Happy fall! :) Hope everyone is doing well and staying warm.

AquilonIII: Wow so true! :D I never saw it that way before haha. Do you study literature or something related? Hehe :) Hope you like the continued plot/storyline then cause I have some things planned. ^_^ Thanks for all your love and support.

EarthBender001: Haha that's what I was aiming for. ^u^ Thank you for such kinds words and for reading. :) Hope you like this chapter!

e whatever: Thank you so much for being obsessed haha XD Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy the story. :) Thanks for the review!

Just a warning, more swear words in this than usual.

"What? Is Hikaru-kun okay?" Emi said. Ryuu glanced over and stood.

Kaoru swallowed. "He's unconscious. They-They said he's going to need surgery."

"Oh no." Emi's jaw dropped, and her hand went to cover her mouth. "Kaoru, which hospital are you going to?"

"The big Tokyo one."

She grabbed her jacket and nodded at Ryuu, who did the same before ducking into the kitchen to grab Berty. "We'll meet you there then."

"Please, be careful," Kaoru said.

"We will," she said. "Do you want me to call anyone?"

Kaoru cleared his throat. "Maybe the Host Club."

"Okay," she said as Berty and Ryuu returned. "I'll see you soon, Kaoru-kun."

"Mm. See you."

Emi sent a mass message to the other hosts, informing them of the Hitachiin twins' situation. A second after, Tamaki messaged back saying he was on his way and could pick Haruhi up. The others were right after him, responding within several minutes.

When the Mazawa twins arrived at the hospital, they headed straight for the front desk, asking where to find Hikaru.

"It seems he's in surgery. You can wait for news over there."

They jogged over to the area. There were a few benches lined against the wall, and Emi saw Kaoru sitting on one. His arms were on his lap and his head was down.

"Kaoru-kun," she said as they neared.

He looked up at her with wide eyes, brimming with tears. "Emi." His voice was small, and there were bandages on his forehead and cheek.

Emi shook her head and fell to her knees. "Oh Kaoru." She pulled him towards her, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's going to be okay. Hikaru-kun's going to be okay."

"Mm," he said. He was shaking. His head dropped onto her shoulder while she rubbed his back. Ryuu sat down next to Kaoru, and they stayed like that until Tamaki and Haruhi arrived with a bouquet of flowers. Emi sat back and held his hand.

"Are your parents coming, Kaoru?" Haruhi said.

"My parents are still overseas," he said. "They didn't come back with us, so no, not today." Haruhi nodded and sat down on the bench across from them. Tamaki joined her.

When the rest of the Host Club had arrived, Tamaki glanced at Kaoru. "What happened? Emi-chan told us a car accident."

Kaoru nodded. "We got T-boned. The roads were slippery, and the other car went out of control. It hit the driver's side. The driver..." - everyone tensed - "he got a fracture or something, so he's being treated right now. Hikaru's side was hit the most, so…" Kaoru looked down at the ground.

Tamaki set an arm on Kaoru's shoulder, while tears streamed down his face. "It's going to be okay, Kaoru. We're here for you."

Kaoru tried to smile and nodded, but his brow remained furrowed. "Thanks you guys." His grip on Emi's hand tightened.

Everyone fell silent and awaited the doctor's appearance.

An hour later, the surgeon came out of the double doors, taking her mask off. Everyone stood, their eyes pinned to the doctor.

"The surgery was a success," the doctor said, looking at Kaoru and began explaining Hikaru's injuries. He had a large gash on his side where the car had struck him, his arm broke, and his head had suffered a concussion. They'd stitched up the wound and set his arm. "We just need to wait for him to wake up. You can go see him right now."

Kaoru nodded and thanked the doctor. Then he led the group down the hall to a room. The moment he stepped inside, Kaoru rushed straight to Hikaru's side. Hikaru's head was bandaged up, and his arm was in a cast.

"Oh thank goodness," Tamaki said, biting his nails while crying. "Hikaru will be alright!"

"That's great, huh, Kao-chan?" Honey said with a grin.

Kaoru nodded, slumped beside Hikaru and holding his hand. "Yeah." Emi put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. He looked up at her and managed a smile. The small smile made her heart constrict, and she wanted to hug him until his usual wide grin was back.

The Host Club stood there, watching Hikaru's peaceful face, when a nurse came in and said, "You may need to leave soon. We'll need room to monitor his condition and change his bandages."

"Yeah, you guys can go," Kaoru said. He looked at them with a smile. "Thanks for coming."

"If you need anything," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up, "don't hesitate to ask."

Kaoru chuckled. "Thanks, but I'd rather avoid owing you anything, Kyoya-senpai."

"Then you can always ask me!" Tamaki said.

"Me too! Me too!" Honey waved his hand in the air.

Haruhi nodded. "I don't know if I'm any help, but I hope Hikaru recovers quickly."

"Thanks everyone," Kaoru said, gazing at Hikaru. "I'll tell him when he wakes up." The Host Club filed out of the room after saying their goodbyes.

"I guess we should go too," Emi said.

Kaoru glanced at her then stood up. "Ah, I forgot we were coming to see you guys."

"It's fine, Kaoru," she said with a smile. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Please take care."

He hugged her back. "You too, Emi."

"I'll see you soon then," she said when they'd stepped back.

"See ya," Ryuu said, "and tell that idiot to hurry up and get better."

Kaoru nodded and waved them out.

They were back the next day with the rest of the Host Club. Hikaru was awake and playing on his DS. Everyone crowded in, asking Hikaru how he was feeling and offering their get-well wishes.

"I'm fine," he said, lying against the propped-up pillow.

"What are you playing?" Ryuu said and leaned to get a look of the small screen.

"Final Fantasy," Hikaru said.

"Did your parents come yet?" Emi asked, standing beside Kaoru who sat on a stool.

Kaoru nodded. "This morning."

While the other Hosts chatted about their winter breaks and plans for meeting up on the New Year, Emi stared at Kaoru's hair. It was right there and so close. He wouldn't mind… right? It'd be awkward to ask though. Like, "Hey! Can I touch your hair?" Then he'll think I have a hair fetish or something. Or the rest of the Host Club will.

She reached a hand out and fingered a bundle of strands. Kaoru turned his head towards her. "What are you doing?" he said with a smile.

She giggled and ran a hand through his hair. "It's so soft."

He tipped his head back, bumping it into her abdomen. "You won't be with your friends all day on the New Year, right?"

"Yeah," she said, now playing with his hair.

"Then can we meet up?"

"Of course." She grinned. "I'll definitely be free in the evening, probably in the afternoon too."

"Good." He smiled up at her then tuned back into the Host Club's conversation. She slipped her arms around his neck and hugged his head. They stayed like that for a while before Kaoru grabbed another stool and Emi took a seat beside him.

Hikaru was in good spirits considering his situation, though his arm couldn't move much, hindering his gameplay. Kaoru informed everyone that their driver was also recovering and would be okay. After some more chatter, everyone headed off with plans to meet up on the New Year. Tamaki wanted to try out osechi - traditional New Year foods - from the convenience store.

"I'm sure the commoners have found an inspiring way to make it taste good," Tamaki said, while Haruhi shook her head.

As the New Year approached, Emi finalized her plans for the day. On New Year's Eve, the Mazawa twins sat down to enjoy a traditional dinner Berty cooked up. Their parents were busy with work; they had lots of business to finish before the end of the year.

Ryuu donned his wig, and the two headed out at eleven-thirty to meet up with Sumiko and Aki at the nearby shrine.

"Ryo-chan, your hair is down!" Aki said with a grin when they found each other by the stairs that led to the temple.

Ryuu nodded. The usual high ponytail was now loose strands of hair falling all around him. The hair kept his neck warm, especially since he didn't have his scarf, but it also kept flying into his face.

"It's cute," Sumiko said. "You should wear it that way more often."

Ryuu shrugged and cleared his throat before saying in falsetto, "Let's go."

"Yeah," Aki said and they climbed up the steps.

The place was packed. People milled about, getting fortunes, purchasing charms, and writing on ema plaques. The four joined the long line that led into the offering hall.

"How come Ryuu-kun didn't come?" Aki said, and Ryuu tensed.

"You didn't say he could," Emi said.

"Eh?" Aki's jaw dropped. "Of course he's always welcome!"

"It's fine." Emi waved a hand in the air. "He had other plans anyway."

"Oh what kind of plans?" Aki's eyes widened and she leaned closer. Ryuu tucked his chin into his jacket, while his gaze darted between the two girls.

Emi shrugged. "Family thing."

"What's his family like?" Sumiko said. "Seems like a rough one."

Emi glanced at Ryuu, who shrugged. "I… don't think we can tell you," Emi said. "I don't think we know all that well either."

"I mean, it's your aunt and uncle right?" Aki said.

Oh no, Emi thought. The Mazawa twins exchanged looks again. "It's complicated," Ryuu said and Emi felt her heart stop.

"Woah!" Aki said as Ryuu's eyes bulged. "You just mimicked Ryuu's voice exactly, Ryo-chan! Amazing!"

Emi breathed again. Thank God Aki's dense.

Sumiko smiled. "Must be from all that time spent with him."

But Sumiko isn't. Emi bit her tongue. Guess I know what I'm wishing for.

"Anway, we probably shouldn't be asking," Sumiko said, nudging Aki with her elbow. "It's private business."

"Yeah." Aki chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, Emi-chan, Ryo-chan." They crept along through the line. Aki turned back to Ryuu. "Hey, hey, Ryo-chan, can you say something for me using your Ryuu voice?"

"Uh." Ryuu cleared his throat again. "I can only say that line cause he says that a lot."

"Ohh." Aki nodded, then smiled. "You can't say anything like, 'I like you,' in Ryuu's voice?"

Ryuu blushed and shook his head. "N-No way!"

Aki giggled and pushed him. "I'm joking!"

Midnight came, and everyone cheered as fireworks went off. When they finally reached the offering area, they threw in a few hundred yen, clapped twice, and then began to pray.

Please don't let Ryuu's secret be found out that he's actually Ryo. Please let my relationship with Kaoru-kun continue to sail smoothly. Please let Ryuu fall in love so he can understand. Emi thought with her eyes closed. Please cure Ryuu's fear of women, and while you're at it, please cure my fear of heights. Sorry, I know this is a lot to ask for, and you're really busy, so you probably won't be able to grant all these prayers. Please don't think I'm being selfish or greedy. Please keep my parents in good health. Thank you very much, and have a good year. If gods can have a good or bad year...

She bowed and opened her eyes to find the other three staring at her.

"Woah Emi, what were you wishing for?" Sumiko said with a grin. "Twenty-five different things?"

"Not that many," Emi said, smiling as they stepped out of the line.

They got fortunes and bought ema plaques to write on. "Average luck," the Mazawa twins said when they unfolded theirs.

"Good luck!" Aki waved the paper in the air.

"Great luck." Sumiko smiled. "We're a lucky bunch."

After hanging the plaques up, they walked back down and bid their farewells. They returned home, climbed into bed to sleep, and when the sun was up in the sky, they got up to prepare to go out.

Emi and Kaoru went to a cafe for lunch, while Ryuu called Michi up.

"Happy new year," he said.

"Happy new year Ryuu," she said in a cheery tone.

"Are you busy?"

"No," she said, "just feeding my spiders."

"Then, uh, do you want to go out?" He paced across his room. What if she said no? What if-

"Yeah sure! What time?"

He stopped moving and checked the clock. "Is now a good time?"

"Sure," she said.

What could he do with her? He couldn't copy Emi and go to a cafe for lunch. Besides, that'd seem too date-like. Anyway, it was the New Year. He ought to do something related to that. "Have you visited the shrine yet?" he asked.

"Not yet."

"Do you want to go together then?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," she said. "The one across the street from the park?"

"Yup."

"Okay, I'll be there in fifteen minutes," she said. "See you Ryuu!"

"See ya," he said and waited for her to hang up. Then he glanced at himself in the mirror. He was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. He rummaged through his closet and pulled out a plaid shirt. Holding it up to his chest, he stared at his reflection. He shook his head and threw the shirt back. It wasn't like she'd see what he was wearing with a winter coat on anyway.

So he donned his coat and headed out.

Emi and Kaoru were enjoying lunch at a quaint little cafe near the edge of the city. They wouldn't run into anyone they know here.

"What'd you wish for?" he said and smiled. "Did it involve me?"

She giggled. "Maybe."

"At least school's starting soon," Kaoru said, polishing off the rest of his hamburger steak.

"That's a good thing?" Emi said.

"Yeah." He smiled. "It means I can see you everyday."

She grinned. "Yeah. So, how's Hikaru-kun?"

"He's out of the hospital, but he'll be back tomorrow for a check-up," Kaoru said. "He's handling it well, I guess, considering what happened."

"That's good." She smiled.

"Yeah." He reached a hand over the table and placed it over hers. Her cheeks warmed up, and she laced her fingers through his. The waiter arrived with their dessert, setting two cake slices down. Emi picked up the fork with her left hand.

"I don't think this is going to work, Kaoru-kun," she said, giggling.

"Let's give it a try," he said with a chuckle. She stabbed the fork into the cake and brought the piece towards her mouth.

"Mm," she said, licking her lips.

"Good?" he said, and she nodded. He slid his fork into her cheesecake. He nodded after taking a bite, then pushed his chocolate cake towards her. "Good. Try this one."

"Okay." She swallowed the hysterical giggle that was bubbling forward. We must look so cheesy to everyone else, she thought as she tried Kaoru's chocolate cake. "Mm, yum. They're all really good."

Once they finished dessert, Emi got up to use the bathroom. She studied her reflection in the mirror while washing her hands. She was smoothing parts of her hair down when an alarm screeched.

Beep! Beep! Emi jumped. Water sprayed out from the sprinklers above.

Crap! A fire alarm? She dried her hands on her pants and jogged to the door. She pulled, but it didn't move. What? She tugged and yanked the door, but it still didn't budge. Her heart drummed in her chest. What's going on?

"Emi?" It was Kaoru.

"Kaoru," she said, placing a hand on the door. "The door's stuck!"

"What?"

She heard him push against the door.

"Is there a fire?" she asked while continuing to put her weight against the handle. It was like a block of heavy concrete.

"Yeah," he said. "You need to get out of there!"

She could smell the smoke now. "Kaoru, you need to get out of here. The fire hasn't reached the bathroom yet."

"I'm not leaving without you, Emi!"

She bit her lip and glanced around the small bathroom. Her heartbeat was louder than the alarm. There's gotta be an alternate way out of here. There were two stalls, a sink, and a hand dryer. She spotted a window near the top of the wall by the second stall. "Kaoru, there's a window. I'll try to get out through there. You need to get out of the building."

"Okay!" he said. "Be careful."

"You too." She ran to the window. It was wedged deep into the wall, a good foot in. Emi stood on the tips of her toes and managed to brush her fingers against the dusty glass. She couldn't see the window from her position, only the white wall. Her fingers searched the window for a good grip.

Nothing? Is it a window that pushes open? Her toes were aching from the weight of her body as she continued looking. Agh, I don't know how long I can keep this up. My arm feels like it's being stretched to death!

She found a lock near the side of the window. She dropped back onto her feet to catch her breath and shake out the numbness developing in her shoulder. The alarms were still screaming, and more and more smoke was seeping in.

Emi pulled the top of her shirt up to cover her nose, but it slid right back down when she moved. Crap crap crap crap crap!

She went back to her tiptoes and grasped the lock. She tried to push it up, but it didn't move. Oh bleep. Shit. This better not be as stuck as the bathroom door was. I am not dying here.

She bit her lip and pushed again. The smoke was filling the room. Emi used her free left hand to hold her shirt over her nose. She pulled and yanked and wrenched the lock, but it still didn't move.

Oh shit! Ohhhh shit! God, please no, don't let me die here. This is the New Year! I can't die now. Emi's eyes watered from the smoke.

"Emi?" It was Kaoru. "Emi!"

"I'm here!" she said, shouting over the alarm.

"Emi, you need to get out of there!" he said.

"I know!" she said. She released the lock. Her hand stung, and there was a red imprint on her palm where she'd gripped it. She curled her fingers into a fist, then smashed it into the window.

"Woah!" Kaoru said.

Fuck! She shook her fist and saw the blood on her knuckles. The window was four-framed. Even though she'd shattered the first frame, she wouldn't be able to get through. And now there's probably glass in my hand. Great.

"Emi!" Kaoru's voice was getting more and more panicked.

"It's okay," she said, jumping up and taking the lock with both hands. She planted her feet against the wall and put her whole weight into it.

There was a creak and it moved. Emi's eyes widened. Yes!

Then the whole lock flew upwards, sending her flying backwards. She hit the ground, coughing from the smoke.

"Emi?" Kaoru said. His voice was higher and shakier than usual. "Emi, please. Please hurry up and get out of there."

She climbed onto her feet. The fire had entered the bathroom and was eating up the door. "I got-" Emi coughed and staggered back over. "I got it!"

She placed her arms on the ledge before the window and pushed a palm against the pane. Black spots were appearing in her vision.

She leaned and the window squeaked and moved.

"Emi!"

The window shot up and clean, cool air flowed in. Emi could see Kaoru through the small square. He was about a foot below. It seemed he'd jumped up to open the window the rest of the way.

Come on, Emi. You can do this! She told herself, then launched herself upwards with her feet. Her head struck the edge of the wall. She tried to grab the ledge, but her hands were slick with sweat.

Emi fell back onto the ground. This time, she lay there. It was cool down here, and the air was better.

Ow. Ugh.

She could feel the heat of the fire behind her. She could see the gray smoke, curling over the ceiling and escaping out of the window.

I want... to do... that too...

"Emi!" Kaoru's voice brought her to a sitting position.

Kaoru. Kaoru. That's right. She crawled to the wall and lurched to her feet.

"Emi." Kaoru's face appeared in the window. His brows were furrowed. "Come on." He extended his hands out, but they barely reached halfway through.

Her head spun. She grabbed the ledge and hauled herself on, this time managing to avoid hitting anything. She took his hands and wiggled outwards. When she was halfway through, she saw that she was hovering a good seven feet above the ground.

God, how did this happen? Is this punishment for asking for too much? It's the New Year. If you wanted to punish me, surely there's a better way of doing so then trying to kill me, right?

"Come on Emi," Kaoru said, tugging on her hands. "I'll catch you."

She nodded taking a deep breath, letting the winter air fill her lungs and clear out the smoke. "One, two, three." She threw herself out of the window and tumbled into Kaoru's arms. Then they were both falling. "Kao-Kaoru!"

He stumbled back several steps, and her own feet found the ground. Once they'd regained their balance, she looked up at him and let out a sigh. "Thanks."

He hugged her, pressing her against him. "Oh, thank God." His entire frame seemed to loosen and collapse.

"Kao… Kaoru?" she said. Her head rested on his chest.

"I thought-I thought you were going to die. And right after Hikaru, and the car accident, and then you, and this fire." Kaoru was trembling. His voice was too.

Emi relaxed, melting into him, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm okay, Kaoru."

"I know," he said and buried his face in her hair.

"Hey, you two," someone said, running towards them. "Get away from the building."

Someone else was yelling, "Everyone get as far away as you can!"

"You smell like smoke," Kaoru said as they separated and made their way towards the cluster of people. Most of the customers had evacuated, and the police, firefighters, and ambulance were here. There was smoke coming out of the building, and flames licking up the roof.

"You're okay, right?" Emi asked, holding onto Kaoru's hand.

"Yeah," he said.

She nodded. "What are we supposed to do about the bill then?"

"I think they have other things to worry about," he said. He led her to the ambulance, where the paramedics were checking everyone. The customers who'd gotten out the moment the alarm sounded were fine.

The firefighters brought the last few people out with light burns and smoke inhalation, while the police went around for everyone's witness statements. A paramedic checked Kaoru and Emi, then sat Emi down on the ground and put an oxygen mask on her.

Kaoru sat down beside her and draped her jacket over her shoulders. He had her bag hanging on his shoulder as well. Then he put an arm around her and tucked her under his chin.

"This is… crazy," she said in a whisper, watching people run back and forth, hearing the shouts, feeling the mist of the water stream coming down upon the building.

"Yeah," he said.

A paramedic came back to inspect her hand. He used a tweezer to pluck out most of the shards of glass, then bandaged it up. "We'll take you to the hospital later to have this checked out more. You've also suffered minor smoke inhalation, so we'll want to keep an eye on that."

Emi nodded. She took her bag from Kaoru and fished her phone out. She was about to call home when someone said, "I saw her start the fire!"

He was pointing at Emi.

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

Another cliffhanger (sort of). I didn't want the chapter too long hehe. I was going to update on like Thursday... but sleep was more important haha. XD

Share your thoughts please! What do you think is going on? :)

Thanks for reading!