Break Apart The Order [Kyoya Ootori]

The Third Song: The Change

Harumi Fujioka's POV

An entire month has passed since I returned home and became the Host Club's personal musician. A lot of the customers have grown comfortable with my presence, and are now having an easier time talking to me and making requests. There are, however, a few girls that still look at me like I'm garbage and hiss 'cruel' words behind my back. A few of the hosts have shown signs of concern, but I simply told them that I didn't care what people thought about me. Tamaki was the only one that wasn't convinced, and often flew off the handle, cradling me close and wailing about how amazing his 'precious daughter' will always be in his eyes. Haruhi would yell at him, her wrath sending him either into his depression or crying to Mama Kyoya. Hikaru and Kaoru would push the king's buttons, but I'd be whisked away by Honey to join him and Mori for cake and tea. It was almost an every day thing and could easily get annoying, but at least I wasn't bored.

"Good work today, Umi-chan!" Honey exclaimed as I packed up my guitar, the club's hours coming to an end. I looked up to the senior with a smile, as I was on the ground securing everything," Thanks! I'm glad to see that your customers are enjoying the shows." The innocent older student stared as I stood up," Have you never had your audience sing a long?" I secured my guitar case's strap across my front," Well..." I looked down to his big eyes that were filled with curiosity, and couldn't hold back my smirk. I knelt down to see him eye-to-eye, holding up a finger," Back in Tokyo, my audience didn't sing; they screamed. They all sang at the top of their lungs; hell, more than half of the crowd lost their voice by the end of the gig." His eyes widened in amazement, and I couldn't stop my smile growing due to his astonishment," Watching them jup up and dance from the stage was like watching the waves of the sea. Our speakers rendered them silent, but you could tell that they were screaming their hearts out." Honey's embrace around Usa-chan tightened as he jumped up and down," Oh wow! That sounds absolutely amazing!" I nodded twice, standing up straight as my twin approached my side," I remember you telling Dad and I that there's nothing like being on stage." The twins were the next to speark up," Why's that?" I frowned in thought, humming softly to myself as I struggled find the right words. 

What exactly could I say...?

Kyoya Ootori's POV

I watched as Harumi's reflection on my laptop's monitor grew a nostalgic smile," The rush you get from being in the spot light just can't be described. Your heart's pounding with anticipation; your entire body's shaking because you're both excited and terrified; the mind's racing cause you're afraid of messing up the slightest and you just can't believe that you're about to sing your heart out to hundreds of people. There's so much going on at once..." Honey tugged on her black Girugamesh hoodie," But isn't it scary Umi-chan? I mean, you've got all those eyes on you!" Harumi laced her hands behind her head," I used to when I was first starting out, but now I don't really get nervous anymore."

"If that's the case-"

"-Why do you wear your headphones when you play?"

My ear twitched; I have also been wondering this. Once in awhile, Harumi will put her headphones on and disappear from the world. With Atsutomo Nagamori hiding information about her time in Tokyo well, it's been an interesting change in pace to find anything really noteworthy. It's obvious that she isn't as open to her sister as the Hiitachin twins are to each other. I often wondered what she was hiding from her family, and my curiosity only peaked when even her father - whom I speak to regularly - didn't tell me about why she returned home. Tamaki, not surprisingly, shared my interest. He's always curious about those around Haruhi, and Harumi's been a complete mystery despite being as open as a book. Perhaps there are some secrets hidden between the lines... 

"I do it cause it makes me comfortable." She shrugged her shoulders," It's been a long time since I've played solo after all."" She tugged at her guitar case's strap to make herself more comfortable," It helps me focus on the performance rather than on everyone around me. Besides, the headphones were a gift and it'd be rude not to use them." From the corner of my eye, I could see Harumi frown and Haruhi look at her in confusion; so, Haruhi doesn't know who gave her the headphones? Quite interesting...