this!"
Haruhi broke out into laughter.
"I'm ready too! Let's go for it!"
Later
"Never-mind, I am not ready."
Why? She was so confident. It was all planned out. She had already texted Kaoru and everything. After her shift was when she would talk.
But no. They had to meet up at the place she worked.
So much for everything being planned. How could such a small setback cost her every ounce of her confidence?
"No. No! This is fine! It's just that! A setback. I can still work with this! I just have to stay hidden until my shift is over! I can do that, right?"
"Surely?"
Haruhi shook her head as she cut up a few vegetables. Immersing herself in the action and easing her mind away from her anxiety.
"I can do this. Hikaru is doing it. So what's stopping me from following through on my end?"
The knife was swiftly dragged across the board to dump the cut vegetables into what was going to be soup. Fully relaxing again as she kept working.
"I got this."
Meanwhile
"Hey."
Hikaru was losing confidence. He could feel it. But he forced himself to stay steady.
"If Haruhi can bear through it, so can I."
"I'm fine. I just—I just wanted to talk to you about something. Something that's kinda been bothering Kaoru and I for the past couple years."
Hikaru winced, hoping that that sentence didn't just drag him into another round of trouble.
"It's, not major. It's just—you've just been making these comments to Kaoru and me. Kaoru's starting to feel like an understudy or a substitute for a job he's passionate about. And I'm starting to feel like I can't give you details on my life without getting a remark."
Hikaru took a deep breath. The reply he received allowed him to recover some of his lost confidence.
"Well, yeah. We have taken them seriously because they aren't jokes, are they? Listen, I get why you might be disappointed. But Kaoru and I like what we do. And we'd like our jobs a lot more if we felt secure in talking about our jobs without a judgmental side-eye!"
The reply that followed caught him off guard.
"Wait. If you aren't disappointed, why make Kaoru feel like he's a failure? That he's only a last minute replacement because I was lazy? Why make me feel like I'm a failure?"
Hikaru barely registered the response.
"I get that's not what you meant to do! But you still did it!"
A burn entered Hikaru's throat, a mass clogging his airway and adding a sharp soreness along with the tears building and making his eyes glassy.
"I know. I know why you feel that way, and I'm sorry. I just, this is just—I know you don't mean any harm but it still hurts."
Both ends of the line were silent for a moment.
"Yeah, Kaoru feels the same... We didn't bring it up because we didn't want to cause more issues."
Hikaru was silent as he listened to the other end of the line. The words bringing the tears out of his eyes.
"It's okay. Thank you... I—I forgive you. I'm sorry for not saying anything... Yeah, I'll tell Kaoru... Y—Yeah! We can meet up... Okay. Thanks, bye."
When the call dropped, Hikaru seemed lighter than air. Joy and relief flooding his head and filling him with a relaxed euphoria.
"That went way better than I expected."
Tears continued to fall from Hikaru's hazel eyes, but not because he was upset. Rushing back from his break with an extra spring in his step and chipper attitude despite his reddened eyes.
Meanwhile
"She didn't just cancel, did she...?"
Kaoru winced and tried to soften the blow.
"Not last minute, I just didn't check my phone..."
Ranka sighed, laying his head in his hand.
"What is with her? It's like she knows what we want to talk to her about."
Kyoya hummed.
"Did she say she had work?"
Kaoru nodded.
"Did she call it a shift?"
Kaoru paled, rushing for a new topic to steer away from what Kyoya was saying. He knew now.
"No, but, if she's doing fine, why does it matter what we were going to talk about? She said she had work tonight, and she's making it a priority, so that's a good sign."
Ranka's eyes narrowed at Kaoru.
"A sign that she might be in trouble? Why would she tell us last minute unless she found out last minute? Why put such a heavy emphasis on time management if she isn't on thin ice?"
Kaoru raised an eyebrow as if Ranka had missed something obvious.
"Because she didn't tell me last minute. Like I said, I haven't checked my phone since earlier today. The fact that we found out last minute was my fault."
Kyoya went onto his phone and glanced up at Tamaki.
"Does this establishment mention it's employees?"
Tamaki tilted his head and nodded.
"Yes? Why?"
Kyoya hummed, a small, genuine smile appearing on his face.
"Because you were right. This place is nice. I was curious about who I could leave a tip to."
Tamaki tilted his head.
"How would you know who to tip?"
Kyoya paused, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"Fair enough."
Ranka couldn't argue that the food wasn't delicious, but he could barely think straight with his anger and concern bubbling to the surface. What was going on with Haruhi? Wasn't she great at balancing a work and social life? He wasn't complaining that she worked a lot, but the status of her job worried him. What if she got herself fired? After everything everyone did to help her become a lawyer.
Why was she so much more aloof now? Well, aloof with a lot of it hidden from him.
Ranka sighed. It was like she was a completely different person, now.
Back in the kitchen, Haruhi felt another pain. Cursing herself for nearly forgetting to take her antibiotics. She went over to her boss to let her know what happened. And was also told to go to the bathroom to replace her bandages as well, as a tiny spot of blood was visible.
"If it gets worse, I'll cover for you and someone else while they take you to the hospital!"
Haruhi nodded as she left. It turned out that her bandages weren't leaking. She wasn't bleeding much at all. But she did cut her finger and had to bandage that. Taking her antibiotic and washing her hands.
She was already sure of how she would explain the drop of blood to her boss. Stepping out of the bathroom and going across the hall to go back to the kitchen.
"Haruhi?"
Haruhi spun around. Tamaki in the hall with his head tilted.
"Oh, hi...?"
Tamaki blinked.
"You, work here?"
Haruhi's face went as red as her hair while she nodded.
Silence reigned, Haruhi getting ready to run back into the kitchen and beg whoever ran the universe to not let Tamaki tell everyone before she could.
But then he spoke up.
"So that wasn't a joke? About you not wanting to be a lawyer?"
Haruhi's head snapped upward. Nodding numbly as she processed the information.
Instead of the reaction she suspected, Tamaki smiled and spoke again.
"So, I'm guessing you'd want to elaborate with everyone else?"
Haruhi nodded.
"Yeah. I just need to finish my shift, then I'll talk to you all."
Tamaki nodded with understanding.
"Alright, I won't tell them."
Haruhi let out a short breath of relief, directing a weak smile back at him.
"Thanks."
Later
The restaurant was mostly empty at that point, Kaoru having annoyed everyone by begging then to stay. Only calming down a little when he said that Haruhi was on her way.
Haruhi drew in a deep breath, hand touching the door. Her boss and other coworkers goving her encouraging smiles along with looks that shouted: "Good luck! We're rooting for you!"
Now or never.
Haruhi stepped out the door to the kitchen. Making her way through the hall with her footsteps sounding lightly from the carpeted floor. She could do this. She had to do this. Now or never.
Haruhi found herself in the main room. They didn't see her yet, but they were right in the middle of her field of view. Haruhi took a deep breath before walking towards the table. Kaoru's eyes darting in her direction prompted everyone else to look the same way. By the time she'd reached them, everyone was looking at her.
She waved casually, repressing her fear as best she could. Putting on her best confident act and smiling playfully.
"Hey. Sorry I'm late. I was working."
A string of lights lit up, followed by a flood of them that spelled: Not a Lawyer.
