I'm back! With a vengeance! :D I'm sorry for disappearing for so long; I lost a lot of confidence in my writing. But, I've decided that I don't care anymore if my stories are terrible! Wahahaha!

Disclaimer: Ouran is not mine, although it is awesome.

Chapter 26 - (argh! I just realized I forgot to give Chapter 25 a title! D:) Mistakes

I jumped at the sound of footsteps approaching. Suddenly the library did not seem like so much of a safe haven.

Is it Kaoru? I thought desperately. I needed him to listen to me this time.

The door opened, revealing a familiar figure. He was puffing as if he had just run a race.

"Kaoru are you – "Hikaru began in a strained voice before noticing me behind the fiction shelf. "Oh, it's just you, Miyoko."

His eyes were lined with dark shadows. It was obvious that he hadn't had much sleep lately. For some reason, it seemed like Hikaru was just as stressed as his own twin brother. Maybe he knew the reason?

"Sorry, you just missed him," I explained, frowning. "But wasn't he supposed to be home with a cold?"

He looked disconcerted as I stared him down.

"He – He's been acting strange lately. All he told me was that he was going to the library and not to wait for him."

I sighed. So Kaoru hadn't told his brother. I really was a terrible person - I had made yet another member of the Host Club suffer because of my actions.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Hikaru," I apologised. "It's my fault. He's been acting strangely because I have done something to offend him. I don't know what exactly, but I'm sorry."

Hikaru frowned. His amber eyes, so similar to his brother's, were narrowed.

"He hasn't said anything about you to me," he said, confirming my fears.

"Must've been even worse that I thought," I mumbled, feeling ashamed.

For a second, I thought I heard Hikaru muttering something under his breath that sounded like 'that idiot'. But surely he wouldn't say that about his own brother? I must have been hearing things…

"Come with me," he said suddenly, holding out his hand. "Maybe we can find him together."

Somehow, I found myself walking down the still-lit North corridor with Hikaru. Despite his usual cheerful attitude, he was deathly quiet.

"So," he said finally after several minutes of silence. "Kaoru tells me that you like reading."

My heart skipped a beat. Had Kaoru told him about my secret cheesy romance novel obsession?

"Really?" I stumbled, blushing. "What did he… say about it?"

Luckily, Hikaru looked confused.

"Nothing," he replied, suspicious. "Just that you like books."

I felt relieved. Hikaru was a bigger idiot than I'd imagined. My reputation as a major nerd had not been compromised. However, it would still be a lot safer if I changed the subject altogether.

"Um… I think Kaoru said he was going this way," I said quickly, pointing down a random corridor to the left.

Hikaru frowned, reading the sign posted above one of the doors in this direction.

"You must have misheard," he replied. "I doubt that Kaoru would be interested in the flower arranging club."

Thankfully he hadn't realized that I was lying through my teeth.

"Maybe he's left the school," I wondered aloud, after nearly half an hour of unsuccessful searching.

I had never done this much walking in my life. My school shoes were rubbing uncomfortably against my feet, and I was so tired that I felt like lying down on the cold floor and going to sleep right there.

"There he is!" Hikaru said suddenly, gesturing towards our empty classroom of 1-A.

I squinted into the dark windows. Sure enough, Kaoru was sitting on his desk with his head in his arms. My heart began to beat faster nervously. This time, I would find out everything – and there was no way I was letting him get away without answers.

I clenched my fists together and prepared to go in. However, Hikaru grabbed my arm tightly before I could do anything.

"Stay here for now," he whispered urgently. "I'll handle this part."

He charged inside the empty classroom, slamming the door behind him. However, a mixture of curiosity and desperation got the better of me. I soon found myself peering at the two by opening the door slightly. I watched as Kaoru looked up, his beautiful amber eyes full of surprise, just in time to see his brother's looming figure over the desk.

"You're an idiot, Kaoru!" Hikaru shouted animatedly. "Do you really think I care about stuff like that?"

"What are you talking about?" he replied bewilderedly.

Hikaru looked angrier than I'd ever seen him before. However, I was just as confused as Kaoru over his intentions. I was sick of not knowing anything, and there was no way that I was leaving school today without answers. Moving quietly, I opened the door further and walked inside to join the twins.

"Hikaru, what are you talking about? I repeated.

He glared at me.

"You were supposed to stay outside!"

Almost like a reflex, my brown school shoe hit him in the shin as I kicked him, hard. How dare he try and treat me like a stupid kid! Members of the host club seemed to have a very large knack for getting on my nerves.

"What was that for?" he asked angrily, glaring at me.

"She does that all the time, Hikaru," Kaoru explained quietly. "You get used to the bruises after a while."

I had given him bruises before? Maybe I really did need to control my temper… but Hikaru had undeniably deserved it!

"Tough! Stop having the nerve to insult me like that when you won't even tell me what's going on!" I yelled back. "It's not fair to just keep me in the dark like this, Hikaru! I'm the one who has done something terrible to Kaoru after all!"

Hikaru opened his mouth furiously.

"Miyoko, you haven't done anything wrong," he explained irritably, glaring at his brother.

Kaoru was startled by the cold stare of his own brother. He still looked terribly confused over all of the commotion – exactly how I felt myself.

"What's going on?" he asked tentatively.

"Kaoru, you really are an idiot!" Hikaru repeated. "I know why you're doing this! Did you think that I wouldn't notice that you started shunning her away after I was rejected by Haruhi?"

Kaoru's eyes widened as he blushed a deep fuchsia.

"But Hikaru," he protested weakly, "how did you – "

"What is going on?" I interjected pointedly for what seemed like the fiftieth time.

Kaoru's eyes quickly darted downwards to his fingernails.

"He's trying to be self sacrificial, as always," Hikaru explained bluntly. "He thinks that his happiness will hurt me. He likes you, but doesn't want to say anything because Haruhi rejected me. Do you really think that I'm that fragile, you idiot?"

I looked from brother to brother, my eyes wide with shock. Kaoru… liked me? That wasn't possible. As I pondered, Kaoru stared fixatedly at the desk as if it was the most interesting object in the world, avoiding eye-contact with his brother and me.

"I don't need you to worry so much about Haruhi and I," Hikaru continued, softer this time. "Did you really think I'd be happier watching you make yourself miserable? You are such a stupid younger brother!"

For a moment, he fell silent. Hikaru's eyes glazed over and he grit his teeth.

"I thought I told you that nothing can change the fact that we're still twins!" he said finally, before running out of the empty classroom and slamming the door behind him. *

Realizing that we were now alone, I blushed. Had Hikaru been telling the truth?

"Umm… is that true Kaoru?" I asked timidly, breaking the awkward silence which had existed for what seemed like a century since Hikaru's departure.

Keeping his eyes firmly fixed upon the desk, Kaoru nodded tentatively.

"I'm sorry," he replied quietly.

*So this is my slightly AU version of volume 11-13. Hope it's not too confusing, I just made some changes. (Like the hair dying)

Hope you enjoyed this, sorry for the super long wait. I'll have Chapter 27 ready and up in a few days. Leave a review, constructive criticism greatly appreciated!