"So you really think Hiroshi-kun likes me?"
Haruhi smiled at Kushina, her downstairs neighbor of over six years and admitted hopeless romantic. According to Ozzie, she'd been in a number of bad relationships already, mostly with guys who wanted a dainty little housewife more than an intellectual equal and dumped her when it became clear that she wouldn't submit to that. In the end, it all came back to Hiroshi, an old friend of Kushina's whom she'd recently gotten back in touch with. He was also her Destined Love.
"Give it a try, Kushina-san," Haruhi said reassuringly. "I know it's been hard for you in the past, but Hiroshi-kun is your friend. I think he'd be good for you. He'd treat you right."
Kushina looked away, wistful, and likely a little fearful as well. Haruhi waited patiently for her response, trying to ignore Ozzie's hanging off her earlobe and whispering what to do next if she reacted negatively. At the moment, his advice was not wanted or helpful. When Kushina came back to reality, she wasn't smiling. However, she did have a determination about her that wasn't there before.
"Okay," she said. "I'll give it a try. Thanks for the advice, Haruhi-chan."
Haruhi nodded. "My pleasure."
They exchanged goodbyes, and then Kushina was off, her pink Life Thread guiding her into the street and towards Hiroshi.
As she disappeared from view, Haruhi heard a sniffling sound next to her ear that could only be caused by one person. Ozzie was wiping his eyes on his shirt, heedless of the stains left behind. He didn't stop even when he saw Haruhi staring at him with one eyebrow raised.
"I'm sorry," he choked out. "Childhood Friend romance gets me right in the heart."
He pounded on his chest for emphasis.
"Is it really that big of a deal?" Haruhi asked.
"Well, it's very rare. Most people don't meet their Destined Loves until they're much older. In cases where they do, it's always so beautiful, and I just… I just…"
Ozzie dissolved into hysterical sobs, hugging as much of her neck as his small arms would allow, while Haruhi remained motionless, her head leaning on one side and her irritation with him palpable.
'He'd better not try blowing his nose with my hair.'
Sighing deeply, Haruhi turned and made her way back to her apartment at the end. The distance seemed far greater all of a sudden than it should have been, though that may have been the exhaustion talking.
The last two days had been nothing but matchmaking in between (and something during) classes and club duties. Best friends turned loves here, supposed bitter enemies with unresolved sexual tension there. She had seen more romantic comedy clichés brought to life than any Hollywood writer could ever hope to. In fact, Haruhi had half a mind to destroy her father's collection of romance movies just so she'd never have to see them again when this was finally over.
It was tiring work. Because Ozzie had been unable to give her any of his useful powers, she was stuck using words to bring people together. While her success rate was untarnished so far, it was exceedingly difficult getting people to trust her and not see her as just a random crazy person butting into their personal lives. The worst part was that Ozzie refused to let her take a break. If he saw a potential couple on the forefront, everything had to be dropped regardless of how important it might be. Haruhi could be performing open heart surgery with time running out and he wouldn't let up. His voice in her ear chattered without ceasing until she had no choice but to give in and get to work.
"Every day is one day closer to Valentine's Day," he would say. "You have to be ready. Because if you think this is tough, just you wait."
It wound up getting so bad that Haruhi almost fell asleep on the shoulder of one of her guests yesterday. Thankfully, she found it adorable, along with Haruhi subsequent embarrassed attempt at an apology.
She'd left early that day, at the first sign that they were closing. Tamaki tried calling after her, but Haruhi called back an excuse that she had extra homework to do and tried not to look too closely at his Life Thread. Something about that pink color left a bad taste in her mouth, more so when she thought about who it might attach to.
Reaching the door after what felt like hours, Haruhi entered her home. A burst of warm air hit her, a welcome change from the chill she'd been getting outside. Of course, shoulder Ozzie had already disappeared by the time his actual self was in view. He pointlessly wave hello and Haruhi ignored him, heading for her room, not stopping for anything.
She was prepared to lay down on her futon and sleep as much as the fates would allow before another potential couple randomly walked passed Ozzie's line of sight and he forced her out of bed again. Just like he had the previous two mornings. Currently, he was quiet, and so Haruhi was doubtless that no obstacles to an afternoon nap would appear.
"HARUHIII!"
She gasped in shock as her father grabbed her from behind and spun her around. He laughing happily, and Haruhi could've sworn she heard another, much heartier guffaw behind it. She threw a glare at Ozzie.
"Dad!" she called out, her voice shaking from the constant movement. "Put me down!"
"Aw, but Haruhi," Ranka whined. "You always love it when I spin you around."
"When I was five, I loved it!"
He laughed again, but slowed down all the same and released her.
"I'm sorry, Haruhi," he said as she backed away. "I'm just so excited about tonight, I can't barely contain it. By the way, do you like the dress I picked out for you? It goes so well with your eyes and with a little mousse in your hair, I just know you'll look fantastic!"
Ranka sighed, a dreamy look washing over him as he pictured Haruhi happy and smiling in a pretty dress. Meanwhile, the real Haruhi was very un-cutely staring at him with one eye twitching.
"Wait a minute," she said. "Party? Dress? Mousse? Dad, what are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember?" Ranka put his hands on his hips and shifted his weight to one foot. "My boss is having a big get together in honor of the holiday. He would have it on Valentine's Day proper, but everyone already had plans."
While Ranka was explaining this and unintentionally making Haruhi feel like tearing her hair out, Ozzie decided, with his vast wisdom, to make things worse by getting up and casually ambling over to her dad. He stood, unseen, behind him, grinning at Haruhi and flashing her a thumbs up.
Haruhi stared at him for a minute, then shook her head. There were more vital issues at hand than Ozzie being an idiot, and as long as he stayed invisible and inconspicuous, she frankly didn't care what stupid thing he did to try and annoy her.
"Dad," she said. "That sounds great and all, but I'm really tired and I was just about to go take a nap. So if it's okay with you, I think I'll sit this one ou-"
"Well of course it's not okay," Ranka said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I told my boss I'd be bringing my daughter. He and his wife are anxious to see you again! Now, if you're going to take a nap before getting ready, that's fine. You just need to be up in twenty minutes so I can do your hair. I think we'll go with the strawberry scented spray tonight."
As Ranka was pondering this, Ozzie leaned over, placing a gentle hand on the other man's back as a devish smirk crossed his features. Ranka's face suddenly went blank.
"Wouldn't you rather go with the vanilla flavor?" Ozzie whispered in his ear.
He removed his hand and Ranka jolted. Haruhi watched her father shake his head, then glared incredulously at a much too satisfied looking Ozzie.
"You know," Ranka said. "I think we'll go with the vanilla flavored one instead. It suits you much better."
He grinned toothily at his daughter, almost as wide as Ozzie, who pridefully puffed out his chest.
"Power of persuasion," he said. "Isn't it awesome?"
A vein popped out of Haruhi's head.
The party was a decidedly quiet affair. Though a decent amount of people took up the ballroom, most of them were grouped together at their tables when not dancing, speaking in hushed tones to the person next to them. They all dressed very nice, fitting for the occasion, but thanks to so much time around rich and fashion obsessed people, Haruhi was beginning to notice the difference between designer brand clothing and store bought replicas.
Of course, the first thing on her mind were the Life Threads, same as ever.
There were a surprisingly number of red ones walking around, many of which belonged to same-sex couples. Haruhi, at one point, spotted what initially appeared to be a pair of woman, faces slathered with make-up, slow dancing together. On closer examination, however, both of them had definite five o'clock shadow and very muscular arms underneath those silk sleeves.
Almost everyone appeared quite happy to be there. The only one to share Haruhi's boredom was a surly woman standing peculiarly close to the main exit. Her dress was a plain, blue number. It lacked the bells and whistles everyone else sported, making her look somewhat out of place. She held an empty wine glass and glared at everyone to pass by, dissuading them from talking to her.
Growing bored, Haruhi glanced at Ozzie. Now back in his tiny form, the Cupid was hanging off the empty chair beside her, held up by his arms with his legs dangling. He laid his head down, eyes heavily lidded, and gave a sigh.
"Not gonna lie, I thought a Valentine's Day party would be more fun than this."
Haruhi shrugged at him half-heartedly.
"At least the orange Life Threads are at a minimum," he went on. A middle-aged couple passed their table, hands intertwined and a red Life Thread swaying to the rhythm of their steps. In an instant, Ozzie perked right up. "He- ey! I know those two! A buddy of mine set them up twelve years ago!"
"Hmm…"
Haruhi looked away, but much to her displeasure, that didn't stop Ozzie from launching into yet another story. She was drifting in and out of reality for the duration, only picking up bits and pieces of it and not caring to try and put them together. She sought out her Dad, and found him chatting up a (white Life Thread bearing) friend of his. The man leaned in close, whispering something in Ranka's ear that first made him gasp, then burst into hysterical laughter. He threw back the, thankfully empty, glass in his hand, allowing Haruhi full view of his Life Thread.
She took in the inky black color, a funny feeling arising; not a happy one either. Whatever it was, it told her to look away from that Life Thread and forget it ever existed. She would have been fine doing just that, but her much more overwhelming curiosity was always going to win out.
"Hey, Ozzie?" she said while he was in the middle of a pause. "Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to ask-"
"Haruhi, I hope you're not talking to yourself. That's so unbecoming of a Host."
She froze in place. The smooth, silky voice made her shiver uncomfortably on top of mentally freaking out over him actually being here. Since when was this his kind of party anyway? Haruhi turned slowly, and found her bespectacled senpai staring down at her with an easy smile.
"Kyoya-senpai, what uh… I didn't know you were coming."
He gave a low chuckle. "Oh no? Well, I wouldn't have, but your father was kind enough to invite me during our last phone conversation."
"…when was that?"
"Two days ago, I believe."
"What?" Haruhi sprang up from her seat. "He invited you that long ago? I only found out about this party today!"
As she glared hatefully at the unaffected (and still smiling, furiously enough) Kyoya, several other familiar faces wandered over. The first being a cheekily smirking Hikaru, a half-eaten paper plate of sushi in his hand, Kaoru not far behind.
"Hey, relax Haruhi," Hikaru said.
"Yeah, it is a party after all," Kaoru said in agreement, leaning lightly against his older brother. "Why not try to have some fun?"
"They have really good cake!" Hunny-senpai shouted from over by the refreshments table.
"Chocolate and strawberry," Mori pointed at the cakes to emphasize his point.
Going one at a time, the increasingly miserable Haruhi stared hard at them, feeling ready to melt through the floor if only it would get her away from all this.
"My dad invited you guys too…" she moaned.
"Actually, I invited them," Kyoya spoke up. "But don't worry, I received permission from your father before doing so."
'And now I feel MUCH better. Thank you, Kyoya-senpai.'
Not wanting to deal with her cheeky friends' shenanigans for one night, Haruhi made to turn away. Her hasty plan was to excuse herself to the bathroom, lock herself in a stall, and stay there for the rest of the evening. If she closed the lid and kept her legs close to her body, maybe she'd get lucky and no one would spot her. Her dad was busy with his friends, Ozzie was watching a few couples dance, and the guys would probably find their own things to do within a few minutes. Nothing was standing in her way of escaping.
She completed the spin, coming face to face with a pair of violet eyes. He was close, and Haruhi had to step back a bit, taking in Tamaki's full form and the clean pressed white suit he'd worn for the occasion. Haruhi felt a heat rush to her face as she look at him and resisted the urge to bring a hand to her head and check her temperature. The last thing she needed was them thinking she was sick again, whether she really was or not.
"You look beautiful tonight, Haruhi," Tamaki said with a happy grin, taking her hands in his and making her cheeks somehow hotter. "Be sure to let your father know how thrilled and grateful I am for this opportunity to spend time around your commoner brethren. I mean it, I don't think I've had this much fun in my entire life!"
"That's really great, Senpai," Haruhi said, her words coming out constricted as she sincerely hoped he'd let go of her soon. "You could just tell my dad yourself though."
"Oh, I would, but…" Tamaki glanced at Ranka, who stood just across from them. The older man responded with a glare that promised all sorts of evil in it's targets future. Tamaki shuddered with fear. "I- I don't think he wants to talk to me."
Haruhi pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, and it went unseen as Tamaki's attention was suddenly diverted by a man directly behind her. His face lit up and he gasped.
"There he is!" he exclaimed joyfully. "I was speaking with that fine gentleman before about his career in fruit drink sales and I lost him in the crowd. We'll talk later, alright?"
He ran off without waiting for an answer, floating on the air towards the plainly dressed man sipping on fruit punch. He appeared to be alone, and the look on his face when Tamaki approached was one of pure aggravation. He tried to turn and run, but Tamaki was too fast, and soon had the man trapped by an endless barrage of pointless questions. Haruhi looked on sympathetically and shook her head, right as an arm slunk it's way around her shoulder.
"Well, now that he's gone," Hikaru said cheekily. "How about a dance?"
"I don't really dance," Haruhi answered, leaning away from him.
"Sure you do, Haruhi," Kaoru said from her other side. "Remember the ball we held? You were excellent at the waltz."
Haruhi wiggled away from them, hiding her exasperation behind a smile as she slowly backed up.
"Thank you, but I was thinking I'd rest until after we eat."
"HEY!"
Like a projectile missile, Ozzie launched at her, smacking into her temple. Haruhi gasped and almost lost her balance, regaining it only through the use of a well placed chair. As the twins looked on, Haruhi let out a growl at the tiny man, who tugged at her hair and kicked her neck urgently.
"We have an emergency situation! We have to do something now! Right now! No waiting!"
"Shut up," Haruhi hissed at him, turning away so no one would she her lips move.
"I CAN'T SHUT UP THIS IS IMPORTANT! GET MOVING NOW MISSY!"
He went for her ear this time, grasping and pulling like a man possessed. Haruhi reached up to swat at him, knowing full well that it wouldn't work, but too distressed to care. Ozzie didn't react and kept going, both with the pulling and the screaming.
"This is no time for chit-chat! A serious emergency just came up and it's your job as my substitute to fix it! Come ON already!"
"Knock it OFF!" Haruhi's hand sailed through him again.
Gritting her teeth, she glanced up to find two pairs of very confused and disturbed eyes on her. Haruhi's anger melted, and she stood up a little straighter. Her hands went behind her back, a picture of innocence. Though Ozzie hadn't let up in his insistence of an emergency, Haruhi forced herself to ignore him for now.
"It's just- a bug flying around my head. I had to swat it," she explained lamely. "Don't worry, it's gone. I really have to use the bathroom now, so we'll talk later."
She walked off before either Hikaru or Kaoru could say anything. Instead of heading for the bathroom, Haruhi stomped into the nearest corner and faced in. Her breath hitched uncomfortably as a result of Ozzie's continuing to jump around on top of her. She looked at him as best she could, her neck straining to turn farther than it's capabilities allowed.
"What is it?" she hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously. "What could possibly be so important that you can't wait even a second?"
"There is no such thing as waiting with this job!" Ozzie cried, stamping his foot. "You are on call 24/7 and must act immediately when a potential couple is near."
"Ozzie, I'm not a Cupid, remember? I'm just your substitute," Haruhi said.
He shook his head and waved his hand in her face.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter. Let's just get this situation fixed before it's too late."
"Fine. What is the situation?"
Ozzie ignored the barely repressed fury in Haruhi's voice and pointed at the dance floor, which was steadily filling up as the DJ put on some more upbeat dance music. From so far away, the sound wasn't as blaring, but Haruhi suspected it would pound in her ears and chest if she got any closer. She backed into the wall a little more, as far back as she could go. The inside of her dress dug into her skin, making it sting and itch at the same time. Resisting the urge to scratch at them, Haruhi looked out at the crowd, finding many red and blue Life Threads, but nothing else that might be enough to upset Ozzie in such a way.
"What am I looking at?" she asked.
"Just wait a minute," Ozzie answered. "Watch the man near the center. The over-weight one with the glasses and the purple suit."
Haruhi honed in on the man. He had before been hidden from view by another happy couple, but now stuck out like a sore thumb next to the dark green dress of the much younger woman(?) he was dancing with. He looked familiar somehow, but the harsh lighting made it difficult to pinpoint any distinguishing psychical features. Haruhi took note of his lack of a Life Thread, and mentally went over everything Ozzie had taught her so far.
"His Destined Love isn't around, right?"
"Oh, she is," Ozzie said. "She's just not close enough to him right now, but that'll change in a second. Hang on..."
Haruhi did as she was told, biting back the remaining questions running through her mind. She decided it wasn't worth the effort. The purple suited man guided his partner towards the other side of the room, making it harder for Haruhi to keep track of him. She stood on her tip-toes when someone else came to cover him. It did little thanks to her petite frame and was unnecessary anyway, as the purple suited man appeared again at the opposite corner.
He and the woman settled there. He spun her around, much to her enjoyment. They laughed loud, pulling each other close as the dance continued. Further in the distance was the surly woman from earlier, watching the purple suited man through slit eyes. Haruhi blinked and focused on her, on the contemptuous look she was giving the purple suited man. As he got a little closer, disregarding the woman's presence entirely, a Life Thread began to form and connect them by the fingers.
A yellow Life Thread.
Haruhi's eyes widened. She leaned forward unconsciously, feeling a strange desire to reach out and grab the Life Thread before it could disappear. That way, she would know for sure if it was real.
"This is why I hate the color yellow," Ozzie snorted, drumming his fingers against his knee.
"What does it mean?"
Ozzie returned to a standing position and leaned one hand against Haruhi's neck.
"That guy," he pointed at the purple suited man. "And that woman," he pointed at the surly woman. "Are Destined Loves, and as we both know, Destined Loves are supposed to be together forever."
"Right," Haruhi nodded, an unstated prompt for him to go on.
"Most of the time, it works out great," Ozzie said. "Yeah, they fight and disagree, but that's just human nature. You can't always get along, not even with your Destined Love. Anyway, it's usually smooth sailing from start to finish, but as we've already established, humans are really stupid. So sometimes, something happens that alienates a person from their Destined Love, be it a fight that got out of control, a misunderstanding, an act of spontaneous infidelity… the point is this: yellow Life Threads happen when Destined Loves try to separate."
He shrugged and fell silent. Haruhi observed the purple suited man as he danced away from his Destined Live, causing their Life Thread to vanish from sight. The surly woman made a face at him before gulping down another drink and then throwing her glass aside. Haruhi felt a wave of pity wash over her. She'd never seen anyone as despondent and miserable looking as this woman.
"So I guess I'm supposed to fix this," she guessed.
Ozzie gave a nod. "This is actually pretty advanced stuff. I shouldn't let you within 100 yards of a yellow Life Thread without years of training at Cupid's Academy."
"You have an Academy?"
"What? You think we just wake up one day and know everything about how love works? Dream on, sister! Now enough chatter, get out there and eliminate that disgusting color! MOVE MOVE MOVE!"
His tugging at her hair accentuated those final three words. Her slapped at him, pulling her hair out of his grasp and as far away from him as possible. It was one of those rare moments that she lamented it's lack of length. That would have made keep it away from Ozzie much simpler.
The song ended there, and the purple suited man gave his dance partner a polite bow that she returned with a curtsy. Another man approached at that moment, saying a few words before the girl took his hand and left with him. Now all alone, the purple suited man began glancing in all different directions, seeking out a new partner.
Haruhi didn't bother to look at Ozzie or wait for him to speak. She knew exactly what he was going to suggest and quite honestly couldn't think of an alternative that would satisfy him. Resigned, Haruhi crossed the room, maneuvering her way around the cramped together tables and chairs to make it to the dance floor. Once there, she walked briskly to the purple suited man, only now really seeing his face. Several feet away and she stopped, her mouth falling open as realization hit her.
"That's Mikami-san," she said softly out the corner of her mouth. "I knew I'd seen him somewhere! He owns the club my Dad works at."
"That's your Dad's boss?" Ozzie asked with a chuckle. "I guess that explains the suit."
"I didn't know Mikami-san was having problems with his wife," Haruhi murmured.
Her looked to the woman in the corner, Mikami's wife. She hadn't moved an inch for the entire party and nobody said a word to her. It was like she wasn't even there. Her arms were crossed over her chest defensively, and her eyes never left Mikami-san's back. For his part, Mikami seemed to pointedly avoid looking at her, never turning his head in her direction for longer than a split second at a time.
Haruhi thought back to the few times she'd met Mikami-san before tonight. He was a boisterous man, always happy to meet new people. He'd nearly crushed Haruhi in a hug when she was ten, squealing about how cute she was. She couldn't recall ever meeting his wife, but Mikami-san never spoke negatively about her.
'Dad would have told me if they were having problems,' she thought to herself. 'Whatever's going on must have only happened recently.'
"Mikami-san!" she called out.
The man turned around and Haruhi waved at him. His face erupted in a wide grin, and he was in front of her, roughly shaking her hand, before Haruhi knew what hit her.
"Oh my goodness!" he cried. "Are you really little Haruhi? Why, I haven't seen you in years, and you've grown like a weed! You're so pretty too, your father really doesn't do you justice!"
"Thank you, sir. It's nice to see you again too," Haruhi answered, wishing he would let go before he inadvertently ripped her arm out of it's socket. "I was just wondering if you wanted to dance?"
"With me?" Mikami pulled away, a look of mock horror on his face. "You want to dance with me? A pretty thing like you could have anyone here, male or female! Why choose an Old Fart like me?"
Haruhi chuckled nervously while Ozzie failed to bite back his own laughter, making her ears ring from the high pitch.
"I just wanted to catch up, that's all," she explained. "Like you said, it's been years."
A new song started up then, the DJ introducing it as a dedication from a man to his partner. Haruhi heard someone squeal, followed by a lanky young man dragging another, shorter, man onto the dance floor and holding him close. The song, much to Haruhi's relief, was about the same quick speed and tempo as the last one. Nice as Mikami-san was, she didn't especially want a slow dance with him.
He offered her a hand which Haruhi took unhesitatingly. Ozzie readjusted himself on her shoulder so as not to fall off when Mikami-san pulled her close. He wore a toothy grin as they started to move in time with the music. Haruhi waited a few seconds before speaking, wanting to first create a casual atmosphere before delving into something potentially deep and personal.
"So how have you been, Haruhi?" Mikami-san asked, once again faster than her. "How's that fancy rich school treating you?"
"Oh, it's fine," Haruhi answered. "The curriculum is pretty challenging, but nothing I can't handle. The other kids are also pretty nice."
"Your father told me you're in a club," Mikami-san said, pausing to spin her. "A host club?"
Haruhi shrugged. "It's a long story."
"Ah, but those boys in your club must be quite entertaining. That's them over by the refreshments, right?"
Haruhi nodded. As her and Mikami-san changed positions, she could see the six of them lounging around by the snack table, sipping their drinks and watching the dance floor. Hikaru was muttering something in Tamaki-senpai's ear while Kaoru giggled. Whatever it was, it made Tamaki's face go red and he jumped away from them, scotching over towards Kyoya. Hunny-senpai laughed in between shoveling cake in his mouth.
"It's nice that they brought the kid with them too," Mikami-san said, motioning at Hunny-senpai. "Who's little brother is he anyway? The other blonde's?"
"Well actually, Hunny-senpai's the oldest member of our group. He's just short for his age," Haruhi explained.
"Is that right?"
Haruhi bit her lip. Though she wasn't sure, she had a bad feeling the song, and their conversation, was going to end soon. Ozzie was staring at her expectantly, his blue eyes penetrating, even though she wasn't looking anywhere near him. He moved his hand in circular motions, urging her to keep going.
"Well, enough about me. How are you, Mikami-san?" she asked.
"Me?" Mikami-san chuckled. "Eh, can't complain. Business has been kind of slow in recent weeks, but with Valentine's Day tomorrow, I'm hoping things will pick up."
"Mm-hm," Haruhi nodded. She then recoiled a bit when Ozzie flicked her painfully on the neck, jerking his head at Mikami-san impatiently. Though Haruhi made time to glare at him, she understood his wordless message: she couldn't beat around the bush any longer.
"Excuse me?"
Haruhi's neck snapped around, first noting that the Host Club was no longer in the distance by the refreshment table. The next thing clear to her was Hikaru's smirking face not a foot away from them, gold eyes looking down on her and glowing with mirth.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But may I cut in?"
Like her failure of a first attempt at matchmaking, the sound Ozzie made in response to this was inhuman and highly unpleasant. That Mikami-san jovially turned Haruhi over to him before she could get a single word in made it worse. The next thing she knew, Hikaru was twirling her around the room, more quick and energetic than the fifty-something Mikami-san could've ever hoped to be.
"What are you doing?" Haruhi hissed at him.
"You said you didn't want to dance," Hikaru answered teasingly. "And then you go and dance with that old guy? That's not very fair."
"That old guy," Haruhi said in harsh tones. "Is my dad's boss. I was trying to catch up with him because we don't see each other much."
"You can do that," Hikaru said, as if it was his job to give her permission to talk to someone. "When the song ends."
Haruhi frowned in her lack of appreciation. She imagined if Ozzie was capable of anything other than pulling at his hair and screeching gibberish, he would be similarly not amused by Hikaru's insistence.
When the song finally did end, Haruhi excused herself as politely as she could before going off to find Mikami-san. Hikaru was left to deal with the advances of a much taller woman who may or may not have actually been biologically female. Mikami-san was right where Haruhi left him, chatting with another man who bid him farewell and walked off as Haruhi approached. She tapped Mikami-san on the shoulder and gave a friendly smile when he turned around. Wordlessly, she took his hand as another song started up. Unfortunately, it was a slow one, but Haruhi didn't have time to worry about that.
"So I wanted to ask you before," Haruhi said quickly before Mikami-san could speak. "How is your wife doing?"
The grin Mikami-san had been wearing all night long faded in an instant. Haruhi's smooth steps slowed, both from his own feet coming close to a stop and a sudden fear that she'd gone too far too fast. Haruhi glanced away, seeking out the wife of Mikami-san and finding her, immobile as ever, in her spot by the snacks. The woman wasn't even looking at them anymore. Rather, the ceiling fans seemed have all her attention.
"Kiyoko…" Mikami-san murmured, so softly, Haruhi could barely hear it over the music. Haruhi watched his face fall, eyes dulling to a murky brown that really didn't work for him. They slid to the floor, almost like Mikami-san was ashamed of something and didn't want to look directly at anyone. Was he afraid he would give something away if did? What would he have to hide in the first place?
"Mikami-san?" Haruhi said gently.
He took a long, shaking breath and looked up again. His smile returned, but this time, Haruhi wasn't buying it.
"Sorry, got a little lost in my head there…" he laughed a hollow laugh. "No, we're fine. We're just fine. A few problems here and there, but that's normal! Everything's alright."
He continued on this train of thought, growing steadily quieter, until the words were unintelligible through unmoving lips. Naturally, none of this convinced Haruhi of anything. That they moved dangerously close to Mikami-san's wife a moment later, revealing the yellow Life Thread once again didn't help matters, nor did it do anything for the already frantic Ozzie.
"He's lying!" the Cupid shouted in her ear. "You know he's lying, right? Tell me you know!"
'I can't tell you anything right now,' Haruhi thought angrily. 'Unless you want me to look like a crazy person, I hope one of your powers is mind reading!'
"Well, I don't mean to pry," she went on to Mikami-san. "But I noticed that she's been by herself for most of the night. I almost thought she was sick or something."
"Hey there, Haruhi!" Kaoru said, sliding up from nowhere with a grin that put his brother's to shame. "I didn't know you were on the dance floor now. Mind if I take over?"
"Not at all!" Mikami-san said, seeming all to happy to let Haruhi go and get far, far away from her. "You sure are popular tonight, Haruhi!"
"Yeah, popular," Haruhi groaned, not bothering to stop Kaoru as he led her away and ignoring Ozzie's frustrated teeth grinding. His face was turning a rich shade of red, and Haruhi could've sworn it was starting to swell up in preparation for an implosion.
She mostly kept quiet while dancing with Kaoru, only giving him one or two word answers the few times he said anything. He didn't seem to mind, and left on his own when the song ended. Now alone, Haruhi first looked around for the rest of her overenthusiastic friends. They were nowhere to be found whichever way Haruhi looked, and for now, she would choose to find that encouraging.
Mikami-san was still in sight, thankfully. Haruh passed various couples, pushing them out of her way as gently and politely as she could, but not stopping for too long as Ozzie wouldn't stand for it. He had gone silent for now, but who knows how long that would last, especially if Haruhi messed up and lost track of their target.
When she was all but right beside Mikami-san, Haruhi took in a breath and prepared to speak to him, ask him about his wife and why they were trying to part ways.
A loud and happy laugh interrupted her, followed by a warm hand grasping hers and pulling her away with a shout.
"Haru-chan!" Hunny-senpai cried as he dragged her along. "Dance with me!"
"I hate your friends," Ozzie growled.
A/N: Want to hear a funny story?
This is actually only the first part of chapter 5. I finished re-editing it today, and the finished product somehow came out to almost 30 pages and 11,000 words. I don't know how that happened, I didn't think I'd written that many scenes.
Well, I didn't think the chapters of Second Life could get as long as they do either, so it shows how much I know.
I wound up having to split chapter five into two chapters. That's why this one ends kind of abruptly. Sorry about that by the way.
The second part will be chapter six, so this story is going to have one more chapter than it would have otherwise. It also means this is officially the halfway mark between the beginning and end of this story.
Chapter six will be posted soon.