~ Chapter Ten ~

~ A Matter of Proximity ~

Why me? Do you ever ask yourself that?

I mean, seriously.

Why ME?

Last night was torture and all tolerance for the Hitachiins had gone back down the drain as of five minutes ago.

"We heard you were into Graphic Design though?" one of them purred into my ear, a vein ticked just above my left eyebrow.

Must not kill…

"Tamaki told you didn't he?" I managed to choke out cordially, nearly biting my tongue.

"The whole story, tragic though isn't it? It's like one of those fairy tales that the commoner is lucky enough to meander her way into a wealthy institution under the shadows of several handsome men." One of them began.

They don't know either? For some reason that irked me.

"Then lo and behold, one day, two of them discover a dirty secret and in their pursuits of dragging said commoner into their dirty little scheme, the sad little commoner is forced to work on their club's website – for free as said little commoner is, in fact, in debt – then the commoner lives happily ever after!" The other finished, I gave them a harsh, albeit with a red face, glare.

"That is the most warped-" I began but then Hikaru (or Koaru) pressed a button and the Host Club's website (which had been previously maximized) minimized and iPhoto popped up with images I thought I would never see.

"You didn't?" I almost snarled, but the effect was ruined as I was more in shock than angry.

"Yes, we did." They said in union as I stared aghast at multiple shots of Kyouya and I asleep on one another's shoulders from the night before. If it were at all possible, my face only grew redder.

Listen Tsuyu, listen. It's not a big deal, you know it wouldn't REALLY bother you if Kyouya saw those or not, it's stupid, it's petty! He'll shrug it right off! Then why does it bother me thinking that then?

"I don't care what you do with me, but I will not put those on the website." I said with an air of command, this didn't sit too well with the twins as one crossed his arms over his chest.

"We can," he mocked, I raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you asking me to redesign the site?" I asked skeptically, Hikaru and Koaru exchanged glances.

"What Tono says is what Tono gets," they said with silly smirks on their faces, "besides Kyouya approved of it."

"I don't care if Kyouya approved of me to go to the moon, it's not going to happen! Especially if it means I'm just going to put embarrassing photos of myself on the site!" I hissed, the twins sighed.

"We thought you would be like this…" one of them said with faux sadness, my eyes narrowed on them.

"So, onto Plan B." Together they pulled out large, custom framed, pictures.

"YOU BLEW THEM UP!" I gasped, the Hitachiins had already gone ahead and collaged the photo of me and Kyouya (from different angles) in one of the frames and the other frame contained a blown up close-up of our ignorant faces.

"Does Kyouya know about this?" I asked.

"Of course not," one said.

"We're not suicidal," said the other, I smirked.

"So I won't be putting these pictures up on the site then?" I asked, my smirk fell from my face when they didn't appear stumped in the slightest.

"We're not putting them up, you will!"

"No! I won't!"

"Look," one of them, I'm guessing it's Koaru because this is the first time they've spoken individually and Haruhi did say Koaru was the more rational of the two. "All we want is to see what you can do, Tamaki wouldn't stop talking about those 'cute little monkeys and squirrels'-"

"They were bears and rabbits," I cut in blandly, but he continued.

"-and he wouldn't stop until Kyouya finally said to go ahead and let you redesign the site." Koaru concluded.

"So Kyouya just said ok and here I am with you two being blackmailed?" I said, Hikaru and Koaru shrugged nonchalantly.

"He also said he would like to see how it turned out since Tono spoke so highly of you-"

"-and Kyouya claimed you could do it in return for those extra lessons." I'm fairly certain they knew Kyouya was giving me more sessions on Physics, but I was also heavily under the influence they were insinuating something else as I shot them another glare. Then what they said sunk in.

Damn! I KNEW there was going to be a catch! I recalled the time sitting on the beach beside Kyouya when he so willingly agreed to tutor me some more.

"Here's the deal – if you do the website like we so kindly requested we will get rid of the pictures." Koaru claimed, I sighed through my nose.

"I can't BELIEVE I gave in!" I shouted at no one as I shut my door behind me, kicking off my shoes and dropping my schoolbag on the floor. I walked across my little apartment then promptly fell face-first into my futon without changing out of my janitor's clothes.

I whined pitifully into my pillow, waving my feet in the air with my arms laying limply at my sides.

After school I had Host Club duty and therefore spent a good hour and a half taking notes and solving complicated problems under Kyouya's critical stare. Thing is, every time I looked up to ask a question or ask for the next thing I always caught him staring at me, not at his clipboard.

I crossed my feet as my thoughts intensified.

Hikaru and Koaru did say Kyouya approved of Tamaki's idea (it was his) for me to redo the site, they also informed me Tamaki had nothing to provide Kyouya with of whether or not I was up to the job. This meant he had no idea what to expect!

But to not know whose hands he was putting the website into (considering it's a very public source of information) when he went with the idea was rather…unlike Kyouya.

Very unlike Kyouya.

Or did he think my bear-monkeys and squirrel-rabbits were hint enough to some unseen potential?

I frowned at this, my brain was fried and all motivation to get up and do homework was non-existent.

So I improvised, I'll take a nice hot bath then figure out if I was up to doing homework.

Kyouya's POV

Physics, I used to think of it as a bore, but now, now that it had given me an opportunity I thought better of it. Granted, it meant I spent more time tutoring than hosting, but it wasn't unpleasant and it wasn't depleting the Host Club's funds.

Today I balanced teaching Honiwa-san and a couple of customers, one thing about my customers is that they had a great deal more restraint than the others and happily obliged to Honiwa-san's company. Not that she was not amiable, but focused and diligent. She would nod or speak a word or two when my clients asked her something, but otherwise, her attention was completely on me.

It was ridiculous of me to think her undivided attention originated from something other than Physics, that there was some sort of bond developing. It was foreign to me at first, but I soon realized something.

When Honiwa-san got the first few problems balanced…it was as if her confidence gained a large boost, at least in the subject. She seemed to grow more comfortable in the club as well, sometimes slipping up in terms of mannerisms my clients politely turned a blind eye to.

My mind veered toward a recent memory, when Tamaki confronted me in the helicopter.

"Tsuyu-chan's parents live in Todaizumi Estate!" Tamaki cried out in distress as he plopped down in the seat next to me and gave me a questioning look. I didn't bother raising my eyes from my clipboard.

"Yes," I answered blandly.

"So that must mean Tsuyu-chan works for the Todaizumis as a servant?" I sighed

"No, Tamaki." I replied patiently.

"But then…you mean, she's a Todaizumi?" Tamaki stated, I cast a glance in his direction, his big eyes begging. I inwardly scolded myself for falling for the puppy eyes.

"Indeed, Todaizumi is her mother's family name." I replied, Tamaki nodded.

"Sooo they're so poor now they had to kick their daughter out? That's just terrible!" Tamaki cried, I frowned.

"What are you talking about-"

"Oh if only I would have KNOWN-"

"Tamaki-"

"You're right! We shouldn't bring it up! It must be such a depressing topic for her!"

I rubbed my temples, just thinking about conversations with Tamaki in general proved unhealthy at times. Yet I wouldn't put it past Tamaki not to know of the Todaizumis, he recognized the name because it was the company that helped publish Ouran's textbooks. Naturally they held booths and school activities throughout the year, certainly Todaizumi was one of those names easily overlooked.

Which would explain Tamaki's ignorance of the Ayanokouji matter…

"Dinner's almost ready Kyou-kun," my sister cried, her head poking through the door. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I invited myself over," Fuyumi giggled, knowing my questionable look concerned of our father's opinion.

"Do you not have a husband and home to call your own?" I asked, trying not to sound deflated.

"They are not helpless Kyou-kun, honestly, I think Tamaki-kun was right about you," Fuyumi gave a coy look, "Mom."

My expression must have soured because Fuyumi gave me an unusual face, in this case an Ootori face. Calculating and mischievous, Fuyumi never pursued the medical field due to family qualms. It was our parents' agreement that halted her explorations into syringes and heart surgery, but thankfully (our father and mother never took notice) Fuyumi didn't wish to seek that path.

"Must have rubbed off on me," I said, giving my sister a pointed stare. She shrugged, her serious façade lifted in an instant.

"I'm strictly sisterly, you're the maternal one. Though you are quite shadowy about it," Fuyumi observed out loud, one of my eyebrows ticked.

Not granting another reply, I clicked open my dormant laptop. The screen zapped to life while Fuyumi gracefully padded over to the side of my bed and made a place for herself beside me.

She waited for me to speak or maybe she didn't expect me to talk at all, she knew when I worked I had the grandest talent for remaining focused on whatever I was working on.

Fuyumi let out an exasperated sigh as she gazed at what I was typing away at – small business deals Father leniently bestowed upon me (possibly in hopes of keeping his third son entertained), homework, essays, all the while balancing that around a message log where Tamaki was eagerly conversing with me through text.

"You need to take a mental break sometime Kyou-kun, even Father takes a couple of days a month to gather his thoughts and relax. Makes Yuuichi take control sometimes…" Fuyumi glanced at me worriedly, but I only shrugged.

"What would I do with myself then? Stare at the ceiling? Sleep all day?" I asked, but she already has an answer waiting.

"I heard you and your friends went to the beach the other day, how did that go?" she asked, her eyes brightening.

"Beneficial as statistics had proven," I replied, she sighed unhappily.

"Beneficial? How so?" she wasn't mocking me, but she did like to tease me.

"You didn't stand around with a clipboard did you?" she asked blandly, I didn't reply.

"You did, didn't you?" Fuyumi gazed at me disapprovingly before looking at the laptop again. At the same time, Tamaki had sent another message.

"Oooh! You're talking to Tamaki-kun? Can I?" Fuyumi gave me a hopeful look right when I was about to type a reply. I gave her a suspicious look.

"Are you going to give my laptop back?" I asked, she smiled.

"Of course my little brother," I resisted rolling my eyes as I slid the laptop from my lap to hers, she eagerly went to work with the messenger.

"Tamaki-kuuun! o It's Fuyumi!"

It took all but five nanoseconds for the blonde to return the greeting, I tried not to feel a little bit agitated when it seemed he replied faster to my sister than me.

"Yumi-chan! Hiiii! 3333"

I knew I wasn't going to get my laptop back anytime soon.

"He is so cute! I wish I was your guys' age! I don't think I would leave him alone he's just so darling!" Fuyumi squealed girlishly as she replied back.

"You're like that now Fuyumi," I pointed out, but Fuyumi patted me on the cheek affectionately before returning to Tamaki.

With a sigh I got up and padded across the room to the door.

"Where are you going?" Fuyumi asked curiously.

"Father's study, I need to see if any of his old Physics textbooks will be useful."

Tsuyu's POV

"I hate to break it to you Kyouya, but that's not a textbook…" I mumbled, feeling my heart racing.

"…it's a tome! A giant encyclopedia on all things known to man! And you're telling me it's just Physics?" I stared at my torturer "tutor", Kyouya was clearly not letting me slack today. Or the next day. Or the next day. Ooooor the next day.

Of course there was more than one. In front of me sat eight large (by which I mean books of 1000+ pages each) textbooks all with varying titles of or containing the word physics. For each one I thought of a new and creative way to set fire to it.

Kyouya adjusted his glasses.

"Ah, Tsuyu-sempai don't tell me you are going to read all of these?" one of Kyouya's clients, a petite black-haired girl with the skin of a porcelain doll, asked. I knew better than to be put off by her demure manners, she could spit out algorithms faster than I could breathe.

"If that is what Ootori-san desires," I smirked to myself, reveling in the fact Kyouya would take the challenge and perhaps ignore my oncoming tutoring.

Ha and Hunny will swear off sweets.

"I'm impressed with your determination really I am, every time we come in you're studying." A taller girl replied, Rika was her name while the other was Ai. Her brown hair was poker-straight, but shined brilliantly – I absently wondered what kind of conditioner she used?

"Pretty much, feels like all I'm doing is studying," and working, this brought on a spur of thoughts pertaining to our adventures of Koen Gardens and the Ootori Spa Resort.

"Our business statistics claim too much stress can deter learning capacities and promote depression. We cannot have our customers paying for something less than our best."

I inwardly frowned, what was the downside of that little vacation?

I stole a glance at Kyouya, I almost jumped out of my skin when my eyes met his, but he didn't so much as flinch. He casually turned his gaze to Rika, conversing with her about glass flowers and whether or not the school needed an additional building for recreation.

For no reason at all I felt a little angry with Rika, there's wasn't an explanation for it, but I liked the attention. In fact, I've been growing rather fond of those tidbits of attention Kyouya has been bestowing upon me lately.

I averted my eyes from the group, trying to tune out the background noise and close chatter. Flipping open one of the tomes Kyouya had brought in (more specifically, a butler of sorts) I half-expected dust to fly out. Yet to my surprise, the pages were perfectly clean. Glossy and smooth, as if they had just been published and bought, but Kyouya claimed they had been his father's since his college days.

The black and sleek thing must be a family feature. My imagination flew as I tried remembering what the senior Ootori looked like, I had seen him perhaps just once, but black hair and glasses were all I could recall. It was strange to think Kyouya had parents at all, he seemed so resourceful and independent.

This time I frowned visibly, but I easily pulled it off that I was having a hard time deciphering a paragraph. Rika and Ai sipped their tea and graciously talked with one another as Kyouya leaned over to explain it to me.

And truth be told I didn't absorb one word of what he said, he was far too close for comfort.

Then again, I don't think I minded.

"-now with that said, it shouldn't be too difficult." Kyouya finished after what was sure to be an explanation that must have been quick, precise, and easily comprehendible. I ran my tongue over my teeth under my lip, Kyouya was situated on my left, having scooted closer to point at the paragraph in accordance with his explanation. His stature may have been slim and hardly threatening physically, but at that moment I felt like his shadow swallowed me. The frame of his glasses were inches from touching my left temple.

"Oh, yeah, sure, right…" I couldn't even stop myself from blabbering like an idiot, I could see Kyouya smirk softly even though I wasn't looking at him.

"You were listening were you not?" He asked sternly, almost as if he were an actual teacher and I his mediocre student.

"Yes, yes, I was, I just lost you in the beginning." Not a complete fabrication! He went to explain one more time, this time I was listening and at the same time, trying to keep my rapid heart beat from being heard.

"Kyouya-sempai, Tsuyu-sempai, did you hear that Meiou has already began accepting students for next year? Their popularity ratings have been rising fairly well." Rika asked, getting Kyouya's attention faster than mine.

"What about Meiou?" I spoke first.

"There has always been a little bit of rivalry between the high class schools, such as Ouran and Lobelia. Meiou I heard has been growing in popularity, Mother claims their grade point average somehow escalated last year." Explained Ai, I nodded absently. Meiou had been my second high school option.

"True, I've seen the statistics myself. Yet Ouran holds strong as the top contender," replied Kyouya, Rika daintily sipped her tea.

"Oh, there's no doubt about that, Ouran High School proudly holds more land than Lobelia and Meiou combined and more." Rika said with a pretty smile, I sensed there was a boasting quality to her voice then. Obviously she wasn't just talking about the acres, but the students and their prestigious breeding and wealth as well.

Lobelia may be an all-girls and focused more on the arts whereas Meiou held a motley of students from various backgrounds, but Ouran held the kingship and they in its shadow when it came to turning in high school applications.

The rest of the conversation I remained quiet, figuring out only a couple of questions from the heavy book. Perhaps I would have figured out more, but with so many matters plaguing my mind I could hardly comprehend my own language on the pages.

"Here you go Yu-chan!" Hikaru or Koaru explained as I was given a silver laptop.

"It looks new," I observed.

""Of course it is, we found out our spare one is a last year brand. We felt if we are to trust you we would give you the latest model and all the upgraded creative suite programs." They said, I sweat-dropped.

"Erm…thanks?"

"No need to thank us, just do a good job Yu-chan!" they said with devil horns on their head, they turned their heads to make sure Kyouya wasn't looking before pulling out small photos of Kyouya and I to wave them in my face.

"You do know you can't use those against me right?" I asked, the twins 'huh'ed.

"I thought about it then decided Kyouya has the right to know about them as well," the twins sighed with annoyance.

"Well, we weren't expecting it to last forever to be honest." Said one.

"Right, we just wanted to have some fun."

"So we'll have to come up with something else to bug you with."

My eye brows raised.

"Soooo just so you know!" They happily switched from annoyed to cheerful, confetti exploded out of nowhere.

"If the laptop is broken or in some way malfunctioning upon it's return you will replace it!" They laughed evilly as I grimly looked down at the laptop, glaring at it as if it had done me some great wrong.

"Yay! You're redoing the website right Tsuyu-chan!" Hunny asked, bouncing up to me.

"Looks like it," was my reply, though I was more worried than anything else.

I wonder if it's too late to transfer?