CHAPTER EIGHT

Kiyoko dreamt of falling into a dark abyss, with those dark, midnight blue eyes devoid of emotion staring into her. She felt as if she was slowly living through her past again, through those horrible nightmares. It started off as her in a happy family that happened to be quite famous, then gradually processed to the warped, twisted state it was in now.

She sat up, panting a little, and leant back onto the pillows behind her. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep again tonight. Not in this state. Especially since the dreams have progressed towards the most dreaded event.

Thinking about it, she realised that it was almost her birthday. June the 14th. The worst day of the year.

Only less than a month left.

But this time… it'll be fine, right?

After all, she thought as she glanced at a photo of the Host Club idiots (that Tamaki forcefully stuck up on her wall), she wasn't exactly alone this time. She wouldn't relive the horrors of that day all on her own. She'll survive somehow.

Yawning, she got up from her bed, in case she accidentally fell asleep again. There was really nothing to do in this tiny, cramped apartment of hers. Kiyoko didn't even have a piano. Well, maybe… maybe she'll be nice today and bake something for the Host Club.

Maybe…? Nah.

Deciding against it (lazy much), she walked aimlessly around her dark 'home' to try and find something to kill time until 6:30am. It was only around 5:00am. But she never bought much stuff for herself, and didn't really have any hobbies except for the piano, so in the end there was really nothing to do. She slumped onto the couch and closed her eyes.

How did everything come to this? Right, of course. Her darling mother was the cause of all this. Memories swirled in her mind, and even as she tried to stop, she thought about the past.

~Flashback~

"Mum? It's my birthday in a month!" Kiyoko regretted it as soon as the words came out of her mouth. She quickly looked around for an escape, but when her mother started speaking, her eyes were drawn back up to her. She was only nine, after all.

She frowned haughtily down at the little girl, looking more superior than ever. "I have no time to be thinking about such trivial matters, Kiyoko. Your brother is sick with a bad cold, and I need to tend to him. Also, how many times have I told you, call me mother, not mum. It sounds so improper."

What? All Hitoshi did was cough twice yesterday. And that was because he choked stuffing so much cake into his mouth. Obviously, she didn't dare say of these things out loud. Her mother would be mortified at her rudeness. Besides, she liked Hitoshi, even if he was spoilt and a little selfish.

"Y-yes, mother." She whispered, now studying the floor carefully.

"Right. Now let me hear no more of your stupid birthday nonsense." She sniffed and walked away, seeming more distant from her daughter than ever before.

Kiyoko sighed, also turning away. She still remembered the days when her mum loved her to bits, and spoilt her proudly every single day. Of course, those days were no more. And she really seemed to detest her presence now. The girl still had no idea why any of this was happening to her, but she blamed herself for everything.

It was her fault she was disliked by her mother. She wasn't good enough. She needed to be perfect. She had to try hard to regain her mother's love.

That's what she told herself every day.

And try she did, but it seemed like it wasn't enough. Kiyoko studied hard and gradually became top of her grade. She practised hard on the piano, and tried to become a more sporty, social, and likeable person. Little did she know, it wasn't helping her mental health and she wasn't working hard for herself anymore; she was working for her mother.

Her face became shadowed from her sadness and lack of love. There were bags under her usually pretty blue-grey eyes, from all those nightmares she had no one to confide to. The poor girl worried about things no one her age should even have to think about. And all along, her mother's coldness and aloofness towards her destroyed her from the core.

"Kiyoko." A voice called, and she snapped out of her reverie.

"Yes, father?" She replied meekly.

He looked down at her from across the room. "Go buy some cold medicine for Hitoshi. He's sick, as you know."

"Yes, father." She gave a small bow, feeling a little like a waitress, before turning to leave. It was best to obey her parents and not argue, as there might be some dire consequences that she'd rather not imagine.

"Onee-chan! K-Kiyoko!" A slightly unfamiliar voice called, and she turned around again, shocked.

It was her brother, Hitoshi.

"Hito-chan! Don't stress out your throat and yell at her, please, it would be a nuisance if you got even more unwell." Her mother cooed to the little boy, merely three years old.

"Onee-chan! Th-th-than... Thank you!" He grinned, proud of himself, and tottered off upstairs again, with their mum fussing left and right.

Kiyoko was speechless for a moment or two. She had gotten so used to being yelled at and ordered around, that she had forgotten that lovely warm feeling in her heart when someone appreciated her efforts, and spoke to her like an equal. A smile made its way up onto her youthful face for the first time in ages, and she happily turned to go, mentally reminding herself to get some sweet and delicious medicine, instead of the yucky bitter ones.

She would always want the best for her brother.

~Flashback End~

A grimaced formed on Kiyoko's face as she got up from the couch and contemplated about her past self. There was no reason for her to think about that now, because, as she said, the past is in the past. Although there was no escaping that the past did sometimes interrupt her daily life.

Her phone rang and she picked it up. Who the hell would call her so early in the morning? Who the hell even knows her number?

"What?" She snapped into the phone.

The voice chuckled at the other end of the line. "Well, good morning to you too, Ki-Ki."

"Why the hell do you have my number, Kaoru?"

"Huh." She could hear the frown from miles away, and rolled her eyes, for she anticipated what was going to happen next. The twins were way too predictable when you got to know them... "How did you know it was me?"

Kiyoko gave a snicker. "Dude, how many times have I told you already? YOUR VOICES ARE DI-FE-RENT!" Rich people were so dumb. No offence to rich people. Then, thinking of Kyoya, she quickly took back that thought. Okay then, only some rich people are dumb... Most...

"Really? I don't believe you." The other end said indignantly.

She rolled her eyes again, for like the third time since she picked up that phone. "Yes, Hikaru, I told you I could tell. Stuuu-pid." Playing tricks on her, eh? Not gonna work with her magical ears still attached to her head. Totally.

"Anyway," Hikaru hastened to say. "We were calling to say that we're going to visit Okinawa soon, and you have to come with us."

"Uh, no thanks. Anyway, I gotta go cos you interrupted my precious sleep and I'm tired." She lied, about to hang up when the smug voice said something that stopped her.

Surprisingly (not), it was Kaoru back on the line again. "You never sleep after 5:30am, so why?" His voice was irritatingly conceited and mingled into it was an air of smug arrogance.

How she hated that way to talking. "And how would you know?"

"Why would you even answer my call otherwise?"

Kiyoko had nothing to reply to that, and merely huffed. "Whatever. Go die."

"Well gee you're nice, aren't you?"

"Hikaru, quit trying to trick me - it's never gonna work. And yes, I've always been this nice."


Hello guys! Soz for such a late update...

Anyways, I've decided to change the title of the story (I know, I'm very indecisive) and it'll be changed in a week (or something).

See ya in the next update!