It had been three days since the incident at the Fair and Kohaku had barely spoken to the Host Club, sure she had turned up, played for the guests and whoever requested her but it seemed that she was distancing herself from them all again all because of Tamaki.
Of course, if any of them had tried to talk to her, she would respond politely before leaving and for some reason this was worse than being ignored completely. It was as if they were strangers on the street who had merely asked a question.
Most of the guests had remained oblivious to this imaginary wall between them, but one particular guest was observant enough to notice the subtle differences in Kohaku's behaviour. Aiko had noticed that the girl seemed tired, that any interactions with the Host Club seemed forced and overly polite, much like the interactions between most of the students of Ouran, but it was only with the Host Club that Kohaku seemed cold towards. She was still as kind as ever towards those who requested her, towards Aiko and to Aiko that was all that mattered.
"Ah Kohaku-Chan, are you busy tonight?" Aiko asked as she watched the young girl put away the sheet music that she had used.
Kohaku glanced up in surprise at Aiko's voice; clearly she had assumed that Aiko had left with the other two girls she had been hosting for the day.
Aiko didn't miss how Kohaku's eyes glanced over the rest of the club members and found herself nervously hoping that her answer would be a no.
There was a pause before Kohaku answered; "No...I'm not busy."
Aiko smiled and let go a breath she didn't even know she was holding and continued; "Then would you like to come to my house? I really would like it if we could play piano more together, perhaps you could teach me another song and maybe you could stay for dinner...?"
Aiko wrung her hands nervously, she really did want Kohaku to accept her invitation, to spend time with the girl outside the Host Club, to get to know her better, become closer to her.
"That sounds fun Aiko-Senpai…but I'd have to let my mom know so she doesn't worry…"Kohaku trailed off.
"Ahh, that's no problem! We can stop at your house on the way to mine! My driver won't mind!" Aiko exclaimed, smiling at the younger girl.
"If you're sure… then I'd love to come to your house Senpai," Kohaku returned the smile.
The limo pulled into a very long driveway and as Kohaku glanced out the window, she did a double take at how large the house was, it was more like a mansion!
"Wow Senpai, your house is so big," Kohaku exclaimed as she took in the size of the building.
Aiko merely smiled and walked up to the doors which seemed to open as she approached, Kohaku followed, still in awe at the house and just how beautiful it looked.
"May I take your coat Nakamura-Sama?" A young woman asked, judging by her attire she was a maid.
"Uh, sure. Thank you very much," Kohaku said as the maid scurried off to some unknown room with her coat.
"Would the young mistress and her friend like some tea?" Another servant asked.
Aiko shook her head; "Not now, I'm going to give Kohaku-Chan a tour but maybe later."
As the teenagers walked around the house, Kohaku took in the many, many luxurious items; expensive vases, artwork, chandeliers and so much more. Kohaku paused in front of a portrait and glanced at Aiko;
"Are they your parents?"
Aiko glanced at the portrait where a young couple stood, holding a baby, looking much like the perfect family.
"Yeah, that was done when I was five months old. My mother says it is her favourite."
Kohaku stepped closer to the painting and examined the young woman, her skin pale and her hair and her hair falling down her back in natural waves.
"You look just like your mother Aiko-Senpai...except your eyes are lighter. Your parents are very beautiful," Kohaku said with a soft smile, before turning to Aiko once again, not noticing the older girl's blush.
Aiko cleared her throat before leading Kohaku into a room, while smaller than the rest it was not any less extravagant; with a grand piano sitting by a large window and a small chandelier decorating the ceiling.
"Is this where you practiced Senpai?" Kohaku asked as she ran a hand gently over the piano, caressing the instrument.
"Yeah... but I haven't played in a long time," Aiko said meekly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Kohaku turned and grinned at the young woman; "Well, that's going to change today!"
Kohaku sat on the piano bench and indicated for Aiko to do the same;
"Now what do you remember from your lessons?"
LINE BREAK
Aiko and Kohaku had been practicing for an hour, of course the older girl wasn't good enough for Kohaku to teach her a piece of music so she had decided to go over the scales she had been taught when she first started and while Aiko was slightly clumsy when it came to pressing the keys, it was something that could be fixed with practice.
"Let's take a short break Senpai," Kohaku said, placing a hand over Aiko's as the girl tried for the eighth time to play a scale that Kohaku had shown her.
"It's better if you take a small break and come back refreshed," Kohaku smiled at the girl who returned it meekly.
"Maybe, would you like some tea Kohaku-Chan?" Aiko asked.
"I would love some!" Kohaku said, as both girls made their way over to the sofa that sat at the opposite side of the room.
It wasn't long after the girls sat down that a maid, the same one that had asked for Kohaku's coat, arrived carrying a tray laden with cups, tea and a delicate looking sponge cake. As Kohaku inhaled, the smell of a familiar fruit hit her and she immediately covered her mouth and nose.
"Is there something wrong, Kohaku-Chan?" Aiko asked, concerned by the sudden change in the girls behaviour.
"Yes...but what is that tea?" Kohaku asked, glancing at the pot warily.
"Ah! It's strawberry tea, it's rather nice especially with vanilla sponge cake," The maid explained.
"Do you not like strawberry tea, Kohaku-Chan?" Aiko asked.
Kohaku shook her head before responding; "It's not that I don't like it...it's more like my body doesn't like it."
Aiko frowned before realizing what the girl meant; "You're allergic?"
Kohaku nodded and as soon as she did that the maid took the tray and swiftly exited the room while Aiko begun to panic.
"Are you ok Kohaku-Chan? Do you need a doctor?"
Kohaku took her hand away from her mouth and let out a breath; "No...No, I'm fine. As long as I don't eat strawberries I'm fine, the smell just makes me nauseous that's all."
"I'm so sorry Kohaku-Chan! I shouldn't have told the maid to bring strawberry tea, I just thought you would like it but I nearly killed you! I'm really sorry!" Aiko seemed near hysterics and near tears before Kohaku placed a hand on her arm.
"Aiko-Senpai, please calm down. You didn't know so don't worry about it, no harm done, ok?" Kohaku said trying to reassure the girl.
"B-b-but..." Aiko stuttered out, looking thoroughly upset.
"It's alright Senpai, really." Kohaku smiled up at Aiko, hoping to calm her.
Aiko merely avoided Kohaku's gaze as she felt guilt rush through her veins causing the younger girl to sigh and stand up, walking back to the grand piano she allowed her fingers to ghost over the keys. Kohaku had never been the best at reassuring people, she wasn't one of those people who could comfort anyone so right now, she did the only thing she could think of, she played piano.
Aiko stared at Kohaku as the girl began to play an unknown song, the music was soft and each note seemed to caress her and whisper soothing songs into her ear. Watching Kohaku play, Aiko couldn't help but stare at the scene before her; the sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow through the window and casting Kohaku's lone figure into shadow, it was such a beautiful scene. Once Aiko had absorbed the scene visually, she allowed her eyes to slip shut and the notes to soothe her mind.
As the music trailed off to a finish, Aiko gently opened her eyes and smiled gently at Kohaku who was smiling at the girl.
"Are you feeling better Senpai?" Kohaku asked to which Aiko nodded.
"Good... I'm not the best with words when it comes to comforting someone so I thought that listening to the piano might help, it does for me..." Kohaku explained, fiddling with the skirt on her uniform nervously.
While Kohaku had been talking, Aiko had made her way over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder; "I loved it Kohaku-Chan... Really, I loved it."
Kohaku grinned up at her Senpai when a maid appeared announcing that dinner was ready.
Both girls sat at a table in a small dining room, or at least Aiko had said it was small but in Kohaku's opinion it was still pretty large. As several dishes were placed on the table, Kohaku's eyes grew in size, the smell emanating from the unseen food was making her mouth water and she didn't even know what it was!
As a butler revealed the dishes, Kohaku had to make sure she wasn't drooling, there was chicken, cooked in a way that Kohaku was unfamiliar with, but considering that Kohaku knew very little about cooking it didn't mean much, and a selection of vegetables which seemed to be cooked to perfection.
As her meal was placed in front of her, Kohaku glanced around the room, seemingly confused.
"Aren't your parents joining us Senpai?" She asked.
Aiko glanced at the girl before looking at her lap;
"No...They are both on a business trip overseas so they aren't home much."
"I see..." Kohaku trailed off.
A slightly awkward silence fell between the pair as they began to eat, Kohaku could feel the tension that Aiko gave off when she brought up her parents and decided that it would be better to try and avoid that topic.
"So... Aiko-Senpai, do you like western culture?" Kohaku asked, fishing for a topic.
Aiko blinked in shock before answering; "Yes...but how did you know that?"
Kohaku bit her lip sheepishly; "When you were giving me a tour, in your room, I noticed how you had a lot of western music and movies."
Aiko let out a silent 'Oh' before blushing, embarrassed that Kohaku had found out about her recent obsession.
"You're really observant Kohaku-Chan," Aiko said, trying to direct the conversation away from her taste.
Kohaku frowned slightly; "Not really... I just noticed them because I have some of the CDs too."
Aiko stared at Kohaku before grinning at the girl; "You like western culture too?" She asked excitedly.
Kohaku smiled sheepishly; "Mainly the music, I don't really have time to watch movies, let alone western movies."
"Oh...well what kind of music do you listen to then Kohaku-Chan?" Aiko asked, cocking her head to the side.
Kohaku fell silent, trying to find a way to word her taste; "I guess... a little bit of everything. Every genre has something different to offer, it's all so... so different."
"Yeah... I guess." Aiko mused.
Kohaku opened the apartment door quietly, well aware that her mom was most likely asleep despite it only being 9PM. Aiko had persisted that Kohaku was driven home by her driver, something that Kohaku didn't protest to at all considering the distance between the Suzuki mansion and her apartment.
Slipping off her shoes, the girl quietly walked to her room and got changed into her pyjamas before heading to the kitchen to make some tea. As she walked into the living room, she froze in shock and horror. Sitting around the table was the entire Host Club and asleep on the sofa was her mother.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Kohaku growled, mindful not to raise her voice.
The entire club turned to look at Kohaku and most of their faces paled at the look on her face.
Kohaku glared at them and went to speak when her mother murmured something in her sleep. Shaking her head slightly, Kohaku went over to her mother and tried to wake her but to no avail, giving a sigh she made to pick up the older woman when Mori beat her to it.
Avoiding eye contact with the older boy, she mumbled a 'thank you' before leading him to her mother's room. Once Mori had placed her sleeping mother on the futon, the pair silently walked back into the living room and Kohaku once again glared at the Host Club.
"Now would you care to explain what you are all doing in my home?" Kohaku's voice was quiet but the anger in it was clear.
Tamaki cleared his throat and stood up; for once he had a serious look on his face.
"Everyone came because I would like to apologize to you for my comments. I didn't mean to offend you or hurt your feelings."
Kohaku's glare softened at the sincerity in Tamaki's voice and his face, it was obvious he meant the apology.
"Right...but why couldn't you wait until tomorrow? And why are you all here?" Kohaku asked.
Tamaki's face fell as he tried to think of a logical answer, it appeared that the seriousness that his face held only a moment ago had now disappeared.
After a moment or two of silence Kyoya spoke up; "Tamaki was too afraid to come on his own so he enlisted the help of everyone, or at least I did."
"Mommy! Why did you tell our daughter that? Now she'll think that daddy is a coward!" Tamaki whined.
Kohaku sighed and ran a hand through her hair, noticing that they hadn't answered one of her questions.
"Whatever. Would any of you like some tea?" She asked, making her way into the kitchen.
A chorus of 'yes please' echoed from the living room and Kohaku was just glad that her mom was a heavy sleeper.
A/N: Hello again my lovely readers! Another chapter which is pretty focused on Aiko and Kohaku, with just a dash of Tamaki's adorable stupidity. For some reason I found this chapter harder to write, maybe because it focused more on the interaction between two characters that I created and therefore I had to make sure that their personalities were exactly how I imagined them? I don't know, I think I'm babbling.
Anyway! As always a huge thank you to those who read this, those who add it to their favorites and/or story alerts and a big, enormous thank you to those who review! I do love reading what you guys think of the chapter so thank you to the following people; Snowy702, MISCharacter, lunarmidnightwolf, guest, Itsgoose2u, scizzors, , 2featherbraids, and Takara Rose Oizumi!
Guest: You asked if Aiko was asking Kohaku on a date and the answer is… No she wasn't. It was just to hang out!
A little random thing here, I found this YouTube video while I was bored and it made me laugh so hard so I thought I would share it with you lovely people. It stars the talented Host Club and focuses on Kyoya. Just copy and paste this (/watch?v=LHqcTUSSMpw ) into the YouTube thing and enjoy Kyoya in all his evilness.