After moving to Boston with the rest of the Hosts, Kyoya realized his predicament. There was something that ate his conscience up. He was lucky enough that Haruhi and Tamaki were returning to Japan after a year of studying. It gnawed on his conscience until he knew that he had to be deliberate with his actions. This was the only way for him to survive and maintain his sanity. It was the only way for him to achieve the plans he made for himself.

"I'm staying." Kyoya broke the news with the rest of the Hosts.

It came to a shock to his friends when he decided to stay behind. Everyone was going back to Japan for college after a year of studying overseas. Initially, he had plans of coming back with them. He's grown rather attached with his friends, but he knew what he had to do.

"Ouran has an exchange program with one of the Ivy League schools." Kyoya rationalized. He needed more experience to get further. He can't put himself back in his comfort zone for now. He needed growth.

Sometimes, growth entails a lot of sacrifices. That was the script he told everyone. That was what he told himself. What people didn't know was it was mostly so he could clear his mind. There was a word for the emotions he felt but refused to acknowledge.

Jealousy was too strong of a term for him.

The more he saw Tamaki and Haruhi's relationship blossom, the more it hurt. He wasn't sure when exactly his feelings for Haruhi developed, but he became painfully aware of it by the end of their second year of high school. He thought that going with his friends to Boston would stop his feelings, but it only grew worse. His resentment grew slowly day by day.

He was careful with how he acted with the two. He couldn't let his selfish desire ruin what was unfolding. He had to distance himself or else he would find himself consumed by his spite and envy. Tamaki and Haruhi didn't deserve such sentiments from him. The friendship he formed with Tamaki and Haruhi as separate individuals was far more valuable than his feelings. Even if he knew this, it didn't make things easier.

The day came when he watched his friends unpack their things and leave their rooms. What was once a bustling hallway of chaos was now silent. A distant image of Hikaru and Kaoru running down the halls came to his mind. Weeks passed by quickly. His application to the university he was aiming for was accepted. The congratulatory messages his friends sent when he passed for the university he was aiming for were still posted on his wall. Even though it's been a year since he started his undergraduate studies at Harvard, he still kept it displayed in his room since it provided a certain sense of home.

Kyoya sighed. The days passed quickly and time seemed to move in a blur. Everything happened as planned. There were no surprises. No chaos. It was all silent.

There were days when things just passed by quickly. He's learned to numb the homesickness he felt from time to time. He would repeatedly tell himself that he was in Boston studying in one of the most prestigious institutions in the world studying business. Growing his network far beyond what staying back home could do. It was a feat no one in his family has accomplished, but he still hasn't caught up.

It wasn't enough.

Time was cruel in a sense that it went too fast and too slow. Here he was stuck writing papers with probable situations and business simulations while his brothers were already growing their influence back home. It was a trade off he had to make. By virtue of his birth, he had to take risks that his siblings didn't have.

Kyoya knew the greatest obstacle he had to face was his own family, but there were days when moving through with his plan felt so dire. Motivation and disciple can only keep up so much. He's learned to push away all emotions. In a single breath, he numbed it all away. Bringing his attention to the present. He continued on with the assignments given by his professors.

"Hey Kyoya, you know there's a party later at Raj's place, are you coming?"

His thought process halted for a few seconds as he looked at one of his new acquaintances. Richard Lee was one of the sons of another family managing a multinational conglomerate based in Shanghai. Rajiv Kumar was a son of a rising family who mainly manages multiple companies in the business outsourcing process industry. Acquaintances he kept close for obvious reasons.

"I'm not sure yet. Are you?" Kyoya asked back. He's adjusted to the more western way of socializing. It was different from how the Japanese spoke. It was more beneficial to speak casually with one's peers as opposed to how things worked back home.

Personally, he preferred the structure his mother tongue provided. What his preferences were didn't matter. He would adapt to whatever circumstance thrown at him, regardless.

Kyoya excused himself from the party after spending a socially acceptable amount of time mingling with other students. He zipped his jacket and placed his hands in his pocket as he made his way back to his car. Honestly, he wasn't too keen on spending most of his evenings with little or almost no control or recall of his actions. The nature of socializing in America wasn't the same as what he was used to.

He didn't enjoy the vulnerability, but of course to keep appearances he went to such events from time to time. It wouldn't be beneficial if people thought he was a social recluse. He kept a reasonably sized social circle that was carefully curated for future plans.

On top of the adjustments with his social life, studying overseas has brought him a different level of independence. It was one of the adjustments he had to make as he continued his education. Driving himself, making his own food, and learning how to do his own laundry were all in order. He could have one of the maids from home sent here, but that would defeat the purpose as to why he left Tokyo in the first place.

While walking back to his car, he could smell something so familiar that reminded him of home. The faint scent was enough to lead him so a small alley. It appeared to be a small family owned Asian grocery. He was lucky to find it was still open considering that most places in Boston were closed at this hour.

The strong scent of spices and fresh goods overwhelmed his senses. He went around and got a few essentials since he was running low on soy sauce and mirin. It felt like a treat to see Japanese curry brands as well. Tachibana made sure to teach him how to use the rice cooker to make all sorts of dishes before leaving him to fend for himself.

"Chizuru-san, did you bring in the new deliveries already?" a man called out from the stockroom.

"Yes, I'm already fixing the inventory."

It startled Kyoya to hear someone speak in Japanese. He saw a middle aged man who wiped his forehead and was surprised to see a customer this late.

He placed the items he had to purchase and saw the source of the scent that lured him here. There was tonkatsu displayed by the counter. He was quite hungry after socializing and it seemed like the perfect thing to eat at a time like this. It dulled the homesickness he felt from time to time.

"I'll also get an order of Tonkatsu to go." He said without looking up his phone as he scrolled through his messages.

"Sure, Do you want the receipt in the bag?" the cashier asked

"Yeah" Kyoya looked up to pay and had to blink several times to reorient himself. Was he imagining things?

"Maihara-san?"

"Ootori-san?" Chizuru was surprised to see a somewhat familiar face here.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here." Chizuru said as she sat down and gave Kyoya a cup of canned coffee. She was taught to remain courteous with those she encountered.

"Thank you." Kyoya said with a short polite bow. "I'm not sure if seeing me here is that surprising. No one would believe me if I said a member of the Maihara family was bagging groceries."

Chizuru laughed a bit and took a sip of her coffee. To be honest, the canned instant coffee wasn't really her taste, but it reminded her of home. "Well, there's a certain freedom with studying abroad. I just wanted to experience these things before going back home. I doubt my parents would even let me bag my own groceries."

There was silence after that. They weren't friends. Probably just mere acquaintances? It wasn't even enough to call them as such. The old rich Japanese families were a tight knit group and it was a difficult social circle to enter where everyone knew everyone. Still, it was nice to see a familiar face far away from home.

In that sense, Kyoya understood her sentiments. He left home for a similar reason. He had a plan to take him from being the third son to becoming chairman. A certain level of discomfort was needed to grow.

"How's the Host Club?" Chizuru asked out of politeness just to break the silence.

"I'm not updated with the specifics, but everyone's doing well. How is Amakusa-san and Tsuwabuki-san?"

Chizuru was surprised that Kyoya still knew them by name. There was a short pause and a slight hesitation. She wasn't used to meeting him in such situations. "They're also doing well. From what I heard from Hinako, she's taking similar classes with one of the Hitachiin brothers."

There was another round of silence. Kyoya was taken aback by her demeanor. She was a lot more placid than he recalled. Then again, they've never really met during ideal circumstances. There was a sense of rivalry between their friends for obvious reasons.

"I'm guessing you're studying university nearby." Chizuru drank the last of her coffee. "Harvard?"

Kyoya nodded. "Business Administration with a minor in economics."

It didn't' surprise Chizuru that an Ootori would be enrolled in Harvard Business School. She briefly wondered how the admissions team would have thought of his transcript. Running a Host Club as a school sanctioned extracurricular activity wasn't the norm.

"Ah, so that's why we don't see each other. I'm taking Literature."

The fact that Chizuru was taking Literature wasn't a surprise as well for Kyoya. The Maihara family was heavily involved in publishing, horticulture, and real-estate. She was also here because of the familial expectations. Like the Ootori family, the Maihara Clan had a significant hold in several industries and has had an influence in the local economy for at least four generations.

It was an inevitable part of life. People born into these privileged families were 'highly encouraged' to contribute or play their part in running the business. Coming to terms with these responsibilities was ingrained into their identity. Duty comes first before anything. In the end, they both were fulfilling the roles they had to play for their families.

This is another fic set in the future. I hope you'd stay for the ride as we uncover each chapter.