Chapter 10:

Country: Japan

Population: 127 Million

Infected: 74%

Date: Monday • May 23 • 2017

Point of View: Ouran Group

"Hika-Chan! What happened?"

Hikari didn't let go of her girlfriend, constantly checking to make sure she still had a pulse.

"She, I'll..."

Someone beside her gently nudged her shoulder. Bringing her to look down at the bundle.

A pair of eyes looked up at her, deep brown eyes, and dark brown hair, just like Haruhi.

Hikari couldn't help the audible breath of relief.

She looked just like Haruhi. So the chance of her unintentionally reminding her mother of what she went through lowered.

Kaoru's eyes went wide, mouth agape.

"H—Hikari...?"

Hikari lowered her head, hair falling in front of her face.

"Kyoya..."

Just about all of their faces lit up with awareness and horror.

This should have been expected.

Haruhi didn't show any symptoms because she was so sick already.

Labor was clearly rough as well, so...

Hikari hugged her quickly, using all of her strength to pick her up and carry her to a makeshift hospital bed that was being assembled while Haruhi was in too much pain to move.

At least Yuri seemed healthy enough.

Haruhi still didn't wake up after the hour it took explaining the entire situation to the rest of the group.

Kyoya was hesitant to ask that they talk in private, but Hikari agreed.

"Would you like me to help cover it up? I can do a few things to ensure that I'm not suspected as her father?"

Hikari was shocked.

"You'd really do that?"

Kyoya nodded.

"If you and Haruhi want that. I know that everything I've done is shameful. And I promised Haruhi that I would make up for it in any way she wanted me to.

Hikari blinked, looking down at the moving bundle now in her arms.

"Well, we were planning to—I—think we should wait for Haruhi to wake up."

Kyoya didn't argue.

By the time Haruhi finally woke up, the entire group was back together.

"Four hours?"

Hikari nodded, having handed Yuri to her a moment prior.

"Yeah. You—Sorry if it's not ideal to say—but you really had us worried."

Haruhi looked down, hiding her relief of Yuri looking like her to the best of her ability.

"I figured. I'm actually a little shocked at how alright I'm feeling right now."

Hikari tilted her head.

"You aren't in any pain?"

Haruhi shook her head.

"No, actually."

Even Yuri seemed relieved at the words, even though she couldn't understand them.

"Maybe it fizzled out during those four hours?"

Haruhi shrugged, inhaling sharply as she tried to shift a bit.

"Never mind, it's still there. Just when I move."

A barely audible: "Ah" was the reply.

Haruhi's eyes landed on Yuri again. Sulking a little.

"They know, don't they?"

Hikari nodded, numbly.

"They showed up right when you passed out."

Hikari didn't miss the curse under Haruhi's breath.

"It's—They haven't reacted too badly, yet. But, Kyoya offered to help cover the whole thing up."

Haruhi glanced over at her, confusion and surprise visible.

"He did?"

Hikari nodded.

"I haven't told him about our main plan, but I'm hoping everyone will be okay with it and not tell Ranka or Tamaki."

Haruhi didn't need to verbalize her agreement.

Someone peeked over, waving lightly to make his presence known.

"Kaoru! Long time no see!"

Kaoru couldn't help giggling. If there was one thing he couldn't handle, it was a morose atmosphere. He just didn't know how he was meant to act.

"You, too! And it's nice seeing that my beloved big sister's finally grown her hair out!"

Hikari didn't hide her excitement—despite how clearly tangled her hair was.

"I know! I'm shocked that nobody has brought it up yet."

Haruhi smirked.

"Maybe that's because you gave yourself away already. Tamaki was probably the only person who still doesn't know. Because, well—"

Haruhi couldn't help her giggle in between.

"It's Tamaki."

The twins didn't see any reason to hide their amusement as well.

Haruhi registered a light tug on her shirt, smiling softly at her daughter.

"What did you name her, anyway?"

"Yuri. We thought it would work regardless of what her gender ends up being. Not that I would mind if she were to change it anyway."

Haruhi wasn't embarrassed when Yuri needed to eat. Hikari and Kaoru weren't, either.

Kyoya had come back with food, and was embarrassed when the first thing he saw was Haruhi and Yuri.

Haruhi grinned, almost tempted to send a wink his way.

"Hey."

Haruhi moved her worn dress shirt back into place. And unconsciously allowing Kyoya to have a better look at Yuri's face.

There was a feeling in his chest when he saw her. One drawn back by the guilt of its existence.

It was hard to, but he tried to hold back the warmth. The light voice in his head whispering: "How could I have helped to make something so beautiful?"

But no, Yuri already had two wonderful parents. And as much as the warmth protested, he wouldn't have been happy if Yuri was saddled with him as her father.

Perhaps she would learn of the blood relation later. But he would play no other part in her life.

He wasn't deserving of it.

Even if he was, what waited for her family wise? All of his side would hate both her and Haruhi. So they couldn't know.

It would have been like a broken record to think about Ranka again.

"What were you going to say? Before Haruhi woke up?"

Hikari spoke up, after a nod of approval from Haruhi.

"We were putting together an escape plan."

Kyoya blinked.

"How?"

Haruhi replied this time.

"The plan was that we'd pretend I was still at the school, while instead we go elsewhere and try to move on from this whole thing. We'd probably have to make it look like we died in the school. Kanako and Toru said they would do the same."

Kyoya smiled.

"I can certainly help make that seem more real for the five of you. I haven't given Ranka and Tamaki enough reason to suspend me as a liar. Especially to this extent. So if I relayed the information, it wouldn't be questioned as harshly."

Nobody hid their relief.

"And, I suppose the same goes for Toru and Kanako?"

Kyoya nodded.

"Our families have good relations, so I would have already been asked to go over and see if everything is alright. As for the moving part..."

Kyoya frowned.

"They may still be in denial after I tell them. So you will need a more concrete plan to prevent being caught. There is a supervised exodus in a few days, and people found in the quarantine zone without infection will also be allowed access to the smaller islands. I would wait on one, and when they announce visitor entry, it means that you can go freely around the rest of the country. So I would recommend going north and staying in a more mountainous area. Perhaps. That should prevent the five of you from being located. And I can pretend that my family did a search and found nothing."

Haruhi wished she had something to write it down.

"Got it, thank you so much, Kyoya."