A/N: Thank you all for reading and an extra thank you to my reviewers! I hope you enjoy, and it'd be really great for me as a writer to hear your thoughts/questions/comments, so your reviews and feedback would be much appreciated!

CHAPTER THREE:

When the club closed for business a few hours later, I went into the dressing room. My dad was taking me out that night to a new little burger joint near our house; to him, this was a glamorous event and he expected me to dress "right". So, that morning, he demanded that I pack a pretty dress in my book bag so I could get changed right after the club closed and meet him over at the restaurant.

However, I should have known—with everything that went down that day—that the club's activities had not truly ended, at least for me. And I was right. In the dressing room, I began to unbutton my jacket when Kyoya-senpai suddenly opened the curtain.

"Kyoya-senpai!" I exclaimed, embarrassed and angry. "I'm changing in here! That's why it's called a changing room!"

"You violated my privacy; now I'm violating yours. It's only fair, really," he said calmly, pushing his falling glasses up.

"Senpai, I didn't mean to do what I did. I…I really am sorry."

Continuing to speak in a voice altogether too cool and collected for the situation, Kyoya-senpai said, "What I'm especially curious about is where you got the idea to do it, Haruhi. It doesn't really seem like something you'd partake in."

"It was Hikaru and Kaoru who came up with it. I protested it at first, but…"

"Your curiosity got the better of you," he finished correctly.

I nodded, ashamed. For a moment, we stood in silence, neither sure where to go with the conversation. Then Kyoya-senpai spoke up once more. "How much did you read?"

"Just a few pages."

"You saw what I said about you. And Tamaki."

"Yes."

He nodded, trying to process the information. "I'm sorry you had to read my hurtful comments about you. But you were the one who chose to read them despite proper morality telling you not to, so my apology is actually unwarranted."

"Senpai, I'm glad I read it." He looked over to me, surprised. "I think it's true. I can be a downer sometimes."

"That's right."

"But…I'm not always a pessimist, -senpai." I took a deep breath, a bit scared to introduce the next subject of discussion. "For example, I think…I think if you told Tamaki-senpai how you felt…I think it would work out."

Kyoya-senpai shook his head and crossed his arms over his torso. "You're a foolish girl, Haruhi."

"Why? Why is it so foolish?"

"Tamaki happens to be obsessed with girls. If you couldn't tell."

I narrowed my eyes. "I could tell. I'm not that stupid." I softened my tone a bit as I continued. "But just because he's obsessed with girls doesn't mean he couldn't fall in love with a boy. Sexuality is more complex than the two extremes of straight and gay, you know."

"Oh, I know. I know all too well."

I hesitated. I thought about what he wrote about Renge and the way he behaved around the girls who visited him. Sometimes he offered fake romance to them, but other times I could tell it was genuine. And I thought about what he wrote about Tamaki-senpai. "Have you ever told Tamaki-senpai that you're bisexual?"

Kyoya-senpai began to chuckle, and it creeped me out. "Haruhi, you don't understand. You see, I know sexuality is complex. But Tamaki can be an idiot, as I'm sure you know. He has a black-and-white view of the world; I'm not sure he even knows what bisexuality is."

"Why don't you explain it to him then? If there's one thing anyone could say about Tamaki-senpai, it's that he has an open heart. You know he believes true strength means being who you truly are, so what makes you think he'll judge you based on your sexuality?"

Kyoya-senpai sighed. "I don't know. But besides, it's not Tamaki's judgment I fear the most."

I began to understand more clearly. "Your father…?"

"Yes. My father. My business contacts. My peers. Japan," Kyoya-senpai said. "Can you imagine what would happen if I began dating another male? I would be forced to bid goodbye to any chance of becoming the heir to the Otori Group, and those chances are already slim as they are. The last thing I need is a scandal."

"Well, is becoming the heir really the most important thing to you?"

"It has to be," Kyoya-senpai answered flatly.

I wasn't convinced. "So then this thing with Tamaki-senpai…it's just a fleeting crush?"

Kyoya-senpai hesitated and closed his eyes for a moment, as if meditating. "No, it's not a fleeting crush."

I attempted to use reverse psychology: "Well, then what? It can't be love. I mean, if care more about your business…it can't be love."

Kyoya-senpai looked away, ebony tresses falling across his forehead. He said nothing more, but I wasn't quite finished. "Senpai, I know you're concerned with what others think of you, but you should think long and hard about what's really important to you. Besides, in the long run, it only matters what you think of yourself anyway."

Kyoya-senpai smiled slightly. "You're just full of sappy adages, aren't you?"

Smiling, I replied, "I guess maybe I am."

Kyoya-senpai paused. "It's nice to see you smile. You should try it more often."

I chuckled. "I think I will. And I think you should tell Tamaki-senpai how you feel. I'm forced to hide certain aspects about myself because of my debt, but you have the opportunity to free yourself from hiding…"

"And you start complaining about the club again. Figures."

"Sorry. It's just…you can't let your fear stop you from pursuing the things and people you really want. You could open people's minds to new ideas if only you would be brave enough to try. Maybe you could even help your father expand his mind. Maybe all of Japan. People will never understand non-mainstream concepts if they have no one courageous enough to stand up for the concepts and actually explain them."

Putting his hand to his forehead in an annoyed manner, Kyoya-senpai said, "Haruhi, I've had quite enough of this speech of yours. I would just like my notebook back now."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have it."

"What?"

From outside the dressing room, we heard Tamaki-senpai's smooth voice calling. "Kyoya! Can you come out here please?" He paused. "I think we need to talk."

Kyoya-senpai looked to me with pure shock, incredulousness, and mounting ire. And I smiled innocently.