"By the way, Kyoya-senpai," Kaoru spoke up. "What do you plan to do about school?"
"Huh?" everyone turned their heads towards Kaoru and said.
"I mean, most of the guests here are parents of children from Ouran. I'm pretty sure that they'll tell their kids something along the lines of 'get along with Haruhi or else'," Kaoru clarified. "And besides, now that Haruhi's gender is exposed to the entire world, she won't be able to continue attending the Host Club, right?"
"Ah. You're right," Haruhi realized.
Tamaki fell into utter despair at that point.
"W-W-W-W-W-What do you mean by Haruhi can't attend the Host Club anymore?!" Tamaki shook Kaoru. "Mother! You have to do something about this!"
Kyoya sighed. "Regarding that, I've already taken that into account."
Haruhi looked at him. "What's your plan regarding this whole thing then?" she questioned. "Does father-in-law also know about this?"
"If it's regarding father, he was the one who gave me the options," Kyoya said, shifting his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Haruhi, we want you to decide on this matter. You can either choose to continue to stay at Ouran and study there, but as a girl and lady of the Ootori family, or you can choose to be home-schooled where you don't have to deal with the pretentious people around you."
"Does that mean she won't be able to attend the Host Club anymore?" Tamaki cried.
"Basically," the twins hummed in reply, though they, too, were pretty bummed out about it.
Haruhi took her two choices into account. This party had already shown her that she wasn't capable of dealing with people that expected much of her and buttered up to her because she was now part of the Ootori group. If she had to deal with that for ten hours every five days of the week, she didn't think that she could stand it. But then again, everyone at Ouran welcomed her and acted with respect towards her and she didn't think that that was going to change anytime soon. But she just couldn't shake off the fact that they might change their attitudes towards her.
"I...Let me think about it," Haruhi said with an ambivalent expression.
Kyoya nodded his head. "I'll give you one week. Once you've made up your mind, feel free to tell me and we'll have everything arranged."
"I'll tell you as soon as possible," Haruhi smiled sadly.
The Host Club had more or less of an idea regarding why she had on such an expression. Having to choose between two choices that were both equally bad, they would have made the same face. Inside, they wished that she would choose the first choice even though the attitudes from the people around her might change.
"Well, let's not be so gloomy," Tamaki said, trying to cheer everyone up. "There's still a party going on!"
"Tama-chan's right!" Honey exclaimed. "Haru-chan, let's go dance!"
"With that bruised face, highly unlikely," Kyoya replied for her. "What if someone bumps into that bruise of hers again?"
"I'll refrain from dancing, Honey-senpai. But, thank you," Haruhi smiled.
"Then we'll stay here and pay you some company," Hikaru grinned.
"That way you won't feel lonely," Kaoru agreed.
"But I do have to say that you not dancing sure is pitiful," Kyoya remarked. "You even practiced so much for it."
Haruhi sweat-dropped, thinking about the amount of effort she had put into learning the waltz. "It's fine. At least I won't have to embarrass myself now."
"Haruhi knows how to waltz?" Tamaki asked, a hopeful expression on his face. "If you'd like, would you want to dance with m-"
"Mori-senpai, are you hungry? There's food over there," Haruhi smiled innocently, ignoring Tamaki.
Mori nodded his head and made his way over to the cart that had a tray of food lined up. The other gladly helped themselves, too, and Kyoya was made to order the butler to get another cart of food lined up. Tamaki cried sorrowfully in the corner.
"Haruhi~" a cheerful voice chimed from the entrance of the private resting area.
"Fuyumi-san," Haruhi noted.
"What are you guys all doing h-?!" Fuyumi stopped midsentence with a smile on her face as something behind her cracked. An expression of horror crossed over her face as she saw Haruhi's face. "Haruhi-chan! What happened to your face?!"
"Ah...that," Haruhi looked away from her. "Things sort of happened."
"Oh my god!" Fuyumi cried, starting at the noticeable bruise below the large white gauze bandage. "This is horrible! Whoever did this to you?!"
Haruhi glanced at the Host Club members before quickly looking back to Fuyumi with a smile on her face. However, Fuyumi was a member of the Ootori family and the blood ran thicker in her compared to her male siblings. Haruhi's glance to the Host Club members wasn't caught unnoticed by her and she immediately had a hunch of what had happened. She turned around, her eyes glinting red as she towered over them.
"So~," she said, a devilish grin on her face. "Anyone of you minds telling me who it was that punched my dear Haruhi so hard in the face?"
"Fuyumi-san..." Haruhi tried catching her attention.
"Haruhi-chan, you're going to be staying out of this," Fuyumi smiled, fully aware of how soft-hearted Haruhi could be at times.
The Host Club members were now intimidated and fearful for their own lives were at stake. Fuyumi was even scarier than the Shadow King himself and they all looked towards Kyoya, pleading for help. Kyoya glanced at them and pretended to not notice anything, thinking that if anything, this would be the best way to get back at Hikaru for punching Haruhi.
"Kyoya~!" Tamaki cried out to him.
Kyoya kept on pretending to be just a bystander and finding no choice, they looked towards Haruhi for help. Haruhi didn't care for either one of them but seeing the usually stoic-looking senior trembling with his eyes, she couldn't just sit back and look on. Haruhi sighed and stood up, walking over to Fuyumi.
"Fuyumi-san, it's nothing really," Haruhi tried persuading her. "While they were having fun, one of them just accidentally hit me. That's all."
"Then that means it's still their fault that that bruise came to be," Fuyumi said.
"That's..." Haruhi looked away.
Fuyumi turned back to them, her hands clawing themselves in the air. "Maybe I should just get rid of all of them right now. That won't be a major problem, right?" she said, a look of excitement on her face.
"Haruuuhiii! Kyoya! Help us!!!" Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru screamed.
"Fuyumi-san," Haruhi held her back. "Don't be acting so rashly now. Wasn't there something that you wanted to say to me just a while ago?"
"Oh, that's right," Fuyumi said, suddenly remembering. "Father was wondering where all of you guys were and so I came to check up on you guys but now," she turned around to the Host Club members with an even more fearsome expression. "I come to witness such a bruise on Haruhi-chan's face. You guys must really want to die."
"Fuyumi-san!" Haruhi held her back. "Please stop! It's really nothing!"
Fuyumi looked at her in doubt but seeing the strength that she was putting into holding her back, Fuyumi decided to let her anger go. But, she still wasn't ready to just drop it. She made a quick reminder to herself to go ask Kyoya for the details later.
"Fine," Fuyumi sighed.
"Thank you, Fuyumi-san," Haruhi beamed at her.
Seeing the cute smile that Haruhi had on, Fuyumi couldn't help but hug her. "You're so freakin' cute~!" she squealed.
Just as Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey, and Mori breathed a sigh of relief, they hitched their breaths once again at the sudden intrusion of the main host of the party. It was Ootori Yoshio himself. He walked into the private resting room with a rather stern yet pleased expression - mostly because he wished to spend some time with his daughter-in-law Haruhi - but stopped midway and widened his eyes in shock.
Boy, is this going to get messy, Kyoya and Haruhi sweat-dropped.
"What happened to your face, Haruhi?" Yoshio walked up to her, examining her face. "It's bruised and swollen."
"I met with a little accident," Haruhi laughed nervously.
If she didn't know Yoshio by now and how he acted to express his caringness, she would'be thought that he was thinking about what to do with her now that she had ruined her face. She couldn't dance now at the party but that wasn't Yoshio's main concern. His main concern was how that bruise came to be.
"Oh? May I know what kind of accident it was?" Yoshio smiled deviously.
They all gulped. Even though he was asking Haruhi, his eyes were directed elsewhere. More specifically, it was directed to the men that stood in the resting area who were fearing for their lives once more.
"Hikaru, just confess," Tamaki whispered in his ear. "Don't drag us into your mess!"
"Can't help it!" Hikaru whispered back, making sure his mouth wasn't moving. "I value my life, too, you know!"
Having more or less of an idea as to who did it, Yoshio decided to act upon it. However, after seeing the desperate expression on Haruhi's face as well as how she pulled him back, he smiled. He decided to drop it for now. Moreover, he had other guests to attend to.
"If there's nothing going on here, then you guys should return to the party," Yoshio said. "Especially you, Kyoya. There are more guests to attend to."
"Understood, father," Kyoya bowed.
"The same goes for you, too, Fuyumi."
"Yes, father," Fuyumi curtsied.
Yoshio turned to the Host Club members who straightened up and flinched out of reflex. Yoshio eyed them one by one and smirked. He brushed past them and walked out of the resting area, his attendants following him.
"Is it just me or did your father just laugh at me?" Tamaki said.
"Who knows? Anyone would laugh at you either way," Hikaru and Kaoru replied.
"You two just be quiet!" Tamaki yelled, clearly not amused by their answer.
"Tama-chan, you're thinking too much of it. Maybe the night has gotten to you?" Honey tilted his head and lied to him.
They all saw Yoshio laugh at Tamaki and the reason behind it, they most likely knew why. The Host Club members had more or less of an idea the feud between the patriarch of the Suoh and Ootori family as well as the business relationship they had with one another. In public, they seemed like friends but when it came to their private life, it was the complete opposite. Both wanted Haruhi to be their daughter-in-law and with Yoshio winning this one, of course, he would laugh at the idiotic son of the idiotic Suoh patriarch.
"If you guys say so," Tamaki said, still doubting it.
The Host Club members and Fuyumi nodded their heads, reassuring him that he was overthinking it despite the truth that laid right in front of their eyes.
"Now then, let's go back to the party," Fuyumi ushered them out. "There's still an hour left to go."
"But what about Haruhi?" Hikaru turned his head around but was already being pushed out.
"Just leave that to Kyoya," Fuyumi smiled. "She is his wife."
At her words, Hikaru felt sour but knew it was the truth. Fuyumi ushered Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru out of the resting area as Honey and Mori gladly followed, ready to consume more food for, after all the drama, they needed it. Kyoya and Haruhi saw them leave before turning to one another.
"I'll come back in an hour," Kyoya said.
Haruhi nodded. "I know."
"For now, rest. You've had a rough night," he said, holding her hand.
She smiled. "I'm fine, Kyoya-senpai. But, thank you."
He smiled back and prepared to leave the room. "Tomorrow, I'll bring the doctor. So for now, don't touch that cheek of yours."
"Yes."
With that, he left, the curtain closing behind him. Once again, Haruhi was left by herself in the resting area as she overlooked the ballroom from the balcony. The liveliness that she felt when the Host Club members and the others were there seemed to be a distant past, for now, only silence surrounded her. The chattering and laughing of the party guests were but a faint mumble in her ears. She leaned back on the couch and rested her head on the arm of the couch, making sure that it was her right cheek facing down.
So tired, she thought, closing her eyes.
Her long brown hair trailed down the side of the couch as her dress sat behind her. Soon enough, the voices dulled out and she drifted to sleep. Her breathing was even and she had a faint smile on her face. Even though so many things happened this night, she was still happy. With things now open, she could finally relax her shoulders. Moreover, after confirming her feelings and his, she could finally breathe assured that she could stay by his side.
The butler standing to the side looked back and saw the resting silhouette of Haruhi and smiled.
"I wish you a good night, Haruhi-sama," he smiled before going back to standing guard.
The next day~
Haruhi woke up to the sound of chirping birds and looked around her with a spacey air. She widened her eyes and sat up in the bed, finding herself still in last night's gown. She looked about her and noticed that she was in her room. She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking hard about what happened last night.
"I fell asleep on the couch and then..." she mumbled to herself. "Did I pass out?"
She groaned, unable to think of anything. She fell back onto the bed and put an arm over her face. Her hair was still curled and the makeup was still on her face. She thought about it and came up with only one plausible conclusion. Kyoya had taken her back home when she was asleep. She rolled around on her bed and groaned some more; she had accidentally rolled on her bruised cheek.
"How did I fall asleep?" she groaned.
Her thoughts were interrupted as a knock came at the door. "Haruhi-sama, are you awake yet?"
"Serena," Haruhi sat up, noticing her voice.
Haruhi got up and slipped on her slippers that had been placed by her bedside. Her dress trailed behind her and her hair flowed behind her as a few strands made its way in front of her face. She opened the door to which Serena greeted her with her usual bow. Nasha stood beside her as always with a smile.
"Good morning, Haruhi-sama," the two bowed but their calm and composed nature soon broke.
"Haruhi-sama, your hair!" Serena yelled, a look of horror on her face.
"We have to clean you up!" Nasha said, storming in and getting the bath ready.
"I can clean myself," Haruhi whined as Serena and Nasha stripped her of her clothes and led her to the bath.
"No, you can't," Serena reprimanded. "Besides, with that cheek of yours, it's obviously not possible."
"I still have arms and legs," Haruhi replied blankly.
"A no is still a no," Serena said, beginning to wipe Haruhi's face of the makeup.
Haruhi sighed and complied. Somehow, she just couldn't win against these two when it came to cleaning and dressing. They made sure not to use too much force when it came to the swollen area but even when they did, Haruhi flinched a little. It was still a deep purple color and Haruhi cringed when she looked at it in the mirror. She didn't think that it would be this bad.
"Haruhi-sama, the bath is ready," Nasha called out.
"Haruhi-sama, this way," Serena led her.
Haruhi stepped into the bath and let herself be cleaned by them before soaking by herself. Steam rose up around her and she sank deeper into the bath. After that night, a nice hot bath was exactly what she needed. She closed her eyes and had a pleasant look on her face.
I want to stay in here forever, she thought.
Her peaceful period was soon interrupted as Serena and Nasha removed her from the bath and dried her. They blow-dried her hair and dried her body with a nice hot fresh towel. Their every moment was soothing to the touch and Haruhi enjoyed it. Having people tend to her once in a while didn't feel too bad.
"Since there will be neither people visiting nor places to go to, you're free to wear whatever you like in the house, Haruhi-sama," Nasha smiled.
"Needless to say, we'll be picking your outfit for you," Serena added.
"That's the complete opposite of what Nasha just said, though," Haruhi sighed.
"Don't worry, Haruhi-sama. For today, they'll just be simple clothes."
Haruhi smiled. "That's good to hear."
As they had said, Haruhi was changed into a simple attire. It wasn't as simple as she thought it would be but compared to the other clothes she had worn at their bidding, it was fairly simple. It was a light champagne-colored dress that reached to the floor with a white sash tied below her chest, forming a bow with its ends trailing behind her. It reached up to her neck, leaving her shoulders and arms exposed. A transparent shawl was draped over her arms, letting it hang down beside her. Her hair was let loose with a champagne rose headband situated on her head.
"There, all done," Serena smiled.
"The doctor should be arriving soon so let's go down, Haruhi-sama," Nasha said. "Kyoya-sama is already waiting."
Haruhi nodded her head and stood up, the material of her dress floating behind her. It was easy to walk in it and she was glad about that. She walked down the stairs into the lobby of the mansion. The first person she noticed was Kyoya and she smiled at him. But the next person she noticed was a man standing beside Kyoya.
"You are...!" she walked up to him with a smile.