Airisu entered the science classroom, heart beating quickly. This morning, as she was leaving for school, a delivery of the most exquisite blue roses she'd ever seen arrived at her mansion. Surprised, she'd read the note, which only said:
Sorry,
Hikaru
He must've been feeling extremely guilty to have gone through all that trouble. Her mind was buzzing the whole time while riding her limo to school. She tried to rehearse her planned interaction with Hikaru in her head before actually talking with him. After all, she really didn't want to have a day like yesterday and was afraid of setting him off. Again.
Still, the flowers were very kind. And they were a welcome sight, especially considering that today was Wednesday, the day of the week she dreaded the most. So as soon as she walked in, she made her way to where Hikaru was seated and immediately said, "Thanks. They were very beautiful."
Hikaru pulled his head back slightly, in a way that made her wonder if he was confused. Before he could respond, Kaoru hopped up and stood behind his brother, widely grinning. "Oh yeah, he really has an eye for floral arrangements. Isn't that right, Hikaru?"
Hikaru scratched the back of his head with a quick glance at Kaoru. "Oh, yeah. I'm glad you liked them."
Sensei stood up front to begin class, cutting their conversation short. Airisu had also wanted to ask Hikaru if Haruhi being a girl was simply common knowledge or not, but wasn't sure how to bring it up. She supposed that now wasn't the time. She made her way back to her typical seat next to Momoko. Soon, they were directed to work with their partners on their science projects, and Hikaru joined her in the back.
Airisu, notebook already out, glanced hesitantly at her reluctant partner. "So, the clock idea is out?"
She braced herself for some mouthy reply from Hikaru, but was surprised when he merely said, "Yeah, if that's alright with you."
She glanced down, noticing the pink bow at the top of her uniform was untying. "Well, what ideas do you have?" She used her hands to tie it back up, then looked up to see Hikaru glancing down at the bow. She noticed color come to his cheeks, before he quickly replied:
"I still want to do something with fashion."
Airisu nodded, although slightly uncomfortable with the topic. She knew the Hitachiin matriarch was the top designer in all of Japan, and that they were a blueblood family. Meanwhile, her family had only recently gained their wealth in the past few years and had success in overtaking smaller electronics companies. She'd been raised in high society since she was five years old, but the influence of her parents' formerly commoner lives certainly still existed. This was definitely true in what she wore-she didn't understand how other rich acquaintances would wear outlandish styles and be praised for it. The few times she had worn something unconventional, she'd ended up being criticized or made fun of for it. So, Airisu stuck with more simple dresses, even at times wearing commoner clothes that made her feel comfortable, even if she didn't quite fit into high society. Thank goodness for school uniforms, but Hikaru had already insulted the way she wore her hair. If their project had something to do with fashion, she was sure he would only make fun of her even more.
She hesitantly asked, "Well, our project is to create something that will make life easier. Your mom designs clothes, right? Is there something that she's ever wished for to help her?"
Hikaru shifted in his seat, but Airisu noticed he was sitting up straighter. "Well, sometimes she complains that she runs out of mannequins when creating prototypes of her designs."
Airisu tapped her pencil on the desk, glancing down at her crossed out notes about the clock. "Are they just normal mannequins she uses?"
"Uh, duh," Hikaru said. Well, she had no doubts that he wasn't secretly Kaoru playing a trick on her with that attitude.
"So we could create a special mannequin. Maybe one that can change clothes itself or something?"
"That's...actually a good idea."
Airisu breathed a sigh of relief, but realized it must've been more noticeable when she intended when Hikaru muttered, "What's that about?"
"Oh, uh, nothing," she bit her lip. Should she ask him now? He'd been pretty reasonable with her this whole time, and there was something she was really wondering. "So, Haruhi being a girl is a secret, right? Like I can't go around telling anyone?"
Hikaru grabbed her wrist suddenly and tightly. "You'll pay if you spread it around." He let go of her wrist and crossed his arms again.
Airisu rubbed her wrist where he touched it, clearly getting the message. She did, however, feel the need to explain herself.
"Alright, I won't. I figured with her being a host and all it must be a secret. You know, Momoka used to have a huge crush on Haruhi. She's my friend so I thought I might tell her the truth. But I suppose it's not my secret to tell."
"It's not," Hikaru said, voice low.
Sensing his hostility, Airisu quickly changed subjects. "So, do you design clothes as well?" She felt like she was walking on eggshells.
The Hitachiin brother sat up slightly straighter. "Not seriously or anything. Sometimes we design the clothes we wear, but that's about it."
"That's cool," she said, smiling at him. He didn't respond, leaving an awkward silence between them. She'd take this over his rudeness any day, but was still a little perplexed. Was he like this as a host? How did they even get chosen as hosts, anyway?
Well, they really needed to work on their project right now, so she should focus. After another moment, she inquired. "Um, what exactly did you have in mind to make it change clothes?"
Hikaru tapped his chin. "Well, it has to wear the actual designs, since the choice of fabric is important to the overall image. I guess we could give it arms to change itself?"
"Um, sure," Airisu said, totally unsure. "Could you store the designs inside it maybe? Although we'd have to shrink them or something. There's actually some new technology being tested in our labs that can make certain fabrics more flexible."
"Well aren't you the little dork."
Airisu gripped her pencil tight enough to turn her knuckles white, then muttered, "Let's write down some more ideas and then compare. We have to discuss how we chose our project at the fair and this will help."
Airisu was getting very close to losing her own temper, but, to her surprise, Hikaru simply complied, jotting a few things down in his notebook. Airisu, a little less stressed about her science project now, turned her thoughts to other things. First, she turned her gaze to Momoka and Kazukiyo, smiling a little bit at the close way they held their heads together. Thank goodness Momoka no longer had a thing for Haruhi! If only she knew! Still, Kazukiyo was very awkward around Momoka, so much so that Airisu worried Momoka's feelings might cool.
"Hikaru, when you host, what do you do to keep your guests interested?" Airisu asked. Maybe she could glean something from him and pass it onto Kazukiyo.
"Flirt with Kaoru," he said nonchalantly.
What in the world? "I'm serious."
"Haven't you been to the host club? All the girls who request us request the brotherly love package."
Airisu's jaw dropped. "And your brotherly love is...flirting?"
"Flirting, twincest, whatever you want to call it."
"Why?"
Hikaru's eyes narrowed and his eyebrow raised. "Does it make you uncomfortable, Airisu?"
She wasn't sure how to respond. If she said no, she'd be lying. But if she said yes, she was afraid of what he might do. She'd seen the twins get that look in their eye before pranking or making fun of someone. She didn't want to be embarrassed….
"Hey, Kaoru, get over here!"
Airisu sunk in her seat. Apparently not giving an answer right away was definitely the wrong way to respond.
Kaoru obeyed, walking over to his brother. Hikaru stood up and said to Kaoru, "She doesn't like our brotherly love act. What kind of heartless person is she?"
Kaoru's eyes also narrowed at his brother's mocking words, and loudly whispered, "She must be some kind of prude."
Hikaru shot Airisu an evil smile. "Oh, Kaoru, I can't stand to be judged for my love for you. I'm so embarrassed." He put his hand in front of his face in mock humiliation.
Kaoru grabbed his brother's arms, pulling Hikaru's face close, "The only person's opinion who matters is mine."
Airisu couldn't help but gape at the bizarre display. This was what people requested the two brothers for? Other students were glancing back at the brothers, causing Airisu to sink further into her seat, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.
Hikaru and Kaoru didn't let her off that easily. The Hitachiin brothers stepped on both sides of her desk. Airisu considered sliding out underneath her desk to escape them, but the move seemed so ridiculous that she couldn't quite bring herself to do this. Why did they have to do this to her? And especially today, when she really, really, didn't want to be noticed. She glanced at the clock, thinking of her dreaded appointment later today.
"You see, our brotherly relationship is our main appeal," Hikaru explained, whispering in her ear.
Kaoru added, "You'd be lying if you said you haven't fantasized about the two of us being crazy about you."
To add effect, the two simultaneously nibbled on her ears, causing Airisu's face to feel like it was on fire. Even worse, their classmates were watching them, whispering things to each other about them.
"Look, they're hosting outside of the club! She's so lucky; I wish I was her," one of the twins' typical guests said before deeply sighing.
A different girl added, "Look at her, flaunting all that attention from the Hitachiin twins."
As the twins rested their hands on her shoulders, Airisu felt like a deer in the headlights. They were humiliating her in front of all her classmates, and she knew that the other students were going to talk about whatever actions she made. The pressure to choose her next action carefully was inhibiting her from making any motions at all, totally frozen in place.
Hikaru and Kaoru simultaneously said, "I think we found our new toy."
Airisu shut her eyes. Why wouldn't they just go away? They always took pleasure in torturing their classmates, but she'd assumed that keeping to herself would eliminate any possibility of having an issue with them.
"Hey, stop it you guys."
Airisu opened her eyes again, seeing Haruhi glaring at both of them. The petite host continued, "We're not even at the host club right now. Besides, look how uncomfortable she looks. You guys are only being jerks."
The Hitachiin twins, still leaning on her, narrowed their eyes at Haruhi. Hikaru said, "Hey, she started it."
"She obviously thinks our brotherly love act is stupid," Kaoru muttered.
"Did you fall for us yet?" Hikaru asked again. Both boys kissed her cheeks.
Haruhi's interference, however, snapped Airisu out of her frozen state.
"Stop," she said quietly, but firmly. "Please, leave me alone."
"Aw, c'mon, that's no fun," Hikaru muttered.
Airisu looked up, purposely meeting Hikaru's eyes, doing her best to glare at him. He immediately looked away, transferring his hand off of her and onto his own arm. Kaoru mirrored the removal motion, Airisu noting that he was looking to his brother for their next step.
"Kaoru, we need to work on our project," Haruhi said, jumping behind him to push him back to their typical seats.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, allowing her to lead him back.
By this point, the other students had gone back to their own work, some still glancing cautiously back at Airisu. This was bad. She couldn't slip away easily if everyone was paying attention to her like this. Her heart began to thump, and she glanced at the clock again. She still had time before-
"So what's the next step in this project?" Hikaru asked her, staring at the written directions on the board as if they were a foreign language.
Airisu's heart thumped. "Once we finalize our idea we need to create a blueprint of it. But it's almost time to go, so we'll have to do it another time."
"Guess you'll have to come to the host club again today," Hikaru said, leaning back in his chair.
Airisu didn't want to respond to him. She knew they would only torture her further. On the other hand, they were behind on their project from all the shenanigans Hikaru managed to pull. She knew she had no other major assignments to do today and should be focusing on this. It really did make sense to work on it during club time, if it was a possibility.
"Fine," she said quietly.
The bell rang, and Airisu packed up her things quicker than ever before, practically flying out of the room and away from the devilish twins. As she moved to her next class, she began to mentally prepare herself for the worst part of the day. Not meeting with the Hitachiin brothers at the host club, but something much, much worse…
"You guys can't go around treating people like that. I thought you were done acting like this," Haruhi lectured the Hitachiin brothers.
The three were walking in the hallway on the way to the cafe for lunch. Hikaru deflated a bit at Haruhi's words, knowing that he was disappointing her. He looked down, watching his black shoes tap on the floor with each step. She was right, it was a long time since they'd last messed with someone like this, and most of it was because they'd begun to realize that not everybody who lived in this world was an idiot.
Kaoru, however, responded, "There was no harm intended, really. Also, didn't you pass that classroom you usually eat lunch in? You're more than welcome to eat with us, but I'm a little surprised you're changing your routine."
Haruhi sighed. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't mess with Airisu again at lunch."
Hikaru tried his best to quickly work through his feelings. On one hand, he was still sensitive with Haruhi because of yesterday. He didn't want to let her down again. On the other hand, as much as he wanted to, he couldn't quite forget the look Airisu had on her face as the brothers both flirted with her and made a scene. It wasn't like the girls at the host club, who looked like they just won the lottery when the twins did their brotherly love act with them. In fact, the expression was a look of horror, he was sure. Haruhi was right-they shouldn't have treated her like that.
"We won't," Hikaru said, firmly.
Hikaru glanced at Kaoru, who simply shrugged at his words. Was Kaoru upset about something? Before he could inquire, Haruhi spoke. "Look, there she is. Why don't you apologize to her?"
Hikaru paled. Apologize? It was one thing to just not do it again, but it was another to actually go up to the girl and admit they were wrong. And he really didn't know her that well. He was sure he couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd just sound stupid.
Much to Hikaru's dismay, Kaoru glanced at him, then back to Haruhi. "We'll apologize. Why don't you eat lunch in the classroom like you like, and Hikaru and I will discuss what we'll say. I promise we won't mess with Airisu again, alright?"
Haruhi looked back and forth between the two before saying, "Alright."
Hikaru's heart sank a little bit as Haruhi left, honestly wishing she'd spent the lunch period with him. As she walked out of hearing distance, Kaoru said to his brother, "So, I've been meaning to ask, what was with the change of plan this morning?"
The two sat down at seats at the edge of the cafe so they would have some privacy to discuss. Hikaru sighed. "She...I don't know. She seemed weirded out when I explained our brotherly love act at the host club, and I felt like she was insulting me somehow. So it was like I had to do something."
Kaoru rested his head on his elbow. "Did you ask her questions like I suggested before school?"
Hikaru didn't meet his brother's eyes, feeling his face warm. "Well, no."
Kaoru sighed, "Getting to know someone new isn't going to be like what we did with Haruhi. Haruhi is really, really nice, and we had so much time with her between classes and the host club. Getting to know her was easy. But with Airisu, who you spend a lot of time with for the project, you have to ask her questions about herself to get to know her."
"I know, I know," Hikaru muttered. "But what if she and I really don't get along? Then I'm just wasting my time and I'll have no more friends than before."
Kaoru tapped his chin. "Well, did she ask you any questions about yourself? If she did, that'd probably prove that she's open to making friends."
Hikaru's brow furrowed as he tried to remember their conversation. She did ask him questions! She had asked him about his mother's design company for the project and asked him about the host club. His stomach sank again as he realized his reply to her had simply been using Kaoru to flirt with her, even though she was clearly uncomfortable. Why was he so stupid? It was like he was always blinded by his emotions. He'd assumed that since he was a little offended, that she must have intended to hurt him, when really she was only trying to get to know him. Why did making new friends have to be so complicated? He put his hand on his face, leaning his elbow on the table to prop his head up.
"Yes, she did ask me some stuff."
Kaoru rubbed Hikaru's arm. "Look, it's not as bad as you think. She said she'd meet you at the host club later today. If we apologize now, I bet you'd get another chance later to get to know her. She's stuck with you working on that project."
"'Stuck with me?' Thanks a lot," Hikaru muttered, as Kaoru chuckled.
Hikaru glanced over at where Airisu was sitting as he thought about the possibility of apologizing. "Wait, where did she go?"
Kaoru looked over as well at the place Airisu had disappeared from. "Maybe she went to the restroom?"
Hikaru glanced around, then saw Airisu's brunette figure, glancing around, head around the corner towards the activity wing of the school. "There she is!"
"Hey, this is perfect," Kaoru said, "We can apologize to her without a bunch of people being around. It'll be less awkward."
The Hitachiin brothers hopped up, quickly heading down the hall to try to catch up to Airisu. They turned the corner to see an empty hallway, their footsteps echoing as they went.
"Hmm," Hikaru said, glancing around at the exquisite, pink architecture.
Kaoru shrugged. "Look, the door to the instrument storage room is cracked. Maybe she went in there."
Was she even in the orchestra? Hikaru groaned again. Why didn't he know anything about her? He was stupid to have tried to embarrass her. Yeah, he really did need to apologize.
The boys peeked into the room. Hikaru froze, seeing another student, a really tall boy, standing alone with Airisu in the room.
"Wait," he breathed to Kaoru.
Kaoru squinted, "Isn't that Rentaro Sato in the class ahead of us?"
They stayed outside, using the door to block them from being noticed, but strained their ears to listen to the conversation. Rentaro and Airisu were on the opposite side of the room, facing each other sideways. Rentaro had his arm against the locker, leaning directly over Airisu.
"Do you have them, Airisu?" Rentaro's deep voice asked.
Hikaru could already see the strained look on her face. It did remind him of the look he had when Kaoru and him had harassed her during science this morning, but this time the depth of emotion was clear in her eyes. In fact, her tightened features showed more distress than she had ever shown when working on their project, even when he'd insulted her or when she'd been upset.
"Yes," Airisu said, opening up the locker beneath them. She pulled out what looked like photographs, but the Hitachiin brothers were too far away to see. She handed them over to Rentaro, and he looked carefully at each one as she watched.
"Excellent. How did you manage these?"
Airisu stepped back slightly. "It doesn't matter. Now, if you excuse me, I would like to get back to lunch-"
Rentaro leaned in further, holding his other hand out to block her way. "I didn't say we were done."
Hikaru, from his hiding place, clenched his fist. That jerk! Something fishy was going on here.
Airisu evenly held the boy's gaze. "You got what you requested. I have other obligations-"
The boy forcefully grabbed Airisu's wrist, pulling her closer to him. "Don't forget that I'm the one in control. Next week, same time." With his other hand, he touched her face. "I'll text you my request. Expect it to be more personal this time."
Hikaru gasped, ready to jump out and punch the guy in the face, but Kaoru quickly threw his arms around him and hissed, "Not yet. We don't want to mess something up for her. We don't really know what's going on."
Hikaru, quivering, realized that Kaoru had a point. He started counting in his head in an attempt to control his temper. Besides, if the situation turned for the worst, he could jump in at any time. Waiting wouldn't necessarily hurt anything.
Rentaro let go of her wrist and turned around to leave. "I'll be thinking of you this week, Airisu."
Kaoru pulled on Hikaru's arm. "We need to go or he'll see us!"
The twins, like the wind, rushed away from the door and darted into the next room, hiding behind the door but peeking out the window. Rentaro walked by them, but the twins stayed, waiting for Airisu. Hikaru, for the briefest moment, wondered if they should have risked leaving her alone with Rentaro, but a second later, she passed by. She paused in front of their room, leaning down by resting her palms on her knees. Hikaru was positive that she was shaking. Still, he didn't want her to know they were spying on her, so the Hitachiin brothers stayed hidden behind the door until she stood up straight again and passed by.
Kaoru glanced at Hikaru. "We need to talk to Kyoya-senpai."
"Kyoya-senpai!"
It was time for the host club to meet, and thankfully Kyoya was already in Music Room #3. Kyoya glanced up from his laptop to see the Hitachiin brothers surrounding him.
"What do you know about Airisu?" Hikaru demanded.
Hikaru's heart was racing, the image of Rentaro grabbing Airisu's wrist replaying in his head over and over. Kyoya simply looked back to his screen, typing, as he said, "May I ask why you want this information?"
Should they tell Kyoya? The Shadow King was their friend, after all. And if anyone could figure out what was going on, certainly Kyoya could. But the situation was delicate, and Hikaru also felt that they shouldn't be spreading it around.
Kaoru, however, sat down on the couch next to Kyoya. "I think we should tell him. I don't think it's possible for us to figure this out on our own. We need help from our friends," he advised Hikaru.
Hikaru trusted Kaoru, realizing that they were in over their heads. He proceeded to explain, "We saw Airisu meet with Rentaro Sato in the instrument storage room during lunch."
The twins took turns fleshing out the scene they'd seen during lunchtime between the two. Once Kaoru described Rentaro's firm hold on Airisu's wrist, Hikaru commented, "So we need to figure out what's going on between them, so we can make sure she doesn't get hurt."
Without looking up or showing any emotion, Kyoya simply said, "It sounds like petty blackmail."
Blackmail? Hikaru's mind spun. So that meant Rentaro knew something about Airisu that she didn't want anyone else to know. What could she possibly be hiding?
Kyoya pulled up her file on his laptop, pointing out some key items on the digital file he had on Airisu, the same kind that he kept on all guests of the host club. "Her father owns Nomura Electronics. Most of their success appears to be through mergers and buyouts with smaller companies. Hm, no records of scandals or illegal activity. On paper, they appear to be the perfect family. She's an only child and her parents have been married for nineteen years."
Hikaru said, "You think it's about her family and not about her personally?"
Kyoya scratched his chin. "There's really no way to tell, unfortunately. I'll keep searching." He continued typing on his laptop.
"Hm," Kaoru said, "What about Rentaro Sato? Can you get any information on him?"
Kyoya pushed his glasses up and stared at his computer screen. "Sato's company was bought out by Nomura Electronics," he remarked.
Hikaru tapped his hand on the table, deep in thought. So it was possible it had little to do with Airisu herself at all, and just something going on with her father's company or perhaps their family. Or maybe Rentaro's family in some way.
The three glanced up suddenly when the door to their music room opened. Airisu walked in, glancing around. Hikaru noticed that her hair seemed a little more of a mess than normal, and she was perhaps a little paler.
Kaoru lightly tapped Hikaru's shoulder. "Go on, work on your project. And remember what we talked about earlier." He flashed his brother a smile, before returning to gaze at Kyoya's laptop.
Hikaru nodded, standing up to meet Airisu. She came up to him and he made sure to give her a big smile. "Coming back for me?" he teased.
Shoot, did that sound mean? Was she going to be upset? He glanced at her, surprised to see her expression cloudy, as if she were looking right past him instead of at him. She simply said, "I guess. Let's get started so I don't take up all of your time here."
Hikaru's heartbeat quickened as he followed her back to the same bubblegum pink sofa they had used yesterday to complete their work. When they sat down, he slowly breathed in and out, before saying. "Look, uh, sorry. About this morning. Kaoru's sorry too. We shouldn't have pestered you like that."
Now she glanced up at him quickly, her gaze slightly clearer. She squinted at him, to which Hikaru demanded, "What?"
Airisu's lips turned slightly upwards. "Oh, you're definitely Hikaru. Your apology was more reluctant than Kaoru's, and your reactions are certainly more impulsive. You know, it's funny, but your voices are different, too, I hadn't really noticed before. To be honest, though, if you didn't speak, I'm not sure I could tell you apart."
Hikaru inwardly groaned. Not this again! Still, he couldn't help but respect her observation skills. She'd really only interacted with him yesterday and today, yet she already could tell them apart. Unlike most others, she'd seemed to have started with the premise that the Hitachiin brothers weren't a unit, but two different people with individual characteristics. In hindsight, that might also be why she was so upset this morning at the brothers' suggesting that she'd fantasized about them both. The thought had probably never actually occurred to her. Hm, in that sense, she was a lot like Haruhi.
Airisu had gotten out a large piece of drawing paper. "We really need to get the blueprint finished so Sensei Raka can approve it. We should've had it done in class today."
Hikaru nodded absentmindedly. He wondered how she could focus on the project after her interaction with Rentaro earlier. Clearly, she'd met with him before. It occurred to him that it may have been going on for so long that she'd just gotten used to readjusting back into her normal routine after the meetings, pretending like nothing had happened. She shouldn't have to deal with that by herself, though. Hikaru set his jaw, determined to make friends with her.
Remembering Kaoru's suggestion on asking questions, he asked, "So, uh, your family operates Nomura Electronics?"
Airisu said, "Yeah. So we can get the parts for the mannequin if that's what you're worried about."
No, he wasn't. And he had no idea what else to ask her to attempt to get to know her. How was he supposed to make a new friend when he didn't even know what to say? With Haruhi, it'd been pretty easy since she'd been in the host club and naturally opened up more and more to the Hitachiin brothers. The same held true for the other hosts, but Airisu was totally different.
"Shoot, we need to add scale measurements," Airisu interrupted his thoughts. "Do you have a mannequin here, by chance?"
"No, not today," Hikaru muttered. "But, I do have measuring tape in the changing area." He gestured to the yellow-curtained wall at the edge of the room.
Airisu shook her head. "Oh, that's no help without a mannequin to measure."
A lightbulb went off. "I'll just measure you!" Hikaru exclaimed. To her shocked look, he tried to quickly explain. "You're average size, I think it'll work out fine. We can model it after your figure."
Hikaru couldn't mistake the blush on her face when she said, "Oh, um, alright. I suppose it will save time. I really don't know much about this."
"It'll be fine, really! Kaoru and I have measured all kinds of people. I know what I'm doing." Hikaru did his best to give her a reassuring smile.
It only took him a minute to grab the measuring ribbon. As he got it, he wondered why he was trembling a little bit. He'd have to ask Kaoru about it later, he supposed.
"Lift up your arms. I'm going to do your waist first."
Airisu obeyed, lifting them up as he wrapped the ribbon around her waist, tightening the tape as much as possible. His hands felt like they were tingling from brushing her dress.
"27 inches," he remarked, jotting the measurement down. "I'm going to do your hips next."
Airisu didn't say a word, her cheeks slowly turning from pink to red each time he wrapped the measuring ribbon around her. Really, the girl's uniform was too poofy to be the best measure, but Hikaru couldn't quite bring himself to suggest she change into something tighter for measurements. His heart skipped a beat at the thought.
"36 inches."
He didn't dare say anything else, simply jotting it down without looking her in the eyes.
Airisu put her arms down, giving them a rest for a minute. Since they were only creating a mannequin, he only needed to do her bust next. This time, he could feel the heat in his own face as he realized where exactly he'd have to touch her to get the proper measurement. He had to say something this time.
He tried his best to explain, "Um, next I have to measure your bust. You'll have to lift your arms and I'll put the ribbon, um, around you. It might be a little uncomfortable. If that's alright. But it'll be quick." He felt like he was tripping over his words.
Airisu said, "Alright." She lifted her arms up.
Hikaru felt like his whole body was pulsing as he took the measuring ribbon around her chest. He tried his best to only touch her from the back, but his fingers accidentally brushed elsewhere once or twice. Pulling the ribbon tightly, he silently read her measurement: 83 centimeters. He realized that was way more than Haruhi's 76 centimeters, and he held the ribbon there for a moment to stare at the number. She definitely was not flat as a board. His pants began to feel tight.
"Is everything okay?" Airisu asked.
Hikaru panicked and completely dropped the ribbon. His face felt like it was burning as he bent down to pick it up. He forcefully sat himself down on the sofa, hand shaking as he wrote down her bust size. Airisu sat next to him, but he continued staring at the sheet of paper he'd made notes on, terrified to make eye contact with her.
Kaoru watched as Hikaru fumbled with the measuring ribbon, a sinking feeling developing in his chest. He knew his brother better than anyone, but the color in Hikaru's cheeks were obvious for anyone to notice. Hikaru must be very conflicted and confused right now since he was so bad at interpreting his own feelings. Kaoru also felt conflicted, but at least he knew why. He absolutely wanted Hikaru to connect with someone else and make new friends. Continuing to expand their world beyond the host club was the next logical step in creating their own separate and independent lives. Yet, his chest hurt whenever he thought about Hikaru having romantic feelings for someone new.
With Haruhi, Kaoru was close to her as well, and if it had worked out, Kaoru wouldn't have minded at all since he cared about both of them. After all, the three were good friends, and Kaoru really liked and respected Haruhi. But with Airisu, Kaoru barely knew the girl. It was clear that this was going to be the first time that Hikaru became close with someone that Kaoru didn't, and for some reason that really, really scared Kaoru. Even worse, if Hikaru developed feelings for Airisu and they dated, Hikaru would be caring for someone more than Kaoru. And it would be someone that Kaoru himself barely knew.
Deep in thought, Kaoru didn't notice as Honey, hugging Usa-chan, sat down with him and Kyoya.
Brown eyes widened. "Hika-chan really seems engaged with Airi-chan today," the older student remarked.
Kaoru forced a smile, torn from his thoughts. "Yeah, uh, he does."
Out of the corner of his eye, he was sure Kyoya glanced up from his laptop for a moment. Honey's happy-go-lucky disposition dissolved into a look of concern. "Are you alright, Kao-chan?"
Kaoru, although better at masking his own feelings than his brother, realized that his friends could easily see through him. Still, he wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about how he really felt. "I'm fine. Something actually happened earlier with Airisu…"
Kaoru described the odd exchange to Honey. "Kyoya-senpai believes it's blackmail," he added. He wasn't totally lying by saying he was upset about Airisu and Rentaro, but it also wasn't the total truth. Still, it appeared to be enough to convince Honey.
"So Airi-chan is in trouble," Honey remarked.
Kaoru nodded. "Kyoya-senpai is doing some research to see if he can figure out anything else. We haven't discussed it yet, but I believe Hikaru needs to do his best to get as close as possible to her, and maybe she'll tell him how to help her."
Honey smiled. "You also want Hika-chan to connect with someone else to cheer him up."
"Yeah." Koaru said. That was the plan he'd concocted on the fly during science yesterday, but staring at his brother and Airisu certainly didn't make him happy.
"Do you want to hold Usa-chan?" Honey asked, offering the pink bunny to Kaoru. After Kaoru took it, Honey continued. "It's okay to feel sad about change. But remember, it won't just be Hikaru finding someone important to him. You will find someone one day, too. Okay?"
So maybe he wasn't fooling anyone. Kaoru's heart skipped a beat at Honey's words. Someone else? The thought felt almost impossible to him. No, he wasn't there yet. The fact was, Hikaru was ready for the two to be truly independent, to form that connection with someone else. Kaoru simply wasn't.
Light flashed off glasses. "Hm, Rentaro's family accompanied Airisu's on a trip to America about three years ago," Kyoya suddenly remarked, putting a stop to Kaoru's thoughts.
"Can you find anything about the trip?" Kaoru asked.
"It's possible, but it won't be easy," Kyoya said. "The fact is, if Airisu is being effectively blackmailed, it's unlikely the information she wants withheld is not public or private knowledge. If many people knew the information, then she wouldn't be exchanging items to keep the information secret."
"What's going on?"
Kaoru turned to see Tamaki, Haruhi, and Mori approaching the group of hosts.
Kaoru said, "Have a seat and I'll fill you in. But you have to be quiet and you can't tell anyone else, alright?"
To be honest, he was a little afraid of Tamaki's overreaction, which might throw a wrench in the whole situation. He knew Tamaki felt bad about the whole situation with Hikaru and would do anything in his power to mend their relationship. Still, Kaoru didn't want to keep secrets from the host club. He wasn't sure what Hikaru would think about him telling the boss, but Kaoru watched the situation with Rentaro with his own eyes. It wasn't like it was Hikaru's secret to share, anyway. So, Kaoru retold the whole situation again.
Tamaki's jaw had totally dropped. "It's unimaginable! This? Going on at our school?" He grabbed Haruhi and pulled her into a hug.
Haruhi, muffled, said, "The rich must get their money somehow."
Tamaki gasped. "You think we're all dishonest? That can't be!"
"That's not what I meant…"
Kaoru glanced back towards Hikaru to see if his brother would notice Tamaki showing affection towards Haruhi. Thankfully, Hikaru seemed engaged in drawing the blueprints with Airisu.
Kaoru stared at Tamaki. "We want to help her, but we don't know how. We need the host club."
Tamaki's eyes widened. "Absolutely! We'll get to the bottom of this! Where is Rentaro? I will apprehend him!"
"Shhhh!" Kaoru, Kyoya, and Haruhi shushed the king. Tamaki's eyes fell, but he sat down, likely realizing the gravity of the situation.
Kaoru spoke again. "Kyoya-senpai is searching to see if he can find out anything on either Airisu or Rentaro so we can help. But that's only going to get us so far. I actually have been formulating a plan. If you're willing to follow it."
Tamaki grabbed Kaoru's hand. "Anything!"
Kaoru flicked Tamaki's ear, then continued. "Calm down, boss. We don't really know what information Rentaro has. Obviously, Airisu knows it, but it's probably too delicate for us to just come out and ask her about it. So, the solution is simple. One of us gets close to her, and she'll confide in them. Then we can figure out what to do to stop Rentaro."
Haruhi put her hand to her lip. "Hm. So who did you have in mind to get close to her?"
"Hikaru, of course," Kaoru said.
Tamaki enthusiastically nodded, but Haruhi bit her lip. "If you really want to help Airisu, is that wise? She's meeting with Rentaro again next week, so we want to have the information before then to help her. Hikaru is…."
"Emotional? Socially stunted? Awkward?" Kaoru finished her sentence, then shot her a smile. "For me, this isn't just about Airisu, but also about Hikaru. He needs to make a friend outside of the host club. And without us stepping on his toes to do it. He can do it, I know it. Let's trust him." Kaoru couldn't help but think if Hikaru knew Haruhi's doubt in him that his feelings would be intensely hurt.
Tamaki, who was starting at Hikaru and Airisu working together, suddenly started crying. "Haruhi, Kaoru's right! We need to trust Hikaru!" He pulled his girlfriend in a hug again, as if he were Honey and she were Usa-chan.
Haruhi let out a breath, briefly patting Tamaki on the back as if he were an enthusiastic child. "If that's what you guys think is best."
Honey squinted his eyes, as if he were thinking really hard. "Well, we could offer them both cake. That will help them bond!"
"Mitsukuni," Mori said. "That's not a good idea."
Kaoru waved his hand. "No, it's alright. Why not? It's not like we have to totally sit back. If it seems like it's going wrong, we can jump in and help. What's the harm?"
Tamaki stood up. "Then we'll do everything in our power to ensure Hikaru's happiness! Kyoya! You need to make sure that Airisu has a ticket for our host club cruise coming up on Friday. Honey, you can monitor their need for snacks. Mori, make sure Honey doesn't give them too much cake. Haruhi, you need to girl-talk with Airisu to make Hikaru look good. And Kaoru...give advice to Hikaru as much as possible. Alright, go!"
Tamaki, Honey, and Mori jumped up to perform their respective duties. Honey grabbed Usa-chan back from Kaoru, excited to have a reason to examine the various cakes around the room. Haruhi, Kaoru, and Kyoya remained seated.
Haruhi, breathing easier after being released from her boyfriend, glanced at Kaoru. "Are you really alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Of course I am," Kaoru said. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, you're just asking like you were that time you and Hikaru were really fighting. When you didn't talk for a few days. Is everything okay?"
"We're not fighting," Kaoru said honestly, forcing a smile.
"What are you upset about, then?"
Kaoru looked down. Out of everyone, he had the most trouble lying to Haruhi. So his only option was to tell the truth. "I-there's just something that I'm thinking about that I won't be able to tell Hikaru."
Haruhi's large eyes met his. "Why can't you tell him?"
"Because I don't want it to mess him up with making a new friend."
Haruhi shook her head. "Kaoru, you can't manipulate other people. Hikaru deserves to know how you feel. You're still the most important person to him."
Kaoru didn't say anything, instead glancing down at the teacup in front of him. He couldn't tell Hikaru that he was jealous of Airisu, no matter what the cost. He'd just have to keep his emotions in, that was it. Surely he would be able to do it, for the sake of Hikaru. For the sake of their independence.
Airisu had begun sketching the robotic mannequin on a piece of scratch paper, as she listened to Hikaru's struggling breaths. After a little bit of sitting in silence, she stared at him.
"Hikaru, you look pale. And you're sweating. Are you getting sick?"
"I, uh, I have to go to the bathroom," he said suddenly, standing up.
Airisu, perplexed, watched his stiff motions as he walked towards the exit of the music room. Hikaru taking her measurements felt awkward to her, especially since she'd never had it done before. At least it took her mind off of earlier today. She subconsciously held her wrist where Rentaro touched it and shivered. Never once in their exchanges had he ever suggested anything at all like he had today. She was sure he wasn't really the type of person to do so but...was she being naive?
Not wanting to waste time, she began translating her rough draft onto the blueprint paper, despite her mind being elsewhere. Her life would be so much easier right now if Rentaro didn't know. Maybe she should tell her parents about it...but no, that was out of the question. She couldn't possibly bring it up again, when they seemed to be doing so well. Her only other option was to tell a friend. But who could she trust? She hadn't told Rentaro the information, he'd just happened to be in the right place at the right time to find it out. But, at one time, she would have considered him a friend, and perhaps would have trusted him. Clearly, that would have been completely unwise. She didn't know who to trust at all. So she just had to keep it to herself. That was the only solution.
"Would you like some cake?"
Airisu turned to see Honey, tightly hugging Usa-chan, smiling up at her, holding chocolate cake in one hand.
"Sure," she said, smiling at the little host. "Thank you." Wow, this cake was really good! No wonder Honey seemed to always be eating it.
Honey beamed, sitting next to her. "What happened to Hika-chan?"
"He said he had to use the restroom," Airisu explained. "Although, he was kind of acting strangely today if I think about it. I hope he's okay."
She glanced up to see Kaoru approaching them. "He's fine," the younger twin said, smiling at her. "Hey, why don't you tell me about your project?"
Airisu shrugged. "Well, alright. It's a mannequin that changes clothes itself. Hikaru wanted to do something with fashion, and I guess this is the best we came up with."
Kaoru picked up the blueprint. "Wow, neat! By the way, Hikaru meant to tell you, but we're actually taking all our guests on a cruise this Friday. Since you're a guest, you have a ticket as well!"
A cruise? It certainly sounded more fun than sitting in class all day. But, she barely knew the host club, and going somewhere without her friends would certainly be awkward. Also, why didn't Hikaru tell her about this in the first place? He was certainly acting strange. The bizarre part was, even though both Hitachiin brothers had been incredibly cruel to her this morning during class, they were both being kind to her now. And after today's meeting with Rentaro, she didn't feel like taking the time to interpret their actions.
Airisu finally said, "That's very kind of you, but I'm not sure I'll be able to make it."
Honey pouted. "You don't want to go with us? There will be plenty of cake!"
Kaoru leaned in. "To be honest, Hikaru was hoping to work with you more on your science project on the cruise, too, since he'd be missing class that day. And you guys are way behind Haruhi and I so he was getting worried."
"We're behind?" Airisu asked. Well, it really shouldn't surprise her since most of the time spent working on the project disappeared into Hikaru's emotional distractions. "I mean, if that's the case I guess I'll have to go."
"Where is she going?" Hikaru had entered the room again, making his way back to his seat next to Airisu. His complexion had appeared to return to its normal color.
"On Friday's cruise!" Kaoru said, "Isn't that great! Honey-senpai, let's celebrate by eating cake. C'mon!" He pulled Honey away towards some sweets.
Hikaru just stood there, staring at the two as they left. Airisu commented, "The guys in the host club are a little odd, it seems."
She was surprised that he blushed at her comment, but he didn't say anything. Airisu looked up at him. "Do you want to sit down?"
"Oh, uh, right. Yeah."
Hikaru took his seat next to her again, rubbing his hands together. Airisu pulled the blueprint up and explained what she had drawn so far, but Hikaru seemed to just be repeating what she said without really listening. She put the blueprint down suddenly.
Hikaru glanced up. "What?"
"You seem distracted."
He adjusted his tie. "Oh, uh, I'm alright."
Why was she so concerned about him? They were finally working together and focusing on their project, so she really shouldn't change the subject, but it felt wrong to not probe him further. After all, he was clearly going through a lot from yesterday. Maybe that explained his sporadic actions.
"It must be hard for you to see Tamaki and Haruhi together every day," she suggested.
Hikaru's eyes widened. "Yeah, it was. Well, it is." She noticed his eyes jump to Haruhi and Tamaki sitting and chatting with another group of guests. Her heart sank a little bit. She hadn't meant to bring up such an unpleasant feeling to him.
"You know, it's really impressive that you're so close with everyone here. Even the two of them, despite what you feel. It's really honorable to stay friends like that." She smiled at him.
Airisu realized that she really did have a desire to make Hikaru feel better, perhaps more than she did with most people. It just about broke her heart yesterday, seeing him crying in the hallway. He just looked so pitiful. Sure, he'd insulted her, but she was positive that it was just his running emotions causing him to lash out. He certainly didn't have many friends, if he had any at all outside of the host club. She determined that she would try her best to be kind to him from this point forward.
Hikaru's blush deepened at her words. "Thanks," he said. "Uh, you're a good partner. Besides that whole clock idea, that was kind of crazy."
Did he just attempt to compliment her back? Airisu suddenly began laughing, causing Hikaru to bristle. "What?"
"I'm sorry," she said, giggles still escaping her throat. "But you're terrible at being nice."
Hikaru's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
Airisu forced herself to stop laughing. "I intend no offense, I promise! What I really meant, is I can tell that you were really trying just now. That means a lot to me, especially because of today."
Hikaru deescalated. "What do you mean, because of today? You know, you can tell me. If something's bothering you."
Airisu had to look away from Hikaru's intense gaze. He really did look genuine right now, but she'd accidentally said too much. It would be crazy to trust Hikaru with this information, he was such an emotional mess. "Uh, I mean, since you and Kaoru purposely tried to embarrass me this morning. You made up for it."
To be honest, she'd almost forgotten their behavior, her mind bogged down thinking about Rentaro. Worrying about what his request would be for next week. Knowing that he could text her at any time. Suddenly, she was the one who couldn't focus on their project.
"Anyway, sorry, Hikaru, but I'm very tired. We can work on the project tomorrow. And on the cruise, I guess, to make up time. I'll see you then."
Airisu gathered her books and Hikaru jumped up. "I'll walk you out."
Airisu was surprised again by Hikaru's actions. Forget her doubts of his ability to host from before, he was showing her that he was totally capable. He was also proving to be a good distraction from her worries with Rentaro. Perhaps it was a good thing that she was stuck working with him on their science fair project.
Hikaru didn't say a word as he walked her to the door, seemingly also deep in his own thoughts. Airisu sighed at the door. "I'll see you."
Hikaru looked as if he wanted to say something more to her, but instead he said, "See you." He still had an uncomfortable look on his face, making her wonder if he really was under the weather.
As she rode home from school, she had trouble controlling her spiraling thoughts. On one hand, she was still terrified of Rentaro and his new request. On the other hand, she couldn't stop thinking about Hikaru Hitachiin. He'd been so close to her today when taking her measurements, enough that she had felt his every breath. At the time, she'd simply felt uncomfortable, but thinking back on it, for some reason, it made her heart beat a little livelier…