I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.
Ch.14
They made their way to the tide pools carrying buckets, shovels, and nets. Earlier, the wind had been blowing and it was chilly, but now the sun was bright and hot. Haruhi longed to take off the warm cover-up but she did not feel comfortable showing that much skin. The rocks were slippery from the spray of the waves and they had to take off their shoes, so they wouldn't fall. The rock, even though it was directly in the sun, was cold. Small ledges jutted out over other rock and there were some areas where a huge pits had been cut out by erosion. Here and there, little pools were teeming with small fish, crabs, snails, and plants.
Haruhi spoke," These are so cool. How do they get here?"
Hikaru answered her," Do you mean the pools or the organisms?"
"Both!"
"When the tide rises, the plants and animals are floating over these rocks and when the tide goes down they get stuck in these pools."
"And they can just survive in these pools?"
"Yea. It's like they never left the ocean."
Tamaki spoke," What are we catching for dinner?"
"Why don't we try crabs. There's plenty."
The guys crowded around pools together trying to shoo crabs into the buckets or scoop them up without getting anything else. Kaoru stuck a net in the water and caught a crab, but it snipped the net and cut a hole big enough to get out.
"That was my only net!" He cried
"There's one in my bag under the umbrella. Why don't we all take a break, eat some watermellon, and come back later."
They all agreed and headed back down. Haruhi slipped, even without her shoes, and Tamaki was there to catch her. The sand was hot and dry compared to the cold wet stone. They all sat on the towels that the staff had provided and huddled under the umbrella. Haruhi looked around. She hadn't even seen the staff. A gentle breeze kept them cool. Tamaki pulled the huge mellon out of her bag.
"How are we supposed to cut this? There's no knife only some towels, a solid board, and a quarter."
"I wanted to make a game to see who could figure it out first."
Kaoru picked up the watermelon.
"I'll try first."
To everyones' amusement, he began smacking the board against the melon. It didn't do a thing. He finally put it down, but he was red in the face and breathing hard.
"My turn." Hikaru said.
He did the opposite of his brother, by smashing the melon against the board. It had the same effect.
"I want to do it too." Honey took the melon and handed it to Mori.
Mori held it at arms length and Homey got in position to strike it.
"NO MARTIAL ARTS GUYS! USE THE TOOLS!"
Honey pouted and just handed the melon back to Haruhi.
"Do you all give up yet? Tamaki, you haven't tried yet."
"They took my ideas. I'm clueless."
Everyone laughed at the pun.
"You got that right."
Everyone jumped. Kyoya stood at the edge of the umbrella dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. The style didn't suit him.
"Um... Hi Kyoya. We were just about to open this watermelon." Haruhi said.
He sat down next to her," I can see that. I apologize for my tardiness. I had a couple of documents to fill out for my father. May I try to crack open the watermelon?"
"Sure."
He placed the board in front of him and the melon on top of it. With surgical precision he jammed the quarter into its flesh and went around the circumfrance with it. When he came to the place he had started, he stopped.
Tamaki asked," Is that it? It's not open yet."
"One second."
To everyone but Haruhi's suprise, he slammed his fiat on top of it. It split apart unevenly with a crack.
"That was amazing Kyoya. I didn't know that you knew martial arts." Said Honey.
"I don't. It was just simple physics."
They took turns scooping out chunks of watermelon to eat. When everyone had had their fill they went back to the tidal pools, this time with Haruhi's net.
Haruhi wasn't to fond of he creepy crawly things in the pools so she waited back near the mini cliffs. She was just admiring how the waves crashed against the stone but slowly drifted back, only to crash again when Kyoya walked up. She was still mesmerized when he cleared his throat and brought her out of her trance.
"The water is so blue." She whispered.
"Yea it is. I would make a cheesy pickup line about them being the color of your eyes, but your eyes are brown. But they're a nice brown."
"Thanks."
"I don't like the beach much. There's too much sun and tan lines are unproffesional. Do you like the beach?"
"I... Yeah I guess I do."
"You hesitated. What's wrong?"
"I'm... I don't like water."
"That's alright. You don't have to get in... I only came because I knew you'd be here."
"..." She chanced a glance at him. He was staring at her intensley through his glasses.
"There's something about you Haruhi that just makes me want to tell you everything."
"I..."
"Would you pick me Haruhi? Over them I mean. Would you date me over any of them?"
"What..."
"Nevermind. Forget I said anything. I was just... I don't know." He walked away before she could get a word out.
"Kyoya wait." She tried to follow, but like before she slipped on the wet stone. Her feet went backwards and she went down with them. Her body slipped backwards and her head smacked the stone. Everything was a blur and the only thing that registered was a girl's piercing scream as Haruhi fell into the water below. This time, no one was there to catch her.
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