"Right Here Waiting" Revised Edition 2013 © natsu_no_sora
Ouran High School Host Club 2002 © Hatori Bisco
I do not own anything. Support the mangaka by buying her works.
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Chapter 02: Thank you
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"The choice will still be yours, of course. It's a great opportunity but it will be a very big step towards your future. I will give you one week to think about this, Haruhi. Discuss this with your father. Weigh the pros and the cons thoroughly."
The chairman of the prestigious Ouran High School watched his special student with equally special interest.
"Yes, sir. I will think about this offer," Haruhi replied politely.
The elder man smiled at her fondly. "Make the right decision, my dear. You may go now."
Haruhi nodded and bowed respectfully, "thank you very much, sir."
Once she was outside the office, she let out a long, steady breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. She walked slowly away as her mind replayed the conversation between her and the chairman.
Full scholarship in a famous school in America? Haruhi couldn't believe that she was chosen. But then again, she was the only scholar student in Ouran. Everybody else in this school was a rich bastard; they can afford to study in such universities.
For Haruhi, she didn't need to think about it. It was an opportunity she cannot overlook. She wanted to say "yes!" at the moment the chairman told her the good news. But the old man had a point; she had to think about it. There's her dad to talk about with.
And in the very back of her mind, there's a certain shadow she wanted to speak clearly with.
Haruhi's head snapped up at the sudden thought. Shadow. Shadow King. Host Club. Debt.
Shit, I'm late! The petite girl in male's uniform bolted through the hallway as fast as she could.
Oh, God. Would Kyouya harass me again with my tab, now that he broken up with me? She slowed down for a moment as iron-strong hands squeezed her heart. She shook her head and ignored the pain.
Possibly, she answered her own question and ran like hell towards the next building, to the third floor's music room.
The host club had finished their work for the day and had bid their overly exaggerated goodbye to their last customer. Still, no Fujioka Haruhi appeared.
Where is she? Kyouya adjusted his glass up his nose and opened his laptop. He started tapping on keyboard but his mind kept floating away. Is she avoiding me? Or did something happen?
His long fingers paused as the thought hit him. No, he tried to push the scary thought aside.
"Where's Haruhi? Why didn't she attend the club today? Did something happen?" A particularly loud creature mirrored Kyouya's thoughts.
"Why're you looking at us like that?" The twins asked indignantly as the blonde king shot them accusatory glares. Then all of a sudden, he jumped on them, grabbing each of their uniform collars.
"Tell me where you take her!" He hissed.
Even Ootori Kyouya, who is supposed to be used to their antics, pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"Oi! What do you think you're doing?!"
"Are you accusing us of kidnapping Haruhi?"
"You two are devils. Where did you take her?! Answer me!" Tamaki shook them with brutal force they didn't know he was capable of.
"What the hell - let go, you stupid dumb ass!" The twins struggled from his metal grip.
"You're ruining my shirt!"
"I'm going to kill you if anything happens to my daughter. Do you understand?!" The crazy king warned.
"No shit, Sherlock!"
"Why you little - "
BLAM!
Everyone in the third floor music room froze. They whipped their head towards the direction of the banging sound just in time to see Haruhi dove on the solid floor.
A beat passed in absolute stillness and silence.
"Ow..." then came a helpless moan from her.
"Haruhi!" Tamaki immediately released his two captives and rushed to help her. The twins followed him while Kyouya stood, his laptop forgotten, but he held his distance.
"That's a nice way to announce your arrival, Haruhi," Kaoru teased. Hikaru chuckled and helped her up.
"Oh, shut up," she glared.
"Are you alright? Does it hurt?" The blonde head frantically ushered her to the sofa. She sat obligately and rolled her eyes.
"I'm fine. It's nothi - OUCH!" She yelped when a hand draped over her knee with heavy pressure. "What the hell was that for?!" She snapped.
Haruhi's eyes widened a fraction as she realized it was Kyouya. His hand covered her kneecap and gripping it a little too hard. Without saying a word, he slid down on the floor in front of her and grabbed the right leg hem of her pants.
"W-what are you doing?" She stuttered.
He pulled fabric up to reveal her swelling knee. She winced at it and sheepishly looked down at her fingers. Trust her to downsize everything.
"Just as I thought," Kyouya mumbled. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
"Ooohh, you got a nasty bruise there, Haruhi," Kaoru and Hikaru chorused. They leaned over her shoulders and squeezed her.
"What? What is it?" Tamaki tried to peek between the red heads of the twins.
"It's just a simple bruise. Nothing serious. Now, will you get off me? You're heavy!" She wriggled out of their weights.
"Hikaru, Kaoru, will you run to the nurse's office for a first aid kit? The one in the back room is empty," Kyouya ordered.
"Yes, sir!" They saluted and ran out.
Haruhi and Kyouya remained silent as they shyly avoided each other's eyes. With him still on the floor and now lightly touching her severed skin, it took a lot of effort on Haruhi's part not to capture his hand in hers and feel his warmth again.
"WHAT?!"
Haruhi and Kyouya jolted in surprise at the sudden outburst of the king. They blinked at him as he shouted to his phone.
"Why didn't you say earlier?! Oh, God, I'm late! Grandma is going to kill me!" He wailed and started making a blonde tornado across the room while retrieving his things.
He snapped his phone shut. He looked very funny at his distressed state, Haruhi noticed with a suppressed smile.
"I need to go now. There's this important business my grandma wants me to attend and I'm late! Kyouya, will you watch after our daughter? Make sure she arrives home safely! Sorry, Haruhi, daddy wants to drive you home but I'm late! I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise!" His voice faded out as he sprinted off hastily.
The silence was familiar for the two persons left in the room. Familiar but a whole lot different.
"Idiot," Kyouya muttered. Though he didn't know which made him an idiot: for forgetting about the business or for leaving him alone with Haruhi. Maybe the latter. Or maybe he was just born an idiot.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw her fiddling with her fingers. A known gesture of nervousness. He pushed himself off the floor and walked to his abandoned laptop, avoiding her child-like face that haunted him last night. He was afraid that one look on her, his defenses would crumble and he would be down on his knees again, begging for her forgiveness.
Haruhi didn't know what to do. Or to say. This was so awkward. Why the hell did they end up alone, anyway? She watched him frowned, stood up and then walked away from her.
"Kyouya..." his name slipped off her tongue before she could bite it.
"Yes?" He responded calmly without looking at her. But his heart made a little tap dance from hearing her voice.
There was a long silent gap. Kyouya, feeling an overwhelming anticipation, forced to turn his head and looked at her.
Man up, Haruhi! You can do it, she cheered for herself. This is your chance to talk to him.
Haruhi took a deep breath, her face was impassive. But her eyes were burning as she looked back at him steadily. "Why?" She asked softly. She didn't want to ask but she neededto know. Even if it ripped her up all over again. Better to know now than to live the rest of her miserable life not knowing why the hell he broke up with her.
Kyouya immediately knew what she meant. And it was like a nice kick in his gut. "It's for the best, Haruhi," he answered, just like what he had practiced.
"That's not an answer."
He paused and sighed. Of course, it's not. Not to her, anyway. He should've known. This was Haruhi they were talking about, after all. When she asked for an answer, you give her an answer. He adjusted his spectacles, making an excuse to veer off his eyes from her.
"Look me in the eyes and answer me," she said with strong resolve.
"Haruhi," he said exasperatedly. He did as he told and stared into her milk chocolate eyes. "I'm doing this for the both of us. For you. Graduation is in a few days and separation is inevitable. We might as well stop this while we still can and save us both the trouble. Our world is already light years apart, even before. And it'll just keep on drifting apart if we continue. And while the host club isn't aware... it's better off this way." His voice faded out.
Silence. The whole room stilled, like they were bracing for her reaction.
"Did you enjoy the times you were with me?" She finally found her voice.
His stomach clenched in a strange way. "Yes," he answered truthfully.
"If I were to go away, will you miss me?"
What? Of course, I will. I'm missing you right now. Where is she going with this? He ran a hand through his raven locks, "Haruhi, what kind of-"
"Did you love me, Kyouya?"
The question caught him off guard. It rendered him speechless with hammering heart. Her eyes that stared intently at him, waiting for yet another answer, was making his skin prickled. He swallowed, "maybe at one point, I did love you." Did? No, I love you. Even now. Even tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Until forever, Haruhi. I'm sorry.
Lying has been one of his talents. But this one was tricky, especially when it was Haruhi. She's always been the only person in the world that can see right through him. Tamaki could not compare to her despite him being his best friend. Not even his own sister. Not even himself.
He was half-expecting Haruhi to slap him and call him a freaking liar for playing heartbreaking games with her. But then again, he wouldn't be in love with this girl if she does exactly what he thinks. Of course, the name Fujioka Haruhi is always attached to the word surprise.
She just stood there, not a hint of pain or hurt in her beautiful face. She even had the guts to give him a sweet smile that almost melt his ice wall away. She took a deep breath and closed the distance between them in a hug.
Kyouya was dumb struck. The bursting feeling from her touch was enough to completely shut down his logical mind. He was hypnotized. His own arms seemed to have a mind of their own as he returned her hug.
"Just this time, Kyouya. Let me feel this warmth again. Let me go back to that one point when you loved me," Haruhi murmured against the crook of his neck. Her emotions coating her words and constricting her throat.
Realizing that this might be the last time he could ever hold her, Kyouya tightened his grip around her. He kissed her hair, like he usually does, and tried to memorize her fragrance.
It might have been minutes, but sooner than he would want to let go, Haruhi gently pulled away and looked at him calmly. "Thank you for everything, Kyouya. I know you're doing this because it's the right thing to do. I understand," she whispered. "Always know that I love you."
"Haruhi..."
A strangled whisper was lost when she turned on her heels and walked out the door without a single backward glance.
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01/08/13 OWARI
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SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:
I don't really have something to ramble on because I'm hungry. LOL!
Oh, actually, I do have. First is about their massive OOCness, which is really inevitable. Second is the overlooked mistakes, I'm sorry about that.
Third is, if you find this story super cheesy, ugly and doesn't meet your high story standards, well... just go away and leave the hell out of here. Seriously, I'm not a professional writer. This is just a product of my overly active imagination and my love for writing.
Anyway, I realized that I haven't been able to say thank you for supporting the previous version of this story. So on behalf of "Right Here Waiting", I thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting ! I appreciate it very much.
I hope you continue your wonderful support to this revised version, thank you!