The first time she transformed into her true form, it was in front of Akito and Shigure at the age of five. Akito had tricked her into pulling off her own bracelet, convincing her that if she showed her true form, she would have a chance to be accepted into the Zodiacs. Like the naive child she was, she did, and all she got in return was insults and ridicule.
"Let's see if your life is truly over."
'Don't look. Nobody look at my daughter.'
That same night she cried to her mother, but her only concern was scolding her for taking off the bracelet in the first place.
"Don't look!" Kyo shrieked, falling to the ground in front of Tohru. It was painful, no matter how many times it was endured. There was no way to get used to the wrenching pain of bones breaking and reforming, or the feeling of skin ripping apart.
She clawed at the muddy floor in desperation, screams ripping its way out of her throat and tears falling down her cheeks. The pain wouldn't stop. When would the pain stop? This pain was deserved however, it was what the Cat deserved for being a monster.
After that day, her mother kept her inside even more, checking her wrist every minute to make sure the bracelet was still there. But what was the point? There was no one to see the monster, no one to rescue it from its personal hell. There was no one; just how the cat was born, and how it'll die in the end.
When the pain finally, finally dissipated, It looked up, It's vision sharper than before. Tohru stood above It, staring down in shock (disgust).
"Kyo?" Tohru whispered.
'It's disgusting.'
It's disgusting paws tore through the layers of dirt and mud, propelling her up onto the roof and into the dense trees. It's mind was a mess and It knew It had to escape, escape from the glares and the terrified gazes. There was no going back now. Tohru knew. She saw and she was going to run away just like the others. It'snotfairit'snotfairit'snotfair!
It found an isolated spot deeper in the woods, by a small lake. There was no sound except for the pitter patter of the rain touching down on the water, even louder in the silence of the night. It only served to amplify the dark thoughts receding in It's mind.
'Kyo…it'll all be okay…because I love you.'
"Stop it!" It pivoted on It's heel, a giant paw making contact with the hard surface of the cliff. The force of the hit caused a portion of the cliff to break off, tumbling down with a thunderous crash. Staring at the destruction that only It could be capable of making, a small whine escaped It's throat. Please…I can't take anymore…
Trapped with only It's thoughts, anger and surprise flared within itself when footsteps sounded behind It. It swung it's head toward the sound, coming face to Tohru's standing figure. She looked worse for wear, only wearing one sandal on her foot and she was soaked and muddy from the rain. She leaned against a tree for support, staring at it.
"Kyo, I-"
"Stay away!" It growled, bearing it's teeth at her. "What are you doing here? Why the fuck are you following me like nothing's changed?!"
"Kyo-"
"Are you that fucking stupid?! You have eyes and a nose, don't you?" It berated her harshly, standing to it's full height to intimidate her. "Leave me alone! We both know I'm disgusting!" It sank down to the ground, bowing it's head. "I don't need your pity…" Please…I'm so tired… Again and again history is repeating itself. "Please…please no more…"
"I know…" Tohru persevered, climbing up on the small hill it was on. She reached out a hand, trembling from the cold. Or maybe it was from fear. "But I…I…"
It's mother's voice rang through it's mind. 'I love you.'
It snarled, swinging it's arm out and connecting harshly against Tohru's chest, sending her flying into the lake. "Don't touch me!" It watched with no emotion as Tohru surfaced from the water, crawling out and trying to catch her breath. "Get out of my sight or next time I'll carve out your face!" It turned away, refusing to look back at Tohru.
If I'm going to lose her anyway…I won't hold back. I'll hurt her so badly that she'll never forgive me or worry about me ever again. I'll wreck everything…so she'll never want to look back. I'm so tired. I'm so sick of losing people. I'm sick of having things forced on me.
'No, honey. You're as human as anyone else. You turn into that form sometimes because of evil magic. Not because there's anything wrong with you. You're back to normal soon after, right? That proves it. You're not a monster. It's okay, I promise. I'm not scared at all.'
Liar. You were so scared.
'I'm so proud to have you as my daughter.'
Liar. If you were so proud, why didn't you let me go outside?
'You're so adorable I have to keep you all to myself.'
Liar! You were ashamed of me!
'Sweetheart, I love you. I would die for you. You know that, right?'
Why would you say that to a child? Why would you say you love someone when you never acknowledge who they really are?
'Your mother loved you more than anything in this world.'
"Stop it!" It clutched it's head, kneeling on the ground. "Don't force that 'love' on me! I don't need it…I don't…"
Over the shower of rain, the splashes went unheard as Tohru turned back toward Kyo, racing up the hill to grab onto it's arm.
"Let's go home. Please." She begged. "We have to go home. Right now."
"Go away." It sounded defeated, but did nothing to push Tohru off.
"No!"
"Don't you get it?"
"No, I don't!"
It let out a scream of anger, finally swinging it's arm and slamming Tohru onto the ground. But she still held on tightly.
"I'm scared."
It paused in shock.
"Even though I know that's your voice," Tohru continued. "It doesn't sound like you. You're in a form I've never seen before…and it scares me." She trembled on the ground, unknown whether from the cold, fear, or pain. Maybe all three. "But…scared or not…I wanna understand. If you need to talk, I'll listen. If you need to be selfish, I'll let you. I wanna help you, the way you helped me. If you're feeling hurt, or scared, or weak, I want you to tell me, so I can face it with you because…Because I wanna keep living together. I wanna eat with you, study with you, worry with you…All of those things. Please, I just want…to go home with you, Kyo!"
The silence was sharp as both of them simply breathed, the echoes of Tohru's words hanging between them.
"The thing is, if she didn't love all of me, that would've been fine." Kyo couldn't feel it when she turned back into a human. She stared up at the cloudy sky, taking in the last droplets of rain. "Or even if…if she were scared…I'd get that. Because being scared meant that she was looking at the ugly part of me. But she never did." Her voice cracked, tears flooding her eyes.. "She used love to avoid seeing the truth. To avoid even thinking about it. But...I wanted her to understand. I wanted her to say we'd face it together. " She covered her face, letting the tears fall. She finally turned her gaze from the sky to Tohru, giving a bittersweet smile. "To say she wanted to stay."
She reached out a hand for Tohru, pulling her into a deep hug. She let the tears fall freely, feeling her heart feel lighter at the thought that someone finally accepted her, both the beautiful and the ugly.
She doesn't know why Tohru is so kind to her, or why she fought so hard for her. But she was so grateful that she came into her life.
Kyo's body fell slack against Tohru, the events of tonight hitting her all at once as she fainted from exhaustion. Tohru probably wouldn't have noticed were it not for the poof of smoke that enveloped them. When it dissipated, all that was left was an orange cat in Tohru's lap.
Tohru smiled, gently cradling Kyo to her chest and picking up her clothes. She slowly limped back to Shigure's house, fear still in her heart, but no longer afraid to face it.
"Kyo?" Tohru murmured, closing the bedroom door behind her as she stepped back into her room. While Kazuma was staying with them it had been decided that he would take Kyo's room and Kyo would share with Tohru for the time being.
"Hng?" Kyo grunted, her body and mind exhausted from the events of tonight. She was curled up in Tohru's bed, savoring the lush mattress she had. It was definitely softer than the futon Kyo used, but she still refused to put in that much money to buy herself a proper bed.
"Kazuma-sensei gave me your school bag. He said it was on the ground next to the house."
Kyo grunted again, dismissing the words. She'll deal with it tomorrow.
She sat up abruptly, gasping as her eyes zoned in on the bag in Tohru's hand. The same bag she had all day up until the car ride with Mitsukuni and Mori.
"What's wrong?" Tohru asked, startled by her reaction. "You shouldn't move too fast Kyo, you'll hurt yourself!"
"He saw." She whispered.
"What?"
"He saw, he saw!" Kyo repeated, gripping her hair painfully tight. Her breath came out shaky, and she stared helplessly at Tohru as her eyes prickled with tears.
Tohru dropped the bag, hurrying to Kyo to pull her hands away. "Kyo, stop it! Who saw?"
Moving her grip from her hair to Tohru's shoulders, Kyo hiccuped. "Mitsukuni. He saw my true form."
.
.
.
Mitsukuni had intended on going home. There was no need trying to hang back and talk with Kyo, when he knew that he could talk to her at any time, and she would give him the time of day. It was one of the things that filled him up with warmth. He had seen just how mean and dismissive Kyo could get if she was bothered and uninterested in someone; it was hard to make conversation, to even make eye contact with her.
But she always looked at him. Really looked at him, past the facade of Hani to Mitsukuni. He loved being in the Host Club and being childish, but there was something…nice about being treated like the eighteen year old he was. It seemed like only Kyo and Takashi were the only two to accept his child side but not treat him as one. And he was okay with it only being them two, especially Kyo. Her treating him like that, it gave him hope that possibly one day, she might see him as a man.
It had been Takashi who had noticed Kyo's bag still in their car. Kyo had forgotten about it in her nervous state about dinner. It had her uniform and homework in there, and he knew she would appreciate it being given back promptly instead of the next day at school.
He asked their driver to turn around, stopping at the entrance to Kyo's driveway. He hopped out of the car, waving off Takashi who tried to get out as well.
Making his way down the path, he smiled to himself, pleased to see Kyo again even if it was going to be for a quick minute. Mitsukuni noticed there was no one in the front yard, but he heard voices at the back, so he diverted his route toward the backyard. He slowed down as the words began to make themselves clear.
"-Do you still plan to kill yourself after you kill Yuki?"
Mitsukuni stopped just before he could turn the corner and reveal himself to the two standing in the rain. He peeked around the corner, seeing Kyo and her father facing each other. He could see the wide gaze on Kyo's face, caught off guard.
"Is this how you wish to live your life?" He continued. "Covering your ears, closing your eyes? Burying everything else beneath the hate you feel for Yuki…Is that the only way you can keep yourself from falling apart?"
"The hate I feel for Yuki is real! Where's my mother? Where's my bastard father, huh?" Kyo screamed at Kazuma. "They're gone because they hate what I am! If it weren't for the Rat tricking the Cat, I wouldn't be like this."
Mitsukuni didn't understand. He recalled the story Kyo had told him about the Zodiac, but he had no idea that Yuki, the polite boy he had met at dinner tonight was the same person Kyo had such hatred for. He was startled as Kyo's father grabbed her wrist, holding her arm up.
"You realized you've grown comfortable here and at Ouran. That suffocating feeling is you being scared of feeling safe. You don't want your true form to be discovered, because of what you stand to lose. Instead of risking that loss and fighting, you choose to run away because you're a coward-"
"Shishou…" Kyo whispered, struggling to get out of his hold. "Shishou please…" She began to claw at Kazuma's hand, desperation in her face. "Shishou! Stop it!"
Mitsukuni wanted to step in, making her father unhand her. He didn't like the look on her face, one he had only seen once before, when Nekozawa had spoken to her about her cat form. But this still seemed different. If she was terrified then, she was deathly afraid now. She was going as far as hurting her father to get away, yet he stood unfazed by the pricking of blood dripping down his wrist.
"-and we'll see what happens. There's no turning back after this!"
Both Mitsukuni and Kyo looked over her shoulder as footsteps sounded out, Tohru standing there with an umbrella. The distraction was enough for her father it seemed, as he covered Kyo's eyes and ripped her bracelet off her wrist.
"Let's see if your life is truly over."
A beat of silence passed, and Mitsukuni didn't understand what that was meant to do. But he soon found out as Kyo let out a gut-wrenching scream, falling to the ground. A chill went down his spine and although he still wanted to go to Kyo, he couldn't move. He covered his mouth to muffle his own scream as Kyo began to transform in front of his eyes. There were no words to describe exactly how Kyo's bones and skin contorted in unnatural positions, the sound was enough to haunt anyone. And the smell…he had to fight back the stomach acid that wanted to exit out of his throat.
He was rooted to the floor as Kyo turned not into her cat form, but to a creature with long limbs and giant paws. He blinked and Kyo was gone, deep holes in the ground to indicate her presence.
Tohru stood still for a moment longer before running past Kyo's father into the dense woods herself. Mitsukuni stared wide eyed as she passed him, but Tohru paid him no mind, or maybe she didn't even register he was there.
Silence spread out as the world caught up to the events of tonight. Mitsukuni leaned against the wall, trying to catch his bearings. His mind was fuzzy and he couldn't think properly. Letting go of Kyo's school bag, he fumbled his way back to his car, pausing to bend over and vomit. Nothing but dry heaves came out however. He needed to get it together. Takashi was bound to ask questions if he looked like he met death.
Taking deep breaths, he straightened up, brushing his wet hair back. He made his way back up the driveway, trying to have a neutral face. Getting inside the car, he took off his uniform coat.
"Mitsukuni?"
"Sorry for the wait! Got caught up in saying goodbye again." Mitsukuni tried to smile, but he felt like he wasn't that successful. He met Takashi's eyes, and he knew the younger he didn't believe him. But he didn't prod and chose to only fuss over his wet clothes. He let him, staring out the window to the woods where Kyo was hidden somewhere.
.
.
.
Kyo hated feeling like this. Anxiety crawling around inside of her, constricting her chest and feeling like the world was ending. Which in her case it might as well be. She wanted -no needed- to talk to Mistukuni. She needed to see where his mind was at, to see where they stood. See if he hated her.
Tohru had wondered how she knew that Mitsukuni was the one to see her true form, instead of Mori. She knew because he would have insisted on coming back to give her her bag directly. He was always so sweet like that. So sweet on her.
She broke down in tears -again-, so mentally exhausted. Vulnerable, she leaned into Tohru's embrace as the girl tentatively reached out for her. She confessed her third biggest secret to her, of Mitsukuni gaining knowledge of her cat form and the curse. Tohru probably wasn't able to follow along properly with her sobs and sputtering, but she understood the gist of what she was saying, because her arms tightened around her as she retold her drowning ordeal and meeting with Nekozawa.
Two days had passed since then. Tohry had put it upon herself to forbid either of them to go to school the next day. Kyo would normally protest, but she knew Tohru was serious if she was willingly suggesting missing school. She knew she needed the recovery anyways, she wouldn't have been able to concentrate in her classes. But it was now the weekend, and she didn't think she could last until Monday without talking to Mitsukuni.
Even if he was okay, which she didn't believe for a second, she still wanted to explain to him what transpired that night. He would have been blindsided by this, unlike Tohru who had had an inkling of her true form. It worried her that she hadn't heard a single word from him, even if by some miracle he hadn't seen her true form.
Taking off the bed covers, she took a shower and dressed. She wrote a hasty note for Tohru before she made her escape, knowing she would have tried to keep her in bed, even though she herself was up and about around the house with worse injuries.
Slipping out the back door, she hurried to the main road, and made it to the corner before she stopped, realizing she had no idea where Mitsukuni lived. Nor did she have any transportation she could safely take. There was no way Mitsukuni lived close enough to walk it. Pacing for a minute, she took out her phone and made a decision.
"Hello?"
"Can you let me borrow one of your drivers?"
"And what would I get in return?" She could hear the fucking smirk he had.
"Kyoya." She grit her teeth, trying to think of the positives. "What do you want?"
"Get me in contact with the person in charge of your medical supplies and services. The Ootori doctors may not be of service to your clan head, but I doubt the Sohma's can turn down state of the art products."
"I'll, but I can't make any promises that they'll agree to use you guys as a supplier."
"Don't worry, I just need the introduction. I can handle the rest afterwards. Where do you need the car?"
"The main street in front of my house? I can tell the driver the address when he gets here."
"So secretive…You do know I'll still find out where you were headed, right?"
"Yeah yeah, whatever, bye." She hung up on him, sitting down on the curb to wait for the car. Her knee bounced impatiently, glancing down the road every minute until a black car stopped in front of her. Jumping up, she slid into the back seat.
"Where would you like to go, Miss Sohma?" The man looked over his shoulder to her.
She stumbled. "Uh…do you know where Mitsukuni Haninozuka lives?"
"Of course Miss Sohma."
That was a relief to hear. She laid back on the plush seats, looking out the window to watch the buildings pass by. When the car stopped again, she thanked the man, sending him back to Kyoya. She stared at the villa, slightly intimidated by the showcase of wealth. There was a lot of land on the property and what looked to be at least half a dozen of dojos. Spotting the security panel next to the gates, Kyo pressed the buzzer, hoping she didn't look like a mess in the security camera.
"Yes?"
"Ah, hi. I'm looking for Mitsukuni?"
"Name and reason for the visit?"
"Kyo Sohma. And um, I guess a friendly visit? We go to school together. Ouran that is." She bit her lip to stop herself.
"One moment."
It wasn't a moment. Kyo waited at the gates for several minutes, and when she was just about to turn away and call the driver again, a loud buzzing noise sounded as the gates began to open inward. She let out a sigh of relief, starting the trek up the long driveway.
At the end of the path, she found a butler waiting at the doorway of the front doors, mutedly gesturing for her to follow him inside.
Kyo trailed after him as they walked through the villa, eventually stopping at a door on the second floor. She glanced at the butler for help, and he nodded once, moving to open the door for her. Stepping inside, it was a bedroom, Mitsukuni's by the look of it, the neutral colors of the room balancing out the stuffed animals littered around. The person in question was out on the balcony, his back turned toward her.
"...Mitsukuni?" She called out, steeling herself as she stepped closer.
"You didn't go to school yesterday." He spoke softly, hands gripping onto the balcony rail.
"No I…I had to recover."
"From what?"
Kyo scoffed, tensing. "Cut the crap Mitsukuni, I know you were there that night. I know you saw." That got him to finally turn. The dark circles under his eyes were apparent, the pale skin making it even more so. She winced, but pressed on, "What did you see?"
"I…I don't know what I saw." He hummed. "I heard your father talking about you wanting to kill yourself. How you have this hatred for Yuki, who's the Rat. I heard you screaming in pain. I heard your bones crack and skin rip and I saw something in your place. Then you were gone and I was left with nothing but questions and I was afraid."
Kyo bowed her head, closing her eyes. She knew it.
"Then you didn't show up at school and I was even more afraid that you weren't coming back. And I couldn't muster up the courage to call or see you." He continued. "What happened?"
"I..." She bit her lip. "Everyone who's cursed with the Cat spirit has a true form; that's what you saw. Whenever I take this off," She lifted her wrist, the red and white beads clicking together as they jostled. "I transform into that monster."
"Why?"
Kyo shrugged, staring hard into the corner of the room. "Who knows? Maybe it's another punishment from God. Maybe it's to further show how the Cat can never be a part of the Zodiac. Doomed to be a monster and outsider." She gave a hollow laugh.
"Why…why did your father do that to you?" His voice sounded closer, but she refused to look his way. "If he knew what it did to you. He scared and hurt you." "Shishou…he wanted Tohru to witness my true form, see if she could handle it. Other than you, she's the only outsider to know about the curse and not have her memories erased. She's trying to break the curse, but it's impossible. For centuries the Sohmas have had this curse, and no one's ever been able to do so."
"Sounds like Tohru has hope."
"She's stupid for trying." She spat out, regretting her words as soon as she said them. Tohru was doing something they'd never attempted to do. She was trying to save them.
"I'd be doing the same. I want to do the same. I want to be able to hug you instead of settling for your hands. I want you to be comfortable around me without being scared of slipping up in front of people. I want you to be free of this curse." A feather-like touch brushed against her hand. "And…I think you want to do those things with me too."
She dragged her eyes away from the corner to glare at him. "Stop it. You're already in too deep and even further is just going to ruin your life."
"It's not-"
"Hatori once had a fiance, you know?" She cut in, voice hard. "She knew the secret, she accepted him and they were going to get married. But they made the mistake of underestimating Akito, and they paid the price. Hatori is blind from one eye now and his fiance has no memory of him because it was either that or letting the depression kill her. That's what happens when Akito believes someone is too close to us."
Mistukuni stayed silent, processing her words.
"If you really want to help, don't get involved." She pleaded.
"If that's the case, then why hasn't Tohru had her memory erased yet?"
"I don't know! I don't know what Akito is thinking, but I'm trying to find out. There's a bigger plan with her, and I can't let Akito get to her." She clenched her fists. "Promise me you won't get involved."
"Kyo-"
"Promise! I'm telling you this because I trust you and you deserve an explanation. The only way I can keep you safe is if you stay out of this." When he still said nothing, she spoke softly. "Please…You're someone I don't want to lose."
"...I promise." He murmured.
A weight lifted off her shoulders. Relieved that everything was fixed, she gave a small grin to Mitsukuni. "I should get going, I only left Tohru a note before I left the house."
"How did you get here in the first place? It's far from your place and you don't like public transportation." He tilted his head in confusion.
"I asked Kyoya for a favor…" She admitted sheepishly.
His eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Kyoya? What did he want in return?" He asked, wary,
"Just an introduction to the Sohmas for the Ootori Medical Group." She waved her hand around, taking a step to the side to start her journey out. Mitsukuni caught her hand, thumb gently stroking the back of her hand.
"Please don't go."
Heat burned at her ears and she met his eyes briefly before moving her gaze away. "I can't, I should get back before Tohru gets worried."
"Call her to let her know where you're at. Just stay for dinner at least, and I'll take you home." He tried again, moving his head to catch her eyes again. "We don't have to eat in the dining room either, I'll have our plates brought here."
"Okay fine! Just…stop staring at me." She mumbled.
Kyo looked out the window as she let the chatter of the club fade in the background. A few weeks had passed since that night, and she was moving on. She didn't feel anxious anymore, but it was still there at the back of her mind, waiting to be brought back to the surface. And even though she knew it would lead to nothing good, Kyo hung around Mitsukuni even more, allowing herself to lean on him a little. She knew it was dangerous, yet she couldn't help but give into temptation a little bit. It was impossible to resist, after finding another person who accepted all sides of her.
Mori was becoming suspicious. Not about her secret, no, she knew Mitsukuni would never betray her like that. Mori knew something had transpired that night, something that had Mitsukuni a mess for two days before he got better and was able to sleep again. She could feel his questioning gaze every time they saw each other, and she knew he respected them both enough to stay out of their business, especially if Mitsukuni didn't confide in him about this.
Pushing away from the window, Kyo decided to take a break from Mitsukuni and Mori and headed towards Haruhi. She kept getting stares from that one girl at his table anyways, and there's only so much staring she'd be willing to take before she opened her mouth to confront her. She was trying to be civil for Mistukuni's sake.
Sitting down in an empty chair, she poured herself a cup of coffee as she listened to the conversation the table was having.
"Do you ever wish you had a sibling, Haruhi?"
Haruhi hummed, looking down at her cup. "I did sometimes. I was kind of lonely when I was a kid, after my mom died and my dad started to work more. I think it would have been more bearable if I had someone by my side." She looked up, sending a soft smile at the girls. "I think I would have liked a younger sibling, someone who I can take care of."
The girls cooed, eating up her words.
"You're welcome to have my little brother Haruhi, he's such a brat!" One giggled.
"Are you excited for parent conferences?"
"Ah?" Haruhi tilted her head. "Parent conferences?"
Kyo turned her head toward the one that spoke, frowning. "What are we, elementary kids?"
They all giggled, used to Kyo's attitude by now. "It's a meeting with the school advisor to talk about our futures. Most students here already know where they'll be going to school or working after graduation, so it's just a formality at this point. It's only mandatory for second years to attend however."
Graduation?
They were still in their second year, why were they talking about futures and schools already? The anxiety was coming back. She felt it in her hands as they trembled slightly, and in the pressure sitting in her chest, and she set down her cup.
"Do you know what you'll be doing after graduation, Senpai?" Haruhi asked innocently.
"I…" Kyo could feel the walls closing in. She looked around, trying to find an escape and catching Mori's eyes by mistake. She ripped her gaze away and back to Haruhi who was starting to look worried. "I don't know yet." She managed.
A small beep chirped from her phone and she flinched. Trying to dismiss everyone's stares, she dug out her phone from her back and flipped open the screen to read the message she got.
Rabbit
Hiii Kyo, don't panic but Haru went black and threatened Tohru. But don't worry! Yuki totally handled the situation and punched him.
Kyo stood, mumbling something she hoped was an excuse and moving to grab her things. She pressed a few buttons, dialing Momiji. She didn't offer any proper goodbye as she hurried out of the room, words flying out of her mouth as soon as the call was picked up.
"Momiji what the fuck happened?"
"Kyo it was schrecklich*! The room was a mess and the students were scared! I was scared Haru was going to hurt Tohru if Yuki wasn't there to stop him." Momiji's accent was thicker due to his worry and Kyo had to concentrate to make out what he was trying to say.
"Why'd he turn black?"
"I don't know…but he's been depressed lately...He won't talk to me"
That brought her to a halt. She frowned, that didn't make any sense. Those two were close, closer than she and Haru were. If he wasn't willing to be open with Momiji, then it must be bad.
"I'll be there in an hour." She hung up, flipping her phone shut and stuffing it in her bag.
By the time she made it to Kaibara, it was easy to spot Haru. She quickened her pace, landing a punch to his bicep when she caught up to him.
"Ow." Haru muttered, unfazed by her action.
"What the fuck Hatsuharu? Going Black in public like that?"
"Don't start with me. Yuki already gave me a lecture." He rolled his eyes.
"As much as I hate to admit it, I'm pretty sure I'm agreeing with everything he said. It was stupid, especially with Tohru around" She moved along from it. There was no point in reprimanding Haru for something that wasn't really his fault. He couldn't control himself once Black Haru came out, that's why it was important for him to try and calm him down before that line was crossed.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Come on, you have to talk about something! Not even Momiji knows what's going on with you, what happened?"
Haru stayed quiet, leaning against the school building.
"Haru?"
"I might as well tell you, I told Yuki." He let out a breath, looking up at the sky. "I got dumped."
Kyo's head moved back a fraction, stunned. "Dumped? I didn't even know you were in a relationship!"
"We weren't telling anyone." He shrugged. "She's…she's one of the Zodiacs."
Kyo's brain moved into overdrive, narrowing down the options there were. Kisa was not even an option, and it was even less likely that it would be Kagura with how she was still obsessed with her. Ritsu? An option but he can't imagine it being true. And all who was left was…
"Rin."
A nasty smirk came across Haru's face briefly. "When did you get so smart, kitty?"
She rolled her eyes at the nickname. It was the name Black Haru liked to use for her. "Shut up. There's not many zodiac members that are girls. Rin's the only one who fits."
"Yeah well, it's Rin. But she dumped me after she got put in the hospital. Didn't even give me a proper reason, just cussed at me until I left."
"That fucking bitch." Kyo hissed.
"Don't call her that." He defended.
"How can you still defend her after she treated you like shit? You don't deserve that."
"I love her."
Kyo scoffed, leaning beside Haru. "I don't get it."
"Maybe it's better you didn't. It's not the best feeling at times like these. They could rip your heart into little pieces and you would still try to glue it back together."
"How would you even know they're worth fighting for?" She asked tentatively.
Haru shrugged. "You just do. But then again, me and Rin have been through so much together that I can't imagine finding someone better than her."
"That's…" Selfish. A selfish thing to want to keep someone close just because there's no one better.
"You should go, my mother's going to be here any minute now." Hatsuharu pushed off the wall, putting his hands in his pockets.
"What are you going to do about Rin?"
Another shrug. "I'll figure it out soon enough."
Seeing as how the conversation was done, Kyo pursed her lips and left Hatsuharu behind. She probably would get more answers if she went to talk to Rin. But did she really want to? It wasn't her business and it wasn't like she could do much even if she knew the answers to everything.
She exhaled loudly, tilting her head back to glare at the blue sky.
Speaking about selfishness, she knew Tamaki fell into that category hardcore. His crush (obsession) with Haruhi was like a hobby for him.
Right now they were standing in front of Haruhi's apartment complex, which the idiots, except Kyoya, thought was one single unit.
It started with Tamaki calling Kyoya, claiming they had to go visit Haruhi as a welfare check. Kyo had known it was all bs when Kyoya had called her, so she hung up on him.
Then Mitsukuni called her and she caved. (Like usual)
So here they were, where Tamaki was whining to Kyoya about bringing everyone along, especially the twins to Haruhi's house.
"You literally dragged us all out of bed to check on Haruhi, what's the hold up Tamaki?" Kyo scowled at the blonde. "People are starting to stare at us, you know?" All of the boys eluded a wealthy aura and lifestyle, backed up by the fact they used a fucking Mercedes Benz to get here.
Of course, Tamaki was already aware of the attention; he thrived in it.
"And why shouldn't they? They've never been exposed to such beauty." He put his hand on his chin, smirking. "But I digress! This is a stealth operation men - and Kyo. We are to check on Haruhi's wellbeing without her knowing-"
"Too late." The monotone voice appeared behind them.
They startled, turning around to face the disgruntled figure of Haruhi. It looked like she had just come from the market, both hands carrying a plastic bag. She was also in a pretty blouse, looking feminine today.
"Haruhi!" The twins gushed, throwing thumbs up. "Cute outfit!"
"Haruhi, listen, we have a good reason on being here-"
"I don't care, fuck off."
Tamaki gasped in horror, stumbling back. "Haruhi is saying bad words!" He pointed an accusing finger at Kyo. "This is your entire fault! You have a bad sailor's mouth!"
Kyo smacked his hand away, glaring at him. "You fucking bet I do!"
It looked like he was going to argue more had it not been for Haruhi's landlady trying to see if Haruhi needed the cops being called. He butted in to swoon the old lady, to Haruhi's ire.
Meanwhile the others began the trek up to Haruhi's apartment without her permission, feeling right at home. Kyo sighed, feeling pity for her. At least when the hosts came over to her house she knew, even if it was a last minute plan. It would have angered her too if they came unannounced.
Haruhi stomped up the stairs, pushing through the others until she was in front of her door. "I'm only saying this once, but you're only going to look! Three seconds max!"
"Haruhi~! I brought a present for you! It's cake, they're strawberry and chocolate!" Mitsukuni innocently held out the pastry box to Haruhi.
There was a pause before Haruhi turned around to unlock her door. "Okay fine then just stay to eat that with tea then go home."
The door opened, revealing a clean and small apartment. Nothing like the nightmare that Tamaki thought of.
"Looks poverty stricken." Hikaru muttered under his breath. He whined as Tamaki pinched his cheek.
"This is a very nice home Haruhi! The perfect size for a father and his daughter!" Tamaki praised the home, fluttering his eyelashes at her.
"Right…you don't have to go out of your way to praise it." Haruhi set down her bags onto the kitchen counter.
"Hey Haruhi, do you have any slippers for us?" Kaoru asked, taking his shoes off.
"There's no need, the floor is tatami mats." Kyo informed them, pointing at the floor.
"Oh! In that case, we don't need them!" Everyone filed into the house, shamelessly exploring the small apartment.
"Alright men -and Kyo- sit down in a crouching tiger style to make room around this tiny table!" Tamaki ordered, ushering everyone to sit.
Kyo blanched at the sight of the guys all sitting with their shoulders touching. "Yeah…I'm just going to sit in the corner." She tried to be nonchalant, making her way to the corner.
"Stop being silly guys, there's enough space for everyone to sit properly." Haruhi rolled her eyes.
"Here Haruhi, our father brought us back this bag of tea from Africa on his last trip." Hikaru held up a small bag. "Take it."
She looked surprised at the offer, taking it from him. "Oh, thank you."
"It goes well with milk, do you have any?"
"I think so…I don't remember the last time I bought milk…" Haruhi hummed, heading to the kitchen.
Kyo moved around the guys to follow her. "Let me help Haruhi."
The twins and Tamaki didn't understand the art of being quiet, or had enough self awareness to realize that the house was small enough to hear between the living room and the kitchen. Kyo's eye twitched as she scoured Haruhi's cabinets for enough cups for everyone, overhearing the almost insulting conversation they were having.
"Sorry to barge in on you like this. Tamaki had this nightmare where he was convinced you were starving and living in a cardboard box." Kyo set down a flower mug.
"I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that I'm starting to not be surprised by them anymore." Haruhi shook her head. "He didn't act like that when we visited your house, though."
"Yeah, but my clan is well known. They knew it would be grander than usual homes in the city."
"By the way, Senpai…" Haruhi poured ready tea into the cups, watching the liquid fall. "Did you and Hani-senpai fight?"
She stiffened, glancing toward Haruhi. "W-why do you say that?"
"After we had dinner with you, you didn't show up to school the next day and Hani-senpai looked like he hadn't slept all night. But then on Monday you guys looked fine." She pursed her lips. "Maybe I'm just looking into it too much."
Kyo kept her eyes on the counter as she piled the cups onto a serving tray. "I'd rather not talk about it…"
"It's okay Haruhi! You don't need to go to such lengths for us…I'd be fine with a glass of water…" Kaoru's voice interrupted them as they looked over their shoulders to see the twin reaching out a hand, looking parched.
Kyo's brow twitched. "What the fuck are you talking about? The tea's already done so you better drink you ungrateful bastard."
"Oh…In that case it's fine." He smiled sheepishly.
"Here Kyo, you can sit next to Haruhi on this side!" Mitsukuni called out. It was the only side where there were no boys.
Kyo's cheeks turned pink, grateful for Mitsukuni's help. She lowered herself down, giving everyone a cup.
"Haruhi, you get the first pick!" Mitsukuni offered, showing the multiple pastries there were.
"Oh…" She was taken aback from this rare opportunity, staring at the options intently. "I want…strawberries."
"Okay! Here you go." Mitsukuni gave her her cake before turning to Kyo. "What about you, Kyon-chan?"
"I'll try the cheesecake." Kyo thanked Mistukuni as he handed her the piece. She dug her fork into the treat, humming at the sweet taste. As she ate, her eyebrows shot up as Mori deposited his own strawberries onto Haruhi's place. She noted just how…soft Mori's gaze was as he looked at Haruhi.
Interesting…
"That cake really wet my appetite!" Mitsukuni sighed, patting his stomach. "It's already lunchtime, isn't it?"
"What are we having for lunch?" The twins and Tamaki asked like the idiots they were.
"Idiots." Kyo scoffed.
Kyoya stood up, reaching into his pocket. "Since we came unannounced, we'll pay for lunch. Just order anything you'd like."
"No thanks, I'd rather not be hit with a hidden clause after the fact." Haruhi griped.
"It's alright, we'd be using the money we got from auctioning your items." He held up a shiny gold card, smirking.
"You're too shameless." Kyo groaned.
"I'd really like it if you'd make us something." Mitsukuni inputted.
"Not you too!"
"I guess I could make something, but it would take a while…"
"We can wait!"
"I need to go back to the supermarket."
"I want to go!"
"Commoner supermarket! Commoner supermarket!" Soon everyone was chanting as they hurried to put their shoes on and go outside.
Kyo was in no rush, calmly slipping her shoes on. Those goofballs really were out of touch with everything. Getting up, she stepped out, narrowly missing colliding with a woman. "Oh, sorry ma'am."
"It's no problem; Haruhi, I'm home!" She called out as she entered the home.
Instantly Kyo knew who the woman was. It was Haruhi's father. She let out a small breath, a little frightened that she almost ran into him and transformed.
"Kyo, did you see Haruhi's dad?" Kaoru asked, oblivious to her internal struggle.
"Yeah…" Kyo leaned against the balcony rail, crossing her arms across her chest.
They all jumped as a loud bang rang out in the apartment. Kyo stayed back as they went to investigate, shaking her head as she overheard the conversation. Only Tamaki would have such rotten luck to be caught on top of another man's daughter.
She made her way back in since it looked like they weren't going to be leaving after all. This time she stayed standing, leaning against the walls as everyone sat down.
"So you guys are the host club I've been hearing so much about!" Haruhi's dad - who insisted on being called Ranka - gushed, waving his hand. "Everyone's so handsome, how could I ever choose my pick?"
"Choose me Ranka-san!" "No, me Ranka-san!" The twins teased, pouting.
"I just might, Hikaru, Kaoru!" Ranka giggled.
"Wait a minute, how do you know our names?" Mitsukuni asked, tilting his head.
"Mitsukuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka, third years! And first years Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin!" Ranka pointed the boys out with confidence. "And Kyo Sohma, although you're not a part of the club. I've heard so much about you, everyday by phone and email from Kyoya-kun!" He giggled, connecting hands with said boy. "This is our first time actually meeting and he's much more handsome than I expected."
Kyo was surprised, although she should have expected it. Who knew Kyoya was such a gossip?
"Kyoya…" Tamaki deadpanned, clutching his shoulder. .
"He left his precious daughter in our care; how could I not give him regular updates as a basic courtesy?" Kyoya had a bemused smirk as he sipped on his tea. "Besides, shouldn't this be your job?"
That hurt Tamaki's pride, more so when Ranka joined in on the remarks and didn't let up. Soon enough Haruhi had enough of everyone's antics and got up.
"Where are you going?" Asked Ranka.
"To the supermarket." She muttered, slipping on her shoes. "I'm going by myself. Everyone just stay here and keep out of trouble."
Before the twins could protest about joining, the door was shut behind her.
Ranka sighed. "Forget it, once she makes up her mind, that's that." He rested his chin on his hand. "I respect her independent attitude, but I wish she would act more dependent from time to time. That girl, she decided all by herself that she wanted to go to Ouran, and even went through the enrollment alone.
"I wish she could have gone to a school with cuter uniforms, and she doesn't even care about her appearance! At least I was able to dress her cute up until Junior High, right before she decided to cut off all of her beautiful hair." Ranka wiped away a faux tear. "That's why I appreciate you boys. She seems to be having a good time in her school, in her own way. Especially you, Kyo. I'm glad Haruhi has another girl to depend on."
Kyo's cheeks were dusted in pink as she accepted Ranka's compliment.
"She dresses like a boy, but you still take care of her…Isn't that right, Tamaki?" Ranka was nonchalant as he sipped tea, ignoring how Tamaki perked up. "I heard you mistook Haruhi as a boy until the very end. Even went as far as hitting her on the head?"
Tamaki gasped in shame and embarrassment, running out the door in tears. "I'm sorry! I'm a worthless human being!"
They all watched him go, but no one attempted to go after him. It would have been useless.
Ranka stood up, brushing his long hair over his shoulder. "Alright kids, want to have some fun with me?"
.
.
.
The fun that Ranka was suggesting was stalking Haruhi on her way to the Supermarket. He had explained it was a habit he had developed to make sure Haruhi was safe when she began to insist on shopping alone; although it didn't alway work, since sometimes Haruhi would catch him in the act.
It was actually really sweet, Ranka letting Haruhi be independent like she wanted, but still keeping an eye out for her.
"That's nice, but why are we all following Haruhi?" Hikaru wondered.
"Oh, I just wanted to be surrounded by handsome men." Ranka giggled.
They soon found Haruhi, and Tamaki in tow. It looked like his running away landed him with her. They followed them to the supermarket, and the hosts looked amazed by all the products and sales.
"Kyo-chan, come push me!" Mitsukuni called out, already seated in one of the shopping carts.
Kyo shook her head, but still obediently went over to grab the handles. "Don't blame me if you get dizzy." She began to push him, the corner of her lips twitching up as Mitsukuni cheered. She gave a big push and placed both of her feet on the bottom bar of the cart, laughing as they sailed through the aisle. They stopped in between aisles, in plain view of Haruhi and Tamaki who luckily had their backs to them. The cart began moving again, and she looked forward, seeing Mori holding the end of it. He pulled them along, entertaining them.
They eventually moved on from playing with the carts, and Kyo became a tour guide for the two, showing them the best snacks to get. Soon enough they heard Haruhi yelling, scolding everyone in the vicinity.
"Get out of here guys! I'll be right behind you." Haruhi insisted, pushing the twins to the front doors.
Kyo gently nudged Mitsukuni too, ignoring his whines. "You've had enough fun."
It took a while until they finally had lunch, although it was more like dinner from how much time they wasted in between. Ranka spent the whole time bullying Tamaki, giving him more cabbage than the meat he desired.
Kyo was still uncomfortable with being in such an enclosed space, but she tried to play it off by sitting as close to Haruhi as possible without her getting suspicious. Aside from that, she also had a lot on her mind still. Parent conferences…they were just around the corner, right after summer break. What was she going to do about them? Maybe she could lie and say she had a school in mind? No, they would probably make her apply and that would do nothing but bring her useless hope. What if she-
"Kyo?"
"Huh?" She snapped her head up, blanching as she realized everyone was looking at her. "What?" She snapped.
"...We just wanted to know if you were okay." Haruhi dismissed her tone, tilting her head. "We called your name a couple of times."
"Oh…" She cleared her throat, embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Haruhi was still staring. "By any chance…is this about the parent conferences?"
"Parent conferences?" Tamaki hummed. "Oh that's right! I completely forgot we were having those!"
Kyo winced, bringing her hand up to bite down on her thumb pad. "I…I guess I'm not too excited for it."
"You don't have to have a solid plan, they just help you guide you in the right direction." Mitsukuni inputted.
"That's right!" Tamaki nodded. "It's just a formality. Most students don't even take it seriously. I, on the other hand, take it seriously!" He boasted.
"That's just the fucking problem." Kyo huffed, bringing her hand down. "You rich kids are all heirs to something. You don't /have/ to take anything seriously because you already know what your life goals are and you know your plan after graduation. I know there's nothing in my future."
"Kyo…" Mitsukuni whispered. "You don't know that."
She ran her hand through her hair in frustration, staring down at the table. "I do. I…I'm supposed to return to the main estate. That much has been decided by the Sohma head."
Hikaru scoffed. "What are you even talking about senpai? Why do you have to go back? You're already living outside of the estate."
"Look, it's complicated alright? You think I want to go back living near that fucking narcissist?"
"Why don't you just move away?" Kaoru asked.
Kyo was getting frustrated with all of them. They didn't understand.
"Because it's hard to go against family."
Kyo looked up, meeting Tamaki's empathetic gaze.
"Sometimes even when they're horrible people, you just can't seem to cut off contact with them even if you tried." He continued, his face somber in a rare act of seriousness.
How did he know that's exactly what it was?
"How…?" She voiced out, confused.
"Well, no matter Kyo. This is going to be a tough thing to handle, but you can get through it. The counselors will accept anything you tell them. And as for your situation…here's hoping you can get out of it." He gave her a soft smile.
It wasn't often that Tamaki would act so serious and not melodramatic. He was the last person she would expect to be able to empathize with. She was starting to see him in a different light.
"Haruhi, you'll never move away from me, right?" Tamaki pouted, lacing his hands together and putting them under his chin.
And it was gone.
"I don't know senpai…I want to get into a good law school, and if I have to go overseas, then I will." Haruhi shrugged, ignoring Tamaki's sobs.
Kyo shook her head, standing up with caution. "All right, I think that's a cue for me to leave. It's getting late anyways."
"Aw, don't leave senpai!" The twins whined, making grabby hands toward her.
Passing by them, she smacked their grubby hands. "No, I gotta get home. Thank you for the meal, Haruhi. Goodbye, Ranka-san."
"Come by anytime Kyo! I'd love to have tea with just us girls!" He smiled.
"I will." She promised, saying goodbye as she stepped into her shoes. She made it a few steps down the stairs before Mitsukuni called out her name, having followed her out. "Yeah?"
"Promise me we'll hang out this summer?"
"That's a lot of commitment, I don't know…"
"Kyo~!"
"Alright, alright. We'll hang out this summer, I promise."
Mitsukuni smiled, satisfied. Kyo continued her way down, waving at him before disappearing down the road.
Maybe this summer will be fun.
Notes:
*schrecklich=Terrible
Hello! Just want to say that this is the first time I've ever managed to write a 9k chapter. I'm proud of myself, especially since I can give you guys a bigger chapter to read.
Just going to quickly talk about some key notes:
I referred to Kyo as It during the true form scene because i believe Kyo wouldn't think of herself as a human being in that form. She's a monster therefore an It.
I mentioned it in the past I was following the manga for the storyline, but due to the timelines I will be going back and forth messing with it since they don't align, so some ouran chapters might come sooner or later than what's in the og timeline.
I was worried when writing Ranka just because I didn't know how to portray him without being offensive, since I know that Ouran can be a little insulting. I couldn't find if Ranka went strictly with he or she pronouns, so I just decided to do he pronouns since Haruhi calls him dad.
That's it, thank you for reading! The next chapter is going to be angsty because of the summer house, so be prepared for that! I will probably do a filler chapter just to give a breather since i don't want to pile on the angst every chapter.