DISCLAIMER: I swear, I do not own Ouran...
Thank you very much for the reviews in chapter 4 :)
queen34
Arashi-senpai
Scherherazade
Marisol Akyri
cactus2008
Sonora-Margaret
dark and bittersweet
hpnerd328
kyoya-is-love
yessir
Stefy Golightly
princess jasmine
All the reviews are very inspiring :) It keeps me going! :)
I do hope that you will continue to support this fic until the end. :) now, on with the story... ^^
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Previous chapter:
"I would have a dinner set up for the two of you!"
"You don't really need to do that grandmother."
"No, no, no.. I insist Kyouya-kun.", she smiled, even though her tone says something like 'you have no choice but to do it'.
sigh "Thank you grandmother.", the younger Ootori replied.
---
"Miss Fujioka Haruhi's office. How may I help you?"
"Reiko-san. It's me, Haruhi." It was the night after the somewhat frenzied lunch with the Ootori's. Haruhi decided to stay inside her room the whole afternoon, avoiding any questions that Ootori grandma might ask her. The brown eyed woman just watched some DVD's and read some books. It was now 5 in the afternoon, and she was starting to get bored. She then decided to call her secretary and check how things were going.
"Oh! Haruhi-sama!" the voice on the other line enthusiastically said. "How are you? Everything okay?" The young secretary sounded a bit worried, curious as to why the workaholic lawyer was absent today without giving a notice yesterday.
"Ah, hai! Everything is good. I'm with Kyouya-senpai right now." The brown-eyed lawyer responded as she plopped herself comfortably down the very soft king size bed. "I believe that you were already informed about this, correct?"
"Hai. Kyouya-sama's secretary had already passed the orders to me." "I already took care of them, so no need to worry yourself, Haruhi-sama."
"Good.", the lawyer sighed in relief. "Well, that's all, I guess. Thank you very much Reiko-san. I will see you tomorrow."
"Ah! Wait, Haruhi-sama.", added the lady as if she remembered something significant. "Suoh-sama called, I think about twenty times already. He was really worried about you, he said." Haruhi instinctively opened her eyes and slightly frowned upon hearing about how Tamaki was unnecessarily worrying about her. The lawyer could perfectly picture how the blonde would call the Hitachiin twins, the Morinozuka and Haninozuka cousins, and the Ootori shadow king, to tell them about the "mysterious, sudden lost of his one and only darling daughter". The lawyer could even bet that the former president of the host club has already hired a good amount of private investigators to know her whereabouts.
Sigh "I'll take care of it, Reiko-san. See you tomorrow." With that, Haruhi slowly closed her black flip phone and let out a heavy sigh. 'Why is he not growing up?' she wryly thought.
"Because, he's an idiot."
Haruhi immediately sat up, surprised by the presence of a raven-haired man in her room. She glared at him in annoyance, watching him closely as he remained standing on the doorway.
"Don't you know how to knock?" she glared at him.
"Don't you know how to close the door?" the man calmly retorted as he elegantly raised an eyebrow. "May I come in?" he added. It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"Do I have a choice?"
Silence.
Kyouya walked in and sat on the couch, facing the irritated brown-eyed woman.
"About what happened earlier - "
"Oh, which one? The part when you kidnapped me? Or the part when you proclaimed me as your lover?" she mocked.
"As I was saying - ", he calmly continued, ignoring her snide comments.
"You know what, Kyouya, this isn't getting funny at all." she honestly told him. She didn't even notice that she had dropped the 'senpai', proving how anoyed she really was. The bespectacled man didn't miss it, making him slightly raise an eyebrow.
"It isn't supposed to be funny, Haruhi." He replied. His voice low and dangerous.
Haruhi didn't know what to say, she was confused with the shadow king's uncharacteristic tone of voice. He sounded as if he was worried about something.
"My grandmother", he said, making the lawyer look at him curiously. "You don't know her.", he softly said. His eyes slightly narrowed behind his oval lenses.
"W-what do you mean?"
The raven-haired man leaned his back on the couch, somewhat indicating that a long conversation was about to take place. "Do you have any idea...about what you have started?" His eyes cold as winter.
"I don't understand what you are saying." she frowned, trying to decipher the hidden meaning in his words.
"Weren't you there", he straightened himself up, "when my grandmother thought that we are a couple?"
The young lawyer stood up from the bed, not caring about how ruffled her casual dress was. She walked two steps to where Kyouya was sitting and towered him.
"Was I the one who told her that we are dating??" her arms flying on different directions as she spoke, emphasizing her every word, "Was I the one who lied to her about the anniversary thing?"
Silence.
"Don't you get it? That was the best thing that we can do at that moment.", he softly replied.
Sigh. "I fail to recognize which part of that charade was for the best."
The man let out a small breath.
His onyx eyes directly piercing the brown eyes of the woman towering him. "If you didn't say", he cleared his throat, "that you love me - "
"Excuse me?!" her voice as high as her left eyebrow "I didn't say that I love you!" she sounded somewhat disgusted with the very thought of the word 'love'. For some reasons, it was as if "Kyouya Ootori" and "love" do not fit the same sentence together.
"Yes you did." he emphasized with a mix of nonchalance and arrogance. "I really love your Ootori..?" He then stood up, taking his turn to tower the girl this time.
Haruhi didn't step back, wasn't intimidated with the purple aura radiating from the shadow king. "Kyouya-senpai, that was a mistake." she rolled her eyes, "I meant to say 'Ootoro'.." "I even corrected myself in front of your grandmother."
"And you think she'll buy that?"
"What do you - "
"You think she'll believe you?"
"Well, Of course. Why not?"
"Like I've said," he pushed his glasses up, "you don't know her."
"Unfortunately, Miss Fujioka, once my grandmother has already assumed on something, no one can ever change her thoughts about it."
"That doesn't make sense," the lawyer responded, "Are you saying that we cannot oppose with whatever she thinks or says?"
"Unfortunately, the answer is yes."
silence
"What will happen.. If we tell her that she was mistaken?"
Kyouya looked at her eyes intensely. She didn't waver.
"My grandmother, is already 83 years old, just so you know... I wouldn't dare do anything that will put her at risk for a heart attack...", his face grimaced, "and what, have the entire Ootori family run after me? Have me disinherited? Have me imprisoned?" he sighed, "at this point... I'm afraid that we do not have any other option."
"No..", Haruhi slowly bowed her head down, blankly staring at the floor, "no.. I won't play with you.." Somehow, the young lawyer didn't like this game of deception. She didn't want to lie - much more when it involves the Ootori's. The lawyer believed that Kyouya's grandmother will understand; that they just needed to explain carefully. "No. I can't do it, Kyouya-senpai." she continued. "You are the Shadow King. Why don't you use your manipulative skills this time? I'm pretty sure you can find a way out."
Her gaze returned to the bespectacled man in front of her. He was smirking scornfully. "You really don't understand, do you?" His eyes dark and cold. "And besides, do you think that I wanted this to happen?", he said in monotone, "All I wanted, when I came here, is to greet my grandmother, to finish my work, and to go back to Tokyo and continue living."
"Do you seriously think that I wanted to be in a relationship all of a sudden?", his words dripping out like a poison, "To have you as my girlfriend, of all the people?" (a/n: Ouch, that hurt. Bad Kyouya!)
"I didn't think so..", the brown-eyed woman grimly replied, "because I am pretty sure that someone as heartless and selfish as you is incapable of tolerating being in love..... I pity you."
Somehow, an eerie silence covered the room. The rude exchange of insults was not missed by both sides.
"You don't know what you are talking about.", was Kyouya's cold reply. Not that he will admit it, but the lawyer's words pained him.
Knock. Knock.
"..."
Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
"Oh.. Here you are.."
Haruhi and Kyouya quickly directed their gazes to the intruder on the doorway. The old woman was dressed in an elegant dress, smiling lively at the two 'lovers' in front of her. It was as if she brought a shining light into the dark room. The two young adults bowed their heads to her in respect.
Ootori grandma didn't miss the expressions in their faces. Kyouya was able to conceal some of his emotions, but his eyes told a different story.
"Anything wrong?", she asked worriedly, "are you two..fighting?"
The old woman slowly walked towards the two. Her cane keeping her in balance.
Kyouya assisted her and sat her on the couch he was sitting earlier. "No, we are okay, grandmother." "Where are your assistants?", the raven-haired man asked. His eyes showed genuine concern. "You shouldn't be wandering around by yourself.", he gently said as he kneeled down to meet the old woman's level.
"Aha! What are you saying Kyouya-kun?", she laughed heartily, "I'm still strong you know!" Ootori grandma enthusiastically said as she lifted her cane like a barbell. Haruhi couldn't help but chuckle. Looking at the old woman's peaceful face, she felt all her troubles quickly evaporate.
The raven-haired man smirked. Not a mocking one, but one out of pure amusement. "I know that grandmother", he softly said, as if he was talking to a child. "But, it wouldn't hurt to be careful, right?"
Haruhi stared at the raved-haired man's back as he spoke to the old woman. Her eyes slightly wide open. This was the first time she saw Kyouya speaking tenderly like that. She was used to seeing him stern and indifferent. This sight was just overwhelming for the young lawyer. It was almost a touching scene, she pondered.
"By the way, before I forget", the old woman said, snapping Haruhi out of her musings, "I came here to tell you two that the mini party for tonight is already set up."
The old woman excitedly shared the details, clapping her hands together as she continued speaking.
Haruhi broke her eye contact with Ootori grandma. The sparkle on her big brown eyes started to fade, as her smile was replaced with a frown. Kyouya on the other hand, didn't say anything, just occasionally nodding with his grandmother's "Perfect, romantic first anniversary dinner party" plan.
" - and the candle light!!! The sweet music will fill the room with love....." Ootori grandma's voice trailed off as she noticed the worried expression in the young lawyer's face.
"Haruhi-chan?" the old woman looked at the lawyer confusedly. "Don't you....like it?" Ootori grandma's puppy eyes were hundred times more compassion-seeking than Tamaki's purple ones; yet, Fujioka Haruhi still believed that they should tell the elderly the truth. It's now or never, the brown-eyed beauty thought.
"Ootori-san", the young lawyer began, ignoring the 'look' that the shadow king was giving her. "I have to tell you something.."
"Haruhi, I thought that you wanted to go out for a little walk?", the raven-haired man stood up and tried to intervene.
"Let her finish what she's saying, Kyouya-kun."
Haruhi sighed. She looked at Kyouya first, before looking back at the expectant old woman. For some reasons, staring at the smiling eyes of Ootori grandma was keeping the lawyer from saying the truth. The old woman's onyx eyes looked too delicate to be able handle an ugly truth.
'I wouldn't dare do anything that will put her at risk for a heart attack...' Kyouya's voice echoed Haruhi's ears. She realized that the shadow king has a point. Perhaps, he was right when he said that the only option the two of them have right now was to go with the flow, she thought.
The lawyer forced a smile, not before saying, "I just wanted to say", she quickly glanced at Kyouya's worried face, "that I really appreciate.. The things that you are doing for us." Ootori grandma's face lit up, as Kyouya sighed in relief. "Thank you very much, Ootori-sama."
"Pssh.. Don't worry about it.", the old woman comically said as she waved her hand in dismissal, "You can stop calling me Ootori-sama, you know." The old woman stood up, with Kyouya assisting her. "Address me as Kyouya-kun would address me.." She beamed.
"You two better get ready for the dinner now. I'll see you both at 7 o'clock." The old woman started to walk away, Kyouya strolled by her side. "Please allow me to escort you, grandmother."
Haruhi watched the Ootori's as they made their way out of her room. Ootori grandma stopped at the doorway and turned around to nod Haruhi. The brown-eyed beauty returned the nod with a smile. The raven-haired man didn't spare a glance at her. "Tsk. Ungrateful, arrogant bastard" she bitterly thought.
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Two hours later, Haruhi walked out of her room, wearing a blue satin halter dress that extended down to her knees. It was a Hitachiin collection, no doubt. Her shoulder length brown hair, elegantly arranged in sophisticated loose curls.
A pair of diamond earrings was the only jewelry she chose to wear that night; yet, her beautiful brown eyes was more than enough to make her shine as bright as the full moon. She looked simple, yet stunning.
Haruhi noticed the very familiar bespectacled man, standing a couple of steps outside her room. He was wearing a black suit, paired with an off-white shirt and a dark blue tie.
Haruhi remained in her spot, as she eyed the man slowly walking to her.
Neither of them spoke.
Honestly, the lawyer didn't know what to say. She was still mad at him.
The only reason she agreed to take part on this charade was Ootori grandma.
silence
The raven-haired man handed her a small white box with gold lining on the side. Haruhi gave him a questioning look.
"Please wear it."
"Why would I - "
"My grandmother insisted.", he flatly replied. Haruhi opened the box, which contained a white-gold necklace, probably costing a million dollar. Despite its price, however, the necklace wasn't overly extravagant. In fact, it suited her taste.
Haruhi took the fine jewelry out of the box, only to be snatched by the shadow king. She glared at him for a second, before she felt herself being turned to the other direction. The lawyer started to protest, only to be held steady by the bespectacled man behind her. His hands clutching both of her shoulders in place.
"Hold still." She could feel his warm breath tickling her neck.
Long elegant fingers gently trailed her porcelain-like skin as he put her the necklace.
"All done.", he whispered.
She then faced him, and muttered a cold thank you. There was a moment of awkward silence. Both wished that the little dinner party would go quickly.
Kyouya offered his arm, which was politely declined by the lawyer. It slightly offended the bespectacled man's ego, but he decided to ignore it anyway. They walked silently to the main dinner hall, where the party would take place. Both of them stopped in front of the two large closed doors.
And when the maids opened it for them..... they were welcomed by a large crowd, which certainly do not fit the category of a "small party".
Haruhi was stunned.
'Where in the world did all these people come from?' There were probably about five hundred guests in the room. It was unexpected; unbelievable as a matter of fact.
She looked at Kyouya, who remained more calm than her. And, for a second, she noticed that his eyes subtly say that he, too, was taken aback.
"Happy anniversary! Kyouya-kun, Haruhi-chan!"
"Thank you grandmother."
Haruhi noticed that the bespectacled man beside her stiffened. She followed his gaze, and she too felt her body tensed.
"I was surprised when I found out.", a man sternly said. "Nevertheless, I was glad." The man's serious expression changed into a peaceful one as he stopped in front of the 'couple'. "Happy anniversary to the two of you."
"Thank you, Otou-san."
The lawyer was speechless. 'This is not good', she thought worriedly. Somehow, when Kyouya looked at her, she noticed that his expression also said something between the lines of 'this is not good'.
-
Without the Shadow King and the Host club Queen knowing - as they stood there inside that room, at that very moment - a shocking news was already spreading throughout Japan faster than the latest bullet train.
A news that brought happy tears to Haninozuka Mitsukuni's chocolate eyes.
A news that brought an uncharacteristic grin to Morinozuka Takashi's stoic face.
A news that brought sudden weakness to Hitachiin Kaoru's knees.
A news that brought a bitter ache to Hitachiin Hikaru's heart.
And, a news that brought Suoh Tamaki into a brief state of coma. . .
NEWS HEADLINE: Ootori-Fujioka love affair?
ENTERTAINMENT NOW: A modern Cinderella story: Fujioka Haruhi
HOTTEST NEWS: Japan's most eligible bachelor, soon to wed?
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A/N: Well, what can I say? Sounds like the beginning of a roller coaster ride for the Shadow King and the Host Club Queen, ne? That's why I hate lying.. LOL Who knows where a simple lie would lead you to? Hopefully not in a tragedy :)
Preview for the next chapter:
"It seems that everyone is asking our dear couple for a kiss.", the host announced in the microphone.
*people squealing and cheering*
"Wait, what?!"
"C'mon! Kyouya-kun! Give the beautiful lady a kiss."
"Yeah! Let's see some kiss!"
--
LOL would they kiss? or would they not? Is it better to save the kiss when they are actually feeling something for each other? We'll see.
I would really (I mean REALLY REALLY) appreciate reviews.. I love you all! ^_^