It's almost November! :o Happy early Halloween!

BizzyLizy: Haha I love your idea XD Hope school is going well for you. :) And thanks for reviewing!

AquilonIII: Haha do you like crime/mystery shows? Lol yeah tests suck but hope yours are going well! ^_^ Thank you!

I hope you all enjoy what I have in store! :)

The English quiz was on Wednesday. Emi told herself she'd return to the Host Club once the quiz was over. She needed to get a good score to boost her English grade. She studied with a fervor similar to midterm times.

On the day of the quiz though, she stared at the sheet of paper before her. You have got to be kidding me…

I studied the wrong section?!

Emi groaned and dropped her head into her hands. Oh my God, am I stupid? How did I? I really am stupid. Aghh, I studied the next chapter, not the one we're really on. Oh no oh no, I'm gonna fail this and my grades are gonna plummet cause I was stupid. What an idiotic mistake to make!

She sighed and picked her pencil up. May as well pick up as many points as I can.

When the last bell rang that day, Sumiko turned to her friend. "You coming today?"

Em sighed and stood. "Probably not. I totally failed that vocab quiz."

"But you were studying a lot," Sumiko said.

"Yeah, but I studied the wrong stuff," Emi said, head drooping.

Sumiko smiled and patted Emi's arm. "It's fine. I did that before too. Just come today." Emi rolled her head back in a circle.

"Ahh, Sumiko, you know I want to go!" Emi said, bouncing in place.

"Then come," Sumiko said. "You can go back to studying like crazy tomorrow." She linked arms with Emi and began walking out of the classroom. "Oh you have no idea what you missed last week. Hikaru's fans went ballistic over his broken arm, and there was such a cute moment between the twins about it. Also, I've been hearing that if you give Kyoya five thousand yen, you can write on Hikaru's cast. Wanna do it?"

"Sumikoooo."

"Emiiiii." Sumiko grinned. "Take a break, and catch up with the Host Club. Isn't it boring?"

"Of course it is, but I need to get my grades up!"

"You can do that tomorrow."

That's how Emi found herself at the Host Club, but she couldn't enjoy herself as much as usual. There was a constant nagging voice in her head, telling her, "You should be studying. You should be studying. Your grades are only going to plummet more and more and more, and soon you'll be a disappointment to the Mazawa family name."

When the Host Club ended, Emi grabbed Ryuu and hurried home. She couldn't afford to spend another second in the room, even if that meant a hasty goodbye to Kaoru. When they returned home, she went straight to her desk.

"You know," Ryuu said, lying on her bed, having followed her here. "It's getting easier."

"What is?" she said a moment later.

"Girls. It's getting easier to touch them."

Emi flipped the page and hunched down to write. "Cool. Did you touch a girl today?"

"My hand brushed a girl's. Before, I'd jump back, but today it barely fazed me."

"That's good." Emi nodded. A second later, she whirled around in her seat. "Wait, what? You touched a girl today and you didn't freak out?"

"It was a brush, not really a touch," Ryuu said.

"Still," she said, staring at him.

He shrugged. "Yeah."

She smiled. "That's really good, Ryuu."

"I know." He sat up. "I should probably let you study."

"Please," she said and watched him leave. Then it was back to the books.

"Emi, you don't look so good," Kaoru said on Friday. Her head was on her desk before class started, and her eyes were shut.

"I was busy," she said. She sighed. "So tired."

"When'd you sleep last night?" Ryuu asked.

"Like two," she said.

He frowned. "You know there's no point in studying a lot then sleeping through classes right?"

"Says you," Emi said, sitting up. "You fall asleep in half our classes."

"Yeah," he said. "They're boring, and the teachers have really nice voices. It's hard to stay awake. That doesn't mean you should do it though. "

"Yeah I know." She rested her head in her crossed arms again.

"You okay?" Kaoru said. "You should get more sleep."

"I know," she said, closing her eyes and burying her face in. She wouldn't be able to go with Kaoru this weekend either it seemed. We have a literature test on Monday, and there's a chemistry lab coming up. Then there's that project. Ugh why is there so much work already?

I need to tell him.

After the Host Club that day, Emi found him, Hikaru, and Ryuu in the music room. "Hey Kaoru," she said.

"Hey." He smiled and bounded over.

"I don't think we can go to the aquarium tomorrow either," she said, grimacing. "Sorry."

His shoulders dropped and his lips pressed together. "You're going to be studying this weekend too?"

"Yeah. There's just a lot to do, not just studying." She frowned and reached a hand out. He stared at the ground. "Sorry. Let's try next weekend."

She touched his arm, and he looked up at her. He smiled. "It's fine, Emi. Just get some sleep this weekend, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled and stepped closer for a hug.

Kaoru's the best. I'm glad he understands. I better do my best so we can go out next weekend.

Emi studied and studied all week, staying away from the Host Club. The literature test seemed to go well. She was working on the pre-lab questions on Tuesday when Ryuu entered her room.

"Hey Emi, woah!" Ryuu stumbled around the stack of manga magazines by the door. "What are these doing here?"

She pointed at them. "Look at all the manga I haven't gotten to read because I'm too busy studying!"

"Just read them then," he said, sitting down on her bed. "They're kinda a hazard there."

She shook her head, bouncing in her chair. "Ahh I really want to! The last chapter I read, Uchi was confessed to!"

"What?" Ryuu blinked while he stretched out on the bed.

"Uchi, the adorable uke in my favorite BL manga?" she said as she turned back to her papers.

"Anyway," he said, "what would be a good gift for a girl?"

"Depends," she said, scribbling away. She turned in her chair, gripping the back of it. "Wait, you're getting a gift for a girl?"

"No…" he said and inspected the ceiling.

"Ryuu, is it Michi-san?" Emi scooted her chair closer to the bed.

"Maybe…"

Emi squealed. "That's so cute! That's great! Do you like her?"

"Like her?" He glanced over. "Yeah."

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. Like her as in you want to date her, you want to kiss her, you want her all to yourself."

Ryuu blushed and sat up. "A-As if!"

"Okay, okay, so you want to get a good gift for her?" she said.

"Yeah." Ryuu nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "What should I get?"

"What does she like?"

"Spiders."

"Ew. Who is this girl?" Emi cringed.

"It's fine. You don't need to understand."

She leaned forward. "Okay, well what else does she like?"

"Hm." Ryuu stared up, thinking of their conversations. "She likes chocolate, sweets, cute things, friends."

"Kinda hard to get her friends, but you can get her everything else," Emi said, turning back around in her seat.

"What about a cake?"

She picked her phone up and checked the messages. Kaoru had sent a new one. "Sure, if she likes it."

"What's a good cake shop here?" Ryuu asked, standing up.

"The Hayashi Sweets store is pretty close to Ouran," Emi said while typing a response. "It's got some fancy, good cakes."

"Alright." Ryuu stretched. "Do you think stuffed animals are good?"

"Yeah, as long as they're cute and soft and fluffy enough."

"Okay." Ryuu nodded. "Cool. Okay, thanks Emi. Good luck with your studying." He headed out her room.

"Thanks," she said, "and good luck with Michi-san."

"I don't need any!" he called from his room.

"You never know," she said quietly so he didn't hear. He might already be in love with her and is just in denial.

Yeah, that's something Ryuu would totally do.

On Thursday, Emi managed to finish the majority of her lab. She sat back and smiled. Maybe I can go to the Host Club tomorrow. I've been doing good work this week. Maybe I can finally go to the aquarium with Kaoru.

"Emi-chan, Ryuu-kun!" Akimi called from downstairs. "Could you come here for a moment?"

Emi hopped out of her chair and followed Ryuu down to the living room, where Akimi stood with a suitcase beside her.

"What's going on?" the Mazawa twins said in unison.

"I'm sorry. This is really sudden," Akimi said, running a hand through her wavy, light-brown hair. She sighed. "My brother's cancer is back. He's already in the hospital, and your mother's doing the best she can." She shook her head. "She called just now to tell me to fly over and see him."

"Oh my God," Ryuu said, and both their mouths dropped open.

"Is he okay?" Emi said.

"I hope so," Akimi said, pursing her lips. "I'll be gone this weekend, but I should be back by Monday. Bertrand-san will take care of things then, and you two both know the maids and guards around here."

"There's only like eight guards and two maids," Ryuu said.

Akimi nodded and beckoned them over with her arms. They stepped closer and she hugged them. "You two will be okay. It's just a few days, and I'll be back. Your father might pay a visit sometime soon too."

Emi and Ryuu exchanged glances, then nodded.

"Just remember to take care of each other okay?" Akimi said.

"Have a safe flight," Ryuu said, and Emi echoed his statement.

"Thanks." She smiled and they watched her walk out the door.

The next day, Emi received her literature test back, and it was a seventy-five.

"I give up," she said, smacking the paper onto her desk. "This is stupid. No matter how much I study, I'm not doing better."

"Maybe you over-studied," Ryuu said, and Emi glared at his solid eighty-nine.

"How did you do better than me when you only read the book?"

"Because I didn't over-study," he said. He flipped her test towards him and pointed at a question. "Look, this is just a stupid mistake. You know the answer to this one."

She took a look, and sure enough, he was right. "How did I circle the wrong freaking answer?" She wanted to flip the desk into the air and watch all her books and papers fly.

"Take a break from all your studying," Ryuu said. "You're turning into a study-monster - if that's a thing."

Emi sighed and stared at the back in front of her. Kaoru was talking to Haruhi and Hikaru. How come he hasn't turned around to talk to me yet? All he said today was hi. She dropped her head on the desk. Ugh, I hate my stupid brain and this stupid class.

Ryuu patted her back. "Go to the Host Club today and just relax."

I guess… it can't hurt. She thought. It's not like my grades can fall any lower than they already are.

Kaoru still hadn't spoken a word to her when the Host Club ended that day. Emi felt her heart sinking, sinking lower than her grades, and a pang in her chest. Did something happen? Is he mad at me for cancelling our plans every time?

"Thanks for today, Haruhi-kun," she said to the Host as the room cleared.

"No problem," Haruhi said with her cute smile. "I'm glad you could come today, Emi. It's rather lonely without you here."

A different feeling struck Emi's chest. Guh! Haruhi-kun is always so cute and sweet. Ahh, her smile's so healing. She smiled and waved Haruhi goodbye. Hikaru and Kaoru were seated in their area. Kaoru was playing on the DS, and Hikaru was leaning on his shoulder to watch when Emi approached them.

"Hey, Kaoru," she said.

"Hey Emi," he said, glancing up at her then turning back to the screen.

"Um." She stared at her hands. "About the aquarium."

"It's okay," he said, "we don't have to go."

Emi looked up. "Eh?"

"You're gonna be busy this weekend right?" he said.

"Well-"

"I get it, so we don't have to go," he said.

"Actually-"

"Emi, let's go," Ryuu said, walking over.

"But-" Emi glanced at Ryuu, then back at Kaoru. His gaze remained on the screen. Ah, I knew it. I really did mess up somehow. Her chest ached, and her eyes teared up.

"Come on, Emi." Ryuu tugged on her arm.

No, no. I can't leave when Kaoru's mad at me. What should I say? Just ask, "Are you mad?" No, first I should tell him that I can go to the aquarium tomorrow. Then I ask him. Oh but what if he is mad and we don't go to the aquarium?

"We should go too, Kaoru," Hikaru said.

Wait, I haven't gotten to say anything yet! Emi opened her mouth to speak, but Kaoru snapped the DS shut and stood up.

"I'll see you Monday," he said and brushed past her.

Wait, wait! She turned and reached a hand out, when Ryuu dropped her schoolbag in her arms instead.

"Come on. Don't you want to go back and study?"

"No," she said, shaking her head while clutching the bag to her chest. "No, no, no." Ah what do I say? What do I say? When she glanced over to the doors, however, the twins were gone. "No no no no no." She frowned and knelt down on the ground to hug her knees.

"Emi?" Ryuu said.

Crap crap crap. It's over. We're over. He's mad or he's sad or something, and now he won't even look at me or talk to me, and it's all my fault. She blinked back the tears. It's over. I ruined it.

"Come on." He plucked at her sleeve.

She rose and nodded while keeping her eyes on the floor. "Okay," she said in a quiet voice, and, dragging her feet, followed Ryuu out the door.

Back home, she messaged Kaoru: "Hey Kaoru, actually I'm free this weekend if you still want to go to the aquarium. :) Sorry we haven't been able to spend that much time together lately."

Then she sat down on her bed to await his reply.

Ryuu entered several minutes later with a flannel shirt and a sweater in his hands. "Emi, what should I wear?" he said.

She was lying face down on her bed, and Roro laid beside her. She turned her head. "What?"

"Like, what should I wear?" He waved the two shirts around.

"Anything's fine. You look good in both of them." She buried her face back into her pillow.

"That's not helpful, Emi!"

"Then just wear them both," she said, though her voice was muffled.

"How does that work?" He put the shirts back to back and squinted at them.

"Sweater over flannel. Duh."

"Oh." He nodded and snapped his finger. "Great idea! Thanks Emi!" He leapt out of her room and back into his.

What the heck is going on? Usually Ryuu would have noticed by now. Is it cause he's too busy picking out clothes and gifts for a girl? Wow. How did this happen? Ryuu's picking out clothes and gifts for a girl? A girl?! Emi rolled onto her side to look at Roro and petted his head. "You're the best Roro. You're always here for me."

Roro let out a soft bark and licked Emi's chin. She giggled, then sighed. "I think it's over, Roro. I think Kaoru hates me now."

Roro barked again and licked her face. "Ah, Roro! That tickles!"

Ding! Emi spun around and snatched her phone off the bed stand. It was a new message - from Chiharu. Emi's shoulders dropped and she fell back onto the bed. She typed out her response before setting her phone back down.

Kaoru should have replied by now…

There still wasn't a message by the next morning. Emi bit her lip and paced by her phone. Why hasn't he replied? I should call him. It's the only way. But what if he doesn't pick up? What if he doesn't want to talk to me?

She picked the phone up, checked for any new messages, and walked in several circles with her thumb hovering over the call button. Oh God, what if he hates me?

She bit her lip and hit the button. It rang three times before he picked up. "Hello?" she said. "Kaoru? Um, are you… mad?"

"This is Hikaru, and no Kaoru's not mad."

"Hi-Hikaru-kun?" Emi blinked. "What?"

"What," he said.

"Can I talk to Kaoru?" she said.

"Hm," Hikaru said. "Nope."

"Eh? W-Why?"

"Well he's asleep right now," Hikaru said.

"Oh." Emi let out a quiet sigh. "Then could you tell him to call me back when he wakes up?"

"Hm… Nope."

"What?" Emi's grip on her phone tightened. What in the world was Hikaru doing? He couldn't just be messing around, right? "Why?"

"I think you already know why. After all, why would you think he's mad at you?"

She swallowed, clinging to her phone with both hands. "You mean because I've been cancelling our plans and busy studying? But I thought he understood!"

"He does," Hikaru said.

"So then-"

"Are you really that stupid?" he said. "Can't you even put yourself in Kaoru's shoes for a moment and realize what you've done?"

Emi bit her lips. What I've done? "He was disappointed about not going to the aquarium? We can do that, though. I messaged him to tell him that I'm free today and we can go."

"It's not just that," Hikaru said with a sigh.

Something else? What else? If Kaoru kept cancelling our plans and we didn't really talk much… Well, that'd be sad, and disappointing, and really… lonely.

She blinked. "Oh."

"Now do you understand?"

"But then why was he so cold to me yesterday?"

"Cause he didn't want to be hurt anymore," Hikaru said.

"Can I talk to him now?"

"Maybe when he wakes up."

"Oh. Okay," Emi said. "Thanks Hikaru."

"Mm, bye."

"Bye," she said before he hung up. She spent the next few hours studying, doing homework, and waiting for Kaoru's call. It didn't come.

I need to talk to him. I need to explain. I need to tell him that I understand, and I'll stop being a study-monster, since it doesn't seem to be working out anyway. Emi thought, after dinner, once again with her gaze pinned to the handheld device.

She called Kaoru. He picked up within a second.

"Hello?" she said. "Kaoru-"

"It's Hikaru."

"What?" Emi's forehead creased. "Hikaru-kun? What are you-"

"What do you want from Kaoru?"

"I want to talk to him," she said. "Could you please put him on the phone?"

Hikaru sighed. "Emi, do you remember what I told you when you and Kaoru first started dating?"

"Uh…" She racked her brain for the memory. The first time… She remembered Hikaru being grumpy about the news.

"I told you that if you ever hurt Kaoru, you'll regret it."

"Oh." The memory was coming back now. "Yeah, you did, and-"

"And the day you hurt Kaoru is the day you two are over," Hikaru said.

Wait… Emi's stomach crawled. "You mean… but I-I didn't hurt him!" Her head spun. This was wrong. This couldn't be happening. "And-And even if I did, I didn't mean to. At least let me talk to him!"

"You had your chance," Hikaru said. "Now stop calling."

"Hika-!" The line was cut. She stared at her phone screen and called again. It rang and rang and then led her to the voicemail.

No no no no no. Emi's hands shook as she called again. You've got to be kidding me. Hikaru-kun's just messing around to remind me how important Kaoru is to me, and of course I know that! So what if I neglected him a bit cause I was studying? Academics are important!

It was voicemail.

She crouched down and hugged her knees. I just need to talk to him. I need to explain. And he needs to talk to me too! Hikaru-kun, what the hell are you doing? Just let us talk… I'm sure we could work this out.

Her eyes burned, and her vision blurred. "Ah," she said, blinking fiercely. "Crap." The pain searing through her chest was too much. She rubbed at her eyes and took a deep breath.

Roro sat up from where he was on her bed and leapt down. "Crap," she said again, burying her face into her arm. Don't cry, Emi. Darn it, I'm stronger than this. He poked his nose into her neck until she looked up at him.

He licked her cheek and sat down beside her. "Ah Roro," she said, wrapping her arms around him while blinking fiercely. "What am I gonna do?"

She stayed like that until the pain subsided. Then she entered the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Ryuu had left after lunch and hadn't been back, saying he'd get dinner with a friend. She wasn't sure what he was up to - or where - but it probably had to do with Michi and his previous peculiar questions.

Emi called Ryuu, hoping he'd pick up and come home, but he didn't.

Is today just don't-answer-your-phone day? She sighed, dropping her phone on her desk and getting dressed. I'll just go out to find him then.

"Berty, do you know where Ryuu is?" Emi said when she reached the first floor.

"I believe he went out with a friend," he said from within the kitchen. "I'm not sure where though."

"Okay. I'm going out then," she said.

"Do you want me to drive you?" Berty asked, stepping into the living room. She stood by the door in her coat and Roro beside her. "Emi-sama, is everything alright?"

"Ah." Emi blinked. She smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine Berty. I'm going out for a walk. Do you know about Michi-san?"

"Michi-san?" He tilted his head before shaking it.

"Ryuu's recent girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Berty's jaw went slack.

"Ah ah!" Emi shook her head. "I meant female friend."

"Oh." He let out a sigh. "Yes, I met such a friend a while ago. She lived in the apartment complex at the intersection of the thirty-seventh block, where that convenience store is at."

Emi nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Berty." She turned towards the door.

"It's getting late, Emi-sama. Are you sure you want to go out? I should drive you there instead," he said.

"No, but thanks." She smiled. "I want to clear my head a bit."

Berty nodded. "Be careful, Emi-sama."

"Got it. I'll be back soon." She tugged on Roro's leash. "Let's go, Roro." Then she disappeared into the dark.

Idk if anybody noticed XD but I couldn't resist the plug-in. Hehe tell me if you know what I mean. :) Any theories on what's going to happen? Also, what are your current thoughts on Emi? All feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading! :D