"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 11: The Invincible
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Haruhi woke up from her uneasy sleep just as the sun began to rise. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the digital clock on her bedside table; it said 5:47 in a promising bright Tuesday morning. Her first class won't start until 8:30; she still got a few more hours to sleep. But she couldn't. No matter how tired she felt, she just couldn't seem to shut her brain and eyes down.
With an exasperated sigh, Haruhi slid off her bed and pushed aside the curtain, letting the first rays of sun to flood her room.
Tuesday. It had come.
Haruhi didn't have any grudge against Tuesday but that particular morning, she briefly thought of how to push the sun back into the horizon and stop doomsday from starting. She was nervous, of course. This day, she would meet Kyouya's father not as a schoolmate or a friend but as his girlfriend.
Good morning, Kyouya! How are you? Have you seen Haruhi in school today? Tell her that we'll be there tonight! See you!
Kyouya! I'm arriving in Logan Airport at 1640 today, the twins' plane will land a few minutes after, Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai will be there, too! Can we stay in your house?
By the way, don't bother to pick us up; I have my car waiting for us. I need to know your address, though. Call me ASAP!
That was only three out of ten voice messages that Tamaki had piled up in Kyouya's phone all morning. It was the top three messages that made sense to him, the others were just incoherent ramblings about stupid things.
He closed his eyes and felt a pulsating pain between his eyebrows. He got a more serious thing to deal with than calling his nutcase of a best friend. But he did anyway.
"Tamaki," he greeted in his usual cool voice.
Kyouya! I'm so glad you called me back. My plane will arrive at-
"I know, Tamaki, you don't have to tell me again."
Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai and the twins-
"I know that, too," he cut him off. "You were asking for my address, weren't you? So shut up and listen, go straight to Brattle Arms Apartment, 60 Brattle Street. That's in Cambridge."
Roger that, mommy! Where's Haruhi?
"She's still in class right now," Kyouya answered. He was standing in the hallway near the high school department, waiting for her class to finish.
Tell her I said hi! There was a pause in the line and Kyouya heard a female's voice over the intercom, announcing in a robotic voice. Oh, I've got to go now, I'm checking-in. See you! Tamaki said excitedly.
"Yeah, see you later," he said and pressed the end button. At least, he didn't have to worry about the host club for another couple of hours.
A loud rang finally echoed through the hallways after an hour of waiting. Chattering erupted from the line of classrooms. Haruhi emerged from one of the rooms with Aaliyah clinging to her. She looked tired, like she was ready to drop on the floor and hibernate. Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, he knew she didn't get enough sleep last night.
Haruhi's eyes found Kyouya and somehow, it twinkled momentarily. She said something to Aaliyah, making the girl glanced at him. She whispered to Haruhi, giggling excitedly. Haruhi blushed as she playfully shoved the blonde. Then Aaliyah waved goodbye, casting another glance towards his direction.
Typical high school girls. Kyouya smiled.
Haruhi approached him and smiled back. "Hi," she breathed.
"Hi," he greeted back warmly. "Are you ready?" he asked, holding out a hand to her.
"As I'll ever be," she exhaled sharply. Excitement and nervousness blending together in her expression as she took his offered hand.
The couple walked casually to the parking lot where Kyouya's limo was waiting. Tachibana held the door open for Haruhi and she shyly muttered her thanks.
"Where are we meeting your father?" she asked curiously, scooting closer to him.
"In Boston. Mandarin Oriental hotel," Kyouya said.
Haruhi nodded and they succumbed into a quiet ride with the soft humming of the engine in background.
"How was your day?" Kyouya spoke. He wanted to keep their tension at bay so he opened up a light conversation with his girlfriend.
"Okay... I guess," Haruhi mumbled and shrugged.
"You didn't seem to sleep last night," he commented.
"Neither did you," she countered with a chuckle and sighed. "I just couldn't sleep and I think we both know why."
"Yeah, me too," Kyouya agreed.
Haruhi squeezed his hand, "We'll get through this. And then we can have a long, goodnight's sleep."
"With Tamaki and the twins here? No, I don't think we can have the real definition of goodnight's sleep."
Haruhi laughed, "Yeah, you're right!"
As the couple drove their way to Mandarin Oriental Boston, a Delta Airline plane carrying a certain Suoh Tamaki was about to descent from the sky on to the runway of Logan International Airport.
In the lounge area, the inseparable pair of Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai was oblivious to their busy surroundings as they enjoyed a serve of strawberry shortcake and English tea while waiting for the arrival of their friends.
Just as Tamaki set his foot down on the solid ground, another plane from Japan was about to land. Touching down on the runway 4R/22L at exactly 1700 hours, a Japan Airline Boeing 747 was bringing the Hitachiin twins on America's jurisdiction. They were stiff and tired. They sat for over 13 hours already and their legs went sleeping. But the excitement of seeing Haruhi again made their brains restless.
It was expected that the host club would be completed once again in less than an hour.
Haruhi and Kyouya arrived in front of a sophisticated building in Boylston Street after a 14-minute drive from Cambridge to Boston. The car idled in front of a spotless glass door that had a simple inscription of Mandarin Oriental on top.
Kyouya could feel his girlfriend's hand dropping its temperature in an alarming rate. He grasped it tightly, making Haruhi winced.
"Ow! What was that for?!" she yelped.
"You're turning into a snowman, Haruhi," he said, kissing her cold knuckles.
Harsh blushed. "I-It's not like I can control my temperature," she said indignantly. "I'm a warm-blooded human, unlike some cold-blooded, calculating Shadow King I know," she muttered childishly.
Kyouya laughed softly and released her hand. "It's okay, I'm nervous, too. Come on, let's meet my father."
They got out of the black limo into the carpeted porch of the hotel. Haruhi could see the elegant interior from the outside through the glass doors which automatically opened when they stepped up in front of it.
The lobby was just superb. Everything was sparkly, like they were bathing in liquid gold. Expensive. Aristocratic. And some more expensive. The walls were decorated with assorted paintings. A majestic chandelier hung above, like ice drops. Exclusively-designed furnitures scattered around and endless ornaments here and there.
People come and go. Some in suits and office attires. Some in their fashionable casual outfits. But every one of them were screaming I am a rich bastard! Haruhi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She quietly followed Kyouya's lead while unconsciously holding on to him like a lost kid.
They approached a line of front desks. A Caucasian man in black suit and tie greeted them politely... and curiously as he appraised their looks: a teenage couple in casual clothes just got off a limo and now walking in a five-star hotel. They don't encounter something like that in Mandarin Oriental on a daily basis.
"Kyouya Ootori," the Shadow King said impassively. "We're here to see Yoshio Ootori."
"Ah," the man nodded as if confirming his suspicions. The resemblance between father and son must've been quite obvious. The man glanced on his computer monitor and cleared his throat. "Certainly, Young Master. Mr. Ootori is waiting for you in Asana, the restaurant down this hallway, sir." He gestured to the long hallway on the right side of the main door.
"Thank you," Kyouya nodded once and they walked towards the direction pointed.
"Young Master?" Haruhi raised an eyebrow, her lips quirked on the sides as she slipped her fingers through his.
Kyouya just gave her a crooked smile.
"It suits you," she mused.
"You think so? Why?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. It just sounds... right, you know? But at the same time, it sounds funny."
"Why?" he asked again, genuinely curious.
"Because it sounds so medieval, like it came straight from the Middle Ages," she giggled.
Kyouya laughed. He never really thought about how it sounded to other people. All he knew was everyone called him Young Master since he could remember.
The short conversation was cut off as they reached the entrance to Asana. Like the hotel, the restaurant was grandiose. But there, the over-all interior was more mellow and quiet. It was beautiful yet it had gone unnoticed by the couple. They were too worked up to give a damn to anything. They slowed down, dragging their feet across the carpeted floor and taking their time as awfully long as they could.
They both knew their doomsday formally started when a waitress approached them and without further delays, she led them to Ootori Yoshio. Kyouya and Haruhi trailed behind her silently. They could only reassure each other through their intertwined hands and meaningful glances.
"Kaoru, Hikaru!" Tamaki flailed his arms over his head frantically. He was sitting with Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai in Figaro when he spotted the twins coming out of the airport.
Kaoru (or was it Hikaru?) waved back and made their way to the cafe with only small backpacks as their baggage.
"Kao-chan, Hika-chan! Welcome back! Want some cupcakes?" Honey-senpai offered a box of chocolate cupcakes which they politely turned down.
"How's your flight?" Tamaki asked.
"Very long," they exhaled and sagged on the chairs.
"Would you like something to drink? I love their Vanilla Frost!" said the King.
"Yeah, we could do some drinks before we go to Cambridge," Hikaru yawned. "Oh, a cup of Cafe Au Lait, please," he said to a passing waiter.
"Cappuccino for me," Kaoru added.
"Another glass of Vanilla Frost, please."
"Strawberry cake!"
The host club exchanged stories as they waited for their order.
Never knowing that just ten minutes away from them, Kyouya and Haruhi were staring directly at their worst enemy.
"Ah, you're here," Ootori Yoshio put aside the documents and looked at the couple; his eyes lingered on their joint hands a little more than necessary. The two teens pretended not to notice and bowed respectfully.
"Father," Kyouya said.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ootori," Haruhi smiled naturally.
The elder man nodded. "Ms. Fujioka, it's nice to meet you again. Have a seat please," he said. He observed as Kyouya pulled a chair for Haruhi and saw the brief, sweet smile the girl gave him.
"You called us, Father?" Kyouya, being an Ootori himself, got down to business as soon as he sat beside Haruhi.
Yoshio looked at them like he was thinking of a way to bankrupt a company. "Yes, I'm here to discuss a certain matter with you and I am sure you know what I'm talking about."
They didn't say anything as they waited for him to continue. He spoke soft and gently but that didn't ease the ominous atmosphere around them.
"You two are fairly aware that I don't like your attachment to each other," he said; direct and straight to the point.
Kyouya narrowed his eyes. His voice was harsh and cold, "If you're going to keep us apart-"
"Kyouya," Haruhi quietly warned him. She caught his hand under the table and squeezed it tightly. Kyouya looked at her and the message was clear on her face: Keep your calm. He exhaled and said nothing.
Yoshio watched them, amazed at the power Haruhi had over his son. He chuckled and turned to her, "You do know where the Ootori family stands in the society, do you not?"
Haruhi looked him in the eyes. "Yes, sir. I am quite aware of that," she answered cautiously.
"And you are well-aware of the fact that, in your common background, I don't approve of you to associate with my son."
"We are not asking for your permission," Kyouya muttered.
Yoshio ignored him. "Ms. Fujioka, I only want the best for the family and you are not what I want for Kyouya."
Kyouya was on the verge of blowing things up. He was trying very hard to control his leaking anger. His father had no rights to say those things because he was never a father to him. He had no rights to say those things to Haruhi. He doesn't know what's the best for Kyouya; he doesn't even know his own son.
Haruhi took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. She knew there was something the old man wanted to say but he kept on going how much he despised her, like he was stalling. "What exactly are you trying to say, Mr. Ootori?"
Yoshio smiled; the girl seemed to have a laser eyes that could see through anything. "What I'm trying to say is..." he looked at her in a way a lion would to its prey. "How much do you need, Haruhi?"
A chill ran down her spine as a course of adrenaline rushed through her body. It was the first time she heard him calling her first name. But what struck her the most was his question. How much do I need? What does he mean by that? Is he trying to bribe me to stay away from Kyouya?
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kyouya's jaw clenched. He couldn't believe his father just said that. The swelling anger in his chest was about to burst in a matter of seconds and he had this enormous, urging desire to punch the living daylights out of the freaking old man. But Haruhi's death grip on his hand kept him from doing so.
"I don't want your money," Haruhi said through her gritted teeth. Her vision was dangerously turning red. She never felt so downright insulted in her entire life. Ootori Yoshio was really pushing it.
The old man still had the nerve to laugh. "No, you don't want my money," he agreed. "But you need it."
The couple just stared at him like he just dropped from the sky. Why the hell would she need his money?
Yoshio sighed. "You see, Ms. Fujioka, Harvard granted my request to forfeit your scholarship."
The Team Host Club at the airport happily jumped into the King's limo, excited to see their long-lost friend. It was a twenty-minute drive from Logan Airport to Cambridge. But with current traffic, it would take forever to reach the other city so the driver suggested to take the Boylston Street route.
They didn't mind which way they go as long as they would end up in Kyouya's apartment. They were enjoying the beautiful afternoon ride, looking out the window and watching the bustling streets of Boston.
There was a beat of silence between the couple and the elder man. Haruhi felt like someone had just poked her heart with an electric shock prod. It thumped unevenly against her ribs. She was too stunned to react. Kyouya could only hang his mouth open in disbelief.
"Harvard University is no longer supporting your studies as we speak-"
"You can't do that!" Kyouya snapped.
"I can and I just did," Yoshio smirked at him, watching the rare outburst from his son. He never saw Kyouya in such distress situation and he was going to enjoy the view for a while.
"Why?" Haruhi spoke in a deathly quietness. Why is he doing this? Does he really want to see me crumpled like an insignificant dirt under his feet that much?
"Ah..." Yoshio straightened up on his sit like he was waiting and anticipating the question. He clasped his hands together on the table and looked at them intently. The real business was on. "Since my strategies of keeping you apart were proven ineffective, I'll settle to this one."
"Can you elaborate that one, sir?" Haruhi asked while Kyouya frowned, giving him the best what-the-fuck-are-you-talking-about look.
"You are smart, Ms. Fujioka," he started. "And now that you two came here with strong resolve of keeping your relationship together, I might as well have a use for that brain of yours."
The maddening anger was slowly replaced by utter confusion. "I don't understand..." she mumbled. A use for her brain? He wasn't thinking of exhuming her brain, was he? The silly thought made her stomach churn.
Yoshio eyed them both and sighed exasperatedly like he didn't want to say it but he got no choice. "I'm taking you under my wing, Fujioka Haruhi."
Silence. Long silence. Too much silence. Then the couple blinked as if coming out of trance.
"Excuse me?" Kyouya raised his eyebrows. He couldn't believe his ears. Did he hear it right? Did his father just say that? It wasn't a joke, right? As far as he knows, Ootori Yoshio never jokes around.
"You heard me," he said deadpanned. "I asked how much do you need... what I meant was your living expenses. Since I'm going to provide you with everything from now on, I want to know how much money you'll need."
For the first time in her life, Haruhi's mind went blank. She had Kyouya by her side. Her scholarship was gone. The father of her boyfriend was about to take over the expenses of her studies. Seriously, how could this old man made her life so complicated in a matter of minutes?
"I know this is so sudden," Yoshio said exasperatedly when they didn't respond. "But I'm tired of playing games with you two. So instead of keeping you apart, as I have said, we'll make use of you in my business."
Kyouya and Haruhi glanced at each other like, What the hell's going on here?
Yoshio continued to explain. "Haruhi will be under my financial supervision until she is capable of managing a vast corporation's legal issues."
"What?" Haruhi widened her milk-chocolate eyes.
"You want to be a lawyer, right? I'm going to support you until then and give you the full management of all Ootori Empire's legal department. But for the mean time, I want nothing but excellent grades and academic performance fit for an Ootori," he said, his tone was full of pride.
Kyouya adjusted his glasses and unconsciously caressed his girlfriend's knuckles. "Father, you're putting her in too much pressure."
Yoshio shrugged. "That's all I can tolerate." He leisurely took a sip of his coffee like they were just discussing the weather. "If she really wants to be with you, then she'll have to comply with our standards," he smiled almost apologetically.
Of course, Haruhi wanted to be with Kyouya. She was certain about it; the one thing that would never change. She was just overwhelmed by the surprising turns of events. It was too much but nothing that she couldn't handle. She knew she could do it. And knowing that Kyouya was there for her was more than enough to get through all these challenges.
"...Okay," Haruhi inhaled. "I'll do it."
Yoshio nodded approvingly. "I thought so. A bank account in your name has already been opened. I don't know your monthly living expenses but it has an initial deposit of $800,000 and a monthly allowance of $50,000-or depending on your needs-will automatically transfers to your account. I don't care how much money you spent, it's yours."
$800,000... $50,000... Ridiculous, Haruhi thought as she mentally made a face. She looked at Kyouya for help but he didn't even flinch at the overly generous money in her account. Then she remembered he was raised that way. Rich bastard.
"Also, your tuition fees in college is already settled, you don't need to worry about that."
"Oh. Uhm... Thank you," Haruhi said uncertainly. Her scholarship was forfeited but her college tuition fees were already paid and there was an overflowing amount of dollars in her bank account. Her world was tilting so rapidly it was scary.
"After this, I won't ever mingle with your relationship anymore. But keep in mind that I'm doing this for the gain of our family," he looked at Kyouya meaningfully. "And therefore, breakup is not allowed."
Haruhi wanted to roll her eyes but she resisted the urge. The old man was making sure she'll end up marrying his son for his gain. Not that she didn't want to marry Kyouya, she just hated the idea of being tied to the Ootori Empire. She wanted him, not his whole stuck-up clan. But she had to accept that; it was part of who he was.
Yoshio fixed the documents spread on the table and slid it into a folder. He stood up and the two teens stood as well. The conversation was over. "I still don't approve of you, Ms. Fujioka," he reminded her, but his tone was warmer than before. "You need to show me that you are worthy of our family's name."
"I understand, Mr. Ootori," Haruhi replied, a newfound confidence lacing her voice. She was going to show this arrogant old man how a badass lawyer she can be. She smirked at the thought, "Thank you so much. Have a good night, sir."
"Goodbye, Father," Kyouya bowed stiffly. He didn't know what feel towards his father. He had left them alone but with heavy pressures on Haruhi's part. Should he feel thankful? Or should he resent him more? He didn't honestly know. His mind was swirling. All that mattered to him was they were together.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Yoshio turned back to them. "The apartment unit in Riverside is a property of Harvard. Considering that you are no longer a scholar of the university, you do not have the rights to live there. You can find your belongings in Brattle Arms Apartment, next door to Kyouya's unit. Goodnight, children," he smiled and walked away with his regal posture.
There was a moment of absolute stillness even after the old man disappeared from their sight. Then Kyouya pulled his frozen girlfriend in his arms. That seemed to thaw her out.
It had been a very tensed afternoon. They felt like they just stepped out of a bloody war zone. Keeping his arm around her waist, Kyouya led Haruhi out of the hotel. They stood silently on the porch, waiting for their ride home.
Reality dawned on them like a black veil being lifted from their heads. Haruhi clutched on to his t-shirt and weakly leaned on his chest. The huge wave of relief was making her legs shaky. Kyouya held her tighter.
"Kyouya..." she murmured. "We did it."
"Yes, we did," he whispered back. He put his lips on her forehead tenderly and didn't move until his adrenaline ebbed away.
Haruhi closed her eyes, concentrating all her senses to the warm, moist lips on her forehead. She encircled her slim arms around Kyouya's waist. She felt his fingers weaved through her hair and another hand on her back, caressing it softly.
People gave them odd looks, even the hotel staffs were glancing at them more than twice as they passed by. They're not fans of PDA. But at that moment, they couldn't care less. They had won and the victorious feeling was exhilarating. At that moment, it was their world. At that moment, nobody else existed.
Well, maybe except for the black limo passing on the street directly in front of the hotel.
One of the passengers inside caught the two figures from the corner of his eye. He could've ignored them-they're probably just some lovey-dovey couple making out on the street-but the familiarity of them struck him like Zeus' lightning bolt.
Kaoru smack his face on the glass window and after cursing it for flattening his nose, he recognized the "lovey-dovey couple making-out on the street". Their Asian looks were hard to miss; he knew them even from afar. The brunette short hair and that glinting eyeglasses...
"No, that's not possible," he said out loud.
"What's not possible?" his twin asked, looking at the same direction. Then, Hikaru's eyes popped and the pocky box in his hand slipped. His mouth hung open, revealing a gruesome picture of mutilated pockies.
"Stop the car!" Kaoru shouted. They lurched forward so hard they all fell on the floor.
"Ow!" Tamaki squeaked. "What's wrong with you?!" he snapped. He fell head first and was rubbing a sore spot.
The twins ignored him as they peeked through the small window like Peeping Tom. Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai curiously joined in, too.
"What is it? What is it?" the King excitedly shoved his own head between the twins' and looked at what made his friends agitated. Then he froze.
After processing the image in his head, Tamaki stared like it was the most horrifying thing ever. His best friend Kyouya was kissing their daughter. How incestuous! And it wasn't just that: The fact that they were kissing outside a hotel could've only mean one thing...
Tamaki, being the dumbest blonde on the planet, jumped on the guns and he stormed out of the car before the others could stop him.
"Tono! Tono!"
"Tama-chan, wait!"
They followed him out into the street.
Kyouya was first to notice Tamaki storming his way towards them. His pale face was contorted into comical horror. He was still a few meters away but Kyouya could feel the raging aura pulsating from him.
Then it struck to Kyouya where they currently stood: In front of a hotel, being snuggly-cuddly with Haruhi. Great. Now everyone jumped into the same dirty conclusion.
With an exasperated sigh and reluctance, he stepped back from his clinging girlfriend. Haruhi looked at him with a childish pout.
"We have some visitors," he said. "And I can tell that they are not happy."
Haruhi grimaced, knowing what he meant. She didn't even bother to take a single glance towards the bunch of hosts scampering behind the King. "Well, damn them," she said. And as if hugging in front of their friends wasn't bad enough, she tiptoed and pecked him on the lips. "We're going to burn our bridge anyways, why not do it with some sparks?" She grinned mischievously.
"Now you're sounding like a cold-blooded, calculating woman," he smiled crookedly.
"I've learned from the best," she winked and turned to their petrified friends. She waved at them like everything's perfectly normal and gave them a cheeky grin.
They'd survived the first war and they'll definitely win the next. They're the invincible demon pair, after all.
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03/30/13 OWARI
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SORA'S RAMBLING CORNER:
And that concludes the end of this story. Yes, dudes, it's officially over. *sniff*
As much as I want to continue this story forever, I can't. From conception of ideas for this story, my mind was really set to end it here (the moment Tamaki and the others accidentally saw the couple outside the hotel). An epilogue might be a nice additional chapter but I don't want to make any promises because I had enough epilogue queues that I can't even finish [namely, Keeping Secret and How I Met the Prince] I'm sorry about that. T_T
I'll let your imagination create the scenes where Kyouya and Haruhi reveal their relationship to their friends. Ooohhhh... just by thinking of it makes me laugh! But I'm sorry, I can't put any words for that scene, so I'll leave it to you XD
Hai~! So I just want to scream THANK YOU SO MUCH! I honestly never thought of gaining so many reads and reviews for Spring Petals. I'm not a perfect writer but the support you've given me was unbeatable. For all the time you spent reading this, for patiently waiting for my updates, for understanding my mistakes, the overly cheesiness and OOCness, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And I know this ending is lacking something but thank you, thank you, thank you!
Until next time, natsu_no_sora signing off.