The next day, I was approached by Kyoya-senpai in class. He nodded to everyone who waved to him, but gave them no invitation of speaking to him further. It was a rare visit, and I knew exactly what he wanted from me. I put my hand on Hikaru's shoulder, indicating that I would be back, and I walked over to Kyoya-senpai, who led me out of the room.

"I'm sure you know what I'm calling you here for," he began.

I nodded.

"When going through Anna-san's requirements, I realized something. All lesbains go to Lobelia and are infatuated with the Zuka Club. Any homosexual males would cut off their hands before agreeing to something like this. She has the darkest skin, being so Italian in Japan. A delinquent may place her in trouble," he looked through the door at a mafia boss' son. "You, however, are loud, rude, about her height, and not at all religious. Hikaru fits her qualifications better, but I didn't suppose you'd allow him to be her false husband. You were always more selfless than him."

"But why are we doing this anyway?"

"She and Tamaki are engaged. To break it off, she must seem in love with another. Her protective family will be outraged, and order the marriage on hold. You will be a bachelor for possibly one year maximum if you do indeed agree to this. If you do not, Haruhi, Tamaki, Anna-san, and Hikaru will be hurt. Hikaru will see Haruhi lose Tamaki, and he would never be able to ask her out again. He'll lose her to no one. There will be no game; but there will be a loser. We will all lose. And you love Haruhi still, do you not?" Kyoya-senpai looked through the door to her. "How will she feel? You should be able to tell her feelings for Tamaki."

I frowned, losing my temper. "Am I the sacrificial lamb?"

Kyoya was silent.

I looked at the ground. It was not I, I realized, that was the sacrifice, but Anna. She was the one who was throwing away any and all chances of happiness. I could reject this offer, and everyone would be hurt. Kyoya-senpai could get someone else, but did we really trust them? Who would go for this scheme other than someone with something to lose from its failure? I looked at Hikaru, who was laughing with Haruhi, and I knew I had no choice. Maybe we could figure something later.

"Ok."

Kyoya-senpai smiled. "Good."

--

"This is Kaoru Hitachiin, Anna-san," Kyoya-senpai said to her after school.

We had waited until Tamaki-senpai had gone home. If he had known about my sacrifice, he would never have agreed to it. Hikaru was with Haruhi cleaning the class.

"He looks as plain as he did the moment I met him," Anna replied, unsatisfied.

Kyoya-senpai pushed up his glasses. "This is the best we could do to satisfy your requirements. Or, do you think he's ugly?"

Anna blushed. "No, that's not it, I swear!" She sighed. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry, Kaoru."

I smiled sadly. "It's ok."

"Well, I have rented out the amusement park for the two of you. You can have a private day alone, while also having fun," Kyoya-senpai said.

"Rented?" I asked flatly. "Isn't that a little much?"

"No- Anna-san, what is it?"

I looked to Anna. Her jaw had dropped, and she was silent.

"R-rented?" she squeaked. "The entire amusement park?"

Kyoya-senpai nodded. "You seem surprised, when you have probably double the amount of money my family does."

"Daddy's frugal," she stated. "I'm not allowed any big, unnecessary buys. He says it's a waste." She shrugged.

Kyoya-senpai smiled darkly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Anna just grinned, and something about that made me very suspicious.

--

We went to the amusement park later that week. I left before Hikaru woke up and ignored his frantic calls throughout the day.

Anna was there in a light pink shirt whose shoulders came down to reveal her bra straps and came up high enough to reveal her bellybutton. She wore a short tennis skirt and wedge sandals. Her purse was large, leather, and expensive. I noticed the brand name designers of all the clothes she wore. They were nothing cheap, and I began to question her earlier statement of frugality. The look on her face told me she was uncomfortable, but I would have been uncomfortable in something that skimpy, too.

I walked over to her in colorful layered wifebeaters and baggy jeans. I felt severely under dressed, or strangely dressed at the least.

She smiled a little, but her cheeks were red. She eyed me and frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing," she mumbled.

I sighed. "It's something. Just tell me."

"Kyoya said he'd dress you, too!"

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

"He made me put on these ridiculous... pieces of clothes! He said you'd be dressed the same. But... not in a skirt, he said. Or something like that."

"So, you're not usually so skimpy?"

"Never!" She laughed. "Once, when I was younger, of course, and tried hard to fit in, I left in a skirt a little longer than this one, and my dad-" she stopped talking to laugh, "gave me one look and said, 'put on the rest of your clothes before you go outside!'" She coughed. "It was in Italian, of course. He doesn't speak Japanese at home, out, or anywhere other than work. He thinks it's funny for everyone to think he's a tourist who doesn't know the language."

I laughed at her impression of her father. It was deep and thickly accented. "Really?"

We began to walk. She nodded, and I noticed she held down her skirt.

We went on ride after ride, and even after I figured she would have thrown her guts up, she demanded we go on another. I smiled.

After one ride, we had to sit down.

"You're tenacious," I said as she held back vomit.

"So I've been told," she said.

"You shouldn't have eaten before that ride."

"I'm ok, I'm ok!" she insisted, standing up. "No, I'm not."

I laughed as she sat back down.

"Don't laugh at me," she growled.

"I'm not."

"Mmm."

We decided to go home, and got in the car.

We almost made it home before she threw up cotton candy out the window.