Haurhi was less acclimated to Takashi's presence the next day. When she peeked out the door he was standing on guard already next to it. "Good morning." He said evenly, she took a deep breath and nodded at him walking out in a casual outfit. He seemed curious about it for a very brief moment but fell into step behind her as she made her way to her office.

With someone else standing behind her as she entered she could practically feel her skin vibrate. She was uneasy, not scared, just the unfamiliarity of someone occupying the office space was different. The very fact it was someone she wasn't sure how to be around didn't help.

As she continued to the desk his footsteps stopped at the door where he stood firm like a statue. "Please…don't stand there." She glanced around deciding what might be a more comfortable place settling on the small armchair by the book shelves.

"Hm.." He took the few steps to it, settling in, just as stiff as usual, glancing at her as if to ask if that was better. "Ok…I'm going to do some minor things for today…" He nodded glancing at her shelves of books. "Um…feel free to read something." He nodded again but didn't move from his position. Haruhi took a moment to settle down, finding a note on her desk. 'Prepare for a garden party following the 2 week vacation - Tamaki Suoh'

She sighed, she had no one else to aid her this time around for the party. She glanced up at Takashi who was still looking towards the bookshelf before unlocking her desk drawer for the budget ledger.

With a last glance at her own personal human statue still staring at her book shelf she set to work with which staff should go where for the party. She'd figure out the theme from previous years parties for the occasion after some time. She thought of poor Toru and how his proposal might have gone. It wasn't like he'd had much of a plan past his script she was sure he'd forgotten.

"…I hope he cooked her something…" Haruhi chuckled to herself calculating out the average cost of the meals during the guests stay. She'd need to go over inventory on her own for the first time to be ready for the timeline with orders. Next she'd have to get a guest list from Kyouya, which always struck her as odd that Kyouya was the one who decided on the invites.

Finally she flipped open the ledger she followed while learning her duties as head maid. Garden parties often had a specific flare to them with varied themes befitting the season. In the notes she'd found that they were quite the spectacle with performers brought in on Tamaki's whims. She'd have to ask him who he'd like to entertain when she could, though that wasn't exactly something she could just do.

Pausing, Haruhi jotted a note down in her own book 'how do I ask about entertainment?' She nibbled the end of her pen tapping a finger on the desktop pondering what to do. A creeping feeling that she might've forgotten something swept her and her eyes darted up. There, seated quietly in the armchair Takashi was watching her without flinching. She'd forgotten he was there, this startled her, something he seemed to notice.

"…hm" he gave the softest of smiles before plucking a book from the shelf and flicking it open in one gigantic palm. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears at the idea he'd simply sat there staring as she worked. A heat rose in her face and she squashed it with a hard swallow.

"I'd like to go out…during the day." She said it mostly as a way to calm the air and to check if she could still speak.

"Hm." A man of few words, Takashi simply nodded, somehow snapping the book shut silently placing it back in a single smooth motion. She was unnerved all over again, her fingers trembled on her pen. Quickly hoping to hide her discomfort she gathered her books and locked them in her desk again.

"Should I stand outside from now on." She'd barely gotten to stand before he spoke again. Haruhi shook her head, annoyed that she'd lost composure enough that he felt the need to do something about it.

"…I'm just not used to having anyone here while I work." Half truths were still true. "I'll return to my room until daylight." He nodded, waiting for her to stand and lead her back. Gathering all her thoughts she fell into step next to him back down the hallway. It felt much shorter than normal.

"I will be here to escort you to town." He stated simply. She nodded, opening her door, pausing and turning back to him. He waited.

"I'm sorry to ask, but I'm not able to seek out anyone of my own accord," Takashi nodded, waiting for orders. "I need to know who I'll bring in as entertainers for the garden party after the vacation." Silly as she felt he was her only way to ask for anything like direction.

"Hm…I will relay the message." He said simply. After another quick nod, Haruhi closed herself into her room, locking the door. Part of her wondered if Takashi was still standing there right at the door. Or, if he'd disappeared into the halls without a sound. Neither option gave her peace of mind.

"You're taking her out? Fabulous." Tamaki was draped over his armchair in his office, a disheveled mess. Kyouya was nowhere to be found, which would've been unusual under any other circumstances. "As for entertainment, I'm thinking of something gentle." Takashi didn't move watching the blonde man's eyes fixate on something far above the ceiling he was looking at. "A quartet, background noise."

"Hm." Takashi lowered and turned to leave. "Morinozuka." He stopped hearing the sharpness of his name. "She must not be let out unless escorted." When Takashi turned to look, Tamaki was staring straight at him with a very cold gaze. "That's all." Takashi left, closing the door behind him. Haninozuka he served because he wanted to, Tamaki's orders were different. Takashi knew had no choice but to obey.

The hall was quiet, everything felt still without the sounds of life in the castle. He only listened a moment before moving to the staircase that led towards Haruhi's room. He hoped she would be sleeping inside, but knew better than to expect her mind to stop moving. She was searching for an explanation for her being there. She was searching for the reason for the unease she felt near Tamaki and the others. It would only be a matter of time before she stumbled upon something.

Moving on from her door he made his way as silently as he could to her office. It held her essence when he walked in crossing the floor to her little desk. He sighed, pulling a key from his pocket and unlocking the drawer with her notebooks. He glanced at the door momentarily concerned Haruhi would just be standing there watching him do it. But he knew her unease would keep her locked in her bedroom.

The first book he picked up was an older ledger kept by a previous head maid. He figured given the many specific notes this maid had already known about them. He returned it to the drawer picking up the notebook with Haruhi's initials embossed on the cover. Wanting to be quick he flipped open to her most recent pages.

She kept immaculate notes, very precise calculations were kept for budgets. She also made sure not to let anything fall to the backburner too long. He paused on a page where she'd written about the incident from the vault. She'd poised some questions but ultimately the craze of the situation stopped her from noticing certain details of the events of that night.

He closed the book, returning it to the drawer and locking it. She hadn't even come to a conclusion yet but she was following a lot of notes from people who had known of them over the years. It would only be so long before she found an answer. He sat in her chair looking over her entire office, he'd not hear the end of it if he wasn't thorough. Tamaki had been very clear she would remain in the dark for as long as possible.

Takashi stood, making sure to return the chair to the same position while he left. He'd wait in the hallway for her to emerge for her day out. It was a curious interest on what she wanted to do, she hadn't been out since she'd arrived.

Personal life has been wild. My health is finally on the mend so no more hospital visits. This also means I've had the energy to start writing again. I had some ideas but otherwise haven't committed to anything much in the coming chapters. I was able to read ahead and start figuring out where I was going with this story when I first wrote it. I will go back to releasing on Tuesdays, it will either be every other week or once a month depending on my energy levels as I fully recover. When I tell you I'm happy to be adding writing back into my time I truly mean it.

Look forward to continuing this story, and I hope you all are too! Have the best of days!