It was such a normal day for something so bizarre to happen.

"Ow— hey!" Haruhi rubbed her forehead and looked up at the person who'd just run straight into her, knocking her off her feet. At first she didn't recognize the soft golden hair and bright blue eyes, but then something clicked in her memory. "N-Nekozawa?" The normally dark and mysterious figure was out in the open, free of his usual black cloak and wig. Even his peculiar cat-shaped hand-puppet was gone from his person.

"You—ah, excuse me, uh…" Nekozawa looked around wildly, as if trying to remember his lines in a play.

Haruhi looked up at Nekozawa with her enormous brown eyes. "Could it be… is this about Kirimi-chan again…?" Even as she spoke, Haruhi spied a bit of crumpled paper on the floor before her. Picking it up, she finally overcame her initial shock enough to stand up. Nekozawa's eyes widened, and he snatched the paper away before Haruhi could read more than a few words. "Forgive me," he choked out, and disappeared down the hallway.

"And that's what happened," Haruhi finished at last. She met eyes with Hikaru, Tamaki, and Kaoru one at a time. The three sat in a circle around her as if participating in kindergarten story time. "So, have any of you noticed him acting weird at all?"

"Not really," Kaoru offered. "Rather, we haven't seen him at all lately."

"With or without his usual get-up," Hikaru added in confirmation.

"Haruhi, did you see what was written on the note?" Tamaki's eyes were filled with wonder, but he certainly didn't know just what to make of the story yet.

"A bit," Haruhi said slowly, turning her eyes to the ceiling to try to recall the words. "Let's see, it was… 'Fairest of maidens,' or something. I only had time to read a few words."

"Ah, is that it." The twins spoke in unison, grinning and turning to face each other. "Kaoru, do you realize what this means? To think that such a darkened soul would sacrifice his ideals for the sake of love…"

"Yes, Hikaru! His devotion is magnificent. We can only stand in awe of such a self-giving gesture. And so close to St. Valentine's Day…" The two spoke dramatically with eyes gleaming.

"Indeed," Tamaki put in, massaging his chin thoughtfully. "It's much more than we could expect from one such as him. Bravo! What beautiful things love does do to one's spirit." He threw his arms out so wide that the twins had to duck to either side to avoid being hit.

"Oh," Haruhi said shortly, "Nekozawa has someone he likes."

Kyouya had briefly stopped to listen and had a pen poised over his clipboard. "I assume, due to your positive response to these events, that you have already discovered who Nekozawa has his eyes on."

Tamaki turned his head to shoot Kyouya a blank look.

"I see. So you're simply acting carelessly out of naïveté." He adjusted he slipped his pen into the clip on his clipboard and adjusted his glasses. "If you do not know who it is that Nekozawa fancies, you must leave everyone open to possibility, correct?" He walked around to stand next to Haruhi. Tamaki sat up straight, his full attention on his bespectacled friend. "Consider, then," Kyouya continued, "Nekozawa's apprehensive behavior towards Haruhi this morning." Another nod from Tamaki, who was still in the dark.

The twins, who had begun to get bored and wander away, turned back to look.

"Are you suggesting, then," Hikaru said,

"that Haruhi is the one Nekozawa is in love with?" As Kaoru finished the statement, Tamaki's eyes bulged, and he jumped up from where he'd sat.

"That can't be!" Tamaki only let himself entertain the image of Haruhi dressed in gothic Lolita fashion before he shook his head, blushing blatantly. "I cannot let our daughter be lured into the occult, no matter what Nekozawa is willing to sacrifice in order to win her hand!"

Kyouya nodded, jotted something down, and went off to tend to something elsewhere. I only said to consider the possibility, he thought wearily. Why does he always have to get so carried away?

Five minutes later, Kyouya calmly but resolutely declined to be a part of the Redirection of Nekozawa's Feelings to Someone Other Than Haruhi Committee.

"It's pointless, what you're doing," he said lightly. "Well, probably."

Two days later, the Committee disbanded. This is how it happened.

Nekozawa clutched the letter in his hand. It was written on stationery made to look like parchment, and the words were written in purple pen with curly, round letters. I've liked you for a long time, but I was too intimidated to admit my feelings, the note alleged. Nekozawa felt sure that this was a trick, but he'd played enough tricks of his own to merit it. Please meet me in room 1-C after school on Thursday. I am definitely ready for you to hear my feelings now. The note ended there, unsigned. Of course, she would be rejected. After all…

"Ah. Is someone in here?" It was the twins who entered the unlit room, much to Nekozawa's disgust. "There was a girl standing outside of here for a long time," one of them claimed. "She finally turned and ran off," the other said, forefinger against his temple. "Were you waiting for someone?" What Nekozawa didn't know was that the airy carelessness the twins had was merely an act; they were both a little scared of messing with the superstitious prince.

"I felt no female energy emanating from outside this room," Nekozawa asserted.

"Oh, is that so?"

"It is indeed." He hadn't really been paying attention, and now he was spacing out even more. Had there been someone there? Was she too shy after all? All the same, he grinned. It was just one less thing to worry about.

The twins, not sure of the meaning of that mysterious smile, readily took their leave.

The next day, the twins declared the game of playing with Nekozawa's emotions "boring" and would have no more to do with it.

Desperately, Tamaki begged them to help, ultimately to no avail.

Half-heartedly placing a hand on Tamaki's shoulder, Kyouya sighed. "There's no need to worry. I know who it is Nekozawa fancies."

Tamaki looked up with wide puppy-dog eyes. "You mean… isn't it Haruhi?"

Kyouya reached into his jacket pocket and produced a folded piece of parchment. Unfolding it revealed elegant calligraphic letters that read:

My fairest of all maidens,

From within the shadows I watch you

Hair like the waves of the blackest ocean

As dark as night and sharp as a scythe

This feeling falls against my neck and encompasses my heart

I long to flee, but an unwelcome desire draws me back in

This emotion that is so sickeningly sweet

So unbearably unwelcome

Drips as blood or tears and falls clear against my open palms

Such is my love for you

Tamaki's eyes got wider still. "Kyouya! Where… where did you get this?"

He rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "From the girl to whom it was written. Surely you know that Haruhi could never be described as possessing hair 'like waves of the ocean'; it is much to short. Do you feel better now?"

The twins and Haruhi also crowded in to look. Kyouya's clipboard displayed a neatly organized time table, and, scanning it with his eyes, he explained, "These are the days within the last two weeks that Nekozawa has been sighted in or near the third music room." He glanced up to see that Tamaki was listening, and continued. "As you can see, there are only two girls who were present an all of those days, one of whom has straight, short hair, which only leaves…"

"Ah," the twins said in unison.

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Author's Notes: Hmmm, so this chapter was written a little differently from the others. I didn't put in space breaks or anything, because I think the way I wrote it made it pretty clear when and where everything occurred. I apologize if it was confusing.

Anyway, hmmm... I wonder who it is that Nekozawa likes? I don't have much time to write now because I'm at school, but I might come back and drop a hint or two later. So. Comments? Questions? Happy thoughts? Requests? Please review, because reviews are my life energy! Much love!