This is super late! Sorry, been struggling with my personal issues. Glad you guys liked this so much. Hope you're still reading. I own only my OCs


"Senpai likes you." It was Mio that brought it up as they walked to the front gate together. Despite the girl's best attempts to protect her best friend's feelings, it seemed like it was impossible in the end. "Do you like him back? It's okay if you do; I'll be fine!" Yuri shook her head quickly.

"I don't see him like that..." The book loving girl sighed, a bit relieved they got it out in the open so quickly. "I don't have anyone I like."

"Hmm? But Mori-senpai is interested in you too. Dunno if he likes you but he seemed really curious about you." Mio winked, but Yuri just tilted her head in confusion.

"Mori-senpai? Who's that?" Yuri innocently asked, much to her best friend's suprise.

"Morinozuka Takashi! You know, that cool, tall guy who's always with Hani-senpai! The friendly giant!" Yuri took a moment to try and remember ever seeing someone like that...

"Oh! The boy from the library?" Yuri asked, surprised. "He's really nice! He ate my cookies even though they were failures. And helped me with the wind chime. Oh, and he reads a lot of books on raising pets..." Yuri smiled fondly as she talked, something she rarely did about anyone besides her family.

Mio stopped in her tracks, mouth hanging open in suprise. "You...You made him cookies? And he ate them?! But...you've never made anything before!" Yuri blushed, pulling her fingers through her messy hair. "Do you...like him? Like-like him?!"

"No, they were a thank you for helping me with the wind chime." Yuri quickly denied it as though it were impossible.

"You're allowed to like someone, you know. It's normal for a teenage girl to fall in love at least once." Mio patting her friend on the shoulder, smiling kindly. "I've been in love three times already!"

"Hmm..."


Morinozuka Takashi was awake in bed that night, thinking long and hard about what his best friend and cousin had said earlier that day. I...like Yuri?

She was cute, yes. When she read, she'd tilt her hair, her bangs shifting slightly. Her eyes were always focused; nothing else existed to her but the book she was reading. You could tell what she was thinking by her expressive face; it was fun to watch. He liked it when she smiled at him, grinned at him...And she was even cuter when she was sleeping. Which, he supposed, was a bit of a creepy thing to think about a person.

Her cookies were...an experience. He smiled to himself in the dark, remembering how the cute little cookies were somehow sweet but salty at the same time. He didn't mind the eggshell bits; it probably made them healthier. Was that proof that he was romantically interested in her? Love is blind or something?

"Takashi, it sounds like you like Yuri-chan."

Maybe he really did. He stared at the hand he'd used to ruffle her hair, the hand she'd high fived...Yeah, he probably liked her. He didn't know enough about this sort of thing to say he didn't.

The next morning, he stared at his breakfast for a good minute before eating. His family looked at him, curious but not surprised. He spaced out suprisingly often after all. Takashi ate quickly, already dressed. Nobody said anything to him; they figured it was on purpose anyway.

When he got to school, Mitsukuni just smiled when people cast them strange looks. Takashi didn't understand what was so odd. Not that getting a lot of attention was strange for anyone in the Host Club but quite a few girls whispered how this was a rare event. As Mitsukuni climbed on his back, he wondered what they meant.

"Eh? Mori-senpai, you're wearing your glasses today?" Oh, right...He'd been so distracted this morning that he forgot to put in his contacts...He just put on his glasses and forgot about them. Haruhi, the only one who pointed it out to him also pointed out something else that he missed. "You're on the wrong floor too. Aren't third year classes upstairs?"

"Takashi's been out of it all morning!" Hani cheerfully replied. "He almost walked into a wall earlier!"

"Hey, Hey, Haruhi!" Momo's cheery voice rang through the halls. "Woah! A rare Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai appeared! Lucky me!" The energetic girl dashed through the halls with her less enthusiastic best friend walking after her.

"Mio...no running in the halls..." Yuri sniffled, her voice muffled by her mask. A cold? But of course Mio didn't listen, even hiking up her long skirt to engage in some sort of weird dance. "No dancing in the hall either! What's with you today?"

"Celebrating! I got the main male role in the play, and you, my dearest friend, are at last awaking to the wonders of love!" Yuri's exhausted, downcast face suggested otherwise. "I mean, you even made cookies for a boy!"

"They were a thank you." Yuri shot back, grabbing one of Mio's arms to forcibly stop her odd dancing. "It doesn't mean anything..."

"But he ate them! You mixed up the salt and sugar and got eggshells in them, but he ate them!" Mio cheered, settling for repitively pumping her fist into the air victoriously. "He likes you! I bet he does!" Luckily, Mio's flurry of odd actions drew enough attention away from Takashi that he didn't have to worry about anyone noticing how uncomfortable he was. "Don't you think so, Mori-senpai?" Mio smirked, looking way too much like the twins at the moment.

He hesitated for a moment before he nodded. "Maybe." He shortly replied, his heart pounding. Mio's face brightened even more, her grin so wide it probably hurt. Before she could belt out a victory cheer, Yuri lightly slapped her on the head.

"You're being a bother! Calm down!" Yuri fussed at her, ears bright red. "I won't help you review for the math test if you don't!" She threatened, and Mio's face paled in response. While the drama club member let out a small "whoo!" in victory, her best friend dragged her into the classroom by her elbow, turning to give the three hosts a small, apologetic bow before closing the classroom door.

Finally free of that awkward situation, Takashi turned around to make his way upstairs to his own class. "Mori-senpai! That's the open window!" Haruhi yelled in a panic as he walked in the wrong direction yet again.

"Ah." He blinked several times, his head still in the clouds. Mitsukuni climbed down his back and took his hand.

"Takashi, I'll lead the way for you, okay?" The short blond smiled despite his worry. Are they going to be okay...? Haruhi thought as she watched them go.

The answer to her question: Probably...?


Short update but the next will be longer and have a bit more of Yuri's home life involved so figured some sweetness would be nice first. Yay, both are at the "like" stage! Also, I love Mio. She's heartbroken about her crush liking her friend but she cares more about Yuri. A real friend right there.