#(rare hikaru smile!)

[theinarticulatemagicmarkerpen]

HBD! Tora-chan! Thank you everyone for loving Alice Nine. #ToraMatsuri2023

From Shou's Twitter. Tora's birthday event was joined by his gaming buddies (I believe they go by "Team Rokken") and some bandmen friends from fellow VKei bands past and present! This includes - Issei (Vocalist of Buglug) - Hikaru (Vocalist of Kameleo) - Gou (ex.Guitarist of the now-disbanded Megamasso) - Yuichi (ex. guitarist of now-disbanded Aube; if you know Belle, the bassist Akiya was from Aube too!)

[lev1hei1chou]

Gossip Girl

Gojo x reader Genre: Fluff Synopsis: Gojo judges people at a party Masterlist

"Do you think he actually believes that comb-over is fooling anyone?" Gojo whispered, leaning down to your ear, his breath tickling your neck.

You giggled, trying to stifle the sound with your hand. "I know, right? It's like the hair is trying to escape his head."

Gojo snorted, straightening up and taking a sip of his drink. "And look at her over there," he continued, nodding towards a woman in a neon pink dress that hugged her in all the wrong places. "I swear, Barbie called and she wants her dress back."

You nearly choked on your drink, doubling over in laughter. "Stop it! You're going to get us caught," you managed between breaths, wiping away tears of mirth.

Gojo grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Hey, we're just here to observe the high society in its natural habitat. Think of it as research."

"Research, huh?" you replied, raising an eyebrow. "And what exactly are we researching?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment, then flashed you a brilliant smile. "The limits of human taste and the fascinating ways people choose to ignore them."

You nudged him playfully. "You're terrible, you know that?"

"I try," he said with a wink. "But seriously, look at that guy over there. Is he wearing socks with sandals?"

You turned to see a middle-aged man obliviously chatting away, indeed sporting the offensive footwear combination. "Oh my god," you whispered. "I thought that was just a myth."

"Nope, living proof right there," Gojo said, shaking his head in mock despair. "It's like witnessing a rare bird."

"A rare, fashion-challenged bird," you agreed, trying to keep a straight face.

As the evening wore on, the two of you continued your undercover mission, providing commentary on everything from questionable dance moves to over-the-top makeup choices. Gojo was in his element, his quick wit and sharp observations making you laugh harder than you had in weeks.

"Okay, new game," he announced suddenly. "Who do you think has the most scandalous secret here?"

You scanned the room thoughtfully. "Hmm, I'd say Mrs. Hikaru over there," you said, pointing discreetly to an older woman with a suspiciously young man hanging on her arm. "She looks like she's hiding something."

Gojo followed your gaze and nodded sagely. "Good choice. I'm going with Mr. Moustache over there," he said, indicating a man with a magnificent handlebar moustache. "No one grows a moustache like that without hiding some deep, dark secrets."

"Or a penchant for 19th-century fashion," you added, smirking.

Gojo laughed, then turned serious for a moment, looking at you with an intensity that made your heart skip a beat. "You know, I'm really glad we're here together. Makes this whole thing bearable."

You felt a warmth spread through you at his words. "Me too," you admitted, smiling up at him. "It's way more fun with you."

He grinned, slipping an arm around your shoulders. "Of course it is. Who else could provide such witty banter?"

You leaned into him, feeling content and happy. "Well, you do have a gift," you teased.

"I know, right?" he said, pretending to be smug. "But don't sell yourself short. You're a pretty amazing partner in crime."

"Partner in crime, huh?" you repeated, liking the sound of it. "I think I can live with that."

"Good," Gojo said, giving you a quick squeeze. "Because I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon."

You looked up at him, your eyes meeting his, and for a moment, the noisy party faded away. It was just the two of you, in your own little world.

Then the moment was broken by a loud crash from across the room, where someone had knocked over a table full of drinks.

Gojo sighed dramatically. "And the award for the most graceful exit goes to..."

"That guy," you finished, both of you dissolving into laughter again.

[thelovinghost]

Hello there!!!! may i request headcanons on how the ouran host would flirt??

YES OMG I JUST SAW THIS REQUEST ON JULY 1 2023 [Yet I'm posting this in almost August...] Left out Mori cause he don't talk

Tamaki Suoh

A natural born flirt

He's so good, even his regular talking sounds like he's flirting

He's a cheesy flirt, but he has his moments were he's like a poet

"Your eyes are deep as my love for you"

"I'd rather look into your eyes than any stars in the night sky"

He knows how to make anyone blush, even those daring cougars

Man is great at foreplay

You get so used to his flirting that you become immune to it

^ He gets really upset by this, flirting is his best trait

^ Bro gets into a mental crisis. If he loses his flirting ability, will you become unattracted to him?

He loves when you play along with him and flirt back

He loves to flirt and it's his life

Though, if you're better than him at flirting?

He doesn't even know how to process it

Doing it effortlessly? He wants you to stop, because he's afraid you might flirt with other people, even if you don't realize it

You think he's over reacting [And you're right]

Hikaru Hitachiin

He's mean

At first he flirted with you as a joke, you know, like friends

But then when he gains feelings, he becomes a weird ball of confusion and uncontrolled emotions and he takes it out on you

He's mean to you, because he doesn't know how else to express his emotions

You're very confused

He gives you mixed emotions

One second he's over you like cuteness on a puppy then the next he ignores you

His brother will confront him and will sweep in to help your relationship [If you could call it that]

He'll flirt with you, so that Hikaru accepts his feelings [he doesn't]

In fact, he gets into a fight with his brother when they get mad

Hikaru and Kaoru get into such a bad fight, that it effects their host club activities

Hikaru's scared of rejection and abandonment

He's scared if he opens up, you won't want him

But you think he's fine either way

He's just a bad flirt with someone he likes, to cut it short

Kaoru Hitachiin

He's genuinely the best flirt

He's sweet and kind and unlike Tamaki he doesn't flirt with everyone

He's able to express every emotion he has for you when he flirts, unlike his brother

It's not even really flirting for him. It's just him telling you how much he loves you and everything you do to him

He'll make you blush and smile so much your cheeks hurt

He's genuinely so smooth

He'll grab your hands and tell you sweet nothings

He genuinely means everything he says to you

He loves you and wants you to know that

Mitsukuni 'Honey' Haninozuka

He has a child-like idea of flirting

He'll give you his sweets and lets you hold Usa-chan

He loves admiring you and will just randomly say how pretty he thinks you are

He's so cute, he can say the dirtest things and you won't even realize what it means

You'll think it's just cute

But it's not. He is a filthy, nasty, dude

But he has this child-like innocence atmosphere around him

He compares you to his favorite sweets and tells you he'd pick you over Usa-chan

[Damn, that's a compliment]

"You're as sweet as sugar, Y/n-chan!"

He has this sweet smile on his face as he tells you everything

"Y/n have you ever heard of a Funky Monkey?"

"No, why?"

He laughs, shaking his head, "I can show you, if you'd like"

Don't let him show you

He wants you to see him as a man, not a boy, hence the sex innuendos

Kyoya Ootori

His idea of flirting is pointing out your flaws and criticizing you

Kind of a douchebag ngl

I guess another way to put is that he's not to good with words

He'll take you wherever you wanna go

^ That's kind of his love language

He kind of looks at you and admires you

Though he doesn't admit it

He, like Hikaru, is scared of his emotions

He uses his actions instead of words

It's okay, you understand him well enough to accept this

You don't mind

Though when does open up to you, he'll occasionally, VERY RARELY, say something sweet

"You look nice today, Y/n"

You'll look down at your yellow dress, which you always wear because it's the uniform. "Ummm.... Thank you?"

He feels like an idiot after saying this though, so please don't call him out

Haruhi Fujioka

Terrible flirt

Can not flirt to save her life

When she does 'flirt' it's not even consciously

It's kind of like a mask

When she does try and tell you how she feels, it kind of falls flat?

Like she says it in such a flat tone and it comes off weird?

"Wow, you smell nice today"

^ "Excuse me?" [She says it like she either doesn't mean it or that you smell awful every other time of day]

She just keeps making it worse by continuing with it and not backing down

In fact, you'll probably be turned off by her for a while, because of her flirting

Eventually one of the other host club members hear her flirting and go to save her

"Haha, he doesn't mean that. He's an idiot." They'll pat her back, before dragging him off

"What is wrong with you? What was that?"

"I was flirting"

They then laugh at her and she frowns

She needs help

[harocat]

Hello Cdrama fans! The signups for the Yuletide fic exchange close in a little over forty-eight hours, and there are a ton of Cdrama fandoms nominated. I'd LOVE to see some more Cdrama fans on board (and not just because almost all my nominations are that).

Yuletide is an annual fic exchange for rare and obscure fandoms run through the Archive of Our Own. Participants sign up to write a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom someone else has requested, using the selected characters from that fandom. In return, they receive a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom they have requested, featuring requested characters.

Please read this FAQ and the Rules before deciding whether to participate.

I had so much fun doing this last year (and I got some great Cdrama fic), so I wanted to share it here in hopes of bringing in some more participants from these fandoms.

The following Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong Dramas are nominated:

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日��� | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花开有时��靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

藏海花 | Adventure behind the Bronze Door 

西出玉门 | Parallel World | West Out of Yumen

许你浮生若梦 | Xǔ Nǐ Fú Shēng Ruò Mèng | Granting You a Dreamlike Life

说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes (2022) 

还珠格格 | Huán Zhū Gé Gé | Princess Returning Pearl

追风者 | War of Faith 

重启之极海听雷 | Reunion: The Sound of the Providence 

长月烬明 | Till the End of the Moon

长歌行 | The Long Ballad 

长相思 | Lost You Forever 

长风渡 | Destined 

關於未知的我們 | Unknown

问心 | The Heart 

陪你到世界之巔 | Gank Your Heart

霹靂布袋戲 | Pili Glove Puppetry

风起洛阳 | Fēng Qǐ Luò Yáng 

飞狐外传 | Side Story of Fox Volant

骄阳伴我 | Sunshine by My Side

鬓边不是海棠红 | Winter Begonia

鹿鼎記 | The Duke of Mount Deer (Hong Kong 1984)

I apologized if I missed any. I went fast so I could actually get this posted. For DONGHUA and MANHUA look under 'cartoons & comics & graphic novels'. For Chinese language movies look under 'movies'. For Cnovels (danmei and other), look under 'books and literature.' There are lots of nominations there as well. Here's the tag set!

By the way, according to Yuletide staff, the most frequently nominated fandom was Mysterious Lotus Casebook.

[yuseirra]

If Ai IS the reincarnation of the goddess of dawn, even her color schemes make sense... her colors do look like the skies when it's dawn... this would be REALLY cool if it were to be true,

honestly, I think this makes a lot of sense. the idea of it works really well, she could have been a goddess who really loved people and wanted to live together with them and chose to become "an ordinary girl" to live among humans,

it does explain her benevolent nature while being a bit awkward, and why she had a hard time fitting in but immediately got drawn to hikaru(who's also a god in essence), why they thought they were "the same" (he also had a lot of trouble being accepted by people) and why her mother thought she was "too beautiful" for her age

Those two characters... I feel they're inhuman in some ways. They are very human, but they react in ways that are... very...how should I put it? I feel they struggle with displaying certain emotions compared to the average people to an extent that I feel it's similar of what people expect out of gods. They really struggle to fulfill people's expectations of them, and this is how a god would react towards human. A god would wish to appear perfect to their worshipers, wouldn't they? They keep up a very... happy and smiling front, a sturdy persona that rarely breaks. Their ways of giving love is very selfless. They tend to just give and give away, and people fail to understand them and connect to them in ways they could feel accepted, that's how they found each other as well, you know? They felt they could understand each other, Ai thought Hikaru was the first person she wanted to love and Hikaru felt she was the only one who could understood him and they were for each other.

So it would make sense for them to have been gods, that were very hurt and mistreated by people and the entertainment industry. One of them got killed and the other one is despairing and lost because of it. Sarutahiko and Amenouzume's shrine (the Aratate shrine) blesses people from the industry... they are responsible for helping people out in the field. Wouldn't it make sense for them to want to have become human to experience it themselves? And that went terribly wrong so, the other gods are getting involved because they've been causing trouble? This would also tie in pretty well with the theme of the whole story. Turns out Hikaru was a NOBLE soul but he's broken now, that's because the PEOPLE made him suffer. If people made the VIRTUOUS god become like that.. well, they killed his wife and ruined his life..; it does make you think. It's not just about one insane maniac, it's about the nature of the industry and how the world works when what he originally did was to wish well. Ai wanted to love people and people killed her. We don't deserve these gods, if they are really gods. Even if they're just a person.. that also boils down to the fact that the society failed to protect these kids when they needed them.

Anyhow, I feel THIS would be the way to tie the idea of gods into the story.

[aihoshiino]

chapter 140 thoughts!

Reminder: because of the content of this arc in genera and this chapter in particular I will unavoidably have to discuss CSA and topics related to it, including grooming, emotional abuse and sexual assault. I do not discuss them in great detail, but if you very understandably just aren't in the headspace for that, no hard feelings - look after yourself and I'll see you next time.

So a lot of stuff goes on in this chapter but weirdly, I feel like I don't have a lot of stuff to say about it compared to the last few. Partially because it speaks so strongly for itself but mostly because, sort of similarly to 137, this is just clarification and reiteration of some themes and information that's been floating around loosely for however many chapters and we are just now actually pinning it all down into something more coherent.

Or at least, 15 Year Lie is pinning this all down into something more coherent. We're definitely playing a bit more with like, presentation and diegesis in these sections of the movie than we were with previous scenes. With the B-Komachi scenes, we very rarely fully entered the in-universe diegesis of the movie and the scenes being filmed quite firmly remain scenes being filmed by actors who are having their own thoughts, feelings and character arcs both about and separate from the material.

By contrast, both this and last chapter lean more into presenting these scenes as full flashbacks, fully immersing us in the material that the movie's diegesis essentially overtakes and becomes the manga's diegesis. It not only creates a sense of immediacy but also one of authenticity - by removing all the reminders that this is something being manufactured, a piece of in-universe dramatized fiction, the reader is invited to accept it uncritically as fact.

And honestly? I think this is a very clever trick. While I do think the broad emotional arc and relationship beats we're being presented with here are probably more or less true, there's a big question still hanging over the movie's presentation of things: how much of this is true and why is it being shown to us? This is a movie about Ai's life supposedly, right? So if this is the case, what's with this sudden POV switch to Kamiki… and how exactly did Aqua (and the rest of his 15YL collaborators in general) get this level of insight into 'Boy A'?

But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit…

Like I said up top, I think a lot of this chapter kind of speaks for itself, so all I'm gonna say is that this did a huge amount to really endear me to the HKAI dynamic, at least as 15YL is portraying things. It's just such a nice change to see Ai bouncing off someone her own age, squabbling and getting along and butting heads like a regular kid. It does a lot to really get across just what it was about this relationship that drew the two of them to each other. They have a good rapport and some cute chemistry and I'm finding myself rooting for them even in spite of knowing how it all ends.

The scene of them at the restaurant was honestly just a complete and total delight. It's been so fucking long since we got any content of Ai just being her likable goobery self so getting to see that again (and her and Hikaru's shocked and appalled reactions to the bill) was just so good.

The short exchange that follows is also so, so important, I think. Similarly to an early AQKN moment, we are shown Ai from Hikaru's POV - in which she wears a lovely smile and stands framed as the focal point of not one but two panels of brilliant light. This feels like a sort of answer to something I noted last chapter where HKAI's relationship seemed to be in the process of echoing both the AQAK and AQKN relationships - in Hikaru, Ai sees someone who has the potential to understand her. In Ai, Hikaru sees light. I'm interested to see if this will keep getting reiterated on as we get more scenes of them together.

god the more details we get about Airi's abuse of Hikaru, the more vile she becomes. The money she gives him rings eerily true to the way real life abusers of this nature really do use money and material gifts as a method of control over their victims. And it's also not hard for me to see her as using this to frame things as somehow transactional - to pretend Hikaru has any power in this entirely unbalanced dynamic.

I continue to be impressed with how OnK is portraying Kamiki's abuse. As I mentioned last time, I often find that manga is pretty tasteless and sometimes even downright exploitative and offensive in its portrayals of sexual abuse, framing it in a titillating way for the viewer to gawk at. By contrast, not only is OnK's portrayal a layer removed from the actual events, being in-universe fiction, but it gives us no lurid details to gawk it. We are forced to look only at Hikaru's pain and the emotional reality of the horror and exploitation he's experiencing and the story dares us to flinch and look away. Just like plenty of people do.

I also really appreciate that the story leaves absolutely no room for plausible deniability and just outright calls Airi exactly what she is: a pedophile. I was a little worried with last chapter that there was going to be an element of like 'oh Hikaru is just so cute even an adult woman can't help herself' but once again, the story pulls no punches in calling this abuse what it is and the perpetrator what she is. Harrowing as the material is, I'm glad that it's being handled well thus far and I hope Akasaka doesn't flub it.

that said i have to ask. where in god's name is the intimacy coordinator on this set.

The scene that follows is also very interesting for all the reasons I mentioned above. For Oshi no Ko as a manga, it's clear this material is here to challenge the reader and ask us to see Kamiki as human, to try and empathize with him despite his reprehensible actions. What purpose this monologue serves for the in-universe 15 Year Lie movie is less clear. But in both circumstances, I still have to ask: to what end, exactly?

After all, isn't this a movie overflowing with spite and hate? A script written for Aqua's revenge that will allow him to kill his father? If so, why are we being challenged to empathize with Kamiki? Why did Aqua write a script that portrays his father as a victim? And how, exactly, did he come to such a deep and nuanced understanding of this man he hates so much when it took Ruby three and a half mental breakdowns to start understanding her beloved mother?

This all raises a whole lot of questions about exactly what the final movie is going to turn out like and exactly what purposes it really serves and I'm tentatively excited to get some answers. I'm definitely still more than a little fatigued with the movie arc as a whole and a lot of my biggest issues with it have yet to really be resolved but I'm at least more interested than I have been before about where things are going to go.

Holy crap, no break next week… are we beating the biweekly allegations, gang???

[putschki1969]

Into the World - Kaji Fes. 2023 Day 2

Some more in-depth Kalafina thoughts inspired by several discussions in the reply section of my latest live report about Kaji Fes. 2023 Day 2. "Into the World" was probably the Kalafina cover that left the most lasting impression on me. From what the girls have shared in various interviews, this song represents a beautiful end to an eventful stage of life and a slow transition into uncharted territory. At the time it was written, Kalafina's disbandment and the subsequent start of their solo careers were probably on no one's radar but ironically, it couldn't have been a more perfect match for the whole situation. The final few performances of the song (when everyone involved must have already been aware of what was about to happen) have a particularly strong impact on me and the same can be said about the covers they have done as solo artists/FJ. This is easily my favourite cover because the strong extra vocals add so much texture to the song. It's one of those Kalafina tracks where I mostly prefer the studio version because the girls tend to sound a bit shaky/shouty during live performances so this was overall a bit more polished I think. The harmonies are really good here. Also, I loved seeing Keiko get so emotional towards the end (even though it did result in her getting a teeny, tiny bit shouty again :P)

"Magia" was my second-favourite Kala-cover. It worked wonderfully to put the focus on Hikaru and highlight her prowess as a singer which is unfortunately something that none of the other Kalafina songs of the evening managed to do. I wish they had chosen songs with a stronger emphasis on Hikaru's voice like "ARIA", "One Light", "Mata Kaze ga...", "in every nothing", etc... Also, I did have some issues with Joelle sounding a bit too overpowering during certain parts. There are Kalafina songs where she manages to blend in better but here, her vocals just stand out too much, especially when trying to harmonise with Keiko.

"storia" has never done Hikaru any favours I'm afraid and this performance is no exception. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE "storia" but that's mostly because I am obsessed with the WaKei chorus. Joelle does a good enough job here but as I have mentioned in my report, I am way too hung up on Wakana to ever be able to appreciate another singer stepping in for her during parts that I love.

I honestly don't remember much about "KNGNN" so I guess I will have to wait for the BD release. It's yet another song that doesn't exactly flatter Hikaru though so that's a shame.

As I have never felt a strong connection to "TTB", the performance doesn't really do anything for me.

On a random and more or less unrelated side note, I LOVED this moment of Keiko showing a tiny bit of vulnerability here at the very end of the concert. It's rare to see her in tears on stage.

And let's not forget that precious HiKei moment right after this. Them holding hands. Keiko leaning on Hikaru's shoulder. Keiko smiling brightly but clearly relieved that it's over - "owatta".

[detherun]

HPMA - Hikaru Lopez (Ravenclaw)

The oldest of four brothers, a cold, serious, reserved, intelligent, understanding and calm person, he tries to adapt to the situation and does not like to attract attention, tolerant of jokes, a lover of books, herbology and divination and of Non-Magical Studies.

Identity

Name: Hikaru Lopez (ヒカル・��ペス)

Gender: Male

Nickname: Pink Boy, Cold Face, Bubblegum Boy, Mr. Bubble Tea, Lopez, Hikaru (San - Kun - Chan) Or other nicknames they give him.

Birth date: November 15, 1997.

Height: 5'6.5 / 168 cm

Blood Status: Half-Blood

Sexuality: Straight

Physique: Athletic

Nationality: Japanese-American

Ethnicity: Peruvian-American-Japanese.

Weight: 58 Kg

Voice Claim:

- Erik Scott Kimerer (English)

- Todd Haberkorn (English)

- Kengo Kawanishi (Japanese)

- Akira Ishida (Japanese, Akise Aru)

Personality

His personality is that of a calm and somewhat serious person, but he understands the people around him and when he sees someone who needs help he shows his warmer, kinder and gentler side at times, he does not like adventures because he considers them a bit dangerous, he tries to avoid them but in the end ends up in one due to the pranks of his companions, but when he finds himself involved in one, he is willing to give everything he has.

Hogwarts:

Wand: Unknown

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

Quidditch: He didn't join the team.

Animagus: He doesn't have it and he doesn't need it.

Patronus: Wolf

Favorite subject: Potions

Least Favorite Subject: None.

Specialized/Favourite Spells:

-Evanesco

-Petrificus Totalus

-Expelliarmus

-Protego

-Glacius

-Partis Temporus

-Expecto Patronum

-Engorgio

-Colovaria

-Incendio

-Carpe Rectractum

-Depulso

-Flipendo

-Aguamenti

-Aqua Eructo

-Locomotor Mortis

Subjects

Transfiguration O

Charms: E

Potions: O

History of Magic: E

Defense Against the Dark Arts: E

Astronomy: E

Flight: E

Arithmancy: A

Muggle Studies: O

Care of Magical Creatures: A

Herbology: O

Divination: O

Study of Ancient Runes: E

Fun facts:

-Despite everything, he gets along well with Cassandra.

-With Ivy, he shows his calm, protective and loving side towards her.

-He hardly smiles, but he rarely does, when he does, it's under his scarf or softly in front of someone.

-Like his mother, he knows martial arts, knows how to use techniques and uses kicks more.

-Sometimes he shows his sarcastic, funny, charismatic and tolerant side.

-His robe got stuck in the door of one of the compartments of the Hogwarts Express, he had to wait five minutes.

-When he sees that Daniel and Ivy get into trouble, he tries to stop them (although it is almost impossible)

-He has a hesitant, neutral and bored look at times.

-He is the last to sleep, making sure his roommates sleep well (Experience of being the oldest of four brothers)

-Some Students ask him if his father dated Penny Haywood in the past. He gets angry about it and knows that his mother gets very jealous when someone talks about it. (sometimes some jokingly ask him if he is Penny Haywood's son, which he always denies, although they eventually stop asking the question because they know the truth is that he is not)

-He knows how to speak English, Spanish and Japanese.

-He Loves his brother, sisters, Father and Mother.

-Although he almost never gets angry, he has a temperament of fury and anger. (Just like her mother) (Aqua's face crying, it was something random 😆🤣)

-He likes Potions Classes and sometimes accepts Horace Slughorn's Invitations.

-He is proud of his pink locks, because his mother really likes his hair and knows that his father's hair was changed to pink in the past, making him laugh sometimes. (The ancients here know it, Colovaria)

-He inherited his Mother's hair, eyes and pink locks.

-He likes Japanese food, Onigiri, Bento, Ramen, Bubble Tea, Pockys, Macarons and Corn Dogs.

-Unlike his Mother, who is a Free Spirit and she likes to have fun, he doesn't because he considers something dangerous.

-He likes to do other people's tasks, especially Daniel's, because he has time and he gets bored when he has nothing to do.

-His favorite colors are Green and Blue

-He likes potions and exotic herbs as ingredients (Inherited from Father)

-Sometimes he has random thoughts. (he once thought of a chicken, rubber ducks...Fish... for minutes without paying attention to anyone)

-Despite everything, he gets along well with the Frey Twins, because he is the eldest brother of the Family and knows the responsibility of taking care of one another.

-He, his brothers and Sister know that their Father was in Slytherin.

-He lives in Japan with his Parents, Brother and Sisters.

-As in Japanese culture, he addresses people by their last name and those in whom he has a lot of trust and friendship by their first name.

-He likes ice skating and playing the guitar.

-He likes Aliens and considers his friend Lycidas Mcgarry (@theguythatdraws) to be someone Fascinating and Cool because of his Omnitrix.

-He is a fan of Japanese music, K-pop, soft melodies and going to concerts.

-Like his mother, he likes comics, anime and Mangas

-His boggart is a giant Tarantula, despite not being very afraid of spiders, in his mind he still imagines it.

-His birthday is November 15.

Quotes

(To Daniel) "Try to Relax and you will see that the results work"

"Following you and Ivy makes my day...strange but fun...?"

"Sooner or later you will need others, Dear Daniel"

(To Ivy) "Pretty Wand"

"I'm not usually positive like you."

"Using Evanesco at this age? You really amaze me and scare me a little"

(For Himself)

"I'm not Penny Haywood's son..."

"Stink bombs are so stinky that they lift the carpet, redecorating the room is no longer a worry"

"My mother is scary when she gets angry, one time I remember she threw the table"

"I'm not lazy, I'm just in energy saving mode."

"If you can't convince them, confuse them"

"Me weird and serious?" What's up, I'm one: Limited Edition"

"I'll do your homework for you, just because I'm bored."

"For the love of the sacred, what have I done to deserve this?"

"Do you know why I'm not afraid? You should meet my Mother, I have lived with her for a long time and I learned martial arts from her...

(Any question, ask)

[see-the-fandom-imagines]

What’s in it for me?

Chapter 2/?

Chapter 1 Masterlist

Pairing: Kyouya Ootori x Reader

Author: see-the-fandom-imagines

Warnings: None at all.

Word Count: 2629

A/N: As mentioned before I take inspiration from anime and live-action, so I hope it isn't too confusing! :)

And yes, this is incredibly slow-burn, but hopefully worth it.Also I had to put this episode into two chapters, otherwise they'd have been too long. I know it's starting slow, but I got a few things planned for the next chapters, so stay tuned.

It had been a few weeks now since you had started helping out in the host club and on most days everything went down smoothly. You went to work twice a week and joined Haruhi in Music Room 3 on all other days. After a while everybody got used to you, the girls would ask you less questions about Haruhi you had to dodge and you had talked a little more with each one of the hosts. You didn’t mind coming in so often to be honest, mostly because it meant you could hang out more with Haruhi, but you had to admit, as crazy as the other hosts were, you soon realized that they were some of the nicest people you ever met. Well, some were nicer than others, but still. You had rarely felt that accepted anywhere this quickly.

“They’re back to their nonsense…”, Haruhi stated and you chuckled, carrying a tray full of green tea, when suddenly a bunch of girls surrounded her. “Haruhi-kun, you look so great in that kimono!” “Yes, almost like a girl.” You smiled at her. She really did look beautiful. But as always when the topic got even somewhat close to Haruhi being a girl a familiar voice interrupted. “Haruhi, you've booked another appointment. It seems you've had a pretty steady flow of new customers lately. Keep up the good work.” Kyouya scribbled something onto a scroll while speaking. You wondered if he was actually writing or if that was just another useless prop. "I'm not going to charge you interest on your debt like I normally would, so keep this up and you should be able to pay it off. Although the rental fee on that kimono you're wearing is nothing to sneeze at.” He smiled sweetly, and all the girls seemed captivated by it. “Kyouya-sama”, one girl spoke up and you rolled your eyes. “You’re just too much in that kimono!” He took that compliment gracefully as you sighed and walked past, just trying to get out of the situation. “Oh, but why didn’t you get one, (y/n)-chan?” Surprised you looked up. A girl with dark brown hair had appeared in front of you, looking up at you with big eyes. "I bet you would look really cute in one, too." Did she blush? "Oh, well, I-" “Because she is not an official member”, Kyouya’s voice rang out without missing a beat and you simply chuckled dryly, looking down at your usual school uniform. “Ah, that’s true”, another girl noted, absolutely dazzled the second the older guy spoke up. “Let’s not talk about the rental fee…”, you murmured a tad too loud, so that Kyouya would definitely hear you, but the girls just kept on blabbering something about picture books. Somehow it didn’t even surprise you anymore that Kyouya sold secret photos of all of the hosts. You kept on listening, while putting down a cup of tea infront of another girl. But maybe you could use that to your advantage.

“Hey, Kaoru”, you yelled, waving the twin in your direction. “Just Kaoru?”, Hikaru spoke up and followed suit, taking one of the tea cups from your tray. You had known he'd follow in a flirty mood if you just mentioned his brother. Kaoru didn't react this strongly. Carefully you took out your mobile phone from your pocket with your free hand. “What is it, (y/n)”, Kaoru said, smiling at you, bending over so he could look into your eyes, but your gaze was fixed on your phone. You held out the tray for him, so he'd take the other tea cup, before placing the now empty tray on a random couch. “I just wanted to bring you some tea”, you said, smiling at him. He didn’t quite seem to believe you and his gaze fell on the phone in your hand. “Do you want my number?” You smiled. That wasn’t quite what you had in mind, but, “yes, if it’s alright with you?” Hikaru appeared on his brother’s side. “How unfair, what about me?” “I want your number, too, of course. I thought now that we are friends, we should be able to contact each other, no?”

Minutes later you sat down in front of Kyouya, sighing, playing with your phone. He didn’t even look up. “Is it time for your break, yet?”, he asked, but you chose to ignore that question. You lowered your phone, before bending over the table a little, trying to make eye contact. “Instead of making me carry stuff, let me help you with that”, you said, pointing at his scroll and the tablet that was hidden underneath a cloth. Only now did he look up and raised an eyebrow. “What? I might as well help out in a way that’s a little more useful, no?” Kyouya still didn’t seem convinced. You sighed. “You need photos to sell, but only got random blurry pics, correct?” “Yes”, he said. “You think you can sell them?” “Not quite”, you said. “But you need photos, no?” Kyouya finally put down his scroll. You had successfully caught his interest. “So you’re saying you can deliver pictures of all hosts that are good enough to sell?” “Better”, you smirked and lifted your phone.

Kyouya looked at the picture you had just taken of him, entirely without him noticing. It wasn’t the most professional picture ever, but it was also not blurry and it looked weirdly natural. “It looks like we’re on a date”, you exclaimed happily, but hushed your voice as you noticed some girls reacting to what you had just said. Kyouya seemed irritated at first but then began to understand. “Scroll through”, you told him, and he did. “Pictures of the twins”, you explained unnecessarily. “Look me in the eye and tell me those don’t look like the pics a girlfriend would take.” Kyouya smiled, before looking back up at you. That was smart. And no one had even noticed, which would make the pictures even easier to sell, since none of the other hosts would complain too much. You were really quite something. Maybe he had underestimated you, not that he would ever admit to that. You saw the sparkle in his eyes and grinned confidently. For a moment the both of you were just looking at each other, trying to read each others expressions or even minds, if possible, when suddenly you were interrupted by Tamaki shouting out random things again a little louder than he should have. Kyouya broke the eye contact and sighed. He got up, trying to see what that was about, but not without giving you a quick nod to signal you, that your talk wasn’t over yet.

"Damn it", you cursed, but got up as well, following Kyouya towards the commotion. The twins and Tamaki were greeting a girl that had partially hidden behind the door. She seemed shy. A new customer? You instantly felt a little bad for her, having not only the twins, but also Tamaki approach you, could be too much for most people. Especially since Tamaki obviously had activated his princely charm. “Please, you don't have to be afraid, my Princess. I welcome you to the Ouran Host Club.” But the new girl didn’t hesitate. Before he could even finish talking she pushed him away, screaming loudly. “NO! Don't touch me! You're phony!” Tamaki stumbled back, holding his face in his dramatic fashion. “Wh-What do you mean, phony?”, he asked but she didn’t let him down easily. You had definitely underestimated her. That girl was everything but shy. “Just what I said, you're phony! I find it hard to believe that someone like you is the Prince character of this Host Club! You shouldn't go spreading your love around so easily like that, you stupid!" Wow, she really kept going. "You must be a dimwitted narcissist! You're incompetent! You're a commoner! You're disgusting!" You waited a second to see if she was done, but had watched in awe as she kept insulting the self-proclaimed king of the club. Tamaki fell down, the other hosts watching him, concerned. Ouch. That hurt. Even Kyouya stepped closer, but only took a brief look at Tamaki, before he turned around to the girl. Realisation hit his features. “Could you be…” Surprised you watched his expression change, before you heard the girl scream again: “Kyouya-sama!” She ran towards him, pushing you out of the way and making you stumble backwards. Kyouya saw you fall, but he couldn’t react fast enough, for the strange girl had wrapped her arms around his waist. Thankfully, the next thing you felt wasn't the hard floor, but a pair of arms holding you, right before you would have collided with the floor. “Thank you, Senpai", you smiled up at Mori, who carefully helped you back to your feet. Your gaze shifted back to Kyouya who had instinctively lifted his hands, trying very hard not to touch the strange girl. Surprised you looked from him down to her, and back up to him. His gaze met yours and he looked like he wanted to say something, but she interrupted. “Oh, how I've longed to meet you! My one and only Prince Charming.” For the first time since you had started in this host club, you were entirely out of words.

----

“Fiancee?”, the twins yelled in unison. “Kyouya’s?” “Yes”, she confirmed. You kept staring at Kyouya, who had remained silent the entire time. “Kyoyas fiancée”, you repeated, the word left a bitter taste in your mouth. "Did you know about this?", you asked Haruhi, who sat next to you, looking at least as confused as you were. "I had no idea", she whispered back, before the new girl continued to speak. “I am Renge Hoshakuji”, she introduced herself, but you still only stared at Kyouya. Was he really engaged? Maybe all those dramas were right and rich young kids did get engaged by their parents. Or did they choose to get married? No, that couldn’t be, the way he had lifted his arms as she hugged him really didn’t seem like they were deeply in love with each other. If that was even an emotion Kyouya could feel. “Ours is a story of love at first sight! I couldn't resist the way you were adoring those flowers in the backyard when you thought no one else was looking. And how sweet it was when you reached out to that poor little injured kitten.” “Is she serious”, the twins asked. “Could it be that you got the wrong person?”, Haruhi added. You still looked at Kyouya who finally realized your penetrating gaze and looked at you, face unreadable. “No way! I can recognize my love any where! He's a gentleman who's kind to everyone but doesn't ask for anything in return! He likes solitude but in fact sometimes he can get lonely!” The twins started yelling in the background, loudly expressing the confusion you all felt. That really did not sound in the slightest like Kyouya. Did he lead a secret life none of you knew about? You thought for a second, before you decided to speak up, also to hopefully calm down the twins a little. “If you’re engaged, why have you never met?”, you asked, and it worked. Everything went silent and the hosts looked surprised. “What?”, you asked. “Isn’t that obvious? She obviously needed a while to even recognize him and that description… No offense, but that’s not Kyouya.” “None taken”, he said, seeming almost pleased that his reputation hadn't suffered too much from her words. “She is right”, Hikaru started. “But it is quite common to get engaged without meeting the partner.” Your mouth formed a small 'o' and you looked at Kyouya, furling your brows. He noted your expression and couldn’t help but wonder what you were thinking. Were you … worried? Renge didn't even give anyone else the chance to react, though, because she almost immediately resumed speaking as if she hadn't listened to a single word either of you were saying. “He looks like the star of the popular dating sim Uki Doki Memorial! You're my real life Ichijo Miyabi!” She pointed at Kyouya, and suddenly the coin dropped. "Uki ..." "... Doki ...” “Memorial?” “Otaku!”, yelled Tamaki and the others followed suit. “I get it now”, Kyoya spoke up, “you're in love with that character. You're projecting that love onto me, and somehow deluded yourself into thinking that we're engaged. I assume this Miyabi character probably wears glasses as well.” “Ah my real Prince Charming! Ichijo Miyabi! I can't wait to get married! And we're gonna have the prettiest babies ever!” You felt the sweat drop from your forehead. Now she was already talking about babies. “So she made iit up, you’re not really her fiancé, right?”, Tamaki stated and Kyoya shook his head. “Well no, I don't remember ever asking for her hand in marriage." He thought for a while. "Besides, this is the first time I've ever met the woman.” Everybody stopped dead in their tracks, glaring at Kyouya angrily. Including you. “You could have mentioned you weren’t engaged ages ago”, you yelled at him, mad that he had made you worried in the first place. You sighed angrily and looked away. “I was worried”, you whispered, but Renge interrupted you again and this time you let her push you out of the way. You trained your eyes on the ground, not really knowing why all of this bothered you so much in the first place. Suddenly, you felt a hand on your shoulder. “He really could have said so sooner”, Kaoru said, squeezing your shoulder slightly while rolling his eyes and you smiled up at him. He must have heard you. "Thanks", you whispered, and Kaoru blushed a little, but kept his hand where it was. "Really, the last person you should ever worry about is Kyouya", he continued, making you chuckle. He grinned at you, before his brother caught his attention again. For a moment you thought about just leaving, but Renge was already back in action. Kyoya had gotten up, too, seemingly to get his notebook, but something told you he just wanted to bring some distance between him and her without seeming rude. He stopped next to you as Renge finished her monologue. “I've made up my mind! From now on, I'm gonna be the manager of this host club!” Everybody sighed. “That was an option?”, you whispered. Kyouya shrugged. “You didn’t ask for that position.” You shot him another unbelieving glance, before you got up, now feeling the need to bring a little distance between him and yourself. A bit overwhelmed, you decided to step next to Haruhi. Maybe she could help you feel a little more sane around here. “Is it always like this?” She sighed, watching the scene unfold infront of her. “Mostly, yeah.”

Tamaki joined your corner and stepped inbetween Haruhi and Kyouya. He obviously was just as taken aback by the sudden attack of the lady manager. “Uhm, listen, Kyouya…”, he started, but got interrupted almost immediately. “Miss Houshakuji is the only daughter of a very important Ootori family client", Kyouya explained with a smile. "So please be polite and try not to offend her alright?” You scoffed which earned you a reprimanding glance from the host club's director. But you didn't care and instead just looked away and decided to take care of your tea again. You really didn’t feel like acting like a clown for some random girl popping in and pushing herself on everybody like that. You picked up your tray and some empty tea cups. She had just waltzed in here, claiming Kyouya was her fiancé and that she'd be the club's new manager. You felt a pang of jealousy in your chest. Probably because of the manager thing. A tea cup fell out of your hand. You stared for a moment at the shards on the ground, before you sighed and began picking up the broken fragments. That would cost you at least a 1.000 Yen. Silently, you continued cleaning up, not feeling Kyoyas observant eyes on your back.

Chapter 3

[ellssbellss]

Lavender Roses ~ Kyoya Ootori x Reader

pairing- Kyoya Ootori x Reader

In which a rational head hides a generous heart, but you have always known how to see past his walls and help him bloom into the gorgeous rose he is.

Enjoy a slow burn between an honor student and our beloved glasses character!

summary: He stepped even closer to you, trying to reassure you the best he knew how. 

“Whatever it is you need to tell me, you can say it. You can trust me.”

word count: 14.3k

legend:

(e/c) = eye color

(n/l) = native language

(c/n) = home country's name

(p/c) = pick a color

see masterlist! : masterlist

taglist!: @abbysblogsstuff @sunukissed @kisskissshutmydoor @idonia-dovahkiin @greensnakegoblep @vervainnnn

The Grade School Host The Naughty Type! pt. 1

“What kind of music do you like, (Y/n)?”

You leaned forward on the table, your billowing sleeves falling down your forearm to reveal beautiful rings and bracelets covering your wrists and fingers. You gave your guest a loving smile, biting your lip slightly as you stopped to think.

“Hm,” you say, a seductive hum rolling its way to your guests ears, and resonating within the blush on their cheeks. “I’m not entirely sure. I love all kinds of music.” Your deep lipstick moves as another flirt slips out of your mouth.

“But, I think the sound of your voice is what brings me the most joy, honey.” The girl across from you loops arms with one of your male guests and they both lean on each other to keep from fainting. 

You reach out to steady them, the vibrant skirt of your dress swishing with your movements. The flowing cloth was dyed in a deep (p/c), bringing out the brightness of your (e/c) eyes. Your lipstick matched perfectly, and gold jewelry accented the entire look. 

Tamaki promised a royal Arabic theme, and boy, did he deliver.

“Careful,” You warn as you place your guests back in their chair. “You shouldn’t be falling for me so soon.” A blush is fabricated on your cheeks as well as all three of you giggle at your pun. 

But before you can continue your conversation, you pause your hosting to watch Tamaki excuse himself from his guests. 

A rare sight, indeed. Tamaki would never leave his guests alone if it wasn’t important. 

Hikaru and Kaoru rise with him, but you ignore the way they rush to their places in the foyer of the music room, getting into their positions. You didn’t want to leave your guests unattended.

The guest that you were laughing with suddenly becomes very close. You had entertained her many times, but she had never been this brave. It was a good-natured advance, so no alarm was needed on your part. It was just surprising. 

She looked confident, but a blush raged a war on her cheekbones as she grabbed your hand. Her friend beside her looked at her in awe. 

“I think it’s a little too late for that.” She admitted, a small smile on her face. It was your turn to blush when she grasped your face in your hands and planted a firm kiss on your cheek.

Her forwardness caught you off guard, a nervous sound coming out of your dropped jaw. 

Kissing was definitely not encouraged in the club. It was too sentimental, too intimate. If the hosts went around kissing guests left and right, too many people would be let on, and things could take a dramatic turn. All guests were made well aware of that fact, but some people thought that they deserved special treatment. Not surprising coming from a crowd of heirs and rich nobles. 

Your guest smirked at your disbelief, and you didn’t know what to say. As uncomfortable as this situation was, you didn’t want to make a scene. 

Before you could figure out something to say that could gently defuse the situation, the girl’s eyes flicked to somewhere behind you, causing her to draw back slightly. Her other friend swallowed.

A pale hand gently grasped your shoulder. 

“Kyoya?”

“A new guest is arriving. We need to get into our positions.” He said, his slightly-more-than-monotone voice piercing through the room. Over his glasses, you saw his stare catch onto the guest that had just crossed a club boundary.  

“I’m afraid to say that (Y/n)-san’s hours have unfortunately come to an abrupt end.” He voices to your guests, a host grin pulling on his face. His words were like ice. “Thank you for choosing to spend your free hours here, but you may be excused.” 

“You need to leave?” The girl whined as she leaned ever closer towards you.

Kyoya moves in front of you and offers a hand. You take it, his skin soft against yours, and gracefully peel yourself off your chair. 

“As I said,” Your best friend glazes a stare over his shoulder at the guest behind you. The grin was gone, and his gaze was casted to the women who sat below him. It was the look he used for when the people who worked for him disrespected his father’s work. For when inferior individuals questioned his authority. “You are excused.”

A chill went down your spine as the girl huffed then grabbed her friend’s hand. She pushed out her chair, allowing it to skid across the tile. Throwing a fit, her friend followed behind her embarrassed, his head down and a sad blush dusting his cheeks. Your eyebrows crinkled in sympathy as he was dragged away to another chaotic event that girl would surely create. 

You both watched them walk away before making your way to the foyer, where the twins adjusted their uniforms as they took their places around Tamaki, who draped himself over the couch, a royal centerpiece of jewels and fabric. 

“Please tell me she won’t be back here.” You laugh nervously, trying to play it off as a joke. But it was hard to contain the insecure wobble in your throat, and you tried to disguise it as a chuckle. Kyoya’s jaw set as he picked up the crack in your foundation, and squeezed your hand as he led you to your position: in a window position behind Haruhi. 

“She won’t.” He didn’t need to elaborate more. As cold as he was, you felt safer, appreciating the action Kyoya took when your boundaries were crossed. Add that to the lists and lists of reasons your heart yearned for this man. 

A breeze rushed over your palm as the ravenet let you go. He made his way to his place behind Tamaki’s right, directly to the side of you. A moment passed before your gazes met again and he offered a small smile, washing away the last bits of the scene that had played out minutes ago. 

On the other side of the coin, Kyoya’s nerves were a light with a new flame. 

There wasn’t much more he could take. A female host was a smart addition to the club, as you were bringing in more money and more popularity to the club every day. But with that came more risk, and the money was becoming less and less of a reason to keep putting you in the spotlight. 

Guests got courageous, lazy. A slip of the hand here, a caress there. He has seen the way some look at you, the least bit of good intention in their eyes. He especially had a bad feeling about the girl who had just made a new enemy of the Ootori company. It was a pity no one taught her to follow the rules. 

However, what was he going to do when someone made their advances clear, and you accepted them? 

That kiss on the cheek shocked him back into reality. He had become complacent with softened gazes and light touches here and there, but he wanted more. Kyoya wanted to be more.

He had to act soon. But how?

Being a club member didn’t automatically mean that Kyoya knew how to bring his relationship with you to the next level. Naturally, he didn’t know the first thing about relationships. 

He fidgeted, adjusting his glasses as he looked around the club, watching the girls cry when Honey and Mori-senpai said their temporary goodbyes as they walked towards your side of the picture they were creating to greet the guest that was on their way. Each host was skilled in knowing what these guests wanted in an entertainer.

Extravagant gestures, money, power. Promises of devotion no matter what consequences their choices led too, words of everlasting beauty and riches. 

The ravenet knew you enough to be sure that you were above all that. If there was one thing Kyoya knew he wanted to give you, it wasn’t empty promises. 

Before he could think about it more, the door to the club creaked open, a boy walking in tentatively, choking on a rose petal that had flown into his mouth. 

His thoughts instinctively transferred back to the reputation of the host club and the megane’s back straightened. 

“Welcome to the Ouran High School Host Club!” Your friends said in unison, setting the tone for the atmosphere that you all created around you. 

Your host smile shifted slightly when the short figure plucked the rose petal from his mouth, shaking it away when another one caught onto his fingers. He looked up in awe, his deep brown eyes glittering as they flicked over each costume, Arabian culture deeply rooted in the vibrant colors and jewelry. 

He was just a child, fascinated by the shiny things. 

Hikaru’s arms flopped to his sides, having put them up in a romantic, outstretched gesture. He blew a ginger strand of hair out of his face as his eyebrows drew close in confusion. You had dyed their hair a third time when they grew bored of the bright colors. They liked the sneaky potential of always being mistaken for the other, and the colored hair made it too obvious.

He grumbled to his brother and Tamaki posed in front of him. “Oh, it’s a kid.”

Tamaki, never one to break character, floated a hand towards the boy, gracefully splaying his fingers out to show off his rings. “What’s wrong little boy?” The prince’s voice drawled, a soft, royal tone passing over his tongue. “Did you come to my palace in search of something?” 

The kid shuffled, one foot pointing toward the blonde, and another pointing toward the doorway. His response shook in hesitation as he struggled to make eye contact with the blonde.

“Are you the King of this place?”

You immediately looked at Kyoya, and gray met (e/c) in an exasperated effort. You sucked on your cheek, trying not to roll your eyes as Tamaki sat straighter, a glimmer glossing over his violet irises. 

“Well?” The boy pressed on. “Are you?”

Tamaki’s hand turns, his palm facing upwards. A finger curls, beckoning the child to come closer. 

“Come closer, lost one.” Oh god.

The kid’s green uniform crinkles as he makes his way towards Tamaki, and your posture sinks even more as he adjusts himself to tower over the poor child. 

“What did you just call me, little boy?” Tamaki asks. Egotistical, lovable prick. 

Brunette eyebrows furrow on the young face. “The King?” 

The king lights up, standing to sway around the club room, basking in the words of a naive little child. “Ah, the king! Yes, I am the king of the host club!” You could’ve sworn you saw stars appear in his eyes. “Long live the king!”

“God, kid, what have you done?” You grumble, and watch as Haruhi’s shoulders struggle not to shake with her contained laughter. 

In the presence of the supposed king, the boy straightens his back, putting both feet together in a structured salute. 

“I’m an elementary fifth year! Shiro Takaoji!”

Shiro had a look of determination on his face that seemed too brutal for his age. His soft cheeks were clenched as he set his jaw, and the downturn of his eyebrows accented the shine of a purpose in his brown eyes. It was off-putting.

Then again, Honey-senpai didn’t act like how you would’ve expected either. 

Tamaki gasps as the posture of the child, and you didn’t think his head could get any bigger than it already was. That was before Shiro pointed to your blonde friend. 

“I want the host club king to take me on as an apprentice!”

You were sure the entire host club was going to suffocate under Tamaki’s ego. 

Tamaki rejoices, spinning the kid around in his arms as the boy kicks and spits until he settles under his grasp. 

More than displeased, you lean over to your left, scoffing as you whisper to the handsome director next to you. He notices and discreetly leans to his right.

“Please, an apprentice?” You scoff, your lips curling into a joking frown. “What is Tamaki going to teach the little squirt, huh? His detailed skin care routine?”

A small puff of air exerts from Kyoya, encouraging a small chuckle. He looks at you with a roll of his eyes while you turn your attention back to the boy in front of you, watching how you analyze the little boy like he is a mutant strand of the flu. His gaze softens without you noticing, then he looks to Tamaki as he immediately begins spouting small lessons to Shiro.

His eyebrow quirks as an idea flashes through his mind. If Tamaki is already going to be giving out free lessons on how to flirt with women, how bad would it be to sit in on a class?

“Oh my Tamaki, you have an apprentice?” A girl asks as she basks in the light that is Tamaki Suoh. Guests surround the prince like a moth to a flame, the center of the host club becoming something of a hive. But that wasn’t the unusual part. Today, there was a new kind of bug in their mist. 

Shiro watches intently as Tamaki grasps the girl’s hand, smiling down at her. 

“Yes. He is in elementary school, but I quite like the fire in his eyes.” 

“But are you sure it’s okay for such a young boy to become a host?” The guest says, looking between the elementary fifth year and the high school second year. 

Tamaki’s expression simmers down to a smirk, but clearly ignites a fire in the girl’s heart as he draws nearer, causing a blush to form on her cheeks. 

“Why wouldn’t it be? Love has nothing to do with age.” He rests a hand on her cheek, and you watch as she leans into the touch. “Take us for instance. When I’m with you, my heart starts pounding.” He leans a little closer. “Suddenly, I feel no different than a love-sick little boy.” 

She swoons. “Oh Tamaki~.”

Across the pastel tile, You, Kyoya, and Haruhi watch from the snack table as Shiro leans onto his tippy-toes, poking his head slightly above the table so that he can get a better look. 

“Don’t you think it’s weird that he’s making the kid observe him up close like that?” Haruhi asks, wincing as Shiro opens his eyes a little wider, hoping not to miss anything.

“Don’t you think it’s weird that this kid is here at all?” You say, frowning as you watch what you think to be a 10 year old take notes on how to seduce women. 

Leaning on a table behind you, Kyoya slightly glances up from his writings to check on Tamaki before focusing back on the pages in front of him. 

“There is a theory that people are considered more beautiful when observed up close.” He pauses, disguising it as a bored sigh, while taking the chance to glaze his eyes over your features. It wasn’t that you were more beautiful up close – because he didn’t think that was possible –, but he will always revel in the effect of your presence, and will never bore of you being inches away from his touch. 

“Tamaki seems to live by that theory.” He continues, and writes down the way Tamaki angles the girls face towards his, forcing a blush away from the thought of touching you that way. 

You roll your eyes as an irritating look on the kid's face forms when he tries to focus on the conversation happening in front of him. 

“Well, let’s leave them alone.” You say, as you gather what you came to the snack table for in the first place. You set pastries and sandwiches onto a silver platter, then begin walking back over to your guests for the afternoon. “I’m here to work, not to babysit.”

Both Kyoya and Haruhi look at you as you leave, taken aback by your harsh tone reserved for the fifth year. Haruhi looks between you and Kyoya, who has an eyebrow raised on his forehead, but otherwise seems unfazed. 

“What’s up with her?” The honor student asks, directing her question to the club director while still keeping an eye on you. As you pass Shiro, you give him a wide girth, your posture slouching slightly.

An amused chuckle resounds through Kyoya. “(Y/n) is scared of children.”

Haruhi’s brows furrow together, and she looks at you again. You are so bubbly and kind, accepting of everyone and everything. For you to not like something as innocent as children is almost hilarious in a way, if it wasn’t so confusing. 

“I was just as surprised as you are when I first figured it out.” Kyoya assured her. “But she finds them incredibly annoying, especially when they aren’t supervised by their parents.” 

“But that’s so unlike her, she’s usually so open.” The brunette debates, remembering how caring and motherly you can be towards the members of the host club. 

Kyoya sighs, glancing at you once more, and Haruhi catches a glimpse of sympathy in his facade. “(Y/n)’s past is more complicated than she makes it seem. When she was younger, her parents made her feel like a burden. She had to rely on them so heavily, being a child and all, and her parents weren’t able to live their lives the way they wanted too.” A chuckle of dark humor travels past his lips. “Because who can travel and do business with a toddler attached to their hip?” Kyoya’s tone is dry as he looks down at Haruhi, whose eyes have lost their mirth. 

“So, psychologically, she feels like she has to avoid kids at all costs. She’s scared to treat them the way her parents treated her.” 

His statement leaves Haruhi even more confused, and a little saddened to hear about your past. “Since when are you a psychiatrist?” 

“I’ve never claimed to be a medical professional.” Kyoya smirks once more. “I’ve known (Y/n) for a long time, and I’ll admit I’ve come to learn how to read people.” 

He shrugs. “Additionally, I know a thing or two about parental issues.” 

The ravenet lifts his gaze again and watches as the boy apprentice calls one of Tamaki’s guests a carp, and as Tamaki tries to comfort his offended guest, Shiro casually walks around, looking for something more interesting after grumbling under his breath.

Kyoya’s jaw clenches from holding back a smile as he follows Shiro’s path. “Would you like to know the irony of the situation?” 

Haruhi nods and aims her brown eyes in the direction of Kyoya’s gaze.

“Because (Y/n) is so kind and open, children are drawn to her.”

As if punctuating the megane’s statement, Shiro drops down into an empty seat next to you, and they both laugh as you stiffen. 

“Man, what a crybaby.” Shiro casually says, resting his elbows on your table as he interrupts your conversation with the guy across from you. 

“You look like you won’t annoy me.” He says to you, and you wince internally. 

You look at him, your (e/c) eyes piercing through him, and Shiro gives a little gasp. You definitely remind him of someone. A girl in his class. She has the same smile that you do.  

Too bad he didn’t know that this smile was forced. “Shiro, you can’t sit here right now. I’m working.” You’re trying to be kind, you really are. You might be uncomfortable around children, but that didn’t give you the right to be rude to them. 

“Who says?” He looks back at you. Your cheeks puff out, and your face takes on a deadpan expression. Your eyes slide back to your laptop as you continue working out the budget, typing up financial plans to save up for some more specialty items for those who are a part of the point system. 

“What are you doing?” Shiro asks, and he sits up on his knees, prying his eyes over your computer. 

As he gets closer, you slide the laptop away from him. He leans even more, and you slide it away. Eventually, he is crawling on the table, scrambling to get a glimpse at your screen.

Biting your cheek to keep from cursing at a kid, you stop typing and pick him up from his armpits, treating him like a radioactive piece of lab equipment, and set him back down at his chair. 

“Stop being nosy, or go find someone else to bother.” You say, firm, but there was no anger in your words. Just exhausted annoyance. 

He huffs, folding his arms and pouting, but he stayed in his seat nonetheless. Your company was somehow less stressful than the king he was observing from your table.

That is, until two gingers came up behind you and wrapped around each shoulder. Like you weren’t already annoyed. 

“So how’s it going, (Y/n)? That’s an adorable little buddy you got there.” They tease you, also knowing your distaste for the young.

The twins laugh at your dismay, and you hunch further over your computer, struggling to focus on the task in front of you. Not with three immature little brats surrounding you. 

“But, Hikaru…” Kaoru suddenly becomes very sheepish, his laughter coming to a halt. You turn slightly to see a blush painting his face, and you roll your eyes in favor of watching your screen. 

Kaoru continues. “Do you wish you had a little brother like Shiro?” 

Stars and moons light up in each guests’ eyes as they watch Hikaru gather a tearful Kaoru in his arms, cradling his head as he looks down on him with dramatic longing. 

“Don’t be silly.” As if on cue, rose petals fall over them, most likely from the ones Renge had installed in the ceiling for moments like this. “I could search the whole globe and I’d never find a better brother than you, Kaoru.” 

“Hikaru…” Kaoru sighs.

Boys and girls all swooned around them as they shouted praises at their brotherly love act, especially after being deprived of it for so long.

But beside you, Shiro scrambled, leaping off his chair and pointing at the two brothers. He tugs on your sleeve, and with more strength than you would expect from a fifth year, pulls you out of your chair. He drags you away from the twins and sets you in front of him like a human shield, pointing at the Hitachiians in disgust.

“What the hell? Their brothers! That makes this totally insectuous!” 

You rip your hand from his grip while you roll your eyes, already exhausted. You’re so used to the twins’ act by now, you forget it takes a while for people to get used too.

You sigh as you try to make your way back to the table. “I think what you meant to say was incestuous.” 

You stop and turn at a grunt from Shiro as Honey jumps on his back, a cute smile on his round face. “Hey Shiro-Chan! You wanna have a piece of cake with me? We’ve got three kinds: chocolate, strawberry, and lime!” 

Manically, Shiro shoves the third year off, and you wince as Honey lands on his butt. “Hey back off! What grade are you in anyway? Why’re you wearing a high school uniform?” 

A shadow looms over him as Honey stands, rubbing his sore backside. You watch as Shiro looks up to see Mori, tall as ever, looking down at him over the bridge of his nose. 

“Something wrong, Mitsukuni?” Moris deep voice swept over the kid, and he backed away, finding refuge behind your legs, much to your dismay. 

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Shiro cries. “A little kid like you can’t have a cool older friend like him!”

Mori picks up Honey while you back away from Shiro, turning only to run into Haruhi. Why can’t you just make it the two steps to your seat?

Startled, Haruhi looked up from what she was doing. She grips a fragile tray in her hand, balancing a teapot with snacks that you helped prepare this morning arranged in a small little circle. 

“Sorry Haruhi- oof!” You say as the elementary schooler bumps into you once more, and you take a deep breath before you could explode on the poor kid. 

The honor student peeks behind you and sees Shiro gripping onto your skirt for balance.

“Are you alright?” She says, and both of you face the kid, considering you were awkwardly trapped between them. Might as well become part of the conversation. 

Haruhi leans down so she can be slightly more level with Shiro, and a kind smile traces her features. “I know, it’s kinda hard getting used to all the weirdos around here.”

Her joke puts you a little more at ease. Maybe it won’t be so bad after all. 

“It took me a while to get adjusted to all the craziness, so don’t freak out.” You say, hoping to give the kid some sort of comfort. Your voice doesn’t come out as confident and bright as you would like it, but it was soothing. So A for effort. 

Haruhi nods. “We’re sure you’ll get used to it.” 

You both pause as Shrio’s face becomes wrinkled with concentration. His eyes pin down Haruhi’s face as he studies her, confusing you to no end. Was he listening to anything you were saying?

You try again. “Shiro? Is there something wrong?” 

The kid’s eyes squint at Haruhi a bit more before he opens his mouth, causing your breath to stop in your throat. “Are you a crossdresser?”

You gasp. “Oh no.”

Suddenly, the twins and Tamaki are at your side, Kyoya walking over at a leisurely, but purposeful, pace. They become the Keep-Haruhi’s-Gender-A-Secret committee as Tamaki covers Shiro’s eyes.

“Okay! That’s enough!” The prince declares, chuckling nervously as he tries to direct Shiro away from your best friend, but the student doesn’t budge. “I think Shiro should take care of the tea for us! Don’t ya think?” 

You nod urgently and promptly take the tray from Haruhi’s grasp. The twins form a tag team, reaching out and patting her on the back to assure her of her manliness. 

“Wow, Haruhi, you’re looking extra manly today!”

“Yeah, you’re too macho for tea sets!”

Kyoya arrives at your side, humming in interest. “This kid is smarter than I thought.” 

Your mouth curves in distaste as you move to hand Shiro the tray. But not before you’re able to respond under your breath. “He may be a kid, but he has quite the eye.” The sarcasm couldn’t have been thicker in your tone. 

Trying to be more polite for Shiro, you paste a light grin when you face him. The tea tray extends out in front of you, and you give him a gentle warning. 

“Now be careful with it. It’s pretty heavy.” 

When you pass it to the kid, a crash sounds when he immediately drops the expensive pottery. Your gaze falls to the porcelain that lays shattered at your feet, just like your patience. 

“It’s not my fault I dropped it. It’s your fault because you’re the one who made me take it in the first place.” 

Your hands were frozen out in front of you, still grasping an imaginary tray as you prayed that you were dreaming.

“Are you kidding me?” You ask, mainly to yourself, despite being in the company of the entire host club.

Disbelief flooded your senses at the spoiled audacity of this kid, and your mood deflated even more when you realized that you were the one who had to clean it up. Your hands came up to rub at your face as you turned on your heel, heading for the broom closet. Baring your teeth behind a closed grimace, you kept your profanities to yourself as you calmly walked away from the little devil.

Throughout the years, you had come to realize that Music Room #3 was larger than it seemed. Tucked into corners of the clubroom were closets, hallways, and cabinets that were hidden in plain sight, and once you found them, you couldn’t figure out how you had missed it. The broom closet was one of these rooms. Past the kitchen and to the left used to be a door you had never opened. But at some point, the twin’s curiosity got the better of them, and a vast storage space was discovered. 

So, briskly, you made your way to the privacy of the broom closet, already a little emotionally overwhelmed from this aspiring new host, even if he had been here for only an hour or so. 

Once you’re faced with the entrance to the broom closet, you sigh, letting your head rest against the white paint on the wood of the door. Eyes closed, you will your bubbling anxiety to simmer, but it doesn’t really go away until you feel another presence lean against the door beside you.

“That tea set was one-hundred-thousand yen. I’ll have to add that to your debt.” A familiar voice resounds within the confined space of this hallway, erasing the rest of your tension.

Leave it to Kyoya to find the humor in your dismay. 

“And what debt would that be?” You ask, opening your eyes to see his shoulder pressed against the closet door, a smug look with a touch of softness painting his face. “It seems I only owe you favors, Ootori.” 

The club’s director hums, a teasing light sparking in his gray iris. “Then I suppose you owe me two favors.” 

The heartbeat in your throat is no longer caused by anxiety and you scoff, annoyingly enamored by the banter you two share. 

Motioning him away and moving towards the door handle, a monotone response leaves your lips. “What a joy.” 

With a creak, the door opens to reveal various multiple cleaning supplies. At the esteemed Ouran Academy, even the janitor’s closet is a walk-in space. Reaching above your head, you pull a small silver chain, turning on the lights and walking towards the back corner of the room. 

Shelves on the walls are illuminated by the bright light of a fixture in the center of the ceiling. Different tools are organized on all levels, while the larger of them hang on the walls in front of you. You scan the room before stepping in, trying to get a better look when you realize that what you were looking for wasn’t in its usual place. 

“I could’ve sworn the hand-held broom was back here.” You say, pantomiming the kind of tool you were looking for, as all you could see hanging from the walls were mops and brooms taller than you were. 

“You mean this?” His voice projects behind you, and you spin to see Kyoya holding a small brush and a dust pan. Gratefully, you smile and reach for it, only for him to move it slightly out of your reach.

“Kyo?”

“Are you alright?” He asks, and you blink. It takes a second to process the change in mood, but a small smirk appears on your face nonetheless

“Are you worried about me or something?” He deadpans, and his concern is replaced with a slight regret of ever being associated with you.

The ravenet crosses his arms, the small broom hanging over the crick of his elbow. “I am simply aware that your emotions might be a little more than negative at the moment.” 

You give him a ‘really?’ look, but he meets it, peaking over his frames for an answer. 

Taking a deep breath, you give in. “I’m fine. Kids just put me a little on edge.” 

“It seemed like you were about to rip the poor child’s head off.”

“I know, I know.” You wince at your previous behavior. Apparently, as much as you tried to hide them, your feelings still managed to be sewed onto your sleeve. “Honestly, being in here helps me cool off a little.”

With a classic eyebrow quirk, Kyoya turns his wrist, holding out the small broom in front of him for you to take. But when you take it, he doesn’t move out of your way. 

The megane studies you before pushing himself off the wall and reaching towards your face. Delicately, his pale fingers push a runaway hair out of your face, tucking the strand behind your ear. His light touch causes something to bloom in your chest, and he takes comfort in the way you don’t push him away. 

The light touch of his fingertips morphs into a palm resting on the side of your face, your cheekbones warm from the pressure. Your flustered confusion manifests in a slight drop in your jaw when he draws in a breath, adjusting his hand to tilt your head slightly. 

“I realize that this may be a stressful situation for you.” Kyoya says, and in the small closest space, his quiet tone bounces off the walls and settles into the hollows of your rib cage. “But I hope I can be a place of comfort for you, if you need it.” 

It takes you a while to find your breath, but the oxygen rushes in soon enough, pulling along a fluttery feeling by a romantic ribbon. 

“Thank you, Kyo.” 

A soft smile etches into his handsome features as time stops for a moment, allowing the two of you to bask in the other’s presence, a treasure that is always hidden in plain sight, but doesn’t present itself often. 

That is, until a slam is heard from outside your little energetically filled bubble. 

Your mind is given whiplash as you are yanked out of the dazed feeling Kyoya always seems to give you, and harshly released into the present. Kyoya follows your lead as he spins his head, trying to peer his vision around the corner.

“What the hell?” You ask, trailing off as you quickly circle around Kyoya, shoving your shoulders together before dashing off towards whatever made that disrupting noise. 

In your dust of sunlight, Kyoya stands. He doesn’t follow you in favor of pulling out his notebook. He flips to the most recent page and scans it, finding the checklist he started at the beginning of the day. 

In his neat handwriting reads: Head Tilt. 

Shaking his head, Kyoya goes back to that moment when his hand touched your cheek, sighing at the electricity he felt surge through his fingertips. Maybe he didn’t copy Tamaki’s movements well enough?

Next to it, he writes Ineffective before pulling the chain above him, darkening the small space. 

As you turn the corner from the closet, you nearly drop the small broom onto the polished tile when you find the newest addition to your club trapped in a giant metal cage. 

“What’s going on here?!” The kid shouts. “Why did you put me in a cage?”

“Yeah!” You say as you stomp over to the group that has now been made around the poor child, making your presence known. “And where did it come from?”

Haruhi is also in awe, speaking through a dropped jaw. “Isn’t this supposed to be a music room?”

Shiro bangs on the bars as they ring in defiance. “This is no way to treat your loyal apprentice! Now let me outta this cage!”

“Jesus Christ, I was gone for two seconds.” You say next to Tamaki as you watch the elementary school kid bar his teeth at the seven of you as Kyoya joins the commotion. 

“His attitude was in absolute distaste and he insulted Haruhi. Drastic actions call for drastic measures.” Tamaki states, arms folded in a scold towards the boy. 

The blonde grabs a cup of tea that was freshly made by Haruhi before all of this began and sips on it, completely brushing off the kid’s whines. 

“I will not let you out of that cage until you’ve learned your lesson. I made you my apprentice because I thought you were serious about becoming a host, but I guess I was wrong.”

Another cry comes from Shiro, and sympathy pulls uncomfortably in your chest. “I am serious! I am totally serious!”

His pleas seem to fall onto deaf ears as the King continues to ignore him, so he tries again. Your brow crinkles at the tears that glisten in his eyes. Maybe this was too much. 

“I want you to teach me how to make a woman happy!” With desperation and defeat, he slumps to his knees, his knuckles white from his hard grasp on the prison bars. “I’m gonna run out of time.”

You share a look with Haruhi, both of you catching that brief example of vulnerability while Shiro takes another wet gasp. “Please, won’t you teach me?” The boy looks up, still on his knees. 

“You’re a host because you like girls. You like bringing a smile to a girl’s face.” The kid swallows, not having the proper adult experience in controlling strong emotions like these. “That’s why you do it right? Please, won’t you teach me to be like you?”

Tamaki still continues to give Shiro the cold shoulder. Your discomfort for the child is momentarily erased as you come to Shiro’s aid. 

“You should help him, Tamaki.” You say, and his violet eyes meet yours in suspicion. “After all, you are a genius. The King at making women swoon. You’re the only person that could help him.”

Tamaki drops the tea cup, but he skips over the shattered pieces towards Shiro with stars in his eyes. At least you already brought a broom from the closet. 

“Well, you may be a brat, but I admire your ambition!” The prince exclaims with eagerness in his voice, his pride overflowing more than the tea that was previously in his cup. “So, I’ll teach you! You know Shiro, you and I are so much alike!”

You roll your eyes as Tamaki starts hugging himself, and the twins saunter up to each side of you. 

“That poor kid…” Kaoru starts.

“...He doesn’t know what he just got himself into.” Hikaru finishes. 

Chuckling, you roll your shoulders, feigning annoyance as you shove them off. They’re laughing too, but they twist their heads, trying to see if anyone was within earshot of the three of you. 

“Too bad you weren’t here to see the shit Shiro pulled to get him landed in a cage.” The mischievous twin states, his golden eyes locking with Kaoru’s in another spurt of twin telepathy. 

“Yeah, wonder what took you so long in that broom closet? Didn’t we see Kyoya go in there with you?” Kaoru states, and relishes in the blush that quickly rises to your cheekbones. They start snickering at your burning face, but their humor is interrupted as you yank on each one of their ears, crouching down and pulling them with you. 

Your voice is a hushed whisper as you try your best to not bring any attention to yourselves. “If you guys don’t cut it out, I’m gonna call your mother and have her cease your weekly allowance for a month.” You tighten your hold on them and they wince. “Ms. Hitachiian and I are very close.” 

They roll their eyes once you release them and dust off your skirt. “Geez, since when was your grip so strong?” They whine in unison as they rub their red ears. 

You smirk as you walk past them to tune back into the conversation, serving them a fake smile. “It’s powered by my pure annoyance for the two of you.” 

Rolling their eyes for the second time in a row, the three of you make it back to the host club’s shenanigans. 

When Tamaki’s voice comes back into earshot, his tone has taken one akin to a teacher. “If this is really what you want, Shiro, then you’ll have to figure out how to use the material you already have.”

His innocence is highlighted when Shiro scrunches his eyebrows together. “What does that mean?”

The click of a pen is heard as Kyoya opens his book, turning to an earlier page. You scan it to see all of the host’s names, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each persona that you all hold. You were pleased to see that your category was recently added in a different color of ink, the few sentences suggesting that there was more to learn about how you can contribute to the club’s image. 

“You see, here at Ouran Academy, our policy is to use our individual personality traits to meet the needs of our guests.” The ravenet speaks, a tiredness twisting into his tone as if he’s had to explain this exact thing several times over. 

He gestures to Tamaki, who puffs out his chest proudly. “For example, there’s Tamaki, who is the Princely-Type.” Kyoya’s open palm then moves to each of you as you are introduced, seemingly proud of the system he has put together. 

“Then, there’s the Strong Type, The Boy-Lolita Type, The Little-Devil Type, The Cool-Type, and the Natural-Type. It’s all about variety.” Finally, he points to you. 

“And now our group is complete with the addition of (Y/n), the Sweet-Type.”

The brown-haired honor student points to herself, clueless of the nickname that had unknowingly been given to her. “The Natural?” You chuckle to yourself at her question.

Kyoya continues, looking up from his journal. “It would seem now that we have the perfect blend of characteristics. So it’s going to be hard to find a new one for Shiro.” 

“If you go by his age, he would be the Boy-Lolita type.” You think out loud, the logical side of your brain taking over.”

Honey’s eyes wells up, his pupils glistening with sudden tears as he looks at you. “Is he gonna replace me?” 

Before you can comfort him, another sudden noise pierces the air. Machinery crashes together with tremendous power, but unfortunately it wasn’t loud enough to silence an annoying voice tearing into the host club. 

“Oh, come on! Is that all you’ve got?”

Your stomach ties in knots at the familiar voice, and you spin on your heel. 

Laughing nervously, you wave to the rest of the host club. “Sorry guys! Last minute robotics club meeting, gotta go!” You briskly walk towards the front door. But before you can make it to the large double doors, the floor below you begins to open. 

Wobbling on the edge, you nearly crash into the tiered platform rising out of the tile, but strong hands steady you just in time. Mori pulls you back onto stable ground, but as a pink bow reveals itself from the depths of the music room, you wish you would’ve fallen anyway. 

Renge stands on three metal circles that get smaller as your vision rises, each acting as a step as she descends into the host club. You suddenly feel emotionally worn out, all of your patience draining at the sight of her sickly sweet smile. 

“I need to sit down.” You tell Mori in a lower tone of voice than usual, rolling your eyes at her victory laugh as she makes her way over to the host club. 

The otaku sighs dramatically. “Sorry to interrupt gentlemen, but what’s with the lackluster character analysis? I must say I’m quite disappointed. I thought I taught you better.” 

You sink deeper into your chair when Haruhi appears at your side, her tolerance equally spent. 

“What’s up with this place?” She whines. “I thought it was supposed to be a music room?”

“A Renge-free music room.” You grumpily add on.

Tamaki sighs and folds his arms at Renge’s statement. “Alright then, Miss Renge, how would you work Shiro into our collection of characters?”

“Hmm.” She taps her fingers against her chin cutely as her eyes scan the room, landing her gaze on you, pinning you against the cushions.

Renge smirked and sighed. “First of all, I think you have too much variety. (Y/n) sullies what a host club is supposed to be!” 

Grasping her hands together, her eyes shape into hearts as she twirls. “A room full of beautiful boys! Take her out of the club, put her back on sole errand boy duties, take her away from my Haruhi.” She stops twirling and points to the boys. “That’s what I would do first.” 

On the other end of her finger, the host club deadpans. 

Haruhi chuckles next to you. “Wait until she finds out I’m not a boy.” 

Kyoya steps out from the group. “(Y/n) will not be leaving the host club. If you don’t have anything that’s actually useful, then feel free to escort yourself out, Renge.”

Renge pouts. “So mean.” But her demeanor completely shifts once again, from an annoying whiny spoiled brat, to an annoying loud spoiled brat. 

“Listen up!” Your head reels from the whiplash of her emotions. “There are plenty of girls out there who have a thing for younger boys, or boys with baby faces. These girls are considered Shota fans.”

She begins to pace, walking in a pattern similar to a military general commanding her troops. “Now shota can be a broad category, so it’s important to know that the genre can be broken down into many different smaller categories.”

You hear scribbling and scoff as you see Kyoya taking notes on Renge’s mini lesson. 

“If I had to pick a category for this little boy,” Renge contemplates as she walks in front of Shiro’s vision and crouches down, scanning the poor boy from head to toe. “Then he would be the Naughty-Boy Type for sure!”

A creaking sound emits from the ceiling as the cage rises, disappearing into the room as if it was never there. A now freed Shiro points to himself, confused.

“The Naughty Type?” He asks.

Renge rushes him, pulling a whistle out of the neckline of her dress, and blowing it. “Now to be the Naughty Type, you have to wear shorts!”

“He’s already wearing shorts.” You point out as you stand, a headache budding behind your eye sockets. How you were still sane with a kid and Renge in the same room, you couldn’t say. 

Too focused to insult you, Renge blows her whistle again, and the noise ricochets off of your skull. “Okay! Then, you gotta have bumps and bruises! Give him a couple scars!”

Skilled in the makeup department, Hikaru and Kaoru get to work, painting on scratches and securing some bandaids to Shiro’s body as you make your way towards the ruckus. 

Too soon, Renge slaps Shiro on the back, making that same damn whistle noise. “Now run like a spoiled child. Make it reckless!”

Flabbergasted, Shiro sprints to one side of the room, flicking his heels behind him and staying low to the ground, throwing off his balance and making a messy sprint. Renge watches as he runs suicides for a minute or so before she interrupts with another blow, catching his attention. 

“Now I want you to trip and make it big!” Shiro does as he’s told, and takes a nasty fall to the tile. It looked like it hurt.

“Jesus Christ, Renge, he’s just a kid.” You say as you rush to him, grabbing the spot under his arm and pulling him up gently. “Are you okay, Shiro-chan?”

Renge laughs victoriously. “Now say your catchphrase!”

Shiro simply smirks, wiping the dust from his mouth that came from the unswept floor. His voice comes out scruffy and forced. “No big deal, it was nothin’.”

Realizing you’d been played, you promptly drop the kid and walk away. “Last time I help a kid like you.”

But Renge squeals. “That was perfect, Shiro!” 

Tamaki claps behind her. “That was outstanding! I never knew you were such a great coach, Renge!”

You rolled your eyes and took a stance between Kyoya and Mori, the land of non-expressive annoyance. 

Shiro stands, and when he lifts his head, he has the same look that all children have when they are frustrated, or can’t understand why something is happening. 

His brow furrows, and there’s a desperate shine to his eyes as his mouth parts in disbelief before his entire facade shifts into anger. 

“You’re idiots!” He shouts. “You’re all a bunch of idiots!”

Before any of you can stop him, he starts towards the door. “I’ve had enough of you people!” Shiro’s voice drops to a sad tone before he steps out of the club room. “This is so stupid, none of this is ever gonna make her happy.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Who’s her?”

But Tamaki is calling after the kid. “Wait, Shiro, we haven’t taught you how to apply the techniques you’ve learned yet!”

It was too late. Shiro had left Renge’s crappy teaching in his dust, along with a hint to a secret he has clearly been hiding. 

‘None of this is ever gonna make her happy!’

Completely ignoring Shiro’s feelings, Tamaki marches back to the group. “I can’t believe he ditched us because he didn’t like the lesson. What a selfish little brat.”

“It takes one to know one.” Haruhi says, and you both snicker as Tamaki whines. 

“Haruhi! Mon ami!” He runs to hug Haruhi and cries, but the noise is swallowed by the sound of the platforms turning. You spin to see Renge slowly lowering herself back into the floor, the machine descending into wherever it came from.

“You’re leaving?” You ask, maybe a little too hopeful.

She sighs. “I swear, young boys are good for nothing. I went through all that trouble, and he quits!” Renge throws her arms up in an exasperated expression just before the tile closes around her, placing her out of sight and out of mind. 

The air in the clubroom seems suddenly calmer, for some reason.

Haruhi breaks herself from the prince’s grasp. “Listen Senpai, weren’t you listening to what he said?” 

Tamaki stops trying to grab her and pull her to him to tilt his head, humming in question. 

Her brown eyes meet yours as Haruhi silently asks for your support, considering you heard the same things she did. 

“He said ‘I’m gonna run out of time.’” You clarify as you make your way to her. “What do you think he means by that?”

Haruhi gets a thoughtful look on her face, her eyes drawing downward to focus on the tile that apparently holds many secrets. 

But soon she answers with a quiet confidence. “I think, maybe, it’s a girl.”

Giving her a confirming nod, you think back to how desperate a reckless little boy was to take instruction from a bunch of uptight strangers. But you guessed that nothing was a better motivator than love. 

Why Kyoya let Tamaki make up these ridiculous plans was beyond him, but here he was nonetheless. In the dark, pressing himself against a wall of a school he hasn’t stepped foot in in over a decade. He rolled his eyes as the idiotic trio couldn’t stop themselves peaking out from the door they hid behind, watching as Haruhi and Honey pranced around in grade school outfits, Haruhi’s being more revealing than was needed. 

“You think the fact that Tamaki practically forced her to wear that outfit would reveal a little secret crush or two, wouldn’t you say?” 

Ah yes, you were here as well. Crowded against him in another conveniently small closet where your shoulders were pushed together and the air smelled a little sweeter from your presence. He felt you chuckle against him at your comment, and soaked in the sound as he shook his head. 

“Those two are too stubborn and ignorant to interpret their behavior as anything other than a close friendship.” He whispered.

Without light, it was hard to make out how close your face actually was to his, but you were close enough that he could see a few features in the shadows. The shape of your jawline, your nose, your jewelry that reflected the small sliver of light that was streaming from Tamaki’s peephole.

You were close enough to make his heart race.  

His response expelled another small laugh from you, causing a small smirk to rest on his face. 

You peep out the little crack in the door and shake your head. “Why did they even bother with those disguises?” You ask while Kyoya brings out his notebook. “They stick out like a sore thumb.”

The ravenet hums as he flips to the first page with some open space and begins to draw small spirals. He couldn’t bring out his phone since it would be too bright, so doodling seemed to be the next best conqueror of boredom. 

“Oh ho, (Y/n), never doubt me.” Tamaki says in front of you. He’s crouched, and there’s a creepy glint in his usual violet irises. “There’s a reason, a damn good reason.”

“Gross.” You chide next to Kyoya, watching suspiciously as he rubs his hands together like a madman. 

The twins sigh next to him, and Kyoya rolls his eyes at the drool that leaks from their mouths. “Isn’t she the cutest?” They admire, watching Haruhi being pulled around the elementary school by Honey’s direction.

“Just because she is helping you infiltrate the school and look for Shiro, doesn’t mean you can ogle at her the whole time.” You say, and Kyoya’s shoulder feels colder when you move away from him to wack all three of them. 

Tamaki barely feels the impact, the evil glimmer in his eye turning into adoration. “Look at her in that little mini skirt! Haruhi looks like a little doll!” He whisper-squeals.

You roll your eyes and hit him again for good measure. 

“So basically, you just wanted to see her dressed like that.” Kyoya says as you slowly make your way back to your spot in the dark. He reaches a hand out and you take it, feeling a small buzz in his palm while he gently guides you back to the wall.

The twins turn back, and the megane watches as their eyes drop to your intertwined hands and then back up to him. Kyoya lets go and rolls his shoulders, emitting a practiced nonchalant aura around him. 

But the red heads smirked anyway, and he braced himself. 

“You wouldn’t let us dress up (Y/n) like that, so Haruhi was our next best option…” Kaoru whispered, raising the right corner of his mouth. 

“Let us enjoy this, Shadow King.” Hikaru finishes, the left corner of his lips mirroring his brother’s.

Kyoya ticked his jaw, not bothering to look at your reaction. Not like he could see it anyway. 

Thankfully, there wasn’t time for you to reply when Haruhi and Honey walked into a classroom at the end of a long hallway, moving out of sight of the host club. 

“We need to follow them.” Kyoya looked at another dark shape across from him when Mori spoke. From where Kyoya could see, he was leaning up against the wall, keeping a watchful eye. 

At the stoic’s words, the club files out of the closet. You stretch next to him, sighing as you both are released from another small closet space. 

“Is this your elementary school?” You ask beside him, and he looks down at you over his glasses. The two of you had fallen behind the rest of the group, and he watched as you looked at the walls full of trophies and pictures, appreciating the memories. 

He hums, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. “It is.”

“I bet you were kind of a nerd.” You say and he rolls his eyes. Kyoya thinks back to those times where he sat at a cafeteria studying rather than enjoying the period with friends. At the time, that’s what he preferred, but now he could barely imagine what lunch would be like without the chaos of the host club. 

He supposed he would miss it. 

“As were you, I assume.” Kyoya replies while turning his head to look down one of the corridors. Classrooms bustled inside and nostalgia hit him like a truck, remembering what it was like to be about a foot shorter, roaming the halls silently and carefully just as he did now. 

A whack on his shoulder brings him back to the present, and he sees you scoffing at him for what seemed to be the hundredth time today. And then that scoff turns into a smile. 

There wasn’t much that could incite an obvious emotional reaction from the megane. While there was quite a bit that could make him feel something, usually anger or annoyance, an apparent expression of contentedness and joy was rare to come by for him. 

From the mixture of nostalgia and love, he feels a smile bubbling behind his lips, the corners twitching from the restraint of holding it back. The usual knot in his chest is unwound, falling instead to the bottom of his stomach, the strings feathering slowly and tickling the muscles beneath his abdomen. 

He is too distracted, something that has never truly described him before, to realize that they've made it to the end of the hallway. Or to realize that a door has opened up from a corridor behind them. Or the gasp that sounded off in the distance. 

The classroom that the club has stopped in front of set off another round of bursts. This was his old music classroom. He had played the flute for a time in elementary school before his dad made him drop it to focus on his academics. This was his old music teacher’s classroom.

Kyoya calmly made his way to the front of the crowd, leading them behind Haruhi, who had stepped in first to examine everything. 

“Hm, there’s nobody here.” She states, and everyone else files in. Or, at least he thought it was everyone. 

Tamaki enters the space, a hand to his chin. “So the kid’s classroom is empty, is it?”

But instead of being curious, the twins look as elated as Kyoya feels. “Man, this takes me back.” They say in unison. Hikaru rounds one of the desks, bending over to look on the underside of the wood. 

“I wonder if my doodles are still on my desk.” 

Another hum emits from the club’s director, except this one was dismissive instead of amusing. “Doubtful. The school changes the desks out every year.”

When he came back to his second year of flute lessons, he had thought the same thing when secretly observing each desk, looking for the tell tale sign of spirals. They had been wiped clean. 

The twins, conventionally, ignore him and continue spelling off nonsense. “Let's check out the cafeteria after this!” Hikaru exclaims, with Kaoru nodding along with him.

“I wanna see the old gym!”

“Great idea, Kaoru!” Tamaki chimes in, still looking around. But unlike the rest of the host club, there wasn’t the glint of nostalgia in his stance. Kyoya’s mouth draws into a thin line before continuing to slowly walk the classroom. 

Before you, Tamaki was Kyoya’s only source of this peaceful feeling. Even if he had to fight his way in, the blond prince had proven that people could and would take the time to truly get to know someone like Kyoya. So when Tamaki had opened up to him months later about where he had come from, Kyoya knew that he needed to be there for the prince. The same way that the prince had been there for the Shadow King. 

Haruhi cleared her throat, breaking the ravenet from his thoughts. A vein was popping from her forehead in an attempt to control her frustration. 

“If you’re just gonna barge in here like that, then why did we wear these stupid disguises?” 

Tamaki flicks his wrist, ignoring her while the brothers laugh. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Hikaru assured, shaking his head. 

“Yeah,” Kaoru agreed. “There’s no one here to catch us.”

Ironically, at that moment, a pair of footsteps was heard walking down the hallway. 

Like rats, the host club scattered. Heads ducked underneath desks, even if some fit more awkwardly than others. Kyoya adjusted his legs around the weirdly placed support bars of the table as the footsteps got closer, two muffled voices becoming clearer as the intruders grew near. 

Weird, Kyoya thought, to label them as intruders when I’m the one hiding with a metal chair leg stabbing into my back. 

“Is everyone hidden?” A cute whisper sounded in the classroom as Honey checked to make sure that everyone found a hiding spot. Always analyzing, Kyoya scanned from his uncomfortable position, taking a sort of attendance. He checked off a list of names in his mind to the beat of shoes against tile, the assumed teacher inching closer and closer every second. 

Silence followed as the footsteps stopped right outside the door, and Kyoya realized he was missing someone. 

A very important someone. 

Doing his best to keep calm, he double checked. 

Tamaki, Mori, Honey, Haruhi, the twins, and-

Where were you?

His collar felt uncomfortable against his neck when he angled his body slightly so that he could see farther down the line of desks. Catching the attention of Haruhi, who had picked the desk right beside him, he asked her if she knew where you were.

You and Haruhi  had grown so close in these past few months, if you hadn’t told him where you were going, then certainly you would let her know-

“I thought she was with you?” 

Confusion pulsed inside of his rapidly beating heart as his jaw clenched too tightly. The tip of his canine scratched the tissue of his lip as he rewinded the past few moments. His nostalgia had distracted him from those short moments between the closet and now, which had felt much longer in the moment. 

As he looks deep into his memory, he swallows, remembering a small gasp emitting from where you were beside him before he took the lead into the classroom. 

But before he could start the search party, the door to the teacher’s classroom opened, an airy laugh filling the space.

“This is my classroom.” A deep voice speaks in (n/l) as the two pairs of footsteps file onto the tile, and the host club instinctively pulls their feet closer to their bodies, making them as small as possible. “I just need to grab some sheet music, and then I’ll be on my way.”

“Wow, Mr. Salling.” Another voice compliments in the same language as she begins to walk between the aisles. “This is much better than the classroom back home.”

Kyoya meets Haruhi’s shocked gaze across the way. That was your voice. How in God’s name had you become acquainted with a teacher? All while not being detained by the school?

Who the ravenet assumes to be Mr. Salling laughs, a deep but quiet chuckle that was nothing other than genuine. “Yes. While I loved what I did back in (c/n), opportunities like this don’t come around very often.”

“You definitely deserved it, though! The music room was never the same without you.” You said as you continued walking. It sounded like you were dragging your palm against the desks as you slowly passed, taking in the new environment.

Black dress shoes came into Kyoya’s vision, and the moment of freedom was fleeting when he recognized the Ouran Academy sigil on the heel. 

Shooting his hand out from beneath the desk, he laid his hand on the top of your foot. Tapping it twice with the pale pad of his fingers, he smirked as you jumped a little before looking down. (E/c) eyes met with his gray ones, and he watched fear, shock, and then annoyance pass through them as you noticed little tufts of hair scattered under the desks.  

“(Y/n)?” The (n/l) speaker asks as your teacher notices your pause, and Kyoya raises a firm finger to his lips. 

“Yes! Yes, sorry.” You cleared your throat as you quickly, but calmly made your way back to Mr. Salling. “I was just still processing that I was able to see you! What a small world!” 

Another laugh emits from him. “It is nice to be able to speak (n/l) outside of the house.” Mr. Salling’s feet shift as he adjusts his weight when leaning on his desk. “What have you been up to all these years? Still practicing piano?”

“Oh, god no.” You scoff. “We both know I gave that up years ago.”

Even under the stress of the situation, Kyoya takes the risk of opening his journal to write down the fact that you had taken piano lessons. 

You and your teacher take a moment to laugh a little more before it dies down. “I actually have a club that I joined that I’m really enjoying so far!” You lean back on your heels with a sigh. “Even if the people I work with can be pretty annoying.”

“Sounds exciting.” Mr. Salling says knowingly. The twins and Tamaki share offended glances. 

You walk towards him again as you change the subject. “I hope I’m not keeping you from your students. I know you mentioned you didn’t have much free time.”

From where Kyoya can see, the brown shoes of your old teacher turn towards the clock, and then turn frantically as the megane hears papers rustling together. 

“You’re absolutely right, Ms (L/n). I’m sorry to leave you, but my students are waiting for me in the practice room.” Salling rushes as he goes around his desk to retrieve the last of his things. 

“You’re more than welcome to stay here until I get back, but it will probably be a while. If I don’t see you again, call my office. We can catch up over dinner with my husband.”

Your shoes follow him out, then stop by the doorway. “That sounds perfect! It was amazing seeing you, Mr. Salling!”

Down the hall, his footsteps are growing quieter as he calls out his reply. “Please, call me Esben.”

When the music teacher from the past is out of reach, the soles of your shoes spin as you close the door behind you. 

“He’s gone.” The sweet voice you were using with Esben dropped many octaves as you alerted the bodies under the desks. The hosts crawled out of their hiding spots, stretching their torsos from the longevity of unnatural folding. 

When Kyoya rises, you’re folding your arms across your chest. 

“Where were you?” Haruhi asks.

“Where was I?” Your eyebrows raise in disbelief as you scoff. “I turned around for one second to say hello to one of my old teachers, but when I looked back, you guys were gone!” 

A chuckle follows your amazed tone. “Of course you guys were hiding in the one classroom I just happened to follow Esben into.”

Haruhi shakes her head, but is satisfied with your answer. “So what do you think we should do now?” She asks as the hosts begin to explore the classroom. 

Mumbling voices fill the classroom as the hosts pair together and split up, knowing that this place was as good of a start as any to begin their search for answers. 

Kyoya makes his way over to you, the light in his eyes darker than usual. 

You smile at him as he approaches. “What’s up?”

“You left.” He realizes his tone comes out flat as he speaks to you, and he tries his best to inflect it differently. “Without telling me?”

Another small laugh passes your lips. “Do I need to ask permission?”

“Not necessarily.” Kyoya turns, and he feels you naturally begin to walk at his side as you both scan the numerous pictures on the walls of the classroom. It feels right. “I’m just disappointed I wasn’t invited on your rogue mission.”

“Was that a joke?” Your finger pokes lightly into his shoulder, and he can’t fight back the smirk that appears on his lips at your playful voice. “Did Kyoya Ootori just make a joke?”

The ravenet jolts his shoulder, shrugging you off lightly, and scoffs when you act offended. “Get away from me.”

You laugh again, and the constricting knot in his chest loosens. There was a time in a certain private dressing room where he wasn’t close enough to help you. When you disappeared this time, that feeling of panic surfaced too suddenly, crescendoing into something monstrous and consuming. 

But you came back, and that was what mattered. You were your own woman, and could take care of yourself, but he still wanted to be with you, in case you ever needed him. 

“Here’s something interesting.” You muse as he snaps out of his daze. He sees you standing in front of another picture hanging up on the wall. 

“What did you find?” He asks, making his way to your side while eyeing the picture in a golden frame. 

Kyoya’s gaze softens as he processes the image. Shiro sits at a grand piano, a happy smile on his face. His fingers are dancing across the keys, but they aren’t alone as another set of hand rests next to them. Delicate fingers belong to a girl sitting next to him, a happy blush across her cheeks as they play and talk, joy seeping through the captured memory. 

You hum next to him, and Kyoya sees an expression similar to his on your features.

“He may be a pain in the ass, but it seems he’s found the thing he loves doing.” You say dreamily as you zone in on Shiro’s content face. “And the person he loves doing it with.” 

(E/c) orbs meet gray as you look at him then, and those words combined with the emotion in your eyes conduct an orchestra in Kyoya’s chest, his heart beating to the melody it creates. 

The look lasts longer than it was meant to, but it’s broken as the rest of the host club gathers around to look at the photo. 

“Wow, is that Shiro-chan?” Honey asks next to you, taking Kyoya away from his sweet (e/c) oasis as you nod.

“I’ve never seen him look so sweet. It’s nice to see him enjoying himself.” Haruhi says on the other side of you, and Kyoya focuses on the image again.

“It seems that he is in the classical music club. His teacher must be Mr. Salling, the man (Y/n) met earlier.” The ravenet states, and the rest of the class nods. 

“Let’s see if we can find him.” You say, and with that the club pours out of the space, everyone staying together this time around. 

Now, the eight of you watch from outside the window of a classroom, trying your best to stay out of sight. It was creepy, yes, but the club’s curiosity on this new side of Shiro was overwhelming, even Mori looked interested as you watched Shiro sit on a chair in his classroom. 

The host club gathered closer toward the window when the same girl from the photo made her way over to him, a blush on her face as she clutched sheet music in her hands. 

Her voice is cute and high, and she stutters when she speaks to him. “Excuse me, Takaoji? I-I’m sorry, but have y-you been practicing the new piece that Sensei gave us?”

When Shiro looks at her, there are no daggers, no downward glances. Just warmth. “The new piece? Not really…”

She perks up at the opportunity. “If you want, I can show it to you! Do you wanna come play it with me?” The little girl gestures to a grand piano near the far wall of the classroom, the sun reflected off the elegant, black exterior. 

Shiro looks, and the warmth is replaced with a quiet sadness. “No thanks,” he says to her, his eyes meeting hers with less joy than before, “you go ahead. After all, there’s only one grand piano. You should use it, Kamishiro.”

The little girl’s disappointment rests in her shoulders as they droop slightly, but she keeps a kind smile. “Thank you, I will then! But if you want to join me, just let me know.” Kamishiro says before giggling and making her way to the large instrument. 

As she places the sheet music on the stand and settles in front of the keys, Shiro’s eyes follow her the whole time. It’s even hard for the club to look away from her as she begins to play. Her fingers dance gracefully over the keys, showcasing the skill, talent, and love that she holds for her art. The hosts watch as she sways with each crescendo, falling into muscle memory and contentment as she plays. 

A ding from a bell is heard, the sound interrupting the host club’s trance with this little girl, as another one steps out from the hallway. The child seems more bubbly than Kamishiro as she dances out of the room, into the hallway, only to pause at the sight of eight random teenagers looking like they just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Her innocence is practiced as she shrugs and keeps walking, sensing no apparent danger, but Tamaki stops her politely. 

“Excuse me, mademoiselle.”

“Huh?” The girl stops, only to see a white rose in her face. Her eyes grow wide and happy as she takes it from the handsome prince, and looks up at him with her full attention. 

“I’ve never seen a rose more beautiful than you, my dear.” The little girl gasps while you cringe internally. If someone had talked to younger you that way, let alone a stranger, you probably would’ve either crawled into yourself or bolted away at the speed of light. 

The prince continues. “I was wondering if you could tell me anything about the young lady playing the piano. Do you know her?” He says in a gentle tone, and you soften slightly at the interaction, feeling your soft spot for Tamaki grow as he interacts with the young girl. You imagine you can’t be the only one feeling it. 

The young girl perks up, happy to help. “That’s Hina Kamishiro!”

“Her name is Hina?” Tamaki asks, still gentle in his inquiry. 

She suddenly gets serious. “That’s right, but you better not fall in love with her.” 

A small chuckle emits itself from the prince’s mouth. “Why not?”

“Didn’t you know?” The small girl asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Hina has to move away soon. Her dad just got a new job in Germany, so they have to move there at the end of the week.” 

You and Kyoya meet eyes, both of you connecting this recent piece of information to all of Shiro’s previous actions. It made perfect sense. 

“What are you idiots doing here?!”

A deeper, but still pre-pubescent, voice interrupts their conversation, and the hosts look to see Shiro in the doorway of the classroom. He walks up to the eight of you, ignoring the girl with the white rose. “I want you to leave immediately!”

But Tamaki is not stunned. Instead, after a moment to think, Tamaki reaches down and scoops up the younger kid, Mr. Salling completely oblivious to the actions happening outside of his practice room. After throwing Shiro over his shoulder, Tamaki leads the host club out of the school. Trudging along, you drag your feet, unenthused about having a kid back in the music room. 

The soft tone that Tamaki used with the little girl was gone when they got back to the clubroom. Heaving Shiro from off his shoulder, the kid bounces on the couch, shock inhibiting him from speaking. 

“Tamaki, what are you-” You were about to scold him for tossing Shiro around like a sack, no matter how funny it was, but the prince cut you off, disappointment and anger twisting through his words like vines. 

“What is your problem, you big idiot?!” Shiro yells, his voice cracking slightly from the volume.

Tamaki huffs, his eyebrows creasing with restrained emotion. “I’m sorry, but you’re the idiot! You said that you wanted me to teach you how to make women happy, but that’s not it, is it? You’re not concerned with the happiness of just any woman.”

You jumped in, catching onto where Tamaki was going with this. “You’ve got your sights set on one woman in particular. You only care about Hina Kamishiro.”

Tamaki moved to kneel in front of Shiro, taking on a sort of brotherly aura. “Listen Shiro, I know I told you it’s the job of a host to make every guest happy, but when you care for someone, you must find the courage to express what is in your heart!”

Your head turned as Tamaki stood again, a determined look in his eyes as his words resonated throughout the host club. “You have to tell her how you feel! You didn’t come to me wanting to be a full-fledged host, you wanted to be a full-fledged man.”

Your breath was hitched when you subconsciously met Kyoya’s eyes during Tamaki’s speech, swallowing at his indirect advice. When you realized that you had slowly fallen into his gaze once again, a blush burned your cheeks as you smiled slightly and looked back to the front, heartracing. 

Kyoya’s heart matched your pace. 

A sigh brought your attention back to the couch as Shiro dipped his head, his bangs falling sadly in front of his face. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve run out of time. I just- I wanted to hear her play before she left…that’s all.”

Just as your heart slowed down, it broke in two at his admission. Forgetting your vendetta against him, you knelt down beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“That piece she played…it’s Mozart’s Sonata in D major for two pianos, isn’t it?” You asked him, sweetness pouring out of your voice like sugar. 

He looked at you in slight amazement. “How did you know?”

Another soft smile graced over your lips. “We have the same music teacher.”

With a slight tilt of your head, the prince walks over a large sheet near the back center of the music room. He pulls it away like a curtain, the fabric floating through the air before billowing to the polished tile. 

The host club relished in the sight of a glorious grand piano, barely used to the point where it was basically brand new. The window behind it surrounded the instrument in the light of the sunset, but the image wasn’t complete until Tamaki sat down behind it. 

“Wait a minute, since when was there a grand piano in here?” Haruhi asked. 

The twins smirked as they turned to look at her. “Well, this is a music room.” Hikaru stated.

“So why wouldn’t there be a piano?” Kaoru asked, expecting the frustrated look Haruhi gave them. 

A smirk tightened on Kyoya’s lips. “This is a music room after all.”

“It is a music room.” Mori adds with a curt nod while Honey stuffed his face.

“It’s always been there, we just had it covered up.” The boy lolita explained through the crumbs of his cake. 

Kyoya looked at you, expecting you to join in on the bit. And you would’ve, if Tamaki wasn’t playing the most beautiful thing you ever heard. 

Your fingers caged around your mouth, trapping any sound that might disturb him as Tamaki’s finger moved expertly on the keys. The piece was perfect, technically and artistically as Tamaki brought his own emotion into the piece. The feelings translated so strongly that you fought to keep the tears in your eyes from falling. 

It wasn’t everyday you got to hear Tamaki play. The first time was at one of the school’s recitals a while back. You had cried then too, not prepared for the sheer light of his content smile as he made every single audience member sit on the edge of their seat. 

Since then, he played rarely, the most frequent being when you had asked him to teach you a song. He had laughed and pushed you onto the chair, and he spent the whole afternoon watching you fumble over the keys. Then it was your turn to laugh. 

Now you need to learn how to listen to Tamaki play without crying. 

Snapping out of your daze slightly, you look over to Shiro, hoping you’re not the only one struck with inspiration. You laugh softly when he looks as amazed as you do, his eyes fuzzy as he sinks deeper into his thoughts. 

A touch on your shoulder drew your attention away from the little boy and onto Kyoya, who was giving you a soft look.

He glanced around the two of you before raising his hand to cradle your cheek. His thumb came up to wipe a stray tear that was rolling down, gentle and slow. The piano grew louder, the notes adding to the moment as a chuckle escaped his lips, watching your surprised face.

“I apologize if I’m intruding.” He said in a quiet voice, but he still moved closer, so as not to draw attention to the two of you. “It’s hard for me to see you cry without trying to help you.”

A wet giggle blows past your lips as you cover his hand with yours, leaning into his touch.

‘You must find the courage to express what  it is inside your heart!’

“Not at all.” You say in an equal whisper, the music wrapping around the space where your hands touch and holding them still for a moment. “I would do the same, I think.” 

‘You have to tell her how you feel!’

After a moment of forced motivation and relishing the sudden closeness, you both drew synchronized breaths, speaking at the same time.

“Kyo-”

“(Y/n)-”

Both of you gaped at the other. Kyoya quickly closed his mouth and swallowed into a small smile, while you laughed slightly at the accident. 

Ever the gentleman, Kyoya waited. “Please, after you.”

Feeling more confident as the music swelled to a dramatic ending, you licked your lips slightly before trying again.

“Kyoya, there’s something I need to tell you.” You moved both of your hands to the space between you, putting your other hand over his so you can grasp it tighter. 

You took a deep breath as your heart began to race. Everything suddenly felt wrong. 

Sensing the serious tone, the ravenet lifted an eyebrow, still waiting through your hesitation. 

Your head dipped as the floor spun, and you were discreetly aware of how many people were around you, even if they weren’t paying that much attention to you. The realization that you were about to maybe lose the best person in your life struck you like a bad note, interrupting the perfect feeling you had just seconds ago.

The notes on the piano began to bang, Tamaki reaching the end of the piece with the dramatism that was expected from him, and you felt rushed. Like if you didn’t do it now, then the moment would be over.

Were you supposed to feel rushed?

The hand that you weren’t holding felt cool against your chin as Kyoya brought your gaze back to him, and the spinning world came to a halt. 

“Are you alright, (Y/n)?” To him, your hands had gone tense on top of his, and the sweet look in your eye had turned a little wild. 

He stepped even closer to you, trying to reassure you the best he knew how. 

“Whatever it is you need to tell me, you can say it. You can trust me.” 

Cool air rushed through your lungs as you took another deep breath in the space of peace that Kyoya gave you. The wild look in your eye dimmed into a determined look, accented with a bit of nervousness. 

Your lips parted, and your voice was breathy as you muscled out the words you had kept hidden for all these months, maybe even years. 

“Kyoya…I-”

“That was awesome, Tama-chan!”

The moment shattered like glass, your confidence breaking with it as you realized that Tamaki had stopped playing, and was rising to get out of his seat. 

Both you and Kyoya panicked slightly, firmly aware of your proximity to each other, and jumped away, unclasping your hands and holding them back at your side. 

As Tamaki detaches himself from the piano, you fight the blush that lingers on your cheeks, trying to cope with the whiplash of being so close to expressing how you felt in front of everyone, just because of some motivational words and good piano playing?

It all happened so quickly. What were you thinking?

But Tamaki's voice filters back into your focus. “For the next week,” he speaks to Shiro, “you will spend your mornings, lunches, and free time after school in piano lessons with me.”

Shiro scrunched his brows, looking as confused as you were. “But why?”

The prince laughs softly. “You wanted to be my apprentice, didn’t you? Besides, that young lady looked like she wanted nothing more than to play the piano with you.”

He begins to play again, and you sneak a look over to Kyoya, with his jaw tense and pulsing. 

You hung your head back down. He didn’t look happy.

Everyone knows Kyoya is one of the most observant people in the room. His entire life, his mind was sharpened to process even the tiniest of details. Surely, he already knew what you were going to say to him. 

And he looked angry and sad because of it. 

Of course he did.

When piano notes filled the air, you couldn’t stand the emotion of it all. Turning on your heel, you silently left without another word.

sorry it took so long! here is a long chapter to tide you over till the second part! please comment if you can, i love reading them :)

[nifflermini]

Inspiredq by: Plastic Palm Trees- Tate McRae

Authors Notes: I mean, sort of self-indulgent, not gonna lie. Also, I don't know how this song made this, but here we are🤷🏽‍♀️

Warnings: Kinda Dysfunctional Family, Fighting parents, Kind of OOC Semi? But he has little characterization, so…

I held my brother, holding him close as my other brother huddled into me.

"Why are they fighting this time?" His small voice reaches me, and my heart aches for him, as I rub my other brother's arm. I pressed a kiss to his head.

How do you explain to a kid that they're trying to save something that might already be lost?

"I think mom's trying to get dad to understand where she's coming from on something. It's gonna be okay, Hikaru." I explained, wincing as my parents' voices got progressively louder. It always started like this. one little gripe led to another, and soon enough, they were fighting, and it just gets louder, and louder, and-

"I want my headphones." I looked down at Hikaru, his glassy eyes getting me to break instantly.

"Okay, bud, lean against Akio, okay?" I said, shifting him onto Akio, my other brother, the older of the two. Akio shares a look with me, silently asking if I'm okay, and I shake my head and shrug, opening my door, and letting the shouting hit me in the face, asw I shut thte door, quickly walking into the front room, to find Hikaru's headphones. walking past my parents' gazes with not a second glance.

yeah, remember your kids? Couldn't you have waited until we were asleep?

I kept my thoughts to myself, as I got Hikaru's headphones, and walked away with a determination I didn't even know I had. Akio's already used to this. Hikaru's only six. I took a deep breath, putting the headphones over Hikaru's ears, connecting them to my phone while the younger boy curled into my lap as he listened to lullaby renditions of Coldplay. I rubbed his back, as the fighting started up again. I sighed.

How did this happen? Are they falling out of love or something?

I hoped not.

I spaced out in class, one earbud in my ear as the teacher taught. I wouldn't have time to do my homework anyway. Akio and Hikaru might need me to help them with theirs. I looked out the window, the raindrops reflecting my own mood.

I didn't even hear the teacher calling me until she was right in front of me. "Ms. L/n!" She practically screeched, and I turned my head away to see a bunch of teenage faces, and one very annoyed adult face. My eyes flicked to the chalkboard, quickly skimming the question, even though my mind drew a blank.

"Uhm, 32?" I answered tentatively. My teacher my looked at me with barely concealed annoyance and her mouth opened to comment. Luckily for me, the bell rang for lunch break. I brought my headphones and a sketchbook, shooting my teacher an apologetic smile. I knew my grades weer slipping, there's no way they weren't, especially with the all-nighters I kept pulling so i could make sure the boys could stay awake.

I'll get them under control this weekend. It'll be fine.

It was finally one of those rare days when the parentals weren't fighting. Meaning the kitchen was free. I washed the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher, and starting to make bentos for the boys. After all, they’re still growing. Once that was done, I padded over to the couch, but stopped in my tracks when I found a limb hanging off the couch.

Right. Mom did that sometimes.

Extra hours would sometimes put a strain on her. Dad would usually carry her to bed by now. I felt a lump in my throat.

I don't want to end up like this.

I immediately felt a pressurized warmth in my chest, felt a lot like guilt.

It's not my mom's fault.

It's not my dad's either.

sometimes I watch their relationship and wonder if I was catalyst. am I what went wrong? I quickly wrote a sticky note on the fridge, and booked it out of there, wiping the tears that had appeared.

I found a nearby park, clutching the back that held all the usual suspects with me. Headphones? Check. Phone? Check. Sketchbook? Check.

What I wasn't expecting was a random angel- sorry- random boy. Sitting in my usual spot. I stared, mesmerized by not only the fact that he was glowing in the moonlight, but he was also currently playing one of my favorite songs. I tilted my head, slowing down my usual quick strides to a few quiet steps rustling the dust underneath my feet. I started to sing along quietly, remembering the lyrics with an ease I hadn't felt since…

That long?

I haven’t much found comfort in the cadance of the strumming of guitar strings since primary school. His hands were plucking the strings almost as if it were as easy as breathing to him. I took it step by step, the familiar melody drawing me closer and closer.

Oh, wait, this is probably weird.

The steady stream of notes soon stoped, and it took my awhile to realize he was looking at me. I waved awakwardly.

“You’re that girl in my class, right?” He asked, pools drawing me in closer and closer until I was sitting next to him. My face heating up slightly as he started singing with me.

Why can't I take my eyes off his?

More importantly, why am I not freaked about this?

“I’m not judging, by the way.” He assured, plucking the strings mindlessly. “Our teacher is um… not the most engaging, so I don’t blame you for being all spacy.” He mumbled, and I let out a soft laugh.

“Yeah, well, as true as that is, that’s not the main reason I can’t focus much in that class.” My voice was just loud enough for him to hear. “What are you doing out this late?” I asked curiously.

“Needed to think. You?” He asked, his voice around the same level mine was.

“Everything was too loud. So really, same as you.” I mumbled. It was quiet. “…am I interrupting your thinking time?” I asked, feeling the beginnings of guilt build.

“No. Actually, uh, your voice is really pretty. L-like when you sing.” He tilted his head so his black tipped hair would hide his eyes. “Sorry, was that weird?” He asked bashfully, and I shook my head.

“No! No way, it- wasn’t at all. I… uh- th-thanks. For that.” I stuttered, looking up to meet his eyes. And for once, I felt like I was looking at something genuine. “Your playing is really pretty too. You sound good.” I complimented shyly.

“Thanks.” We fell into a comfortable silence, and I leaned back against the bench, Just listening. No solutions to my problems, no rebuilding of what felt broken. But the comforting hum of a guitar.

[bluewavesofchange]

The girl and the dragon

I don't own Yugioh or it's characters. Or beauty and the beast

Chapter 5

Atem was standing on the steps that led to the doors of the castle, Yugi still fast asleep in his arms, the innocent teen unaware of the dangers his sister and grandfather were facing in the tower above. But Atem knew what was going on...hoping that Kaiba wouldn't kill the girl and her grandfather...that there was at least some sense of humanity left in him.

He was always fond of Seto when they were children. Being the prince of his kingdom meant that everyone adored him and held him in high regard...but that also meant that people would put on false smiles and words filled with lies and deceit would leave their mouths to try and win his favour...which also meant he had no true friends...no one that liked him for who he was. Well except for Mana and his older brother Mahal. But they were his siblings, not friends (harsh I know). Mahad was always busy with their father since he was next in line for the throne, learning and training to take over the day their father stepped down so he rarely got to see Mahad...though when they did they would play games and spend their time in the gardens. However those were rare moments and scarce.

Then there was Mana, she was...nice but she could also be a handful at times and get into all sorts of trouble. Atem loved her and enjoyed spending time with her but she could also be too much so days...even now after being cursed for several years she was still the same...though now she had magic at her disposal and that never ended up going well...

So the day Atem's father had asked him to travel with him to a far of land the young prince was beyond excited at the thought of seeing somewhere new and possibly making a new friend. Though he had to admit the day he met Seto he thought the boy was odd. He was quiet and reserved and rather awkward to interact with. It was like he had never socialized with anyone his age before. But he seemed nice and just as lonely as he was. So he did everything he could to become friends with the brunet boy, best friends to be exact. However that turned out to be a bit of a challenge.

Whenever he came to visit the white castle with his father Seto was nowhere to be found and Atem would spend hours searching for the other boy only to find him hidden in the library, nose deep in a book. At first Seto had been annoyed at him for bothering him and being so overly friend but eventually the brunet let his walls down and got to know Atem. The two of them grew to be real friends as they spent their time together teaching each other things from their homelands or Atem teaching Seto how to play his favourite games. It was a fun few years...until Kaiba's parents passed away and that bastard Gozuburo came to live in the castle.

Atem's visits become less and less as he and his father were no longer invited to the castle. His father had been good friends with Ami and Hikaru so many of their visits were social rather than for trade and business. The few times they had returned to the white castle, Atem was forbidden from seeing Seto, the boy's uncle claiming he needed to focus on his studies and did not need to be distracted by some prince from Egypt.

Atem didn't understand and had tried to sneak off to see Seto, over the years he had learned how to get around the guards without being detected. He had found his friend in his room or in a study, ignoring Atem when he tried to speak to him or chasing him away. The change in his friend had worried the prince. The once bright and cheerful (although socially awkward) was gone and had turned into a closed off and dismissive jerk...but it didn't take long for Atem to figure out why...he had witnessed one of Gozuburo's beatings first hand...

He and his father were at the castle again to talking about a shipment of wine that had gone missing. Atem had brought a book from his father's library to give to Seto for his birthday. He had always hoped to see his dear friend back to his normal self again someday...deeply caring about him and wishing to see him smile again. But when he reached the study and opened the door he witnessed the cruelty Seto had to endure under Gozuburo...Atem had stood frozen as he watched his boy getting beaten with a fire poker by his uncle...the boy covering his head with his arms to defend himself from the blows...there was tears in his clothes exposing reddening skin and broken flesh...the Egyptian prince couldn't even hear the insults the old man was yelling at the child at his feet.

Atem did the only thing he could think of and rushed over to Seto, shoving Gozuburo as hard as he could, the man stumbling and dropping the poker. Atem grabbed Seto's arm and tried to pull him to the door, wanting to get his friend to safety but the cruel man had recovered quickly and stormed over to two boys...a growl coming from his throat as he yanked Seto away and tossed him aside before raising his fist and hitting the prince in the face, the boy falling to the ground before Gozuburo kicked him over and over again. Atem tried to curl up to protect himself but it was of no use as the man grabbed him by the throat and lifted him in the air...trying to strangle him as he shout insults in the boy's face...

Atem had started to black as he was struggling to breathe but his father and the guards that had arrived with the royal family burst into the room, little Mokuba standing beside the head of the Sennen family. The guards pulled Gozuburo away from Atem freeing him as his father to his side, the boy took in a few deep breaths as his dad was frantically checking to see if he was alright. But all Atem cared about was his friend, looking over at Seto as the boy slowly got up from the floor holding his arm as he looked at the prince with shame and sadness in his eyes...his lip was busted and bleed, his face swollen and bruised...tears started to run down his cheeks as he ran out of the room, dashing past his brother and disappearing...

This would be the last time Atem would see Seto for a few years as he and his father were banded from ever returning, the trade they once did with the Kaiba family stopped and all communication between the two family was dissolved...the prince worried about his friend and whatever happened to him, knowing that he was living with a tyrant and suffering under his cruel grip...

It would only be when Atem turned 14 that his father would receive an invitation to the Kaiba castle to celebrate Seto coming into power as well as his 16th birthday. This was odd and in all honest Atem's father didn't want to return to that place, after what happened to his son on their last visit he wasn't eager to see his boy in harm's way again. But Atem wanted to go, he wanted to see whatever happened to the friend he missed so dearly. So he took his sister and a few guards to attend the festivities.

But the prince was shocked to when he had arrived; seeing how much the young bright eyed boy he once knew had changed...he'd grown tall and arrogant, cold and distant, seeing himself as higher than everyone else (both literally and figuratively). The kid that wanted to invent and spend time wondering about the world was gone and left in its place was someone Atem didn't recognise. He tried to approach Kaiba once the party was underway, but when he got a chance to speak with the new head of the castle, all he wanted to talk about was re-establishing trade and making money...his whole domineer was just wrong...

And the prince so the true extent of the cruelty of Kaiba when the mysterious hag appeared...the man laughing at her when she simply asked for a place to stay...and then having all hell break loose as they were cursed and changed into monsters and mystical beasts...

Atem, Mana and several others had tried to leave but the dark forest that now surrounded the castle prevented that...whether it was the zombified wolves or the curse itself.

So they all remained trapped within this once gleaming place...trying their best to adapt to their new forms and lives...although Kaiba wasn't making it easy. The would fall into fits of rage whenever someone dared look at him or asked about the curse and what he was doing to break it...breaking anything in arms reach or simply clawing at the walls. He even started attack those around him, Jounouchi being a prime example (he was a stable boy that was taken in by Hikaru and Ami when they would him in the village being abused by his father. He was blond hair and a goofy personality, but he had a good heart and was a hard worker). He had been transformed in a black dragon, similar to Kaiba but not as monstrous.

And he was one of the only ones that stood up to Kaiba, calling him out on his bad attitude and blaming him for his fate. That would lead to fighting between the two, Kaiba nearly killing him on several occasions. But Atem and Mana would intervene at least.

Atem would try to talk to Kaiba and be some form of advisor to him, to help him find a way to break the curse and return everyone to normal but that didn't go so well either, as the years past Kaiba spent more time locked away in his tower, preferring to be on his own and way from everyone else...only coming out to eat or attack any thief or stranger that managed to get through the dark forest and step foot on the castle grounds...making it seem like all hope was lost...

Atem was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the boy in his arms starting to shift. He looked down, fearing he was starting to awake but the pale kid was still fast asleep, a peaceful expression on his face. The prince relaxed a little, taking in a moment to examine Yugi's features, the light dusting of freckles on his cheeks, his soft cheeks, the way his lips quivered a little as he mumbled in his slumber, the way his eyebrows would scrunch up when the breeze would blow over his face. He felt so small in Atem's arms but the prince knew that looks could be deceiving...

A few months ago the prince had figure out how to shapeshift and was able to transform into a crow, finding a way to get through the forest and visit the village that resided just outside the border of the dark woods. He would spent days exploring the small settlement, staying hidden on the roof tops as he watched the people below...it didn't take him long to find the pale beauty from the east...a young woman who had moved to the village a few years ago with her grandfather and little brother.

He would watch her go about her day, working at the bakery and serving people with a smile. She was kind and compassionate, helping out those in need as she caught her bringing baked goods to those in need (not that there were many). He would eavesdrop on her conversations with her employer, listening to the woman talk about her sick brother and how she tried her best to care for him and find a way to help him. He's heart went out to her, knowing that he could easily bring her a cure but Kaiba would have his head if he tried...

The more he watched her, the more he thought about the curse and the witches words before she disappeared that fateful night...perhaps this woman could possibly be the one to break the curse...he could help save her brother and she could help save them all in return...

So he started to devise a plan...

But now...he was starting to have doubts...and maybe he had just cursed this family to pain and suffering...

He heard someone getting closer, the loud thuds making their way to the door and the sound of flapping wings indicated who was coming. He floated out of the way as the doors flung open, the monsters figure of Kaiba standing in the space, the old man he had imprisoned a few days ago. The dragoniod tosses the man down the steps, Sugoroku grunting loudly in pain when he landed at the bottom, pushing himself up on shaky arms as he looked up at the monster, fear and anger written across his face.

Atem noticed that the woman wasn't with them and wanted to ask what was going on when the old man stood up and charged at Kaiba, letting out what sounded like a battle cry...was he crazy? The dragonoid rolled his eyes as he back handed the man, sending him flying back down the stairs and landing on his backside with a wince. Sugoroku glared at Kaiba, despite the fear he had for the beast he had something to fight for, "You cannot do this! Pl-Please let her go and k-keep me!"

The monster folds his arm across his chest as he laughs, "Too late for that old man. She made her choice and all you can do is accept it. So run home and forget about her because you will never see her again." the wings on his back spread out to try and scare Sugoroku, his lips curling into a nasty smirk to expose his menacing teeth, "Maybe I'll be generous and return her corpse when I'm down with her."

Atem's eyes widened a little at his words, watching as the old man get up again and once again charge at Kaiba, only to end up on the bottom of the stairs again. The dragon lowers his wings and turns to the man he once called friend beside him, the smirk falling from his face as he sees the sleeping boy in the prince's face, growling loudly, "Who is that? Another thief?" he raises his clawed hand to pull the sleeping boy away but Atem was too quick, summoning his staff and slamming it onto the ground, a ball of energy surrounding as a shield, blocking Kaiba's hand.

The dragon snarled as he banged his fist against the magical energy as Atem glared at him, "He's no threat to you...just a child that came with his sister to find their grandfather." A golden eye appears on his forehead as his red eyes glowed, "Back off Kaiba." The dragon snarled but took a step back, knowing full well what the magician was capable...even if he wasn't as powerful as him.

Sugoroku had heard this and a different wave of fear washed over him. Yugi was here?! How could Serena do that?! The young boy was already suffering enough as it is, why would she think it was a good idea to bring him here, out in the cold?!

He slowly gets up, holding his back as it ached from being knocked around so much. He watched the strange man lower the shield surrounding him before gliding down the stairs to Sugoroku, raises his staff in the air as it glowed and a carriage with a mystical looking horse appears behind the old man. Without a word the magician opens the door and carefully sets the sleeping boy on one of the seats, making sure he was covered by the cloak he was wrapped in. He turns his attention back to the old man, a soft sigh leaving is lips, "This should return you to the village safely."

Atem turns to leave but Sugoroku grabs his arm, "I-I'm not leaving without my granddaughter!" the magician wanted to respond but before he could Kaiba appeared beside them, grabbing the old man by his bruise throat and lifted him in the air, "She belongs to me now...and just know that it is all your fault because you stole from me." He snarled and shoved the old man into the carriage and slammed the door of it shut, the old man banging his fists against the glass window...

Atem watched as Kaiba turned to head back into the castle, the magician waving his hand and the horse pulls the carriage to the gate and down the path, disappearing into the dark forest. He saw the horse that the siblings had arrived on and made a note that to ask Jonouchi to take it to the barn and to care for it.

He heads back into the castle and heads over to Kaiba, the dragon walking down the hall to head back to his tower. He stops for a moment and turned to Atem. Something was...bothering him or rather he was curious about something when he heard the other mention that the woman had brought her brother to the castle with her, "That boy...the thief's grandson..." Atem raised a brow, "I told you I handled it." Kaiba rolled his eyes, "So you mentioned. I just have a question..." ok this was a first. Atem pulled his head off his head as he made his staff disappear, "What is it?"

"The woman kept mentioning he was sick...the old man even said so...why would she bring him here?" Kaiba may have lost his humanity some time ago...but there were still a few grains of the person he once was hidden deep within him...the parts he needed to protect even though he believed it to be nothing more than weakness. What had transpired these past few days was mind boggling to say the least. He didn't have to deal with intruders for nearly a year and now 3 people had shown up in the span of a few days. Why would you risk your life to get through a cursed forest and steal from a castle that was filled with monsters? Was it really just for some dying child? That was stupidity. Complete and utter stupidity...

But then again...despite the person he had become...Kaiba couldn't help but think of his own little brother...despite them growing apart during the years before the curse, he still cared deeply for Mokuba...still wanted to protect him and ensure that he has a good life...but that was kind of hard after what that damned witch had down to him...

Atem sighs as he rubs his forehead, "There probably wasn't anyone to watch the boy while the woman came to look for her grandfather...which she wouldn't have had to do if you just let him go with the blossoms." Kaiba growled at this, "He stole from me! He deserved death for taking something that belonged to me!" the prince shakes his head, "You would've killed him for a simple flower and now you've imprisoned his granddaughter...by the way what did you do to her?"

Kaiba crossed his arms and nudged his head towards the door leading to the spiral staircase, "Still in the tower...not sure if she's still alive though. She put up one hell of a fight before surrendering." He smirked as Atem narrowed his eyes, transforming into a crow, flying up the stairs.

He returned to normal when arriving in the room of prison cells, his eyes widening as he rushed over to the unconscious woman who was lying like a discarded robe lying on the floor. He kneels down beside her, checking to see if she was breathing, noting the blood on the back of her head and the crude letters carved into her arm. He frowned as he turned to Kaiba as the dragon entered the room. The prince shouldn't be shocked at his cruelty, having watched him so some heinous things during the past 5 years but this was just...

"So...is she alive?" Kaiba leans against the door frame, an expression of apathy on his face. Atem's lips curled into a snarl, "How could you do something like this?! This...this is cruel even for you!" the dragon just shrugged his shoulders, "It was her own doing. Her fault for coming here in the first place." He strolls over to Atem, looking down at the unconscious woman, ignoring the odd thing he was feeling deep within him...had he been cruel? Was this...what guilt felt like? No of course not. He didn't feel guilt! They broke into his home and tried to steal from him, he was in his right to defend what belonged to him.

Atem couldn't believe this, his hands curling into fists as he stood up, "They were trying to save their family! To find a cure for a dying boy! How does that not register to you?! Have you completely lost all sense of your mind and humanity?!" his anger was growing, whether it was for Kaiba...or at himself for dragging this family into this whole mess. Kaiba growled softly as he straightened up, towering over the other, "That is not my problem. If the boy dying they should've sought help elsewhere or better yet put the brat out of his misery!" he turned to leave, already getting annoyed with Atem again.

The prince growled softly before sighing deeply, "Would you have said the same thing if it was Mokuba's life on the line?" the dragon stopped, his back to Atem. There is silence between the two men for a moment before the prince walked over to him, "Tell me you wouldn't risk everything, even your own life for the only family you had left...the only one you tolerate and care about...the only person besides myself that still stands by your side and wishes to help you end this torment that has been plaguing you for years..."

Kaiba glanced back at the woman, watching her chest slowly moving to indicate she was still alive...the blossom he had taken from the old man's bag lay discarded beside her...the thing both of them had come here for...the hope to save their family...realization hitting him...

She had sacrificed herself to save her grandfather and brother, made a deal with him to remain here as a prisoner forever and he had broken one of the agreements or their deal...deep down...really really deep down...the part of his conscious that he tried very hard to ignore was screaming at him that what he had down was wrong...

He slowly walks over to the woman, kneeling down and reaching out, gently running the tips of his clawed finger over her soft pale cheek, noting her long eyelashes resting perfectly on her cheeks, her raven hair flowing like rivers of ink now spoiled with blood from an injury he had caused...his eyes falling on the wound on her arm...now a permanent reminder of her imprisonment and the freedom she would never have again...all for the sake of her family...

Kaiba knew...that he would do the same thing if it were Mokuba's life on the line...

Atem watches, getting ready to face Kaiba should he choose to harm the woman any further, summoning his staff as his eyes glowed...but something strange happened...

Kaiba picked up the unconscious woman, standing up as he held her limp body in his arms, an unreadable expression on his face...a glint of something in his eyes that he thought he would never see again...a glimmer of humanity. Kaiba turned to Atem, "If you are able, take one of the blossoms to the boy...make sure...make sure he and the old man have returned home." The prince doesn't understand but nods as he watches the dragon head to the door, "What about her?"

Kaiba stops for a moment and is silent for a while before mumbling, "Can't leave her here to die...I'll have Anzu prepare a room and ask Ryou to look at her injuries..." Atem nodded as he was about to ask something else when Kaiba spoke first, "By the way...did you...catch her name by any chance?"

Atem didn't want to reveal it but this side of Kaiba was something he hadn't witnessed since the both of them were children...maybe there was still hope, "Serena...the old man called her Serena..."

Kaiba didn't respond as he looked down at the woman...Serena...a beautiful name for a caged little bird...

He descend the stairs...leaving Atem alone in the tower...

[ninlilwinds]

Hey, i hope you don’t mind if I request the host club members with a Y/N that is like Yor forger from Spy x family?

Hello, not exactly sure how long you waited for this (but I bet it was a while), but here it is.

Summary: OHSHC members with a person like Yor from SpyxFamily

I tried making this where it can be read as either platonic or romantic since it wasn't specified.

Tamaki

-Tamaki would probably fluster you often, which ended up in his private doctor paying him more regular visits.

-Because of your shy(ish) nature, he'd try to restrain his affection, but sometimes he just had to hug you (see previous bullet for the results of that genius idea)

-Tries and enjoys your cooking, despite how terrible is taste

-You would disappear every so often, but he didn't find it suspicious, nor would he ask.

Honey

-Since you're so strong, he'd be ok with training with you. Usually, he'd never train with anyone besides Mori, but you'd proven your strength

-Adores it when you carry him around and how caring you are. Your nurturing spirit was something about you he was very fond of.

-He'd catch on later on what you were actually doing, but he'd pretend to not know and continue to act normal around you.

Mori

-At first, he hated the fact that you didn't need his protection. He was shocked and a bit offended over how strong you were compared to him, then he saw someone picking on you and how you simply scrambled for words unable to truly defend yourself

-He'd find your strength agility and skills very weird since you didn't necessarily come from a family known for martial arts, but he would shrug it off

-The first time he picked you up, he was caught off guard by your reaction. After a long day of walking around the school, organizing the big annual event, you noted your feet hurt. He swept you up, and on twisted yourself in his arms until you managed to smash him into the ground with a screech and your face covered in blush. It caught both you and him off guard. (You spent the rest of the day apologizing)

Kyoya

-Oh, he knew from the start. Who you were, what you did, everything. even so he didn't mind. In fact, he found it quite impressive.

-He would take extra note of your behavior. He knew you were quite dangerous, and he didn't want to push your boundaries.

-Once he knew your behavior patterns and what caused you to unexpectantly grow violent (courtesy of Tamaki), he would avoid any of that, meaning you were at arm's length, unless you were the one who started the contact

-Overall, he admires you and wants to reach a point where you admit who you are to him yourself

Hikaru

-Adores you but uses you a lot for his antics. Your strong and agile? Hey mind helping me set up this prank.

-Loves flustering you, and can even sometimes dodge your punches and kicks (rarely)

-Laughs whenever Tamaki receives a kick. He thinks it serves him right. But he does grow quite pouty whenever he's the one on the receiving end.

Kaoru

-He smiled fondly at you a lot whenever you become a dangerous tornado of kicks. He can't seem to find any fault in you

-He stays at a 6 feet distance, not wanting to get too close to you but still being interested and wanting to get to know you

-He loves relaxing with you (away from his brother), where he can calm down and simple have a conversation. He really appreciates how much enthusiasm and love you show whenever you're talking with people. It makes him feel appreciated

Haruhi

-She finds you quite strange at first. Why were you so easy to spook. And more importantly, why were you so inhumanly strong?

-She also sometimes finds your personality annoying, but eventually she grows fond of your cute shy and caring self.

-She defends you against Tamaki often, yelling at her senpai to leave you alone while you drink your tea

-Overall, it starts off rocky but gets a lot better later on

[hostradio]

@aceparagon &&. said... ❝Alastor? If you don't mind, I have a question—well, more like that I want to ask a favor of you. I had a lot of fun making breakfast with you the other day and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking me under your wing, so to speak, and teach me what you know so that I can keep on improving with my cooking. I'll work hard and take notes, too!❞

a  question?  no  —  a  FAVOR?  the  word  alone  is  enough  to  bid  alastor's  ears  to  prick  up  out  of  habit.  the  sinner  turns,  head  canting  and  one  brow  arching  in  wordless  curiosity  as  he  waits  for  hikaru  to  elaborate.  now  now,  what  in  the  world  could  the  poor  dear  want  with  the  RADIO  DEMON?  (  after  all,  his  usual  methods  are  the  veritable  antithesis  of  hope!  )  it's  strange  how  the  inquiry  that  follows  still  manages  to  catch  him  by  surprise.

teaching  her  how  to  cook?  taking  her  under  his  wing?  oh  my!

alastor  takes  great  pains  to  portray  himself  a  nigh-untouchable  figure.  more  a  concept  than  person  —  the  sort  of  bad  omen  that  might  bid  those  who  recognize  him  to  dash  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  street  in  a  panic.  (  even  if  it  requires  braving  heavy  traffic.  )  yet  for  a  moment,  the  question  alone  is  enough  to  cause  deep  fractures  in  that  facade.  his  smile  softens  to  something  natural  —  no  longer  the  knife-sharp  unspoken  warning  of  a  carnivore  eternally  poised  to  snap.  his  eyes  appear  similarly  illuminated  with  the  stirrings  of  rare  yet  genuine  happiness.  ❝  you  want  me  to  teach  you? ❞  the  radio  demon  echoes,  turning  around  to  face  her  fully  —  and  with  no  unnatural  contortions  of  his  anatomy  this  time!   ❝  you  know,  my  mother  once  did  the  very  same. ❞   no  son  of  hers  would  be  permitted  to  grow  into  the  sort  of  worthless,  wretched  man  who  would  laze  about  waiting  for  SOMEONE  ELSE  to  shoulder  the  burden!  a  lesson  alastor  is  quite  grateful  to  have  learned  indeed  —  and  cooking  has  been  one  of  his  life's  greatest  passions  ever  since.

❝  if  you're  willing  to  learn,  i  couldn't  possibly  say  no. ❞  perhaps  they  can  start  with  something  simple  —  then  work  their  way  up  to  more  elaborate  techniques  and  recipes  once  he  has  a  feel  for  hikaru's  skill  level.  (  he  may  have  to  cut  out  the  cannibalism  chapter  of  the  curriculum.  a  shame!  )  if  she  truly  manages  to  impress  him,  he  may  even  consider  passing  on  a  handful  of  family  recipes  —  few  could  ever  claim  to  share  the  honor!

in  any  case,  ❝  it's  a  deal. ❞  time  to  roll  up  their  sleeves  and  get  to  work!

[eralisse]

Brothers Conflict: Season 2 LN - Ch29, Sec 5 & 6

I have returned, this time with a section from Season 2 that is rarely mentioned. This is after Fuuto attempts to force himself upon Ema the second time. Hikaru invites Ema to his apartment, and also Kaname, and hands are thrown...

Brothers Conflict Translations Index

Somehow or other, I waited for Hikaru-san’s return while looking around the room, doing nothing. 

There were many books on the bookshelf. 

However, about half of them were foreign language books. The remaining half looked rather difficult, and I definitely wouldn’t be able to read them.

(These are all research materials. Writers are pretty awesome…)

Right after thinking this, I heard the intercom go on.

(Could it be the guest Hikaru-san mentioned?)

I turned toward the door. But before I could reach it, it opened. It seemed that Hikaru-san left without locking it.

???: “Hikaru, are you here?”

Someone was coming in.

(It appears to be a man… It couldn’t be Hikaru’s “boyfriend?”)

I waited for the guest to come in, feeling a strange unease.

– At that moment.

Ema: “Eh?”

I uttered reflexively.

In response to that, the person coming in looked at me.

???: “Ah…”

Surprise also spread across their face.

???: “Imouto-chan…”

The person said.

Ema: “... Kaname-san.”

The guest that came to Hikaru-san’s room. That person was Kaname-san.

—

Time passed stiffly.

Both Kaname-san and I stood still, overcome with surprise.

Then, there was a flash.

Kaname: “What!?”

(Ah, this is…)

Something came to mind. This is the second time I’ve come across a similar situation.

Hikaru: “The face of a worried big brother, obtained!”

Laughing brightly, Hikaru-san revealed himself.

A small bag hung from one hand, while the cellphone I had seen before was held in the other hand.

Kaname: “Hikaru, what is this?”

Hikaru: “Now now, Kaname. In any case, come inside. And Imouto-san, here, no need to stand. … Ah, that’s right, would you like tea?”

Hikaru-san held up his bag.

Hikaru: “Someone delivered it just now.”

Hikaru-san sat Kaname-san on the bed, and me on the sofa.

Then he prepared three cups of tea, placed them on saucers, and handed them to us.

Hikaru: “Now then.”

Hikaru-san stood in the middle of the room, and tilted his cup in an odd way.

Hikaru: “With this, all the actors have been assembled.”

A contented smile rose onto Hikaru-san’s face.

Hikaru: “The next stage of Brother’s Conflict is now starting.”

Kaname: “Could you explain for us, Hikaru?”

Kaname-san said, while his gaze dropped to his teacup. His voice was slightly low.

Kaname: “I hadn’t heard that Imouto-chan was going to be here.”

Hikaru: “Of course. If I’d told you, Kaname, you’d definitely not have come, right?”

Kaname: “... I wonder.”

Hikaru: “No more tedious probing, Kaname.”

Hikaru-san turned toward me.

Hikaru: “Truth is, I sent Kaname a letter, you see. I told him about Iori becoming a model, and urged him to return home.”

Ema: “Eh!?”

I looked at Kaname-san.

Ema: “Is this true, Kaname-san?”

Kaname: “... Mhm.” 

Kaname-san nodded.

Kaname: “A letter came. However, I tore it to pieces, so I can’t show you.”

Ema: “You tore it?”

Hikaru: “Meaning,”

Hikaru-san interjected.

Hikaru: “That Kaname didn’t want to come back. In other words, he wanted to train some more.”

Ema: “What does that mean?”

Kaname: “...”

Like before, Kaname-san kept his gaze on his teacup.

I could not see his expression.

Hikaru: “Well, if I could have, I wanted to respect Kaname’s will.”

Hikaru-san tilted his own teacup.

Hikaru: “However, that is no longer the case. The situation has changed.

Ema: “The… situation?”

Hikaru: “You rejected Fuuto, didn’t you?”

Ema: “Eh!?”

Kaname: “Fuuto?”

For a moment, Kaname-san raised his head.

Kaname: “What does he mean, Imouto-chan?”

Hikaru: “Kaname, I saw it all.”

Hikaru-san took over the conversation.

Hikaru: “From this cute Imouto-san’s room, Fuuto flew out with a frightening expression. While he had a jacket over him, he was pretty much shirtless.”

Kaname: “What?”

Ema: “H-Hikaru-san!?”

Why was this person suddenly saying such a thing?!

Hikaru: “This is necessary.”

Hikaru-san said in a terribly calm voice.

Hikaru: “It is necessary that Kaname know this. If not, then in the near future, you will not have anyone protecting you.”

Ema: “J-just what are you saying, Hikaru-san?”

I knew that Hikaru-san liked to speak in a deliberately enigmatic way. But, I could not understand what he was saying now at all.

Hikaru: “This is needed for Brothers Conflict.”

Hikaru-san raised his teacup, took a sip, and returned it to its saucer. The porcelain clinked together.

Hikaru: “The Asahina brothers are fighting over you. However, until now, they’ve all been behaving as gentlemen. In order to not hurt you, if I dare say. Well, there were some exceptions. Right, Kaname?”

Hikaru-san glanced at Kaname-san. Kaname-san remained silent.

Hikaru: “However, that’s now in the past. Because Fuuto has opened Pandora’s Box.”

Ema: “Pandora’s Box?”

Hikaru: “Well, originally it was a story from the Old Testament. Although all of the world’s ills were put inside, it was gorgeous to the eye, so people would want to open it despite themselves. That box, you know? … However, that’s just a parable, and not the original meaning in the Bible. Once the box was opened, it would be impossible to collect and put anything back. That’s the meaning of ‘opening Pandora’s Box’.”

Ema: “H-Huh….”

Hikaru: “That night, Fuuto opened the Box for you.”

Hikaru-san pointed at me.

Hikaru: “That’s exactly what’s happened. Since a person who’s done such a forceful thing has appeared, how much can the rest of them endure? After all, they’re all men. … Do you understand, Imouto-san?”

Hikaru-san looked sharply at me.

At that moment, a chill ran down my spine.

(What if everyone were to do something like Fuuto-kun did…?)

I could not imagine such a thing. All of them are good people. For Fuuto-kun, something must have occurred to make him desperate.

(There must be a reason…)

Then, Kaname-san, who hadn’t said anything until now, spoke.

Kaname: “Hikaru, can I ask something?”

Hikaru: “Go ahead.”

Kaname: “What you explained about Fuuto just now.”

Kaname-san placed his teacup onto the side table.

Kaname: “The rest of them don’t know, right? If that’s the case, why would this have opened Pandora’s Box?”

Hikaru: “Say, Kaname.”

Hikaru-san grinned.

Hikaru: “Do you want me to answer that question? You know already, don’t you?”

Kaname: “Perhaps. But I want to know for sure.”

Hikaru: “Is that so… Well then.”

HIkaru-san also placed his teacup onto the side table.

Hikaru: “What Kaname said is correct. As long as I stay silent, that is.”

The shock pierced through my body.

(Just now… what did he mean…?)

Kaname: “As I thought, this was the case.”

Kaname-san stood up.

Kaname: “I see. … Those are your conditions, huh.”

(Conditions?)

Why did he use that word?

Hikaru: “More tea?”

Kaname: “... Ah.”

Hikaru: “Thank you, Kaname.”

Kaname: “No need.”

Kaname-san took one step forward.

Kaname: “However, here’s another condition. That I want you to drink.”

Hikaru: “Oh, what is it?”

Kaname: “This!”

Right after that, Kaname-san let loose his fist with great speed. Hikaru-san’s face was spun to the side.

(Ah!)

Kaname-san just… hit Hikaru-san…

Hikaru: “Ah.”

Still, Hikaru-san was smiling.

Hikaru: “Isn’t it awful to raise a hand against a lady?”

Kaname: “Imouto-chan.”

Kaname-san turned to me.

Kaname: “Sorry, I’ve shown you something unsightly. Don’t worry about it, and forget if you can.”

After saying just that, Kaname-san started to quickly walk out.

Kaname: “That’s enough for today. See you later, Imouto-chan.”

There was no time to call him back. In an instant, Kaname-san had left the room completely.

Ema: “What…”

I stared at the closed door, dumbfounded.

Hikaru: “Hehe, I’ll tell you.”

Hikaru-san stood behind me. He had come close like a shadow, but without touching.

Hikaru: “Kaname has come back home.”

I heard him whisper into my ear.

Ema: “Huh!?”

I spun around.

Hikaru: “In other words, it’s like this. My seeing what happened between you and Fuuto was purely by chance.”

The edge of Hikaru’s lips lifted in a happy grin.

Hikaru: “I used that to call Kaname back home. In other words, if he didn’t come home, I threatened to tell the other brothers what Fuuto did.”

Ema: “H-huh?!”

Hikaru: “If Kaname comes back, he can become a strong shield to protect you. Even if someone tries to do something like what Fuuto did, Kaname can do something. You can take a step back from the rivalry between the men, and think about who to choose.”

Ema: “...”

Hikaru: “Only, this shield has a rather interesting shape. That is, it has a knife edge pointed inwards.”

Ema: “Eh?”

Hikaru: “...Well, it’s only a possibility.”

Hikaru-san raised his voice, laughing.

Looking at that extremely joyous appearance, I felt a terrible confusion.

— Kaname-san was coming back.

By itself, this was a good thing. That could not be denied.

But, I didn’t know what this would bring about. I didn’t know why Hikaru-san did this in the first place.

To threaten Kaname-san into coming home, just what was he trying to do?

Hikaru: “Ahh, I know what you’re thinking now.”

Hikaru-san said as if he could read my mind.

Hikaru: “That’s right. Even though Kaname has returned, I don’t gain anything. Even so, why have I bothered doing such a thing? Well, it’s understandable for you to think it's mysterious.”

Hikaru-san pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

Hikaru: “But, that’s incorrect. I do have a reason. With Kaname coming back, Brothers Conflict will certainly become much more interesting.”

The cigarette was lit. It was probably an import, as a sweet scent wafted throughout the room.

Hikaru: “And, in the midst of that, you will change. Into a stronger, more beautiful, more perfect woman. … You will become-”

Hikaru puffed on his cigarette. 

Hikaru: “The woman I wish for. The woman I want to love.”

The sweet fragrance from the emitted smoke curled around me.

Behind the haze was Hikaru-san’s delighted grin.

[yuseirra]

I've been drawing a lot of hikaai fanarts lately, haven't I,

there's something that I kept noticing that I'm sure is a device when I draw them..

Pay attention to the colors of the clothing they choose to wear as they appear together. There are scenes when AI wears black-grey-white and there are also scenes where Hikaru wears black(he mostly does) and some lighter colors.

I feel like the colors of their clothes reflect their inner feelings. Ai was wearing black clothes when Hikaru wears beige/light grey in the scene she tells him she's been where he's been, and says "they're the same". She wears clothes with light color schemes when she goes on a date with him, and Is wearing white when she initiates the breakup. If the white star eyes do mean "love" as what's been claimed in the newest chapter, it makes sense because she did it out of love. A "white" lie, so to say.

Hikaru rarely wears anything light...it always leans on black/grey. He was wearing black even during the date episode in 140 because he was suffering and going through hardships in the back. He wears black clothes when the breakup happens in 153-154. To be fair, he still does wear black clothes in 153 when he's holding hands with Ai and smiling wide, but that flashback leads up to the moment where he gets rejected. He's even wearing pitch black in Ai's thoughts of him...but I notice him wearing white when he's holding the bouquet in 160. That's really rare of him. I feel he was really eager upon the possibility to interact with Ai again... I have a feeling he would have had the white star eyes then.

I notice this because Ai and Hikaru keep wearing clothes that contrast each other, I draw them a lot so I thought OOH, it's a nice touch, there seems to be more than just that though. One day, Hikaru may appear wearing clothes with brighter color themes. It could not happen because he never was fully happy.

With the whole idea of "black star eyes" and the "white star eyes" being thrown into the picture (I made many theories about what that's supposed to be- I think it must be related to the gods) I feel like the colors of the character's clothings are also something to note.