Disclaimer: I don't own OHSHC

Chapter 4: Haruhi's Decision

For the first time since I've started going to Ouran Academy, my mind wandered away from the lesson. I couldn't focus on the board or the teacher. My thoughts always led back to Takumi's eyes. They were the perfect blue at that moment. Her words replayed over and over again in my head.

"You're not like that and you're here?"

She was questioning my own sexuality. I looked down at my desk, thinking. 'Am I...?'

"Fujioka-kun," the teacher asked I looked up and the whole class was staring at me. "What's the answer?" I looked at the board at the equation and solved it withease.

"X is less than ten," I said.

"Correct," said my teacher, but she trailed off in saying so.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was time to go to lunch. Everyone was already heading out the door while I unpacked my bento box. The teacher walked over to my desk and sat down in the chair in front of me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Your answer," she paused.

"Was it wrong?"

"No, it was delayed compared to your normal answering time." she pushed up her glasses and leaned closer to me. "Is something wrong?"

"Well..." I paused.

"It's alright to ask for help sometimes," she said.

"There is this girl," I said, keeping up my role of a boy. "She asked me to return her feelings."

"Well, are there feelings for her to return?" she asked.

"I don't know," I answered.

"I see."

"It's complicated," I explained "My feelings are mixed."

"I guess you need to answer one question. Do you like her? If you do, the rest of the feelings will sort themselves out."

"But Tamaki-senpai said I could never go out with her."

"That's a stupid action on his part," said my teacher. She got up from the chair and went back to the board, writing another lesson on it. "I don't think he has the power to choose your life for you." She looked over her shoulderat me. "Right Haruhi? Do what you want to do. Do what makes you happy and comfortable for your own decision. Not anyone else's." She winked at me and went back to writing on the board.

I looked at the clock to see that there were only a few minutes until lunch was over. I quickly ate some tempura and packed up my box. The class started pouring back into the classroom while I was taking notes. Hikaru and Kaoru walked up to my desk, feeling the need to lean on it.

"Haruhi!" they said.

"What?" I asked.

"You haven't been paying any attention to us lately," said Hikaru.

"Yeah, we're bored," said Kaoru.

"That's not my problem, is it?" I said. Although I didn't show it, I was shocked at my answer. Normally I wouldn't have said anything.

"You're our toy," said Kaoru. "It's your job to entertain us."

"So," Hikaru pulled out a pink, frilly dress. "You're going to dress like a girl and go back out with Takumi." A fiery anger boiled inside of me. I had no idea how to control this.

"Her feelings are not your playthings! I am not doing that no matter what you do! I don't care if you're bored, entertain yourself!" I yelled at them, anger trembling inmy voice. I was so loud that it caused the whole class to turn around and look at me.

"Haruhi-kun is so cute when he's angry," said one girl.

"Yeah, he is," said another girl. Fangirl screams were heard around the class room, asking for more.

"Alright! Girls, girls!" my teacher rose her voice. "That's enough! We are still in school, girls! Hikaru-kun, Kaoru-kun. You are not allowed to bother Fujioka-kun for the rest of the day."

"What?" they both said in unison.

"If you do, you'll be givendetention for two weeks. I mean it. Now take your seats." Hikaru and Kaoru sat down

For the rest of the day, I could feel their eyes burning a hole in me. I ignored them the best I could. I knew I had to apologize to them sooner or later. I was just a little angry at the moment. They had to pick on Takumi and her feelings. After the bell rang, I packed up my books and walked over to their desks.

"Gomenasai (1)," I said. They looked up at me from the desks.

"We weren't trying to make you angry" said Kaoru. "We just wanted to have fun."

"Plus," said Hikaru. "You look upset. Is it bad to try to cheer you up?"

"I know. That's the reason I'm apologizing." I paused. "I'm going to studying now. I'll see you two in the Host Club."

I walked away from them without so much as a good-bye. I didn't know what was happening to me. It seemed like I wasn't holding back my thoughts anymore. I didn't want this to become a habit.

I made my way to the fourth reading room. I was looking at the ground, thinking.

'This decision is harder than I thought."

I was stopped in my tracks by running into someone. I dropped all of my books on the floor. We both backed up and apologized. I reached down to pick up my books while the other person's hand reached down, too. I looked up to tell them that they didn't need to help, but seeing who it was made me drop my books again. It was Takumi!

"Haruhi-kun, you should hold on tighter to your books," she laughed, handing the books back to me. "I'll see you around," she said, turning around to leave.

"Takumi-senpai!" I called out to her. She turned around, and waited. "Are you coming to the Host Club today?"

"Sorry Haruhi-kun," she answered and smiled. I felt the calmness in my heart again. She looked so beautiful when she smiled. "I have hopefully have plans today."

"Hopefully?"

"Yeah, I really hope so." She turned back around and left.

I couldn't keep my mind on studying, either. Just Takumi. It was almost as if she meant to bump into me. I closed my book and stared at the table. Her smiling face became a picture in my mind. At that moment, I realized what I had to do.

I jumped out of my seat and ran to the Host Club room. I was going to be a few minutes early, which was always good. I opened the door to the Third Music room to find everyone dressed as samurai's from 19th century Japan.

"Irasshaimase! (2)" called out the Host Club.

"Haruhi, you're late," Tamaki-senpai informed me.

"I'm early and I'm not staying," I answered,quickly running to the cosplay closet.

"What do you mean you're not staying?" asked Honey-senpai.

"I have other things to do."

"You do realize that if you miss a Host Club meeting, your debt will be increased by 100,000 yen with each costumer we lose," asked Kyoya.

"I'll take that chance," I said, putting some clothing into a bag.

"Alright then," said Kyoya.

"What! Kyoya-senpai, we can't let our daughter go out without knowing where she's going!"

"You don't need to know what happens in every second of my life!" I yelled as I stormed out of the closet. "You're not my father, so stop acting like it!" Tamaki-senpai huddled into a corner and became dark.

"Haru-chan is scary…" said Honey-senpai. He crawled up on Mori-senpai's shoulders.

"Sorry, but I'll be leaving today," I said. I walked out on the Host Club and ran to the bathroom as fast as I could.

My heart was racing. I couldn't believe what I just did. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. My teacher's words came out to me.

"Do what makes you happy and comfortable for your own decision."

"She's right," I said out loud. "I control my life." I ran out of the bathroom and my excitement was building. I ran through the third year hallway, passing the people I didn't care about. The only person on my mind was Takumi and how surprised she would be.

My heart was beating fast and hard as my run came to a stop. I saw Takumi standing in the hallway, wearing a black shirt and black jeans. She was turned around, looking the opposite way I was. She rocked back and forth on her heels with her hands on her hips, waiting. I stood there, dressed as Haruko, waiting for one of us to move. I took another step forward and she turned around.

We didn't speak a word, but we didn't have to. Our eyes said everything in the world. It was as if everything revolved around this moment. It was just Takumi and I. The rest of the world didn't matter.

We both had a joy in our eyes that wasincomparable to anything else. I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. All the troubles of today had just vanished when I saw her eyes light up. Takumi walked up to me and held out her hand.

"Come on," she said, breaking our silence. "Let's get out of here." I slowly reached my hand up and put it lightly on top of hers. I felt her gently squeeze my hand, enveloping it.

"Yes," I said. "Let's go."

"Yes…" I thought. "This is my choice. Not Tamaki-senpai's or the Host Club's. Mine. This is my choice and I choose Takumi."

To be continued in Chapter 5: Takumi's past.

(1): I'm sorry; Sorry

(2): Welcome (shops to costumers)