Sorry for the delay! Here's chapter 3!
I don't own Ouran High School Host Club!
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Haruhi sighed. This was getting irritating. Somehow, the twins' secret had leaked out, and now none of their fangirls would leave the twins alone. An inner part of her wanted to go up and shove the girls away, but Haruhi was not an aggressive person. Usually. Tamaki had somehow unearthed the tiny bit that was aggressive, but she usually only directed it at him, or anyone that annoyed her. Which, actually, was most of the host club.
Closing her book, Haruhi stood up from the desk she had been sitting at. All attempts at studying had been ruined. Pushing her chair back under the desk, Haruhi walked past all of the shelves, and up to the library desk.
"May I please check this book out?" she asked the librarian, who was flipping through a book catalog. The cranky old lady put down her catalog and nodded, taking the book from Haruhi's outstretched hand.
"Haruhi?" Haruhi blinked and turned around. Kaoru had a book in his hand and was walking over towards her. He had surprised expression on his face. How surprising, to find the school's number 1 bookworm in the library.
"Oh, hello Kaoru-kun. Are you also checking out a book?" Haruhi greeted her classmate pleasantly. It was almsot better to pretend she had never heard the news. Kaoru just nodded and set his book on the counter for the librarian to check out. "Yeah, I can't get any studying in," the boy said, leaning against the counter. "I noticed a little after I realized I'd read the same line 6 times."
"Hmm...I can't seem to study either. Hey, while we're at it, would you mind taking a walk with me? I need to tell you something." Haruhi mentally groaned, the words had flown out of her mouth before she even knew it. Kaoru's eyes widened, but he just nodded in agreement.
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"So, what was it you wanted to ask me?" Kaoru said, adjusting the book under his arm. Haruhi cleared her throat. Her idea of a 'walk' had actually taken the two out towards the courtyard. Why teh courtyard? Only the author knows.
"Oh, well, actually, I was going to tell you something...but..."
"It's hard to get out?" Kaoru asked, finishing Haruhi's sentence for her. Haruhi just nodded, and Kaoru's eyes were sympathetic. "Might it have something to do with Hikaru's and my relationship?"
Haruhi nodded again, and Kaoru didn't say anything.Haruhi bit her lip, this was not going well. She was going to have to say something soon...
"Oh, look. The sakura tree is already blooming." Kaoru's voice rang through her ears. Sakura...tree...wha?
"Oh!" Haruhi said when Kaoru pointed to the said tree. "Right, I forgot. Sorry. I honestly think my brain isn't working today!" Haruhi giggled, a high, shrill giggle that showed how nervous she was. Kaoru gave her the are-you-alright? look, and she shut up, choosing instead to gaze at the tree Kaoru had mentioned.
"It's beautiful..." she said softly. Whenever the wind blew, a few sakura petals would fall off of the tree and blow across the courtyard. The ground was already littered with the soft, pink petals. All of the colors: pink petals, green glass, the blue sky and the water in the fountain, the gray of the cement in the sidewalk and of the academy walls. They all clashed, creating the perfect color scheme. Haruhi wished she could take a picture.
"Kaoru...will you promise me something?" Haruhi asked her friend. Again, the words had come out of her mouth without her permission. Kaoru rose an eyebrow and humored her, nodding slowly, turning to look back out at the beautiful courtyard.
"Will you promise that...you'll never retreat behind that wall again? The one that you and Hikaru put up, to keep everyone else out? I know...you two love each other...but we, the host club, also love you. You're like family to us. And we don't want you to be so secluded, so distant, like you were back then. Promise you'll always stay the same, please?"
Kaoru took in a sharp breath. This was the thing she had wanted to talk about? Not exactly what he had expected...but what had he expected? How should he respond? Had Haruhi already talked like this with Hikaru? Could he actually promise her this one promise? He had no idea what would come in the future, but...
"I'll try my best," he said, smiling down at Haruhi. It was surely a unique smile, and one he used seldomly. Haruhi melted at the sight of it; she could understand how Hikaru had grown feelings for his own brother.
NO! Bad thought! Get out, you nasty thought! I can't think about Kaoru like that!
"But...Haruhi?"
Haruhi snapped back to attention. "Yes, Kaoru-kun?" she asked, perplexed. Was he going to ask her to promise him something? Wasn't that how it worked; an eye for an eye, ear for an ear? Promise for a promise?
"Er, we're going to be late to class if we don't hurry," Kaoru smiled apologetically at Haruhi, as though reading her mind. Ahahah...I feel like such an idiot!
"Oh...class...right then. Let's go!" Haruhi and Kaoru rushed off to class, arriving just in time for the bell to ring.
Haruhi smiled as she took her seat. Well, that wasn't so bad. I just Hikaru will be as understanding as Kaoru-kun was...
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There! I KNOW it's too short, I'll work on getting it longer. I put this together in less than a 1/2 hour, so it probably sucks. Please don't flame!
Ja ne!