Chapter 47: And so Kyoya Met Him!

"Welcome to the Host Club, ladies!"

Jin chuckled in amusement as the club's guests went from excited to confused in the space of a second. They slowly filtered into the room, looking around at the short, blanket covered tables that dotted the floor.

It's like they've never seen kotatsu tables before…

"Indeed my darlings, these are kotatsu. They're typically only used in the winter, but with the recent chilly weather we've been having, I decided now would be the perfect time to show you the wonders of a homestyle kotatsu service!"

Jin felt her boyfriend chuckle softly as the girls began sitting down with their hosts, gushing over how warm they felt with the blankets over their laps. She wanted to join them, but as the club's waitress she had to remain standing for the time being, at least until everyone was settled in. And besides, if she got underneath one of them, she could almost guarantee that she'd be fast asleep in a matter of minutes.

"So, how did Tamaki come up with this one?"

"I have a feeling he's had this idea for a while now." Kyoya got a funny look on his face, like he was having a small flashback and wasn't sure whether it amused him or not.

"What?" She cast a glance around the room before leaning closer, " Did you think he'd throw a party instead to celebrate your birthday? Are you feeling ignored, Glasses? "

"Not at all." Kyoya smirked and tugged the girl to his side, making up for their lack of contact from the craziness two days ago, "Tamaki is well aware I don't prefer large celebrations, due to an unfortunate incident last year. Besides, this works perfectly well as a silent nod to my birthday. And inside joke, you may call it."

Jin raised an eyebrow.

"I never told you how I met him, did I?"

"No. Please don't tell me it's because he wanted to use your kotatsu table."

"Very well, I won't tell you."

The brunette's mouth fell open, "You're kidding."

"Only partially. I suppose a majority of it was because I made it so difficult for him to be my friend, but the kotatsu table definitely had something to do with it." The two looked over at Tamaki, who was chatting amicably with four girls sitting on the far end of the room. As they watched, Haruhi wandered closer.

She looked between the blond and the ravenet a few times, "You know… I never would've imagined you and Tamaki-senpai would be the close friends that you are. You don't seem to have much in common."

"The same could be said for you and your sister."

"That's different, we didn't have a choice when it came to hanging out together."

"Ouch, Haru."

Kyoya smirked at the sister's banter but made no move to interrupt them. He was content with simply holding his girlfriend casually as she spoke with her sister. It would seem as though after 48 hours of Jin not speaking to him just made him all the more desperate to be close to her. Jin certainly wasn't complaining, and the rest of the school had let out a breath of relief when the two were once again noticeably a couple.

That went for the rest of the host club as well. Even Haruhi had been concerned for them during their argument, which had surprised the glasses-wearing boy at first, but then she explained. Jin and Beni had once gotten into an argument when they were still in middle school. Jin had been crying all night afterwards, worried she had just lost her only friend at school. It made Haruhi a little… more sensitive to arguments between her sister and the people she was close too.

A group that Kyoya was now a part of.

The shorter brunette waved her hands in front of her face, "Okay, anyways, back to my original topic. What I was getting at was that Hikaru and Kaoru told me that both you and Tamaki-senpai started this club a few years ago."

Kyoya nodded, "That is correct."

"Right, but here's where I'm fuzzy. How could someone like you get mixed up in an idea like this? "

The boy blinked, his smile disappearing for a split second. Then he looked back across the room. Tamaki was still talking, unaware of the three sets of eyes watching him.

"Because of him."

* Two Years Ago *

"Kyoya Ootori! Kyoya! Wait up!"

"Hm?" The 3rd year middle schooler turned around at the sound of his name.

It was another student. He wasn't from Kyoya's class, in fact he was a whole year younger than the ravenet. The shorter boy grinned widely when he noticed Kyoya had actually stopped for him.

"Hey, what's up?" Without waiting for Kyoya to respond, he continued, "My Dad told me he went to the completion commemoration for you family's new hospital yesterday! He was totally surprised! He said it was like a 'who's who' of the top people in every field! He asked me to be sure to tell you thank you on his behalf for inviting him!"

The boy smiled, pleased with himself.

This is the son of the CEO of a major electronics company.

"It's no big deal. I hope you'll be able to attend the next one with your father."

Kyoya's pleasant smile existed until the other boy nodded and walked away. Then it was gone, replaced by absolutely no emotion at all.

He continued walking to class.

"Hey, Kyoya!" Of course, as soon as he entered the classroom, two of his own classmates stopped him right at the doorway. "We just heard you're at the head of the class again!"

This is the son of a major department store family.

"And you're gonna be class representative again! For the third year in a row… I can't even imagine what that would be like."

And this is the youngest son of a well known D.I.A. member.

Across from the room, he saw three female students staring at him and giggling among themselves.

And those are some frivolous minded girls.

"Hey, Ootori?" Yet another student had approached him, standing in front of the desk Kyoya had just sat down in, "How would you like to come visit my family's villa in the mountains?"

This one's the son of a prestigious bond's manager.

The boy looked around the rest of the room, "You guys are all invited, too! It's really beautiful up there, and the stargazing is amazing! We even had a small observatory built just so you could see them better! But my father likes to use the villa for vacations… so we might see him there."

As the rest of the class began talking about the stargazing, Kyoya smiled politely right on through, his mind working at a hundred miles an hour. I couldn't care less about stargazing, but I'm very interested in meeting your father.

"That sounds like a great idea."

* Present Day *

"Woah."

The ravenet raised an eyebrow at Jin's surprised look, "I take it you weren't expecting that?"

"Not really… I mean, I knew you were a little devious, but jeez Kyo-kun, didn't you have any actual friends?"

Her boyfriend blinked at the question, then smirked and squeezed her a little tighter, "I think you and my sister would've gotten along quite well."

* Two Years Ago *

"Really, Kyoya? You're going to impose on his vacation home just to meet his father? Has it ever occurred to you that this boy might actually just want to be your friend?" Fuyumi, Kyoya's older and only sister chastised him from across the room. One of his previously folded shirts was in her hands as she attempted to learn how to fold shirts on her own. She was to be married soon and wanted to learn, but their family's maids were too afraid of being found out by the head of the household, so they simply gave her a small diagram to follow and left it at that.

If only she was improving at all.

"It's not imposing if he invited me. It's simply a give and take situation, Sis."

"Why must you be so manipulative? I thought the offer sounded really sweet of him to make! Like a class field trip!"

Kyoya's pencil stilled in the middle of writing out another equation. His sister had stopped talking, but now there was the sound of fabrics being squished together. He sighed.

"Fuyumi, please stop it! I've asked you a million times to stop rummaging through my drawers like that! The maids clean and iron my shirts properly and whenever you try practicing your laundry folding they end up wrinkled!"

The girl paused and shot her brother a pouty look, "Well how do you expect me to get better if I don't practice? You're the only brother who will let me into your room, Kyoya, so if I want to know how to fold my future husband's clothes your shirts are going to have to do!"

"Why not just let your maids handle it?"

"I can't just depend on them all the time! Besides," she grunted as she shoved at the clothes harder, "how… incompetent… would I… seem… if… I can't… fold… shirts!" The contents of the drawer suddenly exploded out, making a huge mess all over the floor.

Kyoya shifted, ready to get up and check that his sister hadn't accidentally hurt herself, but she merely sighed, "Listen, Kyo-kyo." He stilled. She hadn't called him that nickname in years. "I know that father's… strict. And he puts a lot of pressure on you. More than I think is fair. But you're…" she looked at him from over her shoulder, in that special deeper look she saved only for him, like she could read his every intention just with one glance, "different from our older brothers. We both are."

She let out a humorless chuckle, "He doesn't expect so much from us, which means we can relax sometimes. Take it easy."

You're wrong. He expects more out of you than me. I'm the youngest of three boys… and the youngest of four children. Everything I could possible do has already been done.

Outloud, Kyoya only turned back to his assignment, "I know. I'll never be the successor to the Ootori family. I don't have the same life as our brothers, they just had to follow the path promised to them by birth. Don't you see… it's because I'm the third son that I can't relax. I have to surpass Father's expectations of me, and yet respect my brothers and never step on their toes in the process. How can I…"

"Kyoya…"

He dropped his pencil on top of his journal, sitting backwards with his hands in his lap, "How can I properly demonstrate my abilities… the ones Father refuses to acknowledge, with the limits of being the third son? I have a daunting task: To paint the perfect picture hung up in an already perfect frame."

For a moment, no words were said. Then he heard some fabric shifting until Fuyumi was seated beside him. A delicate hand was placed on his shoulder, warm and grounding, "You're so bright, Kyo-kyo. Everything you do… you do exceptionally well. But tell me… if you keep this up, will you ever be happy?"

"Exactly where does my happiness fall in this equation? I don't think it matters at all, to be honest."

There was another moment of silence as the Fujioka girls tried to swallow what had just been shared. Jin was watching Kyoya's face for any emotion he might share. He had to admit, even for him it was oddly painful to talk about his past. He'd been in a very difficult position, especially compared to where he stood now.

"You know, I think I'd like your sister."

"I'm sure she'll like you, too." And she would. Most definitely. Kyoya could already see Fuyumi gushing over Jin and her perfectness, the two girls going on about not taking the easy ways out of a situation or perhaps just talking about cute puppies. And then his sister would smile at him, proud that he'd found it...

"Anyways… at that point my oldest brother had already graduated college and my second oldest was getting close to finishing up medical school with an MBA. He would be supporting our eldest brother while he trained to follow my father's footsteps in running the company. As for me..."

* Two Years Ago *

"Kyoya."

The youngest son swallowed lightly. It wasn't often his father spoke to him at breakfast. In fact, it was rare that any words were spoken at any family meal that were not between his brothers and his father about the business.

"Today is the day that Suoh-san's son is going to be transferring into your class, correct? We've done business with the Suoh Group for many years and we have a wonderful relationship with them, but competition is still a possibility. So I've been thinking… your befriending this Suoh would be in our family's best interest. But whatever you do to achieve this, don't forget Kyoya: Always keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

"Yes, sir, I remember."

"Staying at the head of the class isn't enough. Both of your brothers did the same when they were in school. I'm sure you're aware that it'll take more than that to satisfy me…"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm counting on you."

"Yes, sir. I know that."

He tore off a piece of bread and chewed it, already making a game plan for 'befriending' the newest student in his class. A plan he began only a few minutes after he arrived at school half an hour later.

"Hmm… Tamaki Suoh." Kyoya readjusted his glasses. It had been relatively easy pulling the boy's file up on his laptop. There was even a photo attachment. One of a blond-haired purple-eyed boy, clearly for his student ID as he was in Ouran Academy's middle school uniform against a light blue background.

Grey eyes skimmed the different files and tabs opened before him, picking up as much information as he could before he greeted the boy. Being class rep had its perks. Conceived while his father was overseas in France… The Chairman took him in since he had no other heir… and was recently divorced… And so the love child of the chairman becomes the heir to the Suoh Group overnight.

"Class representative, vice representative, you are needed in the Dean's office."

With a sharp snap, Kyoya shut his laptop and tucked it away, standing from his desk to follow Ayame Jounouchi out of the classroom. Well, isn't he a lucky fellow?

Soon enough, the two middle schoolers were being welcomed into the office.

"Allow me to introduce you to our newest student, Tamaki Suoh."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." The boy gave his brand new classmates a smile that looked made of sunlight. It even surprised Kyoya for a moment, having only seen the bland expression from his student ID before.

Even so, Kyoya responded with his own smile and went to offer a hand as the Dean introduced him and Ayame. Except-

"You have the most beautiful straight hair I've ever seen…" The blond had taken Ayame's hands in his, leaning in close to deliver the compliment, "I would assume that your heart is just as blindingly beautiful as that hair of yours."

Kyoya's vice representative actually gasped out loud as her cheeks flushed.

Maybe it's a cultural difference? Even so, he'd better not try something like that on me. If there's one thing I'm sure of, I'm not letting him kiss my cheeks, Suoh Group be damned.

Thank goodness, Tamaki only offered a hand to shake, "Nice to meet you, Ootori."

"The pleasure is all mine. You know, if you'd like I'd be willing to give you a tour around the school."

The blond smiled again as Kyoya took his hand, "I'd appreciate that very much! Thank you!" And just like that… Kyoya had unknowingly just fallen into Tamaki's plan.

* Present Day *

"Wait a moment… I thought Tamaki-senpai just fell into your plan? The one where you became friends with him for your own benefit."

Kyoya frowned, "I think you're forgetting one tiny detail, Haruhi." The three looked over at the blond boy, who was now sitting at a different kotatsu table with his own guests, "That idiot is much smarter than many of us give him credit for."

Once again, Haruhi looked confused, "He is?"

"Take what he did just minutes after we met."

* Two Years Ago *

"Just up ahead is the West school building. All of our special classrooms are on the other side of it, such as for advanced pottery and theater."

"Ah." Tamaki nodded in understanding, then hesitated, "Wait, hold on, I almost forgot to ask. Ootori? Do you have a kotatsu at your house?"

Kyoya blinked, not sure how to answer such a… random question. Up until this point, the blond had been pretty reserved, going along with the tour as one should. And, of all things, why a kotatsu?

"Well-"

"Oh, surely you do! I think the idea of a kotatsu is wonderful! I've always thought it was cool that the Japanese sit on the floor!" Tamaki continued to babble nonsense, his body twisting and performing in such a way… either he had just become possessed by a demon or he had ants crawling around beneath his uniform.

Kyoya watched in disbelief. Ah, so he's one of those types. A foreigner who's enamored with Japanese culture. What was the name of those again… Weeboos? Wee bo s? How did you pronounce it again?

"Unfortunately, we don't have any kotatsu either. But we do have traditional Japanese decor, though."

"WAAAHHHHHH!"

"AAAHHHH!"

Tamaki's sudden scream of horror had been so unexpected and bloodcurdling Kyoya had no choice but to shout himself. His right hand came up to clutch at his school uniform, right above where he could've sworn his heart had stopped beating. What just happened? Did I step on a landmine or something?

"I can't believe it… you don't have a kotatsu? I'm sorry , Ootori." Tamaki had his hand outstretched above his bent head, like he was pressing it against a wall… that was at least 10 feet in front of him, "It was insensitive of me to bring it up. I guess your family isn't as close as they could be, huh?"

Once again, Kyoya felt like his heart had stopped. Exactly how had he figured that out by asking me about kotatsu?! What's his game? Two strong hands latched themselves onto his shoulders, bringing him back out into the real world. Tamaki's face was far too close to his, and looked to be caught in between teary-eyed and serious.

"Don't worry, Ootori, you don't have to hide it anymore. I'm well aware that the kotatsu is a symbol for a happy home life in Japan. Correct me if I'm wrong, but here in Japan you playfully kick each other's feet under the kotatsu while building familial bonds of trust watching costume grand prix, right? And, of course, you also eat plenty of mandarin oranges!" Tamaki was stuck in his happy delusion for another second before give Kyoya another sad look, "I feel sorry for you… you and your family are missing out."

It took a lot of Kyoya's patience to not try physically shaking some sense into the boy, replying only in a pleasant tone, "I hate to correct you, but you've got the wrong idea. If it's that important to you, we could put a kotatsu in our home for you to visit."

Tamaki gasped, his entire body going lax. Then he exploded, jumping at least five feet into the air, "THANK YOU, OOTORI!" His next jump launched himself onto Kyoya, his legs binding the ravenet's arms and hands to his side while Tamaki rubbed their cheeks together.

"Yay! You're such a good friend -you're my best friend! Hey, Ootori, I don't want to be too forward or anything, but since we're pals do you think it's okay for me to call you by your first name?"

No, please God no.

Before he could get a word in, Tamaki had shoved him away to start skipping around the hallway, still cheering phrases like 'Mon ami' and 'Kyoya', leaving his new 'best friend' to only watch in horror.

Of course, once he got home that night and shared his story with the only sibling he liked, he got a very different reaction.

"My, my, Kyoya. You became his best friend in one day? "

"I doubt he really knows what it means to be 'best friends', to be honest. I have a feeling he throws around phrases like that all the time with whoever he meets. He probably has a whole school of 'best friends' back where he's from-" he let out an exasperated sigh, "Sis, how many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my drawers?"

He watched as Fuyumi struggled for a bit, unable to deny it was sort of funny to see her try so hard and get that little pout when it didn't go her way. Of course, once he faced his homework again, the rest of his day played out in his mind.

Today he caught me off guard and play everything at his pace. Just as well, though. He's already showed me his play. Tomorrow, mine will be a complete surprise. And at least I now know he's a complete idiot.

"Kyo-kyo, you have got too many things crammed in here! Once you pull something out there's no way to get it back in!"

"Funny, they fit just fine before you tried your hand at it. Are you sure you're not just storing your own clothes in there and blaming mine? If that's not the case, then just don't pull anything out in the first place."

Fuyumi pulled back a little, then smiled slightly, "For the price of a single joke from you, Kyo-kyo, I'll stop for the night."

A joke?

Kyoya sat up a little straighter, staring at his homework uncomprehendingly as his sister bade him goodnight. Since when do I make jokes?

* The Next Day *

"Kyoya, I need to ask a favor of you."

A favor? Well, at least he'll owe me in the future… even if he insists on calling me 'Kyoya'. This may be a-

"You see, I really want to go to Kyoto. I got so excited about the kotatsu and our discussion yesterday that I forgot to mention it! I always said that once I got to Japan I would go to Kyoto!" As the boy began listing the different tourist destinations he wanted to see in Kyoto, despite none of them being anywhere near the town, Kyoya found himself speechless.

Wasn't this playing out exactly like it had yesterday? How was this idiot doing it?

"I want to see it all~ "

"One problem, none of those things are in Kyoto."

And again, Tamaki flipped out. At least today Kyoya wasn't as caught off guard by the scream. If only because he now knew how big of an idiot the blond really was. Even so, he still had to remain as the guy's 'friend'.

"How about we see each of those things one at a time? For example, we could go to Kyoto this weekend, and then for our next school holiday we could go to Okinawa, and so on and so forth."

Big, watery purple eyes stared up at him for a solid five seconds before Tamaki's next mood swing. Jumping all over Kyoya just. Like. Yesterday. Growling lowly at the screaming in his ear, Kyoya repressed the urge to shove the boy off like he so desperately wanted to. Thankfully he was released quickly. But he was also shoved to the ground just like the last time this had gone down.

Again with the Mon Ami shtick. It's only the second day I've known him and I'm already a god in his eyes.

For some reason I just can't seem to get my head around this guy. Before I knew it, he had completely won over our class, and yet he's a complete idiot when it's just the two of us. How come no one else can see that side of him?

"My, my, Kyo-kyo. All these travel guides! Hokkaido? How wonderful! But you know, if you need a guide you can ask the family driver-"

" But that's not good enough, apparently. Not for this Tamaki Suoh guy. "

Fuyumi paused, surprised at the clipped tone in her brother's voice. She stifled a squeak when the pen in Kyoya's fingers broke into a thousand pieces.

"When we went to Kyoto, he wanted to see the Dimonshi bonfire. Even though it's still springtime. And as we were eating Okinawa Soba noodles, he tells me he wants to compare them to Shinshu Soba noodles. Then he went on about whether a Shi-sha or a Namahage would win in a fight. And then, after all that! "

I'm sorry. I've overestimated... your ability to entertain me.

Three books suddenly slammed on to Kyoya's table, knocking his homework aside, "But this time I'm going to make sure I'm ready for anything! I promise that while the two of us are in Hokkaido I will cater to your every whim, SUOH!"

"Huh? We're… going to Hokkaido?" Kyoya's smile was wide and very, very forced as he waited for Tamaki's slow, stupid brain to catch up the next day. He almost wanted to use a 'baby voice'. Yes, little Tamaki. We're going to Hokkaido. Where I will feed you and entertain you and hold your hand when we cross the street since you can't take care of your-

"I know you want to enjoy your life to the fullest, but don't you think our time would be better spent studying for finals right now? We'll go to Hokkaido when they're over, sound fair?"

He barely made it through the school day, dinner, and up to his room that night before he finally exploded.

"Kyoy-"

"THAT BASTARD! "

Fuyumi shifted a little closer to the doorframe, which she noted was slightly cracked from the force Kyoya had used to slammed his door shut. Her brother was tearing about his room, throwing books and magazines every which way. By the time he slowed down, he was breathing heavily and had destroyed a good portion of the room.

"He's a goddamn idiot… I knew that much… but I honestly had no idea he… THAT HE WAS SUCH A TOTAL DUMBASS!" Kyoya clenched his left hand into a fist, staring at it with a strange hunger, "I've never wanted to punch someone so badly in my entire life… AUGH! DAMN IT! I HATE HIM SO MUCH!"

A brief flash of his father's disappointed face lit up in Kyoya's mind and he froze. What am I doing? Father said befriend him.

Taking in a deep breath, he unclenched his fist and rubbed his eyes, "Alright, calm down. He's an idiot, but he's the idiotic heir to the Suoh Group and getting emotional isn't going to help any. Clearly this is Father just testing my ability to cope with certain situations and people I have to impress. Even so, I won't forget how that utter bastard humiliated me in front of the whole class! Damn you, Tamaki Suoh! Damn you to hell! "

The urge to hit something rekindled, and instead of fighting it like usual Kyoya dropped to his knees and started hitting the only bare spot on his couch. It was therapeutic. After all, in his mind's eye, he was punching Tamaki in the face. It felt good.

Left. "Damn-"

Right. "-you-"

Left. "-Su-"

Right. "-oh!"

* Present Day *

Kyoya finally paused in his storytelling when Jin's laughter got a little out of hand.

"AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Haruhi struggled to keep her sister standing, though the small fits of laughter she was letting out weren't helping. Jin couldn't seem to stand up on her own, her knees buckling as her laughter slowly went up another octave.

It wasn't until Haruhi gave up and dropped Jin to the floor that she took a short break to breathe, "Y-you pfft-ha! Punched your couch! HAHAHA! SWEET JESUS! TAKE THE WHEEL!"

"What?"

Even Haruhi started laughing honestly, putting one hand across her waist and her other holding up a single finger, "Hold that thought, Kyoya-senpai! Tapping out for a second!" And she stumbled away to calm herself down.

Jin wasn't even trying.

"HAHA! AHA! AHAHAAAA!"

"If I knew I was this hilarious I would've made more jokes while I was courting you."

His girlfriend merely rolled to her side, curling in on herself as a few tears of happiness leaked out. Around the room, they were gaining some attention. When the hosts raised their eyebrows, Kyoya merely shrugged and went back to staring at Jin, as if he had no idea what she was finding so funny. Even so, seeing the wide smile on her face and her cheeks reddening had his heart performing a small jumping-jack routine. Jin was so adorable, even when she wasn't trying, and Kyoya couldn't find the heart to try to stop her.

After another few seconds, she began to slow down herself, clutching at her stomach and gasping around her last couple traces of laughter, "I… I think I gave myself a six pack."

"Are you quite finished?"

Jin giggled as she looked back up at him. Kyoya tried to keep a straight face as she did so, but her smile was quite adorable. "Sorry, Kyo-kun. It's just, I've never seen you lose your cool before. It just seemed funny the way you were telling it."

"Hm." He offered a hand and pulled the brunette back onto her own two feet as her sister rejoined them, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead just because, "Now, where was I? I think it was during the weekend after finals that I saw Tamaki next…"

* Two Years Ago *

Your friend came by to visit.

Even with Fuyumi's prior warning, this was not what Kyoya had expected. There he was, Tamaki Suoh, at the grand piano in the Ootori's parlor. No one played it except for Fuyumi, and even that was an incredibly rare occurrence these days. If the thought of the Suoh's heir having the ability to play the piano had ever come across Kyoya's mind before, he most likely would've thought that the blond would only play pop song renditions or chaotic pieces.

Not a beautiful dance of notes, singing about wonder and sorrow at the same time.

The music had thrown him into complete shock. And not just because Tamaki's playing had brought his brother's to tears… but because before he knew it a single tear had trickled down his face as well.

Of course, that magic had vanished the moment he stopped playing and Kyoya had been forced to 'invite' the blond up to his room.

"Sorry for just dropping in out of the blue like this."

If you were really sorry, then you'd go home!

"Wow… your house is huge! It might even be bigger than my house back in France! I didn't think that was possible!"

What are you trying to say?!

Kyoya managed to unstick the anger from his throat enough to smile politely, "Well, I can't say anything regarding your home back in France, but your estate here in Japan is probably much bigger, am I right?" I hate you. I hate you so much.

"Hm? Oh, well I wouldn't know that either. I've never been to the family estate."

The ravenet finally turned to look at his 'guest', "What?"

"So Kyoya, are you the heir to the Ootori family estate?"

IS THIS GUY ACTUALLY TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT WITH ME? DAMN YOU, TAMAKI SUOH!

"No. No way. My brother's, the ones you met when you arrived, they're the first and second in line. The most likely scenario is that I'll end up working for them."

"Really?" Tamaki actually sounded a little taken aback, "That's a surprise. From the little time I've known you, I always got the feeling you would want more than that. I mean, it's obvious just by looking into your eyes that you're not happy with your situation, anyone could tell. But in the end… you've given up so easily. That's probably the most surprising of all."

"This has nothing to do with whether I'm giving up or not . It's just the way things are. " The blond to his left made a curious sound, but Kyoya ignored it, "Of course, I wouldn't expect you to understand, you'll be the successor to your family's estate without even having to lift a finger!"

Instantly icy cold regret washed over the ravenet. Damn it!

"There's no guarantee I'll be the heir."

… What?

"My grandmother doesn't like me. In fact, I would almost say she hates me entirely. So… I suppose you could say I'm on a bit of a probation period. But unless something changes, then I'm not going to be the heir… or anything, really. Kinda nameless. I'm not allowed to go back home to France unless I give up my ties to the Suoh family estate, and my grandmother might refuse to give me that title anyways. I think the proper phrase is 'stuck between a rock and a hard place'. Seems to fit."

The boy leaned back in his seat, oddly nonchalant for someone who just admitted he had no place in the world and his grandmother hated him, "But to be honest, I'm not entirely upset. My father's line of work hasn't really interested me, even before I actually knew who he was. After all," humorless chuckle, "I just met the man about a month or two ago for the first time. And as for his business… well, could you really see me in charge of all of that? I can't let these looks go to waste! And I'm smart too, so perhaps I should become a scientist? Or an inventor! In fact, I've already got-"

"SHUT UP, TAMAKI!"

Tea cups and sugar cubes went crashing to the floor, spilling across the carpet as the table they had been resting on was upturned. A body also hit the ground, Tamaki gasping as his 'friend' violently threw him off the couch, using the front of his shirt as leverage.

"Did you honestly expect me to believe that crap? How can you possibly give up on being your family's successor so easily? You are the only heir, there is nothing stopping you from claiming it as your own except for your own cowardice! You think we're the same, I DON'T EVEN HAVE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE CHANCE YOU DO! All you need to do is try! Take advantage of your fortunate… of the circumstances you were blessed with by birth! Damn it… YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT, HOW CAN YOU SEE RIGHT THROUGH ME? "

Everything hurt.

His hands from clutching Tamaki's shirt so tight.

His throat from all the shouting.

His eyes that were straining to hold back the tears.

And then there was that feeling that someone had just carved open his chest and removed a necessary organ, so his body was attempting to support itself without it but couldn't do anything about the newly vacant space within his core.

"Hold on… it sounds to me like you're the one not trying. If you really want to surpass your brothers, and I know that you do, then you can do it. But you've given up, because you've tricked yourself into believing you can't. You stand there, acting as though your birth is the sole reason you can't show your true colors, because you're too afraid to admit that it's really you listening to the words of others and holding yourself back because of it. The only one in this room who has given up on his dream is you, Kyoya."

Something warm slammed into Kyoya's middle, sending his mind reeling.

Oh my god.

Suddenly, Tamaki smiled and started looking around the room, "Silly me, I almost forgot to tell you why I came over in the first place! I was wondering if you had gotten that kotatsu by now. Not to nag you, but I figured it would've gotten here by now."

Idiot.

Kyoya couldn't help it. His lips twitched as the feeling of bubbles started tickling his stomach region. A few chuckles slipped through and he put his head in his hands, except he was still holding onto Tamaki's shirt. That only made the situation even more ridiculous. Asking about that damn kotatsu right after that big speech? When Kyoya had shouted and screamed everything he wanted someone to scream right back at him? Who else could take such an emotion-heavy moment and brush it off like nothing?

"Ahahaha! HAhahaha!" He dropped the fabric and leaned back, hands clutching his stomach as it clenched up. He couldn't remember a time when he had laughed like this before. It certainly hadn't been recently. It felt… good. Like Kyoya had been carrying his entire house on his shoulders his whole life and hadn't realized it until this moment, when someone forcibly pushed it off his shoulders. It was a very freeing emotion.

Through Kyoya's continued laughter, he faintly heard Tamaki speak again, "What's so funny? Wait… you're just hiding the kotatsu from me, aren't you? You're messing with me!"

Kyoya stopped laughing, shaking his head in disbelief, "It's not always about you , idiot." He smacked the blond on top of the head, which was sort of what he'd wanted to do from the beginning, "For your information, kotatsu are only used in the winter. So, if you want to sit under one you'll have to wait until then."

He stood, "So could you quit being a dumbass?"

The blond still on the floor blinked, "Oh, wow. Your face. It looks evil. Finally showing your true colors?"

Kyoya kicked him lightly before offering a hand, "Just trying it out."

* Present Day *

"Hold on," Haruhi held up her hands, arranged in a 'time out' expression, "That still doesn't explain how you got sucked into this host club idea. Even after all of that, I don't see how you could agree to that so soon."

The ravenet readjusted his glasses, "He brought up the idea about four months after that day, going on about when we should start it, and who else should be included. It seemed that the more I listened, the more ridiculous his plans became. But for some reason, I got the feeling that if I shared his world, I would experience something different than anything I'd ever experienced before."

"Huh." The shorter brunette stared off after the blond. Something flickered in her eyes before she suddenly turned to the left. And, unless Kyoya was mistaken, her cheeks were a little flushed. "I should probably go see to my guests."

Once she was gone, the boy looked down at his girlfriend who was smiling softly, "What's that look for?"

"Just thinking. About something else I haven't heard from you."

"And what would that be?"

"I've never heard you laugh before. And," she repeated her sister's motion and looked out at Tamaki, who was stroking a girl's curled hair as she turned beet red from the attention, "Has anyone else noticed that Tamaki-senpai brought in students who were unhappy with their situations? And then, as he worked on getting them to join his club, wiggled out the tightest knot holding those problems in place?"

Kyoya didn't respond, thinking it over. Sure, it had been something he'd vaguely noticed. With himself, the twins, and Honey-senpai, by extension Mori-senpai... but was it possible Tamaki had done that on purpose? Surely not. The six of them were simply the most handsome men at the school... who just happened to be in certain situations where-

He shook his head. He'd go mad if he tried to make sense of the universe in his head. Instead, he decided to turn to a safer, and much more appealing topic. He regained Jin's attention with another brief tightening of his arm still around her waist.

"Mm?"

"About what I mentioned earlier, you meeting my sister. As it is she contacted me earlier today and said she wished to visit me this evening while her husband is off in Switzerland. Would you mind coming along and meeting her after our date?"

Jin blinked, obviously surprised by the invitation, "Kyo-kun... I don't want to intrude on you spending time with your family..."

"It'll only be the three of us. My brother's and parents are… too busy to join us. And I truly believe Fuyumi would kill me if I told her I had a girlfriend then didn't introduce the two of you." The ravenet kissed the back of Jin's hand, "Though, I should probably warn you that she may very well like you so much that she'll attempt to trick us into a wedding chapel."

She laughed, "Oh, really?"

"I'm being completely serious. She'll adore you, there's no doubt in my mind. And she'll want to be related to you as soon as possible." With a teasing smirk, Kyoya leaned in a little closer, " Though I could reassure her she won't have to wait for long. "

Jin looked away, unable to stem the blush, " Idiot… I know you're just being a host right now, Glasses. Stop teasing."

He pulls her head back to face him, "I mean it."

"When did you become such a softy?"

He merely smirks and kisses her forehead. As he did so, the brunette let out a content sigh that brushed up against his shirt collar. Slowly, he pulled back by a few millimeters, tilting his face downwards at the same slow pace. Jin didn't bother with the pageantry, pushing herself onto her toes to actually meet his lips in a proper kiss before he could tease her further.

"AHHHH! SO CUTE!"

The couple jolted apart, forcibly reminded that they were not, in fact, by themselves in a private location. All around them, the host club's guests were clutching at each other and gushing over the kiss they had witnessed. More often than not, the two were 'stingy' with actual kisses while in other people's company. Unless they were partially concealed by the cloak of darkness or some other barrier, they only engaged in cheek, forehead, or back-of-the-hand kisses.

Jin was completely red and buried her face into Kyoya's chest. The boy wasn't as embarrassed, though a little upset the kiss hadn't lasted a little longer. While his girlfriend continued to hide her face, he reopened his journal and flipped through it. It would seem... that no one had requested him for the day. Or Jin. Perhaps because they thought the two needed today to themselves after the 'Thomas' incident?

Might as well use that to our advantage.

Shutting the journal once again, he ducked his head, " Neither of us will be hosting for the rest of the afternoon. It would seem as though our guests have decided to give us a day off. Would you like to begin our date a little earlier than planned? "

Jin didn't remove her face, but she did nod.

" Go get ready then. "

A few minutes later, Kyoya exited one of the dressing room spaces. He had decided to go for something simple, a rather plain black suit and tie. Though he was still trying to decide which tie to use. He could use the red one for a splash of color, but at the same time he did not know what Jin would be wearing and he wouldn't want to clash...

Tamaki burst into the room, quickly shutting the external door behind him, "Kyoya! Jin! I think you'd better hurry! The girls are anxious to see your outfits!"

From behind another yellow curtain, Jin cursed softly in German, "Almost done! Haru suggested I curl my hair... which is why I'm taking so long. Sorry, Glasses!"

"Don't be. Out of curiosity, what color is your dress?"

There's a beat of hesitation, "Red. And white."

Perfect.

Tossing the black tie back into his bag with his school uniform, the ravenet began tying the strip of fabric. Red and white? Interesting. I wonder where she's been hiding it. Unless the twins got a hold of her...

"My Mon Ami... going out on a date..." Tamaki was dabbing at the corner of his eyes with a handkerchief, "They grow up so fast..."

"One, this is not the first date I've taken Jin on, so your overreaction is completely unprecedented. Two, you have yet to go on one date yourself. Three-"

The sound of a curtain being pushed aside cut the ravenet off, and he couldn't do much but stare at his girlfriend as she emerged. She had kept on her black tights and sandals from her uniform, probably because it was so cold out and the shoes were still fancy enough for a date, but the rest of her...

"You look magnificent."

The brunette smiled, "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." She walked further out of the changing stall, her newly curled hair bouncing cutely with every step. Covering her shoulders and arms was a white sweater, the front remaining unbuttoned to show off her dress underneath. The top half was completely red, with a keyhole collar, but the skirt was an alternating red and white zig-zags pattern. Said skirt only went down to her knees, puffing out just a little to give the dress some volume, and as a whole it was simple but still utterly-

"Perfect."

Tamaki was crying slightly, "You've complimented her once already, Mon Ami."

"Once was not enough."

Jin went red again, but that didn't stop her from taking Kyoya's offered arm and walking out with him back into Music Room 3. The girls started screaming and Tamaki continued sobbing behind them, but neither of them really cared. The only thing either of them noticed other than each other was the way Haruhi was physically holding the twins back from following them. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time they had been followed while on a date -Harry Potter World had been interesting, even for the Host Club's standards- and the prospect that this time they might be left alone entirely was amazing.

Of course, once the twins realized they wouldn't be allowed to follow the two right off the bat:

"So-"

"-where are you lovebirds going?"

Kyoya merely shot a smirk over his shoulder before pulling the door shut, resulting in another scream from the girls as they started swapping theories among themselves.

Out in the hallway, Kyoya pulled out Jin's Hufflepuff scarf from behind his back, tucking it around her neck. It didn't necessarily match the rest of her outfit, but he did it anyways.

"Kyo? I thought you said I should let Haru take my things home for me?"

"I did. But considering the movie I'm taking you too, I thought you'd appreciate having your Harry Potter memorabilia with you."

The girl gasped, then grinned and grabbed her boyfriend's hand, tugging him down the hallway towards the school exit.