Haruhi stared at the man across from her and blinked. Is he serious? She immediately looked down at the table where her fingers were twiddling. Traces of anguish as well as hate became apparent in her features. Her twiddling became faster as the seconds progress. After what seems like hours of contemplating, she looked straight at her senpai, who was looking at her curiously. She thought she caught something in his eyes… a little spark perhaps, but it was gone before she could blink.
"Have you thought about our proposal? A trade; you tell me what happens, and the load will be divided equally."
She took a deep breath. "So all I have to do is tell you what happened?"
"Precisely."
"And everything will be cut fifty-fifty all around?"
He nodded.
She took another deep sigh. "Then I've made a decision." She tore her eyes away from her companion, slid her way out of the booth and stood at the edge of the table. "I'd rather stick to the load you gave me then tell you something utterly pointless." She grabbed her purse and walked – nearly stomped out of the restaurant.
-----
Kaoru is at a total loss. Not only was his brother secretly up to something, but for once in their lives, he wasn't part of his scheme. This sense of not knowing what is going on annoys him to the core. This is the first time that he really wanted to just punch his brother to tell him what is going on. He took a sideways glance at his older brother who merely continued to walk down the street. He sighed. What is going on Hikaru? What exactly are you planning?
Meanwhile, Hikaru strolled down the street, a little happily; this Kaoru noticed.
"Why are you smirking Hikaru?" Kaoru asked.
Hikaru realized the smile playing on his lips and immediately wiped it off before turning to his brother. "What are you talking about?"
"Can you tell me what is going on? You've been keeping something from me, and I want in. And don't you deny it." They momentarily stopped in the middle of the street, Kaoru looking at Hikaru, and Hikaru likewise.
The wind rustled the trees around them as Hikaru deliberated with his decision. He knows full well his brother knows him, and he can't just wiggle his way out with a single remark. He ran a list of pros and cons. One major point on having Kaoru knowing about his plan had to do with his services. The plan he has in mind can be much easier with Kaoru and would be flawlessly executed. Unfortunately, there some secrets that are not meant to be secrets; and his brother is no exception. As much as Kaoru wants to help him be with Haruhi, he still harbors sympathy for Tamaki and wants to Tamaki and Haruhi to settle their bitterness. Kaoru is more emotional, whereas he wasn't. And this will totally ruin the plan.
Hikaru gave a small sigh and continued walking. Kaoru trailed after him, still waiting for an answer. After a few blocks of silence, Hikaru replied with a snort.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Kaoru asked slightly angry and a little confused.
"Your question. You thought I was planning something? You think I'm smart for that kind of stuff?"
"And why not? I mean you did take a pretty long time to give me a reply. Again Hikaru, don't give me any bull. I know you more that anyone else."
"Look, I'm not Kyoya, so I'm not scheming anything."
"Then why did it take you so long to answer?"
"It's calling thinking about 'why did my brother ask a stupid question,'" he retorted sarcastically.
"It wasn't stupid!" Kaoru answered enraged. "I told you Hikaru no bull, and what you said was it! All I want to know is what is going on in that little mind of yours, and I'll help you out!"
"Don't you mean you'll 'probably' help me out?"
"What?! I'll definitely help you out!"
"Kaoru, as much as you know me, I know you just as much; and I know for a fact you wouldn't have the heart to do it."
"…"
"If you want to know what I'm planning, all you have to do is wait."
They walked through the park where the birds were chirping loudly. The sky was clear, the sun clearly visible. As walked pass one tree, it gave a rustle. Two birds came flying out, both flying in the same direction, when one suddenly makes a sharp turn to the right. Kaoru sees ahead of him, his brother turning to the right at the end of the park path.
-----
Haruhi trudged up the stairs to her apartment and continued walking down the landing until she reached her door. She takes out her keys and slowly opened it. A big sigh escaped her lips as soon as she entered her home. All that she can think about is the proposal Kyoya laid out before her; it kept gnawing at her throughout the walk home. The more she thought about those forty percent, the more she felt uneasy. Forty percent is large; and thinking about it now, Tamaki's clients is fairly large, possibly ten times as much as her clients right now. Then, there is their preference of Tamaki. Not only does she have a large clientele, she has to appeal to each and every one of them, or else they'll leave the club. Knowing Kyoya, the consequences is probably money based, which she can only pay back with the arduous labor of hosting.
However, on the bright side, if she does appeal to each one of Tamaki's clients, the debt may be paid sooner then expected. She quickly calculated that if she retains her as their host, she'll be done with her debt by the end of the year. Easy.
"Dad! I'm home!"
"Welcome home, dear," replied her father's cheery voice. She looked up to see her father standing at the doorway to the living room. "So how was your meeting?"
She groaned. "Don't remind me."
"Did they give you a hard time?"
She started walking towards her father and entered the living room with him trailing. "Let's just say it was surprising." She looked down and on the table she saw two cups somewhat filled with tea. She look at her father quizzically. "Did you have guests?"
"Yea. You know them."
"Who exactly?"
"The twins of course!"
"Hikaru and Kaoru came over? Why?"
"Well, they told me to tell you there will be another meeting on Monday."
"I didn't hear about this."
"Apparently Kyoya forgot to tell you as soon as you left." He shrugged.
Haruhi sighed and walked up to the table. She picked the cups and walked towards the kitchen. She drained the contents and resumed to clean them. "So, what did you talk about?"
"Hmm?"
"Dad, you invited them inside. If it was just to tell me about a meeting, then you could've talked outside."
"Very perceptive."
She lathered the sponge and began to scrub the kitchenware. "Yea. So what was it that you talked about?"
"Are you suspicious of your own father? I'm ashamed you would think such a thing!" He began to feign cry.
She turned on the water and started to rinse. "Dad, please. Today is stressful as it is. I just want something that isn't complicated just this once."
After Ranka's melodramatics, he looked at his daughter seriously. There is no mistaking it, he can't avoid the subject. "Haruhi," he began. "Is there something that you want to talk about?"
"What do you mean?" She pulled out a dishrag and began to dry the cups.
"I mean, is there something that you're keeping a secret from me?"
She momentarily stopped drying the dish, which Ranka noticed. "No."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive dad. There is nothing to talk about."
"Haruhi, I'm going to be completely honest with you. I don't believe that you are not hiding something."
"…"
"Just tell me what is going on. What happened during your meeting today?"
"Nothing much. Kyoya-senpai just wanted to review my debt," she replied as she opened the cabinet.
"It had to do with Tamaki."
At this, the cup she was holding fell to the floor. The shards of glass broken beneath her feet and she continued to stare at the opened cabinet wide-eyed. "How did you know?" she began slowly.
Ranka sighed. "Haruhi, you seriously don't think I'll believe the act you're putting up."
Haruhi slowly got down to the floor and started to pick up the large pieces of glass and threw them out. "I guess you found out from Hikaru and Kaoru?"
"More or less." He started walking up to where she was crouched as she took out a dustpan and a hand broom. She began sweeping the tiny shards. "Haruhi, why didn't you tell me."
"I didn't think it was that important."
"Not important?"
"Yeah." She picked up the dustpan, walked to the garbage, away from her father and resumed to dump the contents.
"Apparently, this 'not important' business seems to be troubling your mind. You care to tell me what happened?"
"It's really stupid, Dad."
"Haruhi, sometimes the stupidest thing may actually be more important than you think."
She sighed before she turned to her father. "Again, it's really stupid." She began to walk to her room. "We just had a little fight, that's all. And he's being a baby about it."
Ranka stared at his daughter as she reached her door, entered and slowly close it. He knew that there was something with this "little fight" she is not telling and is the cause of Tamaki's departure. Either way, I'll find out Haruhi.
A/N: and i am back! sorry for not posting up sooner. i would have put it up about a week ago if it wasn't for dance boot camp i had to go to. sigh but it doesn't matter! yay for cookies and chocolate!!! so i'll try to post up the next chapter by the end of the week.
constructive criticism/reviews please!