Silence reigned thick in the air, but Haruhi wouldn't make the same mistake she did all those years ago. She was not about to drop her composure again.

But, that was not easy.

She was lucky enough to have learned several acting tricks thanks to her many misadventures in the host club. The most important of which being to stay composed when all eyes were on you in a moment—or several moments—of pure quiet. What was probably only a second or two felt like centuries. This moment was no exception.

They should have said something by now, right? Haruhi was clueless on how to follow up her starting remark. So she was relying entirely on them to actually start the conversation. Kaoru did that when he gave her a small smile. Then a slightly concerned frown.

"How was your shift? Did you cut your finger?"

Haruhi nodded, a nervous laugh tumbling out as she held up her bandaged thumb.

"Cutting vegetables, that's what I get for spacing out too much."

Ranka blinked, looking her up and down. The bright red rooted hair clipped back, steel grey eyeshadow, the mostly clean uniform, and the small smile on her face. What he was looking at was real. So clearly real that it gave him a headache.

He thought Haruhi was as humble as a person could get. The most explicit she got was excused as the host club requiring her to be more extravagant. She often voiced her dislike of it, so he thought she preferred being modest.

But, here she was proudly wearing her red-rooted hair. Steel grey eyeshadow that complimented her eyes better than he ever expected grey could, along with some dark purple lipstick and small, black beaded hoop earrings.

She wasn't being "out there", but she certainly wasn't being modest, either.

It made so much sense, now.

This was not what he expected to see of his daughter.

"So you did give up?"

Haruhi was expecting the remark this time, refusing to physically react. Narrowing her eyes a little.

"I didn't give up. I was just never cut out to be a lawyer. This had always been more up my alley."

Now, Haruhi began to actively panic. It was so clear that Ranka was holding back his rage by a thread to not make a fool out of himself. It was also clear that they would not be in the safety of the restaurant forever, Ranka will probably want to talk to her alone at her apartment. Or at his apartment. Either way...

It was suddenly difficult to look any of them in the eye, though she tried her best. Fiddling with the still folded sleeve of her once clean uniform. She wore it around with pride, as she went to several great lengths to take good care of it. It was one of the few moments where she could additionally parade the fact that she was participating in her dream job to someone other than her fiancé and co workers.

But now...

Haruhi swallowed, a humiliated blush appearing on her face at the look her father was giving her. It had to be the most terrifying "Are you fucking serious?" look she had ever been given.

Could this get any worse?

Honey gasped.

"Is that a wedding ring, Haru-Chan?"

Of course it could.

Haruhi nodded. Confidence returning.

"You know what? Fuck it. I'm telling them about this. I might as well fess up about everything else."

"Well, it's an engagement ring, actually."

Ranka stared at the table, holding in his shock and anger. He refused to look up. He refused to look at her. And he especially refused to look at that ring.

No wonder she seemed so different, it was probably a guy who pushed her to be like this! She wouldn't give up on being a lawyer right at the finish line!

When he got his hands on him—!

"Who?"

Haruhi swallowed, hoping that it wasn't visible. She swore she'd just swallowed her tongue.

Then, she made a mistake.

"Do you want to talk somewhere else?"

After Ranka suggested going to her place, seeing as how she never let him know where she lived, Haruhi let him follow her. She gently urged everyone else to go home, since it was late.

In reality it was because she knew this would get ugly. And she didn't want anyone else to see it.

Haruhi got inside first, leaving the door open for Ranka as she went to pull the clip out. Dark brown hair falling back to the sides of her face loosely.

Velvet hopped over to her with a jubilant meow. It was too cute for her to not smile. Right, she did have something to keep herself grounded this time.

Haruhi knelt down and held the fluffy kitten in her arms, planting a kiss on her head as Ranka walked in. Pausing after they all registered the click of the door closing.

"You have a cat, too?"

Haruhi nodded. Relaxing as Velvet snuggled up to her.

"We got her recently, though."

Ranka himself couldn't help smiling as Velvet reached her paws up to try and touch Haruhi's face.

However, it didn't distract from what was coming.

"Haruhi..."

Haruhi winced.

"I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I know I should have done it sooner before it got this far."

Ranka held his head.

"So, you went all the way through Ouran. All the way through Harvard, and you decide to be a cook instead?"

Haruhi shook her head.

"I knew I wanted to be a cook since my last year at Ouran. I knew I didn't want to be a lawyer before mom got sick. Besides, I—"

Haruhi cut herself off.

"Haruhi? What happened? How could you back out only after you went through—"

"I didn't go through! I dropped out after the first semester!"

Okay, now she had swallowed her tongue.

Ranka staggered back.

"You did what?!"

Haruhi didn't flinch this time. Trying to keep her voice at a moderate level as Velvet was still warmly nestled in her arms.

"I dropped out, dad. I—I know I told you all I could handle being so far away, but I was lying. I couldn't handle it. And I wasn't cut out for what Harvard ended up being."

Ranka glared.

"So, what? All that time spent preparing you just wasn't enough? I made those payments, Haruhi! We all did!"

Haruhi retorted sharply.

"You didn't get the email, did you? You think I didn't know how bad it was? You think I didn't know how expensive it was to pay for that semester? Why do you think I stayed all three years with no breaks despite wanting to go home so badly?"

"Why?!"

"Because I was paying you back! Every hour I spent there was me figuring out ways to make that money back! I sent the other payments back in secret, you still have the money. And I sent out the money I made for that semester!"

Ranka didn't reply immediately, so she took her chance.

"Why did you think I barely had any luggage with me? I basically sold next to all of my stuff to get back because the rest of the money I made was just meant to give back to you."

Now, Ranka replied.

"So you didn't even make it through college from an education standpoint..."

"I'm planning on trying a smaller school later. But I still got accepted by Harvard if you need something to brag about. And I got a great job despite not having a college degree, I'd consider that impressive enough—"

"No, it's not impressive! What would have been impressive was getting through Harvard despite how you were feeling! If you still landed that stable job and were able to cook on the side."

Haruhi shook her head.

"You didn't listen to a thing I just said, did you? That I didn't want to be a lawyer in the first place?"

"Of course you did! If that wasn't what you wanted, you would have told us and we wouldn't have wasted our time trying to get you there!"

Haruhi flinched.

"Didn't I try telling you? And you threatened to cut me out of your life? I wasn't the one who wanted to be successful in the traditional sense. I wasn't the one who wanted your standard, big house, news story-type job. You were the one who wanted a kid you could brag about. You and everyone else wanted one of the kids in the neighborhood to live the life you wanted and you decided to pin that on me after mom got sick and I was stuck as the perfect student!"

"Haruhi, that's not—"

"That's exactly what it was! Ever since that teacher said I'd make a good lawyer and everyone started going: "Oh, she looks just like Kotoko! Maybe she'll get the same job as her!" You never asked me what I actually wanted! When I was younger, I just went along with it because I didn't feel safe admitting that I had no idea what I wanted to do. Then in Ouran, after I met everybody, I started noticing: "Hey! I really like cooking!" But I assumed you would say something and have me go through Harvard anyway. And that wasn't inaccurate, was it? Then I planned on going to that smaller school in the country with my fiancé, when we weren't in a relationship, and what happened?"

Ranka grimaced.

"Haruhi—"

"What happened, dad?!"

"Haruhi, that decision was last minute! What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to react to you saying you wanted to have a lower paying job after everything we did to help you succeed? And what do you mean you planned on going to college with your "fiancé"? Were you planning on telling me about that at all?"

Haruhi didn't reply, holding her mouth shut tightly.

"Haruhi! Answer me! Is he part of the reason you went down this path?! Did he manipulate you?!"

"Don't you dare—!"

A click signaled that the door was unlocked. Hikaru stepping in with a bright smile on his face.

"Hey! Good news! The conversation went well and they want to talk to Kaoru and me about it. Fingers crossed—"

Hikaru shrank back at the sight of Ranka. And the dark aura that surrounded him.

Haruhi thought fast, shaking her head.

"Okay, this isn't working. I think you should just go home."

Ranka blinked, looking back at Haruhi. Velvet having been placed down to go to Hikaru.

"What?"

"We can't have a proper discussion when we're both angry. I say we put some distance between us until we cool off. Then we try to talk."

Ranka wasn't in a position to argue. Sighing and directing a short glare at Hikaru before he left.

Hikaru wilted as Haruhi went to sit town, head falling into her hands.

"It, didn't go well for you...?"

Haruhi shook her head. Hikaru went over to her, sitting beside her and curling an arm around her. Haruhi drew in a deep breath, but it was as smooth and relaxed as an inflated pufferfish.

"I'm sorry. Do you wanna talk about it?"

Haruhi shook her head again.

"No, I think I just want to go to bed. I'm tired."

Hikaru nodded. Getting ready and only relaxing once in bed. Hikaru once again wrapping his arms around her.

This time, Haruhi returned it. Hugging him tight and letting out a sigh of relief because nothing bad happened to him despite the fact that he'd come home at the worst time possible.

She fell asleep that way, finally recognizing her optimistic side that had been pleading for attention saying: "It could have been worse."