Author's Note: Two chapters in one day; wow, I'm on a roll! I wish I could say that, but I'm really just bored. I cried quite a bit while writing this chapter. Maybe I'm just an emotional person. No wait—yup, I am. And if you click that review button, I'll cry tears of happiness! /Shot dead. Disclaimer: Jeez, are you guys really that forgetful? I still own the same stuff as in chapter 1. Just too lazy to type it here again. Now I'll shut up. Hope you like!

Hosting hours rolled around all too soon. Seiko did not want to go back to that room, and he didn't want to see that demon Kyoya either. Seiko closed his eyes, stopping just in front of the door. He had to calm down. Why was it that the Host Club made him feel so much?

After the incident, Seiko had not felt a thing. There were no tears, no pain, no happiness or sadness or anger. He just existed. There was only one face of Seiko. One expression, one emotion, one state of mind. But now...

Now, Seiko was...not Seiko. Seiko was mad, Seiko was sad, Seiko was happy and afraid and alone and confused, Seiko wanted to shoot Kyoya in the face, and, most of all, Seiko was broken. Lost and broken, so broken.

Seiko wanted to cry out and scream for help. Seiko wanted to trust someone. But Seiko would not-could not-do that. Because he knew no one would come to his rescue.

He entered Music Room 3, considerably calmer than the time he was here last. No emotions. No nothing, he reminded himself.

"I heard that you broke a statue." Haruhi greeted as Seiko made his way to her.

"Kyoya." Seiko helped Haruhi prepare the tea and snacks. He preferred not to talk about Kyoya, it would only shatter the calm, emotionless state that he had worked so hard to create.

Haruhi placed an arm on his shoulder in understanding. "He's a good guy, really, once you get to know him."

"I will have to take your word for it then, for I have no intentions of doing so." Seiko deftly stole all of the trays filled with food from Haruhi.

She frowned. "Hey, I can carry some of those!"

Seiko smiled at her. "Yes, I am sure you can. But I won't allow you to."

"But Seiko, your cane!" she attempted to steal some of the trays from his hands.

"I am perfectly capable of walking without the aid of my cane, but it is slightly uncomfortable after a time." Seiko held the trays just out of her reach.

Seiko delivered the trays to each of the tables. When he returned to the kitchen, Haruhi was filling trays with cups of coffee and tea.

"My, stubborn, aren't we?" Seiko chuckled as Haruhi picked up some of the trays which Seiko then proceeded to steal.

"Hey! Gosh Seiko, let me help!" Haruhi grumbled in frustration.

Seiko coughed, wheezing slightly. "Could you bring me my cane, please?" Seiko knew he had probably overdone himself today, what with trying to escape from Kyoya, his "fall," and now bustling about the Host Club trying to help.

She handed it to him, also stealing the trays back. "Jesus, Seiko, go sit down before you keel over!"

Seiko pulled out his handkerchief as his coughing became more severe. He clutched his cane, waiting for the coughs to pass. His handkerchief was splattered with blood when he lowered it from his mouth.

"Are you alright? Do you need a doctor?" Haruhi asked worriedly.

Was Haruhi actually concerned for him? No, it couldn't be. "I am fine. Are you telling me that you were honestly concerned for me?"

Haruhi gave him a weird look. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I am deeply touched that you would worry for me." Seiko had never had anyone care for him before, worry for him. Not after the incident, anyway. It was a nice feeling. He had forgotten what it felt like, as one forgets an old yearbook in the back of a closet and discovers it years later. This feeling...it was like a frozen piece of chocolate being put over a fire. Like a piece of him had broken off from the unfeeling iceberg.

Haruhi rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Haruhi?"

"Hm?"

Seiko grinned at her. Real. Happy. Like he promised he would not do. "Thank you." Sometimes Seiko wondered if his parents would even want him to keep his promise.

"Welcome, Princess!" the hosts chorused, Seiko now among them, as the girls entered the room.

"Hello, Seiko-san!" Yuna waved to him after the petals had cleared. He recognized Mika and Kerushii with her, along with another girl he did not know.

"Hello, ladies," he bowed to them. "I am honored that you came all this way just to see me."

Seiko helped all of the girls into their seats before he took his own. "And who might you be?" Seiko said to the stranger girl.

"R-Reina." she mumbled, blushing.

Seiko smiled at her. "With your exquisite beauty there's no need to be shy."

The girls burst into fits of giggles and squeals. "Oh, Seiko, you're so sweet!"

Seiko looked at the girls from under his eyelashes. "In fact, I should be the one who is shy. You came all this way and I fear I will, as always, prove to be a great disappointment."

"Oh no, Seiko-san, you're perfect!" Mika and Yuna sang.

Seiko blushed. "You are so kind to stain your soul with lies merely for the sake of making me feel better."

"No, we mean it!"

"Seiko-san, I heard that you tied with Kyoya in an intelligence battle?" Kerushii asked.

"Indeed, I did. I believe that I upset him, though, which is why I skipped lunch to find Kyoya and apologize to him."

"Seiko-san's smart,"

"And sweet,"

"And so gentle!" the girls all finished each other's sentences.

"Do you play any instruments?" Reina asked.

He nodded. "I play the violin. I have it with me now, actually. Would you like me to play for you?"

"Oh yes!" they squealed.

Seiko opened his case and retrieved his violin. He stood in front of the table where they sat and assumed playing position. He played the song he always played: the song he had written with his parents just before the incident. The song was sad, as was their life, even before his parents' deaths.

Seiko closed his eyes, a smile forming on his face as he was taken back to that moment of happiness. Seiko was drowning in an ocean and this song, that moment, that memory, was his lifejacket. Seiko was vaguely aware of all noise ceasing as he continued to play. Mother, Father, Seiko prayed, please guide me. I know that holding onto you, this pain, this numbness, is unhealthy, but I am afraid that if I let it go, I will go along with it.

Seiko opened his eyes and lowered his violin. All of the girls at his table were in tears. Seiko looked around the room. All of the girls were in tears.

Everyone clapped loudly, some even whistled and shouted. Seiko smiled, returning to his seat.

"Seiko-san, that was...heavenly!"

"Did you write that song yourself?"

"Yes. My parents helped me. The night we wrote it—that was the night of their death."

The girls all reached a hand out of comfort him. Another piece of the unfeeling iceberg cracked and drifted away, another melted chocolate bar.

Seiko closed his eyes. He allowed a tear to fall. There were tears, four years late, but there were tears. "Thank you. Following their death, there was no one there. I thank you for being here now."

Seiko wiped his own tears and those of the girls. "I apologize. I am so utterly selfish to speak only of myself, and now I've caused you to cry again, and on my behalf no less."

"No, Seiko, you aren't selfish. Thank you. When I'm having a bad day, I'll be able to remember you and how strong you are, and I know I'll be able to go on." Reina said.

"Recently, I've just been feeling so lost and emotionless. Hearing you play and talk, I don't feel that way anymore, and I know there is always a way to find happiness thanks to you." Kerushii admitted sheepishly.

"I am so fortunate to have had this time with all of you. I am immensely glad that I was able to be of assistance to you, and I'd like to thank you all for being here to listen and show me what it feels like to be accepted."

Seiko bowed and kissed all of their hands as they left. His customers were the last to leave. Seiko turned to find all of the hosts (and Renge) staring at him.

Tamaki recovered from his shock first. "Seiko, you don't even need host training! No one has ever had that effect on all of the girls in this room!"

"Yeah, even the boss was bawling his eyes out." the twins added.

Hunny was in Mori's arms, clutching Usa-chan with red eyes.

Renge wiped her eyes. "You're a genius, Seiko! And I am too for coming up with this idea."

"You are a highly effective host." Kyoya observed, taking notes in his notebook.

"I was not hosting. I was being myself. Every word I said was truth. I have never told a lie, and I do not intend to start simply to pay off a debt that was not even my fault."

"Not your fault?" Tamaki asked.

"Didn't you know, Tono?"

"Yeah, boss, Kyoya made him trip."

"WHAT?" Tamaki screamed. "Why, Mother?"

"Seiko-san informed me that he was going to quit the Host Club after today, and, not wanting to lose potential profits, I took action. Now Seiko has to work to pay off twelve million yen."

Tamaki looked hurt. Haruhi did as well, but she hid it more effectively. Hunny was crying again. "Why would you want to...?"

Seiko looked up at the ceiling. He did not know why. Yes, he had promised his parents, but wasn't four years being faithful to it enough? Would they want him to move on? Seiko did not know. And he never would know their answer. It was left to him now. Seiko knew, but did not want to admit, that he was afraid. Afraid to let go. Afraid that if he let go, there would be nothing left to hold on to.

"While I myself do not know the entire answer to that yet, I can say that I was upset with Kyoya, and, in my anger, I spoke without thinking. I apologize for all of the trouble that I have caused."

Tamaki, the twins, Haruhi, and Hunny all hugged Seiko. Mori grunted and patted his head; Kyoya said nothing.

"Apology accepted you adorable little thing!" the twins said, sounding like a doting parent.

"You are now officially part of this family!" Tamaki decreed.

Seiko raised an eyebrow.

"Since you don't have one, we'll be your family!" Tamaki smiled at him. "I'm Daddy, Kyoya is Mommy, Haruhi is my daughter, and you're my son. Honey can be the aunt, and Mori can be the uncle; the shady twins can be their children!"

Seiko stared at him. Stared at them all.

"You...you don't like it?" Tamaki asked, his voice deflated.

A tear rolled down Seiko's cheek. A large chunk of the unfeeling iceberg had cracked and broken apart, melted in the newly risen sun.

Seiko said finally, "N-no one has ever done anything this considerate for me before. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Hikaru said.

"Just feel everything."

The emotional moment over, the hosts had set to work on cleaning the club room. They had just finished, and were debating on a cosplay theme for Monday (today was Friday).

"I think we should all dress up as cake!" Hunny said between mouthfuls of cake. Crumbs fell out of his mouth as he spoke, and Mori wiped Hunny's face with a napkin.

"A French Revolution cosplay?" Seiko offered somewhat shyly. Of course he knew his opinion was probably not wanted, but he liked to pretend that it was.

"Elaborate." Kyoya spoke tersely, thoughtfully tapping his pen on his black notebook.

"We could hold a ball in the club room, and then the hosts could be dressed as figures from the French Revolution. For example, Tamaki could portray Louis the 16th; Haruhi, Marie Antoinette; the twins, the sans culottes; and Kyoya, the executioner. And we could also reenact the deaths of Louis and Marie."

"That's awesome!" Hikaru interjected.

"Yeah, Tono gets to have his head cut off!" Kaoru said, parading around the room with his brother. At one point, they stopped next to Tamaki, dragging their fingers across his neck and making slashing sounds.

"Mommy, make them stop!"

"While that is an amusing idea, I cannot allow the host club to partake in any violence."

The twins frowned, muttering angrily, "Stupid Shadow King."

"I have the perfect idea!" Tamaki suddenly shouted. He jumped onto a coffee table, demanding full attention. "We will cosplay characters from Mario!"

The twins face palmed. "That sounds so lame boss."

"No, I'm not finished!" Tamaki whined. "In addition to cosplaying, we can put on a play! In one play, the twins can be Mario and Luigi, Kyoya can be Bowser, and Seiko can be Princess Peach! Kyoya will kidnap Seiko, and the twins have to rescue him! In the other play, Mori can be Waluigi, Hunny can be Yoshi, Haruhi can be Princess Daisy, and I can be Wario! I will kidnap Haruhi, and Hunny and Mori will try to come rescue her but fail! Then I will marry Haruhi and live happily ever after!"

The entire host club (save Kyoya, glaring, Mori, indifferent, and Seiko, trying to contain his amusement) was on the floor laughing their eyes out.

"Oh boss, that's too hilarious!" Hikaru and Kaoru managed to say in between fits of laughter.

"Why am I to cosplay a female?" Seiko did not want to wear a dress, and he certainly didn't want to be kidnapped by Kyoya.

"Because we need a Princess Peach and you're the most feminine out of all of us except Haruhi."

"This little production will cost us more than we will earn off of it." Seiko knew this translated to: I refuse to dress as a fat dinosaur.

"You can charge the girls to see the play, and you can take pictures to make a magazine of the cosplay."

Kyoya sighed. "Fine. But due to the large amount of work this will take and such short notice, all of you will have to work this weekend to put it together."

Tamaki squealed. "Yay! Now I can spend more time with my little daughter!" Tamaki moved to hug Haruhi, but she shoved him away. He retreated to a corner and grew mushrooms.

"We'll be in charge of costumes." Seiko didn't like the demented smirk on their face when they said that.

They all pitched in to help. Seiko would be writing the script, Hunny and Mori would build the sets, Tamaki would make the props, Kyoya would make the magazine, and Haruhi would advertise.

"We'll need everyone to come over this weekend for costume fitting." the twins reminded them before they left, saying that they had a photo-shoot with their mom.

"I should probably get home too before my dad starts to worry." Haruhi waved goodbye and left shortly after the twins.

"Sleepy..." Hunny mumbled, climbing into Mori's arms.

"Bye." Mori said quietly so as not to wake the already sleeping Hunny. That was the first word Seiko had ever heard Mori say. At least Seiko knew that he talked now.

Tamaki looked out of the window. "Glad I brought an umbrella today."

"It's raining?" Seiko perked up considerably.

Tamaki nodded as he gathered his things.

"If you would please excuse me then." Seiko paused to wave goodbye before he left.

Seiko walked as quickly as his cane would allow. As soon as he exited the school, he was greeted with a pouring rain. He turned his face skyward. Seiko loved the rain. It was the tears he could not cry. It was like him, inconveniencing and unwanted. It offered him solace when no one would, the droplets drumming gently on his back like a father would pat a child and assure him that all was well.

Seiko walked to the garden in the back of the school. He didn't want to go "home" right now. Didn't want to have to offer anyone fake smiles, didn't want to have to live for anyone else. Didn't want to have to please anyone. Just for a moment Seiko didn't want to be himself. He wanted to be like the rain, without an identity but still existing, blending, rolling into one another until there was no single raindrop, just rain. Seiko wanted to be just human. Wanted to blend and roll and mix with everyone else, instead of being an abandoned sock left out of the wash load, forgotten in a dryer.

Seiko slipped off his uniform jacket. It was soaked through and starting to cling to him. He covered his cane with it as he sat on a bench underneath a tree. It was already wet, true, but Seiko didn't want too much water to get into it and damage it.

Seiko shivered. His undershirts and pants were waterlogged too. They were so full that the rain began to run off of him like water on a leaf. His hair was plastered closely to his head and neck, water sliding off of it and into his eye. Seiko clung to his cane for support as he lapsed into a violent coughing fit. Blood flowed steadily from his mouth, staining his white shirt as it followed the rain, flowing down his chin to his chest.

As Seiko wheezed in an attempt to gain oxygen, he wondered about a lot of things. Would he die here, drowning in his own blood and sorrow? Was all of his suffering finally over? Would his parents be happy to see him? Disappointed that he hadn't tried harder? Would he die as he lived, alone and in the dark?

Seiko struggled to keep his eyes open. Struggled to croak a last plea. "Cry for me, rain, when I am gone, because no one else will." Struggled to reach out his hand in vain hopes that someone would grab it.

Struggled to contain his surprise when someone did.