"Haru-chan!" Hunny-senpai cried as he dragged her along. "Dance with me!"

"I hate your friends," Ozzie growled.

Five minutes later, Hunny-senpai was off to get his third helping of cake and chatter away with Mori-senpai. Haruhi could no longer find Mikami-san on the dance floor, much to Ozzie's clear aggravation. She didn't bother seeking out the wife again, knowing that she would still be in the same spot and as wrapped up in herself as ever.

'If I can't find Mikami-san, I might have to go and talk to her anyway,' Haruhi noted.

Right as she was thinking this, the crowd parted a bit on one side. The space was closed soon after, but Haruhi had just enough time to spot Mikami-san at a nearby table, solemnly picking at a bowl of soup.

Haruhi was on the move before Ozzie had a chance to order her, not that this stopped him.

"Go! Go! Go go go! Move, damn you, move!"

"I am moving," Haruhi snapped.

Ozzie scoffed and looked away. "No need to be rude."

Haruhi stood before Mikami-san, unsure if she should sit done or not. She eyed his free hand, the his fingers flexing impulsively again and again; like he was trying to make a fist, but didn't have the energy.

"Mikami-san?" Haruhi said, kneeling down to his level. "Are you okay?"

He eyed her briefly, but didn't turn his head. His soft gaze was back on the bowl of dark brown soup, and if it weren't for the way he sighed and rubbed his neck, Haruhi would have believed he was ignoring her.

"Haruhi," he said. "Let me give you some advice."

He turned around, and suddenly looked ten years older than a moment ago.

"If you ever get married, you will probably have a lot of disagreements with your spouse. That's just a fact of life. Just… just don't ever go too far with what you say. They might decide that… that you two are really no good for each other."

"What do you mean?"

Mikami-san shook his head. "Nothing. I'd just like some time to myself if you don't mind. I have a lot to think about."

"Don't listen to him!" Ozzie said, all but shoving his face into her ear this time. "If you do, he's just going to mope around doing nothing and his wife will definitely leave him!"

Haruhi jerked her shoulder to one side to jostle the loud cupid, creating the desired effect of silencing him.

"Well, Mikami-san, I hope I'm not stepping out of line by saying this, but if you and your wife are having problems, it might help if you spoke to her. She's been off on her own all night."

Mikami-san shook his head, an empty smile stretching across his features.

"If only it were that simple…" he said softly. Then he gave another sigh and got to his feet.

At his full height, Mikami-san was only about a few inches taller than Haruhi, which wasn't saying much. Still, he patted her on the head, mussing up her hair in the process. Haruhi, though not receptive of the gesture, didn't try and push him off. With the way he was acting, any sort of kindness on her part would be helpful.

"I'm sorry, I should be going. It is my party after all. Lots more people I need to greet."

"But, Mikami-san-"

He was walking away before Haruhi could say any more. What she had gotten out didn't faze he anyway. He seemed to be making a real effort to pay no mind to her anymore. Within seconds, he had disappeared amid bodies clothed in various colors that more often than not clashed with their Life Threads. Haruhi stared at the spot where her father's boss had once stood, shoulders slumped in defeat. Despite this, Ozzie had no problem pacing up and down from her neck to her arm, muttering and steaming with anger.

"You let him go. You actually let him go," he repeated that phrase, among others, over and over again, to the point that Haruhi was no longer phased by his indirect criticisms. "Well, that's just fantastic. I can't wait until they separate for good and their Life Threads break apart. Won't that just be lovely?"

Haruhi plopped down on the nearest chair and leaned over. She no longer had the energy to stand, and wanted nothing more than to be at home, in her room, reading a good book in peace and quiet.

Alone.

"So, Haruhi! How does it feel knowing you contributed to the breakup of a destined couple, huh? Any thoughts?"

"Hey!" Haruhi whipped her head around, narrowed eyes glaring hard into Ozzie's. The cupid wouldn't let out, leaving them stuck in an endless staring contest that neither could win. "I'm doing the best I can here! In case you've forgotten, this is not my job, it's your job. These last few days, I've just been running blind! I've been lucky! I don't know the first thing about romantic love and quite frankly, I don't care about it! What is so bad about Mikami-san and his wife splitting up anyway? Surely they can find happiness on their own without!"

Throughout Haruhi's rant, Ozzie went through a series of varying emotions. He began with the anger brought on by Haruhi's current failure, which soon changed to bewilderment, then horror, and finally something Haruhi couldn't determine. His face was completely blank, covered partially by a shock of red hair. He didn't speak a word when Haruhi was finished, and merely looked deep into her eyes before quietly turning away. He slid down, sitting on Haruhi's shoulder in a relaxed position and kicking his legs out in the air.

A long silence followed, one that Ozzie spent staring off into the crowd with seemingly no goal in mind. Haruhi watched him, waiting for his next move. It came when he suddenly pointed in a random direction.

"Take a look at that," he said.

Haruhi's eyes flicked up, and she caught sight of her father. Ranka was walking across the now nearly empty dance floor with a pair of his co-workers. He appeared to be telling some kind of joke, one that received a positive reaction from his friends, who were holding their sides as they laughed. Ranka let out a chortle of his own and ran fingers through his curled hair. The black Life Thread slid across his face, past eyes that couldn't see it. Haruhi felt her stomach turn, just like all the other times that thing showed itself.

"You've probably been wondering about that," Ozzie said. "About your Dad's Life Thread, that is."

Haruhi nodded. "Why is it black? And frayed at the end?"

Ozzie shook his head, his entire demeanor taking on a strange sadness that wasn't reassuring to Haruhi in the least.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about those sooner," he said. "To be honest, black Life Threads always depress me. It gets to a point that I can't even wear anything black sometimes… see, as I've already told you, everyone has a Destined Love, a soulmate, whatever you want to call it. Everyone has one, but not everyone meets theirs. There are a number of reasons why this is: lifestyle choices, long distances, just plain never encountering one another… black Life Threads are different. They are a surefire sign that you aren't going to be meeting your Destined Love, because… well, because they didn't live long enough for that."

Haruhi's fist clenched into a ball, the heavy implications sinking in fast. she'd been suspecting something like that from the start, but the confirmation of her fears still made her heart clench. The image of a woman, smiling and beautiful, worked it's way into her mind's eye, along with something in her throat that made breathing difficult.

"That's not always the case, though. Some people get lucky like your dad over there," Ozzie went on. "He at least got to be with his Destined Love for a while before she died. Some people don't even have that much. You know that saying, it's better to have loved and lost-"

"Than to have never loved at all," Haruhi finished, going back to the day she'd been told her mother wasn't going home anymore. How broken and lost her father had looked, and how he struggled to keep his composure around the tiny child she had been. She'd never really thought much on it, never wanted to before. She still didn't.

"That's probably the biggest downside of the job, seeing those."

"I can imagine."

Ozzie disappeared from her side vision, appearing right away in front of her. He sat down beside the hand she'd placed flat on the table and rubbed it softly so she could feel it.

"You know something?" he asked. "I'll bet you anything that your parents were a perfect couple."

Haruhi looked at him, surprised at his words, but warmed nonetheless. She smiled softly, thinking how nice it was to see Ozzie be a little less abrasive.

"They were," she answered, then exhaled deeply and moved to face the dance floor, removing her hand from Ozzie's reach in the process. "But what about Mikami-san and his wife? What can we do for them?"

Ozzie's frown morphed into a knowing grin.

"Now you're starting to think like a cupid."

Haruhi didn't know how to answer that. Appreciated as the compliment was, it didn't help her predicament. She sensed that Ozzie would have no real suggestions for her anyway. Someone who held his job in such high regard and had been relentless in his badgering of her to perform would have said something already, right?

Haruhi's head dropped into her hands and she rubbed at her temples, creating more pain than was relieved. Numerous partygoers passed, and she paid them no mind, preferring instead to wallow in the dawning hopelessness of it all. She therefore didn't realize that anyone was coming up behind her, and not just so they could walk by.

"Come on, Haruhi," Ozzie said, lifting two of her fingers and pulling gently. "You have to figure something out. His wife will split up with him permanently if you don't!"

"I know that," she answered with frustration. "But I can't think of anything! I really don't know either Mikami-san or his wife that well. I don't want them to get a divorce, but how am I supposed to convince them to stay together?"

"Haruhi?"

The sound of her name made Haruhi jump and snap her head to the side. In a clear area, surrounded by the masses of people, stood Tamaki, his violet eyes filled with curiosity. Haruhi bit her lip, wondering how much of that he'd actually heard. If he'd seen her talking to the invisible Ozzie, that couldn't possibly end well. The conclusions someone like Tamaki could jump to weren't something she wanted to think about.

"Haruhi," he said again, more firmly this time. "Who is Mikami-san? A friend of yours?"

Haruhi sighed softly, feeling a small amount of relief that her senpai hadn't asked about Ozzie.

"He's my father's boss," she answered quickly. "He's just-"

"He's having problems with his wife," Tamaki interrupted, his hands on his hips. Haruhi bit back a groan, knowing from experience that he was about to shift into 'leader' mode. "Well, Haruhi, I'm glad you told me!"

"I didn't, you snuck up on me," Haruhi muttered.

But Tamaki wasn't listening anymore, the damage had been done. He stood up a little straighter, slowly raising one hand and giving a dramatic snap of his fingers. Near instantaneously, the entirety of the Ouran Host Club was before them, so fast it made Haruhi's head spin. They stood in a neat, single file line before Tamaki and Haruhi, waiting on the former's orders. Meanwhile, Ozzie was watching intently from the edge of the table, like a small child going to the movies for the first time. Haruhi hadn't the foggiest of what he was thinking, but his expression alone was enough to annoy her.

"Alright, men," Tamaki said. "Ranka-san's employer is having marital problems. As Hosts, we have a duty to the lovely princesses of the world, both young and old. So, we'll be working now to mend the relationship between Mikami-san and his wife. Haruhi, where is Mikami-san's wife?"

"Huh?" Haruhi jerked back instinctually when Tamaki's wandering eye landed on her. "Senpai, you really don't…"

She trailed off, but her voice began weakening on the second word when she saw the look on his face. That serious, no nonsense look he had worn during their conversation the other day, and what she imagined he looked like during their phone conversation the night before. That same expression that somehow coincided with whatever ailment she had that made her heart beat faster and her face feel hot.

It was a look she could never refuse.

"She's over there, that's her," Haruhi gestured at Mrs. Mikami's spot by the wall.

Tamaki snapped his fingers again. "Hikaru, Kaoru, go and get her."

"Roger," the twins said, speaking and saluting in perfect unison before sprinting off into the crowd.

"Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai, go outside to the parking lot and get my driver to let you in the car. There's a thick black folder in one of the seat pockets. Get it and bring it to me. Kyoya, distract the DJ."

Everyone went off to do their jobs, leaving only Haruhi behind to try and make sense of Tamaki's plan. Why on earth would he need to sabotage the DJ?

Before she could think more on it, Tamaki's face took up her vision as he kneeled to her level.

"Haruhi, I need you to go and get Mikami-san. Bring him to the center of the dance floor in ten minutes, okay?"

"Tamaki, what are you trying to do?"

"Just trust me, Haruhi," he answered, smiling now. "I know exactly what I'm doing. We're going to remind your father's boss and his wife of what a beautiful thing their love is."

He walked away, humming a little song under his breath that Haruhi couldn't make out more than a few notes of before he was out of earshot, headed in the same direction Kyoya had disappeared.

Ozzie gave a low whistle.

"Man, why didn't I land on his balcony instead?"

"Ozzie…" Haruhi said in a warning tone.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ozzie ran up her arm onto her shoulder, and continued from there, climbing all the way to the top of Haruhi's head. "You heard the man, LET'S GO!"

He pointed so far out, Haruhi could see his hand just above her. Though still unhappy with the tiny Cupid, she swallowed it back and stood, pushing through the crowd in yet another attempt to locate Mikami-san.

It proved a far easier task than she thought. Mikami-san was over by the refreshment table, nursing a beer and looking rather despondent, a stark contrast to the jovial man she'd danced with barely twenty minutes ago.

Haruhi was silent as she closed in, and it paid off when Mikami-san glanced up aimlessly and spotted her. He lowered his drink and rubbed his eyes.

"Hello again, Haruhi," he said softly. "I'm sorry to be such a terrible host, but… I'm afraid I'm not in the right sort of mood for it like I thought I'd be."

Haruhi shook her head. "It's not your fault, and I think I know why you're upset."

He furrowed his brow, and Haruhi responded by taking his hand and stepping closer to the dance floor. Mikami-san got the message clearly and opened his mouth, ready to refuse as politely as he could. This time, Haruhi beat him to the punch.

"I want to show you something," she said. "It's a surprise.

She added that last part quickly, as she didn't want to try and answer any of Mikami-san's questions until she herself knew what Tamaki was planning. She just hoped it wouldn't be anything too convoluted like most of the other 'brilliant' plans she'd seen the host club come up with.

Haruhi guided Mikami-san to the center as per Tamaki's command. Mikami-san grumbled in a low voice that he really wanted to be alone to think, but did nothing more to dissuade her from dragging him right into the middle of the room, a place where any idea of privacy was laughable.

"Haruhi, what is this?" Mikami-san finally asked when they stopped in an empty spot. "What are you doing?"

Haruhi thought fast.

"Just wait one second, Mikami-san."

He continued giving her a nonplussed look that did nothing for Haruhi's nervousness, until something made him glance over her shoulder, and his whole face went pale. Curious, Haruhi turned around, and wasn't at all surprised to see Kaoru heading over, Hikaru close behind and dragging Mikami-san's protesting wife with him. Knowing that he might try to run, Haruhi faced him again.

"Mikami-san, I know you and your wife are having problems," she said. "I don't know what they are exactly and I'll respect your privacy, but whatever it is, surely it's not enough for you to break up. You two love each other, don't you?"

"How did you know…" he trailed off and was silent for a moment before jerking his head to one side. "It's a complicated issue. We've been together for so many years and it's always been wonderful, but then we had this big fight and things got out of control and… and we both said things we shouldn't have. I don't want her to go, I love her more than anything. I'm just afraid after all that was said… she doesn't love me anymore."

Haruhi frowned, not at all happy with this dejected Mikami-san. He was a lot like Tamaki in that he was at his best when happy and full of life. Seeing him so sad just made everything around him dark and gloomy as well.

"Mikami-san," she said. "I don't know much about love, but if you and your wife are as happy as you say you've been, I don't think one stupid fight is going to just make it all disappear."

By now, the twins were standing right behind her, and Mikami-san's wife had stopped yelling. Haruhi imagined if she were to look, she'd see an equal amount of anxiety in the face and posture of Mikami-san's wife. She wound up turning in the end, though for a different reason.

The fast dance music, which had been playing non-stop almost all night, suddenly screeched to a stop. The only remaining sounds were the wave of murmurs that accompanied this as all eyes went to the stage. Haruhi didn't know what to think when she saw Tamaki, tall and proud, standing before a microphone and looking out with a wide smile. To his far left, in a more shadowed area, Haruhi could just make out Kyoya handing something that looked suspiciously like a check to the DJ.

"Good evening, everyone!" Tamaki said, his voice magnified loud enough to make Haruhi's ears ring. "My name is Tamaki Suoh, and I am so happy to be here with you lovely people tonight!"

One or two people clapped, but everyone else just went on staring awkwardly. Tamaki, as usual, was far too lost in his own world of beauty and glamour to care. If he did, he probably figured that he would win them all over in the end anyway.

"I'd just like to give my thanks to our wonderful hosts, Mikami-san and his beautiful wife. How about it?"

More people applauded now, almost half the room, and several even whooped. Mikami-san stood rigid as the spotlight fell on him. Mori-senpai took the opportunity to guide the man's wife into the circle with him. They eyeballed each other, red in the face, but choosing to wave half-heartedly at the crowd rather than speak to each other.

"Aren't they just the sweetest couple you've ever seen?" Tamaki went on with flourish. "I certainly think so, and that's why I'd like to dedicate a little number to them."

As he spoke, the curtains slowly opened, and the light panned back to him, revealing a grand piano, shiny and new. Haruhi sweatdropped.

"Does every place we go have one of those?"

Tamaki sat down and opened the lid, turning his sheet music to a random page. He began playing a slow song Haruhi didn't recognize. She knew, though, that it was probably a love song, as couples returned to dancing, much slower than before. Meanwhile, Mikami-san and his wife didn't seem to know what to make of this. They hadn't moved away from each other, but neither did they speak. Haruhi felt a tugging at her hair, a reminder that Ozzie was still around and still in a desperate state.

"Why don't we leave you two alone?" she said, grabbing at Hikaru and Kaoru by the arms. "I think you have a lot to talk about."

The three of them started off, Haruhi having a hard time stopping herself from looking back. She waited to get back to an empty table, losing Hikaru and Kaoru easily in the crowd before they could say anything or try to coax her into another dance. Reaching a barren table, Haruhi sat and watch Mikami-san say a few words to his wife, who didn't look like she wanted to hear it. But after a few seconds, her frown softened and she met his eyes again. Mikami-san offered her a hand, and she took it an a weak grip. Pretty soon, they were moving along with the music, saying nothing, but looking only at each other.

Their Life Thread, despite retaining it's yellow color, looked less abrasive and was started to change, very slowly becoming an orangey color. Ozzie's sigh of relief was suitable reassurance for Haruhi that this was a good thing.

"Now that's how you do it," he said. "Haruhi, you should take notes."

She gave him a deadpan look.

"Sorry, I don't play piano."

Ozzie gave no reply, and instead watched Mikami-san spin his wife around, making her smile for the very first time all night. They quickly got lost in the sea of dancers, all red Life Threads mixed with minimal blue. It was a nice sight, Haruhi had to admit. Knowing that her father's friends and co-workers were so happy in their relationships was actually very sweet. She watched several more pairs of middle-aged men walk by hand in hand, with on male and female couple mixed in.

That was when Haruhi noticed something strange.

This particular couple held each other close and gazed lovingly at each other. They were seemingly no different than any couple in the vicinity, except the Life Thread that connected them wasn't red.

It wasn't blue either.

Without looking away, Haruhi waved to get Ozzie's attention.

"What is that?" she pointed at the couple. "Why is their Life Thread purple?"

"There's a purple one here?"

Ozzie leapt to his feet to get a better look, squealing and clapping his hands as he jumped up and down happily.

"Oh, that's wonderful! I love purple Life Threads! That's why purple is my favorite color!"

"Uh-huh," Haruhi said after a beat. "So what do they mean?"

The cupid slowed his celebratory dancing to a stop, falling limp as he slid down into a sitting position, this time at the side. He sucked on his teeth, as if unsure whether to go on or not. Haruhi couldn't say what was making him hesitate, just that she hoped he'd get over it soon and give her a straight answer.

"You remember when I told you about black Life Threads?" he asked.

Haruhi felt a slight stabbing in her gut, but nodded all the same.

"Well, you see, people like that, with black Life Threads, they tend to be drawn to one another. Tell me if you've heard this: a man with a dead wife meets and falls in love with a woman who's husband has also died. It sounds like the plot of a cheesy romance film, but it's not far off the truth."

Ozzie stood up and stretched out his back.

"We don't really know why it happens, though we do have our theories. I think it's because they can understand each other's pain. Even if someone with a black Life Thread never got to meet their Destined Love, there's always a lingering feeling in their gut that something isn't right. They'll just dismiss it usually, but it doesn't go away. If anything, it'll just get worse. So when two people with black Life Threads come together and form a bond of some sort, there's a good chance they'll fall in love. That's what creates purple Life Threads. It's my favorite because it's an all new love they made for themselves by helping each other through the pain."

Haruhi kept her eyes on the couple all throughout Ozzie's speech, and with every word, she felt the warmth within her grow along with her smile. The happiness in their eyes took on a whole new meaning now, a deeper meaning. She really, really liked watching them.

"That's… pretty amazing," she said.

Ozzie nodded in agreement.

"It's even better when they have kids. Now this is probably just a coincidence, but in my experience, children born from purple Life Threads are always really in tune with other people's emotions. Sort of the way a Cupid has to be. I remember this one time like fifteen-twenty years ago, a guy with a black Life Thread went to Europe while I was there on business, and he got friendly with this woman who also had one and wound up having a kid with her. Now those there was some true love if I've ever seen it. I always wonder what happened to them."

"Oh yeah?" Haruhi answered, not really listening.

At least not until her eyes found Tamaki again, and the serenity of his expression as his song grew steadily louder and more passionate. Then the pieces of Ozzie's story started coming together and dropped into her stomach like a brick.

"Ozzie?" she asked shakily. "What was the businessman's name?"

"His name?" Ozzie repeated with an uncaring shrug. "I don't know. I deal with so many couples, I can barely remember the people we talked to yesterday."

Haruhi would have questioned him further, but a fast approaching, and very happy looking, Mikami-san cut her off. His wife wasn't with him, if only because she was chatting with some other ladies over at another table a short way's away. Haruhi noted that she looked quite pretty when she was grinning.

"Haruhi, I have to say, you and your friends are incredible," Mikami-san said, patting her on the head again. "I can't thank you enough. I really think we're going to be able to work it out now. That dance and the talk we had is just what we needed."

Haruhi smiled while Ozzie pumped a fist in the air. "I'm glad to hear it, Mikami-san. I hope everything goes well for you."

"Oh, it will. Trust me on th-" he stopped, but unlike the first time, it was immediately followed by his eyes bugging out in shock and fear. He stumbled back a bit, though stayed within arm's length, and pointed a white finger at the now very confused Haruhi. "W-what is that? There's a little man on your shoulder!"

Now it was Haruhi's turn to lose all color. A wide-eyed glance at Ozzie revealed him to be reacting similarly. They were frozen hardly a second longer before Ozzie ran up the length of Haruhi's arm.

"Oh CRAP this is bad. Haruhi, put your hand on his head."

"What, why?"

"JUST DO IT!"

His shout jolted her, and Haruhi's mind kicked into autopilot, following his orders with no further argument. As soon as her hand touched Mikami-san's forehead, she felt a strange and warm tingling run from the tips of her fingers to the top of her shoulder. Mikami-san's terrified expression melted away, replaced by a slack jaw and dead eyes. Ozzie raised a finger to those eyes and very slowly ran it back and forth, once, twice, three times before sighing in relief and sliding back down.

"Okay, problem solved," he said. "Sorry for that, I needed to use your body as a channel for my memory spell. I guess in my excitement, I forgot to keep the invisibility going. He won't remember seeing me now."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow as she moved away from Mikami-san, who broke out of his trance, glanced around in confusion, and finally shrugged and started off for his wife.

"You're telling me you can erase memories now?"

Ozzie gave her a look. "Well yeah. It's against the rules for us to be seen by humans. If it ever happens, we're supposed to immediately erase it from their memories. It's a standard safety precaution."

"Standard, right," Haruhi muttered, not sure how to wrap her head around this power Ozzie had to mess with people minds.

To make herself fell better, Haruhi focused on Tamaki. He had long since finished the first song, which was met by thunderous applause and calls for an encore. Always one to be the center of attention, Tamaki was more than willing to indulge them.

"Thank you, thank you! Yes, I will do another one."

Kyoya could be seen eyeing him with deep annoyance as he handed over another wad of cash to the smirking DJ.

The song Tamaki played now was slow like the last one, but which a much more solemn quality to it, almost like it was a song about sadness rather than love. Haruhi wondered what made Tamaki play something like that; he didn't look like he was enjoying himself any less than before. Just what was going on in that head of his and why did not knowing make her feel so down? He should have had nothing to be sad about right now. This was far more his victory than it was Haruhi's, and he hadn't even done it for any more of a reason than just wanting to. Haruhi gave a snort, Tamaki really would have been better at this job than her. He just cared so much about everyone.

Ozzie nudged at her neck.

"Hey, what's with you?"

Haruhi ran her tongue across dry lips as her eyes briefly flicked down.

"Thinking about your friend up there?"

"Yeah, sort of…" she answered, tracing the line of his pink Life Thread with her eyes as it rested on the keyboard. "I'm just thinking… whoever his Destined Love is, she's pretty lucky."

Ozzie snorted and spoke in a voice too low for Haruhi to hear.

"You don't know the half of it."

A/N: And that's chapter 6/part 2 of chapter 5. Whatever you want to call it.

I decided to post it a little early since it's Easter and all that. Mine has been pretty boring, but I hope you all had a nice day regardless of whether or not you celebrate.

Next chapter, we're finally getting into Valentine's Day. It should be very exciting.

See you then!

PS: Everyone remember to wish Tamaki and very happy birthday! :D