.

"Nothing says 'I love you" like a fresh boquet of flowers." That was the first of several pointers given to Hikaru by his new mentor Tamaki as a means of wooing the woman of his dreams, except that very same advice carried on to his rival and twin, Kaoru. And thus, their competition over Haruhi's heart kicked up a level.

One afternoon, Haruhi was stirred by a knock on her door at home. When she opened it, her eyes fell on a boquet of red roses placed neatly in a jade vase, with a letter attatched signed, "With love, Kaoru." She sighed as she brought them in.

She then gazed wearily at the fact that her living room was now a wild garden of various flowers, all sent to her by Hikaru that morning. One batch even spelled out her name in a pink array. She sighed.

.

"Try leaving her some subtle messages wherever she goes."

As Haruhi walked down a street in her neighborhood, she passed by some flyers on the walls and windows of stores with photoshopped images of herself with one of the twins "cuddling" up to her. She ignored most of them, until she came to the grocery store she was headed toward. There, plasters for all to see, was a giant poster of her titled, "The most beautiful commoner in the world," with her image surrounded by roses in the shape of a heart. She knew this was Hikaru's doing, because he was dumb enough to sign his name on the bottom.

Just when things couldn't get more awkward though, a buzz in the air stirred her attention. She gazed up at the clear blue sky and saw a plane had written writing out a message in smoke: "Kaoru loves Haruhi." Her eyes narrowed in annoyance and tried to go into the store.

But then another plane buzzed by, one even closer to the ground. It startled her enough to make her look up, and as it buzzed by it dragged a flyer that read, "Hikaru loves Haruhi more!"

She groaned as her face faltered.

..

..

"I know one method that absolutely guaranteed never fails: an impromptu serenade in the moonlight!"

Haruhi was exhausted that following evening, and turned in for bed early. However, sleep would not come easily, as her ears picked up the sound of four violins and a cello playing outside. Curiosity compelled her to get out of bed, hobble across her living room floor, and take a peek through her window. Her perspective failed her, as she couldn't see the parking lot just outside her apartment complex, so she had to open the door and look down from the balcony. To her amazement, she could see the instrumentalists- all servants of the Hitachiins- playing the chords to Pachebel's "Canon in D," except they were playing in the key of B.

Haruhi blinked and rubbed her eyes. Was all of this a dream? No. It was only the warm-up to what was to be the serenade of the ages, all headlined by one Hikaru Hitachiin, who walked in front of the string quintet with an acoustic guitar in hand. As his fingers strummed his strings, it became clear as to why the music was in B major; he was about to sing a familiar American love song:

"Look into my eyes, you will see

What you mean to me.

Search your heart, search your soul,

When you find me there, you'll search no more.

"Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for,

I can't help it, there's nothing I want more.

You know it's true,

Everything I do,

I do it for you."

Unfortunately for Hikaru, his song was about to get cut off by the sudden appearance of a grand piano (don't ask how it got there), and at its helm was none other than his doppelganger, Kaoru. He sang:

"What would I do without your smart mouth,
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out?
You got my head spinning, no kidding,

I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind?
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me,

But I'll be alright.

"My head's underwater
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind."

Oh, but Hikaru wasn't down for the count yet, not by a longshot. He had a backup song which he cleverly overlapped with Kaoru's:

"And can you feel the love tonight? / "'Cause all of me loves all of you
It is where we are. / Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections.

"It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer

That we've got this far."

"And can you feel the love tonight? / "Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you.
How it's laid to rest / You're my end and my beginning. Even when I lose, I'm winning."

It's enough to make kings and vagabonds

Believe the very best."

Kaoru then channeled his inner Whitney Houston:

"And I... will always love you.

I will always love you...!"

Hikaru, who had sudden;y switched out an acoustic guitar for an electric one, intercepted with Marvin Gaye:

"I've been really tryin', baby,

Tryin' to hold back this feeling for so long.

And if you feel like I feel baby,

Then come on! Oh! Come on!

Let's get it-"

"Oh darling, please believe me,

I'll never do you no harm," Kaoru cut him off, now sporting a keyboard.

"Believe me when I tell you,

I'll never do you no harm."

Hikaru snapped his fingers, and suddenly his quintet of string players became a full orchestra, including a butler on drums. At this point, Haruhi gave up on asking how any of this was even possible. She just rolled with it.

"Gimmie your, gimmie your, gimmie your attention, baby!" he sang;
"I gotta tell you a little something about yourself
You're wonderful, flawless, ooh, you're a sexy lady
But you walk around here like you wanna be someone else."

"Oh whoa-oh-oh!" -sang his twin maids on backup.

"I know that you don't know it, but you're fine, so fine." ("Fine, so fine!")

"Oh whoa-oh-oh!"

"Oh girl, I'm gonna show you when you're mine, oh mine-" ("Mine, oh mine.")

Kaoru bounced back on keytar: "'Cause this is Thriller, Thriller Night!

And no one's there to save you from the beast about to strike

You know it's Thriller, Thriller Night!

You're fighting for your life inside a killer thriller..." He stopped, noticing all of the confused eyes upon him, from his brother's to Haruhi's to his servants'. Kaoru chuckled and said, "Sorry, I just love that song."

Haruhi rolled her eyes.

The battlle resumed with the roll of drums, leading into yet another 90's song from America. (And again, Haruhi just rolled with it.)

(Hikaru started one lyric, Kaoru followed with the next, and so on.)

"One, two princes kneel before you
That what I said now."

"Princes, princes who adore you
Just go ahead now."

"One has diamonds in his pockets
That's some bread, now."

"This one said he wants to buy you rockets
Ain't in his head, now."

"Marry him,"

"Or marry me."

"I'm the one that loves you baby, can't you see?"

"I ain't got no future or family tree, but..."

"I know what a prince and lover ought to be,"

"I know what a prince and lover ought be!" they sang in perfect harmony.

Hikaru dropped to his knees and began to play solo on guitar; not one to be outshone, Kaoru tried to overlap that solo with his own on keytar. As their instruments dueled, the music only got louder, the orchestra grander, until fireworks went off in the sky as though one of the twins had planned it all along. The entire neighborhood was awake now...

Finally, after one big and very confusing intrumental break, a shoe clashed with Hikaru's head. And just like that, the music stop. Stunned, the twins heard an old lady scream from a window, "WILL YOU TURN DOWN THAT INFERNAL RACKET!?" Following her plea were dozens of other complaining voices, leaving Haruhi to depart in utter embarassment.

The two brothers, feeling defeated, exchanged quick glares at each other before facing opposite of each other, their heads held high. Away they marched, with what little dignity they had left.

.

Kaoru walked down the street toward his parked limo with his head hung low, dragging his keytar. "Why am I still doing this?" he asked himself. "This isn't nearly as fun as I hoped it'd be... Maybe I should just give up."

He stopped in his tracks, as a cold chill ran down his spine. "But if he wins her..."

He envisioned... Haruhi and Hikaru dressed in fine dress clothes, looking out through the back window of their fairy tale carriage and waving, "Bye, Kaoru!" As their horse drawn carriage rode off into oblivion, his arm stretched out in vain as he pled, "Wait! Don't leave! Take me with you!" But it was too late, they were gone.

Kaoru shivered. "I dunno how much more of this I can take," he muttered as he proceeded to head toward his limo.

11:55pm.

..

..

"I had her, you guys. I swear, she was just about to come out and cheer for me, and then that snake Kaoru comes out of nowhere and botches up everything! AGAIN!"

Hikaru didn't bother to even greet his friends Hunny and Mori as he returned to their abode; instead he plopped down in a corner to mope about his newest failure. He was lucky to have such patient friends, as neither Hunny nor Mori looked offended with the boy's ranting. In fact, once Hikaru calmed himself down a bit, Hunny once again approached him and gently forced his pink plush rabbit in Hikaru's face.

"Usa-chan wants a kiss," said the Lolita boy sweetly. "I'll bet you'll both feel better if you do."

"Pleef, Hummy-Sempai," muffled Hikaru's voice as his mouth was pressed against the bunny. "No moor Ooffa-Cham."

Hunny pulled the bunny away and cooed, "Okay, how about so,e cake or hot chocolate instead? Sweets always help me sleep better."

"How do you sleep at all with all that sugar in your system?" asked Hikaru.

Hunny smiled, "That's what afternoon naps are for."

"Mitskune," came a calm and deep voice nearby.

"Oh, right!" chimed Hunny in response to Mori. "Hika-chan, Takashi and I have a Kendo tournament tonight, but you can stay if you like."

"Thanks, you guys."

"Here."

Hikaru was pummeled by that damn pink bunny.

"I'm not allowed to take Usa-chan with me," Hunny explained. "I promised my dad and brother I'd keep him home. Would you mind looking after him for me? Please?"

With the bunny slouched in his lap, the redhead made a face before reluctantly replying, "Sure, no problem."

"Thanks, Hika-chan! Bye!"

The friends waved goodbye, and the elder teens made their departure.

As the Kendo players stepped out, Mori looked down at his cousin. "Mitskune, you didn't have to lie."

"I know, Takashi. I just think he needs something to cuddle and keep him company while we're gone... I feel bad for both of them, I hope they stop fighting soon."

"I've said it before, a little sibling rivalry is healthy... But I agree; Hikaru and Kaoru's brotherhood is far too special for them to give up. But I'm sure they'll find their way back."

Hunny made a small frown. "I hope you're right, Takashi."

And sure enough, a little cuddle from Usa-chan actually would help Gikaru sleep well that night. Though, he'd never own up to it.

..

..

Days went by, and things at the club got quieter and quieter. Both Hitachiin brothers made it a point to not pester Haruhi every other day, much to her delight. However, they barely spoke to or even looked at each other. They were becoming more and more accustomed to the personas given to them by Renge. Soon, the guests would be divided between "Team Kaoru" and "Team Hikaru." And funny enough, it was the girls that did the most bickering and carrying on than the twins themselves. Secretly, both boys enjoyed the special attention they were each being given. But mostly Hikaru. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like the center of attention. He liked it.

No. He loved it.

It was truly freeing, not having Kaoru looking over his shoulder or rubbing up against his side every waking moment. He missed it too, but not as much as he once thought. He loved his brother, despite the tension and distance between them; but in a strange way, this phase was actually doing him some good. He was finally feeling like his own person- no longer Hikaru and Kaoru, just Hikaru. And secretly, he was hoping that Kaoru was feeling the same way.

Then one day, Hikaru made a choice that would change everything. On that day, he showed up at the club... With dark brown hair.

No one saw it coming, not even his own brother; that's because at this point, Hikaru was pretty much living at the Haninozuka house. It was only at school and during club hours when the brothers were together. So when dark haired Hikaru walked into the classroom, even Kaoru was floored. And not in the good way.

"Oh, great." Haruhi moaned upon seeing his new locks. "You guys are doing the whole hair swap thing again?"

"Not this time, Haruhi," said the brunette confidently. "This is the new Hikaru, and he's here to stay. What do you think?"

Her eyes traveled around his profile and up and down his frame, letting the brown tone sink in. "...It's better than that silly pink and blue shade, I'll give you that."

"It looks natural, right?"

"Yeah. I guess it does... But why the sudden change?"

That was a question Kaoru couldn't bring himself to ask, though it burned in his mind.

"Well, I've been thinking..." Hikaru began to say, but this his voice dropped off as his eyes fell on his pale-faced brother. The look of horror in the still redheaded Kaoru brought his heart to a momentary standstill. "...I'll tell you what, why don't we all just get through the school hours, then I'll explain at the club?"

"Sounds good to me," nodded Haruhi.

Kaoru was still speechless, never once taking his eyes off of that strange brown hair.

.

And so the hours ticked away slowly, much to Kaoru's torment, until at last the doors to Music Room 3 opened and the club was on.

It took everyone a good five minutes to register that the new brunette boy in the room was Hikaru, and it took his fangirls even more time to quickly color brown over the red hair on their Team Hikaru banners.

"So," smirked Renge as she approached the boy, "is this the new direction Badboy Rebel Hikaru is going?"

"You like it?" he grinned back.

"Like it? ...Like it? I LOVE IT! This is exactly the kind of thing Badboy Rebel Hikaru would do! Next, we need to get you some tattoos and a moustache-"

"Uh, Renge, could you hold that thought for a minute? I need to talk to Kaoru."

"Oh, sure!"

"...Alone."

"Right. Girls, give him room," she told her fellow fangirls. They all took ten steps back, except her.

"I mean totally alone!"

"Oh. Sorry." She finally stepped aside.

The boy moved over to where his brother sat, the redhead refusing to look him in the face out of disgust.

"...Kaoru?"

"Yeah?"

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, I know..." His eyes glanced at Hikaru once, then they darted away. "That color is ugly on you."

Hikaru's eyes softened with sincerity. "It's not about the color, Kaoru. This is about me taking a step forward."

"...Step forward? You mean like that time you destroyed our bed and moved out of the mansion?"

"No, this is different. This isn't about our fight... It's about me. Who I am."

"I know who you are, you're Hikaru Hitachiin. My brother."

Hikaru sighed. "You and I have been apart for a while now... It's been hard on both of us. I know it has. ...But, the truth is, I'm starting to get used to the idea of being my own person. Before, it was like we were one in the same. And it was fun, of course, but now... Now, I want to change that."

Kaoru's eyes widened.

11:56pm, ticked his fairy tale clock.

"What do you mean by that?" asked the redhead cautiously.

Hikaru explained in a calm voice, "Haven't you ever wanted to break away and do your own thing?"

"No."

"Come on, I know you, Kaoru. You may be my twin, but we're not completely alike. We each have our wants and needs. I'm just trying to think on my own for once. It's time. ...You understand what I'm trying to say, don't you?"

"All I'm hearing is, 'I want nothing to do with you anymore.'"

11:57pm.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I just..." He paused to take a breath. "...I'm tired, Kaoru- I'm tired of being the same old guy, doing the same old routine. Being somebody new is exciting, it's refreshing. Don't tell me you don't feel the same way. Even a little bit."

"No. I don't. I think things were fine just the way they were, when it was just you and me against the whole world."

"You don't mean that."

"Of course I mean it."

"But we were denying ourselves of so much! So many opportunities flew right by us, all because we were afraid of change. Well, I'm not afraid anymore. For better or worse, I think this time apart has taught me a valuable lesson about finding my own feet and doing what I want."

"Without me."

1158pm.

"You're not listening! Kaoru... Kaoru, look at me."

The redhead forced his head to turn toward the brunette and gazed into his eyes with fear in his own.

"We're nearly adults now. It's time for us to grow up, and stop these silly childish games. No more 'Which One Is Hikaru,' no more pranks on the Boss. We're better than that, we're above all that now."

"..."

"...If you think this is about You-Know-Who, you're wrong. This has nothing to do with her."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"I'm not doing anything, I'm just trying to explain where I'm coming from."

"Why don't you just come out and say it already?"

"Say what?"

Kaoru rose to his feet and screamed in the brunette's face: "That you don't want to be my brother anymore!"

11:59pm.

So silent was the room in that moment, one could hear a rose petal drop to the floor. All eyes fell on the brothers, one a redhead, one a brunette. Their breaths stilled.

Hikaru's jaw fell. "...Wh-... Why would I say something like that?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Just say it," growled Kaoru, whose eyes stung with tears while his hands balled into fists. "Say you don't want anything to do with me anymore, and that's why you want a change! You hate me because I've been a selfish prick lately, and you've had enough! You're doing this to hurt me. Well guess what, brother? It's working!"

"Kaoru, please. I never meant to..."

"Of course you did! You're fed up with me always following you around, always trying to copy you when you try to flirt with You-Know-Who. It makes you sick to know that you share the same face as ME!"

Hikaru jumped to his feet, meeting his brother nose to nose. "No! Stop, you're not listening to me!"

"You just said that you don't want to be the same as you were. But we've always been the same! Always! If you really want to change, then you have to take me out of the equation!"

"No, that's not true. You're still my brother, and I still love you. Despite everything we've done to get on each other's nerves lately, and despite us both liking the same girl, nothing- and I mean nothing- will ever change the fact that I love you."

"LIAR! You hate me! You're sick of me!"

He grabbed the twin by his shoulders. "Kaoru, stop. You're not thinking straight. Please, brother"

"WE'RE NOT BROTHERS! I HATE YOU!"

12:00am. "BONG..."

"Kaoru, please!"

"Leave me alone!" screamed the redheaded Hitachin, as he pulled out of his brother's grasp. Hysterical, he fled the room like a bat out of Hell, with his confused and fearful twin following close behind.

"BONG... BONG... BONG..."

With tears soaked in his eyes, Kaoru could only see blurs of pink and gold as he tore down the hall. He could hear Hikaru calling him from behind, but it only made him run faster.

"BONG... BONG... BONG..."

"Kaoru! Kaoru, come back! You've misunderstood me!"

"Stay away from me!" he called back, as he turned the corner.

"BONG... BONG... BONG..."

They came to the staircase that would lead down the lower floors. Kaoru was just on the edge of the top stair when Hikaru caught up with him.

He grabbed his twin by the arm of his blaser. "Kaoru, stop! I didn't mean to..."

"Let go!" exclaimed Kaoru, as he swatted Hikaru away. But as he shook himself free of his brother's grip, his body threw itself backward. In that moment, his feet slipped.

"BONG..."

Hikaru could only watch helplessly, as his brother's body arched backward, his arms flaling in vain as he missed the banister. He stretched out his arm, but his twin was just out of reach. Kaoru's feet kicked high, with one shoe loosening. Gravity pulled at him, he flew downward.

In Hikaru's mind, everything was in slow motion: one loud "Bang" as Kaoru-s head hit a step, another loud crash as his shoulders buckled, his body now as loose as a plus toy's as it tumbled and rolled down the concrete stairs, until at last he hit the bottom.

Everything in Kaoru's mind went black as he heard the final, "BONG."

..

..

The infirmary, twenty minutes later.

Kaoru was mortified. Not only did he manage to get himself sent to the infirmary twice in a month, but also managed to get his nose broken twice as well. Only this time, it was by his own doing; and worse yet, he now had a thin bandage wrapped around his forehead as well as a thicker, stronger brace on his nose. As he lay on his back under a thin blanket in a bed in the recovery room, he started to thank the Lord that his parents weren't there to see him like this. One other person crossed his mind too, of course: Hikaru. He hadn't seen his identical twin since he blacked out, and wondered if he was just outside the room, waiting to see him. Did he even want to see Hikaru at this point? ...Of course he did. What kind of brother would he be if he didn't?

Well, let's recap, shall we? First, he botched up the movie date, then he unapologetically hugged and kissed the girl his brother was vying for, then he competed for the same girl's affections, only digging the knife in Hikaru's back even further. Yeah, he was Brother of The Year, alright. Kaoru sighed as a small tear ran down the side of his cheek. Not for himself per say, but for realizing how selfish he had been acting. If only Hikaru were there to forgive him... If he was even around.

A small knock on the door.

"Hikaru?" chirped the redhead weakly.

A head of blonde hair and blue eyes peered in. "Sorry. Is this a bad time?"

Kaoru smiled softly; at least this was a friendly face. "Nah. Come on in, Boss."

The Host King tiptoed toward the boy, holding something behind his back. "How're you feeling, champ?"

"Pretty lousy about myself... Is Hikaru out there?"

Tamaki hesitated, dropping his friendly smile.

The redhead frowned. "He's not."

"No, I'm sorry Kaoru. He ran off before he had a chance to explain himself.

Kaoru blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well..."

.

Twenty minutes earlier...

"Oh, God... Oh God, oh God, oh God!" breathed Hikaru, as he ran down the stairs and looked over his brother's unconscious body. He rolled him onto his back and saw the gash on the side of his head, just above his left ear. "God... Kaoru... Why...?"

He heard footsteps from atop the stairs, and froze. Oh no, they were going to see this. And they were going to blame him for it. Of this he was certain; they were well aware of the rivalry between him and his twin, and he had previously broken his nose during their first fallout. Even if he were to plead his case, they wouldn't listen. All they would see was one unconscious Hitachiin, and one very guilty-looking one. As panic set in, his feet kicked up and he was gone in a flash, just as the rest of the Hosts were descending the stairs.

"Kaoru! Hikaru!?" They each called out. Haruhi and Tamaki saw a flash of blue and red dashing downstairs before focusing on the boy lying on the floor.

Haruhi dropped to her knees beside the boy and gasped, "Oh my gosh, Kaoru! Not again!" She said this, because she was quick to see blood dripping profusely from his bent nose.

Tamaki saw it too, plus a hint of red coming from the boy's cranium, and instantly his body flushed white as his spirit exited through his mouth before he too collapsed onto the floor.

"Ugh, really Senpai?" groaned Haruhi, as she and Kyoya would now have to carry two unconscious teens to the infirmary.

.

"And when I woke up, they told me they'd already patched up your injuries," concluded Tamaki, who seemed to get the color back in his skin. He brushed back his hair coyly, still slightly embarrassed about his behavior.

Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle softly. But then, after his brother crossed his mind again, he dropped his smile. "Why did he run? It's not his fault I fell, it was mine. I wasn't watching my step..."

"I figured as much," nodded the blonde. "Maybe he just panicked."

"Or... Maybe he's afraid I won't forgive him..." He let out a small groan before pulling his blanket over half his face. "...Boss?"

"Yes?"

"...No, forget it. It's nothing."

"What? Tell me." Tamaki leaned in.

The redhead sighed. "...You like fairy tales, right?"

"Sure," grinned the Host King. "Who doesn't?"

Kaoru dreaded this moment, like he dreaded most moments when he would have to bear his soul. But it had to done, and he figured that if anyone could understand his point of view, it would be Tamaki. He took a deep breath. "This is gonna sound really silly, but... I always compared to my life here at the club like a fairy tale- like Cinderella."

"Cinderella?"

There wasn't a sliver of sarcasm or a condescending tone in the Host King's voice; truly, Tamaki was curious and intrigued. This encouraged Kaoru to go on: "Well, you know how in the Cinderella story, the magic spell only lasts for one night, and at midnight the spell breaks?"

"Yes?"

"It's like that here, our time here at school is limited, and when it's over... it all goes away. We'll all have to go away. First it was Mori-Senpai and Hunny-Senpai. Soon, it'll be you and Kyoya-Senpai. The only ones left will be me, Hikaru, and.. and Haruhi..."

"Ah, I see," nodded the blonde. "So you're afraid of saying goodbye."

"I've just gotten so used to the way things are around here, you know? ...Before I met you guys, Hikaru and I only had each other. We were alone, but we thought we were happy. But now I realize what we were missing out on: real friendship. And... and I just... don't want that to fade away..." He didn't realize it, but his golden eyes were now drowning in tears. "I think that's why I've been acting so crazy lately. I know how much Hikaru likes... that girl... but if I let them be together..."

"Then you'll lose him," nodded an understanding Tamaki. "That's what you're really afraid of."

"It's stupid, I know... But that's how I feel..." His voice was cracking as his throat began to swell. He had to pause to dry his face and swallow hard.

That's when Tamaki had a eureka moment. All this time, he was holding something behind his back, something Kaoru had dropped when he fell down the stairs. He brought his arms around to reveal the shoe that was knocked off of Kaoru's foot in mid-fall. His eyes lit up with wonder.

"Kaoru..."

"Yeah, Boss?" he sniffled.

"You forgot the most important part of the fairy tale." He held up the shoe so that Kaoru could see it. "When the clock strikes midnight, most of the spell does wear off. But Cinderella had one piece of magic left: her slippers. They're the key to her happily ever after."

"The slippers?"

Tamaki smiled warmly at him, like a father to a young son. "All this time, you've been wrapped up in the carraige and the dress; you forgot that there's still some magic left in the end. Yes, there will come a day when we'll all graduate and have to leave Ouran Academy. And yes, someday the club may have to close... But one thing will never go away, Kaoru: our friendships. The bonds we've made during our time here, they're as timeless and indestructable as Cinderella's slippers. As long as you hold onto them- to us- then the magic will never really go away."

The younger boy's eyes widened, and he was suddenly overcome with such a warm feeling, that even his tears ran hot. How could he have not seen it before? The Host King was right! He might not have been the brightest bulb in the bunch, but he was right on the money with this. Kaoru let out a deep sigh as his muscles relaxed and his heart slowed to a more comfortable pace.

"Here," smiled Tamaki as he placed the shoe on Kaoru's chest. "You dropped this when you fell. You should hold onto it for a while."

"...Boss... I don't know how... Thank you... Thank you so much."

"Ah, it's okay. Just get better alright? And please take better care of your nose; Kyoya's already having a coniption with your medical bills."

The redhead gave him a laugh. "...Wait. That still leaves Hikaru. Where is he?"

"We found out that he's been staying at the Haninozuka house. Haruhi's on her way there now."

"Good... If anybody can get through to him right now, it's her." His eyes fell back on the shoe on his chest. It seemed all the shinier and prettier now.

12:01am... and the clock ticked on.

.

TBC