The host club is open for visitors!
Guests entered Music Room #3 to find the host club dressed as French revolutionaries, a fresh take on their previous cosplays from the Ouran Fair. Tamaki wore a red suit with a white cravat, Honey and Mori wore matching pink suits and cravats, Kyoya was in purple, Haruhi in green, and the twins wore matching blue suit coats with orange cravats. Each host smiled warmly at the incoming guests, looking as if they had just emerged from some girl's fantasy. Hikaru and Kaoru were chatting with their typical guests next to the model guillotine.
Hikaru said, "Imagine having your head separate from your body."
Kaoru added, "Hikaru...that's how I feel when I'm apart from you!"
"Kaoru…"
The twins embraced, fake tears squeezed from their eyes. The girls squealed at the display of brotherly love. When Hikaru opened his eyes, he noticed the dark-haired, hazel-eyed girl that had been recurring in his thoughts. Airisu stood back from the other ladies as Kaoru talked about his broken heart when Hikaru was away. A moment later, Hikaru made his excuses and walked over to Airisu as Kaoru distracted the ladies.
"Did we win you over yet?" he said mischievously as she rolled her eyes. Hikaru continued. "I didn't realize we'd planned on working on the project today. I'll have to get my stuff from the prep room."
"I'm not here for the project," Airisu said. "I'm actually here as a normal guest."
What? Hikaru's heart skipped a beat. "Who are you requesting?" Did she have a type? He thought she wasn't into this sort of thing, but maybe the host club really had made a good impression on her.
"You, silly!" She pulled him over to the sofa they typically used to work on their project. "Aren't you supposed to bring me some tea or something? I'm not sure how this works!"
Hikaru was flabbergasted. She...was requesting him? As a normal guest? His heart was practically beating out of his chest, his hands beginning to sweat. Why was she requesting him? Did she...was it possible she had feelings for him? He felt like he couldn't breathe at the thought. Did he return the feelings? What about his feelings for Haruhi?
"Hikaru, are you alright?"
"I have to, uh, go prepare," he said, turning around to find a tea set.
He tried to find some sort of order in his rambling thoughts. He glanced over at Haruhi, who was pushing Tamaki away from her guests, as if he would gain clarity in this quick moment on his feelings for her. He considered pulling Kaoru away from their guests, but also didn't want to make Kyoya upset that they left some girls on their own. So Hikaru grabbed a tea set, and did his best to force a smile and act like he normally did with any other guest.
"What type of tea would you prefer?" he asked Airisu, smiling. "A pretty girl like you certainly has expensive taste."
"Whatever you're having," Airisu said, "I don't drink much tea." Her smile seemed to widen as he poured the tea and ignored everything going on inside of him. Hikaru reminded himself that she was just a normal guest. That was it.
"Would you prefer the brotherly love package?" he asked her, secretly hoping he could bring Kaoru over for moral support.
"No, I just want to see you," Airisu said. "I must say, I'm impressed with your hosting. I need to be honest, I did come as a guest, but I actually have a special request."
Hikaru dropped his teacup, spilling it on the couch and splashing it on him and Airisu. "Oh, sorry!" He grabbed a napkin from the cocktail table in front of them, immediately dabbing Airisu's skirt with it in an attempt to save the uniform from staining.
Airisu grabbed another napkin and threw it on the sofa. "Don't worry about my uniform, that's much easier to clean than the furniture!"
Hikaru's face was on fire as he did his best to salvage the sofa. He'd been so surprised at her words that he hadn't been careful with his teacup. But what was her request? Was she going to confess her feelings? Did she even have feelings? Or was she going to ask him something about Rentaro?
Airisu finally sat back down, sipping her own tea. Hikaru sat next to her, examining the murky stain between them. It always felt murky between them, as if he never knew what Airisu was really thinking.
"I need one of the hosts to be my boyfriend."
"What!?" Hikaru leaned back from her on the sofa. She..what?
Airisu put her teacup down and leaned in slightly. "My father has a business dinner at our home tonight. He's inviting the Igarashi matriarch and her son because he wants to buy out their company. Hiroto Igarashi is a third year student here at Ouran Academy."
Hikaru was irritated. Why was she wasting her time telling him about dinner tonight? "I don't care about your father's plans! Just tell me what you mean!"
Airisu inched away slightly. "Calm down! I am telling you what I mean! My father believes the matriarch of the Igarashi family wants to merge with his company through my marriage to Hiroto Igarashi. Of course, Father has no intentions of doing so. He specifically instructed me to appear unmarriageable this evening. Bringing a boyfriend to dinner with me would certainly give the Igarashis that impression. So I suppose it isn't a real boyfriend. But I figure the host club is the best place to come for find a boy experienced in appearing interested in a woman."
Oh. Hikaru ran his hands through his hair. "Um, what do you think of Hiroto Igarashi?"
Airisu shrugged. "It doesn't matter what I think. I don't particularly know Igarashi that well, and I won't get to."
Hikaru wasn't sure what he was expecting her to say, but something didn't quite sit right with him in her response. Still, her request made him feel giddy. He could easily take on that role, after all he was a host. He would get more time alone with Airisu, making their friendship even deeper. Even better, she may finally feel comfortable enough to confide in him about the blackmail situation with Rentaro, and then he would be able to save her from it.
"I wasn't sure who would be best to ask. I thought perhaps Kyoya Ootori may be the best choice, since the Ootori name would certainly intimidate any potential competition. I'm a little afraid of him, though. Will you come with me to ask him?"
Hikaru, hurt that she didn't choose him first, but torn because he was a little flattered she wanted him along for moral support, followed her a little like a lost puppy. She politely sat a few feet away with Hikaru as Kyoya was describing an upcoming promotion to a guest. Finally, he came over to Airisu.
"Did you want to hear about the launch of our new website, with an option to become a subscriber for a small price?" He asked her, smiling.
"Maybe some other time," Airisu said. "I actually wanted to ask a favor of you."
Hikaru stared at her. Her hands were trembling a little bit like she was nervous. Was she soft on Kyoya? Or did he truly intimidate her?
Kyoya merely adjusted his glasses. "Well, what would you like to ask me?"
Airisu gulped. "My father is hosting a business dinner tonight with the Igarashi family. He wishes to dissuade Hiroto Igarashi from pursuing me as a potential match. Kyoya-senpai, if I were to have a romantic interest along with me at the dinner, Hiroto would certainly leave me alone and the Igarashis would give up on attempting to match me to their son."
"Ah, so you wish to intimidate them with my high status," Kyoya said, smiling. "Unfortunately, I don't believe I have any interest in flaunting a relationship to other companies. While it would certainly dissuade Hiroto Igarashi, word would get out to my father's prospects and it may hurt my own chances of finding a match. So you see it's simply out of the question, I apologize."
Hikaru sighed in relief. "Well, you can't help that, Airisu. I guess you have to find somebody else."
"Well, my second thought is Tamaki-senpai," she admitted.
Kyoya, who for one moment made eye contact with Hikaru before turning back to Airisu, told her, "If I may, Tamaki would certainly be willing to play the role, but it would be extremely unwise on his part to do so. The Suou family would not want his name associated with the Nomura company for the same reason as mine. He wouldn't refuse if you ask him, but I would advise not creating that burden for our club president."
"I never thought of that," Airisiu admitted, brow furrowing as she thought about who might work. "Well, Haruhi wouldn't have the same issues that our families do. Maybe I should go that route and hope they don't think of her as too feminine."
Hikaru was fuming. Where was he on her list of preferred hosts? It was obvious that she didn't want him to do the job. Hikaru finally spoke, his tone biting. "It would be stupid to use a commoner to scare him off."
Airisu's eyes widened as she turned her head to him. "I don't want to hurt anyone else's chances of a match," she said simply.
Hot, Hikaru opened his mouth, but Kyoya quickly spoke. "I believe only the Suoh's and the Otori's would be concerned about an arranged marriage. The Haninozuka family and the Morinozuka family would not be interested in the same type of business match, as their wealth largely comes from their lineage and expertise in martial arts. The Hitachiin family comes from a long line of matriarchs known for their independence and spirit, so I also doubt they would care about Kaoru and Hikaru's romantic interests. Since your father's stakes are largely in technology, I believe your best choice for the dinner would be a Hitachiin brother. After all, their father runs a successful software company, even if it is not necessarily as well-known as their mother's fashion empire."
Airisu slowly turned back to Hikaru. "Do you think Kaoru will be up for it?"
She wanted Kaoru over Hikaru? It was like she was avoiding choosing him! Hikaru, remembering when Kaoru instructed him to tell others his feelings, couldn't hold it in any longer. "I'll do it. I want to do it."
Airosu blinked. "Do you think you're up for it?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just…" Airisu trailed off, making Hikaru more anxious as to what she might say. "You need to act like a host for this. Not like you did at the exposition."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Airisu shrunk a little bit, as if she were afraid of offending him. "Just.. you know."
"I don't know."
"You're very capable of acting charming. That's how I would like you to be tonight."
"And I wasn't charming at the exposition?"
Airisu smiled a little. "I think you acted like yourself at the exposition, which was charming. But for this I need you to be a little less honest..."
Hikaru couldn't meet Airisu's eyes. "I can do that."
"Tonight is very important. I think Kaoru would be a better fit..."
"No!"
Hikaru was surprised at how quickly he denied Airisu. He just couldn't stand the thought of her with someone else, even if it was pretend. Even if it was Kaoru. He stared at the shine in his shoes.
Airisu said, "Fine. But we need to practice before tonight."
"Whatever it takes," Hikaru agreed, sighing in relief.
Hikaru didn't notice Kaoru, having finished with the guests, staring at the two of them, brows furrowed.
Hitachiin Mansion
I've always worried about what would happen if Hikaru and I liked the same, undivisible thing. Yet it never occurred to me what might happen if he liked something different entirely...
Kaoru sat next to Hikaru as they waited for Airisu to emerge in one of their mother's latest designs. Initially, the twins had invited her to their mansion to help Hikaru become the model boyfriend. However, they had become distracted by the idea of dressing up Airisu. Although she hadn't been eager about the idea, Kaoru pointed out that if Airisu dressed well, it would solidify her supposed relationship with a Hitachiin. He also ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach as he further thought about his brother's growing emotions for Airisu. Earlier today, he'd overheard Hikaru insisting that he play the role of Airisu's boyfriend tonight, even though she'd suggested that Kaoru do it. Kaoru had been so surprised that Hikaru appeared to already become possessive over Airisu, similar to how he had become with Haruhi as their friendship grew.
Yet Hikaru wouldn't even allow Kaoru to spend some time with Airisu.
Kaoru blinked, as if it would make the thought disappear. He turned his attention to his brother. Hikaru's knees were shaking.
"Nervous for tonight?" Kaoru asked him. Hikaru's nerves made Kaoru's stomach hurt. But Kaoru wanted to be supportive. He could analyze his own feelings later on, after Hikaru was gone.
"Of course!" Hikaru said. "You can't be there with me. I'm going to mess it up. I know it!"
"Well, it's only pretend," Kaoru said, although he felt a little bit better when Hikaru expressed regret at not having him there with him.
Hikaru glanced down. "I know, I know."
Kaoru examined his brother closely. There were no longer any questions about it: Hikaru was in love with Airisu. But did he know it yet? Kaoru wasn't sure, and his throat tightened.
Even stranger, Kaoru had no feelings for Airisu. She seemed nice enough, but she certainly wasn't Haruhi. Kaoru wasn't sure he'd ever find someone that he'd feel for the way he did with Haruhi. That's why he didn't understand Hikaru. What did he see in Airisu that Kaoru didn't? Not to mention her complex nature. She was hiding something with this blackmail business, and although Kaoru did think it was the right thing to do to help her, tying oneself to her romantically didn't seem wise.
Of course, Hikaru tended to just feel. If he liked her, he liked her, and that would be it.
Despite his internal struggles, Kaoru also wanted Hikaru to have clarity on his feelings. "Need any help, Airisu?" he called. She was taking a long time.
Airisu emerged in a rose colored dress, low enough to reveal some cleavage. The dress had cutouts on both sides near her waist, accentuated her feminine figure and left much less to the imagination than the Ouran uniform. Kaoru glanced at Hikaru, who's blush was quite obvious as he gawked at the girl.
Airisu said, "There's a button on the back I can't quite get, if you don't mind…"
Kaoru hopped up. "Sure!"
But Hikaru also stood up. "I'll do it," he insisted.
Kaoru allowed his brother to pass him by, watching as Hikaru fumbled with the delicate button. This was the second time that Hikaru had shown some possessiveness over Airisu. If Hikaru wasn't comfortable with allowing even Kaoru to get closer to Airisu, then it was clear that Hikaru was in love. That left the only remaining issue: Did Hikaru still love Haruhi?
As if on cue, the rest of the host club emerged through the door.
"Airi-chan! You look so cute!" Honey said.
"Absolutely stunning," Tamaki immediately agreed.
Kaoru watched as Airisu blushed. Hikaru took a step in front of Airisu, as if he were also uncomfortable with the host club's attention to the girl. In some ways, his body language reminded Kaoru of Hikaru's actions in Karuizawa, when Haruhi had run into an old friend from middle school. Would Hikaru lose his temper with the host club like he had a few days ago when he burst out that Tamaki stole Haruhi from him?
Airisu, whose face was beginning to turn the same color as her dress, said, "I'm not sure this is quite what I'm looking for."
"Eh? Why not?" Hikaru immediately questioned, turning around to her.
Kaoru walked closer to the two, looking over Airisu's outfit. "Fits perfectly, showcases your features. Looks fine to me," he smiled to reinforce his point.
Airisu shook her head. "But I don't want it to be perfect. I'm trying my best to appear unappealing, yet this dress shows a lot of skin. I don't think that's what I should be wearing."
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "How does showing a lot of skin make you appealing?"
Airisu took a step back, suddenly averting her gaze. "It-nevermind. Look, I'm going to change."
She stepped back towards the changing area, not saying another word. Hikaru walked over to Kaoru and firmly said, "I don't want to tease Airisu about this. Tonight is important. I'm going to convince her to tell me what's going on tonight, I know it. But she has to trust me. Trust us. So you can't make her upset."
Kaoru's mouth opened, feeling a little bit of moisture in his eyes. Hikaru wasn't going to join in on their fun? And he was even lecturing Kaoru about it? Kaoru felt like his heart was completely broken. When had Hikaru started to feel so strongly for this girl, and how did Kaoru miss it? Why hadn't Hikaru confided in him?
But Kaoru closed his mouth and forced himself to push away his thoughts. This wasn't about him, it was about Hikaru. He would do whatever it took to help his brother find happiness again, even if it was with someone who was less than an acquaintance to Kaoru.
"Alright," Kaoru said, forcing a smile.
Hikaru, however, had narrowed his eyes. "Your lies are easy to tell. Kaoru, I'm just leaving you for one evening. I promise I'll tell you all about it when I get home."
Well, good thing Hikaru was so dense. He could tell Kaoru was upset, but completely missed the mark on why he was. Kaoru pretended to sigh in relief. "I know. I just needed to hear it from you, I think."
The brothers embraced, before Kaoru pulled back and turned around, suddenly getting an idea. He rushed over to Haruhi, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Haruhi, play dress up with us. It will make Airisiu more comfortable if someone does it with her." His fingers felt like sparks were flying from them.
"Why are you so giddy?" Haruhi muttered.
Tamaki bared his teeth like a dog. "Don't you dare harass my girlfriend!"
But Haruhi shrugged Tamaki off. "It's fine, I'll do it. Since it will help Airisu."
Tamaki was suddenly in panic mode. "No! You can't possibly. In front of all these men...no way!"
Kaoru grabbed Haruhi's hand. "C'mon, we have hundreds of designs to choose from." As he passed Hikaru, he also grabbed his brother's hand. "Let's choose the perfect one for Haruhi!"
Kaoru's plan was fairly simple: Dress Airisu and Haruhi up in something cute, then see who Hikaru pays more attention to. If Hikaru focused on Airisu, then he'd absolutely moved on from Haruhi. If Hikaru focused on Haruhi, well, that meant his feelings must be complicated, for he certainly felt something for Airisu as well.
At the last minute, Kaoru whispered to the maids helping Haruhi and Airisu, "Put them both in two-piece swimsuits."
That would certainly get Hikaru's attention either way. Kaoru distracted Hikaru for a moment, leading him back to the host club, pretending to talk about their next cosplay project.
A few moments later, both girls emerged in their swimsuits. Haruhi flatly said, "Airisu can't possibly wear this to dinner."
Kaoru, however, had to take a moment to compose himself. Haruhi wore a purple swimsuit, with a strapless, ruffled top, and ruffles on the bottom piece along her backside. The entire host club stared at the girls, Kaoru was even sure he saw Kyoya glance up from his notebook. Haruhi was just...perfect! The most beautiful girl he'd ever seen! Tamaki, however, immediately walked up to her, still in uniform, took his jacket off and covered her with it, quickly ending Kaoru's escaping thoughts.
To Kaoru's surprise, instead of freaking out, Tamaki quietly said, "It is inappropriate to model like this in front of all these boys. Please change."
Kaoru suddenly remembered that the entire point of this operation was to see if Hikaru still had feelings for Haruhi. He immediately glanced at his red-faced brother. Sure enough, instead of gazing at Haruhi, he was staring at Airisu. Kaoru followed his gaze to see that she wore a two piece swimsuit as well, a red and white-striped high-waisted bikini bottom and a red, strapless top that revealed more of Airisu's chest than any of them had ever seen. Her blush also matched the swimsuit, bringing out her hazel eyes more. However, after looking like a deer in the headlights from the maids pulling her out of the changing area, she put her arms over her chest.
Hikaru suddenly stepped forward. Kaoru held his breath as he watched his brother's shaky movements. He copied Tamaki's movement, also taking his uniform jacket off, placing it on Airisu's shoulders. Unlike Tamaki, however, it seemed that Hikaru was unable to come up with something to say. She took it and covered herself, before turning around to go change again.
"Tell your maids I'm not trying anything else on," Kaoru overheard her say to Hikaru.
Kaoru noticed Hikaru close his hand in the air, as if he were imagining grasping Airisu. He took a breath, then approached his brother as she disappeared to the changing area. "You have to admit she did look good in that design."
"She looked beautiful…."
It felt like a knife pierced Kaoru. He slightly crumpled at Hikaru's words, heart racing. Hikaru loved someone that Kaoru didn't. Hikaru was closer with someone than Kaoru was. This was no longer an issue of both of them being in love with Haruhi, but something entirely different. It was an inevitable part of breaking apart, of no longer being codependent, and yet Kaoru's knees felt weak.
Hikaru turned and walked away from him, Kaoru reapproaching the rest of the host club in shock. Tamaki and Kyoya seemed to be in deep conversation, Tamaki's face flushed while Kyoya's had the same, calm demeanor. Kaoru moved closer to Honey, who was enjoying some cake courtesy of the Hitachiin family, and Mori standing behind him.
"Want some cake?" Honey asked him, smiling.
"No thanks, senpai," Kaoru muttered.
Honey's smile dropped as he examined Kaoru's sullen expression. "Why is Kao-chan so sad?"
Kaoru tried to blink away his emotions. "I'm not sad." He forced a smile. "I'm just trying to help Hikaru move on from Haruhi."
Honey took another bite of cake. "Kao-chan, I was thinking about this earlier, and you've spent a lot of time trying to help Hikaru with his feelings, but have you considered that perhaps you might also need help to move on?"
Kaoru's breath caught in his throat. As soon as Honey said it, he knew that it was absolutely true. How could he have been so blind to himself? He'd always prided himself in being more self-aware than Hikaru and Tamaki, yet here he was, fixated on his feelings for Haruhi, perplexed that Hikaru could move on when he couldn't. He put his hand to his face, then started to laugh. He looked up to see Honey's and Mori's concerned faces.
"Sorry for that. I just thought perhaps our club was done with being stupid about our feelings, but I'm clearly very wrong."
Before he could respond, he noticed Airisu and Haruhi come back out from their respective changing areas. Hikaru immediately approached Airisu, apparently rapidly trying to explain himself. Kaoru couldn't help but smile at his brother's flustered actions.
He approached Hikaru and Airisu. "You did look very beautiful, Airisu," Kaoru said.
He watched Hikaru stiffen at his words. Still, Kaoru continued. "That was just some Hitachiin fun for you. But I actually think I know a design you can wear. You can see it first, too, and decide if you want to try. C'mon."
"I suppose…"
Kaoru led Airisu to the room of mannequins, pointing out a loose periwinkle dress with a high neckline. It was fashion-forward, yet completely conservative. Hikaru, however, raised an eyebrow. "This is the one with the matching set."
Airisu glanced at the two. "You want Hikaru and I to match for tonight?" Both Hitachiins tensed at what she might say. However, Airisu grinned. "That's a great idea! It will certainly make it obvious to the Igarashi's that I'm with Hikaru."
Kaoru watched as Hikaru blushed at the comment, then simply said, "You both try it on, then."
As Kaoru waited for the two to change, his mind jumped back to Honey's observations on his feelings. It was true-he had feelings for Haruhi. He was hurt that she was dating Tamaki, despite his best attempts at feeling happy for both of them. Wasn't that really why he'd wanted to work on the science project with her over Hikaru in the first place? While Kaoru had focused his attention on his brother's emotions and helping him to move on, he realized he'd made a mistake. He hadn't paid any attention to his own feelings, and now his pain was noticeable.
Kaoru promised himself that, as soon as they resolved the situation with Rentaro and Airisu, that he would talk to Hikaru about it. But he simply had to wait and allow Hikaru to work through this new situation by himself, without interference or distractions.
Nomura Manor
Airisu, wearing the periwinkle dress designed by the Hitachiin matriarch, walked into one of the sitting rooms in her family's mansion, set up and ready for guests to arrive. Tea and small snacks were available upon request. She studied the bright colors of this particular room, thinking overall how bold an impression it must make, quite the opposite of her own personality. Yet here she was, wearing a fashion-forward design, albeit conservative in nature, that matched Hikaru Hitachiin.
She sat next to Hikaru, listening to him politely refuse any refreshments from a servant, her legs shaking. Both of her parents would come in to speak with them in a few moments. Really, it was silly that she was nervous. She was merely going to explain her fake boyfriend plan to them. It wasn't like she was just bringing home a guy for her parents to meet to get their approval of or anything. That still didn't stop her palms from sweating.
Hikaru, next to her, looked around the room. "I can see where you get your fashion sense," he muttered.
Airisu sighed. That kind of comment was exactly what would ruin their plan if he had said it in front of the Igarashi family or perhap even her parents.
"Act like a host, remember," Airisu hissed at him.
"Okay, sorry. Sorry!" Hikaru insisted, raising his hands up, eyes genuinely wide.
Airisu let out a breath, some of her anger dissipating. The first day Airisu had worked with Hikaru on their project together, she had written him off as a selfish jerk. The Hitachiin brothers were always pranking people, and at times were even quite insensitive. Hikaru only seemed to be worse on his own without Kaoru, always having some snide comment to make. It wasn't until recently that Airisu was convinced that Hikaru wasn't trying to be mean per say, but that he simply didn't know how to properly act on his own without Kaoru. He just said the first thing that came to his head.
Before Airisu could respond to Hikaru, both of her parents walked in the room. She stood, Hikaru following suit, and said, "Mother, father, this is Hikaru Hitachiin. He's the boy I'm working on my science project with in class."
She watched as both her parents looked at the two of them. Touma, as always, was dressed in a simple black suit, the only slight color in his appearance was from his hazel eyes. He completely contrasted the bright room they were in. Sachie, on the other hand, was wearing a dress covered in pink and purple flowers, matching the strong colors in the room, her brown hair stacked high upon her head. Her parents were always contrasting each other, in fact, quite the opposite of her matching outfit with Hikaru.
Touma's face remained calm as he assessed Hikaru. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, young man. I'm quite impressed with your parents' reputations."
Hikaru immediately bowed slightly. "You as well, sir."
Sachie, however, was grinning from ear to ear. "That Hitachiin boy from the exposition! What a lovely couple you two make."
Airisu could feel her face warming at the comment, but she forced herself to swallow. She just had to come out and explain what was happening-she wasn't planning on keeping this from her parents. "We're actually not a couple, at least not in real life. But I have a plan to escape any marital pursuits of Hiroto Igarashi. If I am romantically connected to another, I will absolutely appear unavailable. Since I spent time with Hikaru at the exposition, I believe that it would not be hard to believe us to be a couple, as you said, mother. And, as to not ruin future prospects, we could simply say that Hikaru and I broke up afterwards."
She tensed up, waiting for her father's reply. He was silent for a moment, before scratching his chin. "Hikaru, what do you think of this scheme my daughter has concocted?"
Airisu tensed up. Her plan was about to be ruined before it was even put into motion! Surely Hikaru would say something stupid and ruin it. She'd planned on doing all of the talking. Ugh, she should've discussed this with him earlier. The only thing she could do now was stare at her satin dress and hope for the best.
Hikaru, however, flashed the same smile he used with the ladies at the host club. "Thank you for asking me, sir. Airisu is doing her best to make you proud and assist you in improving your business. I cannot help but admire her intentions."
Airisu almost fell over, taking a step to steady herself. Her father smiled pleasantly at Hikaru. "Well spoken. I will allow this plan to proceed, and trust that you, Airisu, will make sure that it goes smoothly. Unfortunately, I must return to my preparations before the Igarashi's get here. Please excuse me."
Airisu nodded, lifting herself up on her toes for a moment when she heard her father tell her that he trusted her. She knew that tonight had to go well for her to make him proud. Still, there were so many moving parts to this situation. She was manipulating the emotions of Hiroto. She had to rely on Hikaru to play his part. And, of course, she had to count on her mother not to mess everything up….
Sachie walked over to Hikaru and took his hands. "You are such a handsome young man. I suppose you are Airisu's practice boyfriend for now, so ensure that she gets plenty of practice." She winked.
"Mother!" Airisu said immediately, humiliated. "Please, this isn't a game. I'm only doing this so Hiroto will give up the idea of pursuing me. That's it."
Sachie pursed her lips, but let go of Hikaru's hands. "You don't always have to listen to your father, Airisu. Please don't tell me that my only child has turned into a boring, mindless businessman."
"Businesswoman," Hikaru said, disrupting the conversation. He suddenly put his arm around Airisu. "Don't worry, Hiroto will never guess that I'm not Airisu's boyfriend. Besides, someone boring could never come up with a scheme like this! She must have gotten this creativity from you."
Boy, Hikaru knew how to sweet talk. And he wasn't subtle about it either. Somehow he'd managed to woo both of her parents. Airisu was also suddenly flustered by his arm around her, feeling as if she couldn't quite catch her breath.
Sachie's smile returned as quickly as it had faded. "She does have some qualities from me! But she is certainly her father's daughter. She just needs to learn how to have fun, to relax, so she doesn't turn into him. At least she's dressed nice today! I'm sure that's thanks to your Hitachiin fashion sense."
Why did her mother speak so openly about these things? Hikaru, continuing to be a host, replied, "Of course, these are our mother's designs. And I'll make sure we have fun tonight!"
"I heard about the Hitachiin affinity for joking. I believe you will be a good influence on my daughter. Well, I'm off to charm Hina Igarashi. They'll be arriving any minute."
Airisu relaxed once her mother left the room. Hikaru, his arm still around her, said, "I still can't believe she's your mother. You're just so different."
"Er, yes." Airisu said immediately. "My mother and I do get along. It's just...she's a lot to handle sometimes." Not wanting Hikaru to pry more on the subject, especially since he already knew there was something odd happening between her and Rentaro, she changed the subject. "You were wonderful, by the way. I couldn't believe that it was really you just now!"
Hikaru, instead of removing his arm, held her more firmly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Airisu glanced up at him, trying her best not to be distracted by his closeness, and chuckled. "I didn't know you had it in you!"
She couldn't help but tease him, watching his eyes narrow, as if he were trying to figure out if she was being serious or not. Hikaru finally said, "I didn't know you had it in you to come up with any good plans, but this one might actually accomplish what you want it to. Not like that stupid clock-color science project idea…"
"People would have liked that project!" Airisu insisted, causing Hikaru to shake his head and click his tongue in fake disapproval, pulling his arm away from her.
"You poor, tasteless thing…"
The two were cut short as the guests arrived. Touma and Sachie entered the room arm in arm, followed by Hina Igarashi, the matriarch of the Igarashi company, and Hiroto Igarashi, her son. Hina had a severe disposition, her eyebrows naturally curved further together than normal. Airisu had heard rumors of the way the woman led the company with an iron fist, so far having no doubt that they were true.
Airisu made eye contact with Hiroto, and politely smiled at him. She guessed him to be below average height, a little overweight, yet not unattractive despite these flaws. She really didn't know Hiroto that well, and inwardly wondered if, at least based on dispositions, if they would truly be a bad match. Still, since her father was against it from a business standpoint, there was nothing else she could do.
She also couldn't ignore the way Hikaru stepped closer to her as Hiroto Igarashi stared at her. She felt each breath the Hitachiin brother took, even smelling a whiff of mint each time. But she had work to do, and certainly couldn't be distracted by Hikaru now. He was just a friend, after all.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Igarashi-senpai," she bowed slightly as Hiroto came up to her.
"Please feel free to use Hiroto, Airisu," he said, immediately taking familiarity with her.
Hikaru cleared his throat. Airisu quickly said, "This is my boyfriend, Hikaru Hitachiin."
Hikaru slightly lifted his hand as a wave, not saying a word. Airisu noticed that Hiroto's mother was staring at them when she explained Hikaru's identity.
Hiroto, however, simply laughed. "What a lucky guy!" he said to Hikaru.
Airisu was, however, a little surprised at Hiroto's relaxed words. He was acting pretty friendly about this. Did he even have an interest in marrying her, or was it simply in the interest of his mother? Maybe she had misread the entire situation.
Hina Igarashi walked over to them, her severe gaze fixed on Airisu. "What a lovely girl. A pleasure to meet the daughter of such a powerful company."
Airisu bowed slightly. "It is an honor."
To Airisu's relief, Touma Nomura said, "Hina, if you will meet with my wife and I. Our children should be fine on their own. We don't need to bore them with our discussion." He winked at Airisu, before leading her and Sachie away from Hikaru, Airisu, and Hiroto.
Airisu didn't miss the exchanged look between Hiroto and his mother.
Hiroto, however, spoke to them. "I wasn't aware you were tied to the Hitachiins, Airisu. It didn't show up in any of my research. Is your relationship fairly new?"
Hikaru still remained quiet, allowing Airisu to continue to take the lead. "Yes. My father is interested in their father's software company, actually, and I've had a chance to spend plenty of time with the Hitachiin brothers."
Hiroto snapped his fingers. "Oh! That makes sense, I forgot about their dad. So, are you dating both, or just this one? To be honest, I'm rather surprised. I thought they were gay!"
Hikaru angrily responded, "Clearly we're not. And she is only dating me."
Airisu was shocked as Hikaru firmly put his arm around her again, pulling her closer to him. Right, he was just her pretend boyfriend. This was just part of the act. Her heart was beating a mile a minute.
Hiroto raised his hands. "Sorry, take no offense. Look, Hitachiin, this is nothing personal. But if Mom convinces Airisu's dad to go through with the merger, then you'll lose your girlfriend. We'll be betrothed by our parents. Surely you knew that when you chose to date her."
"You're no threat to me," Hikaru responded.
Airisu couldn't help but think that Hikaru's acting right now was very convincing.
Hiroto shrugged. "I might not be. But Daiki Shimomura or Rentaro Sato are. You Hitachiins are so closed off from everyone, surely you haven't heard the rumors."
Airisu tensed at hearing her name tied to Rentaro like that. She quickly said, "That's exactly what they are, Hiroto. Rumors. I'm not engaged, and that's why you're even here in the first place. You know my fate is not sealed, and you hope to have a hand in it."
Airisu should've been more worried about what Hiroto thought of her, after all, she was supposed to convince him not to marry her but still leave on friendly terms. But the thought of Hikaru thinking about her and the possibility of Rentaro completely spooked her. She hadn't shared anything at all that personal with Hikaru yet, and she wasn't ready to start now. He didn't need to know all the affairs of her family, and certainly her future marriage possibilities didn't concern him. And there was a sinking feeling in her stomach that developed when she considered conversing with him about it.
Hikaru, arm still firmly around Airisu said, "She'll never become engaged to you."
Hiroto sighed. "Calm down, please. I'm merely putting our position out in the open. I want to have a pleasant evening. I'm going to check on Mom, excuse me."
As soon as Hiroto was out of hearing distance, Airisu looked up at Hikaru. "Sorry if this is a lot for you. We really hit the ground running."
She noticed, despite them being alone, Hikaru showed no sign of letting go of her. "Is what Hiroto said true? Is Rentaro a possible match for you?"
Airisu didn't respond right away. Hikaru saw Rentaro at the exposition and he knew that something was up between them. A simple "no" probably wouldn't satisfy the Hitachiin brother. Still, she couldn't tell him what was really going on. She would just have to explain a part of it, enough to get him to stop prying.
"Rentaro and I aren't engaged and never will be. My father simply bought out his family's company, so a marriage was unnecessary. The idea was thrown around, which is why there are rumors, and I believe the Satos still hope that it may come to fruition one day. That is what Hiroto is referring to."
"So is that what Rentaro spoke with you about at the exposition?"
Airisu's stomach sank. Why did Hiroto have to bring up Rentaro earlier? She threw her head in her hands suddenly, finally pulling away from Hikaru's arms. This was too close-she couldn't let her father catch wind that Rentaro was bothering her. "Hikaru, you can't bring this up here, please."
To her surprise, Hikaru pulled her even closer. She looked up at him, blinking away some of the moisture in her eyes, and was shocked when Hikaru put his hands around her face and pulled her in, kissing her cheek, extremely close to the corner of her mouth. Airisu felt like a million lights had just turned on, as if she were finally awake. Was this really happening? As soon as Hikaru pulled away, she saw Hiroto in the background, jaw dropping.
Oh. Hikaru was just acting. Right. He must've seen Hiroto come in and needed to distract him from the fact that she was upset, of course.
Airisu's face was burning as she made eye contact with Hiroto. Hiroto merely said, "Our parents request that you and I meet. Alone. I apologize for the inconvenience, Hitachiin."
Hikaru Hitachiin had just kissed her! Shoot, no, that wasn't what she needed to think about. She needed to convince Hiroto that he wouldn't want to marry her, that was all. She had to focus on the task at hand.
"Hikaru," she said, feeling like she might faint when his intense gaze met hers. She swore his eyes had the same emotion in them that she was feeling now. Even if they were acting, that kiss had certainly thrown them both off, she was sure of it. "Er, please leave us."
"Right," he said, letting go of her, and allowing a servant to escort him to a different room.
Airisu watched him leave, her heart pounding in her chest. He was so handsome…
Right, Hiroto. She turned back to the Igarashi heir, his expression softening slightly. "You really like that Hitachiin brother, don't you?"
Was it that obvious? She was playing his girlfriend, so her only response was, "Yes. Hiroto, I apologize that we cannot get to know each other intimately, but I do not see any reason why we should have to leave on unfriendly terms."
Hiroto smiled. "I know this is a business relationship, but this sounds like every time I like a girl. I just get rejected over and over again."
Airisu took in a breath. "I don't wish you any harm. Hiroto, I don't know you well, but I'm confident that there will be someone you meet who will mesh very well with you. I think that's true for everyone."
Her own words threw herself off. She certainly didn't mesh well with Hikaru. All they did was fight! And he was overly emotional and dramatic. He exhausted her most of the time, and she felt like she was walking on glass whenever she was around him. How could she have feelings for someone as dense and awkward as him?
Hiroto was unaware of Airisu's inward struggles. "To be honest, I don't think that matters. My mother is determined to use me for a business match, and I think I'm just going to have to go along with it. That's what she wants with you, but I'd be surprised if your father agreed to it. He wants to buy us out, I'm sure, not merge with us. The only company powerful enough for him to truly merge with is Shimomura Incorporated. As long as Daiki Shimomura is single, I don't stand a chance."
Airisu pushed her thoughts about Hikaru away. "You're a very good sport about this, Hiroto. I'm alright to call a truce, and to enjoy the evening, and let our parents decide what to do."
Hiroto grinned at her. "Alright!"
To her surprise, he hugged her. As she patted his back, she heard the door open, and saw Hikaru come in, his eyes flashing at the sight. Hikaru forced himself between them, ending the hug early. "Hands off my girl."
Hiroto laughed. "We're merely friends, relax. We've agreed to enjoy the evening."
Hikaru crossed his arms. Airisu, realizing that she always felt out of breath at the sight of Hikaru, managed to add, "We did. C'mon, I can show you both the grounds while we wait for my parents."
At that moment, Hina Igarashi emerged from the room with her parents. "Hiroto, I would like to speak with you privately."
Airisu dipped her head. "Hikaru and I will leave you."
Airisu grabbed Hikaru's hand, pulling him out of the room behind her. Her face was still warm where Hikaru's lips touched her cheek. Once out of earsight, he gripped her hand tighter.
"Why did you hug Hiroto?" he asked, his words slower than normal.
Airisu glanced at him, trying to determine his expression, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. "Hiroto hugged me. I believe it was completely harmless."
Hikaru didn't say anything, breathing in and out slowly. Airisu raised an eyebrow. Was he attempting to control his temper? After an awkward moment, Hikaru suddenly said, "Let's spy on them."
Airisu's eyes sparkled. "I know just the place."
Still holding hands, she pulled him along, for one moment thinking about how pleasant it would be if their relationship were real. It was nice to have someone in on her family's maneuverings. Not to mention she just felt...happy right now. Despite the potential stress of the situation.
She opened a closet located around the corner. "The servants eavesdrop on us here." She glanced at the narrow space. "Oh, it's smaller than I realized. Maybe just one of us…"
"We can both fit," Hikaru said immediately. "C'mon."
Finally letting go of her hand, he entered the closet, beckoning to Airisu to come when she hesitated. Airisu shook her head at the antics (this really seemed like exactly something the host club would do) but followed him. To both fit, they had to face each other. Airisu leaned back against the wall, yet she had no choice but to be close enough that she was sure their periwinkle clothes were brushing against each other.
Hikaru, his arms longer, closed the door behind him, causing Airisu's cheeks to warm. She glanced up at him, seeing the color in his cheeks as well. For a second she forgot why they were even in here, listening to Hikaru's breathing, gazing into his eyes. If only she could kiss him…
What was she thinking? She had to say something. "Er, if you put your ear against the wall, then you can hear them."
Hikaru nodded, putting his ear against the wall. Airisu took in another breath, smelling Hikaru's cologne. Did he always wear this strong cologne, or was it just for today? For her?
She quickly put her ear against the wall, desperately trying to not let her thoughts get away from her. She closed her eyes to listen in.
She caught the end of Hina's sentence, "...with their daughter?"
Hiroto said, "I couldn't make any progress with that stupid Hitachiin clone around. I did have her send him away, but I didn't make any headway besides leaving on good terms."
Airisu tried to imagine a look of disapproval on Hina's face. "Her father made it very clear that a merger is out of the question. Our only way in now is through that girl."
"Well, I don't know what else I can do. My buddy Rentaro said I could text him if things went wrong for some help. I guess I can shoot him a text."
Airisu's stomach dropped. She felt pounding in her ears. Did Hiroto just say he was going to text Rentaro? Was Rentaro giving out her information? She could scarcely breathe and leaned back on the wall for support.
Hikaru put his arms around her, pulled her into his chest, and whispered in her ear from above as he rested his chin on top of her head. "It's going to be okay."
Airisu closed her eyes for a moment, tears escaping her eyes. She breathed in Hikaru's scent one more time, then pulled away and opened the closet door, walking down the hallway. She had to do something.
Hikaru urgently followed her. "Airisu, please talk to me."
Airisu shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I need to make a phone call. I have something to take care of."
Hikaru stopped. She glanced back at him, his amber eyes showing complete concern for her. She closed her eyes, turned around, and walked further away. She opened her phone, and immediately called Rentaro.
"Hello?"
Airisu breathed in and out at the sound of his deep voice. "Why did Hiroto mention texting you to help convince me to agree to be matched with him?"
She heard silence on the other end, as if Rentaro were thinking about what to say. She held back tears again, terrified of what he was about to say. Finally, Rentaro replied, "It's not what it sounds like."
"If you've told him…. Everything. Is. Off."
"I haven't told anyone, Airisu, I promise." She could hear his pleading tone.
"Then why would Hiroto say what he did?"
"Airisu, he knows that our families were close for a while. He thinks I can give him advice on how to win your heart, that's it. Like, your interests and stuff. I told him I'd be glad to. Hiroto's family and mine go way back, so I figured I'd help him out. That's it. That's all it is."
Airisu sighed in relief. She was still on edge, but Rentaro's story did make sense. Why would he give away her information so easily considering his own position? She shouldn't get so worked up about this. She could handle this by herself. "Alright."
"See you Wednesday."
"Yes."
Airisu hung up the phone, closing her eyes for a moment. Her life had almost been ruined by Rentaro. All over a stupid text. She took in a breath. She had to continue tonight and remain composed. She could do it. She just had to take a few breaths...
She turned around and walked back down the long, pale hallway to Hikaru, who had stayed in the same place, waiting for her to return. She forced a smile. "Sorry about that. We should head back, I'm sure dinner will be ready soon."
But Hikaru didn't smile. "Something's wrong."
"No, it's alright," Airisu insisted. "I sorted it out."
Amber eyes flashed. "Why won't you tell me?" Hikaru shouted.
Airisu's eyes widened, but before she could respond, Hikaru immediately said. "S-sorry. I got away from myself. Yes, we can go to dinner."
"Hikaru...I really appreciate what you're doing for me tonight. And I enjoy being your friend. But none of this concerns you. It's not my information to tell." She didn't mention that the last person she'd confided in was Rentaro, and how much of a mistake that had been. She couldn't make the same one with Hikaru, regardless of how caring he seemed. Besides, he was too emotional to trust anyway. Forget the way she felt when he'd kissed her cheek earlier, that had no relevance to this.
She could see Hikaru's jaw tighten at her words, but she watched him breathe in and out before saying, "Okay."
The two turned the corner back to the sitting room, where one of the servants escorted them to the dining room for their formal dinner. Airisu entered, her parents and the Igarashi's seated already. Her mother was slightly smiling as she looked at the two of them, her father simply dipping his head in acknowledgment. There was an empty seat next to Hiroto and an empty one next to her mother. Airisu went to sit next to Hiroto, assuming that was where she was expected to sit, but was cut off by Hikaru, who quickly sat next to Hiroto in her place. Airisu merely smiled, taking a seat next to her mother.
As the salad was served, servants bustling about, Hina smiled at Airisu. "Hiroto was telling me about your work to raise money for the less fortunate at Ouran. I suppose you understand their situations quite well, considering your own family's roots."
So Hina was clearly upset at the way the night was going and was passive aggressively lashing out at them. Before Airisu could reply, Hikaru hotly said, "Clearly the Nomuras are doing much better than your family. Perhaps you will soon understand what it's like to be less fortunate."
Airisu was mortified. She slightly shook her head at Hikaru from across the table. He needed to control his temper! Their goal was to buy out the Igarashi company instead of merge with them, not scare them off for good and leave on bad terms!
Hiroto, however, chuckled. "I suppose you're right. I'm surprised you were able to pick up on our situation, since you're closed off in your little world all the time, Hitachiin. I didn't know you knew how to interact with anyone outside that silly host club."
Hikaru stood up and shouted, "At least I'm not desperately throwing myself at a former commoner to save my family's money! And I know how to stay in shape…"
"Enough." Touma Nomura's calm voice cut off Hikaru and Hiroto, who both continued to stare each other down. Touma said, "Hikaru, please take dinner in the next room. We will check in on you later."
Hikaru slammed his fist on the table. "How can you dine with them when they clearly don't care about you or your daughter? They're snakes!"
Touma's voice got quiet. "We will continue this discussion later, Hitachiin."
Airisu took a quick breath. Despite her father's positive impression of Hikaru earlier, it was clear that he was now extremely irritated at the boy. Hikaru was potentially messing up a business deal, and was thus a hindrance. She shouldn't be bothered by this, after all, Hikaru wasn't her real boyfriend. But the sinking feeling in her stomach was impossible to ignore. She barely registered the conversation that occurred for the rest of the dinner. Hiroto didn't say two words to her, pride hurt, and clearly had given up on the situation. All Airisu could do was worry about what Hikaru was feeling right now…
Hikaru didn't eat. Instead, he stalked back and forth across the small dining area the servants had led him to. He'd messed up. Again. If only Kaoru could've been here with him! He would've known what to do. Hikaru slumped down on a green, wooden chair, reliving tonight's events over and over. This was a disaster!
Airisu had stared at him in shock when he yelled at the Igarashi's. Certainly they deserved it, and he was defending Airisu! She should be thanking him! Yet that probably wasn't the best way to go about it. He ran his fingers through his hair, head drooping down. What did Airisu think of him now?
He also couldn't stop thinking about the way he'd easily kissed her cheek earlier, the look of surprise lingering in her dilated eyes. He'd almost gone to kiss her on the lips, then chickened out at the last moment, kissing near them instead. And when they were listening to the Igarashi's through the closet wall...oh how he'd wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her over and over again! Hikaru gasped.
He was in love with Airisu Nomura.
Everything felt warm as he finally admitted his feelings to himself. He hadn't thought about Haruhi at all the entire evening, instead being able to be present in the moment, focusing on Airisu and her situation. He had desperately wanted to please her, and her family. He winced as he realized he'd ruined it only in a matter of moments.
Why did he always have to lose his temper? And he was so awkward around her! It wasn't easy, like interacting with Haruhi or the other hosts. No wonder he seemed to be Airisu's last choice for a pretend boyfriend. Her instincts had been right-he was wrong for this job. He never knew the right things to say, he desperately missed Kaoru, and the best he could do to control his emotional waterfall was build a dam that wasn't nearly high enough.
And poor Airisu having to deal with Rentaro. Hikaru's neck became hot as he imagined what the other student must be doing to her. All the host club needed was for Airisu to confide in Hikaru, then he could simply allow the influence of Kyoya and Tamaki save the day. But she would never trust him. He felt moisture in his eyes at the thought.
At that moment, Airisu softly walked into the room. Hikaru immediately stood up, desperately wiping his eyes, and suddenly at a loss for words as he recalled his newly realized feelings.
Airisu's jaw was tight. "The Igarashi's were sent on their way. My father requests that I say goodbye to you as well. He does not wish to see you tonight."
Hikaru's face paled. "S-sorry."
"I'll accompany you on your way out," Airisu replied, not acknowledging his apology.
In silence, the two exited Nomura Manor. It was much chillier outside now compared to when they arrived, Airisu hugging herself with her arms to stay warm. Before he hailed his limousine, Hikaru turned to Airisu. He couldn't leave like this. He put his hands on her cold shoulders.
"Airisu…" he was going to attempt to ask about Rentaro again, but his voice caught in his throat as his amber eyes met her hazel.
You have to tell other people how you feel or they'll never know. Kaoru's voice echoed in Hikaru's head.
"I-" he swallowed. Could he really tell her what he was feeling? Should he tell her he had feelings for her? Despite the cold weather, his face felt like it was on fire. "I-"
Airisu's eyes softened. "I'll see you at school, Hikaru. We still have our science project to finish, after all."
Right. Hikaru let go of her shoulders, too embarrassed to continue with his thought. It was stupid and impulsive to say it right now, anyway. This was way too early! And it certainly would only complicate the Rentaro situation further. Not to mention he hadn't even consulted Kaoru on the matter. No, he couldn't possibly confess now. "Yep, I'll see you."
He punched her arm slightly, as if it somehow eliminated any of the sparks flying between them. Airisu merely smiled at him before turning and walking away. Hikaru let out a breath, watching her as she left, dazzled by the way she looked in the Hitachiin original.
As he rode home in the limo, he desperately began to realize more and more that he had failed. Rentaro was still blackmailing Airisu, and he knew no more about it than a few days ago. The thought of Rentaro threatening her...Hikaru's breaths became short, his blood beginning to boil.
If Rentaro ever hurt Airisu, Hikaru would end him.