Chapter 19: (A)cute Distraction
"So Higurashi, when will you tell us about that mysterious man who came the other day?"
"Yeah, he was so handsome I thought I was going to faint! Is he your boyfriend?
"Come on Higurashi, spill!"
It felt like deja vu listening to the group of girls interrogate her. Truth be told Kagome didn't mind their company while they ate lunch. She quite enjoyed it, in fact, but she couldn't help but feel reminded of her three middle school friends with their endless questioning. If she weren't becoming increasingly annoyed, she'd smile at the thought of them.
After her absence from being sick, Shiori Igawa and her friends approached the miko during her lunch hour to chat. It warmed Kagome's heart to be sought after, however she wished that they would choose a different topic. She could tell that the students surrounding them were keenly tuned into their conversation.
Glancing at her adjacent sides, she even saw Kyoya and Tamaki attempting to appear as though they weren't also eavesdropping. The latter was obvious, he leaned in heavily with a hand to his ear and his other hand scooping food into his mouth. The former was a little more subtle, but Kagome could see that he had stopped eating.
"Traitors." The miko thought peevishly.
"He's just a childhood friend is all. Nothing crazy," Kagome answered with a sigh. She took a big bite of her rice to avoid speaking any more of it. This did nothing to deter her lunch mates' curiosity.
"A childhood friend! Oh, Higurashi if you're in love you have to say it. Spill, what does it feel like?" Igawa asked dreamily.
Kagome choked on her rice at the accusation. Her and Shippo… in love? The miko swallowed hard to prevent herself from laughing with food in her mouth. Of all of the silly things she had heard, her being in love with Shippo of all creatures took the cake. She would set that much straight.
"Abso.." She covered her mouth with a handkerchief as she coughed. "Absolutely not. Shippo is like a little brother to me plus he's married."
"Married!" The girls shouted incredulously. Their expressions became stormy and despondent at the information. Kagome could understand for the most part their disappointment, but they had many other dating options available to them. She glanced at Kyoya subconsciously only to see him still eavesdropping.
"He didn't look much older than us though," Igawa said with wide eyes. Kagome shrugged, taking a sip of her water.
"He's in his late twenties," she lied.
"I wonder if his wife has him on a skincare routine," Igawa hummed to herself. "Would you ask her next time you see her? I've never seen such beautiful skin before."
Relief flooded through Kagome as the conversation steered toward skincare. She had never been so happy about a conversation change in her life!
"I'm curious though, Higurashi," one of the girls, Yui Kasagawa, asked. "He's so much older than us, how do you know him?"
Several pairs of eager eyes addressed her once the question was spoken. Even the boys at her sides had stopped eating. It was a reasonable thing to ask, but she deeply wished Kasagawa hadn't brought it up. Nibbling on her lip, Kagome considered her next words carefully.
A sickening sensation slithered across her insides as she concocted her lie. By now it was becoming second nature to lie about her life. With no way of explaining her true circumstances without some deception it was inevitable. Damn the lying, damn this life for forcing her to do so.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the lunch bell rang. Taking this as a sign from the Heavens to book it, Kagome haphazardly cleaned up her lunch and left. The girls called after her in despair, wanting more answers. Unfortunately for them, the raven-haired girl was shockingly swift as she exited the massive cafeteria.
The hallways were blissfully quiet as Kagome made her way to Music Room 3. After the events at lunch, several other of her classmates had attempted to garner more information out of her. It was annoying having to dodge and deflect so much in one day, her mind was tired of it. Quietly, she slipped through the doors silently hoping to go unseen.
"Good afternoon, Kagome," Kyoya greeted her from his normal spot in the room.
"Uh, hey," was her dignified reply. Kagome straightened herself with a furious blush.
"You have the option to participate in the costumes today. Should you choose to do so, there is one for you in the third dressing room." Kyoya informed, not bothering to look up from his work.
Kagome blinked, realizing his state of dress. Rather than sporting his school uniform, he wore a dark high necked shirt with a light purple cloth thrown over his shoulder. His dark hair was hidden by another cloth wrapped around his head in an Arabic style. Kagome's attention paused on the golden hoops dangling from his ears. While gold was not his metal, she couldn't help but appreciate how they looked on him.
"Is that why you look like you came from the movie Aladdin?" Kagome joked, easing her mind off his appearance.
"Isn't it amazing? I'm calling today's theme 'An Arabian Palace.' Doesn't that sound simply wonderful?" Tamaki appeared from the dressing rooms at that moment. He was also dressed to the nines in Arabic garb, glittering (and jingling) from every angle. "Kagome, you need to get dressed! I picked just the dress for you~!"
Without waiting for her reply, the blonde dragged and shoved her into a dressing room. Tamaki eagerly raced to his vice president's side while he waited for her to change.
"What have I told you about manhandling, Tamaki!" Kagome hissed from beyond the curtain. Kyoya imagined her agitated face with an amused snort, which for a high-bred gentleman like himself sounded more like breathing out one's nose.
"Just put on the outfit, would ya! You're gonna look so pretty, I can barely stand it." Tamaki replied, grasping the sides of his blushing face dreamily. "You're going to love it too, Kyoya, I just know it."
"What's that supposed to mean, Tamaki?" Kyoya asked cooly.
"I mean you're going to love… how her outfit fits into today's theme. Yes, that's right. This will be her first costume debut as a hostess and you're going to love it because it will look so good with the scenery," the blonde hastily rambled on.
Judging from the icy look Kyoya was giving him, it was best to move on from this conversation entirely. Apparently, the bespectacled host was not ready to discuss his feelings yet. The blonde decided that he did not want to die yet as he scurried elsewhere. Luckily for him, the other members of the Host Club filed in soon after.
"Hey, Tamaki-senpai where's Kagome?" Haruhi asked. The Host Club stood in a fashionable pose at the front of the room. Guests were minutes away from coming in but there was no sign of the raven-haired girl.
"She's probably still in the dressing room," Tamaki replied. "Maybe I should've gotten someone to help her dress."
"We can help, Boss," one of the twins propositioned.
"Two is better than one," the other declared.
"Yeah right, I'll go check on her." Haruhi said with a hint of disgust in her tone. She slipped away from the group toward the changing room. It took that amount of time for the twins' proposition to sink into Tamaki's brain and earn a reaction.
"Absolutely not! How dare you compromise Kagome's purity by suggesting such a thing! You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" Tamaki cried, pointing and gesturing wildly at them.
"My purity? Quit being a weirdo, Tamaki." Kagome voice intervened. She and Haruhi walked out from the dressing room together.
"Kagome…" Tamaki breathed, unable to find the words. Behind him, Kyoya stood frozen as he watched her approach them.
She was breathtaking. With a deep red veil covering her head, her hair was hidden save for two curling pieces of hair framed her face with a red jeweled headpiece. Three distinct rubies glittered across her forehead. The most striking of her costume was the two piece dress. Sharing the color of the rubies on her headpiece, the top of her dress covered her chest modestly. It left a small opening between her navel and hips to reveal the creamy skin of her stomach. Kyoya drank in the sight greedily but pointedly ignored the fluttering in his chest and heat traveling south.
"I feel like I should be in a movie or something," Kagome joked as she joined them. Golden bracelets and gem pieces jingled as she walked. It was unanimously agreed upon that she looked every part an elegant, Arabian princess.
"Wow, Gome-chan you look just like a princess," Honey voiced said thought, awing at her costume. Kagome smiled shyly and patted him on the head in thanks.
As they reordered themselves back into position, Tamaki mentally congratulated himself on this costume. Eagerly he peeked over at his friend who wore an even expression. Tamaki felt himself go giddy seeing the intense sheen brightening his friend's eyes.
Operation Super Secret Cupid Matchmaker was a go!
Elsewhere, a small boy walked through Ouran's quiet, empty halls. Without the hustle and bustle of students it was eerily quiet, but Shiro Takaoji was on a mission. There was nothing to stop him no matter what, not even a massive and unfamiliar campus.
"The top floor of the south building, at the end of the north hallway."
Mentally, Shiro listed the directions to his quarry. After navigating the main courtyard and the following corrodors, he finally found the place he was looking for. He stood in front of a massive set of doors labeled as Music Room 3. This was the place he was told to go though it didn't look like much. Confidently, he pushed the doors open.
A blast of warm perfumed air followed by rose petals hit Shiro's senses. The open door revealed a group of high school students wearing some sort of strange cosplay. Shocked at the strange display, Shiro tripped backward falling on his butt. What the hell was going on in this music room?
"Welcome to the Ouran Host Club," the group chorused their greeting.
"What's wrong, little boy? Did you come to my palace in search of something?" In the middle of the group was a glamorous-looking blonde who raised a beckoning hand.
Judging by the position and decoration of the blonde, Shiro assumed that he was their leader (king?). Gathering himself, he stood up and approached the king of the Host Club. He had come so far, there was no turning back now.
"Uh, are you the king of this place?" Shiro asked. The blonde's violet eyes widened momentarily before slipping back into a kingly countenance.
"Come closer, little one." The blonde instructed. Shiro did as he was told, walking closer to the group of weirdos with a skeptical expression. "What was it that you just called me, little boy?"
"The.. king?"
The blonde jumped from his seat, exhaling in dramatic delight. He swooned, posturing himself strangely as he muttered to himself. Shiro caught the words "king of the Host Club" mixed in with the sighing and theatrics. Not wanting to stray from his purpose, the boy straightened his back and introduced himself.
"–I want the Host Club King to take me on as an apprentice!" Shiro demanded, pointing a finger directly at the king.
While the blonde looked very pleased and venerated by the situation, the others sported looks of surprise. Shiro ignored them because he didn't have the time to care about their feelings. If they were a bunch of nobodies they meant nothing, especially because he was already running so low on time as it was…
An agreement was quickly made and Shiro left as quickly as he entered. While the Host club wanted to discuss this new development, they were unfortunately interrupted by the club's opening.
For the Host Club members, the day's activities went by in a blur. A themed day for the Club always came with lots of guests. Luckily for Kagome, she was able to evade any more conversation about Shippo as the girls were too entranced by the day's theme. Her good fortune didn't end there; the guests absolutely loved her costume.
Initially, she was concerned her outfit would throw the girls off or make them feel defensive. She was aware that the two-piece outfit revealed a lot more than normal. However, her worries were quickly squashed when she let the girls take turns wearing her ruby headdress. Although they were rich beyond her own comprehension, Kagome thought that they deserved to feel like a princess too.
Once the last of the guests filtered out for the evening the hosts were allowed to change and head home. In one of the dressing rooms, Haruhi helped Kagome out of the elaborate cosplay. It was as beautiful as it was heavy and complicated to put on. When the latter was finally freed from the weighty costume, she turned toward her friend who was about to step out.
"So, what do you think of Tamaki taking on an apprentice?" Kagome asked before pulling on her petticoat. Haruhi hummed thoughtfully, tapping her chin.
"I think it'll make Tamaki-senpai's head bigger than it already is," Haruhi finally answered. Kagome giggled as she shrugged on her yellow uniform.
"With our luck, there will be two Tamaki's running around," she said playfully.
Haruhi looked more annoyed at the idea than amused earning another round of giggles from Kagome. One Tamaki was hard enough to deal with, imagining another brought on a sudden thundering in Haruhi's temple. The brunette shrugged carelessly as they exited the dressing room together.
"We'll just have to wait and see, I guess."
The next day…
At their usual time, club activities started up once again. This particular day Kagome found herself entertaining a group of Tamaki's regulars at one of the larger tables. They sat and chatted over tea while the blonde had individualized time with each guest. Well, as individual as one could get with a young boy staring at them.
When one of the girls asked for more tea, Kagome obliged and went to refill their pot. Over by the table with the supplies stood Haruhi and Kyoya watching Tamaki's work. Catching them watching the scene, she made her way to them.
"Don't you think it's weird he's making the kid observe him up close like that?" Haruhi asked with a deadpan expression.
"Maybe close observation helps him learn?" Kagome suggested, leaning in to get a better look at Tamaki's table. She had to admit the way Shiro was observing was strange, the little boy leaned in close while Tamaki performed his flirtatious tactics. His guest that day was one of the regulars, Tsubaki Kamigamo. The miko wondered briefly if the extra set of eyes ruined the experience, but judging from her dreamy smile it was likely fine.
"There's a theory that people are considered more beautiful the closer you look at them. Tamaki seems to live by that theory. No matter, let's leave them alone." Kyoya answered, not so gently shooing them away. Kagome pouted at the action but turned toward her friend.
"I think he likes the attention it gives him too," Kagome whispered to Haruhi. She giggled when the brunette rolled her eyes. "Help me with this tea would you?"
While Haruhi helped her prepare another pot of tea, Kagome couldn't help but glance every so often Tamaki's table. Judging from the way Shiro stared unblinkingly, she conjectured that the young boy would be following in his footsteps soon enough. Only someone with that much tenacity could even dream of getting on Tamaki's level.
"You look more like the carp that swim in my pond at home!" Shiro's voice was a lot louder than it ought to be and the volume of his insult carried through the room in a startling echo.
Both Kagome and Haruhi paused upon hearing the insult from Shiro's mouth. The former's jaw dropped in utter disbelief. What the hell was he thinking saying something like that to a girl? They watched as Tamaki stumbled through rectifying the situation. However, each word he spoke made Kamigamo feel even worse.
"The prettiest carp? Good gods, Tamaki…" Kagome thought, smacking her palm on her forehead. She dearly loved her friend, but he could be a fool sometimes.
"Tamaki, you idiot!" Kamigamo leaped out of her chair and away from his, tears springing from her eyes. The door closed with a resounding crack behind her, announcing to the whole room what had just happened. It took a few moments for the club to regain its typical sound of chatter and noise.
"Haruhi would you take this to my table?" Kagome asked, staring at the door. "I won't be long."
Nodding, Haruhi took the teapot and Kagome hurried out of the room. Kamigamo hadn't gotten very far, she sat beneath a massive window just outside the room. The girl curled in on herself, face buried into her knees as she cried. Kagome's expression softened a touch as she approached.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kagome asked, easing herself to sit next to Kamigamo. The girl looked at her through dark watery eyes. Her mascara dripped and trailed down her cheeks. When she tried to speak she choked on another round of tears. Wordlessly, Kagome placed a comforting hand on Kamigamo's shoulder. "You know that you're beautiful no matter what any little twerp says right?"
"H-He called m-me a c-CARP !" Kamigamo shrieked. "And T-Tamaki agreed with h-him. How can I be called beautiful? Was he lying to me all this time?"
"For as long as I've known Tamaki, he's not a liar. He just speaks without thinking sometimes. We all know that, right?" Kagome said soothingly.
"Then why would he agree with that brat and call me a-a…" Kamigamo didn't finish the word as a fresh round of tears welled in her eyes. Kagome frowned, trying to think of something to say. Kamigamo was lovely, her thicker lips suited her face. She supposed a young idiot like Shiro would be so dim to liken her to a fish…
"I'll let you in on a little secret," Kagome whispered, a wonderful idea illuminating in her mind. "You have to promise not any of the boys about it okay?"
She made a show of glancing around the corridor for any listening ears. Much to her delight, Kamigamo's tears ceased as she leaned in curiously.
"What they see as a carp is just silly, something only a boy would say," Kagome said. Kamigamo watched her expectantly, quirking her head to the side in confusion as she waited for more information. "A man would realize that you would be an amazing kisser!"
"R-Really?" Kamigamo hiccupped. She delicately touched her mouth. "My lips mean… I'm an amazing kisser?"
"Mhm! Only foolish little boys wouldn't be able to understand it because they're too immature to realize it. So don't even pay attention to what that little twerp says." Kagome replied with an affirming smile. Kamigamo returned the gesture graciously and gave the raven-haired girl a tight hug.
"Thank you, Higurashi."
"Anytime!" Kagome stood up and held out a hand. "Why don't you come back and we can drink some tea? They ordered a favorite of mine and I think you'd love it!"
Kamigamo took her outstretched hand and they reentered Music Room 3 together. Much to Kagome's surprise, Tamaki didn't rush over to apologize when they came back. He was distracted, sporting a highly agitated expression as he glowered at Shiro. It seemed that the little boy's true colors came out a little too aggressively for even Tamaki's sensibilities.
In no mood to deal with either of them, Kagome led her guest to an unoccupied table. She chatted with her new guest happily until the sound of porcelain shattering made them both start. Her sharp eyes discovered the source of the sound over by Tamaki's table where Haruhi stood with open hands in front of a broken tea set and Shiro. The little boy said something Kagome couldn't quite make out, but she caught the trademark glare darkening Haruhi's features. Unable to stand it any longer, Kagome excused herself from the table and approached them.
"Excuse me, but what exactly is your problem? You've been nothing but horrible since you've opened your mouth, mister!" Kagome spoke in a low angry tone. Shiro jumped at her sudden appearance but quickly gathered himself.
"My problem? My problem is that all of this is useless! I'm not here to learn how to carry tea sets, I'm here to learn how to make women happy!" Shiro yelled, pushing back with a glare of his own.
"You're not going to get far with that attitude, buddy," Kagome hissed. She put her hands on her hips, glaring dangerously at Shiro. The little boy took a step back, terrified of her. "What were you even thinking saying and doing all those mean things!"
"Mean things? I've just been honest! You're the mean one. Women aren't supposed to be evil, scary monsters." Shiro spat back. "Why are you even here? Are you gay or something?"
"Evil? Why you little …"
Before Kagome could unleash her full fury on the insolent child, Tamaki placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I will not let you go on disrespecting my hosts any longer. Twins! Put this brat in isolation!" Tamaki declared.
"Yes, boss!" The twins replied followed by mechanical sounds.
A moment later a large cage fell from the ceiling, trapping Shiro inside. Kagome looked up to find where the hell it could have come from to little avail. The magic of rich people and their bullshit was too much for her to care about at this second.
"This is no way to treat your loyal apprentice, now let me out of this cage!" Shiro shrieked, kicking at the bars loudly.
Unfortunately for him, the others were in no graces to help him. They went about their business while the elementary student thrashed and screamed from his confinement.
"I am not letting you out until you've learned your lesson," Tamaki said sagely, sipping from a teacup. "I made you my apprentice because I thought you were serious about becoming a host, but I guess I was wrong."
While Shiro begged to be let out, Tamaki took long sips from his cup without a care in the world. Hearing the little boy's tone turned desperate, Kagome's anger fizzled out. Turning her attention back to Shiro she could see desperation and frustration in his features. The little boy leaned his forehead onto the bars as he cried out for another chance. When Tamaki didn't respond, Shiro dropped to his knees. Even from her seat a distance away she could see his trembling lip.
"I'm gonna run out of time.." Shiro whispered. "Please won't you teach me? You're a host because you like girls. You like bringing a smile to a girl's face. That's why you do it right?"
Kagome watched as Tamaki spared a sideways glance before returning his attention to his cup once again. While Shiro was rude and a brat, the miko couldn't help how her heart softened at the sound of his pleas. If she looked closely, she was reminded of another little boy who was rude and ambitious that also caused problems.
"Tamaki…" Kagome's call was too soft for the blonde's ears. Luckily she didn't need to speak up for the little boy.
"Please teach me! You're a genius at it! You're the King!" Shiro cried out.
The attitude change in Tamaki erupted the moment "genius" slipped out of Shiro's mouth. The little boy had hit him in just the right spot. Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes at the change.
"Well, you may be a brat, but I admire your desire to become a host, so I'll teach you," Tamaki stated. "You know, Shiro, you and I are so much alike!"
"You poor kid," Haruhi whispered, just loud enough for Kagome to hear. The latter covered her mouth with a hand to cover a snort. Tamaki's promise brought all life back to Shiro as he hopped to his feet.
"So you'll teach me how to make any woman happy?"
"Of course, making a woman happy is the sole purpose of being a host. If this is what you really want Shiro then you'll have to figure out how to use the material you already have." Tamaki said.
"What does that mean?" Shiro asked.
"You see, here at the Ouran Host Club, our policy is to use our individual personality traits to meet the needs of our guests," Kyoya explained. "For example there's Tamaki, our princely type. There is also the strong silent type, the boy-lolita type, the little devil type, and the cool type. It's all about variety."
Behind Kyoya stood the Host Club sans Haruhi and Kagome. She forced herself to hold back a giggle at their posturing for Shiro. When Kyoya randomly pulled out a lavender rose out of nowhere, Kagome shoved her handkerchief over her face ot hide her laughter. Looking so serious they simultaneously looked absolutely silly.
"But now our group is complete with the addition of Haruhi, our natural type, and Kagome, our maternal type. We have a perfect blend of characteristics, so it's going to be difficult to find a new type for Shiro." Kyoya continued.
Judging from Shiro's expression, Kagome ventured to guess that he was feeling wildly out of his element. The little boy tried to evade their shenanigans by backing up until his back hit the bars of the cage. While they tried to discuss what "type" Shiro would be, a voice called out loudly from… nowhere?
"Is that all you guys got?" The familiar voice was followed by the sound of an engine whirring. Beneath their feet, the ground began to quake as Renge Houshikuji appeared from an opening in the floor.
"Where the hell did she come from?!" Kagome cried out, wide-eyed and bewildered.
"Beats me, I thought this was supposed to be a music room," replied Haruhi.
"I thought I taught you boys better than this lackluster character analysis," Renge stated in disappointment.
Kagome felt extremely out of place as she watched the shenanigans unfold. All of Renge's talk of character types and shota subtypes was well above her understanding. She watched as Shiro followed her coaching as a "Naughty Type." For a self-important brat, he seemed to be giving an earnest effort with all of this nonsense. The miko had to wonder what in the world would make him go through this. He ran, scratched himself up, and tumbled like a fool.
"Are you okay, little boy?" Renge crouched down to inspect the fallen child. Shiro looked up petulantly, wiping invisible dirt off his cheek.
"It's nothing," he answered. The deadly combination of his cherubic face and stoic answer pierced Kagome's heart. She found Shippo's young face reflected in Shiro's features.
"You're so cute!" Kagome scooped the boy into her arms and hugged him tightly. Shiro was briefly stunned by the sudden contact but overcame it quickly. He tried to wiggle out of the older girl's hold but failed. Her iron grip kept him firmly in place. "You remind me of Shippo when he was little."
"Shippo?" The twins purred, swooping in with a glint in their eyes. Kagome blinked, realizing what she had said. Oops.
"I- Uh-!" Kagome stammered.
"You mean Shippo Kistunezuka?" Kaoru asked.
"The mysterious man who whisked you away not that long ago?" Hikaru added. Everyone's attention was pinned on Kagome then. They still hadn't received any more information about him or their relationship.
Flushing a bright shade of red, Kagome looked to Haruhi for support. The brunette shrugged, silently communicating her own desire to know more. Gaping, Kagome turned to Hunny and Mori. The smaller host refused to look at her, pouting and mumbling under his breath about how she never hugged him like that. Mori's eyes reflected a similar sentiment to Haruhi's, much to her dismay.
"Never mind that! Look at the scene they make, Kagome's maternal instincts soften Shiro's edge. This is the stuff that keeps girls comin'!" Renge intervened, pointing at the two.
"You're right," Tamaki agreed. "Mommy, look at our precious girl all grown up!"
While Tamaki wept over the image they made, Shiro was becoming more agitated by the second. He didn't mind being held by the older girl so much anymore, she was warm and he felt comfortable in her arms. However, with each passing second, he felt increasingly hopeless. He was running out of time and had no desire to amuse these idiots any longer.
"Enough!" Shiro shouted, pushing out of Kagome's arms. "I've had enough! I'm out of time now, thanks to you. Now I'll never see her happy."
With that, he stormed out of the room. Kagome frowned watching him leave, her mind catching on his departing sentence. She recognized the sadness that turned into anger; Shiro was in love.
"What a brat," Tamaki grumbled, crossing his arms. "Now that he's gone, Kagome you have some explaining to do."
"I will do no such thing! Did you not pay attention to what Shiro was saying at all?" Kagome replied indignantly.
"She's right, you know. I think he was talking about a girl. Didn't you hear him?" Haruhi said, backing her friend up.
Tamaki considered their words for a moment. When his expression appeared taken aback after a minute, the blonde proposed they act. Immediately they gathered to formulate a plan of action. On the sidelines, Kagome was relieved to be out of the center of attention. She cursed herself greatly for making a slip and she hoped that they would soon forget about it.
Her attention then turned to an uncharacteristically morose Hunny, who was pouting and slouching. He caught her eye briefly but turned away from her.
"Mistu?" Kagome asked tentatively, gently tapping his shoulder. The small blonde clutched his stuffed rabbit closer to his chest.
"Gome-chan, do you like Shiro better than me?" Hunny looked at her, eyes bleary with tears. "Is he cuter than me?"
"What?" Kagome asked in shock. "No way, Mistu. What gave you that idea?"
"You don't hug me or Usa-chan like that," he answered, his voice warbling. "But you hugged Shiro."
Kagome bit her lip. Her stomach dipped hearing his words, she didn't mean to upset him.
"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, Mistu," she said quietly. "But I don't eat cake here with anyone else except for you. You've helped me try so many yummy things!"
"I will accept your apology on one condition!" Hunny stated, his countenance brightening suddenly. "You have to give me a hug like you gave Shiro."
"Okay?" Kagome was not sure why the condition was placed. It was better than him being upset, she supposed. Per his request, the miko scooped Hunny into her arms and held him in her embrace as the others talked over their plan. Judging from the sudden burst of pink in Hunny's aura, he had fully forgiven her.
Luckily for Kagome, the rest of the Host Club seemed to have moved on from Shippo. Overhearing their "genius" plan she fought to roll her eyes. Tamaki was always one for dramatic ideas and a little bit of dress-up.
Unbeknownst to her, there was one host who had not forgotten about the Kistunezuka. While the others made their plan, Kyoya made a mental note to do some research when he got home. His fingers twitched, itching to seek and bring to light every single piece of information that could be found. A strange, niggling feeling in his chest gave him pause. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kagome listening intently while holding Hunny in her arms.
Kyoya told himself it was merely curiosity that made him so anxious to learn more about Kistunezuka. He also told himself he didn't care that Kagome held the blonde senior so closely.
Finally in the sanctity of his bedroom that evening, Kyoya made a beeline for his laptop. His skills in digging up dirt on people were extraordinary. With his determination, he was confident that he'd find answers soon enough.
He began with a simple internet search for the name of Shippo Kistunezuka. Kyoya wasn't surprised to see there was sparse information there. A few articles here and their about his business ventures, one article depicted him standing in front of a hospital. In the picture, he could make out the sign reading Taisho Memorial Hospital in the background.
"At the age of 27, Kistunezuka opens his own hospital branch under Taisho Corp. name…"
The article continued to discuss the hospital and did not reveal any more new information. Not giving up hope yet, Kyoya continued skimming through the few articles on the man. It seemed Shippo Kistunezuka did not like to be in the limelight. It did not matter for him though. Kyoya pivoted to one of the resources allowed to him by being the son of Yoshio Ootori.
Typing his quarry's name into the police's database, he was pleased to find more information. Records indicated that Kistunezuka was indeed related to the terrifying Taisho Corp. CEO, but nothing linked him and Kagome together specifically. Kistunezuka's family records indicated he had only a pregnant wife. Charcoal gray eyes narrowed curiously seeing the lack of parental information on the young businessman. There was a birth certificate, but no names attached to the document. It seemed that he was considered a ward to the state.
Humming thoughtfully, Kyoya leaned back in his chair. This was more information than he had started with, but it still was not enough. He had to know the connection between Kagome and Kistunezuka, it made no sense how they were even in the same social circle considering she is a commoner.
Buzz, buzz.
His attention flitted to his cell phone, a text message buzzing for his attention. Kyoya's heart did a small flip seeing the sender. Kagome's name was brightly displayed followed by a picture taken courtesy of Tamaki. It was a candid snapshot, the raven-haired girl wasn't fully facing the camera. She was in the midst of laughing, her bright eyes crinkled with mirth. She had demanded that they delete it the moment Tamaki had taken it, but Kyoya couldn't bring himself to acquiesce to that request.
"This English exam is going to be the death of me. Can I borrow your notes?"
Kyoya sent back a quick reply and turned back to his laptop. If he wasn't going to get any more information from there, he had to go to the source.
After Shiro's success, time moved on swiftly for the Host Club. The warmth of early May encouraged the trees to regrow their leaves which meant it was perfect weather to sit outside for some studying. Kagome breathed in the fresh smell of the sunshine. After so many days of rain, the sun finally broke through the clouds.
"Is staring at the clouds a part of your study regime?" Kyoya's sarcastic comment broke her reverie in a fatal snap.
"No, it is not. Unlike you, I'm enjoying the weather," Kagome replied primly. She readjusted herself over her notebook. They had been studying since the beginning of lunch for their exams, what harm was a little cloudgazing?
"Good luck passing the English exam then," he said. The miko fought the urge to roll her eyes at him.
"For your information, I'm actually doing just fine. When I asked to use your notes I only wanted to check if I had the correct stuff," Kagome replied tersely. It was a bald lie and both of them knew it. She had been struggling for weeks through this particular unit.
An amused smile stretched over Kyoya's lips then an idea began to form. Quickly, he snagged his notebook from the unsuspecting girl and tucked it into his bag. Realizing her study material was taken from her, Kagome cried out to have it back. Smirking, Kyoya leaned back in his seat.
"You know, Kagome, information typically comes at a price," he said.
"What? Are you going to ask for a kiss or something?" Kagome asked with a bland expression. Kyoya choked momentarily at her words, his expression positively baffled. "You were, weren't you! I didn't peg you to be a pervert, Kyoya."
"That's not-!" Kyoya sharply cut himself off, reigning in his composure. "What I was saying, that information comes at a cost. Let's say for this, you give me information in return."
He waggled his notebook in front of her teasingly. Kagome frowned, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She took a moment before looking him in the eye again.
"Okay, I'll bite. But if you ask anything perverted I have the right to leave," she said. Kyoya sighed, fighting the urge to smack his palm against his forehead. Maybe she was spending too much time with Haruhi.
"I have no idea where you got that idea from, but it doesn't matter," Kyoya began, adjusting his glasses. "I want to know, what is your connection with Shippo Kistunezuka?"
"My connection with… Shippo? Why?"
"Information for information, Kagome. Do remember the test is tomorrow."
She looked wearily at the bespectacled host. He was up to something, but she wasn't sure what. Whatever machinations that occurred behind those sharp eyes of his were a mystery to her. Kagome peeked at his aura which was a calm lavender hue.
"Why do you want to know?" She deflected. Kyoya frowned at the response.
"I would like to know how you, a commoner, are in the same circle as someone like Kistunezuka."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome asked, her eyes narrowing.
"The connection doesn't make sense, is all. I was hoping you would provide the knowledge necessary to clarify," Kyoya said. A small bead of sweat trickled down his temple sensing Kagome's rising ire.
"Why does it matter? Am I not good enough to be Shippo's friend?" Kagome hissed, quoting the final word with her fingers.
"So they are friends," Kyoya mentally noted. He cleared his throat before speaking once more.
"You must forgive my curiosity. I'm only wondering how you went this long without being in this level of society. If Kistunezuka is a part of your family, surely he would have funded a better education for you long ago. Unless there's a particular reason for that not to happen. Did you two just recently become close friends? Is there something between you two that you wouldn't want to go public?"
"Kyoya?" Kagome called his name softly, catching him off guard. "Are you… jealous of Shippo?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, blood rushed into his ears. His brain was beginning to malfunction as it tried to articulate a response, but Kyoya's jaw remained clenched shut. He was absolutely not jealous, he was in search of information. Nothing more, nothing less. He knew he was making a fool of himself and letting on way more than he intended.
"I am not. My apologies for the miscommunication," he stated.
Kagome stared at him with wide eyes. The way Kyoya's jaw clenched did not escape her notice and she was beginning to feel bad for saying anything. However, his tone made her swallow that guilt immediately.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to go." Kyoya placed his notebook in front of her. Without another word, he turned his back and walked away.
As he did so, Kagome watched as his figure became disappeared into the building. Her heart beat tremendously at his accidental confession. Placing a hand over her chest, she was a mixture of confusion and elation as the pieces came together. She'd seen this before but never imagined she'd see it again.
He was jealous of someone because of her.
A/N: Here's an extra long chapter after such a long wait lolol. I hope y'all enjoyed this installment, please let me know your thoughts~ I love a good review hehe.