"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 06: Hints and Games
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Kyouya's fist came down the table first before his body flopped on the chair.
Shit, he cursed.
It had been two months since the host club found out that Haruhi was missing. Well, not technically missing, she just had gone AWOL. And every day, every freaking day, Kyouya was searching for her through any means he can get to no avail.
Even Ranka was ripping his hair off in frustration because Haruhi refused to tell him. He tried different tactics and approaches whenever she called just to get her to answer but she firmly stood her ground. Talking it out to her was like convincing a scientist that the earth is actually the center of the universe.
Knowing that asking-her-directly tactic was an absolute failure, the host club switched to their villain mode. They turned their attention to technology and tried tracking down the number she used when calling her father. But Ms. Smart Pants was clever enough to use different pay phones which numbers do not appear on the caller ID they'd set up.
Their only option left now was to confront the Chairman. But the long wait made Kyouya groggy and his mood was worse than a girl having a PMS. Every day that passed seemed to add to his anxiousness to see Haruhi again.
God, he missed her so much. Kyouya wondered what she was doing right now. Was she eating well? How was she adjusting to her new life? Does she wonder about him, too? He thought about those things every day. He rubbed his temple, thinking of these questions all over again when his BlackBerry buzzed.
This better be good news or else..."What?" he snapped.
Kyouya, my dad has arrived this morning! Tamaki informed him with too much enthusiasm.
The Shadow King bolted upright on his sit. "Did you ask him?" he inquired as casually as he could.
Not yet. He's taking a nap right now and he promised to talk to us later.
Kyouya suppressed a sigh, another wait? "Fine," he huffed.
Three o'clock in Ouran, see you!His best friend dropped the line and he could imagine the blonde prancing around the house in delight.
For the nth time these past two months, Kyouya felt the exhilarating hope again. And each time he felt this way, each time he trusted to his hopes, he always ended up back to the starting line. But this time, he was going to make sure he'll get the answers he wanted.
In the other side of the world, Haruhi was adjusting to her new life. It was a bit difficult than she expected but little by little, she was trying to fit in.
Even though almost all undergraduates from Harvard University lived in the dormitory inside the campus, Haruhi had a unit in a red-bricked apartment building situated in Riverside; an upper-class, quiet neighborhood in Cambridge bounded by the Charles River and lush artificial greeneries around.
Living alone was never a problem to Haruhi. She enjoyed being independent and doing things at her own pace. Her apartment was small but real neat and cozy. Everything was westernized which would take a lot to get used to. Though she missed her old life in Japan, she loved it there, especially the view from her living room's huge window. It overlooked the serene waters of the river that always fascinated her.
It was a pretty humid morning in Riverside. Haruhi just finished eating her breakfast. The sky was a perfect, cloudless blue horizon and the wind was just right. It made her feel light and happy as she washed her dishes. She took a quick shower, put on some comfortable clothes and stepped out of her apartment. She was planning to spend her day strolling in Harvard University and get familiarized with the place. After all, school's starting in a couple of weeks.
She was greeted by whiff of warm breeze at the bus station. It'll take a short ride to get out of the semi-secluded neighborhood and to the city's main squares. Clutching her sling bag, she comfortably sat on the bench as she waited for the bus. She obviously had the town map memorized in her head and didn't need her nose buried on a Cambridge atlas.
It was a fine Sunday and the people were enjoying the perfect weather sitting idly in the parks. Haruhi hopped off the bus as she reached the Harvard Square. Being one of the hearts of the city, it was always jammed-pack but still comfortable to walk around without bumping into people.
Haruhi roamed around the square aimlessly; checking out shops, browsing through bookstores and getting lost in the huge university. She was too distracted to notice the time until her stomach reminded her of its existence. She decided to take a lunch in Bertucci's; a casual-themed Italian restaurant along Brattle Street.
As she was waiting for her order, Haruhi looked around the restaurant. The place looked high class, as most of the buildings in Cambridge were, despite of the reasonable menu price. There was a quiet buzzing from the other diners and the occasional clatter of the utensils. It was peaceful.
"Here's your order: Oven-roasted meatballs simmered in our very own Pomodoro sauce and served over spaghetti." A friendly blonde girl laid her food on the table with a cheerful smile.
"Thank you," Haruhi replied in flawless English as she looked up and returned the smile. No matter how many times she already seen blonde hairs, she couldn't help but think of Tamaki and Hunny-senpai.
"Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked.
Haruhi shook her head. "No, I'm good. Thanks!"
"Great! Enjoy your meal." With another smile, the girl left her.
Haruhi caught the mouthwatering fragrance of the food and for some reasons too painful to think about, a certain memory came back to her. It was one of the many dates she and Kyouya had; when he dragged her to a fancy Italian restaurant in Shibuya. That night, she found out the Shadow King loved spaghetti.
Damn, Haruhi thought with a bitter chuckle. She twirled the pasta mindlessly as she let the memory flickered in her head with a small prickle in her heart.
Haruhi brought the pasta-wrapped fork to her mouth and tasted the delicious blending of sweet and sour tomato sauce on her tongue.
Kyouya would love this, she thought with another bite. She continued to eat slowly, thinking about him. Two months had already passed, she wondered if he was engaged with the girl from the graduation party. Or did they already get married?
Her stomach lurched at the thought. She quickly dropped her fork and almost drowned herself in a glass of coke to fight the rising nausea.
When she calmed down, the spaghetti didn't look so appetizing anymore. She asked for her bill and instantly fled the restaurant, scolding herself for being such a stupid masochist.
Haruhi went back to her apartment, feeling exhausted and drained, whether from walking or from her conjured thoughts, she didn't know. She hadn't heard anything from Kyouya or anyone from the host club since she arrived in there. Her dad didn't mention them, probably because he was busy all the time trying to convince her to tell him where she was.
Were they angry at her for not telling them? Were they looking for her? Tamaki must've been throwing tantrums. The twins probably going out of their minds. Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai must've been worried. But does Kyouya think about her at all?
Maybe not...Haruhi thought sadly as she drifted off to uneasy sleep on the couch.
A few minutes before three o'clock, a sleek, black limo pulled over the main building of the Ouran Private Academy. Kyouya stepped out and made his way to the administrative wing.
He found his friends waiting outside the dark mahogany door of the Chairman's office.
"Kyouya-senpai," the twins greeted him.
"Kyou-chan! You came!" Hunny-senpai giggled from Mori's back.
Kyouya nodded in acknowledgement. "Where's Tamaki?"
The twins gestured towards the closed door and as if on cue, it opened to reveal his best friend.
"Oh, good, you're here. Come on in," Tamaki grinned and let them inside his father's office.
The young men muttered polite greetings and stared seriously at the Chairman, who was sitting behind a large table, watching them fondly with a smile. "So, what do I owe this audience?"
"Dad, do you know where Haruhi is?" Tamaki straightforwardly asked.
"Why, of course!" The man exclaimed with a chuckle. "I am the Chairman, in case you forgot."
Kyouya and the rest exhaled in relief. At least, a living human being in Japan knew where Haruhi was.
"Really?" Tamaki sparkled. "Where is-"
"I'm sorry I cannot tell you that," his father said deadpanned.
Kyouya's heart sank. There goes his hopes again, crashing down on him like a ten-foot tall tsunami. But he wasn't about to accept that. He wanted an answer and he was going to get that, no matter what.
His friends protested simultaneously. They muttered indignantly, with Tamaki being the loudest as usual.
"Why can't you tell us?" the King stomped his foot like a three-year old.
"Listen, gentlemen," the elder man ordered calmly. And the whole room quieted. "I promised Haruhi that I will never disclose her location to anyone. Not even to her father," he said seriously.
"Damn that stupid promise!" Tamaki cursed, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration. He knew there's no way for them to extract the answers from his dad once he promised. The freaking old man stood up to his words.
"What the hell wrong with her?!" Hikaru snapped. His twin nudged him to remind him that they were in front of the man who could expel them with just a flick of his pinky.
"I'm sure you'll know the answer when the time is right, isn't it, Kyouya-kun?" Yuzuru gave the young Ootori a taunting smile which made Kyouya frowned. Then his heart fell on his stomach. Something in the way the old man looked at him gave him an odd feeling. Chairman Suoh seemed to know more than he should. He seemed to know something about them.
Kyouya cleared his throat and adjusted his eyeglasses, feeling the prickling sensation crawl on his skin. How did he know about... Haruhi must've told him. But why?
"Come on, dad. This is important. Screw that promise, we need to know where she is!" Tamaki whined.
"Haruhi is doing perfectly fine. She's adjusting well in her new life. She doesn't need any assistance," Yuzuru said.
"Why d'you know about that?" they frowned.
"Haruhi regularly gives me a call to keep me inform."
"WHAT?! You can talk to her and we can't? That's not right! We're her friends!" they protested.
Suoh Yuzuru smiled warmly and looked at them one by one. They were indeed, all grown up now. Their faces were identical with worry and concern for their missing friend. His eyes lingered on Kyouya's desperate expression. Poor teen, must be going through a very hard situation.
He stood from his chair and walked around the table. "Tell me, why are you so persistent to know where she is? You already know that she's alright. You don't need to get all worked up," he said quietly.
The host club blinked at him like it was pretty obvious why. Nobody had ever guessed that it was Kyouya who spoke out since everyone knew he wasn't really fond of Haruhi other than his obsession to her debt.
"Haruhi's our precious friend, sir. She is part of our family. We can't just let her go to some unknown place alone," he said seriously. His friends turned to look at him with wide eyes and slacked jaws. Since when did Kyouya become Haruhi's knight in shining armor? As far as everyone knew, that was Tamaki's job.
Kyouya felt all eyes on him and sighed. He didn't want to get all suspicious and creepy so he added: "She also have a huge debt in my ledger and I want it back."
The Chairman mentally punched the air and suppressed a grin. That was exactly the reaction he wanted to get from Kyouya. See, Haruhi? I told you this young man's head over heels with you.
"Alright!" he said in a loud voice as he smacked the table with his palm, effective making all his visitors flinch. "Listen carefully, okay?" He went back to his seat and intently stared to the twinkling eyes of the host club.
"Are you going to tell us?" Hunny-senpai asked excitedly.
"No."
The young men groaned.
"But I can help you."
"If you're not going to tell us, then how're you going to help us?" Tamaki asked irritatingly.
"Let's see..." his father tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Since I cannot tell you the exact location of Haruhi, which I swore never to reveal, I could just give a hint." He paused to let his words seep into their brains.
"You mean, like a game?" The twins perked up.
"Yes, yes. A game," the elder man agreed with the same enthusiasm. "That's a nice way to put it. Let's call the game, 'Hide-Haruhi-and-Seek-Kyou-I mean, Host Club."
Kyouya barely noticed the playful teasing of the old man as he was deep in thought. Hint. Games? Well then, if that's what you want... Bring it on, Chairman Suoh.
"Awesome!" the host club cheered.
"I'm going to give you only one hint-"
"One hint?!" Tamaki and the twins repeated incredulously. "That's unfair! There's a standard three-hint option in every game!" they reasoned out.
"Take it or leave it," the chairman countered.
"We'll take it." The Shadow King said in a low, serious voice.
"We'll take it?" Tamaki turned to his best friend with disbelief on his face.
"Yes, we'll take it. So shut your mouth and let's hear what your father has to say," he replied coldly.
Again, the old man mentally punched the air in victory. "Okay, gentlemen, Fujioka Haruhi got accepted in one of the most prestigious universities in America."
The host club hung their mouths open. They were a bit surprised. They knew Haruhi was intelligent but getting a scholarship from a prestigious university in America? That was just totally brilliant.
"Seriously? Wow," they muttered.
Kyouya allowed a small smile in his lips. It was always one of Haruhi's big dreams to attend a well-known university and not only she reached it, she achieved it with flying colors. He felt so proud of her.
"Yes. And that's all I'm saying."
"Eh?!"
"Now if I were you, I'll start looking for her instead of dilly dallying in my office," the Chairman smiled and gestured towards the door, indicating that their conversation was over.
The host club started filing out of the room, muttering and sulking like little kids. But for Kyouya, that was all he needed. It was better than knowing nothing. He will find Haruhi even if he had to search all the universities in America. He will find her even if it's the last thing he would do. Now that he had a clue, the Shadow King ought to have an intensive research tonight.
"Thank you for dropping by, kids!" The Chairman waved at them. "Remember, only the most prestigious universities!" he added with an annoying grin.
"Yeah, except that there are about a hundred prestigious universities across the continental US," Kaoru rolled his eyes.
"What's the plan, Tama-chan?" Hunny-senpai asked concernedly.
Tamaki gathered the gang in the parking lot. "Here's the plan: we're going to find the most well-known universities in America and check it out personally."
His friends blinked at him. They were used to his insane ideas but this one, they didn't know if he's serious or not.
"Kyouya," Tamaki continued. "You're the only reliable person to do this task: search these top universities."
Kyouya did not need telling to do it. "I know," he said with his signature smirk.
"When we have the list, we'll split up, fly to America and find Haruhi ourselves."
There was a silent moment as they let the plan sank in their minds.
"I like the plan," Hikaru commented.
"But like I said, there are a hundred universities in America," Kaoru countered.
"Remember what Tama-chan's father said: only the most prestigious. That can't be so hard to search, can it, Kyou-chan?" The little host perched on his cousin back as he frowned concernedly.
"No, Hunny-senpai," Kyouya assured. "We're talking about the most prestigious here, so it can't be that hard. There are only few institutes in America that exceeds the international standard."
Tamaki nodded. "We'll see how many there is then we'll divide it according to location. We'll leave it to you, Kyouya. Let's talk more about this tomorrow when we have the list. That's it for Operation: Hide Haruhi, Seek Host Club. Meeting adjourned!"
TOP UNIVERSITIES IN USA
01. Princeton University - NJ
02. William College - MA
03. Stanford University - CA
04. University of Chicago - IL
05. Yale University - CT
06. Harvard University - MA
07. Columbia University - NY
08. Pomona College - CA
09. Swarthmore College - PA
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MA
As expected, it wasn't that hard to find the list of prominent universities in America. Kyouya just googled it and filtered the top most.
Doing so, he felt closer to Haruhi and it relaxed him a little. He was so worked up over this issue that he barely slept at all. But he was feeling lucky tonight as he shuts down his MacBook; he might get a proper sleep for once.
Knock! Knock!
Before he could move to answer the door, it opened.
His older brother, Akito, stood there, looking like an emotionless prick in black tie and suit. His sudden appearances didn't bring any good news as far as Kyouya remembered. And he was right.
"Kyouya, Father wants to talk to you."
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02/03/13 OWARI
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SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:
Hey, look who's here! Yep, it's me again. Thanks for dropping by :)
Hope you like my chapter update. Thank you for all the reviews from the last chapter, I had fun reading them even though most of it are demanding me to update, tehehe!
Anyway, how's this chapter? I like the funky Chairman and Haruhi's new life in Cambridge. I enjoyed studying the map of Massachusetts too much. The university list, I didn't make it up. It came from Forbes' list of top universities in US.
Wait, wait... What's this? What the hell does Ootori Yoshio wants from Kyouya again? Tsk, tsk. That calculating old man always ruining my couple's happily ever after.
Meet me again here next time! Let's find out how this damned story will turn out. Ja~!