Chapter 2: The Curse of Love

Momo Fujioka was fourteen years old. She was over and done with puberty. Her pimples have faded and, thankfully, didn't leave any scars and her growth spurt came and went in a blink of an eye. Unfortunately for her, she only grew to be as tall as her sister, which wasn't really much. Haruhi was only 155 cm tall. It seemed like none of them inherited their father's height.

With the woes of puberty out of the way, Momo knew that most girls her age were now focused on growing up in other ways. They were going to be high school students and left and right Momo saw her classmates experimenting with new hairstyles and make up and friends and boys.

Momo felt like she was being left behind. Her classmates' futures were more or less planned out for them already. All they had to do was make friends (connections, really) and get good grades. If they were lucky enough, they could also fall in love if their love life wasn't planned out for them as well. Momo wasn't sure if they were even old enough to fall in love yet.

Only one person in her class had a boyfriend and, from what she heard, they were already engaged. Their parents had planned it since their birth.

"What's got you thinking so hard, Momo?" Satoshi Morinozuka asked, his hand coming into contact with Momo's head, patting her long brown hair and dislodging the bow she had tied to keep it away from her face.

"Life. Love. The future," Momo turned her attention to her classmate and friend. "Tell me, do you know what you want to be in the future, Satoshi?"

"The future?" Satoshi asked, his hand still rubbing Momo's head as he thought. "I haven't really thought about it. I guess I'll be working with the family, you know? Maybe I'd look into a college course that would support whatever it is Yasuchika has planned to take up. That's what Taka is doing."

Momo frowned. She didn't even know what course she wanted to take in college.

"What about you, Momo?"

"I don't know. I don't have a family business to take over or a man to marry." She knew some of her classmates were just going to get married when they come of age, be a couple of rich wives that do nothing but drink tea, shop, and support their husbands. "I'm just...drifting."

"Well, you're still young. You have the luxury of time," Satoshi reassured.

"You're young too, Satoshi." Momo reminded him.

"Ah, but I'm a Morinozuka so I do have a business to work in and I will eventually marry."

"Oh to be rich," Momo sighed. "Life must be so easy."

"Compared to a commoner," Satoshi grinned, knowing that Momo wouldn't be offended. She knew he didn't mean it as an insult. "Anyway, don't get too worked up. We still have to go through high school before thinking about the future."

"You're right," Momo agreed, smiling. She took Satoshi's hand away from her head and squeezed it before letting it go. "Will you be going to your club today?"

Suddenly, Satoshi's smile disappeared. "I'll be visiting Taka today."

"You'll be going to the Host Club?"

"No. Taka is going to be answering his challenge letters today," Satoshi said, handing Momo her school bag before leading her out of their classroom. "He received a bunch of them in his locker the other day."

"Challenge letters? Is...Is Mori-senpai in trouble?" Momo worried. She hadn't been to the Host Club in a while. She was too ashamed to show her face.

"Of course not, Momo!" Satoshi was quick to reassure her. "It's just that a lot of students from the martial arts clubs want to spar with Taka before he graduates!"

"I see," Momo pursed her lips. "Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai are graduating..."

"Yeah," Satoshi said, distractedly. He caught sight of his cousin walking just a few meters ahead of them. "Oi! Yasuchika! Let's visit Taka and watch his Kendo match!"

"As if I want to." Yasuchika immediately scoffed which ultimately caused Satoshi to chase after him, a glint in his eye.

Momo waved good-bye to her friends even though they were long gone. She was used to Satoshi angrily chasing after Yasuchika. It was almost a daily occurrence. Taking in a deep breath, Momo jogged towards the cafeteria. Something told her that Hani was there and she didn't want to be alone.

Hani and Mori were graduating soon and Momo didn't know how to take it. She heard from Haruhi the night before that all the guests in the Host Club, plus Tamaki, were in tears upon the realization that the Wild Type and Boy Lolita were no longer going to be around. Although Momo hardly visited the Host Club during their club hours (she was mostly there when they were packing up), she knew how their guests felt.

Momo knew that she wouldn't get to see Hani and Mori all that much once they graduate. They'd be busy with college and she'll be adjusting to high school life. She knew this since the start of their last semester. That's why she said what she said without really thinking things through.

Mori-senpai... I like you. No... I love you! I love you, Mori-senpai!

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude," Momo immediately apologized when she saw that Hani and Reiko were the only ones in the cafeteria. Their table was filled with cakes and pastries and they seemed to be enjoying the sweets along with each other's presence.

Momo felt lonely, seeing them together. She knew of Reiko's feelings for the blond, she had been there when the Host Club found out about her curses towards him.

"It's fine, Momo-chan! Right, Kanazuki?" Hani said cheerily. Reiko meekly nodded, her eyes scanning Momo before turning back the cake she had in front of her. Momo thanked them before slumping into a chair, her chin on the table, her nose nearly touching the cake in front of her.

"Is something wrong, Momo-chan?" Hani asked, although her already knew what was on his kohai's mind.

"You're graduating, Hani-senpai," Momo said dejectedly. "You're leaving us behind."

Reiko had put down her fork upon hearing this. She had almost forgotten that fact and she looked to the boy next to her. Hani gave her a small smile before turning his attention back to Momo.

"Don't think of it like that, Momo-chan. I'm just leaving Ouran, I'm not leaving you guys!"

"But still!" Momo whined. "The Host Club won't be the same without you..."

"And Takashi, right?"

"...Yeah." Momo lifted her head away from the table and took a slice of cake for herself. "I heard that he was challenged."

Hani nodded, taking a bite out of his cake. "You don't need to worry, Momo-chan! Takashi can take care of himself. He's just entertaining his kohai."

"I'm not worried..." Momo mumbled. Of course she knew Mori could handle himself. He was the national champion, after all. She sighed and looked up to see Reiko starring at her. "Are you okay, Kanazuki-senpai?"

"Morinozuka-senpai has stolen your soul, hasn't he?" Reiko said, ignoring the blush that immediately appeared on Momo's face.

Hani laughed. "You're right, Kanazuki!"

"Would you like to curse him?" Reiko asked, pulling out a new eraser. "If you write his name on it and use the eraser until it's done, his soul will be yours."

Momo gulped. "Ah... I don't think–"

"If you have a mirror you can write his name on it as well. If you do so, his soul will be yours," Reiko paused. "Use pink nail polish."

"Kana–"

"Haninozuka-senpai," Reiko turned to Hani. "If you pluck a strand of Morinozuka-senpai's hair and tie it to Momo-chan's, then their souls will be intertwined."

Hani laughed. "I remember that one!" He turned to Momo. "Don't worry, Momo-chan! I'll get Takashi's hair for you!"

Momo sniffed and felt a pain in her chest. Hani's beaming face brought tears to her eyes. This whole year, Hani had done nothing but cheer her on once he found out about her feelings for his cousin. Every time she visited the Host Club, Hani would beckon her to join him at his table because if she were with him, she'd be with Mori, too. If it wasn't for Hani, Momo would have never gotten to know Mori the way she did. Sure, she didn't have the same connection he had with Hani. Truthfully, she didn't want to. If they shared that, then it would be like they were cousins, maybe even siblings, as well. No, Momo and Mori understood each other in a different way and it was all thanks to Hani. Hani was still rooting for her even though he already knew the outcome of her confession. He even got Reiko to support her.

"Hani-senpai...Kanazuki-senpai," Momo cried, their comfort overwhelming her. "Thank you so much but...I don't think those curses would make Mori-senpai's soul mine!"

"Don't cry, Momo-chan!" Hani panicked. "Takashi isn't afraid of curses! You can try every curse in Kanazuki's book! Takashi's soul will be yours!"

"He's right, Momo-chan. Keep fighting!" Reiko agreed, a burst of energy overcoming her. She loved curses, dearly, and would help Momo use them. "There's a curse where if you write his name 99 times–"

"Yes, Momo-chan!" Hani cheered. Reiko's excitement was contagious. Hani knew now that Reiko's curses were harmless and just wanted to cheer his friend up. "Write your names on chopsticks, Momo-chan! That curse will surely work!"

Momo sniffed again, covering her face with her hands. "What if... Mori-senpai already told me he didn't want me to have his soul?" She had forgotten that souls and curses had nothing to do with her situation with Mori.

"Takashi didn't say that, Momo-chan," Hani frowned.

"I know... but he might as well have," Momo wilted. "If he said that, maybe things wouldn't be this way."

"What did he tell you?" Reiko asked.

"He basically told me that I was too young to know what I was talking about," Momo wiped her eyes. She had cried over the memory so many times before and even now her heart ached whenever she thought back to it. "I know I'm young but...I also know what love is."

Reiko nodded her head in understanding. She held her hand out and asked Momo to do the same. She placed the eraser in Momo's hand and folded Momo's fingers over it.

"Take it and write his name," Reiko said as she picked up her fork. "Steal his soul. It's only right because he stole yours."

And here is chapter 2! This chapter more or less takes place during the events in Volume 15, Chapter 71 of the Manga!

No Mori in this chapter... sad. Just an emotional Momo... sadder.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next! Please leave a review if you can :) I'd love to know what you think!

I apologize for any typos or grammatical errors.

I only own what I own.