Um... hi? *hides behind a notebook unsuccessfully* I know, it's been ages. My bad. I started up college and the holidays showed up, adding on weeks of extra work. Then I started another account (Anubis Enfield) to post all my unfinished work, then Sherlock got a fourth season and... well, i finally found time to type up the chapter that I'd had finished for months... heheh... Um, that being said, this is NOT the full chapter. This is maybe a fourth? A third at most? But i felt that I'd kept you all waiting for much too long. So... tada!

That being said, the next chapter is the FINAL chapter of Amber Leaves. I know, right? Amazing, sad, a mix of emotions that you don't know what to do with. it'snot that I've grown bored with this, but I've written up an ending and i feel that it will finish it off nicely :) So this is Part 1 of 2. I apologize ahead of time for the cliffhanger at the end, but hopefully I'll continue to have extra time to type up the rest and post the epilogue of sorts even after school starts up again Tuesday.

So enjoy! Review! Tell me how much you hate me for the cliffhanger and the horribly long wait. I totally deserve it and understand... kind of. And the second song might not make much sense now, but it's more for Part 2. A sneak peak, if you will ;)

"We Don't Have To Dance"
By Andy Black

"Record scratch; Steve Miller Band
Tattooed necks and tattooed hands
Oh, how don't you drown in a rain storm?
Fresh regrets, vodka sweats
The sun is down and we're bound to get
Exhausted and so far from the shore

You're never gonna get it
I'm a hazard to myself
I'll break it to you easy
This is hell, this is hell
You're looking and whispering
You think I'm someone else
This is hell, yes.
Literal hell."

"Sometime Around Midnight"
By The Airborne Toxic Event

"And so there's a change
In your emotions
And all of these memories come rushing like feral waves to your mind
Of the curl of your bodies, like two perfect circles entwined
And you feel hopeless, and homeless, and lost in the haze of the wine

Then she leaves
With someone you don't know
But she makes sure you saw her, she looks right at you and bolts
As she walks out the door
Your blood boiling, your stomach in ropes
And then your friends say 'What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost.'"

It had been nearly a week since my little 'talk' with Tamaki's father and I'd grown a little paranoid that—at some point—what I had done was going to come back and bite me in the butt. Already, things weren't exactly going well. The two head actors we'd chosen weren't getting along and we were beginning to consider dropping the female lead for someone who meshed better with the male lead. Our funding wasn't what it could be, thanks to my altercation with Yuzuru, and filming may have to be postponed later than we wanted. And between work and school, Kyoya and I hadn't spoken in over a week. The most I'd gotten was a text from him letting me know that they were checking up on Tamaki.

I already knew that he was at least taking care of himself—judging from the videos he'd sent me of him eating—so I knew he'd be a bit better off than he would have been otherwise, but that unease still remained. Did I change too much? If the hosts aren't as worried, will they still confront his father? I shook my head out of those thoughts, rolling over and trying to get the first few hours of decent sleep that I'd had in days. It wasn't working though, and I tossed and turned a few more times before giving up. I rubbed my tired eyes and begrudgingly walked into the bright living my room; sun shining in through the kitchen window making me scowl.

And this is what I'm stuck doing. I mentally complained, texting Shindo to see if it would be okay for me to come over. Trying to sleep in the middle of the day because sleeping at night is impossible. Thankfully, Shindo said it was fine, so I shrugged on a hoodie—tugging at it with a frown at how much extra fabric there was now—and headed off. I sort of zoned out the whole way there, yawning on occasion, before arriving and knocking on Shindo's door. He answered with a grin, but it immediately fell once he caught sight of me.

"Whoa. You look horrible."

"I haven't slept in…" I looked at my phone and squinted. "...46 hours?

His mouth dropped down in shock. "What are you doing here then?! You should be at home!"

I shook my head, moving past him and taking off my shoes. "Can't sleep. I tried. That's why I came here."

He sighed, closing the door and joining me in his room as I searched for a good video game as a distraction. He sat on the couch as I set up a game to play, remaining on the floor as I got to the starting screen.

"You going to tell me what's going on?" Shindo asked, arms folded over his chest as he stared down at me.

"You know Tamaki's all upset with his father and—"

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

I winced as my character in the game died and I was forced to start back at the last checkpoint.

"Nothing wrong." I grumbled, but Shindo reached down and snatched the controller out of my hands, making me frown as he glared in return.

"Don't lie, Kohaku." He said sharply, making me flinch at his use of my full name instead of his usual nickname for me. "I know you and I know what's going on with Tamaki has you stressed out, but there's more to it than that. Now spill."

"Fine, alright?!" I snapped, emotions overflowing after holding them back for so long. "Work sucks. The lead actor and actress are fighting, so we need to find a replacement. We're low on funding thanks to my screw-up with Tamaki's father, so filming might need to be postponed. My grades are slowly dropping because I come home and fall asleep doing my homework, missing the deadline and waking up a few hours later if I'm lucky. And Kyoya and I barely talk anymore. I'm paranoid that Tamaki's father is going to get revenge for me standing up to him like that. Then I come home to an empty apartment a-and—"

"Whoa, slow down there. Deep breaths." Shindo said slowly as I forced myself to calm down and put a hand to my head.

"S-Sorry."

"It's fine. You're overloaded and don't have an outlet. I get it, but you need to relax."

"And how am I supposed to do that? I can't even sleep." I questioned and he grinned.

"Get up. We're going out."

I frowned. "What?"

"You wanted to relax, well now's the chance to do it. You're free, I'm free. The mall's just down the street. Let's go."

(No one's POV)

Kyoya was frustrated. More than frustrated, really. Tamaki's father had proven to be more of a dunce than his own son and, after confronting him with the other hosts, he was still steaming. He was slightly pleased that Kohaku had also apparently told him off, though he didn't appreciate being left out of the loop. That being said, he was beginning to get rather annoyed with her as well. They'd both been too busy to get together, but then there was the fact that Kohaku had all the answers and bluntly refused to share any of it.

I understand the possible consequences behind telling us, however I know that and simply telling me shouldn't be that much of an issue. He scowled as Tachibana drove him home. I'm not so idiotic as to use that knowledge to change things, but it might better help me prepare. He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose before looking out the window to distract himself. What he saw though, made his eyes narrow into a glare.

"Tachibana, stop the car."

Tachibana pulled the small car over and Kyoya rolled down his window to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Sure enough, across the street was a laughing Kohaku. It wouldn't have bothered him so much, if it wasn't for Shindo chuckling beside her and the cling wrap covering a portion of her right arm where—yet another—tattoo was. Rage boiled within him at the sight. Too busy to spend time with me, but can not only spend time with someone who once loved her, but also get another tattoo without consulting with me first?

Now, he was all for Kohaku being a free spirit and doing things—like getting a tattoo—as much as she wants, however he had been under the impression that she knew what problems could come up should they become visible while she was together with him. Seeing her here though, like this, made him furious. And he quickly sent Tachibana to take him home, allowing his feelings to fester; not realizing that the tattoo Kohaku had gotten was to remind her of him.

(Kohaku's POV)

Today was the day. I don't know how I knew, but I woke up early, cancelled everything I needed to do, and called a cab. I texted Tamaki, telling him to let me in when I got to the main mansion, but the moron didn't text back and I immediately scowled. Upon arriving, I tried the buzzer, only for the servants to inform me Tamaki wanted no visitors, so I went to plan B. The hosts will be showing up soon. I mused, checking the time on my phone and hoping my intuition wasn't wrong. I can save them time of day find where the piano room would be and take note of the guards. So I spent the next hour or so just out of sight and checking the security before my phone buzzed me I spotted the hosts arriving.

Ah! Sorry, Ko-chan!

Couldn't find my phone.

They'll let you in.

-Tamaki :)

I rolled my eyes at the moron and turned to the surprised hosts as they hurried over.

"Kohaku?"

"What are you doing here?"

"We were just going to text you, Ko-chan!"

I nodded, already seeing that my presence had messed things up because Honey and Mori were supposed to be getting the old servants together from their homes right now. Quickly, though, I fixed the plot in my head and spoke hurriedly to them.

"You're here to get Tamaki out to meet his mother who's leaving for France."

"Wow. You really are psychic, aren't you?" Kaoru commented and I hastily nodded, shoving the small notepad I'd been writing on to Mori.

"Yeah, wasting time. That has the guards' rounds on it. Tamaki's in the salon on the second floor. There's also two dogs that Takashi can easily take care of. Your best bet is to enter from the rear garden. Hikaru, Kaoru, get your helicopter for when they get Tamaki."

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Haruhi asked me and I gave her a nervous smile.

"Don't worry about me. You go with Honey and Takashi."

"W-What?!" She taped in shock. "That's impossible! There's no way I can keep up with these two!"

"Haruhi." Hikaru spoke up, eyes determined. "You must go. You're the only one who can convince Milord to come."

"Hikaru…"

Hikaru smiled softly. "Yesterday I said if he makes a fuss, we'll tie him up, but… to be honest, it won't work unless Milord decides to come himself."

"Uh, but what I say won't—"

"Yes, it will." Hikaru insisted, causing me to smile. "You understand Milord better than we do, don't you? Though it frustrates me to admit it, anyone who sees you two together would know. And he's the only one who understands you the most, isn't he?"

"Hikaru…"

"So it's time to make a choice." He continued. "Both about Milord and yourself. If you love Milord, go to him now! And make sure you get him to come with you!"

Haruhi nodded, fired up now and she hurried over to Honey and Mori as the twins left and I turned towards the gate; only for an angry looking Kyoya to grab my arm and stop me.

"Kyoya, we don't have time. You need to wait up ahead for the twins and—"

"What were you doing with Shindo the other day?" He demanded, cutting me off and making me scowl.

"Kyoya, what does that—"

"I saw you two together at the mall." He twisted my arm a bit, turning it and pulling up the sleeve of my coat to reveal the black crow on my arm. "Are you telling me you have time to get this, but no time to care about your friend because you assume you know what's going to happen?!" He snapped heatedly. "You can't know these things for certain, Kohaku! Do we mean that little to you, that you would throw us aside to have fun with someone else?!"

I had absolutely no idea what was going through his head at the moment, but what I did know was that we had more important things to worry about than what I did on my day off.

"Kyoya, we'll talk about whatever's going on later." I snipped back, feeling a headache coming on. "Right now, we both have places to be."

I yanked my arm out of his grip and hurried off to the Suoh main mansion. Quickly, I got directions from a maid as to where Tamaki was and I hurried up the stairs and stopped just outside the salon. Calm down. Think 'dignified'. She's still the same woman you saw ages ago. With or without the company. Can't just burst in like a maniac. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door; catching Tamaki's attention.

"Ah! There you are!" He smiled, though it didn't contain his usual enthusiasm. "I was starting to think you got lost."

My eyebrow twitched. "No thanks to you misplacing your phone."

He chuckled sheepishly as I turned and bowed in respect to his grandmother.

"Nice to see you again, Suoh-sama. I do apologize and I hope I am not interrupting."

The woman narrowed her eyes at me before turning away, downcast.

"There is nothing to interrupt, Nishimura-san."

It was hard to hide my surprise of her knowing my name, but thankfully Tamaki spoke.

"Not to be rude, Kohaku, but why did you suddenly decide to join us?"

I gave him a deadpan expression as I steadily made my way towards the window. "Just checking to make sure you were doing as I said, and not just sending me videos of other people eating."

"I would never!" He gaped at me, then smiled suddenly. "Ah! Did you know, Kohaku, that my grandmother can name all of the songs I know from dramas?! She reads your book too!"

Now that surprised both myself and the older woman.

"R-Really?"

Tamaki nodded excitedly as his grandmother and I looked at one another in a new light. It was then though, that I remembered what I'd come up here to do.

"Oh, nearly forgot."

I unfastened the latches on the window and opened it as Tamaki raised a brow.

"Kohaku? What are you—"

He was cut off as Mori suddenly flew in with Haruhi in his grasp.

"M-Mori-senpai?!" Tamaki said in shock. "Why would you—"

This time, he cut himself off as Haruhi got up with a wince.

"Ouch. Dang, my glasses broke." She muttered to herself. "I'm glad Kaoru told me to bring spare contacts along, otherwise I'd be wandering around blind for the rest of the day."

"Actually." I spoke up. "You should be glad I opened the window. Other wise you and Takashi could be injured and Tamaki would need to pay for a new window."

Haruhi turned to me with a confused frown, going to say something before Tamaki overcame his shock.

"H-Haruhi?!"

Haruhi shifted to him and ignored me for now as she got back on task.

"Let's go, Tamaki! Your mother is waiting for you!" She said, offering her hand to him, but he smiled sadly.

"I'm… not going. Seeing my mother now would not be—"

"Are you really going to lie to me with this mouth?!" Haruhi snapped, pinching his cheeks and stretching them as he struggled. "The more you shake your head, the more it's going to hurt. If you keep being so stubborn, you'll end up with droopy cheeks."

I cringed, glancing at Mori as he helped Honey through the window. "I think I've rubbed off on Haruhi a little too much. I'm usually the violent one."

The two of them smiled a bit at that, before Haruhi started yelling at Tamaki; the big idiot that he was.

"You keep hiding what you truly feel! How will this make anyone happy?! You're worse than Kohaku!"

"Hey, I resent that." I muttered, being ignored as she went on.

"If you're lonely, you should say that you're lonely! If you went to see your mother, you should say you want to see her! Kohaku was right! You, your father, and your grandmother… You're all such big idiots!"

Not the best thing to say when I'm still struggling to get money for my movie deal, but I'm not about to step into this mess more than I already have.

"How can you be a family if you can't face each other and say how you feel?! Is this all for Suoh Corp?!" Haruhi lowered her voice then, making my heart ache at her next words. "Tamaki, your mother is alive. You can see her and talk to her. Holding yourself back from going to her is just stupid. It doesn't matter that you're rich or from a prestigious family. Isn't being true to yourself the best thing?!" She asked, tears in her eyes as well as mine, as I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat.

"I… I dhu whant thu thee her." Tamaki said through the hold Haruhi had on his cheeks, before she let him go and he held his head as his voice cracked. "Of course I want to see her. I haven't seen my mother in three years."

"Tamaki, you may go." His grandmother said suddenly, touching the piano beside her as he looked at her in shock. "Go see your mother. Apologize for me, for my past rudeness. And then come back and play your piano a bit more for me?"

"Grandmother… but—"

"No time for but's, Tamaki." I interrupted, pulling him and Haruhi up from their places on the floor. "You two are needed on the roof."

"W-What?"

I rolled my eyes with a groan. "You know; I really wish there would be a day where I don't have to explain everything."

"Ah!" Haruhi exclaimed, pointing at me. "The helicopter!"

I grinned, pointing back. "Score for Haruhi! Now go on, you two."

"But what about you?" She questioned and I waved them off.

"Never mind me. I'll hold down the fort here. Keep Suoh-sama company, if she'll have me."

I glance over at the woman who nodded as she took a seat.

"I think I'd like that."

I smiled a bit, glad that I had somehow endeared myself to her, and I grinned at the two still standing before me. "See? Now hurry up! I expect some good news from you both later."

They nodded with soft smiles of their own, taking each other's hands and heading out with Honey and Mori on their tail. I smiled at the door they left through, shaking my head as I closed the—still open— window and spoke to Tamaki's grandmother.

"Should I ask them to send up some tea?"

(No one's POV)

The next few moments were rather hectic after the hosts left the main mansion. Between the unfortunate weather, the switching of vehicles, and the sheer chaos of the guests coming to assist, it was a miracle that Tamaki made it in time to see his mother before her flight. Of course, all of that flew from Tamaki's mind the moment Haruhi confessed that she loved him.

"Hikaru! Hikaru!" He shouted frantically. "H-Haruhi said she l-loves me! She said she loves me! What do I do?!"

Haruhi was equally panicked, though she wasn't pleased about Tamaki shouting it to the world.

"Would you please refrain from passionately screaming someone else's name just after I've made a confession?!"

Tamaki practically melted into a puddle at the reminder and Haruhi turned to walk off, not wanting to be any more embarrassed than she already was, by dealing with his idiocy.

"We'd better head back. Everyone's probably worried and we did leave Kohaku with your grandmother."

"Ah! No, I… me too!" He suddenly blurred out, making Haruhi pause. "All along, I too…"

"You mean you love yourself too?" She questioned with a tense grimace, remembering a nightmare she'd had not too long ago.

"Huh?"

Not that she'd actually believe Tamaki would do that, but Haruhi was honestly at a loss as to what to do with what she'd said and what she was feeling. Hence, why she was panicking.

"I bet you meant you love yourself when you said 'me too'!"

"Huh? Why would I say something so narcissistic at a time like this?!" Tamaki asked, sounding greatly confused.

"Because it sounds like something you'd say!"

"You're so mean! Don't you think that's a little harsh, Haruhi?! Is that even something you would say to the boy you love?!"

"I-I didn't say I love you!" Haruhi stuttered out, beginning to second guess herself and what she'd said before. "I said I might love you…"

"Might?!" Tamaki shouted. "What's that supposed to mean?! Why are you lying?!"

"B-Because! You're a complete idiot, Tamaki! You're unbelievably spacey and narcissistic! You impose on people to an outrageous degree! Just now, you were so cool when you said you can be a mess sometimes, but it's the opposite! You're a mess most of the time! I-I just… I just can't decide whether I love you or not!" She shouted, triggering something in Tamaki that made him move before he really realized what he was doing.

He pulled away from kissing Haruhi, stunned by his own actions and his suddenly pounding heart; knowing that what he'd done was very ungentlemanly and potentially very bad for what he was trying to accomplish.

"Do you know now?" He asked hesitantly, face a bright red, matching Haruhi's. "Did you dislike it? If you can't decide, that should… If that… didn't feel wrong to you…"

He didn't really have to finish his thought.

"It… It didn't… feel wrong…"

Of course, everyone else knew what was going on with the two, though there was another problem that had one of the hosts on edge, and it wouldn't be until later that the others discovered what it was that had Kyoya so angry.

"Welcome!" The hosts greeted days later, everyone wearing the familiar robes of Ancient Greece.

First day back doing hosting and everyone was in top form. Everyone, that is, except Kyoya and Kohaku. Kohaku had begrudgingly come in to help with the hosting, but was so exhausted that she'd fallen asleep not long after seating her guests. They didn't seem to mind though, cooing about how cute she was while sleeping; a few lucky guests running their hands through her hair. Kyoya, on the other hand, was radiating a dark aura that told all of the other hosts that he was in an unpleasant mood. Both Haruhi and Tamaki had a hunch that Kyoya's mood had something to do with Kohaku, but what exactly it was, was lost on the two of them until they could confront one or the other about what was going on. That being said, with everyone occupied, that discussion was going to have to wait. Or so Haruhi thought, but it's virtually impossible to avoid the Shadow King's wrath.

"Haruhi, how are we on tea and snacks?" Kyoya asked her, making her flinch before turning to face him.

"W-We're fine. There's plenty for everyone." She said hesitantly, before taking a deep breath and bluntly asking what was on everyone's mind. "Uh, Kyoya? Is everything okay between you and Kohaku?"

A shiver immediately racked her spine at the sickly sweet smile he gave her.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about." He said from through his clenched teeth. "And might I suggest only getting involved in those affairs that concern you?"

"Oi." Someone snapped and Haruhi turned to see and angry Kohaku glaring down Kyoya from behind her. "Unless you want me to leave, might I suggest you watch your tone when speaking to my friend."

Haruhi gulped, looking between the two glaring hosts and realizing that she had just put herself in the middle of whatever was going on. Something that, in hindsight, wasn't the best thing to do.

"Oh? And what would you know about treating your friends properly?" Kyoya questioned Kohaku as Honey and Mori scrambled to send guests off before things got worse. "You were too busy getting another tattoo and making a business deal to care about Tamaki's ordeal."

"That's not true and you know it." Kohaku snapped back, though Haruhi could hear her voice waver. "I-I needed a breaking and the business deal only came up in passing. We were discussing my novel."

"Ah, yes. Of course! Oh, but hold on. You're psychic, right? That means you knew everything. All you needed to do was sit back and take all the benefits while we ran around clueless!" Kyoya shouted, making Kohaku wince as Tamaki tried to fix things.

Or at least figure out what happened between the two to cause this.

"N-Now, hold on a second! Would one of you mind explaining what's going on? What business deal?"

Kyoya glared heatedly. "She made a deal with your father and grandmother to support her movie while we were trying to get you to the airport to see your mother and afterwards."

"It was a coincidence!" Kohaku argued.

"You're psychic!" Kyoya countered angrily. "Are you trying to say you didn't know that they would both happen to be there before you left?!"

Kohaku cringed, being unable to deny that and Tamaki looked between the two in worry. This fight didn't just happen. Kohaku had actually been arguing with Kyoya in the beginning, meaning that she had at least known what he was angry about. And Kyoya, being who he is, would have kept his temper if this information had only just occurred to him. Which meant they'd already had this fight once, if not more. Not only that, but Kyoya was telling the truth.

With Kohaku's foreknowledge added into the mix, no one knew just how much of her actions were created by happenstance, or whether she'd planned things out to suit her own endeavors. And with what Kyoya was bringing to light, the later seemed the most likely explanation, despite Kohaku not seeming to be that kind of person.

"A-And the tattoo?" Haruhi asked hesitantly, trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

Kohaku grabbed her right forearm and shamefully turned away as Kyoya went on to explain.

"While we were attempting to come up with a solution to Tamaki's problems, she claimed to be too busy to join us. And yet I saw her out at the mall with a new tattoo while speaking with Shindo-san."

"I-I needed a break." Kohaku tried to clarify. "I couldn't sleep and with work and school piling up, S-Shindo offered to help me relax."

"And I'm not good enough for you?" Kyoya snarled and Kohaku's eyes widened.

"N-No! That's not it! I-I just wanted to—"

"Enough." Kyoya snapped, cutting her off as he walked away. "I'm tired of your excuses for everything. I'm going home."

He went into the changing room quickly before walking out the door, leaving a group of hosts looking at Kohaku with a mix of worry and suspicion. She, herself, looked rather torn and upset, turning away to gather her things.

"Sorry." She apologized quickly. "If I'd known, I would've…"

She shook her head, not finishing that thought as she changed and left as well. Kaoru was the first to speak once she was gone, looking at everyone in concern.

"Did they… Did they just break up?"

"I-I… I think so." Haruhi muttered as Tamaki sighed and pulled a hand through his hair.

"Poor Ko-chan." Honey said softly, hugging Usa-chan. "Kyo-kun too."

Hikaru and bough, frowned; a little cautious. "But Kyoya does have a point. Isn't it possible that Kohaku knew all about this and had planned ahead on how to get things to work in her favor?"

"No." Tamaki said sternly, making everyone look at him in surprise at his sudden seriousness. "We're her family. She wouldn't do that."

Hikaru sighed. "Tono, you can't just assume—"

"No!" Tamaki shouted, turning around to face them. "I know she didn't do that! When I told her my grandmother liked her book, she was genuinely shocked! She stood my father up even though he was going to support her movie beforehand, because of what he did to my grandmother! She even made sure I was taking care of myself while I watched over my grandmother, and made sure I could contact her for anything! No matter what I asked or when I asked it, she helped me through all of it and if that's not her caring, then I don't know what caring is!"

The hosts shuffled uncertainly, before Haruhi spoke up.

"The, um… The tattoo she got." She hesitated. "When she got home, I was kind of upset, but she was… she was so happy." Haruhi looked around the room sadly. "She told me she got it to remind her of him. Of Kyoya."

The hosts exchanged glances, more worried than before thanks to that tidbit of information.

"But… why didn't Ko-chan tell him?"

"Maybe it was a surprise?" Kaoru offered, but Tamaki shook his head.

"No, she was nervous, worried that he'd be upset about it."

"Why?" Honey asked, brows furrowed. "She has other tattoos."

Mori though, connected the dots. "It's visible."

Tamaki nodded sadly. "She probably wanted something to remind her of him while working, so she made sure it was where she could always see it. But because she's together with Kyoya—"

"—he might see it as a hindrance." Haruhi finished, understanding dawning on her as well. "He has a reputation and if word got out about him being with a commoner, much less someone with visible tattoos—"

"It could ruin his credibility in the business world."

"Not to mention how his father would react." Hikaru added after his brother with a wince.

"What are we going to do?" Honey asked worriedly and Tamaki sighed.

"Unfortunately, there's not much we can do other than try to get them to see the others' point of view." He said sadly. "Kyoya already had bad feelings about what she knew and wasn't telling him, though. So I don't know if anything we say will change his mind."

"W-We can't give up though." Haruhi said in concern. "Kohaku loves him."

The hosts weren't sure what comfort they could offer Haruhi. Much less what help they could possibly give the two who'd just broken it off. Probably for good.

(Kohaku's POV)

I shuffled awkwardly in front of Kotoko Fujioka's grave, not completely sure why I chose to come here exactly, but needing someone to talk to after nearly a month of silence from the hosts. According to Haruhi, they had been trying to explain things to Kyoya, but I knew that it wouldn't work. Not this time. Ever since I told him about my foreknowledge, I could tell we were growing apart. At first, I assumed it was due to the issues surrounding Tamaki, which was why I postponed speaking about it with him until after. But it was too late to try and fix things once I figured out I had been wrong in my assumption.

My crow tattoo had become an aching reminder of that, but I couldn't bring myself to get a cover-up. Shindo had been a great help and had promptly offered to 'beat Kyoya a new one' for breaking up with me, but I didn't want that. If Kyoya had given up on us, then I should too. Wish it was that easy. I mused sadly as I sat cross-legged before the grave.

"Hello, um, Haruhi's mom." I said, promptly wincing at how ridiculous I sounded. "I-I don't really know what I'm doing."

I fidgeted a little, looking at the passport in my hands briefly, before looking back at the stone.

"I guess… I just need some motherly advice and… we'll, Haruhi's on her first date, so I can't exactly talk to her. And I'm kind of avoiding the hosts thanks to… my little screw-up." I paused, gripping my passport tighter. "I-I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing."

I cleared my throat, chuckling tensely even as my heart ached.

"Haruhi will kill me, that's for sure." My smile faltered. "But… that's probably it, other than Shindo and Ranka. Maybe Tamaki too, I don't know. I-I don't think the hosts trust me a whole lot, after what happened, but maybe I'll text them or something to let them know."

I sighed heavily, pulling a hand through my hair; which I'd gotten trimmed into a more messy-styled fauxhawk not an hour before.

"Kyoya will be pleased, most likely. Once the big reveal is done, I'll be out of his hair for good. Hopefully, my bet with his father pans out and then it's off I go. Filming in various regions and then around the world for another bundle of promotions. That will take a few years and then maybe I'll come back and see how the stupid couple are doing."

I chuckled at the thought, but soon just sat in silence as I stared sadly at the grave.

"And who knows? Maybe this is for the best. New environment, new jobs, maybe even some new friends and a boyfriend, if I play my cards right."

Or so I said, but one look at that tattoo and I was getting up with a long sigh.

"Either way… watch over them for me, yeah?"

I put my hand on the stone, only to nearly jump out of my skin as Ranka suddenly called out to me.

"Kohaku?" He walked over, giving me a worked and confused glance. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

I nodded, putting on a small smile for him. "Yeah, everything's fine. I… just needed some advice."

He eyes me in concern as I pulled an envelope out of my pocket and handed it to him.

"And could you make sure Haruhi gets this if I don't see her by the end of the week? I'll be busy with work, so… I don't know if I'll get the chance to say beforehand."

He nodded, tucking it away, though still watching me.

"Are you sure you're alright? Haruhi told me you and Kyo-kun may have broken up."

I tensed as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm here to talk, if you want, Ko-chan."

"Thank you, Ranka." I said, making to leave as I smiled at him. "For everything, but I think, after this… I'll be alright."

(No One's POV)

"Ladies and gentlemen." Tamaki's voice rang out to the audience below. "Thank you very much for attending the farewell party for our Host Club member who is leaving to study abroad. Though we call it a farewell party, it's our club's mission to ensure our guests always enjoy themselves. Thus, the theme of tonight's party is…" Tamaki removed his mask with a smile. "...a Host Club style masquerade!"

Cheers rang out for his performance as the hosts split off to entertain and plan for the evening's events. And while a smile was on everyone's face, no one could miss the underlying tension within the Host Club. It wasn't hard to figure out why, either. There was one host still missing.

"Do you think Ko-chan will show up?" Honey asked Mori in worry.

"I don't know." The unusually distracted host responded.

Honey hugged his rabbit in concern, but was soon smiling as some of his guests came over. Haruhi though, wasn't nearly so easy to deter. How could she do this? I understand why she's been avoiding us lately, after what happened with Kyoya, but she didn't even tell me face-to-face! She had my father pass along a letter! I thought… I thought we were her friends.

"Haruhi-kun? Are you alright?" A guest questioned and Haruhi smiled bitterly.

"Ah, sorry. I've just been a little distracted lately."

Assuming that she was speaking about her trip to Boston to study abroad, the guest brightened.

"Oh! Have you made all your preparations?"

Haruhi nodded; easily recognizing the girl's mistake, but going along with it. "Yes, more or less."

The twins popped up then, leaning on her shoulders as always.

"Listen to us, princesses." They said in unison. "You won't believe how heartless this guy is!"

"It's too late to do anything about the studying abroad, but…"

"...when we offered to use our family jet to visit every weekend, Haruhi said…"

"'I forbid you. Since I don't have time to play around.' That's what he said! Isn't that mean?!"

One of the girls chuckled. "It sounds like Haruhi."

Another guest though, brought up the topic everyone had been avoiding.

"I don't see Kohaku-senpai anywhere. Is he not coming?"

Seeing Hikaru bristle angrily at the mention of said host, Kaoru quickly tried to ease the ever-growing tension.

"W-We, uh, don't know, actually. He's been really busy lately."

"Yeah, busy running away like a coward." Hikaru muttered under his breath and Kaoru elbowed him in the ribs, gesturing to the upset Haruhi.

They went to comfort her, but Kasugaki did that for them by asking her to dance. Kyoya got the twin's attention then, getting ready for the first phase of Tamaki's plan. Said blonde though, was distracted, looking down at his cell phone in worry.

"Come on… Come on…"

(Kohaku's POV)

Applause echoed in the large room rented out for the movie reveal as I politely smiled and bowed to the guests; both of common standing and the rich. I stepped down and accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, loosening my tie with an exhausted sigh as Kintaro, my boss, and the movie director all cheerfully headed over.

"Amazing speech, Kohaku-sensei!" My boss said, looking overjoyed, though Kintaro knew better.

"I-I'm just glad you were able to smooth things over so quickly."

I groaned. "You're telling me. You weren't the one facing them."

The movie director, Takashiro, grinned. "I would have never thought Takeyo-san and Chio-san were childhood friends."

I hummed, idly sipping my drink. "Their kids go to my old high school. Said kids are engaged, despite the differences in wealth."

"And how did you know about Shin-san and Daiki-san?"

"I've bumped into Shin-san multiple times at my gym, making deliveries, and found his products were well-made. More so than Daiki-san's brands. I figured they could learn from each other and this was a good place for them to meet on equal footing, instead of potentially fighting in one of their gyms." I rattled off, pulling out my buzzing phone and wincing at the multiple texts from Tamaki.

"Something wrong, Kohaku-sensei?" Takashiro asked and I pulled a hand through my hair.

"There was… is a farewell party for my friend going on right now and her boyfriend's trying to figure out if I'm showing up or not."

My boss chuckled. "I'm surprised you haven't already left. What's stopping you? I know how you are about… what do you call it again?"

"A rich gathering of hermits and money hogs?" I offered bluntly, knowing the three men around me knew me well enough to not be offended, and tucking my phone away once more. "And I made a deal with the devil. Now, I'm simply waiting to see if he accepts my payment." I cringed though, the image of a certain glasses-wearing host flickering though my mind. "And his son is my… recent ex-boyfriend who happens to be at the farewell party I'm avoiding."

I spotted Kyoya's father heading my way and I groaned.

"And here comes the devil."

Yoshio Ootori wandered up and bobbed his head politely as my boss, Kintaro, and the director went off to mingle and leave the two of us to our discussion.

"Good evening, Nishimura-san." He greeted me and I bowed formally.

"Ootori-san. Are you enjoying yourself?"

He smirked slightly. "Your performance a moment ago was quite entertaining. Your handling of the problem was very well done."

"Thank you." I replied, not shifting my gaze from his. "Although, that wasn't a performance. I meant every word and, as you can see, everyone is getting along exceptionally well; with or without my help."

"Yes, however, I doubt Shin-san and Daiki-san would have done such, should you have not encouraged their meeting here."

I shrugged nonchalantly, internally struggling to hold back the fear I felt while facing this man. "Sometimes people need a push in the right direction."

"Ah, yes. Suoh-san did mention you giving him quite the… push in his office the morning he'd taken her over the Suoh company."

I very nearly choked on my champagne, coughing and glaring at said blonde across the room.

"Did he now…?"

"That, and I hear you have managed to talk my own son into not perusing a medical career."

I winced, feeling my business-like attitude faltering. "N-Now, I didn't necessarily talk him out of it. I just… sort of… suggested that he utilize his strengths in other areas to get the same result. A-Another route, if you would."

"Hm, you appear to have a lot of fingers in a number of very important pies, Nishimura-san. I would hate for something to happen to you because of your… seemingly innocent actions."

A shiver went down my spine before my phone buzzed again and I pulled it out to glance at the message from Tamaki; doing my best to hide how bothered I was by Yoshio's threat."

"That is true, however, by being friends with said people, I have their protection as well." I declared, narrowing my eyes at him. "Though, even without their help, I would no doubt prove to be impossible to deal with."

Needless to say, I did not expect him to suddenly start laughing. I blinked at him owlishly, as he calmed down and composed himself.

"My apologies, Kohaku-san." He said, stunning me again at his use of a more informal address. "You're a very interesting individual. One who—I have no doubt—will go quite far if you continue the way you're going."

"T-Thanks?" I said, uncertain about the abrupt change in the ever-stoic Ootori.

He smirked, bowing his head. "You play a good game, for someone as young as you are, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with next. A place in my company will be open for you, should you choose to leave this line of work. I could use someone with your… unique expertise."

I stiffened, knowing what he was offering and the significance. "Perhaps. Though I'm perfectly content where I am."

He nodded, making to leave. "As expected, but my offer still stands."

Once he was further away, I was startled by my phone buzzing in my hand; a sort of panic overwhelming me at what had just occurred. My head felt light as my breath shortened, and I grabbed another glass of champagne before rushing out to the nearby patio. The cold air was a relief against my heated skin and I quickly downed the champagne; dropping my head on my arms in exhaustion. This is too stressful. I'm almost glad I'll be traveling for the movie and book signings. Though… I lifted my head, letting out a long sigh as I looked up at the stars. I'm on my own now. My phone buzzed again and I closed my eyes tightly, wishing that Tamaki would just let it go.

"You're not going to check that?" Yuzuru's voice cut through my reverie. "It could be important."

I opened my eyes to glare at the man. "It's your son trying to get me to go to that farewell party after I told him I was busy." I snipped. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't go around gossiping to your business partners about my actions in your office. I was under the assumption you kept business meetings private."

He smiled, surprisingly enough, only making me more annoyed. Tamaki does that too. Who smiles when the other party is obviously upset with them?

"Yes, well, I assumed you would appreciate it, seeing as the whole reveal was your way of getting some sort of acceptance from Yoshio-san."

My shoulders tensed again, my panic starting to return.

"How do you know about that?" I asked, suspicious and cautious. "And what do you care about helping me? There's no real benefit in this for you."

He frowned and I winced, looking away as I believed to have hit the line between what I could and couldn't get away with while speaking with someone of his status.

"Sorry." I muttered. "I didn't mean to over-step my boundaries."

"I'm not upset with you, Kohaku." He said, making he look up at him in confusion. "You're a very clever young adult and remind me very much of Yoshio-san's son, Kyoya-kun."

I looked away at the mention of him as Yuzuru continued.

"And one of the reasons why I allowed young Kyoya-kun to get so close to my son, was because I saw something. Something the two of you have in common." He leaned on the railing beside me, causing me to look at him only to have a hard time looking away. "You're both trying to grow up too quickly. Tamaki and the other members of the Host Club have helped you both be the kids you're supposed to be. I'm helping you, because I am a father myself, and I want those children in my care to be happy first and foremost. Even if it means having to tease them or push them in the right direction."

I frowned, finally turning away from him. "I'm not in your care."

"Perhaps not, but you are in my son's care." He replied with a smile as my phone went off yet again. "And I think you need that."

I scowled at my phone and Yuzuru bumped into me, making me fumble as he chuckled.

"Go on. Go with your friends. Leave the business to the adults for once and enjoy yourself. Oh! And here." He handed me a simple black masquerade mask with a wink and a smile. "Rumor has it, it's masquerade night."

I smiled softly at the mask before bowing deeply.

"Thank you, Suoh-san."

"No, thank you for helping my son." He said with a bright grin at my surprised look. "Now, go on. There's a car waiting for you outside."

I nodded and hurried out, a grin stretching across my face as I messaged Tamaki back the moment I'd put on the mask and climbed into the car.

On my way.

(No One's POV)

Haruhi danced idly with Kasugaki, her head more drawn into her thoughts than actually paying any attention to her partner. I never found the right time to tell everyone the truth about me.

"Haruhi, can you hold off telling everyone just yet? I promise it won't go badly."

Tamaki said that, but… Haruhi looked over at the blonde happily chatting away with some guests. I wish he'd look my way once in a while. Starting tomorrow, we'll be spending a whole year apart… Her heart sank further as another thought came to mind. And Kohaku, she… she didn't even say goodbye. Just left that note. I understand her and Kyoya are a bit tense right now, but…

"Haruhi? At whom do you keep looking?" Kasugaki asked, startling Haruhi out of her thoughts.

"Oh! Forgive me, Kasugaki-san!"

"You don't have to hide it." The woman chuckled before leaning in. "Because, Haruhi-kun, I already know your secret."

Haruhi's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, someone tapped Kasugaki's shoulder. Someone in a nice suit and a simple black mask stared down at her.

"Do you mind if I cut in?"

Kasugaki shook her head as she took a small step back, cheeks tinted a light pink. The figure bowed politely before turning to Haruhi and taking the lead role, confusing the host as the mysterious man danced with her.

"U-Um, sir? Are you sure you wouldn't want to be dancing with someone else?" Haruhi asked, cringing when she stepped on his foot. "Sorry."

"Step on my foot all you want, Haruhi." They said, sounding a little upset. "I deserve much more than that for what I attempted to do to you."

Haruhi frowned, confused at the familiar speech. "Do I… know you?"

They smiled slightly. "Amazing what a simple mask can do, but you're clever, Haruhi. You're going to be a lawyer soon enough." They said with a smirk as Haruhi stiffened, stepping on their foot again as they leaned in and spoke softer. "So, come on. Guess."

"Y-You want me to guess?"

They pulled back and nodded, spinning the two of them around easily. "Oh, yes. Shouldn't be too hard once you get a good look, though might I ask you to hurry? I'd prefer if you knew before blondie and his friends possibly main me."

The figure turned her so she could see Tamaki, Kyoya, Honey and Mori heading their way.

"Seems they're not pleased I borrowed the star of the show."

Haruhi frowned, looking the figure over briefly, but not seeing anything familiar. "Why are you doing this?" She asked. "Why me?"

The person seemed to grow sadder. "Because I've done something terrible to you and have yet to find a way to fix it. I figured giving you a good reason to hit me would do it."

They smiled at her, but something about it set off bells in Haruhi's head. It was a nervous, slightly anxious smile. One she'd seen before. And she looked over the person again, from the Converse on their feet to the white hair peeking out of the hat on their head. All of it screamed that she knew this person, but before she could fully figure it out, a large hand appeared on his shoulder and stopped them from continuing. Kyoya and Tamaki moved Haruhi back behind them as the figure chuckled anxiously under Mori's hand.

"Oh, dear. Time's up."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Tamaki said sternly. "This is a private party."

"Yes. Well, I would leave, but you see I came here for a reason and don't intend to do so until I've done it properly. That, and I was invited."

Tamaki frowned and Kyoya stepped forward, immediately putting the person on edge.

"And where is this invitation?"

"Right. Technically, it's not an actual invitation and I know it would be much easier if I just gave up my identity, but where's the fun in that?" They shrugged with a grin and Kyoya's eyebrow twitched.

"You think this is fun?"

"Oh, don't get your boxers in a bunch." They drawled. "Of course it's fun… Well, until Haruhi hits me. Then I suppose it won't be." They paused. "Then again, maybe this is a bad idea. Because I could quite possibly get beat up if she doesn't figure out who I am… Oh, dear. I didn't think this one through very well, did I?"

"Throw him out." Kyoya ordered and Mori nodded, grabbing the back of their suit and pulling them away.

"Ah! Hey! At least pick me up or let me walk or something! This suit cost a lot of money!"

"Wait!" Haruhi called out, moving past Kyoya and Tamaki as Mori stopped. "That tattoo…"

All she went to the tattoo on the person's side that had been revealed due to Mori's grip on the back of the person's suit.

"Kohaku?" Haruhi questioned and the person grinned.

"About time you figured it out. I thought I was nearly done for."

Mori abruptly let Kohaku's suit go and she got up and brushed herself off, taking off her masquerade mask.

"I really didn't think this plan through well enough." She rambled, pulling off her hat and running a hand through her hair. "Honestly thought the hair would give it away."

Haruhi stormed up then and harshly slapped her across the face, making her cringe.

"Yeah, deserved that." She said before Haruhi hit her again. "T-That one too."

Kyoya interrupted them, pushing up his glasses to hide the glare on his face. "Perhaps we'd best discuss things in a more private setting."

The group agreed and—while Honey and Mori offered to stay with the confused guests outside—the others retreated into another room where two surprised twins were setting something up.

"Kohaku?!"

She gave them a small, grimace of a smile before sitting across from the angry hosts; a furious Kyoya taking the initiative to speak.

"What's going on? Why are you here?"

Kohaku winced, glancing briefly at an upset Haruhi that Tamaki was trying to comfort, before bowing her head; not nearly as confident as she had been earlier.

"Tamaki wouldn't stop texting me to come."

Kyoya glared at the blonde, who frowned.

"Despite the bump in your relationship, she is still a host and a friend, Kyoya." He said sternly. "She deserves to be here as much as anyone. It's a Haruhi's farewell."

"And does she look happy to see her?" Kyoya argued, making Tamaki hesitate at the upset woman beside him.

"T-That's, um… That's my fault." Kohaku said, wringing her hands in her lap before looking up at Haruhi. "I really am sorry, Haruhi. I didn't want to tell you like that, but I didn't know if I'd see you before I left and—"

"And you couldn't take time out of your oh-so-busy schedule to tell me?" Haruhi questioned, tears in her eyes. "I-I'm your best friend, Kohaku!"

Kohaku cringed, sinking into the couch in shame as Kyoya spoke up.

"Left where?"

"I-I have to be out of this region for a while for the movie." Kohaku replied. "We start filming next week. The whole reason I couldn't mention anything was because of the nondisclosure agreement. I'd already pushed the limits of my contract by even telling you all that I'd gotten a movie deal. Anything about when filming was going to start and the like was strictly forbidden until the reveal." She shuffled a bit. "That's why I was late. I was trying to make sure everything went smoothly and… I hadn't planned on coming for this very reason. Between what happened with us, Kyoya, and that I'd sent the news of my leaving to Haruhi via a letter… I didn't want to ruin a good moment with my screw-ups."

Things got quiet, then she chuckled bitterly, a hand running through her hair as she got up from the couch.

"But it looks like I did that anyway. Thought the whole sneaking in thing might have broken the ice a bit, but seems none of my ideas ever turn out right. So I'll just go ahead and go then. No need to make throngs worse than they already are." She said, but turned to Haruhi with a sad look and bowed deeply to her. "I am very sorry, Haruhi, and I understand if you don't… forgive me." She straightened up, swallowing thickly to hold back tears as she bowed to the others. "And thank you guys for everything. I don't know what would've happened without you all, but… M-My plane leaves tomorrow morning so I guess this is… goodbye."

She turned and headed for the door with as much strength as she could muster, stopping and glancing over her shoulder then.

"And I'm sorry for hurting you, Kyoya. I hope things go well for you and your father."

And then she left, staying strong until she was long gone; breaking down only as she packed away her belongings. Wishing things could have ended differently.

(Kohaku's POV)

I sighed softly, staring at the screensaver on my phone of Haruhi, the hosts and I with one of the horses from the time we teamed up with the Equestrian Club. I pressed the phone to my forehead, slumped over in my seat while waiting for my plane to show up. Something lightly tapped my head and I lifted my gaze tiredly to Kintaro, who was holding up a soda for me in one hand and a coffee for him in the other.

"E-Everything alright, Nishimura-sensei?"

I took the soda, but didn't open it. "You know, for once, I'm going to say 'no.'"

"O-Oh." He muttered, hesitantly sitting down beside me. "Is there a-anything I can do?"

"Unless you have a time machine that would give me the chance to fix all the problems I've managed to cause in the past month, no. I don't even know if I'll ever be able to fix what I've done, at this point." I said softly. "I'm honestly beginning to regret all of this."

"W-What?!"

I rolled my eyes at his exaggerated shout. "I'm not going to back out of this movie deal now, Kintaro. I'm too stubborn to give up on something half way." I frowned. "Then again, my plans only seem to go that far lately."

"T-That's not true! You worked really hard f-for that deal and you were amazing when facing Suoh-san and Ootori-san! I-I'd never be able to do that."

"Yeah, but in the process, I pushed aside what was important and now it's coming back to bite me in the—"

"Attention, please be on the lookout for a lost child." An announcement cut me off and I frowned before opening my soda and drinking some, only to choke at the announcer's next words. "Kohaku Nishimura is a tall, white haired androgynous woman, last seen wearing—"

I ignored the rest, standing and leaving a befuddled Kintaro behind as I stormed brought the airport to the help desk, where a group of familiar people stood; babbling my features to an overwhelmed staff member.

"What, in God's name, are you morons doing?!" I shouted, attracting the hosts' attention.

"Ko-chan!"

"Kohaku!"

I scowled at the group, even as Honey tackled my waist in a hug. "I swear I told you guys I didn't want you pulling this after the last time."

The twins snuck over and looped their arms around my shoulders with grins.

"Aw, you know you love us!"

"Yeah, well sometimes I wonder." I grumbled, before spotting Haruhi over by an encouraging Tamaki, going quiet.

"Flight 127 has arrived and will begin boarding shortly. Passengers, please—"

I glanced over towards where Kintaro was, turning back to the hosts with a tight smile.

"That's my, uh, flight. I should probably—"

"Wait." Haruhi said softly and I stopped, waiting as she'd asked. "Could I… talk with you for a second."

I looked at the other hosts, but Tamaki took the hint and quickly gathered them up.

"Come on, men! I spotted an excellent commoner's cafe down this way!"

Once they were gone, I shuffled, unsure whether I should attempt speaking or wait for Haruhi.

"So, um—"

"I'm sorry." Haruhi blurted out, making me wave my hands.

"Why are you apologizing?! I-I should be the one apologizing! I tried to just walk away with just a letter!"

"No! I-I've thought about it and… I understand. I know you've been real busy with everything—"

"That's no excuse!" I argued. "I should've made time to explain things properly! Y-You're my friend. My best friend. You deserve that much."

She smiled a little. "Thank you."

"Haruhi—"

She shook her head. "No. Thank you, Kohaku. You could have just left, but you went out of your way to write a letter even though you were as busy as you were."

"But Haruhi, the time it took to write that would have been plenty of time to—"

"Don't lie, Kohaku." She snapped, making me flinch. "You and I both know you probably wrote that letter during your breaks."

"You don't know—"

"Kohaku, half of it was written in pen and the other half in highlighter."

I flushed a vibrant red, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly; having forgotten that bit. "W-We were highlighting and editing the script. M-My red pen ran out of ink and that was all I had left."

She snorted. "Only you would write your farewell letter in a bright highlighter yellow. How did you expect me to read it?"

"I was going to write over it in pen, I swear! I just ran out of time and—"

"Ha!" She shouted, pointing at me with a smug grin. "So you admit it! You were too busy to talk!"

"I-I didn't… But I…" I groaned, pulling a hand through my already messy hair. "I hate you twisting my words around like that."

She chuckled. "Future lawyer."

I cracked a smile at that, before growing slightly nervous again. "So… you forgive me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, you moron. Of course I do. Now, come here. Tamaki won't leave me alone unless we hug and give him proof that we've made up."

I laughed, easily hugging her and even spinning her in a circle; despite her complaints. I then gave her an extra hug, tightening my grip on her as I rested my head on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Haruhi."

"You idiot. We just went over this." She grumbled half-heartedly.

"I know. I just wanted to say it again." I said, smiling as I pulled away. "It'll be a while before we bump into each other, after all. Better say it now than writing it in a letter later."

She rolled her eyes. "And knowing you, it'll be in crayon this time."

"A-Ah, you caught me." Now if only talking with Kyoya would be this easy.

Someone cleared their throat beside us and I quickly paled at the dark haired, glasses wearing host that I'd just been thinking about.

"I have something I wish to discuss with Kohaku, if I may."

I gave Haruhi a desperate look, silently begging her not to leave me with him, but she easily ignored me and smiled sweetly at him.

"Sure."

Traitor! Haruhi walked off to join the hosts and I forced myself to not act like the panicking, nervous wreck I was; putting on a stiff look, much like the one I use for business deals. Kyoya did much the same, but there was something else hidden there that had me on edge.

"I've heard that you spoke with my father." He said and I frowned slightly.

Is that what this is about? "Yes. I was making sure that what I'd done was satisfying enough for him and…" I paused, remembering the elder Ootori's response. "...his reaction wasn't quite what I'd expected."

"Things went well then?" He asked and I hesitantly nodded.

What's his game? I don't understand what he's trying to do.

"He's informed me you've made quite the impression on him." Kyoya went on. "He hopes to see more from you later on."

I scowled now, annoyed at whatever it was Kyoya was trying to accomplish. "Is that it? You came over here just to tell me your father is interested in my plans for the future?"

He cleared his throat, pushing up his glasses and making the light reflect off them as he turned his gaze from me. But I'd had enough and easily snatching the offending obstacles from off his face to see something unexpected. He was glaring at me for taking his spectacles, but it was a half-hearted sort of anger. No, it was what he was hiding underneath that, which stunned me.

He was cautious, awkward, nervous even. The Kyoya Ootori was doing everything in his power to hide the embarrassed flush to his cheeks and the obvious need to fidget in place. As I blinked in silent shock, he cleared his throat for the umpteenth time and hurriedly grabbed his glasses from me; slipping them back on as he spoke.

"I have come to… apologize." He said, stunning me even further than he already had. "Haruhi and… Shindo-kun have both become insistently bothersome as of late in order to get me to understand that my anger toward you was… uncalled for."

"Now, hold on a second." I said, waving my hands and scrunching my eyebrows together in confusion. "Could you drop the prim and proper business speech and repeat that?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed, grumbling. "Haruhi and Shindo-kun haven't stopped coming to my house to speak with me about clearing up the misunderstanding that caused us to break up."

"Oh…" Now it was my turn to feel awkward. "Sorry."

He frowned. "Sorry? I shouted at you for taking a break from your busy schedule to relax and relieve stress. I got angry about a tattoo you got to remind you of me. So why is it you still feel the need to apologize?"

"Sor—" I winced, cutting myself off from another apology as he sighed deeply.

"Honestly, I don't know how you manage in the business world."

I scowled. "I'll have you know, I'm very well respected in my field of work."

He stepped closer. "And I believe it, seeing as you had the gall to confront, not only Tamaki's father, but my own."

I took a step forward as well, smirking mischievously. "Hm, so you admit I'm better than you?"

He smirked back, stepping up to me. "Now, I never said that."

We both stopped, a hair's breadth apart, and our smiles fell.

"You're still upset about something." I muttered, eyes scanning his for answers and he reluctantly closed his eyes and nodded. "It's my foreknowledge, isn't it?"

He didn't have to say anything for me to know I'd hit the nail on the head, and I looked down briefly.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. About it and… about everything."

"It's not that." He disagreed, making me look back at him as he struggled to say what it was that bothered him. "It has just… become so hard to discern your actions from those based on—"

On what I know." I finished for him, nodding. "I got it."

He nodded as well, the two of us going quiet for a minute or so, before I spoke up.

"We're not getting back together." I stated, more than questioned.

"No." He replied, before I let out a bitter chuckle.

"Tamaki won't be happy with us."

"He'll get over it." Kyoya shrugged and I lifted my head as the final call for boarding my flight was announced.

"I better go. I already told my manager I wasn't going to back out on this."

"Good luck then. Don't push yourself too hard." He said sternly, causing me to smile a little.

"I'll try. Tell Tamaki and them to keep in touch. I'll write when I can, or email if my computer is on hand."

"Of course." He nodded, smiling slightly back. "Goodbye, Kohaku."

"Goodbye, Kyoya."

(No One's POV)

Dear Tamaki and Haruhi,

Hey. It's been three months and things are going well so far, I suppose. Due to some weather issues, shooting in Japan has been put off. Doesn't mean I got a break though. Kintaro wanted me to try out being in an unfamiliar country as a sort of practice for the world-wide tour coming up next year. He chose Spain, of course. He knows I have an inherent dislike of the structuring of that particular language. I don't hate it or anything, but I could never get the pronunciations and accents quite right. Which is odd, seeing as French is similar to Spanish.

I'd managed to sneak out from the hotel just before Kintaro was supposed to pick me up for a book signing of sorts too, but I swore I saw Kyoya. I know. Silly, right? You lot are all in Boston. Unless Tamaki came up with another crazy plan or something, but seriously, you two. I'm okay with what happened with Kyoya and I. Really. So if you could stop with the random pictures of him you keep sending me, that'd be great. And who knows? Maybe we'll both move on from each other and find someone new. And if we do, I don't want to hear about it, Tamaki. Okay? Just… let it go.

In other news, I told Kintaro about the date for your wedding and he already gave me the weekend off! So I will definitely be there, but might I suggest not making me the bridesmaid? I still have an adamant hatred towards those death traps you call dresses. That, and l probably be too busy to be of much help. Might I suggest Mei-chan?

Ah, I better go. Kintaro found me at the nice bar in Kyoto where we're filming. And that's not a free invite, Tamaki! I doubt my boss would appreciate the trouble you guys would bring when we're trying to shoot a movie. But good luck with the wedding preparations, Haruhi. And you better pamper her for life, Tamaki, or I'll hunt you down and mount your head on the wall above my fireplace. (That's right. I have a fireplace in a cozy flat in London, which I bought for when this mess is all over and done with. And it's the perfect size for your big blonde head.)

See you sooner or later!

-Kohaku