The plane ride was silent. We all were looking down or out the windows of our airplane seat. Despite the lack of sound or words, I could still hear everyone's tension and anxiety.
After Arashi walked out of the music room, Kyoya contacted my father to let him know about the possibility of the tracking devices still being active on the private jets. We all decided to start heading towards Brazil right away, and our father as well as my two older brothers started hacking into the control panel of the private jet that Erai stole back at Hamasaki Electronics. As for Arashi, we couldn't find him after he left the Music Room.
Despite the Hosts wanting to go out and look for Arashi, we didn't because I told them that he needed some time to clear his head. I just hope that Arashi isn't doing something stupid right now. I know that Arashi has a very good grip on his emotions, but the problem is that he bottles up his anger. When something frustrates or angers him, no one can tell. He doesn't yell at other people or pick a fight with them. Instead, he traps it within himself so that even I can't see it. All the rage and fury eventually builds up, brewing and growing into a massive storm concealed by his indifferent mask. When he snaps, the turmoil of emotions is unleashed all at once.
The only time I've ever seen Arashi lose control over himself was when I got picked on by this one boy at the Orphanage. The scrawny boy was taunting me about how flat-chested I was compared to other thirteen year-olds, and I was on the brink of tears. Even though I practically screamed at him to stop, he just laughed and continued to taunt me. When Arashi came by and heard some of the comments the boy was making about my chest, he completely blew up. Growling like a savage wolf, he immediately shot straight at the boy's face and smashed his fist into it. Even though the blow knocked the boy down to the ground and gave him a bloody nose, it wasn't enough for Arashi. He started pounding his fists down at the sprawled boy, ignoring the yowls of pain and the pleas to stop. What scared me the most was his eyes; the burning fire of rage that flickered in them made him seem almost savage. If I hadn't stopped him, I'm sure Arashi would've beat the bully unconscious.
"That idiot better not do something stupid," I muttered as I bit my thumbnail.
"Pardon?" Kyoya, who was sitting across from me, shot me a look of concern.
"Arashi," I mumbled as I continued staring out the window. All I could see was the top of clouds.
"I'm sure he will be alright Akari-chan, so don't worry about him, kay?" I turned my head to see Honey senpai giving me a warm smile, and I returned it one that didn't reach my eyes. No one said anything else for the rest plane ride, and soon enough, my consciousness drifted away.
"Akari, wake up." I felt someone's hands shaking me for the umpteenth time, and I let out a small groan.
"Don't tell me what to do..." I grumbled as I feebly tried pushing the person away. I heard him huff a bit in annoyance.
"Akari, stop being so childish. We're in Brazil at the moment, and I just contacted your father. He and his men have successfully hacked into the plane Erai and his father was in-" I cut him off by placing my hand on his face and pushing him back a bit. Despite my eyes still being shut, I could tell Kyoya was glaring at me now.
"Wake me up when you have fried chicken..." I said while snuggling closer to the plane's seat.
"You leave me no choice," I heard Kyoya grumble. I felt him lift me up, and my eyes instantly flew open.
"H-hey! W-what are you doing?! P-put me down!" I struggled to get out of Kyoya's grasp; he was carrying my bridal style. A volcanic blush erupted on my face, and I even felt heat at the tip of my ears. Kyoya gave me an annoyed glare, before walking towards the exit of the plane with me still in his arms.
"Kyoya! Put me down!" I thrashed around, my face was probably redder than a tomato.
"I warned you," Kyoya responded in a calm voice. I didn't dare look at him in the eye, and I stopped struggling when we were nearing the stairs.
"Oh you woke her-" I saw Tamaki's eyes widen at the sight of Kyoya carrying me, and my face somehow grew more red.
"Tamaki! Kyoya's harassing me!" I pointed a shaky finger at Kyoya, who then dropped me upon reaching the end of the stairs. I fell to the ground on my bum. My face returned to its normal color the instant my butt made contact with the rock-hard ground.
"Ow!" While on the ground, I shot Kyoya a glare.
"Gee, thanks for being so gentle." I got up and brushed off my butt, which felt sore.
Aw man, I bet it's bruised now.
"It's your fault for not getting up earlier," Kyoya sighed as he adjusted his glasses.
"We tried waking you up earlier," said the twins in unison.
"But you didn't get up," finished Honey senpai cutely.
"At least she's not in a foul mood when she wakes up," Tamaki cautiously whispered to Haruhi, who wore a poker-face as usual.
"Say, you were blushing pretty violently just now. Do you perhaps like Kyoya?" The twins shot mischievous grins in my direction, while slinging their arms around my shoulder.
"Yeah, I like him. I like all of you guys too," I said in the calmest voice I could manage. I suppressed a surfacing blush and forced myself to give everyone a closed-eye smile.
"But why do you blush when you say that?" The twins poked my face, and unfortunately, my face grew super red again.
"B-because! Any girl would feel uncomfortable by that question!" I flicked both Hikaru and Kaoru's foreheads.
"Ow!" They exclaimed at the same time while jerking away from me.
"So Kyo, where exactly was Erai's plane at?" I asked him after regaining my composure for the second time.
Akari and the Hosts were able to find the location of Erai's plane, but of course, they found it empty. Kyoya's phone died, leaving the Hosts with no way of getting back to their own jet or to a hotel. With Erai's actual location still unknown and to no one being able to speak Portuguese, the Hosts grew worried and decided to try to find their way back. Unfortunately, they eventually got lost in the busy streets of Brazil.
"I'm tired and hungry!" Tamaki wailed. Haruhi sighed in annoyance.
"We all are Tamaki, now quit whining." She said. Tamaki whimpered while curling up into a little ball of despair.
"Boss, now really isn't the time to be sulking," Hikaru said while leaning back on the clay wall.
The noise of people's voices and cars merged into one great buzz, and countless faces all passed by us. We were right next to a sidewalk, and I scanned the crowd searching for someone who might be able to speak English or Japanese.
"Don't worry Tama-chan, we will be alright, right Takashi?" Honey senpai, surprisingly, was the one keeping the morale of the group up.
"Hm," Mori senpai grunted. I kept scanning the crowds while standing next to the wall beside everyone else; soon, I saw a head full of blonde hair coming closer towards us, and I noticed several people staring at her. I quickly walked over to her, and I waved one of my hands to catch her attention.
"Excuse me! Miss?" Her head turned towards my direction, and her blue eyes widened a bit in surprise.
"Who are you?" She asked me in perfect, accent-free English. I smiled a bit in relief.
"My name is Akari Hamasaki, and my friends and I are a bit lost. Could you perhaps help us?" I gestured towards where the rest of the group was. She looked timid, and she eyed me up and down cautiously.
"I-I'm not really supposed to speak with strangers..." She said.
"Isabelle, who is this?" A man's voice called from behind. She immediately retreated behind him, and I craned my neck up to see a towering man with Phoenix-colored hair and eyes. He strangely reminded me of the Hitachiin twins, but he spoke perfect English. I gave him a nervous smile.
"Good day sir, my friends and I are lost. Could you please help us out?" He arched an eyebrow at me. Just then, Kyoya popped up from behind me.
"Mr. Akiyama, how nice to see you here," he said in Japanese. The man's eyes sparked with recognition.
"Kyoya? Is that you?" The man answered back in Japanese. The woman and I glanced between the two, confused about how they knew each other.
"Mr. Akiyama!" Honey senpai giggled while leaping up towards the man, who caught him in his arms.
"Mitsukuni?" He glanced up and saw the rest of the Host club, who all were all smiling in relief.
"Uncle!" The Hitachiins latched onto his sides, squeezing his waist in between their lanky arms.
"What are you all doing here?" He asked while ruffling the Hitachiin's heads. The woman, Haruhi, and I all just exchanged looks of confusion.
"Huh?" We all said at once.
We all sat inside Mr. Akiyama's vacation home, and the woman was apparently his wife. Mrs. Akiyama served us tea, and she apparently spoke perfect Japanese as well. Coincidentally, they had been visiting Brazil for a week since Mr. Akiyama was on vacation.
Mr. Akiyama, Hikaru and Kaoru's uncle, was the business owner of the very famous costume company called "Fiction". Apparently, he was very close with the Host club and provided the monthly costumes for them. He was the older brother of the Hitachiin's mother, and he actually could tell the twin boys apart. Kyoya had just finished explaining why we were in Brazil, and Mr. Akiyama now shot me a look of pity and concern.
"So that's why you're here?" He asked me while setting down his teacup. I gave him a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of my head.
"Yes sir, heh heh..."
"These boys must really care about you if they flew all the way here just for your sake," Mr. Akiyama gave me a kind smile, and I glanced at the rest of the hosts while grinning.
"Yup. Haruhi and I are quite lucky to have friends like them." Haruhi smiled a bit too.
"Are you sure you're just friends?" I was shocked when Mr. Akiyama nudged me and Haruhi with his elbow while winking.
"W-what?" Haruhi and I shot nervous glances at each other, our faces red. Mr. Akiyama burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! I'm kidding I'm kidding!" He wiped a tear from his eye, and Mrs. Akiyama gave us apologetic smiles.
"I'm sorry, he can be a bit of a goofball," she glanced at him in slight annoyance.
"Well, I can see where the Hitachiins get their playfulness," Tamaki said mostly to himself while smiling.
"In all seriousness, I know Erai's father." Mr. Akiyama leaned in on the table while folding his hands over each other.
"You do?" I asked him. He nodded.
"He's ugly and stupid. And in college, he's stolen my animal crackers before." Everyone in the room stared at him in disbelief, and we all sweatdropped like how characters do in anime.
"So don't worry, I'll help you guys find him and bring him to justice. Anyone who steals anything from me or from the friends of my two favorite nephews shall not escape the wrath of me!" He had stood up from his chair, and he now dramatically pointed at nothing in particular.
"Thank you sir! And Erai will also have to answer to the wrath of the Host Club!" Tamaki also stood up and joined Mr. Akiyama in dramatically pointing at something. Haruhi's bangs casted a shadow over her face, so I couldn't see what emotions she was feeling.
We stayed for the night, and Mr. Akiyama fortunately had a phone charger for Kyoya. Haruhi and I shared the guest room, and the other Hosts slept in the living room due to Mr. Akiyama's home being "small."
Haruhi and I laid next to each other on the kind-sized bed. Despite being exhausted from the long day, anxiety kept me from sleeping. Sighing, I pushed myself up and stared into the darkness of the room.
What will happen to us if Erai wins?
Shaking my head, I silently crept out of bed, careful not to wake up Haruhi. I wanted some fresh air, and I thought I saw a sliding door leading to a balcony down at the living room.
Maybe if I clear my head, I'll finally be able to sleep... I'll have to be extra cautious not to wake anyone...
My footsteps were soundless, and I crept down the stairs and towards the living room. I peeked my head from around the corner, and I heard the soft sounds of breathing and snoring from the Hosts. The silhouettes of their bodies blocked me from the balcony. If I wanted to go through, I'd have to carefully place my feet in the small spaces. The chances of me stepping on someone's limb or face was pretty high, and a normal person would've given up and gone back upstairs. But unfortunately, my stubbornness kicked in.
Pretending to be a stealthy ninja, I slowly and cautiously stepped forward, gently placing down my foot in the open space between Tamaki and the Hitachiins. I had to stifle a giggle when I saw how ridiculous Tamaki looked when he slept. His mouth was wide open, and he was snoring. Then, I lifted up my left foot, and carefully reached over Mori senapi's sleeping form. After successfully setting down my left foot, I lifted up my right, and brought it over. Once I safely passed by the Hitachiins, I went over Honey senpai, Kyoya, and then I made it to the door. I unlocked it, slid it open, an then slipped outside in one, swift motion. I silently shut the door behind me, and gazed out at the scenery. Lights illuminated houses and buildings, resembling hundreds of lanterns. I inched closer towards the railing, and then leaned over while inhaling. Closing my eyes and resting my head on my arms, I allowed the cool wind to tickle my bare arms and neck. I was wearing my tank top that I wore under my clothes, and the dress pants of the Ouran uniform.
Now that I think about it, we all rushed towards Brazil without preparing anything. We only had our Ouran uniforms for clothes for Pete's sake! Everyone was so worried about me and my brothers, and they immediately rushed in to offer their help and comfort when I needed them without thinking twice. I slightly smiled, and a warm, fuzzy feeling bubbled up from inside of me. I don't think I could ask for any better friends than the Host club.
"What are you doing out here?" I heard the sliding door open, and then close. Opening my eyes and turning my head, I saw Kyoya standing in front of me with sleep still in his eyes and his hair and clothes disheveled. He had taken off his tie and blazer, and his sleeves were rolled up; he wasn't wearing his glasses either. He looked completely different, but he still looked hot-what?!
I mentally slapped myself, and I didn't even try to hide the blush that was on my face. Kyoya looked down at the tank top I was wearing, and slightly frowned. I gave him a nervous smile while turning my body away from him.
"Couldn't sleep," I responded while forcing my eyes to stare at the view. I felt Kyoya make his way next to me, and I could tell that he was looking at the scenery too.
"After we ate dinner, I was able to do some research on Mr. Akiyama's computer on Erai. He has a couple of vacation homes here as well, and we will be splitting up to go to each of them tomorrow." My eyebrows arched up in surprise, and I turned my head towards him.
"You found out all those addresses today?! In less than two hours?!" I stood there gaping like a fish, and Kyoya smirked a bit.
"Yes. After all, who am I?" He was glanced at me from the corner of his eye, and my face burned up for the millionth time.
"Alright alright, I get it. You're the amazing Kyoya Ootori," I grumbled while facing away from him and back towards the others, who still slept peacefully.
"Sorry, could you repeat that? I couldn't quite hear you," Kyoya turned away from the view and leaned his head in towards my face, his smirk widening and my blush deepening.
"You're Kyoya Ootori," I forced my eyes down at the ground, but I could still feel Kyoya's eyes penetrating into my face. He leaned in a bit closer, and although I felt like bolting away my legs wouldn't move. My heart felt as if it would explode from my uneasiness and embarrassment. He was way too close.
"I liked the first one better. Could you say that one more time?" His breath tickled my face, and I felt heat violently tingling my cheeks.
"Y-you're the a-amazing Kyoya..." I trailed off as I lowered my head towards the ground and turning my face away from him.
"What's wrong?" He asked with a playful tone to his voice.
"You're making me uncomfortable..." I mumbled.
"Am I really?" He chuckled a bit, and he reached his hand out. He gently touched my chin and turned it so that my eyes met his, and I completely lost my ability to speak. The skin where his fingers were touching burned, and my knees felt like jello, as if they would cave in at any moment.
"W-wha?! G-gah! Huh?!" Kyoya closed his eyes as he leaned in. I didn't know what to do when his lips inched closer, and closer, and closer...
The sliding door opened, and my eyes flickered to meet Tamaki's. Kyoya heard the sound as well, and I saw Kyoya open his eyes. He immediately backed away, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Tamaki's mouth opened, and his eyes were the size of the moon.
Kyoya and I didn't say anything, but we merely stared at Tamaki as he flickered his gaze on me, then back to Kyoya, then back to me again.
"Tamaki, if you say anything to the others then I'll show Haruhi pictures of you when the Hitachiins dyed your hair green," Kyoya said, finally breaking the silence. I snorted a bit and covered my mouth with my hand to stifle the sound. Tamaki's face grew tomato-red.
"I-I w-won't!" Tamaki still glanced between Kyoya and I, still processing what he had just witnessed. Upon remembering how close we had just been five seconds ago, my face burned up from embarrassment.
"Well, I'm tired so I'll see you guys tomorrow. Night!" I scampered away and swiftly(but silently) cut my way through the barricade of sleeping bodies once more.