The girl I have an interest in, I am now certain of my feelings towards her. I'm in love with her.
"In love..." Miki uttered in a daze as she tapped the back of her pen into her mini-sketchbook. Despite how there should be much more on her mind, such as Tamaki's lies against her and the rest of the club, she just couldn't shake her mind off Kyoya's words. She stared down blankly at the three circles on the page; two filled to the brim with names while the other was empty. If this were Kyoya's love circles, it would where this mysterious girl would go. She was still trying to sort out her own feelings, trying to categorize Kyoya into one of these circles. Her pen hovered over the 'Eros' label.
She didn't know enough about romantic love to know if he belonged in there yet.
"Miss Suoh," Clearing his throat, Mr. Kobayashi called on Miki for the third time, jolting the girl out of her train of thought. "Would you mind reading this next section, please?" He raised his eyebrow.
"Huh? Oh." Standing up with dazed eyes, Miki stood up and looked down at her traditional literature book. She blinked cluelessly, not knowing where in the world they were at in the lesson.
Sensing his sister's troubles, Tamaki leaned back a little and covered his mouth with the book. "Page 227, Paragraph Three." He whispered.
Miki's hazel eyes flickered to the seat before hers. She stared blankly at Tamaki, about to accept his help when a feeling of unexplainable sadness and frustration overtook that thought. She snapped her head back up to the teacher. "I'm sorry; I was not paying attention." She announced bluntly, causing the blond to jolt back in the shock of rejection.
Heaving a long sigh, Mr. Kobayashi gestured for her to sit down with a sweatdrop at how straightforward that answer was. "Sit down," He said. "I appreciate your honesty, but please pay attention in class."
"I'm sorry," Miki nodded apologetically.
"Miki!" After class, Tamaki spun around on his chair happily, having already recovered from the previous blow he had been dealt. "Let's head to the club together!" He gleamed. The bell had since rung, and students were beginning to gather their things to head either home or their after-school clubs.
Subconsciously brushing her hand over the 'love circles' she has drawn to cover them, Miki watched Tamaki as he folded his arms on the backing of his chair and offering a sweet smile. Biting her bottom lip, her gaze landed on the word 'storge,' familial love. She furrowed her brows.
"Miki-chan..."
Amongst the crowd of students, Sumire and an oddly quiet Sora approached the strawberry blonde. The latter, who usually had a mischievous smile curled on her lips was frowning and looking like he was on the verge of tears.
"Is something the matter? Please sit down." Spotting a distraction to avoid his request, Miki turned to invite two. "Sorry Tamaki-kun, could you head to the club without me?" Miki requested.
"A-Ah, sure..."
"I already went over the production list this morning," She reassured him. "You should start getting ready, or Kyoya-kun is going to be mad, you know?" She reminded.
"O-Okay..." Dejected by how he was shot down by Miki, Tamaki moped as he pushed up from his seat. "You'll be there, right?" He asked, turning back with puppy eyes.
Miki nodded.
"Kyoya," As he and his best friend paced down the busy halls of Ouran High School, Tamaki called out as he wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes. "I think Miki is acting a little strange," He proposed.
Walking at his side in a much more dignified manner, Kyoya cast the blond a side glance. "What makes you think so?" He asked.
"She has been waking up excessively early on her own every morning, this weekend, she skipped our usual 'weekly drama day,' she wouldn't visit my room to hang out during her free time, and whenever we eat she's always speaking with Suzuno..." Tamaki listed off before perking up. "Could it be that... she is actively avoiding me?!" He gasped as the realization hit him like a truck.
"Who knows?" Mentally questioning his best friend's stupidity, Kyoya hummed as he averted his eyes. "Perhaps it's because of how you faked your diarrhea to avoid the school trip." He implied.
Rubbing his eyes, Tamaki sniffled. "B-But, I just didn't want her to worry..." He reasoned. "And I apologized afterward. I even made sure to prepare some of her favourite tiramisu and commoner's coffee when she got home!" He said.
"As I've said, I believe it's okay to worry in a situation like this. She was rather upset about that fact, was she not?" Kyoya replied, sensing Tamaki's depressed mood. "Just give her some time." He advised.
After Tamaki and Kyoya had left for the clubroom, the usual upbeat brunette took a seat in the blond's place as her best friend sat next to her. Miki tilted her head, puzzled by the visible frown that seemed to have etched into her friend's face since their return to Japan. "What's the matter, Sora-chan?" She inquired. "You seem upset." Watching as Sora's brows furrowed, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.
Sumire drew a small sigh, still holding onto her best friend as she gently rubbed her best friend's back. "Let's just not talk about this, alright Sora-san?" She suggested.
Rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes, Sora wiped away the tears that circled as she nodded. "No, I want to ask her," She admitted hoarsely, biting her lips as her shoulders and head sunk. "I really do, but..." Her voice trailed off as the moisture rushed back to her eyes. Swiftly, she buried her face in her palms and began to weep silently. "I-I..." She whispered. "I got rejected by Kotaro-kun." She revealed.
"Eh?"
"I told him about how I felt, I confessed to him on the trail... and..." Her eyes began to water up further as she buried her face into her hands. "And he told me that he didn't see me the same way." She sobbed, hands clenching on her skirt.
"Sora-san..." Sumire's lips curled into a frown as she side hugged her best friend.
Miki blinked a little. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She paused for a moment, receiving nothing in response. "And?" She urged for the brunette to continue.
Sora's eyes snapped up, cheeks still stained with dried tears. "Well... We've been childhood friends for so long." Her voice cracked. "Miki-chan... What do I do?"
Rubbing a hand against her chin, Miki fell silent for a moment as she grew thoughtful. "Do you still love him?" She asked.
"Huh?" Sora peered up from her palms. "O-Of course I still do... But..."
Resting her hands on her sketchbook, Miki nodded curtly. "If you still love him, then just tell him again." She explained.
"Tell him again...?" Sora and Sumire repeated in unison.
"When?"
"Now," Miki replied bluntly.
"Eh?" Whipping her head around, Sumire gasped at how straightforward, and absurd Miki's words were.
"N-Now?" Sora's brows drew close, feeling uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "B-But... I've loved him for so long... I just... I don't want anything to change between us..." She said, holding her hands before her chest.
"Then that's all the more reason to; it's not good to give up, after all." Eyes flickering down to her sketchbook, Miki hummed. "By the way, you mentioned that you loved him right?" She inquired as she gazed up at her confused friend. "May I ask, what does love feel like?"
"M-Miki-san, I don't think that..." Sumire was beginning to panic as she covered her lips.
Sora's coffee-brown eyes immediately rounded. A chain of emotions flashed across her eyes, shock, disbelief, sorrow and finally anger. "How could you ask that at a time like this?!" Jolting up from her spot, Sora slammed her hands on Miki's desk. It startled both Miki and Sumire, as well as the remaining students in the classroom as they turned to look at the trio. Sora didn't care. She was too worked up by the insensitive words Miki had asked.
"Eh?" Miki blinked.
"Sora-san, calm down a little." Sumire stood up with her, trying to ease the brunette's anger and frustration. "I think what Miki-chan meant is... is..." Unable to come up with a plausible reason for Miki's words, she turned to the blonde for aid.
Miki was beyond confused by Sora's anger. Why was Sora so angry? She wondered as her eyes darted between the two of them.
Realizing that she wasn't going to respond, it only fuelled Sora's already present sadness and frustration. "Miki-chan..." She muttered with quaking lips. "Miki-chan, you idiot!" Pushing her hands off the desk, Sora spun on her heels and bolted out of the classroom with more tears swirling in her eyes.
"Sora-chan!"
"Sora-san! Ahh, this is why I told her not to ask you." Sumire held her hands before her mouth in distress, eyeing between the blonde and brunette as she was torn between the two of them.
"You should go after her, Sumire-san." Sensing Sumire's dilemma, Miki suggested with a wry smile.
"But you-"
"I'm alright," She cast the opened classroom door a concerned glance. "I think Sora-chan is upset with me, so it'd be best if you went after her."
Hands sliding down to her chest, Sumire's brows drew close. "Miki-san, do you not understand why Sora-san is upset?" She asked gingerly.
"Not really," Eyes averting to the side, Miki shook her head cluelessly.
"Oh, dear... I knew you couldn't understand, but..." Watching the strawberry blonde with a slight sense of sympathy, Sumire murmured. She thought for a few seconds before opening her neatly organized school bag and pulling out a magazine. "Here, please take this." She offered with two hands and a polite smile. "I'll be going after Sora-san. But, if you want to learn a little something about love. Please give this a read." She said.
Miki took the colour magazine in both hands with a curious look. It had the words 'Girl's Ro-Romance!-Winter Edition' slapped on as the title, following by a subtitle of 'The Romance Bible for Girls of the 21st century. The cover had an image of a couple happily walking in the snow while holding hands. She blinked awkwardly.
"I didn't know you enjoyed reading these types of magazines." She commented, turning the magazine around and observing it from all four directions as if it were her first time seeing a trashy teen magazine.
Giggling nervously, Sumire quickly closed her bag. "It's a hobby of mine." She explained as she waved. "I'll be off then, see you tomorrow." With that, she left the classroom leaving Miki and a few others.
"See you tomorrow." Cradling the magazine in her arms, Miki waved in a slight daze.
"Welcome!" As the doors of Music Room #3 opened, the hosts are revealed in a beaming light to be dressed in traditional Turkish attire. The music room itself was decked out in glamourous tiled walls and intricately designed rugs and pillows. The guests gasped in awe as they entered the Turkish paradise.
"Tamaki-sama, we're so pleased to hear your stomachache has gone away." Tsubaki cupped her cheeks as she let out a dreamy sigh, unaware of Tamaki's ploy that he played during the school trip.
"It's so lovely to see you in a gorgeous costume after so long!" One of the other guests nodded, remembering the last time when they saw him, he was in a fundoshi. "The turquoise stones contrast nicely with your light hair." She complimented.
Lifting the girl's face by the chin, Tamaki gave a tender smile as a rose-like aura began to blossom around them. "Thank you, Princess." He said. "Ancient people believed that happiness descends from would put their hopes into these sky-coloured stones. But for me, you are the beautiful jewel that brings hope."
"Oh, Tamaki-sama..." The girl swooned.
"This is adorable!" On the other end of the clubroom, another small group of customers exclaimed as Kyoya handed out little blue eye-shaped amulets to them. "These are for us?" One of the girls asked.
"Yes, they 're nazar boncugu." Opening his palms, Kyoya explained. "They're a popular good luck charm in Turkey, believed to protect you from illness and bad luck." Readjusting his glasses on his nose bridge, he then gave a close-eyed smile. "Seeing that you are healthy and happy and frequent our club is our source of happiness." He said, causing the girls to blush with star-struck eyes.
"These are such unusual treats, Honey-senpai." Sitting on one of the couches, another two girls chuckled as the Honey and Mori duo began to serve up Turkish sweets.
"Yes! This one is dondurma, and this one is lokum. They're all sweet and yummy!" The lolita giggled, gesturing their desserts for the day with enthusiasm. "And if you want something to drink, try the ayran." He glanced up at Mori who arrived with a tray and a couple of cups. "It's a slightly salty yogurt drink. But really, my favourite is drinking çay tea with lots and lots of sugar!" He said, sending the girls through fangirling fits at how adorable he was.
"Hikaru, that dark ash colour in your hair really suits you." On another couch, the twins' regular guests commented as her eyes darted back and forth between them. "When you two stand beside each other, the contrast is quite refreshing." She said.
"Haha, now it's easy to tell us apart, right?" Kaoru laughed as he pressed his palm against his brother's performing their usual mirroring act.
"Once I changed my hair colour, I suddenly realized," Hikaru said, "We twins are two separate people. And because of that, we can support each other at a very close distance!" He explained, pressing his forehead against Kaoru's.
"Oh, Hikaru..." The girls sighed.
Suddenly a black flash darted across the room and appeared behind the twins, revealing Nekozawa dressed in his usual dark cloak. "Please excuse my intrusion into your conversation," He grinned, moving Belzenef forward to hold onto the twins' entwined hands. "How would you like Turkish coffee used to read your fortune, compliments of the black magic club?" He offered, scaring everyone present half to death. "Once finish drinking the coffee, take the coffee cup and flip it upside down. And you can tell your fortune from the pattern of the coffee grounds on the plate. So, who's future shall I divine first?" He asked as the guests, and the twins let out a loud shriek.
"Tama-chan, did you invite Neko-chan?" Honey tilted his head towards Tamaki, shifting Usa-chan in his arms.
"Yes! I thought it would be better if we invited an expert as we're dealing with an ancient culture." Tamaki affirmed.
"Does Neko-chan count as an expert...?" Honey sweatdropped, watching as the black magician chase down the twins and their guests for their 'coffee fortune telling.'
"I also wanted to ask the dance club to perform a Turkish belly dance," Tamaki hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But unfortunately there was a conflict in their schedule. Oh Kyoya," He called out to his friend as he walked paced by with his usual notebook. "Will you show me the customer list and the accounts later? And I also want to talk to you about acquiring new tableware." He said.
"I don't mind, but..." Kyoya glanced over his shoulder, pen stopping for a moment. "Didn't you say you were going to the Roi Grand Hotel after school? Weren't you going to sit in on a meeting?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Oh! That's right!" Tamaki's eyes widened at the reminder. "Sorry, then just give me the accounts. I'll look over them at home!"
"Yes, yes."
Apparently, while the second years were in France for their school tip, Yuzuru had offered Tamaki the chance to join the Suoh Cooperation on their expansion. And the blond has decided to take part in the cooperation's service industry. He started putting a lot more effort into managing the host club. On top of his club activities, he's been going straight to the company building after school to observe Yuzuru's work while in his spare time, he holes up in his room, reading books about the service industry. These reasons piling up, all contributed to his lack of communication with Miki, who has been busy drawing and putting together her to submit to the overseas competition.
The two siblings were drifting apart, neither of them knowing how to fix the situation.
Haruhi kept her feverish gaze fixed on Tamaki, sighing softly as she mentally cursed the somewhat cold-like symptoms she's been exhibiting around Tamaki in particular.
"Haruhi, how are you feeling?" Momoka's voice snapped the brunette out of her daze. "What did the doctor say?" She asked.
Glancing back at her customers, Haruhi rested a hand on her chin. "The doctor at the hospital said it was nothing." She explained. "I have no appetite, will the Turkish delight keep for a few days? I can't eat them now, but I do want to eat them." She said, causing the girls to awe in adoration and begin scooping up Turkish delight for Haruhi's doggy bag.
"Haruhi!" Tamaki approached the brunette, worriedly. "How are you feeling? You're still not over your cold?" He questioned.
"Uh, um..."
Reaching forward, Tamaki rested a hand against Haruhi's cheek as he pulled her in to rest his forehead against hers, unaware of the self-conscious jolt Haruhi demonstrated. "Hmm... It doesn't seem like you have a fever." He said before suddenly jolting back in shock. "Wahh! You got hot all of a sudden! This is terrible! Call an ambulance!" He shouted.
Quickly making distance between them, Haruhi shook her head and flailed her hands in a panicked. "No! Ahh! I'm fine!" She turned away sharply. "I-I better go fetch another pot of tea!" She excused herself, only for the blond to follow closely, eyes flooding with comical tears.
"Haruhi! It's alright; daddy will come with you!" He cried.
"Please don't!"
Miki blinked at the scene playing out before her eyes before turning her attention to the magazine Sumire gave her that she held in her hands. She was currently reading an article called 'Signs that you're in love,' and Haruhi's actions were fitting with a lot of what they were saying. She stared down at the list once again, scanning through the specific ones that aline: feverish body language, flushed cheeks, sneaking glances, loss in appetite. Check, check, check and check. Haruhi's behaviour mostly checks off the external symptoms of love. While trying to learn more about love herself, Miki instead seemed to have stumble on quite a revelation, though she wasn't the only one who noticed Haruhi's odd behaviour.
"Hmm... What do you think Takashi?" Honey's voice pulled Miki out of her little world as she noticed that the hosts, par Haruhi and Tamaki, have gathered around her workstation. "Haru-chan has been acting strange for a while." He analyzed. "I don't know what happened between her and Tama-chan, but do you think it's that?" He asked, staring up at his cousin.
"It must be that. There is proof." Before Mori could answer, Kyoya hummed as he gazed at the couple that rushed around the clubroom, causing a small commotion among the guests.
"How so?" Miki cocked her head to the side.
"Hikaru's mood has completely changed. Kyoya gestured the twins behind him, the one with the darker hair was twitching in a mixture of anger and jealousy.
"Hikaru, restrain yourself." Kaoru narrowed his eyes, magically pulling a stopwatch out of his non-existent pocket. Hikaru flinched as his brother clicked one of the two buttons. "One minute... Two Minutes..." He counted slowly as the handle ticked away. "Okay, three minutes!" Kaoru announced, and suddenly both of them bolting towards Hikaru's school bag. Honey and Miki crowded around them; they watched as the ash-brown-haired twin pulled out what seemed to be like a tanuki-shaped piggy bank out of his bulky bag. Then he fished a 100 yen (1 dollar) coin out of his pocket and placed it through the coin slip, letting out a sigh in relief as the sound of the coin hitting the tin echoed shortly.
"Is that a piggy bank?" Honey asked curiously.
"Yeah!" Pacing over, Kaoru crouched down next to his older brother, watching him grin proudly at the piggy bank proudly with a sense of endearment. "We devised it to fix Hikaru's short temper." He explained. "And we call it the 'if Hikaru can hold himself back for three minutes, he saves 100 yen' bank!"
"Why is it called a piggy bank?" Miki tilted her head curiously as she stared at the tanuki-shaped tin can. "It looks a lot like Haruhi, so shouldn't it be a 'Haruhi bank?'"She pointed out.
Kaoru sweatdropped, realizing that he should've expected that level of cluelessness from her. "It's called a piggy bank because these coin banks are usually shaped like pigs." He informed her, patting Hikaru's shoulder. "But we chose to use a tanuki because once we get 100,000 yen, we'll be able to treat Haruhi to fancy tuna!" He winked.
"Isn't 100 yen each time a little too cheap? It'll take a hundred times." At this point, Kyoya and Mori joined the group as the former asked. The latter of the two was far more interested in the shape of the coin bank as it reminded him of his newest pet tanuki, Pome.
"Don't be naive Kyoya-senpai," Kaoru lifted an all-knowing finger as he sighed in an exaggerated manner. "It's the minimum needed to have Haruhi even look Hikaru's way. Right now, if he tells her how he feels, he's sure to be rejected! Even if Hikaru is more of an adult than I thought, he's still egregiously immature by the world's standards." He said, causing Hikaru to jolt back as the jabs Kaoru took transformed into metaphorical knives and plunged through his chest.
"Kaoru! That's saying too much!" He growled, face turning dark as the veins on his forehead began to pop.
Unfazed by his aggravated reaction, Kaoru tossed a book titled 'Anger Management: How to be a calm Adult' in his hands. "Here," He hummed. "If you get angry, you have to add one more book to your reading list." And with that, Hikaru could only bite his lips and stifle his anger as he hurried to the corner to begin reading the book as Hikaru instructed.
"Coach Kao-chan is an oni." Honey sweatdropped.
"Yeah, well. It's the whip of love." Kaoru said, scratching the back of his neck. "But the real problem is Haruhi's behaviour towards milord. She's clearly self-conscious." He gestured the brunette as well as Tamaki, who still haven't given up their cat and mouse chase around the clubroom.
"It's obvious." The lolita nodded in agreement.
"If Haruhi herself thinks it's due to a cold, she's probably unaware of it," Kyoya suggested, resting a hand to his chin as he averted his eyes. "But even if she's currently blind to this matter, Haruhi isn't as stupid as Tamaki. There's a possibility that she'll realize what's happened at some point." He theorized.
"She'll realize that she is in love with Tamaki-kun?" Miki tilted her head. "How though?"
"Like that." Nudging his chin towards the duo, Kyoya mused.
Miki and the host glanced over, spotting Nekozawa approach Haruhi with a flipped coffee cup in hand. "Fujioka, you seem to be holding your worries in your heart." He laughed in an eerie manner, stopping both the blonde and brunette in their tracks.
"Huh?" Haruhi jolted back.
Observing the coffee cup, Nekozwa grinned as Belzenef twitched in his hands. "According to my Turkish coffee divinations, I see a heart. This is most definitely a sign of having trouble in lo- EEEK! TOO BRIGHT!" However, before he could finish his divination, Kaoru appeared out of nowhere and shone a flashlight that also appeared out of nowhere in the black magician's face, repelling him as he crumbled to the ground with a loud shriek.
"Phew, that was close." Wiping away the sweat on his forehead, the ginger let out a sigh in relief.
"K-Kao-chan?" Honey called out, a little confused by his action.
"I'm on Hikaru's side," Kaoru pronounced with furrowed brows. "But it's not like I want to ignore Haruhi's feelings either. So if Haruhi truly likes Milord... When she understands it herself, I also understand that I have no right to stop it." He explained before suddenly bursting into flames that represented his determination as he snapped up with a balled fist. "But! That doesn't mean others should go out of their way to help them out! That's also what I think! And that especially goes for you two, Kyoya-senpai and Miki-senpai!" He pointed at the two with grilling eyes. "Just because you two are on milord's side, don't tell Haruhi anything unnecessary. Stuff like this needs to be left to take its natural course!" He announced.
"Y-Yes, sir!" Miki immediately saluted.
"I think you were the one who completely destroyed the natural course of things back there." Kyoya heaved a sigh as he shrugged. "Well, do as you please." He peered down to his notebook. "In any event, I have other things I need to research anyways." His words piquing Kaoru's interest. "Speaking of which, where is Yotsuboshi-san?" He raised an eyebrow, checking his watch. "She was supposed to have her appointment with Tamaki five minutes ago."
"Sumi-chan should be here too; I wonder where are they?" Honey added, looking a little concerned for one of his regulars.
"Ah, those two..." Miki averted her eyes, trying to find a way to explain the situation. "I don't think they'll be coming today." She said.
"Huh? Why is that?" Honey cocked his head to the side.
"I think I made Sora-chan mad at me." She stated.
After the day has ended, Tamaki had left for the hotel meeting while the other hosts have gone home for the day. Miki was left in the clubroom with Haruhi, who was staggering to gather her things, all the while sighing repeatedly. She blinked at the brunette's uncharacteristically sloppy mannerisms.
"Haruhi, are you alright?" She asked with furrowed brows. "If something is on your mind, you could talk to me."
"I think it might be an allergic reaction." Haruhi's head sunk weakly, her brows drawing closer together.
"Huh? Why do you think that?" Miki tilted her head.
"When I see Tamaki-senpai's face, my heart starts hurting, or sometimes it starts palpitating. I feel feverish, and I can't speak clearly." She drew another deep sigh. "I suppose my body is sending me a warning signal..."
Miki watched as her underclassman begin to sulk about her 'condition.' It pained her to see Haruhi, someone she cared for, suffering like that. She wanted to do something about it, but she promised Kaoru that she wouldn't tell her anything. Her troubled hazel eyes trailed down her arm to her leather school bag that she held before her. She blinked a few times, an idea popping into her head.
Kaoru said not to 'tell' her anything. She opened her bag, pulling out the neatly tucked-away magazine between her textbook and drawing tablet and offered it to Haruhi.
"Huh...?" Haruhi sweatdropped as she took the magazine with both hands. "What do you want me to do with this?" She raised an eyebrow.
"It was a gift from Sumire-san," Miki explained. "Though I believe you may need it more than I do as of now." Closing her bag, she turned to head for the exit of the clubroom.
"W-Wait, Miki-senpai!"
"Good Luck!" Glancing over her shoulder with a wink, the strawberry blonde quickly exited the room, leaving Haruhi to stare at the magazine in confusion.
That evening, in the second Suoh mansion, Miki stood with her back against the walls of Tamaki's room. She stared blankly ahead as she listened to Tamaki read the contents from one of the service industry manuals out loud to Antoinette.
She wanted to go in. She wanted to head in to talk to him, apologize and make up. But whenever the thought came to mind, another feeling, one that wrenched at her heart and sparked a small fire of rage in her chest accompanied.
She couldn't understand what that was. It wasn't sadness, yet at the same time, it wasn't anger. However, whatever it was, it prevented her from stepping into his room and setting things straight.
She bit her lip. Pushing herself away from the wall, she paced back into her room.
The next morning, Haruhi arrived at Ouran Academy with a permanently flushed face and a medical mask over the lower half of her face as well as a weak, dazed look in her eyes. "Good Morning..." She coughed, approaching the twins.
"What? What's wrong?" Hikaru and Kaoru sweatdropped at her appearance.
"I was up till midnight reading a magazine in the kitchen, and I really caught a cold," Haruhi explained, sniffling slightly.
"Huh? A magazine?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
"Hikaru..." Kaoru nudged his brother.
"Oh!" Jolting up nervously, he whipped his head towards her as she continued to cough. "Uh... Are you okay?" He asked tentatively. "Do you want me to give you a piggyback ride to class? We could set up a bed for you in the classroom." He offered, trying to be considerate in his own way as Kaoru deadpanned at the stiffness his brother exhibited in his body language.
"Ah! Hey, Haruhi! Hikaru! Kaoru!" Suddenly, a voice sounded behind the first-year trio as Tamaki called out to them with a bright smile. Haruhi let out a loud shriek and jumped at his sudden appearance.
"Good Morning!" Miki, who was following behind waved softly.
"Haruhi, yesterday..." Immediately rushing over to the brunette, Tamaki began to speak. But he paused when he noticed the flushed face and medical mask. "Oh! What's wrong, has it gotten worse?" He panicked, taking a step forward as Haruhi stepped back.
"No!" Quickly waving her hands, Haruhi shook her head. "I was..." She averted her eyes to Miki. "I was up reading a magazine."
"A magazine?" With rounded eyes, Tamaki questioned, causing Haruhi's already reddened face to deepen in shade. Spinning on her heel, she turned to leave.
"No. No, no..." She said. "My heart is just hurting that's all! Sorry! I'm not feeling well, so I'm going ahead!"
"Haruhi!" Reaching a handout, Tamaki called out after her. "If you're not feeling well, I should take you to the hospital immediately..." He suggested. His words seemed to have halted the brunette in her tracks as she paused and spun around. Clutching her bag close to her chest, she quickly paced back towards Tamaki who was utterly confused by her actions.
"How... How was yesterday's meeting?" She muttered bashfully, pulling down her medical mask for her voice to be heard.
"Oh! It was really exciting!" Setting aside her strange behaviour, Tamaki beamed. "I could tell all the employees are proud of their work. It made me really happy. It was very inspiring!" He nodded with a satisfied grin.
Seeing him so happy, Haruhi couldn't help but find herself smiling too. "Oh... That's great to hear." She said.
"Y-Yeah..." Smitten by her gentle expression, Tamaki stuttered. "Also, Haruhi yesterday-" He leaned forward again, only to be cut off as Haruhi let out another loud shriek.
"Geh! Sorry!" Snapping back around, she began to rush off and against the current of people that made their way towards the school building. "I'm going to the nurse's office!" She announced as she squeezed her eyes closed.
"Oh! Wait, Haruhi! You should go to the hospital! I promise it's not scary!" Tamaki called out desperately, chasing after her as she weaved through the crowd, bumping into people.
"Oh, Haru-chan?" Honey called out.
"Haruhi?" Renge tilted her head.
"Fujioka?" Kazukiyo blinked.
However, through the sea of people that called out to her, one voice stood above the rest.
"Haruhi!"
Tamaki's voice.
Miki's eyes darted over to Hikaru, whose expression turned dark while Kaoru's turned worried. It seemed like they have arrived at the same conclusion.
Haruhi has finally realized that she was in love with Tamaki.
After Haruhi rushed off to presumably the nurse's office, Tamaki swiftly changed into a bear suit that resembled Kuma-chan. "Kyoya!" He cried comical tears. "Do you think this animal costume is okay? It's not scary, is it? We have to get Haruhi to the hospital."
"Yes, yes, it's fine." Kyoya sighed.
"Shall we say three hours for this one, Hikaru?" Kaoru sweatdropped as he pulled out the stopwatch. He glanced up at his twin whose entire body was twitching in anger. "Three minutes won't help." He concluded.
However, when the hosts arrived at the nurse's office to check up on Haruhi. The room was silent and empty; only the nurse herself sat at her desk as she typed away on her computer.
"Huh?" Tamaki sounded.
"Oh, Fujioka went home early." The nurse informed the group. "She went home before class started, so it's technically called an absence."
"What?!" Everyone, par Kyoya and Mori sweatdropped at her words.
"She rushed in, then ran away saying 'I've decided to go home early after all.'" She said, causing the hosts to flinch.
"Ehhhh?!" Everyone gasped.
"If you guys are so worried, why not give her cellphone a call?" The nurse then suggested, turning her chair to face them. She then raised an eyebrow, noticing how Tamaki was wearing a bear costume. "Why are you in an animal suit?" She muttered.
Immediately pulling out their phones, Tamaki and Hikaru began racing to dial Haruhi's number.
"Calling her on two lines like that would disrupt the signal," Kyoya pointed out with a small sight.
"She's not answering!" Tamaki shouted as he flailed his arms in worry, looking ridiculous with his headless Kuma-chan suit. "What should we do? What should we do?" He cried comical tears as he continued to panic.
"Let's go look for her!" Honey furrowed his brows in worry. "What if she got so sick she passed out on the street?!" He theorized, causing Tamaki's worry to double.
"Kyoya, contact the school for help on locating Haruhi! I'll be heading out to search for her!" Tamaki instructed, watching as his best friend instantly whip out his cellphone as if he had been expecting those words.
"Wait, Milord!" Hikaru called out. "Why are you the only one that gets to go? I'll come too!" He shouted.
"And me!" Honey added, waving his hand in the air.
"I can help too!" Miki jumped in, feeling partially responsible for Haruhi's state.
"No," Tamaki automatically shot those requests down. "You guys will stay here; we can't all just up and leave school at once." He reminded them.
"But what about you, Tamaki-kun?" Miki was quick to protest, speaking almost instinctively. "You have a meeting to attend after school, and currently you're at a very crucial stage in your career as the Suoh heir. If you just cut class like this..." Her voice trailed off as she realized this was perhaps the longest conversation they had in the week since she's been back from France.
Tamaki blinked a few times in confusion before breaking into a chuckle. Reaching forward, he gently ruffled up Miki's fluffy hair. "Even though you were avoiding me, you still paid so much attention to my schedule." He grinned endearingly. "Don't worry. I'll head to the meeting after I find her. If I mobilize the Suoh Cooperation's power, I'll find her in no time." He reassured. "So don't worry and go back to class, alright?"
Seeing such a kind expression in her brother's eyes, Miki could do nothing but nod.
"Good girl," Tamaki smiled.
And so, with Tamaki rushing off to search for Haruhi. The rest of the hosts returned to their respective classrooms to prepare for class. Though Hikaru took a little convincing, he still begrudgingly stomped back to class 1-A with his brother trailing behind, trying to calm him down.
On the second-floor hallway, Kyoya and Miki walked side-by-side through the mostly empty corridor as everyone was already in class preparing for their first lessons.
Kyoya watched as she kept her gaze glued to the pale pink tiled ground, heaving another sigh. "How long do you plan on avoiding that idiot brother of yours?" Kyoya inquired as cast the strawberry blonde a side glance.
Miki jolted at his question. Her shoulders jumped up slightly as she lowered her head. "I-I don't know." She admitted bashfully.
With half-lidded eyes, Kyoya breathed out a sigh. "Not that I care but, I recommend you put some effort into it soon." He said as he began to click a few things on his phone. "He's been sending me obnoxious text messages every night since the school trip." He turned his phone screen to show her one of the mountains of messages he has received from the blond.
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From: Suoh Tamaki
To: Me
Kyoya (┳Д┳) M1k1 avOIDed m3 @ dinA agin! (☍﹏⁰)｡ Wat 1f 7e h8s me 4eva?!
Help me (ToT)//
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"Every night?" Miki sweatdropped at her brother's... peculiar way of texting, though part of her heart began to feel warm and fuzzy from knowing how much he cared about her.
"Every night." Kyoya affirmed, exiting the message and quickly pressing the 'delete all' button on the menu.
"I don't know..." Miki repeated, clutching at the skirt of her uniform. "I want to talk to him and work things out. But whenever I try, I get this feeling in my chest." She pressed her lips into a line as her steps came to a halt. Kyoya glanced over his shoulder, watching as her brows drew closer. "I feel, angry and sad... But the anger is different from what I felt towards Kuze-senpai and the sadness it feels... Different." She muttered just loud enough for the two of them to hear. "Why is that, Kyoya-kun?" She locked eyes with him, asking her question with a small head tilt.
Studying her through his the rim of his glasses, Kyoya hummed. "That's most likely disappointment you feel." He concluded, shifting his weight to face her completely.
"Disappointment...?" Miki blinked.
"Well, aren't you disappointed in Tamaki?" Kyoya elaborated as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You are disappointed that he didn't trust you enough to reveal his plans of skipping out on the school trip. However," He narrowed his eyes. "More than that, you are disappointed in yourself. Disappointed that you couldn't be the one he confided in on how he felt when he decided not to go on that trip." Then, the corner of his lips tugged into a smirk as he leaned forward, bringing his face closer to hers. "Am I wrong?" He asked smugly.
Slowly, Miki's grip loosened on her skirt as she brought her hands to her chest, searching deep within herself. "You're right, Kyoya-kun." She admitted, huffing out a wry smile. "I am disappointed, both in myself and Tamaki." Glancing back up, she nodded. "Thank you; I'll talk to him tonight." She beamed.
Seeing as things were resolved on that end, Kyoya moved back as his smirk dropped. "Another thing," He moved on to tackle the next issue. "I heard about what happened from Kazehara-san." He informed.
"From Sumire-san?" Miki cocked her head to the side. "What about it?" She asked.
"First of all, I would like to remind you to refrain from getting into arguments such as these with our regulars next time." He closed his eyes, pronouncing his words clearly. "It is bad for business."
"Sorry..."
"Secondly," Heaving a sigh, Kyoya readjusted his glasses. "This is why I said that nickname doesn't suit you." He opened and averted his eyes, muttering to no one in particular.
"Huh?" Miki pursued, her expression turning slightly blank.
"Aphrodite," Kyoya's brownish-green eyes met her hazel ones as he spoke. "The Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. It's a little rich to give such a nickname to someone who doesn't even understand the feeling of love, isn't it?" He questioned, watching as Miki bit her bottom lip. "You still don't understand why you angered Yotsuboshi-san, do you?" He stated more than asked.
Miki shook her head gently.
Drawing a breath, Kyoya averted his eyes out of the large windows that allowed light into the corridors of Ouran Academy. "Perhaps asking someone who has already confessed their love to someone will provide valuable insight." He suggested. "Do you know anyone who fits that criteria?" He asked.
Humming, Miki tapped her chin as she searched within her mind. Though it didn't take long before a particular person's face flashed into her mind as she lifted a finger. "Ah! I know who we could ask." She announced.
"So, you came to me for advice?" In Classroom 1-A, Kaoru sat with his elbow propped up on his desk. Part of him was glad that Hikaru decided to go out and search for Haruhi during the break, the notion of his two upperclassmen specifically visiting his classroom to ask him such an absurd question made his eyebrow twitch.
Miki nodded curtly, holding her hands in fists before her.
Kaoru sighed as he ruffled his hair, trying to word himself correctly. "First of all, Miki-senpai." He began. "Do you know how difficult it is to say 'I love you' to someone?" He asked in an oddly serious manner.
Tilting her head to the side, Miki blinked a few times. "Is it?" She questioned, looking a little confused. Her eyes flickered up to the ceiling as she began tapping at her chin thoughtfully. "But I told you that I loved you the other day, it really wasn't that difficult." She pointed out.
Kyoya's eye twitched.
"Well..." Before he could finish his sentence, Kaoru shivered as he felt a chill shoot down his spine as intense goosebumps began to form all over his body. He flinched, staring up hesitantly at the grim atmosphere that emitted from Kyoya. "I-It was purely platonic!" He directed his attention to the cross-armed demon lord, waving his hands in a panic. "Miki-senpai just meant that she loved me like a friend, right?" He rushed to justify, feeling threatened by Kyoya's demonic pressure that filled the room.
"Yeah, of course," Miki affirmed, straightening herself as she glanced over her shoulder at the glasses boy. "Why? What's the matter, Kyoya-kun?" She asked, clueless to how Kaoru was internally choking from how terrifying that display was.
"It's nothing," Kyoya averted his eyes as the room's atmosphere returned to normal. "Continue."
"If you'd like me to tell you that I love you, I could-"
"Continue."
After making a mental note to never step into that territory again, Kaoru continued as instructed. "It's pretty different, Miki-senpai." He relaxed in his seat, still trying to wipe away the cold sweat that chilled his body. "I meant in a romantic sense, the phrase 'I love you' is one of the most difficult and most courageous things a person can say. Because you are opening yourself up to be vulnerable to another person's feelings." He explained, propping his arm up on his desk again. "And in Princess Sora's case, she mustered up the courage to confess to Ichimaru-senpai. Yet got rejected in that state of vulnerability, and on top of that..." He stared up at her with a pointed gaze.
"I said such an insensitive thing to her..." Miki's eyes rounded, the realization finally striking her.
"Well, it's good that you understand now." Kaoru's lips tugged into a small smile.
"I need to apologize to her..." Miki muttered as her brows knitted closer together. "I need to apologize to her now! Thank you so much, Kaoru, Kyoya-kun. I'll go looking for Sora-chan now!" She quickly bowed before turning on the ball of her foot, taking off towards the exit of the classroom and past a few incoming students, disappearing through the doorway.
"And there she goes," Huffing out a small sigh, Kaoru laughed awkwardly, feeling extremely drained of energy from that simple conversation. He peered up at Kyoya who kept his gaze glued towards the direction where she left, a small smirk present on his lips. "You really like watching her, Kyoya-senpai." He commented, leaning back in his chair as he rested his hands behind his head. "Why are you so intrigued by her anyways?"
Kyoya glanced down at Kaoru's nonchalant expression, pausing for a moment. He then returned his eye line to the door where Miki ran out of, smirk deepening. "I find her fascinating," He revealed, causing the ginger to raise an eyebrow. "As a person who was imprisoned for most of her life, as annoying as it can be, it's almost thrilling to watch her struggle, make mistakes and move forward like an ordinary human being." His eyes narrowed as a challenged glisten sparked within his eyes. "It's truly never boring around her." He stated.
"Sora-chan!" Sliding open the door to Class 2-A, Miki cried as the few students who remained in the room turned to look at her, one of which was the brunette she was looking for. Sora sat in her spot, staring up awkwardly at the strawberry blonde who rushed in hastily.
"Miki...chan?" She muttered.
Once she got to her desk, Miki swiftly lowered her head to a deep bow as she squeezed her eyes closed. "Sora-chan, I'm so sorry!" She apologized sincerely.
"Eh?"
"I said some pretty insensitive things to you despite you already hurting from before," Miki explained, not showing signs that she'd lift her head at all. "I'm terribly sorry, would you please forgive me for my inconsiderate words?" She requested.
A little overwhelmed by Miki's genuine apology, Sora quickly waved her hands as she got up from her seat. "I-It's okay, really!" She stammered. "I believe I need to apologize too."
"Huh? Why are you apologizing?" Finally raising her head, Miki blinked curiously.
Smiling wryly, the brunette gingerly took Miki's thin hands in hers. "Despite knowing your troubles with understanding love, I still pestered you for advice. And when I didn't hear the response I wanted, I even went ahead and got angry with you." She explained with a slightly regretful expression on her face before lowering her head slightly. "I'm sorry, Miki-chan." She said before glancing up, meeting Miki's blank and curious stare. It didn't take long before the two girls burst into a fit of giggles, as the purpose of their little fight seemed so absurd and far away at that point.
"I guess we both were in the wrong, weren't we?" Sora stated as she wheezed to calm down from her laughter.
"Yes, I guess we were." Miki nodded in agreement, tittering into her hands.
"But there was one thing you were correct about," Wiping a few tears that formed at the corner of her eyes, Sora grinned. "I love Kotaro-kun. Therefore I shouldn't just give up that easily." She winked, seemingly rekindled the previous ever-so-present confidence that she held. "That's right," Her eyes suddenly widened as she clapped her hands together. "You wanted to learn a little more about love, right? Come on; sit down." She gestured the chair in front of her desk as she eagerly sat back down.
"Ah, about that..." Miki averted her eyes to the side as she fixed the chair to face Sora before taking a seat. "I have someone who, I don't know how I feel towards them..." She described a little reluctantly. "But when I read that romance magazine Sumire-san gave me; I could only find myself matching up with only a few symptoms." She explained, seeming slightly troubled.
"Seriously, she gave you one of those 'Romance Bible' magazines..." Hearing the unnecessary actions of her best friend, Sora facepalmed. Quickly, she readjusted her posture as she crossed her legs and leaned forward. "Listen to me, Miki-chan. Those things are just guidelines, a general rule of thumb that not everyone follows. Love is one of the most complicated and misunderstood subjects ever, and symptoms of it are often different for everyone." She informed, lifting an all-knowing finger. "For example," She hummed thoughtfully. "I usually end up saying things I don't actually mean when I'm around Kotaro-kun."
"Why?" Miki cocked her head to the side.
"Love is a powerful force that can turn even the most intelligent people into idiots," Sora stated, resting her elbow on her desk as she leaned her cheek against her palm. "It's that simple." She smiled.
Hearing those words, Miki's eyes flickered down to Sora's desk as she processed her friend's words. "I see." She murmured after some contemplation.
Nodding proudly, Sora broke into a grin once again. "If you have any troubles with understanding love in the future, feel free to ask me." She said. "I'll answer you to the best of my extent."
Standing up from the seat across from the brunette, Miki flipped the chair back around. "I will." She nodded. "Thank you, Sora-chan. And, good luck with Kotaro-san." Tilting her head to the side, she beamed brightly.
"You too, Miki-chan!" Sora winked, giving the strawberry blonde a thumbs up.
That evening, in the second Suoh mansion, Miki once again stood with her back against the walls of Tamaki's room. She could hear the faint sound of typing coming from his laptop as he was worked on the club management aspect once again. Holding her drawing tablet close to her chest, she took a deep breath before stepping out of the shadows and into the light that beamed out of her brother's room. Gently, she reached up to knock on his already open door, announcing her presence.
"Miki!" A broad smile quickly spread across the blond's face as he spotted his sister dressed in one of her usual chiffon dresses at the doorway of his room. Jumping to his feet, he welcomes her. "Did you come to hang out again? I'm just working on some budgeting with Kyoya, right now. But you could-"
"Tamaki-kun," Miki blinked as quickly interrupted him mid-sentence. "How is Haruhi?" She asked.
Sapphire-coloured eyes rounding slightly, Tamaki chuckled wryly as he recalled those events during the day. "We managed to find her at the park with some help from Kosaka-san," He explained. "After bringing her to the hospital, I brought her home with the help of her friend, Mei."
"Kosaka-san?" Miki raised an eyebrow, quickly searching through her memory for a face to match that name with no avail.
"She's a lawyer at the company," Tamaki elaborated, pacing over to his bed and plopping down with a relieved sigh. "According to her story, she's from the same university as Haruhi's mother." He chuckled.
"I see," Miki hummed as her eyes darted to the side, unmoving from her spot at the doorway. There was a brief moment of silence between the two before she spoke again. "Tamaki-kun," She called out. "Are you lonely?" She asked.
"Huh?" Turning his head slightly, the blond sounded as he continued to lay on his bed.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were planning to stay home from the school trip?" Pursing her lips, Miki continued as her eyes turned dull. "Can you not confide in such things with me? Am I not trustworthy enough for you? Do you-"
"Miki," This time, Tamaki cut his sister's sentence off as he slowly sat up. With a tender smile, he patted the space next to him, gesturing for her to sit down. He watched with a soft gaze as the girl obediently approached and took a seat next to him, resting her beloved tablet on her lap. Shifting his body slightly, he turned to face her. "The reason why I didn't tell you had nothing to do with whether you were trustworthy or not, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry about me and my situation while you were off in France. That was your first time stepping out somewhere outside of Japan or Spain, and I wanted you to enjoy it. Do you understand?" He reasoned.
Brows knitting closer, Miki shook her head. "I don't understand," She replied bluntly, causing Tamaki's eyes to widen. "Tamaki-kun, are you lonely? Do you truly see me as family?"
"Of course I do, where is this coming from?" Tamaki quickly reassured.
"When we were looking for Tanuki-san, Haruhi mentioned that you might be lonely." Averting her eyes, Miki explained. Then, she instinctively reached out to grab the blond by his shoulders, allowing her tablet to slip down her lap and drop onto the carpeted flooring with a small 'thump.'
"Ah, Miki! Your tablet."
However, Miki didn't mind. Her narrowed eyes were instead shifting focus between her brother's two ocean-coloured eyes, feeling a mixture of bubbling anger and sadness boiling in her chest. "Tamaki-kun, listen to me," She shook him gently. "From now on, do not hide anything from me. No matter if it's good or bad, the best or the worst, you have to tell me, and we'll shoulder it together!" As she continued to speak, her voice only grew louder as she was borderline shouting from the bottled-up passion on the subject. "Because... Because I'm your family, and it is my job to worry about you, whether you like it or not." She stated.
Hearing such a declaration, Tamaki flinched as he slowly processed Miki's words. Then with an endearing smile, he pressed his hand to the back of her head as he pulled her in for a gentle hug. "It seems like I made you even more worried by keeping things from you, huh? Alright, I promise from now on I'll tell you everything without holding back." Miki nodded slowly, wrapping her arm around his in a side hug. He chuckled softly at her actions, stroking her fluffy hair with his free hand. "And, to answer your question, I'm actually not quite sure myself. I may have been for a while, but now..." He peered down in his arms with a wide grin as Miki gazed up. "I have everyone from the host club, and you, my adorable little sister, with me. There is no way I'd be lonely."
Miki's eyes rounded as she processed his words. She bit her bottom lip, suddenly remembering her encounter with Anne-Sophie. However, in the face of Tamaki's sincerity and comforting aura, she broke into a radiant beam. Nodding her head curtly, she snuggled further into her brother's embrace. "Tamaki-kun. I love you."
Taken aback by her sudden declaration, Tamaki blinked a few times before breaking into a laugh. "I love you too, Miki."