"You don't look like the Kyoya senpai I met on that date. He seemed to have a lot more to say." They were sitting in a small kitchen

watching Noriko make tea for the both of them. She moved around the room, pushing things out of her way so she could have enough

space. Kyoya was confused, he remembered her being one of the wealthier students at Ouran Academy and yet she lived in this shack.

"Where are we?"

"Ah, there he is. This is my house. I uh...moved away from my parents after some problems occurred. They wouldn't support me much so

this is my pride and joy now." She looked around the room with a proud smile that made Kyoya feel slightly embarrassed. "It's small but,

it's better."

They sipped the bitter tea for a few minutes, drinking in the silence along with it. Kyoya wasn't sure what to make of it all, he was still very

stunned to see her here after all that had happened.

Their moment of intimacy flashed before him, causing Kyoya to carelessly burn a portion of his lip. Nothing was making sense anymore.

Not even simple moments like this. He couldn't get the image of their night together out of his mind. Noriko was pretty. Strange, but

pretty. And she had more of a heart than Kyoya could ever have.

What went wrong anyway? It definitely wasn't her. She played her part right from the beginning, it had always been Kyoya. But why were

these feelings living inside him? Why couldn't he seem to escape this empty hole even though the opportunity had presented itself over

and over again. These questions began forming a rage inside Kyoya, one that had never really been there before. He felt like he had to do

something; he must do something.

"So..." Noriko placed her hand on the table, giving Kyoya the perfect entrance into what was about to happen. He carefully let his own fall

on hers, feeling the smallness of her hand.

"Kyoya..."

"I'm sorry. I have always been one to assume the worst of a situation before it has even begun. I let our first try dissolve before it had its

chance to engage anything. Would you let to try again?" He knew she wouldn't fall for the host act but something inside him couldn't get

past the wall standing between that guy and himself. If he was to be anyone in a situation like this, it would have to be the Kyoya that girls

fawned over. Not the one who was terrified to even think about what he was going to do.

"I don't think we...I don't know if this is a good idea." She chewed on her bottom lip again, not being able to control it anymore.

"I know what happened last time and so much has happened since then. This is what I need right now." Kyoya felt the emotion brimming

his eyes in a way he had never felt before. Noriko avoided his gaze and looked into her cup, pulling more and more of her lipstick off. "If

you do not wish to, I understand."

"No! It's not that...it's just..."

Kyoya didn't let her finish before he had his mouth pressed hard against hers, pushing the tea aside. She felt familiar in a different way,

like he knew what had to be done this time.

"I can...see it in your eyes!" She was gasping between kisses, forcefully trying to get the words that didn't really want to show up, out. "I

know there's something wrong and this is why you're doing this!"

Kyoya pulled back and stared at her. "There is. And that is exactly why I need this to happen."

This time she let him go through with it, not saying a word. She watched silently as their clothing hit the floor one-by-one and all of her

surpressed feelings for what had happened that night bubble up into her throat. She would never admit her endless feelings for Kyoya

Ootori, but in this moment, she believed she didn't have to.

They were laying together in her bed, breathing into the darkness of the square room. It wasn't much bigger than the size of the bed itself

and was attached to the kitchen by a small door. Kyoya was still in awe about the size of everything. It was like a miniature version of what

he had already known to belong to commoners.

"So you were serious."

"Indeed, I was."

"Why now though? This was all so random. I thought you had that thing with Tamaki senpai?"

There it was. That name that Kyoya was doing this for to block out.

"How did you know about that?"

She looked a little embarressed. "I kind of kept my tabs on you since everything happened. I wanted to make sure you were okay...it's

pretty weird I guess."

Kyoya looked down at her, but she curled up to him more to avoid eye contact. No one had ever said something like that to him before

and it made it hard to decide which emotion to use.

"It isn't weird at all."

They let the silence take over until Kyoya fell asleep. Noriko made sure of it before she watched him. As much as she wanted this, she knew

it wasn't right. She would never be the right choice when these endless feelings were still floating around the room. He couldn't ignore

them forever. She wouldn't let him.

Tamaki watched her while she slept. Why didn't he find her as pretty anymore? She used to be a real princess and now she was nothing

but an every day girl, using him the way he had always been used.

Why had he done this. He was angry, he knew that. But how could Kyoya do something like that to him and not even mention it? Tamaki

rolled over, standing up quietly to not disturb her. He made his way to the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack so he could hear if she

was waking.

This was not it was cracked up to be. Physicalness, intimacy, it meant nothing if you weren't sharing it with the right person. He had

always known that. But the right person didn't seem to want to share that moment with him also. Did Kyoya even feel the same way about

him, or was it all an illusion? Maybe soon he would wake up from this horrible nightmare and realize this whole world was imaginary.

Whoever was staring back at him from the mirror was a stranger. Someone he was sure he had never encountered before. Its eyes were

lifeless, hollow, only a small shadow of what they used to be when he was with Kyoya. Was that all he counted on to be happy? Those who

kept him uplifted on a daily basis? He was so known for his positivity and giving spirit, but was that really ever him? Or did he just do it

for those he thought deserved it? Surely his life couldn't be constructed of entertaining girls whose names he couldn't even remember.

But was this right.

No. Nothing ever was.