Chapter ten:

"I would love to work with Toshi more." Len admits giving a smile to Toshi. "So if he is on board then so am I. Though if it is okay I would still like to focus on my robotics stuff."

"I don't have a problem with that." Kazuki nods his head. "I actually have a good friend in the high ups of a science group that I think you will like. I'll introduce you two at some point."

The eyes turn to me now as I am the last one to decide what I feel like about the offer posed to us.

I know that it will be completely fine if I decide to say no. I just do feel some pressure to accept. I glance away to really let myself think it over properly. I come up with my answer so I turn back to those waiting for me to tell them. "Would I still be able to go along a path in figuring what I for sure want to do. I haven't fully narrowed down what I want to do. I have kind of just started in Jamie's class so I haven't had as much exploration as others yet. I just think that having this opportunity is really great." I get a hand on my shoulder from Kazuki.

Kazuki gives me an assuring and gentle smile. "That is fine. I would be willing to consider you as coming into this field until you find something that you truly enjoy. Once you figure yourself out more you can let me know and I will be more than willing to help hook you up with good people in whatever field you decide."

I smile as this sounds like it could be a dream. "Thank you so much."

"It is not a problem." Kazuki chuckles at this sounding so warm. "I understand you honestly. It took me seven years after high school before I figured myself out. Finally confirming that this was the field I wanted to go down. You'll figure things out for yourself when the time is right. Though only you will know when that time is right. Don't feel rushed to decide where you want your life to go. You're still young and have plenty of time to make that choice." He chuckles warmly once more. "Oh my. Look at me going off on a long talk."

I smile a little more. "It is quite alright." I get another warm look from Kazuki at this. I do feel excited and the fact that I'll be sleeping at the school only briefly reminds me in my mind before I let it slip away again.

This is so exciting!

The next day…

I arrive at my work station a little later in the day than I originally planned. I do give myself some grace since I did end up staying late feeling the excitement about the opportunity I have now. I stretch my arms above my head before deciding to get to work. I get deep into my work deciding to improve my knife idea when I turn as Jamie approaches me.

"Kaoru. You have a visitor."

I glance to the time realizing that it would be afterschool at Ouran. I figure that it must be Hikaru wondering if I am coming home today. I get up following Jamie to the main lobby of the school where I pause at finding Haruhi standing there.

Haruhi turns to me looking like she really wants to talk.

We settle down at a spot where we can sit on some nice chairs with a table between us.

"This is a little unexpected." I admit as Haruhi nods softly.

"I understand that it is very sudden." Haruhi lets out a breath. "Kaoru. I have a favor to ask of you." Her words make me really curious what this is about. "Can you recommend me for the same program to your professor?"

I suppose I should have seen this coming since Haruhi is very diligent with even regular school. I do have to point something out though. "I am pretty sure that you can do that by yourself." I get a slight glare from her for saying this. "Look. Haruhi. You're very smart. And I just think that you'd be a perfect candidate for this type of learning. Where you aren't restricted like you would be in regular school."

"Recommend me and I'll give you this." Haurhi shows me the missing stuff with the knife project that I was doing.

I look very confused yet surprised that she had stolen this stuff from me.

"I know that you could easily just make it again." Haruhi looks so calm as if all of this is actually totally normal. "However I wanted to not only set you back but also prove to you that I can get in and I could do worse. You have to get your professor to let me into this program."

I find myself at a loss for words at first.

Is my friend seriously threatening me to be able to get into the program that I am in?!

I take a few moments before I am able to find my voice again. "Haruhi. You're being ridiculous. What kind of a person pulls a stunt like that in order to get what they want?!"

"You have no idea what I have been through to get to where I am now." Haruhi narrows her eyes at me as we keep our gazes locked with one another. "You don't understand what it is like to lose your mother then have a father who acts more childish thus making you have to be the adult. Forcing you to have to grow up faster than your time to do so. You don't know what it is like to have to be careful with how much money you spend. Having all this intelligence yet not being able to afford to be able to go to schools that might be able to challenge you, at least not unless you by some miracle manage to get a scholarship. I have to get into this program. This program will help me to soar beyond the limits that other schools put on me." She lets out a breath closing her eyes and keeping her eyes closed as she speaks the next sentence before falling into silence. "I have to become a high end lawyer. I have to. I need to be able to make sure that no one else will have to lose their mother to incompetent health care again." Her words are quieter this time. She remains there with her eyes closed as she awaits my answer. She is clearly expecting me to say no way yet hoping that I will be all on her side about this.

I feel like I don't know what to do in this situation. I mean she is my friend and friends are supposed to help and support each other. I just also know that her basically trying to blackmail me into doing this is also very wrong. I don't want to disappoint her because she is my friend, however I am very bothered that she thought that she had to resort to threatening me at all. Will I be able to do the right thing? Or will I cave and just follow along? I have been told that I can be a bit too nice and compliant at times. I open my mouth to try to tell her what I think.

"Before you answer." Haruhi mentions making me close my mouth to listen to her. She opens her eyes to be able to look at me, only opening her eyes to halfway. "I just wanted to tell you that I understand that I am being a little out there to be able to get to where I want to be. However I want you to know that I did this part because initially I had stolen this out of spite against you for getting into this program. Afterwards I realized that I shouldn't have done so. So I decided to just bring it up. I still let some darkness slip out in making the demands I had made."

That throws me for a loop. I don't know if she is being sincere or trying to trick me again. I can't read anything in those calm eyes that she has.

She just keeps watching me waiting for my answer to her.

What am I supposed to do?