Author's Note:

This chapter has been brewing for a long time. I hope I did it justice.

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xXx

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Date Posted: April 13, 2024

Trigger Warnings: Language and some smooching

The Painful Truth - Chapter 35: Breakdown

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Saturday, November 12 (Continued):

Late Afternoon, Petto Chinmi Photo Shoot, Commoner Resort:

"She's a natural," one of the photographers mumbled as my client reached down and played with the dog's ears. They have her and the dog sitting on an innertube at the top of a small rise. I'd already cleared it for her safety.

"Alright, Fujioka-sama, we're going to give you a little push. Just smile and don't stop the wind from playing with your hair."

"OK!" she called as an assistant gave her a small shove.

It started out slow, but as the tube built up speed, she and the dog started to spin.

"Perfect…" followed by dozens of clicks.

Then she started to laugh and threw her arms up, the dog getting closer and licking her face.

"Absolute marketing gold…"

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After several innertube runs down that hill, I called everyone together. Fortunately, it's getting easier to deal with her agent.

"I think we've got everything we need for today." Fujioka-sama almost looks disappointed. I think she was really enjoying the innertubes, especially since we had a snow mobile to bring her back up the hill. "That just leaves tomorrow morning." I turned to the set designer, "Will everything be ready?"

"Yes, Sir. The snow caves and tunnels are being dug now so they can freeze overnight and be sturdy. There will still be a short window because of body heat and the lights."

"Snow caves?"

There's her agent again. Didn't he read the schedule? "Yes. A series of caves and tunnels to allow for certain shots." I waived over towards the main resort building, "We've had bulldozers and dump trucks bringing in snow all afternoon and packing it down for digging. It's all being reinforced, so there's no worry about collapse."

Her agent took another breath to complain, but she cut him off, "Don't worry, Inokuma-san. It's not big enough that I'd get lost if the roof fell in." She said it with a smile, and it was obvious that she wasn't worried. "Thompson-san's reviewed everything. If he's satisfied, then I'm sure there's no reason to be concerned."

"Oh, well, if he's alright with it," Inokuma-san mumbled and turned back to his notes. Watching those two get to know each other better has been entertaining to say the least. Thompson-san's not at all impressed that Inokuma-san's such a big-time agent.

"And you've approved your wardrobe, Fujioka-sama?"

"Yes. It's cute how the outfits match."

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When they showed me the matching snowsuits for me and the dogs, I knew immediately I had to carry the line in the stores. Only problem is they are internet only, custom orders. I sent the information to Tanaki-san, and his reply was cryptic but positive. Just said it fit perfectly with a new concept for the web store and they'd have a presentation for me next week.

Now that we're working hard to put certain things in the past, I really should thank Kyoya-senpai for hiring Tanaki-san. Not only is he good for Petto Chinmi, but he has endless patience for helping me learn so much and become the true owner.

"Glad you like them." The director clapped his hands to get everyone's full attention. "That's it for photographers and models for the day. Set will continue working through the evening. We'll start at seven tomorrow morning."

Can't stay up too late tonight. Need a good night's sleep in my actual bed.

I headed over to Yuki, who'd joined us after lunch when Akito left, but the head photographer got to her first, "Excuse me, Ito-sama?" They really don't have to call her that. I think it's because she was introduced as a friend of mine, and I asked if she could shadow them as a favor. Doesn't seem to bother her; it's what she's used to.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if I could review your pictures from today."

Not sure why they wanted to, but when she looked over at me, I smiled and nodded in encouragement. Can't think of a negative reason.

"Sure."

Ten minutes later, we're gathered around a big monitor as she hands over her chip. "This is just today's pictures. I'd already moved the previous ones to my cloud."

"That's fine. I was just curious what you were able to get. Sometimes the difference between a good shot and a great shot is a few degrees of angle."

They flipped through dozens of pictures, some seemingly random. At one point there were thirty in a row of one dog just curled up in the snow, each a little different. She blushed, "I was playing with the camera settings."

"It's the only way to learn," one of the photographers reassured her.

Then they stopped on a specific one and there were squeals and ooos all around.

It was the perfect shot of that crazy akita from the set before the innertubes. They were trying to get pictures of the dogs jumping up and grabbing food that I'd tossed. The trainer assured me that if I leaned over and braced my hands on my knees right after I tossed the apple, the dog would use by back as a ramp and launch himself to get it.

It didn't go as planned. The pig weighed more than I expected, so I fell face first into the snow. It did manage to get the apple though.

Yuki's picture caught the entire mess including the look on my face right before I hit the snow.

"It's better than what we got," the director said, looking closer at the picture. "Just photoshop out the trainer, and we've got our money shot." He turned to Yuki, "How much?"

"How much for…?"

"How much for the picture and all the rights. You managed to be in the exact right place. With animals, you just never know and have to take what you get, but this is perfect."

"I'm not…"

That's when I broke in, "How about we do this," and everyone turned to me. "Let's back up the pictures, finish the shoot tomorrow, then, if Yuki agrees, you can review all her pictures and see if there is anything else that can complement the official ones. Once we have an idea of the scope of the pictures you'd like from her, you can talk to her agent."

Her face was scarlet. "But Haruhi, I don't have…"

I reached out and put my hand on her arm, "I think you might need one."

"Oh, wow," she whispered then nodded. "Alright."

"That will work, Fujioka-sama."

"Great. I'm going to go change then Yuki and I can head back to the cabin." And I headed off to the changing area where I'm going to use soap that costs more than fancy tuna to take off this makeup.

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xXx

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Evening, Security Headquarters, Kasanoda Compound:

"They're all gone, Ryuu-sama."

I nodded to Fujii and sat at the conference table. "I want a full electronics sweep of the entire compound. The entire fucking thing, even if they didn't go anywhere near an area." It's one thing to allow for a security inspection. It's a whole other thing entirely if you're stupid enough to not check after they leave. I don't think any of them are secretly working for the government, but I didn't get where I am today but assuming I know everything.

"Yes, Sir."

"And a full intranet and network sweep including a push demand for everyone to change their passwords."

"Yes, Sir."

.

xXx

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Dinner, Shido Ski Cabin:

"Haruhi! You're here! I'm starving!"

"It's nice to see you to, Hikaru."

"What are you going to cook for us?"

Cook? I didn't realize he thought she was going to cook. Her hand's not ready for that yet. She could cut herself badly if she tried chopping things. "I'm not sure…"

But she cut me off with a kiss and turned back to Hikaru, "I'm not cooking. Don't think I can hold a knife yet. What about the chef?"

"We were waiting for you."

"Idiots," she huffed. "Now what?"

"We order in," Chika smirked. "Since someone," he turned and glared at Hikaru, "thought to have the chefs hold off dinner because they thought you'd magically come in a whip up enough for everyone, we'll just order a bunch from all the great restaurants in the area."

Next thing I know, he's got us into groups, each ordering from a different place on our phones. Security's going to love this.

"Relax," Haruhi mumbled and squeezed my hand. "It's not like there's an assassin at each of these places waiting to poison our food on the off chance we decide to order."

"How…?"

"I can see it in your eyes." Then she raised her voice for everyone to hear, "Order enough for the staff and security too. They need to eat."

"Yes, Haruhi."

"And send the bill to Hikaru."

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There he is.

"Kyoya! I should have known I'd find you in the library. Dinner's almost ready."

"I'm not hungry," he grumbled, not even looking up from his laptop.

"But," I put on the puppy eyes and walked up in front of him, "it's our last night here. You have to come."

He pulled off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other hand. "No, I don't."

"Yes," I grabbed his arm and started pulling, "you do. You need food if you're going to dance all night."

"I'm not going to that stupid night club."

"We'll see."

At least I got him out of the chair and moving to the dining room.

.

There's a weird vibe around the table. Where is it coming from?

Tamaki-kun's fine. One of the restaurants we ordered from was Italian, and he's really digging into his lasagna. In a gentlemanly way, of course. Good thing we switched to tubing this morning. He's hopeless at skiing.

Not the twins. Not Satoshi. They're over there all over their phones texting girls about the dance club. Security threatened them within an inch of their lives about posting they'd be there, but of course it leaked. Why did they think telling the girls not to post would work. They know girls. They were hosts. No way a group of girls would keep that secret.

Crazy fans and press be damned. I'm still looking forward to it. I've got the perfect dress that will make my Tamaki-kun drool.

Honey and Cho look OK. I think she's been getting better here, but I was relieved to hear she's going to try a grief counselor. There are some things you just can't get through on your own. Despite her still getting over Keiko, the weirdness isn't coming from them. He's been chattering all through dinner about the club and the photo booths they have there.

It's a strange pairing, but it's not Yuki and Chika either. She's showing him the pictures she took today at Haruhi's photo shoot. It's such a confidence booster for her that he's taking her seriously. And the fact that they want to use one of her shots in Petto Chinmi's advertising campaign is nothing short of amazing. She was on the phone with Akito gushing about it. I'm happy for her and proud of her. She's still one of our shyest, but she's definitely blossoming finally being out from under her father.

Mori and Haruhi are sure quiet. He's telling her a little bit about his skiing today, but she's mostly nodding along. I'd say she's tired from her photo shoot, but her eyes keep darting around the table. Is it coming from her, or does she notice it too?

That just leaves Ootori.

Yeah, it's coming from Ootori.

Should have known.

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Damn Tamaki for making me come on this fucking trip.

Damn Tachibana and his 'scolding'. I came down off that fucking slope feeling numb and quiet for the first time in over a year, and he yells at me.

…flashback

"Kyoya-sama, what the hell was that?"

I turned towards Tachibana. He was just now catching up to me. His nostrils flaring, he practically growled, "Do you have any idea how dangerous what you just did is? What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't."

It just popped out, but I realized how true it was. "I wasn't thinking. I was free. For a split second, I was free."

"Free? You weren't free. You could have killed yourself."

I turned slowly and looked back up the mountain, "Isn't that the definition of free?"

"What is the matter with you? You don't sound like yourself at all."

"I thought I knew who that was, but since we've been back, since Keiko…" I headed for the ski lift. I need to feel that freedom again.

"You're not going down that slope again."

"Fuck off, Tachibana."

"No. You need to get your face looked at, and there's no way in hell I'm letting you ski any more until your head's on straight."

End flashback…

Considering he could take me down with one arm behind his back, I didn't argue. It was too late anyway. I wasn't going to find that freedom again. Freedom is an illusion to those with my responsibilities.

It was just a scrape and didn't need stitches. After seeing the doctor, I went back to the library until Tamaki found me for dinner.

And now here I am surrounded by people I used to call my friends waiting for the inevitable time when they all realize they don't want me around, that they don't want to tolerate me for Haruhi and Tamaki, and they kick me out. It's only a matter of time. I'm already the outsider. The interloper.

I'm only tolerated. I want to be a part of this group so badly, but I don't know how.

This just won't work.

I finished my glass of wine and reached for the bottle Tamaki and I are sharing to refill it.

It's empty.

Did I drink all of it?

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xXx

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Late Evening, Outside Kyoya's Room, Shido Ski Cabin:

Why that crazy chick has to have a beer before we go out… She can get one at the club. Hell, she can have as many as she wants in the limo. We aren't even leaving for at least an hour.

But, nooooo. 'Ritsu, go get me a beer. Make sure it's ice cold.'

Whatever.

Crash

I started running down the hall towards the door where I heard the breaking glass. Not Haruhi's room.

Who's?

Grabbed the doorknob. Locked.

Who's door is this?

I'm not yakuza for nothing, so I picked it and threw it open. Pulled up short when I saw Ootori standing in the middle of the room, a broken glass on the floor and some drink running down the wall.

Sake from the empty bottles.

"The hell?"

"Kasanoda-sama?" I spun around and saw Tachibana in the door. "How?"

"Picked it."

We both stood there staring at Ootori. Drunk and breathing heavy. He slowly turned to us. "Get the fuck out!"

"Whatever," I growled and pulled Tachibana out with me, shutting the door behind me.

"Kasanoda-sama, I really should…"

"Nope." I leveled my yakuza glare at him, "How long has he been like this?"

"It's not my place…"

"How long?" Nobody doesn't answer that tone.

"Since Keiko-sama's death, since the kidnapping, since Ranka's death," he shrugged, "since the marriage contract."

"Fuck." I pulled out my phone and started texting. "As much as I hate to say it, there's really only one person who can help him."

"I can't ask her to do that."

"I can."

.

As I placed the stone, I felt my phone vibrate. "Do you mind if I check that, Takashi? It could be a schedule change about tomorrow."

"Hn."

But it wasn't.

"I need to go."

Heading for the door, Takashi followed, "Something wrong at Petto Chinmi?"

"No. It's Kyoya-senpai. Ritsu says I need to come right away."

"Haruhi…"

"Let's just see what's wrong."

When we got to his door, Ritsu and Tachibana were both standing outside. "He's inside. Drunk."

"Haruhi-sama, I'm so sorry to involve you."

"It was my idea, Haruhi. You and Tamaki are the only ones he'll listen to, and we both know that blond idiot isn't what he needs right now."

"What's wrong with him?" Takashi asked. He must not have seen the signs.

Tachibana took a deep breath and scrubbed his hands through his hair, a gesture that shows just how frustrated and hopeless he feels. "He's been through so much this last year…"

"Most of it his own fault…" I grabbed Takashi's arm to quiet him.

"The parts you know of, yes, but there's so much more." Tachibana's eyes caught mine, and I gasped at the desperation in them. "Things that hardly anyone knows about. Things that no one should have to go through." He coughed to clear his throat, "I don't know how to help him anymore."

"It's ok." I stepped toward the door, "I'll try."

"Haruhi," Takashi stepped in front of me, "I cannot let you go in alone." I looked up at his face, jaw set firm, eyes hard, "I just can't."

I nodded and reached for the door.

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I heard the door open and shut. Whirling around, I stopped just short of throwing the empty sake bottle.

"Haruhi?" Where did that little kid voice come from? Was that me?

"Kyoya?"

I dropped the bottle and crumpled on the sofa, "Get out."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

I looked up at her. What is she doing here? Doesn't she realize she's the last person I want seeing me like this?

"You need to leave."

She stood there.

"Now!" I barked. I realized we weren't alone when I saw Mori-senpai stand up straighter behind her.

"No." Calm. How can she not realize how close I am to blowing?

"Yes." I stood up and faced her. "Get out! I don't want you here. I'll just make your life worse. I'll just ruin it more."

"I don't…"

"Don't you get it!" I roared. "Keiko's dead because of me. I've done everything possible to ruin my future. I have no friends. I'm toxic. Everything I touch dies!"

"That's not true." She took a step toward me, and I took a step back. "And you know it."

"Bullshit. How can you say that after everything I've done. After everything I've done to you."

She took a deep breath and another step forward. "Those were mistakes, Kyoya. Mistakes. You've spent the last several months realizing you aren't your father, that you don't have to be your father, that you can be who you want, and," another step forward, "and I know you don't want to be who you were when you made those mistakes."

"How can you possibly know that?" It came out as a whisper. A hope. My chest is so tight.

"Because you aren't that person anymore."

"Haruhi?"

.

His voice was a strangled gasp. His eyes huge. His mouth hanging open.

This is Ootori Kyoya?

Two more steps and she was standing right in front of him. Reaching out, she took his hands. "You were never your father, Kyoya. You were never Yoshio. For a time, you believed you had to be him. He made you into his image. But that's not true. Ootori Kyoya has been fighting to be free for years. We all saw glimpses of him. And in the last months, I haven't seen anything but Ootori Kyoya."

"But after everything I did…"

"Did, Kyoya. Did. As in the past."

His head dropped, and I barely heard, "But it's who I am."

"No!" she snapped, and his head jerked back up to look at her. "No, it's what you're familiar with. It's what you were raised with. It's what you're comfortable with. It's what you know. It's not who you are."

Her hands slipped up to take his face, and my stomach clenched. Every muscle tightened, preparing to launch myself across the room if she needed me.

"If you were him, you would never have treated Akito and Yuki the way you did. You would never have given them the dignity of choice. Akito would be stuck somewhere doing his residency and miserable.

"If you were him, Fuyumi would never let you see Sota-kun. You'd be banned from that house. She wouldn't have let you name him your heir.

"If you were him, that blond idiot who swears you're his best friend wouldn't want you in his wedding. He wouldn't even look at you.

"If you were him, you would have let those kidnappers kill Shinobu because saving her didn't have any merit.

"If you were him, you would never have left Japan for America and do the soul searching you needed.

"If you were him, you would have never let me go. My life would continue to be a living hell because you would still be pursuing me somehow, forcing me to your will."

Their eyes were locked. I could see his knees shaking.

"You aren't him, Kyoya. You're stronger. You overcame him."

Then his knees gave out, and he crumpled onto the couch. She let his face go on the way down then sat next to him. His shaking hands clutched at his chest. His gasps for air filled the room.

"Slow down and breathe, Kyoya. Concentrate on breathing.

"In…

"Out…"

As I watched him slowly calm down, I realized I didn't feel any fear. I wasn't afraid of her sitting next to him. I wasn't afraid of what he might do. The heartless, driven, megalomaniacal, and narcissistic Ootori Kyoya was gone. In his place was a broken teenager. A lost, broken teenager.

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Tachibana, Bu, and I stared at each other, finally relaxing slightly. Mori'd left the door open a crack in case we were needed and there was no fucking way I was going to pass up the chance to hear what was going on. Bu'd coming looking for her beer during all that shit and joined us.

"Thank you for calling her, Kasanoda-sama."

I nodded and we turned back to the door.

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Head's spinning.

Heart's racing.

"In…

"Out…"

A drop of cold sweat ran down my back, and I shivered.

"It's alright. I'm right here.

"In…

"Out…"

How can she say those things?

How can she mean them?

"You're Ootori Kyoya, and you're going to be alright."

"It's," my throat's so tight, "it's not that simple."

"It is that simple." I felt warm hands reach up and take mine. "You just have to let it be."

As I sat there taking slow breaths with her, the tight band around my chest lessened, the dizziness began to fade. A slight flame of hope sputtered.

Then went out.

"Keiko…"

Her hands tightened around mine. "The only person to blame for her death is the asshole who stabbed her."

I slowly lifted my head until I looked her in the eyes.

I'm not sure what she saw, but her hands tightened even more. "Joshua Harrigan killed Keiko. No one else. He did it."

"But…"

"No." Her eyes burned through me, willing me to believe. "Just no. He did it. No one helped him. No one let him. It was a horrible act of violence that he's wholly responsible for. The end."

She reached up and slowly combed the hair out of my face. "You were her friend. You're supposed to be sad. You're supposed to grieve. But you can't take responsibility for something you had no part in. It will eat you up and tear you down.

"She wouldn't want that."

I pulled in a deep breath then let it out. "Her father sent me a marriage contract. I got it right after it happened."

.

Marriage contract.

It took everything I had to not flinch or pull away. I'm sure it was nothing like the one he gave me.

His face had blanked out as he flashed back to the memory.

"He didn't want part of the business. Didn't want a merger. Just wanted his daughter to be safe." His eyes tracked back to mine. "Safe. He actually said that in the cover letter. He thought I could keep her safe."

"Oh, Kyoya. I'm so sorry."

"I have no idea if she would have wanted it. I wouldn't have if she didn't. But I'll never know."

What do I say to that? I'm sure it will haunt him for a long time.

"And now I don't know what to do."

"What do you want?"

"What I want will never happen," he frowned. Is he talking about me? Keiko? He's right. It will never happen.

"Then what do you think is best for you? Not the Ootori Conglomeration, not society's version of you, but you. What's best for the real Ootori Kyoya?"

"I have no idea."

"Don't think, just answer…what would make you happy?"

When he paused, I shook his shoulder, "Just answer."

"Being your friend again. Being part of the group again."

He said it like an impossibility. Like a dream. I felt a smile cross my face, "I think we can work towards that."

"Really?"

I studied his face and saw a scared young man. Not the overly confident business mogul, not the echo of his father. I saw someone desperate for change. Desperate for hope.

"Really."

By this time, Takashi'd come and sat on the sofa across from us. He spoke, surprising both of us, "Really."

"How?"

That's when both Takashi's and my phones chimed. I checked and found a text from Hikaru saying we're leaving in twenty minutes. "Well, not starting with this stupid dance club, that's for sure."

I put my hand on his arm, "Go take a shower then get some sleep. I'll make sure Tamaki leaves you alone." He nodded. "Then starting tomorrow, stop acting like you're just waiting for us to notice you and kick you out."

"How did you…?"

"It's all over your face and every gesture. Act like you belong. Participate like you want to be here with us."

"And from now on, you're invited to Wednesday study sessions and dinner at Mitsukuni's and my apartment."

I gave Takashi a huge smile, "That's a great idea."

"Are you sure I'll be welcome?"

"Hn."

"Of course." Then I had an idea. "This week's restaurant is supposed to be my choice. I'll give you my place in the rotation."

"You haven't picked one yet, have you?"

"Well…"

Then he snorted, "Fine. But it's going to be someplace with Michelan stars."

"Whatever."

.

xXx

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Night, Commoner Dance Club Nagano Nights:

"Are you sure about this, Satoshi?"

"Definitely. Hikaru said if I got you to come, he'd pay for everyone."

"But I'm sure he meant everyone in the group, not everyone in the club."

"Then he should have been more specific." Satoshi shrugged, "I can't help it if he's not clear."

"And I don't have to stay the whole time?"

"No, he just said I had to get you to come, not that you had to stay."

"Well," I turned to Takashi and smiled, "I guess one dance won't kill me."

"Great. You two ride with Mitsukuni, Cho, and Yuki. I'll ride with the twins and our golden couple. The newlyweds want to ride alone. We'll get there first, so he can pay."

"What about Chika?"

Satoshi shook his head, "Not coming. Nothing I threatened him with worked."

"It's fine. If he doesn't want to go that much, we shouldn't force him."

.

First thing she did after getting in the limo was pop a beer and guzzle. "Never thought I'd see that."

"No kidding. The great Ootori Kyoya breaking down. Fucker practically cried." I stretched and put my arm around her, "It's been brewing for a long time. Guess I didn't realize he felt responsible for Keiko."

"Guys like him that think they control the world feel responsible for lots of things they aren't."

"Still…"

"What?"

I thought about what Tachibana said, about Ootori going through a lot of shit that no one knew about. Didn't sound like just business.

Whatever it was, Tachibana didn't sound worried like it was an ongoing security risk.

"Nothing." I grabbed her beer and finished it. "Guess we're going to have to get used to him being around again."

"Yeah, I guess if Haruhi can handle him being around, it shouldn't bother us."

.

"I can't wait to try this one!" Cho pointed to a photo booth on the club's website. "It's for couples and you can put on a heart-shaped bubble filter."

"I wish Akito could have stayed." I tried not to pout. Really, I did. With his schedule, I was so lucky he came for just a little while this morning. If I close my eyes, I can still feel his lips all over my…

"Earth to Yuki," Cho snapped her fingers in front of my face. "I'm sure you'll have a date night next week. He can't study every night."

"Friday. Even with his crazy schedule, we try to keep Friday a date night."

"Ooooo. That's so romantic. Honey-kun and I just go whenever we don't have to study."

"This one looks like fun," Haruhi had scrolled through to a different photo booth. "You can pick your backdrop then have the filter bring in a baby animal for you to pretend to hold."

"That's perfect for the bakeries, Honey-kun," she held up the phone so he could see. "Kids could come in and have Bun-bun pose with them."

"That's an amazing idea, Cho-chan." He grabbed her face and kissed her. "Let's get several pictures done in that booth, and I'll email them to my marketing team."

"Bunch of business tycoons," Haruhi sighed and leaned back in her seat.

"But Haru-chan, it would work for your business too. How many kids ask for a picture with the 'dog lady'."

"I lot, I suppose, but probably not enough to warrant the expense of either housing a booth in our stores or renting one somewhere else. We're just getting started with the gachapon toys, and we're reimagining the website, and I had to take out a loan for this current marketing campaign." Then she brightened up, "At least the settlement is coming through. That should loosen everything up for our next big expansion."

"Oh…"

We all turned to see what Cho was looking at out the window.

Paparazzi were everywhere. The line to get in was around the block.

"I didn't think it'd be that bad."

Then Haruhi burst out laughing.

"Are you alright, Haru-chan?"

"Oh, yeah, Honey. I'm just thinking about the bill Hikaru's going to get." She could barely get the words out, she's laughing so hard. "Serves him right. Security told him to keep it quiet."

.

"You've got to be shitting me. I never said I'd pay for everyone."

"Yeah, Hika. You did." My sides are splitting, I'm laughing so hard. "You wanted Haruhi here so bad, you said you would."

"I meant the group, you idiots. Not the entire fucking club."

"Calm down, Hikaru," Satoshi's laughing too. "How much can it really cost? Five million? Eight million? That's got to be less than what you spend on clothes in a month."

Hika crossed his arms in front of him and sniffed, "It's the principle of the thing." Then he smiled, "At least I'll get to see Haruhi in the fringe all night."

"You never said she had to stay, just that she had to come. I told her one dance."

"Are you shitting me!"

.

xXx

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Night, Twitter:

Random Account 1: #MorinozukaSatoshi here in #Nagano at the #NaganoNights nightclub dancing the night away

Random Account 2: Get down to #NaganoNights right now. #HitachiinHikaru is paying for everything!

Random Account 3: #FujiokaHaruhi out on the town at #NaganoNights. Check out that fringe [pic of her walking into the club]

Trashy Tabloid: The elite of Japan are dancing in #Nagano tonight. #FujiokaHaruhi #HitachiinTwins #MorinozukaSatoshi #SuohTamaki #GoldenCouple #PinkCouple [pics and link to website]

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xXx

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Night, Commoner Dance Club Nagano Nights:

"This is even crazier than Neon."

"No shit. It makes your strip clubs look tame."

"Gentlemen's clubs, Asshole."

"Whatever."

"At least they serve alcohol here." I waived the waitress over for another glass of sake. Ritsu and I set up in the VIP section and started bottle service.

"Yeah, and Hikaru's paying."

Looking out on the dance floor, I found Mori easily, he's so tall. Held tight against him swaying slightly was Haruhi in her fringe. "Surprised Haruhi hasn't left yet. This really isn't her thing."

"She's still weird when it comes to money. Maybe she feels guilty for making Hikaru pay."

"Not the way she was laughing when he cornered her. You'd think she was making him donate a kidney."

The song changed to a more techno beat. "Looks like Tamaki and Renge are dancing to their own song."

Sure enough, they were out there swaying like it was a slow dance after one of the Host Club balls. Haruhi and Mori gave up and worked their way to the table.

"Water?"

"Two."

They both chugged their glasses, then Haruhi combed her hair off her face. "I can't stay much longer. There's only so much magic air brushing can do, and I don't want to show up with dark circles under my eyes tomorrow."

"Hn."

"But," she flashed Mori a smile, "I think I'd like to try that heart-shaped bubble filter in that photo booth before we go."

"Alright," he stood and offered her his arm.

"We'll probably leave from there, so goodnight you two."

"Goodnight."

"Sleep well."

I glanced back at the dance floor and shook my head, "Looks like Hikaru's found a friend."

Ritsu followed my gaze and snorted, "Some friend. He's got his tongue halfway down her throat."

"She seems very friendly."

"Well," his hand landed on my knee and started to glide up my thigh, "I can be friendly too."

"Save it for the limo. That's why we brought our own."

"I figured."

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xXx

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Night, Ryuu's Rooms, Kasanoda Compound:

Knock! Knock!

Fuck. I was almost asleep.

I practically ripped the door of the hinges and saw Fujii. "What?"

"We found a camera."

Ten minutes later, I'm standing by the koi pond looking at a small webcam pointing at a tree.

And I started laughing.

"Sir?"

"It's pointed at a fucking tree, Fujii. In the cleanest part of the compound. They wanted us to find it. Has to be a test."

"To see if we run a sweep after outsiders are on the property?"

"Definitely."

I picked it up and pointed it at my face, "Nice try. I'll call you tomorrow."

Then I dropped it on the ground. "Shit. I'm wearing slippers. You smash it."

And Fujii stomped it to dust.

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xXx

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Night, Limo Headed back to Shido Ski Cabin:

I finished making our photobooth pictures my phone background and looked up to see Haruhi staring out the window at the scenery going by.

Kyoya. I'm sure she's thinking about Kyoya.

We haven't discussed what happened yet. I don't know about her, but I'm still processing what I heard and saw. It's disconcerting to see someone you've always thought of as emotionless and dictatorial basically fall apart in front of you.

Her voice jerked me out of my thoughts, "It's not just me, is it?"

"Not just you what?"

She caught my eyes and held them. "It's not just me that sees how much he's changed? To me, he's practically a different person."

"No. It's not just you." I thought back to that broken teenager I saw today. "But I will admit, I didn't see most of it until tonight."

"He's so good at covering, it's easy to forget how much he feels things." She reached out and took my hand, "Thank you for inviting him to Wednesdays. I think it will help both him and the group."

"Including Hikaru?"

She paused for a moment. "Hikaru's still dealing with some of his own demons." I'm not sure what crossed my face, but she quickly reassured me, "Not about me. He's past that. But he feels helpless and insecure a lot of the time and covers with bluster. Bringing Kyoya back into the group might make things worse for Hikaru at first but will be a good thing in the long run."

She leaned back and stretched her legs out in front of her. "I may have to spend some more one-on-one time with Hikaru to balance out Kyoya coming back. I don't want him to feel I'm choosing Kyoya over him."

"You're a good friend, Haruhi."

I watched a smirk grow on her face, then she practically crawled into my lap, "Don't worry, Takashi. I'm a good girlfriend too."

Then she kissed me, and I went all gooey.

.

xXx

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Night, Commoner Dance Club Nagano Nights:

"I can't believe I finally get to dance with you, Satoshi."

I spun her out and back, "Glad you could make it tonight."

"I live here, so I can never make it to Neon. It's so exciting."

She's cute. All dolled up in red spandex – the shortest shorts I think I've ever seen.

These local girls are even wilder than those in Tokyo!

"Can you dip me and hold it? I wanna take a selfie."

"Absolutely."

.

"Oh my."

I turned from my darling Renge-chan to see what Yuki was staring at.

And nearly had an aneurysm.

Ritsu and Shinobu were on the dancefloor…dancing? They're basically just rubbing against each other. He's got his hands on her backside, and hers are up his shirt in the back.

"Is he giving her a hickey?"

"They're going to get kicked out."

"I don't think they care, Tamaki-kun." Renge reached over and whispered, "They brought their own limo, remember?"

I swallowed hard and nodded.

.

He's so sweet and innocent, but when he gets carried away, he forgets to be proper. The way he makes me feel…

I pulled myself into his lap and kissed the underside of his jaw. "Maybe we can get kicked out too."

"Renge-chan!" It came out as a strangled gasp, and I started nibbling.

His arms circled around me and squeezed.

I felt guilty when Yuki mumbled something about finding Kaoru and left the VIP area. But only for a split second.

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xXx

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Late Night, Twitter:

Random Account 4: It's getting hot down here at #NaganoNights #SuohTamaki #GoldenCouple are showing us just how ready they are to be married [pic of Renge/Tamaki making out]

Random Account 5: Looks like the hottest #YakuzaCouple #Kasanoda Ritsu and #HimuraShinobu are getting kicked out of #NaganoNights for practically having sex on the dance floor [series of pics starting with them all over each other on the dance floor and then being escorted out then basically tumbling into the limo all tangled up.]

Honey's Account: Having so much fun with my friends and my wonderful Cho-chan tonight [pics from the heart bubble photo booth and VIP area]

Satoshi's Account: The girls here in #Nagano really know how to dance! It was a pleasure dancing with each and every one of you! [selfies of him with several groups of girls]

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xXx

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Sunday, November 13:

Early Morning, Petto Chinmi Photo Shoot, Commoner Resort:

"Alright, everyone, we've timed this so the sun will be coming through the hole behind the dog. Don't screw it up."

I'd approved the cave concept but hadn't been able to imagine the shots even with the storyboards. They're trying some of these without me first. The photographer is lying down in the snow cave and a dog is peeking through the hole above. I guess it's supposed to look like the dog's rescuing the photographer?

"Perfect!" the director shouted, and watching the monitor where the pictures came through, I had to agree.

Then he turned to me, "Your turn in the snow cave, Fujioka-sama."

Great.

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xXx

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Morning, Phone call between Ryuu and Herbert (Security team):

Werner Herbert (Consultant - Frmr Head S Af Private Security Firm): "I see you found a camera, Kasanoda-sama."

Kinda surprised me he didn't call last night when he found it. Sure was funny this morning to come in and see the recording of him so smug for finding it and then crushing it.

Kasanoda Ryuu: "Interesting test, Herbert-san, but we are not that easily tricked."

Werner Herbert (Consultant): Oh, I'm loving this…

"And yet, you only found one camera."

Kasanoda Ryuu: "What?"

Only one? Did my sweepers stop when they found it? Idiots!

Werner Herbert (Consultant): "You're the top of the yakuza food chain, Kasanoda-sama. We expect you to run a sweep. However, I don't think you're as clean as you think you are."

I gave my tech the signal, and he sent the message.

Kasanoda Ryuu: My phone chimed, and I checked the message.

"What the fuck?"

Several photographs of our car fleet taken from inside the compound. This is nowhere near the koi pond where we found that camera.

Werner Herbert (Consultant): "I think you missed something, Kasanoda-sama."

Laughing my ass off, I hung up.

.

"FUCK!"

I slammed the phone down and practically threw my cell at my security head. "There's another camera. They sent pictures!"

As he swiped through the pictures, I lowered my voice and growled, "I want the sweep team in here. What the fuck were they thinking, quitting after finding the first camera?"

"But," he swallowed hard, "they didn't, my Lord. They finished the sweep. I confirmed it. There were no more cameras."

"Clearly, there were," I pointed at my cell phone. "Get them back out there and find them."

"Yes, Kasanoda-sama. We'll triangulate the location from these pictures."

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xXx

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Morning, Petto Chinmi Photo Shoot, Commoner Resort:

"Excuse me, Ito-sama?"

I quickly snapped another picture of my current subject, a huge, white dog lying on his back in the snow taking a nap with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. He'd been still for a while, and I was getting the chance to practice closeups.

Turning towards the voice, I saw one of the trainers coming toward me. "Yes?"

He looked over his shoulder at his colleagues then back at me. Why is he so nervous? Am I in their way? Are they going to ask me to leave? I thought I was doing such a good job of sticking to the sidelines. Great. What if I've ruined Haruhi's shoot?

My mind was going so fast, I had to take a deep breath so I could concentrate on what he was saying. "I was there yesterday when you were showing the director your photographs. I wanted to complement you on some of your shots."

Took me a second…wait, he's not asking me to leave? "Thank you?" It came out like a question. How pathetic. Way to take a complement, Yuki. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Thanks. I'm enjoying my chance to practice here." Much better.

He smiled, "As you know, all the dogs here are from shelters in Tokyo. We culled through them and picked the ones we could train up for the photoshoot, but they're all up for adoption along with dozens that weren't suitable for training."

I nodded.

"Since our shelter has partnered with Petto Chinmi and has been mentioned in her ads, we've had a much easier time adopting out our dogs."

"I'm glad to hear it. I know that was definitely one of Haruhi's goals for choosing shelter dogs." Where is he going with this?

"We're grateful for the opportunity to partner with her." Then he glanced back at his colleagues again, then back at me, took a deep breath, and continued, "While the partnership has been fruitful, the other handlers and I were discussing ways to increase adoption, and we thought of you."

"Me?" I shook my head, "I don't understand."

"Your pictures. They show the playful and loveable side of the dogs. We were hoping you'd consider letting us use them on our website." I'm not sure what the look on my face was, but he barreled on talking fast, "We put up a profile of each dog with pictures to gain interest. Your pictures would be perfect for that." He looked down at his feet, "We couldn't afford to pay you much, as we're a nonprofit…"

"Wait," I jumped in, "You're asking if you can use my pictures of the dogs on your website to hopefully get them adopted?"

"Yes, Ito-sama."

Wow. When it rains, it pours.

"Of course, you can use my pictures. And they won't cost a thing. I'm happy to give them to you if it will help the dogs find a loving home."

With a big sigh of relief, he smiled, "Thank you, Ito-sama. We greatly appreciate it."

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xXx

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Late Morning, Himura Compound Security Offices:

Much different atmosphere from the Kasanoda compound yesterday. Ryuu-sama was more worried about having us in his territory. Junto-sama's more welcoming. More accepting.

I can only assume that's because it was his daughter that was taken. He wants to know where his weaknesses are despite the fact she doesn't live here anymore.

Even having me, the head of the Black Onion Squad, on his property doesn't seem to cause him concern.

But his security head, Hibino, is watching everyone like we're about to attempt a coup.

"This is our compound garage, as opposed to our syndicate garage, which we'll tour next. These vehicles are for family and non-syndicate related purposes. No business is done in this garage."

Not sure I buy that. Sure, the car the housekeeper uses for shopping is probably in here, but the idea that Junto doesn't do any business in his personal vehicle is absurd. Though I guess his drawing the line between no business being done in the garage and not the cars is his way of keeping to the truth.

Nice cars. Several limos, SUVs, sedans, and two small panel trucks.

"Are your groceries and other household goods delivered?" McKee-san asked. I'm surprised. He's usually so quiet because his Irish accent is difficult to understand.

"Regular orders are," Hibino answered. "The chef's assistants and maids are sometimes sent out for miscellaneous things that are needed. When we have an event on the compound, such as a family or holiday celebration, we designate a runner or two for just those purposes during setup."

McKee-san went on to ask about maintenance for the vehicles and how security was kept while they were being serviced. Apparently, they have a resident mechanic and three apprentices from within the syndicate, much like at the Kasanoda compound, although they had three times as many garage staff since they are so much bigger. Keeps everything in house. Suppose it makes sense when you have this many cars. It's what we do at the BOS.

I caught Herbert-san's eye, and he nodded. Time to send the next set of security camera pictures to Ryuu-sama.

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xXx

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Late Morning, Kasanoda Compound:

"Over there," Fujii pointed towards a tree near the compound apartments. "Based on the triangulation, the camera should be on the corner of that building pointing towards the apartment entrance."

I stood back and watched as a couple of the fellas climbed up ladders to get to the roof. "Nothing here, Boss."

"It has to be." Fujii held up a copy of one of the pictures, "The corner of the building is in the bottom of the shot."

"Yeah, but there's nothing here."

Fuck. Just like the first time.

What the fuck is going on?

.

"Fujii-sama, I have an idea."

As I listened to one of my best techs babble a bunch of computer jargon, I realized just how old I feel.

I didn't really understand what he was talking about, but I sure didn't have anything better to try. "Go ahead but keep it quiet."

"Yes, Sir."

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xXx

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Late Morning, Hockey Rink, Resort B:

"Watch out, Bu. Here I come!" and the young lord skated directly towards her, pushing the puck in front of him.

Decked out in all the goalie equipment, she hunkered down and braced herself. "Give it your best shot, Asshole."

Cho-sama tried to get in his way, but ended up covering her face, squealing, and spinning away.

Kono leaned over towards me, "Hundred yen she blocks it."

"You're on."

The young lord came in fast from the side, raised his stick, and hit the puck. And cost me a hundred yen.

Guess he can't play hockey any better than he can play basketball.

.

About a half an hour into the game, several of them had called it quits, including Kyoya-sama. After taking off his safety equipment and skates and grabbing a mug of hot coffee, he started headed towards the area of the stands where I was sitting.

After last night, I was ready for almost anything from him, but this morning he ended up sleeping in until Tamaki-sama informed him that he must come to this hockey game. It was…fun…to watch him put on the pads and skates even if he really didn't do much but skate around and avoid the puck.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No, Kyoya-sama, you may not sit here with me and avoid the group. Go sit with Tamaki-sama."

The look he gave me could have leveled parts of Tokyo, and I felt Hotta tense next to me, shocked at my disrespectful tone. I hadn't told him what happened last night and don't plan to. I held my ground and raised a brow back at my primary.

After a moment to consider if arguing with me was worth it, he turned and headed towards Tamaki-sama and the others that had decided to quit playing and watch. I'm sure Hotta's presence was what saved me from a dressing down.

"What was that about, Tachibana?"

Using the oldest trick in the Ootori playbook, I dodged the question. "I'm not at liberty to discuss it."

.

"Now maybe we can have a real game," Hika grumbled as we watched some of the security guys gear up after Tamaki, Renge, Cho, Chika, and Ootori left the ice.

"You really didn't expect everyone to want to play? Did you see Cho? She was holding the stick like a cane and barely stayed on her feet."

Great. Now he's pouting. "I thought it would be fun for us all to play."

"Yeah, well, it's going to be a lot more fun now that we've gotten rid of those wimps." I jerked my head towards the security guys coming in, "With Nagata as goalie and Seiichi coming in on our team, we'll definitely beat those guys."

"I don't know. It sucks we lost Honey as our goalie. He didn't let a single shot through."

It did suck. We decided to re-draw for teams and not only lost our star goalie, but lost Ritsu too. Not that he got a shot past his wife, but he's fucking intimidating. At least we kept Satoshi. Didn't realize he was that good a skater.

.

"Kyoya!" Tamaki-kun waived and gestured to the seat on his other side, "sit here! These are the best seats in the house."

I heard him mumble but didn't catch the words as he sat down next to him.

"This will be so much fun to watch, won't it? I was terrible."

"Yes," Kyoya-senpai smirked as he glanced at Tamaki-kun, "I saw you fall every time you swung your stick."

I tried not to. I really did. But I burst out laughing. Then I reached out and grabbed my fiancé to keep him from running away pouting. "He's right, Tamaki-kun. You aren't the best hockey player." I pulled him closer, kissed his cheek, and whispered in his ear, "But you're wonderful at so many other things."

He blushed scarlet and kissed me back. I saw Kyoya-senpai roll his eyes but otherwise kept silent.

That's when Cho and Chika joined us. She was perkier than she's been lately as she sat down and started videoing Honey as the goalie. "Chika tried to take bets, but no one wants to bet against my Honey-kun."

"No kidding," I snorted. "It's Ritsu, Shinobu, Kono, Tetsuya, that other security guard, and Honey as goalie against the twins, Satoshi, Mori, Kaoru's detail head, and Nagata as goalie. It's going to be a slaughter."

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xXx

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Late Morning, Himura Compound Security Offices:

Jarou-sama was understandably concerned about leading the entire group into the family quarters, so we decided he would just take me. Morimoto and the contingent from the BOS were getting a tour of the security offices and electronics with Davis, and McKee and his group were reviewing the medical and recreational areas.

"Thank you for touring this privately, Herbert-san."

"You're welcome, Hibino-san." He's so formal. I wonder if he feels he suffers by comparison to Fujii over at the Kasanoda Syndicate. Himura is several rungs lower.

So far, neither Junto-sama nor Hibino-san has mentioned anything about the cameras we placed at the Kasanoda compound. Either Ryuu-sama didn't mention them, or they are just waiting for us to leave, and they'll conduct their sweep. I spotted Morimoto planting one in the family garage, but I haven't found the right spot for mine yet.

He stopped at an ornate set of double doors, "These are Shinobu-sama's quarters. Arisa-sama is keeping them as she left them for now."

We walked in and I was shown the living area, bedroom, office, bath, and several other various rooms.

When we left, I was carrying one less camera.

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xXx

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Late Morning, Petto Chinmi Photo Shoot, Commoner Resort:

Crap.

"Don't frown, Fujioka-sama. Keep smiling!" the director called from behind the photographers.

Easy for him to say. He didn't just faceplant into a snowdrift.

"Let me help you," one of the set designers came up and practically lifted me up and set me back on my feet…skis. I knew I was right when I said I didn't want to learn to ski. Too clumsy. But somehow they talked me into trying cross country skiing with these crazy dogs. 'It's just like walking,' they said.

Wrong.

Although I'm sure it would be easier if the dogs didn't keep knocking me over.

"Thanks," I mumbled as he stepped back out of frame.

.

"This isn't working," Gorou-san flinched as Fujioka-sama was knocked over again by the dogs. "Are you sure these dogs are even trained? They look like they're enjoying pushing her into the snow."

"They are shelter dogs." I watched as the handlers corralled the dogs again as she was set back on her feet. "I understand why Fujioka-sama wants to use them and the tie-ins to their organizations, but perhaps we should mix in some better trained dogs for the more complicated shots."

"We should suggest it when we have the closing meeting. If we wait until the bruises heal, she might not remember how bad this was."

"Yeah, but check out this shot." One of the photographers flipped their camera around and showed the display. The dogs are all standing around staring down at Fujioka-sama who's half buried in snow with her skis sticking straight up. And she's laughing. "It's pure gold."

Gorou-san sighed, "She's right. Half the charm of the campaign is the dogs running roughshod over her."

"We can get that effect with better trained dogs, and it will be safer for her."

We all jerked up when we heard her scream. She'd been knocked down again.

And this time she's holding her knee.

"Shit."

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xXx

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Afternoon, Hockey Rink, Resort B:

"Haruhi!"

"What happened?"

"My Darling Friend!"

Takashi made it to me first, and I was swept off my feet. Literally. "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing. Just twisted my knee when a dog knocked me off my skis." From the look in his eyes, I knew what question was coming next, so I headed it off. "The medics on site took a look. Nothing's broken. Nothing's torn. Just a twist. They gave me a brace and told me to take it easy for a few days. I'm fine."

"You realize Mother will want the family doctor to take a look. He has much more experience with injuries than whoever checked you out."

I bit back a sigh. He's right. "I know, but we can't do anything about it until we get back. I just want to enjoy the rest of the trip."

"Alright." He set me down in the stands, and that's when I realized the entire group had been listening. And none of them were wearing skates. "I thought you all were playing hockey."

"Bunch of wimps," Hikaru huffed. "Everyone either sucks or got tired. Security's out there playing now."

"Hope you're in the mood for pizza, we just ordered a bunch." Renge held up her hand to stop me, "And before you ask, yes, we ordered enough for security. And yes, we made Hikaru pay."

More huffing and pouting from him, but I could see the smile underneath.

.

"Haruhi, could I speak with you?" I managed to catch her alone as we were all getting ready to go back to the cabin. Mori-senpai was on the phone with his mother, no doubt arranging for a checkup.

"Sure, Kyoya-senpai. What do you need?"

Everything's been so strange since last night. My thoughts are so scattered. The hope is practically strangling me. I don't care if I sound like an insecure idiot, I have to ask.

"Did you mean what you said last night?"

She simply tilted her head and smiled, "Of course."

"And you don't regret anything you said?"

"No, Kyoya-senpai. I meant every word. And," her smile grew a bit, "Takashi meant it to. You're welcome on Wednesdays. We want you to be there."

I practically shivered as I felt the weight of boulders slide off my shoulders.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Then she started limping for the door, "Let's go before Takashi decides to take me to a hospital."

.

xXx

.

Evening, Kasanoda Compound:

"But Sir, the camera should be right here," I watched the guard on the screen point to where the branch meets the trunk of the tree. "You can clearly see this bunch of leaves in the pictures."

"Drone," Kasanoda-sama growled. "Has to be a drone."

No shit. I came to that conclusion as soon as we didn't find a camera in the first location. But I'm just a tech, so I'll sit here and keep quiet until called on. No way am I smartmouthing the boss.

"Yes, Kasanoda-sama," Fujii-sama said. "I came to the same conclusion."

Not sure if he came to be before or after I suggested how to find it, but…

"Sandana-san has been working on a solution." Everyone turned and stared at me. "Sandana-san?"

"Well," I choaked, cleared my throat, and tried again, "Well, I figured it had to be a drone since there was no way they were getting a man in here to move the camera. And it must be a really small one to not be picked up by our sensors." I paused to make sure they agreed with me.

Kasanoda-sama nodded and waived at me to continue.

"So, I thought I'd try…" and I launched into a technical explanation of comparing archival pictures from all our security cameras to current pictures using a new AI I found on the web.

"Skip the tech gibberish, Sandana, and demonstrate."

"Yes, Fujii-sama."

I pulled up several pictures from last week and put them side-by-side with the current feeds from the cameras. "The AI compares the two and takes into account winds shifting the leaves and shadows if we aren't comparing pictures taken at the same time."

That's when a red warning popup chimed. "I've had it running in the background. Looks like it found something."

I pulled up the warning and found a picture from three days ago of the roof of the building next to the main entrance to the dining hall. Next to it was the live feed from the camera.

And sitting there tucked behind a low-hanging branch was a drone.

"Go get me that fucking thing," Kasanoda-sama barked.

.

xXx

.

Evening, Security Conference Room, Morinozuka Estate:

"Are you alright, Haruhi-sama?"

This is getting old fast. First, Takashi insisted on carrying me on and off the plane and around the estate, then Umeko-obasan insisted on a trip to the hospital for x-rays and an MRI. Turns out, it's just a simple twist as the medic said. Need to ice it and take it easy for a few days and wear the brace. No big deal.

Fortunately, Thompson-san waited until everyone was here for my weekly meeting so I can tell my entire team at once. "Just twisted, like the medic said. Should be all better in a couple of days." My butt's sorer than my knee, but I'm not saying that out loud.

"Good," he pulled up the agenda on the main screen, "then let's get started with your trip to Seoul tomorrow."

"I just got off a conference call with my lawyers before I came here. The language for the settlement has been finalized. Tanaki-san and I are only going to sign the papers, so we'll leave after lunch and come right back. I assume you want us to take the Morinozuka jet."

"Yes, it's the safest."

"Fine. We'll be bringing Sato-san back with us and should be back in time for my therapy appointment."

"So, just from the airport to the law offices and back?"

"Yes." It feels like a wasted trip, and I probably could have had the papers overnighted and signed them without going, but I want to look those bastards in the eye when they sign their statement of responsibility. I want them to know I won. It's petty, but after everything they put my company through, I deserve it. Plus, I had Sato-san include the price for this trip in the settlement.

"Excellent. A quick in and out trip. There should be no issues. I'll coordinate with the Morinozuka apartment for use of their vehicles."

Great. That means a limo.

"Next, all the windows at the Petto Chinmi offices have been replaced. Noone from the outside can see in."

"And the cost?"

"Split among Morinozuka security, Hitachiin Fashions, and Petto Chinmi."

It didn't take that long for Karou, Thompson-san, Tanaki-san, and Akira-ojisan to convince me to split the costs. Sometimes I think all this mess is Karou's fault.

"That just leaves current security threats."

The pervert sent another picture, which they did not show me. There's been nothing from the parent's group. Frankly, after been kidnapped and tortured by human traffickers, I find their threats almost funny.

"That's it for tonight. We'll meet again next week unless something comes up. Goodnight."

.

xXx

.

xXx

.

Author's Note:

Still haven't gotten my 's' fixed, so please forgive any typos I didn't catch.

So, I'm having fun with Yuki and her pictures because I always wanted to be a photographer, or at least be able to do something with the thousands of pictures I've taken while trying to be 'artistic'. I'm thinking about putting some up on a stock photo site, but those sites are saturated, and I think I'll get lost because mine won't stand out. Guess I'm living vicariously through Yuki. Oh, well.

Had a blast with the cameras left behind by the security inspections. Dad and I got really involved in planning the drone one and then I ended up not writing more than half of what we plotted. Just too much for the minor subplot it was. Hope you find what I did write funny. We sure laughed at it.

And we had so much fun making Hikaru pay for everything. In the grand scheme of things, it hardly cost him anything if his family's worth is up in the billions (which I tend to think of where all these guys are with maybe the exception of Cho, who'd be in the upper hundred millions (I'm talking dollars, not yen)). So, Hikaru can pay and not miss $50k ish. Probably found it in his sofa cushions. Shows Haruhi is getting more comfortable talking about and being around lots of money.

And then we get to Kyoya's breakdown. For me, this is his turning point. The event that swings him around to being forgiven by Ritsu, Shinobu, and Mori, and by extension, Honey, Chika, Satoshi, and possibly Karou. Renge and Tamaki were already well on their way (her for his sake). It's still a slow road, but he's coming back to Wednesdays and will be included in other things. Dad and I are currently on the fence about bringing him into On Okuri, leaning towards not including him on the board, but he'll definitely be invited to fundraisers. As for Hikaru…don't expect forgiveness and friendship. As I've gotten older, I've realized forgiveness isn't everything everyone says it is and isn't always necessary to move on. They'll continue to be civil when Haruhi's around and ignore each other when she's not. I think that's about as good as we can expect for them.

I hope I made it clear in his breakdown and her helping him that their friendship might mend, but there's no redemption for their romantic relationship. I'm not going to put them together. I'm not going to play around with making Mori wonder. This isn't that story, and I know you guys wouldn't put up with it anyway. Kyoya, as a personality type, will probably never have what I would call "tell them everything" type best friends. Tamaki will always be in his life, and the group will work as his closest friends, but he'll probably always keep his own council.

Don't assume that Haruhi forgot what Tachibana said about the other stuff that's been hanging over Kyoya. We'll get there, just not very soon. I'm also playing around with the idea that he goes to see the therapist his lawyer is seeing, but I'm not sure Kyoya can trust anyone enough to share everything, even though the therapist will know all about Yoshio's shit from the lawyer. Thoughts?

Dad laughed so hard I thought he was going to choak when Tachibana told Kyoya he couldn't sit with him at the hockey game and had to go sit with the group. I can just picture it. Kyoya walking up and Tachibana just looking at him and saying "no". Hope you all enjoyed it.

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Next Chapter:

Shinobu deals with her spies…Skiing bets are settled…Korean lawsuit is finalized…Yuki has another photo lesson…Kyoya makes a friend?...

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Ouran High School Host Club. I also do not own, nor am I making any money from, the following: Olympics, Lego, any real restaurant, business, artist, food product, movie, game, location, or really anything else that exists. I do, however, own any original characters and the plot of this story.