Staring down at the dress in her hands, Haruhi sighs. "I can't believe you actually made me a new uniform."
"What are you waiting for?" The twins say in sync, "Go try it on!" They turn her around and push her towards her bedroom.
She walks through the doorway into her room and sets the new uniform down upon her bed. The two boys stand there behind her and smirk mischievously as she crosses her arms and waits for them to leave.
"Let us help you change, Har-u-hi." Hikaru purrs into her ear, sending a slight chill down her spine.
Her cheeks warm up as Kaoru copies his brother's actions. "We'd love to play dress up with you, Har-u-hi."
Irritated by the effect they're having on her, Haruhi turns around and glares at them. They eye her playfully with sly smiles upon their faces as she angrily points towards the living room "Out! I don't need help dressing, you perverts." They chuckle as they exit her room and she slams the door shut, grumbling something about 'rich bastards'.
As Haruhi removes her dress, her shadow plays upon her thin paper door. Hikaru and Kaoru blink in shock, their hearts beating wildly as they watch her shadow slowly remove its dress. Gawking on in amazement, Hikaru feels his pulse race through his veins; thanking commoners for having paper doors. Following the shadow's every move with his eyes, Kaoru's mind begins conjuring up fantasies.
Moments later Haruhi appears in a more form fitting dress than the one from before. The two boys stare at her in awe, their cheeks red as they watch her pull at the fabric around her curves. Haruhi mumbles complaints under her breath as she stands before them and tugs at her dress.
"Why does it have to be so tight?" she says, staring down at herself.
Letting out a groan of irritation, her fingers slide over her chest as she picks at the tight fabric. Hikaru grips his hands into fists, swallowing back a nervous knot at the sweet ache currently growing in his pants.
Knowing full-well that she has no idea how good she looks nor does she realize how much touching herself is teasing them, Kaoru bites his lip in frustration as pictures Haruhi in his mind.
Haruhi gives up and looks up at them, blushing as they gawk at her in astonishment. Taking their looks as a bad sign, she crosses her arms against her chest as if to cover herself up. "If I look that bad, I'll go change." Her dress twirls around her body as she turns to head back into her room.
"Haruhi, wait-" Hikaru stutters, breaking himself out of his daze.
"You look... beautiful." Kaoru stammers, licking his dry lips.
Haruhi lets out an apprehensive chuckle, unable to take their compliments as she turns back around to face them. The two boys eye each other, unsure of what to say next. An awkward silence weighs down on them as they wait for someone to speak or make a move, the three of them standing there quietly. Playing with the hem of her dress, Haruhi hesitantly meets Hikaru's gaze and he quickly looks away. Her eyes then meet Kaoru's and he flashes her a dazzling smile, causing her heart to beat like crazy.
Clearing her throat, Haruhi breaks the silence as she begins to gather her things. "I, uh, think it's time we get going to school. Don't want to be late, now do we."
"So, you're going to wear our uniform?" Kaoru says, blinking in astonishment.
Haruhi smiles sheepishly. "Of course. You had it made for me. Why would I get rid of a present?" The boys feel their hearts threaten to burst from their chests as she walks past them and heads for the door. She opens it and kicks on her shoes. "Well? Let's go."
They head out the door together and she shuts it behind them, watching as the twins race each other down the stairs to their limo in an attempt to hide their nervousness. Haruhi throws her backpack on and follows after them, pulling at her dress in irritation as it rides higher up her waist with every step.
Hikaru opens the door for Kaoru, gazing at Haruhi coming down the stairs. The light shining down on her makes her appear as if she were an angel. She thanks him with a nod of her head and slides into the limo after Kaoru. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts and hops in beside his brother, slamming the door shut as the limo takes off towards Ouran High.
The two boys try their best not to stare at Haruhi as they sit there in silence. Haruhi sits across from them and fiddles with her hands in her lap, occasionally glancing at the quiet boys across from her. They shoot her small smiles as they twiddle their fingers in their laps, trying their best not to think about her shadow show from before. Haruhi grins and looks out the window, not quite bothered by their lack of flirting.
Coming to a stop, the limo drops the three teens off out front of their school. Hikaru offers Haruhi his hand and helps her out of the limo, nervously watching her dress twirl around her. Kaoru climbs out behind them and pats them both on the shoulder before they head together through the campus. The two boys smiling pridefully, glad to have Haruhi beside them.
They pass a group of girls chatting away with Renge and cringe as the girls squeal excitedly. Renge spots Haruhi's dress and gasps, noticing it to be a Hitachiin original. A few of the girls grab at Haruhi's dress and examine the intricate details and threading. Haruhi rolls her eyes as a blond-haired girl pulls on her arm roughly to examine the sleeve.
Hikaru and Kaoru wrap their arms around Haruhi's shoulders and smile. "Our mother made this dress personally. If you'd like to custom order something we'd be happy to help you ladies." A few of the girls giggle as the twins pull business cards out of their pockets and offer them some.
Renge eyes the three of them and starts chuckling with glee. "Ohmigosh! You left Tamaki for the twins, didn't you?!"
Haruhi lets out a growl of irritation and face-palms herself in embarrassment. Hikaru and Kaoru blush, eyeing each other nervously out of the corner of their eyes as the girls around them start to chatter excitedly at the new gossip.
Bringing her face close to Hikaru's, Renge smirks evilly. "Haruhi left Tamaki cause she actually loves you, huh?"
Hikaru's face turns a brighter shade of red and he looks away from her, biting his lip nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about." He rolls his eyes knowing that that would never happen.
Renge comes around and draws her attention towards Kaoru. "It's true, isn't it?"
"Don't be silly, nothing's going on between us." Kaoru snorts. Although, secretly he wishes there was.
Haruhi pulls away from the girls in frustration, grabbing a hold of the twins and dragging them through the crowd. Renge frowns and follows after them, the girls crowding around them as they head towards class.
Hikaru and Kaoru smile in enjoyment, reveling in the the new rumor. The thought of people thinking of them as Haruhi's lovers makes them giddy as they follow after Haruhi through the foyer. They contemplate what it would be like to be with her, making the girls around them giggle as they take their shyness as a sign that the rumor is true.
The crowd slowly dissipates as they approach the classroom, Haruhi sighing in relief as she heads through the doorway. The twins try to hide their flushed faces as they follow behind her.
"I'll see you three lovebirds in Host Club!" Renge says happily as she rushes over to her desk.
Haruhi rolls her eyes and takes her seat, glaring daggers towards Renge for making another day turn bad. The twins take their seats around her and shoot her sideways glances, wondering how she feels about them. Haruhi begins unpacking her things angrily, glaring at Renge as she goes.
Kaoru places his things upon his desk. "Relax, Haruhi, we're going to stop these rumors."
Haruhi eyes him out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah, well, I wish they never happened in the first place."
"Are you angry because they're saying you're with us?" Hikaru asks her, frowning slightly.
"No, it's not because of that, Hika." Haruhi sighs, staring straight ahead at their teacher "Let's just forget about this for now and concentrate on class."
"Step right up, ladies! A thousand yen buys you a bid." Renge shouts, happily taking money from the group of girls surrounding her, "Guess which twin Haruhi left Tamaki for. The winner with the most bets takes the pool." Squeals of excitement echo through the music room as the girls crowd closer to Renge with money in hand.
"Ladies, you need to form a single file line." Masahiro says, clapping his hands loudly in the air. The girls around him groan as they try their best to form a line.
Haruhi sighs in irritation, flashing the clients around her a slight smile as she tries her best to ignore the bets happening right behind her. First it was just a rumor that she left Tamaki for another man and now her friends are being dragged into this; friends that she never had feelings of love for in the first place.
A red-haired girl takes a sip of her tea and sets the teacup down upon the coffee table. "Haruhi, how have you been doing since the break-up?"
The girls around her eye her curiously and Haruhi frowns. "I'm doing alright, I guess. I've talked with the other hosts and they understand the breakup, too." A bright smile involuntarily flashes upon her face as she continues, "Luckily I have the twins supporting me, so I'm not alone while I deal with it." She blushes slightly as she eyes the two boys across the room out of the corner of her eye.
Chuckles and curious glances are sent her way as she blushes before them. A dark-haired girl turns to her and smirks as she notices her watching the twins mid-act. "So there is something going on between you and the Hitachiin Twins?" Haruhi looks at her in shock and shakes her head 'no' quickly.
Hikaru and Kaoru pause their brotherly love act to stop and look sideways at Haruhi and her guests. The girls around them take note of this and start to gossip behind their hands and into each other's ears as the twins watch Haruhi become nervous from questions asked about them.
Haruhi lets out a deep breath, trying not to show her annoyance or nervousness at their questions. "There isn't anything going on between us. I'm currently not interested in relationships or love. I just want to focus on my studies and take life as it comes."
Frowning, Hikaru looks away and Kaoru sighs, comforting his brother with a hug. Some of the girls around them giggle and squeal over their affection for each other.
The girl smiles at Haruhi, enjoying the gossip as another girl decides to take her place in the questioning. "Either way, you can't deny the fact that the twins clearly have a thing for you." She points at the two boys with her thumb and the others look towards the brothers.
The twins overhear this and blush, turning their heads away right as Haruhi looks at them. They stare at each other with joy and lay their foreheads together nervously.
Blinking at them in confusion, Haruhi takes a sip of her tea before setting it down. "Well, yes. Both the twins and Tamaki have told me they love me. While I'm flattered by their feelings, I just don't care for any of that right now."
A few of the girls around her giggle and walk off towards Renge. Haruhi sighs and watches as they whisper in Renge's ear and Renge instantly squeals with joy.
"Change of bets! We are now betting on who gets Haruhi first; Tamaki, Hikaru, or Kaoru! Place your bets, ladies. A love triangle is about to unfold." Renge announces, making the girls around the room chatter with delight. A groan of irritation issues forth from Haruhi and a pair of arms wraps around her. She looks up to spy Kazuo smirking down at her.
"Don't let it get ya down, Haruhi. You're too cute to let these rumors bother you." He says, laying his head upon hers.
Haruhi blushes and sits still, allowing him to continue cuddling her as she attempts to ignore the chaos around her. "Just another wonderful day of Host Club."
Hikaru glares at Kazuo jealously and Kaoru smirks, trying to pull his attention away from the scene. The girls run around wildly as gossip and money are thrown about.
Finally, after what feels like forever, the bell signalling the end of Host Club rings and Haruhi releases a sigh of relief.
"Looks like you've survived another day, princess." Kazuo says, winking at her as she pulls out of his grip and stands up. She thanks her guests and bids them goodbye before turning towards Kazuo. "Thanks for the support." He flashes her a dazzling smile. "Anything for you, cutie." Haruhi rolls her eyes as he walks off, waving at her over his shoulder.
Hikaru and Kaoru excuse themselves and rush over to Haruhi, hoping to catch her before she decides to leave.
"Hey, Har-u-hi," the twins say in sync, approaching her happily, "Do you wanna come to our house to study tonight?"
Haruhi turns towards them. "I'll gladly come with you guys. Just get me away from all these rich bastards."
Hikaru and Kaoru smile brightly as they escort her to their limo, the three of them ignoring the glances and chatter directed towards them as they head through the school.
A couple of clients giggle about them as they reach the limo, pointing out that the rumors really are true. Haruhi becomes upset by them pointing this out and pulls away from the twins, crawling nervously into the backseat. Hikaru and Kaoru exchange sad glances and scramble in after her, making the girls behind them squeal with delight. They slam the door shut and the limo drives off quickly.
Haruhi packs up her things quickly as the bell for lunch rings, wanting to avoid Renge as much as possible.
"So, Haruhi, what's for lunch?" Kaoru says, smiling at her as he stands up beside her.
Haruhi ignores him as she hurriedly shoves things into her backpack, wishing for some simple peace and quiet this time around.
Kaoru frowns at his brother and Hikaru stands up beside her. "You're sure in a hurry to get somewhere. What have you got planned, Haruhi?"
Haruhi gets the remainder of her school supplies into her bag and throws her backpack onto her shoulder. The twins frown as they watch her head for the door without them.
"Haruhi, wait for us!" they call out, saddened as she leaves them behind.
Glad to be away from Renge, Haruhi rushes down the hall in the hopes of finding a quiet place for lunch. As she heads down the hallway towards the gardens, she runs straight into Tamaki. He chuckles as he prevents her from falling, blushing slightly as they stare at one another. Haruhi gives him a nervous smirk and stands before him, trying her best to forget the awkwardness between them. They stand there chewing on their lips nervously, waiting for the other to make the first move or talk first.
Tamaki smiles at her and pats her on the head. "Did you want to spend lunch together? I was heading to the gardens myself." He shakes his small bento box at her.
Haruhi nods her head and smiles at him. "Sure, I don't see why not."
They walk side by side together towards the gardens in silence. Haruhi ignores the glances and whispers aimed at her as they walk out the doors to the gardens.
"So, I heard some new rumors today." Tamaki says hesitantly as they make their way to the veranda, "Something about you leaving me for the twins?"
Haruhi sighs. "Please ignore any rumors you hear from now on. I can assure you they're not true."
Tamaki smirks at her as they arrive at the veranda. "I wasn't doubting you, Haruhi. I just found it amusing, that's all."
They both take seats upon the bench in the veranda and Haruhi starts to dig around her backpack for her lunch. Tamaki sets his bento box upon his lap and starts to unwrap it. Haruhi removes a small container of noodles from her backpack and pours a packet of soy sauce upon them.
"How's your job been treating you, Senpai?" Haruhi says, spooning some noodles into her mouth.
Tamaki swallows a bite of rice and replies, "It's going well enough. I get plenty of kids in my office throughout the day asking me for advice and questions."
"That's because they saw how well you handled the Host Club." Haruhi smiles, making Tamaki blush brightly. "You truly are a father figure." Her mind wanders to the good ole days of Host Club and she sighs, wishing Kyoya, Honey, and Mori were there, too.
"Thank you, Haruhi. That means a lot to me." Tamaki says, smiling painfully at her. He takes another bite of his rice and they eat in silence for a few minutes. Haruhi finishes her noodles and places the container in her backpack. She pulls out some rice balls and begins snacking on them as she stares out at the grounds before them.
"How's school been treating you so far?" Tamaki says quietly, trying to ignore the pain in his heart.
Haruhi watches some pollen dance through the air. "Aside from the rumors and irritating entourage of gossipers, it's been going pretty well."
"It's good to have you back here at Ouran." Tamaki says with a smile, "I can tell everyone is happier."
A slight blush crawls into Haruhi's cheeks. "There's no need for flattery, Senpai. I'm just glad to be back regardless of how others feel."
Tamaki offers her some of his fancy tuna and she smiles, happily picking up a piece and popping it into her mouth. He watches her savor the taste and blushes as she licks her lips happily. He messes up her hair and takes another bite of his rice, chuckling as she smiles back at him.
"You're wearing a new dress, aren't you?" He says, cautiously eyeing her uniform, "Did the twins make it?"
Haruhi blushes. "They had their mother make it for me. Something about only the best for me."
Tamaki frowns. "You seem to have gotten closer to them since the break up."
"Yes, I have. Is there something wrong with that?" Haruhi eyes him suspiciously.
"Well, it's just these rumors have me thinking that maybe they were part of the reason we broke up." Tamaki says quietly, averting his eyes to the ground.
Haruhi sets her food down and glares at him. "They didn't break us up. I didn't even have feelings for them when we were dating. They're my friends, that's all." She feels anger boiling up inside of her, irritated by the fact that he's stirring up drama.
"I'm sorry. I was just wondering, that's all." Tamaki stutters quickly, trying his best not to anger her.
"I think I'm done eating lunch." Haruhi says sternly, her jaw set tightly with anger.
"Well, at least let me apologize for all the trouble I've caused recently." Tamaki sighs and runs a hand through his hair. Haruhi starts to pack up her lunch, irritated that their conversation has yet again ended on a sour note. "I think I should start heading towards the music room. We're done talking for today, Tamaki." Tamaki takes note of her anger and lets out a nervous laugh.
"Let me walk you back." Tamaki says quickly as he packs up his bento box "It's the least I can do seeing as I've yet again messed up."
They rise at the same time and head back into the building in silence. Haruhi frowns as they walk together, irritated by the awkwardness building between them once again. As they head towards the music room, Hikaru and Kaoru arrive at the opposite end of the hall.
"Thanks for eating lunch with me." Haruhi says, sighing in annoyance as Tamaki gives her a quick hug. The twins watch on jealously, frowning as Tamaki blushes and bids her goodbye. Haruhi watches him leave and prepares herself for Host Club, not looking forward to the rumors that are sure to be the subject for today's conversations.
Hikaru and Kaoru approach her, pretending they hadn't seen her with Tamaki.
"Ready for another day of Host Club, Haruhi?" Kaoru says with a forced smirk. Hikaru frowns as she shoots them a look of irritation.
"I'm curious to see what the newest bet on my love life is." Haruhi sighs, glaring at the music room door.
Haruhi crosses her arms as she stares at them from across the limo. "It's only been two days and already I'm irritated with school. These rumors are annoying. They sure don't help with the stress from the break-up."
"We're really sorry about the rumors, Haru." Hikaru mumbles as he stares at her.
Kaoru runs a hand through his hair. "We really are going to try to get them to stop. Just bear with us, alright?" Haruhi lets out a sigh of frustration as she nods her head in response.
They sit in silence for a few moments, twiddling their thumbs as they stare at one another. Haruhi turns to look out the window at the passing scenery as she thinks about today's events, deciding that she probably should get used to having crazy school days until these rumors die down.
"So, how was your lunch, Haruhi?" Kaoru asks her, breaking the silence and drawing her out of her thoughts.
Shrugging, Haruhi turns towards them. "It was okay, I guess. Me and Tamaki just talked about work and these stupid rumors that are going around." Kaoru and Hikaru feign smiles as they listen to her discuss her lunch. "He seemed to be really jealous of you guys all because I'm wearing the clothes you made me." Haruhi chuckles nervously, realizing that wearing their clothes probably isn't helping her case.
"Tamaki this and Tamaki that." Hikaru barks, surprising Haruhi with his outburst, "Rub it in our faces, why don't you?" She notices the sadness and irritation in their eyes and frowns. "Sorry if I upset you guys. I just needed someone to talk to about all this."
"You have us you can talk to." Hikaru crosses his arms in frustration. "Sometimes it just feels like you give Tamaki a lot more attention."
"Shut up, Hikaru." Kaoru hisses, elbowing him in the side, "Knock it off." He turns towards Haruhi and smiles sweetly. "You don't need to apologize, Haru. We're here to listen to anything you have to say whether we like it or not. That's what supports are for." Hikaru frowns at him and he eyes him angrily out of the corner of his eye.
"Thanks, Kao." Haruhi says, smiling softly at him. He nods his head at her before turning his attention to his brother. "Hikaru, dontcha have anything you'd like to say to Haruhi?" Hikaru rolls his eyes and sighs in defeat. "Sorry, I guess." Haruhi shoots him a small smile. "Thanks, Hika." He blushes and mumbles in embarrassment before turning away to look out the window.
They arrive at the Hitachiin manor quicker than expected and hop out together in silence. The twins escort her into their dining room and start to set out their books and notepads upon the long wooden table. Haruhi takes a seat at the foot of the table and starts to take things out of her backpack, arranging them upon the table. The twins smirk at her professionalism and take their seats on either side of her. Haruhi starts to work on some history questions while the two take turns copying her notes.
Kaoru writes down a few sentences on the history of Japanese Prime Ministers. "So, Haruhi, what was it like in Boston?"
"It was a different experience." Haruhi says as she finishes her first essay question, "Boston looks a lot like Bunkyō, but they don't have a lot of the same furnishings or practices as we do. I learned a lot of new things, met a lot of new people, and got to try many different foods."
"Would you want to go back?" Hikaru mumbles as he erases and rewrites his notes.
Haruhi begins her next essay question. "For the education, of course."
"There's a 'but', isn't there?" Kaoru says with a satisfied smirk.
Haruhi nods her head. "But, I will always prefer being home. I made friends with people, but it just wasn't the same. There wasn't a lot that we had in common and their humor doesn't compare to that of you guys. I really missed you guys while I was there." The twins blush as they stare down at their notebooks in embarrassment.
"It wasn't the same without you here, Haruhi." Hikaru mumbles quietly as he scribbles down notes.
Kaoru finishes jotting down the last of the notes before beginning to work on his homework. "We're glad to have you back, Haru."
Haruhi feels her face burn and she looks down at her notepad, trying her best to hide her face. She feels her heart flutter excitedly and stares down at the words upon her paper in confusion. Hikaru and Kaoru had simply repeated what everyone else has been saying, so why is she feeling this way? She sighs, deciding that the break up is to blame.
They study in silence for the remainder of the afternoon, too nervous to speak to one another. Pencil and pen scribbles fill the air as they finish writing up their history assignments. They look over each other's work, jumping slightly as their phone alarms soon chime off at ten o'clock and break the silence.
Packing up her things quickly, Haruhi bows at them as she decides it's time to go home.
"Thank you for studying with me tonight." She stutters nervously.
"It's our pleasure, Har-u-hi." Kaoru says as he and Hikaru walk her to their front door.
"Just tell the driver where to go and he'll take you home." Hikaru says, frowning that she has to leave.
Haruhi waves goodbye to them and heads for their limo. The driver comes around and opens the door for her.
Haruhi bows at him. "Thank you very much for the ride, sir." He chuckles as she quickly crawls into the back seat. He shuts the door and climbs into the driver's seat, rolling down the divider.
"No need to tell me where to take you. With the way those boys talk about you, I'm sure I'll be driving to your place a lot." He says, winking at her in the rear-view mirror. Haruhi blushes as the divider is closed once again and the limo takes off.
Her mind wanders to the events of today, wondering why she's been acting so weird around the twins. As she lays back against the seat, Tamaki's words run through her head and she sighs as she realizes she has gotten closer to the twins. Is it cause she enjoys their company or is it simply because they're her supports? She puts the back of her hand against her forehead and smiles as it feels slightly warm. "This break up is making me sick. That's what it is."
The limo soon comes to a stop outside of her apartment complex and she scrambles out. Shutting the door, she waves at the driver as he drives away before making her way up the stairs to her apartment. She breathes a sigh of relief, glad to have the day over with.
Ranka steps outside of the door and fluffs his hair, ready to walk to work. He sees his little girl approaching him and runs over to grab her into a hug. Haruhi smiles and hugs her dad, trying her best not to mess up his outfit. He notices that she's concentrating hard on her thoughts and eyes her.
"What's going on in that head of yours, Haruhi?" He says, gripping her shoulders and pushing her away so he can look down at her.
She sighs as she looks up at her dad. "Have I been spending too much time with the twins?"
Ranka blows a strand of hair out of his face. "You haven't been spending too much time with them, but you have been spending more time with them than usual."
Haruhi blushes as her dad winks down at her. "Do you think it's weird that I like their company? I mean, they really help me forget the break up."
"Then I don't see a reason why you're so worried, dear." Ranka shrugs, bopping her on the nose with his finger.
"It's just... Tamaki seems to think there's something wrong with it." Haruhi frowns as she looks up at her dad.
Ranka glares. "Am I gonna have to kill that bastard for insulting my daughter?"
Haruhi shakes her head. "Please don't worry about him. I'll just ignore him for now."
A smile spreads across Ranka's face and he kisses her upon her forehead, leaving behind a red lip print. "Just get some rest and worry about how you feel. Don't pay any mind to what anyone else says. Your mother would want you to do that."
Haruhi smiles at her dad and starts to head to their front door. "Thanks, dad."
Ranka waves her goodbye as he heads down the stairs. "Have a goodnight, dear. I'll see you later."
Pushing open the front door, Haruhi shuts it behind her and smiles as she prepares herself for a night of quiet and peaceful rest. Whether she wants to or not, she will try her best to forget about today's events and just give herself a break from all the stress and drama of school and relationships.
As she starts to boil water for rice, her phone rings off in her pocket. She shrugs it off as she prepares the vegetables for a basic fried rice meal. Pouring the rice into the pot, she watches the steam rise and hit her soothingly in the face. Another alert rings off on her phone and she frowns, deciding to shut it off for the night.
She grabs it out of her pocket and flips it open, noticing messages from the twins. A small smile forms on her face and she decides to open Hikaru's text.
"Thanks for helping make learning more fun." She reads out loud, chuckling at his words.
Stirring the sauteing veggies, Haruhi opens up Kaoru's message and smiles. "Forget about the others and relax. We will stop these rumors." She closes the phone, glad to have such supportive friends and sets it down as she drains the rice thoroughly. As she starts to saute the rice and veggies together, her phone rings off again. Sighing, she rushes up her cooking and puts her food in a bowl. She takes a seat at her kotatsu and sets the bowl down as she flips her phone open to read the new message.
"We'll always be here to support you, Haruhi. We're keeping our promise to you, because you're important. Have a good night, Haruhi. We love you." Her eyes scan the words written to her by Kaoru and she becomes oddly delighted, feeling her heart flutter happily. She shakes her head, deciding she's really coming down with something. Shoveling the food in her mouth, she reads his words a few times more. Despite having had them admit it to her already, reading it seems to make it all the more real and therefore only adds more confusion to her already confused mind.
Sighing, she finishes off her rice and gets up to head to bed, wondering if she'll ever be able to sleep soundly without her thoughts keeping her up.