"To both of you, silly!"
"There's nobody here named 'both of you'."
"Okay, then, I'm talking to Hikaru and Kaoru."
"Oh, really? Which of us is Kaoru? And which of us is Hikaru? Can you tell?"
The Hitachiin brothers were always very closed off to others other than each other. There were two kids of people in this world, them, and everyone else. That's what they went by, no one was able to understand them. Their parents even got them mixed up sometimes, so what was the point in trying to be their own person, when they are the same?
Hikaru and Kaoru, that's how it's always been, that's how it always will be. There wasn't anyone else they needed.
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
"Let's all play 'Which one is Hikaru Game'!"
And they're back at it. Shizuka thought, snapping a photo of Mori and Honey with their guests. You ask me, I think that game is one of the dumbest games ever.
Honey turned around and noticed Shizuka taking a picture of him. He giggled and smiled for the camera, waving at him brightly.
But, to each their own.
Shizuka snapped the photo and looked over the camera, waving back at Honey with a small smile. He looked over at the twins and rushed over. Hold on, that's a good pose. Stay still, guys!
Shizuka got behind the couch of Hikaru's and Kaoru's guests and quickly took another picture of them while they posed with their green hats.
"That's the dumbest game I've ever heard of."
Shizuka's eyes widened in delight as he saw Haruhi trying to walk past The Twins. At least someone agreed with him.
"What, have you got a problem with it, Haruhi?" The Twins asked in unison, placing a hand on their hips. Shizuka snapped another photo.
"Not really." Haruhi dismissed, turning around to face them. "I just don't understand why the two of you are so popular. Shizuka-Senpai, don't you agree?"
Shizuka froze when everyone turned to look at him. He smiled nervously while shrugging.
I didn't want to say anything.
The Twins turned their head away in disappointment. "That's not very nice."
Hikaru and Kaoru's whole "forbidden love" acts sort of disturbed Shizuka, but who wouldn't be disturbed? Scratch that, that's the whole reason why they had guests in the first place. Well, Shizuka sure thought it was a bit weird.
He sighed and looked around. The Host Club was sort of empty today, there must've been a lot of plans going on because usually it would've been filled with girls.
Suddenly Tamaki came running, no, sprinting in the room with a computer furiously. He skidded to a stop, but his face was very angered.
"Hikaru! Kaoru!"
"Hm?"
"When I gave you control of the clubs website, I did so on one condition! That you take it seriously!"
"We take our job very seriously, boss." Hikaru insisted.
"In fact, last night we worked on it until dawn." Kaoru said with waves of his hands.
"Is this what you worked so hard to create!?" Tamaki said, revealing the computer screen to have a picture of Shizuka on it. But that wasn't it, the photo depicted him as shirtless with his back to the camera.
Shizuka deadpanned at the scene, body slumping as he blinked at it. He knew The Twins were good at editing photos, sometimes they helped him out with pictures, he probably should've expected them to pull something like this.
"You look great, Zu-Chan!" Honey said, being lifted up by Mori so he was able to see the computer screen that was being surrounded by girls.
Tamaki got out of the circle and marched his way over to Hikaru and Kaoru. "Tell me when!"
"Huh?"
"When did you take naked pictures of Shizuka!?"
Shizuka shoved Tamaki away from the twins to give them some space.
Tamaki, please. It's obvious the photos edited. I posed for the picture but I was wearing clothes.
Shizuka got his camera and looked for said photo. He hummed loudly and showed Tamaki.
Tamaki paled at the sight.
"It was photoshopped?"
"We did a pretty good job, huh?"
"We got some major photoshopping talent. We were working on Haruhi's, but we ran out of time."
"You idiots! That's a waste of your skills! Have you no shame?"
Tamaki then pulled out a magazine and squatted to the floor in front of them. "But when you work on Harhui's can you photoshop her into this idol photo book?"
When Tamaki left to go ask Haruhi his favor, Shizuka turned to the Twins.
Don't make weird pictures of Haruhi or me, what do you take us for, anyway?
They just smiled at him.
"Isn't that obvious? You're our toys."
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
A little after the mention of toys came a mysterious figure behind mysterious doors that Shizuka didn't know had been there before.
This figure was Nekozawa, and he was part of the Black Magic Club at Ouran and a 3rd year. You couldn't exactly say he was always found in the dark, because he was almost never found. He secluded himself in his dark cloak and dark spaces that no one knew where he would appear next.
He likes to hide, he doesn't really care for brightly lit places, and he cares around this cursed doll Belzenef. Why that is, Shizuka didn't know. But he did know that Tamaki had a big fear of him, and swore that if you ever get involved with him, you'll end up being cursed.
Tamaki went on by listing all the examples of himself being cursed, each of which Kyoya debunked.
"Dont underestimate... the same powers of Belzenef, the cursed doll. All you have to do if write the name of someone you hate on his back, then that person is certain to come face to face with misfortune."
Whatever he believes.
Shizuka thought, then heard Nekozawa scream bloody-mary as he bolted out of the classroom. He glanced over at Hikaru and Kaoru who held flashlights in their hand.
He rubbed at his eyes and stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles as well while he walked around.
"Hey, Shizuka, we've got a favor to ask you."
Shizuka turned to see them sitting in chairs and nodded in their direction.
"The next time we get a day off..."
"Can we come over to your place to hang out?"
What for?
"We're curious!" they say, going in front of him. "We want to see where you live."
Go visit Haruhi's place.
The Twins looked to each other. "We guess that can work. Let's go visit Haruhi's house."
Haruhi's head snapped over at their direction with a twitching brow. "What did you say to them?"
Shizuka shrugged.
"We can settle this with a game! You first Shizuka-Senpai." Hikaru and Kaoru said, putting back on their green hats. "If you can't pick out which one of us is Hikaru, then your penalty will be the two of us coming over to your house later tonight."
They walked back and forth, down and around, and spun between each other before finally stopping. Shizuka shook his head and blinked harshly, trying to stop his vision from spinning.
"Okay, so which one of us is Hikaru?" they asked, smiling at Shizuka innocently.
Shizuka looked between at each of them up and down.
You're Kaoru.
He signed to one twin, then turned to the other.
And you're Hikaru.
"Uh-oh! You got it wrong!" they sung.
Shizuka raised an amused eyebrow.
No, I'm right, I know it. You guys are identical, that's not hard to see. But I guess it can be harder to see who you are as individuals.
Their eyes widened and they gasped at his response. Individuals? No, no they were the same person! That's the point of the game, no one was able to tell them apart, that's the trick. The twins looked at each other before turning their gaze back to Shizuka.
"How'd you do that, Shizuka?" one girl questioned him. "Whenever they wear those hats to cover which way they part their hair, it's practically impossible to try and figure out which twin is Hikaru and which one is Kaoru."
"How can you tell them apart?"
Shizuka thought about it for a second. He started to sign his response, but had to realize that when he was done the girls didn't understand what he said. He sighed and fished out some paper and his pen and wrote some words down. He handed it to the girls when he was done.
I don't really know, I just can. Well, their speech patterns are different, because Hikaru's speech patterns come across a little more mischievous than Kaoru's.
There was no offense intended behind those words, really, but that didn't stop Kaoru from covering his mouth and snickering at what Shizuka said.
"I'm sorry, Hikaru! I don't mean to laugh." Kaoru apologized behind his hand. Soon his snickering turned to full on laughter as he bent over slightly, having to shut his eyes.
"Well, I don't see what's so funny." Hikaru said, standing tall. "I'm honest, I speak my mind, and I don't hold back. It's sneaky people like Kaoru who are the trouble makers."
Oh, no.
Kaoru immediately stopped laughing and faced his brother, his face blank. "Don't turn this on me, Hikaru. After all, I'm the one who's always going along with all of your selfish games."
"I may suggest them, but you're the one who really gets into them, Kaoru. If you hate it so much, then why don't you just stop?"
"Because I'd hate to see you make an ass out of yourself in front of everyone."
Okay, it really that isn't that b
Kaoru put his palm in front of Shizuka to stop him for signing as he continued to talk to Hikaru.
"It was your idea to call Shizuka our toy, but I noticed you were quick to make a pass at him. Admit it, Hikaru, you're actually in love with Shizuka... aren't you?"
Shizuka slowly put his hands down. He blinked in his gaze switching between the twins as the tension in the room thickened. He hadn't expected the conversation to take such a sudden turn, especially not towards such a sensitive topic.
Hikaru gasped, almost in fear that something he wanted to hide had been discovered. His face erupted into a light pink color while looking to the side of where Shizuka was standing before turning his attention back to his brother.
"You've got it all wrong, Kaoru! Man, you're such a freakin' idiot! Why would I fall for him? I mean he looks like a horse!" Hikaru argued.
Shizuka sighed inwardly, scratching the front of his neck. He needed a break.
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
They've been fighting ever since. They even came into my classroom with dyed hair and made this huge scene.
Mori hummed in understanding, nodding slowly. Shizuka was at Mori's and Honey's estate, out in the back where there were many trees around them. They sat across each other underneath a tree with the shade overcasting them.
I mean, I want them to figure this out themselves, but neither of them have backed down. I don't know what to do, I don't like seeing them fight.
"You don't know what to do?" Mori repeated, his voice low and deep as usual.
Shizuka nodded.
Hikaru's starting to act weird around me, they've both been trying to get my attention for some reason. They even made this whole scene in my classroom!
He cracked his knuckles.
And with Kaoru making that joke about Hikaru being in love with me? It's been a lot to think about. I've never had anyone actually be in love with me before.
"Is that so?"
Yeah. Kaoru might have been joking, but still. I had only one crush in the past, but I didn't do anything about it. I just let it pass by without ever letting the other person know. Maybe Hikaru will just do that.
Mori looked up at the sky, then back at Shizuka. "How'd that work out for you?"
It worked out fine.
Shizuka frowned, and shook his head.
I'm lying. It really messed with me cause I've never felt that way before, but I knew he wouldn't have felt the same.
Mori perked up at the pronoun, but didn't question it.
So I just ignored my feelings and they went away. And it was just a small crush, I got over it quickly.
"... That's not healthy."
Shizuka stilled for a moment before looking down. He knew it wasn't, he knew he shouldn't have done that. He didn't need to be told that, it was obvious.
Mori remained silent for a moment, his gaze steady on Shizuka. Then, with a slow movement, he reached out and placed a hand on Shizuka's head.
"It's okay," Mori said softly. "It's okay to feel confused, and it's okay to have feelings for someone. But ignoring them won't make them disappear."
Yes, it will.
Shizuka thought to himself.
I mean, it had to have worked, right? After all, I don't have feelings for you anymore.
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
"I'll have the 'A' lunch." Hikaru and Kaoru both said to the lunch lady. They looked at each other from the side, because for some reason, they had to also be ordering lunch at the same time as well.
"No! Give me the 'B' pasta and the 'D' salad!" they say togther again.
"I'll take the 'F' capellini with barbarie duck! Hold on! Make that a voice grad in périgueux sauce!" they both growled and got into each other's faces.
"Stop copying me! Why don't you just leave me alone!?"
They have to be kidding. Shizuka thought, looking at them with a tray in his hands and a frown on his face. Perfect unison even when they're fighting.
"Hey, Senpai." a very tired voice said to the side of Shizuka.
Shizuka jumped a little while turning to the side, then looked down, seeing Haruhi also watching the brothers with a boxed lunch.
He waved at her.
"You tired of them? You look like it." Haruhi asked. Shizuka huffed out a laugh and tilted his head side to side, as to say, 'Sort of''. He was more worried than anything. "Yeah, I get that. They keep clowning on each other during class and it's getting annoying. I sit right in the middle of them and I constantly have to hear them arguing."
Shizuka never thought he would see the day that Hikaru and Kaoru would fight, because ever since he knew them back when they started middle school, they were always so close. He didn't think anything could make them fight for so long and for it to seem serious.
I should've never played that game.
"I was wondering what all the fuss was about." Tamaki's voice sounded. Haruhi and Shizuka's heads turned to see the rest of the club behind Tamaki. "I can't believe the two of you are still fighting. You're a disgrace to the Host Club."
"Hey, look who it is."
"Oh! I love them!"
"I've never seen them altogether like that!"
Honey tried to diffuse the situation by having them "go thirdsies" on a cake, ultimately needing a peace of it in the end, but he only made it worse. Mori stalked over to them and picked Honey up and away before things got nasty.
"Oh, Shizuka! Is this where you went? I didn't see you after class, it was like you vanished!"
Shizuka gave Tamaki his tray.
I just wanted to see what Hikaru and Kaoru were doing at this time today.
"And Haruhi, I didn't think I would see you here!"
"I was worried about them so I followed them here without thinking. I always bring a box lunch and was just gonna eat it in the classroom."
Shizuka saw Tamaki's face suddenly turn into that stupid look he gets when he's in that imaginary world of his. He groaned and took his tray and walked over to a table. He's always found with Kyoya during lunch, and since Kyoya wasn't commonly found in the refectory, neither was he. Since The Twins were though, he decided to stay around.
"Shizuka, you uh, wanna sit... over here with me?" Hikaru asked. Shizuka blinked at him in surprise, this was the first actual sentence he had said to him since this fighting started.
Shizuka nodded and sat down in the chair next to Hikaru's. Hikaru coughed.
"So, what's that?" Hikaru asked, pointing to Shizuka's tray.
'A' lunch.
"You wanna switch with me? I had to order something different than Kaoru so I ended up with stuff I don't really like." he said, switching his tray for Shizuka's lunch without the latter replying.
Sure, go ahead.
Shizuka shook his head in amusement and looked down at what Hikaru got. He hummed in disappointment. Guess he and Hikaru had similar tastes, Shizuka would probably have preferred any lunch over this one. Probably.
"Huh, you don't like that?" Kaoru asked as he sat down next to Shizuka. Shizuka turned to him.
Not really.
"Well, then, how would you like to taste mine?"
Kaoru softly took ahold of Shizuka's chin and extended the spoon that had some of his lunch in it to him. Before Shizuka's mouth could get closer to the spoon, Hikaru slid over and began to chomp on it.
"Quit butting in. Get lost, Kaoru." Hikaru told his brother with his mouth still on the spoon.
Kaoru blankly let go of the spoon and grabbed a bowl of soup on his tray. He threw it right at Hikaru, but he was quick enough to avoid it, pulling Tamaki in front of his face by his tie.
The two went back at it again, throwing whatever they could find at each other. Honey got thrown into the mess again, but Mori ran after him.
Shizuka stood up and walked away, leaving the twins to their fighting.
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
Tamaki let out a defeated exhale and placed his head on the table the club currently sat at in the music room. He was at the head of the table while Mori and Honey were on the right side with Kyoya on the left. Shizuka and Haruhi were more at the end of the table, Shizuka showing Haruhi how his camera worked.
"Looking at the numbers, if this situation isn't resolved, I'm afraid we're going to have to stop offering our brotherly love package. We're down one pair of loving brothers." Kyoya piped up before turning to face Shizuka, who wasn't paying him any mind.
"Oh, Shizuka,"
Shizuka looked up quickly at Kyoya.
"I just want you to know there's no reason for you to feel responsible. Even though, it was your tactless comment that started this whole feud between the twins in the first place, right?" Kyoya smiled.
Clearly he blames me for this.
I'm sorry.
"It's weird for Hika-Chan and Kao-Chan to be fighting like this. It's never happened before." Honey commented, playing with Usa-Chan.
"Hm." Mori nodded in agreement.
"They've never fought before?" Haruhi wondered.
"I've known... Hika-Chan and Kao-Chan since we were in preschool. We weren't in the same year, so I never really got to talk to them, but I remember that the two of them always played together." Honey said.
Tamaki looked to the side, his head propped up on his hand. "Yeah, that's true. I mean, I've only known the twins since they were in middle school, but they definitely stood out. It seemed like they kept everyone at a distance except each other. Believe it or not, they were even more warped back then. When you stop and think about it, maybe this fight is a good thing for them. Maybe it means that the twins are expanding their horizons a bit. We should just leave them alone and let them work it out." Tamaki said.
Haruhi looked out the huge window of the room, deep in thought.
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
The Host Club was empty that day, because the twins were fighting too much for any sort of business to be taking place. Hikaru and Kaoru were throwing stuff at each other, their fists included. Tamaki was the most irked by their behavior, body twitching as beads of sweat trickled down his face.
Shizuka was behind Kyoya with one of his hands clutching onto the other's arm. He hated fights, he hated seeing fights, there was nothing amusing about this to him.
The Twins finally stopped throwing things at each roger and stood still, panting while they stared at each other with death glares.
"Don't you guys think that maybe, it's time you give up all this fighting? It's driving me insane!" Tamaki tried to ask.
"What'd you say? It's driving you insane?" Hikaru scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me-how do you think I feel right now?" Hikaru shouted. "Every time I look in the mirror I see his face. I'm sick and tired of constantly being mistaken for you, Kaoru! The truth is: I hate your guts!"
Shizuka gasped and his eyes widened.
"You took the words right out of my mouth. In fact, I hate you so much I bought this. Belzenef, the curse doll!" Kaoru pulled out the wooden cat doll and a marker.
"I'm going to complete the curse, Hikaru. I'm going to write your name on his back. From this day forward, you're going to experience nothing but misfortune and sorrow!"
Kaoru started to write on the back of the doll. Then, it was knocked out of his hands by a strong force. Kaoru looked up in surprise, seeing Shizuka staring at him the same way.
Haruhi sprung forward as well towards the Two Twins and hit them both on the ground next to each other.
"Would you guys knock it off!?" she shouted, voice strained. "What do you think you're doing? You don't bring something like that into a petty fight! Both of you are at fault here, but what what's really sad is that you brought everyone else around you into your big mess!" Haruhi ranted, face starting to get a slightly red for her yelling. The Twins, along with the rest of the host club, looked at her astonished.
"Now apologize to each other! If you don't make up right now you are never gonna come over to mine or Shizuka-Senpai's house! Have I made myself clear!?" Haruhi shouted.
The Twins stared up in shock at the outburst. Suddenly, their frowns upturned into two of their usual, mischievous smirks. They hummed in thought. "So then what you're saying, Haruhi, is that if we make up, we can come over to your guys' places?"
They stood behind Haruhi looking down at her, smirks still present on their faces. Haruhi furrowed her eyebrows as she looked around and saw Shizuka slowly start to pick up the wooden doll he had smacked out of Kaoru's hands.
He turned it around to see what Kaoru had written, then slowly showed it to the rest of the club.
Blank.
Kaoru had written the word, 'blank'.
The Twins high-fived and pulled each other into a hug.
"I'm so sorry, Kaoru. Even though I was just following our script, I said such awful things to you. I'm not fit to be your brother."
"Don't say that Hikaru! I was so worried. I couldn't live with myself if I ever thought I had hurt you."
"Kaoru, I'll never let you go again!"
Shizuka stared at the ground, eyes wide and blank. The Twins were faking it. His grip tightened on the doll as his teeth grit. With a grunt he threw the doll across the room, causing it to break into two. He blocked the urge to pick it up and ran out the room, his rapid footsteps echoing through the corridors.
The club stared in disbelief, all except Kyoya who wrote one last thing in his notebook before snapping it shut.
"I didn't know he would take the prank so seriously." Hikaru and Kaoru mumbled.
"It goes a little more personal than that." Kyoya said, his glasses shining over.
"What do you mean Kyoya-Senpai?" Haruhi asked, frowning slightly.
Kyoya stayed silent for a moment.
"You see, Shizuka used to have a sister, an identical twin."
The room fell into a heavy silence with tension starting to build.
"I didn't know that." Tamaki whispered, and he thought he knew everything about Shizuka. But apparently, Kyoya always knew more.
"He never really talks about it," Kyoya replied, adjusting his glasses. "She passed away when he was younger, before he got into middle school."
Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged glances, their playful smirks replaced with expressions of realization and regret.
╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
"I'm so glad they made up!"
"Okay, it's time to play the 'Which one is Hikaru'? game!" Hikaru and Kaoru said, this time without their green hats since their hair was still pink and blue.
"I know! The twin with the pink hair is Hikaru!" a girl says.
"We have a winner!"
"So are you two going to keep your wild hair color even though you've made up? It's much easier to tell the two of you apart now." Another girl asks.
"No, it isn't." Haruhi chuckeled, walking by them. Haruhi turned to face the twins with a smile. "Today the pink one is Kaoru and Hikaru's the blue one. You swapped colors for the day, huh?" Haruhi stared at them for a moment, and walked away with a hum.
Shizuka snapped a photo of them, making Hikaru and Kaoru turn to face him as well. Shizuka gave them a small smile.
Took the words right out my mouth.
He signed, looking at his camera as he sped walked over to Haruhi, nudging her slightly to show her the camera as they walked away.
The twins stared after them, clutching each other's hand. Kaoru glanced over at Hikaru before focusing back on their figures.
Do you realize what's happened, Hikaru? Until now, there were only two groups of people: 'us' and 'everyone else'. But for the first time, people have crossed into our world.
Hikaru and Kaoru, that's how it's always been, but that is not how it always has to be.
.
.