"Haruhi and Y/n...Fujioka?"

"Hey...Arai."

"Holy crap. It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Y/n mumbled, still in shock at the sudden presence of her and Haruhi's middle school friend.

There was a moment of silence as Tamaki and the twins stood in the sidelines, looking intensely at the scene in front of them.

"So, uh, these your friends?" Arai asked with a sheepish smile, acknowledging the existence of the blond haired male and the two amber eyed brothers.

The Fujioka sisters glimpsed at the three hosts. "Oh, yeah, this is Hikaru and Kaoru--they're in Y/n and I's class. And this is my sen-" Haruhi paused her introduction for the violet eyed male who had his thumb and index finger below his chin with a confident, closed eyed smirk. "An acquaintance of mine."

At that moment, it was like lightning had struck Tamaki and traveled through his whole body. The piano made a loud, exaggerated sound that was caused by no other than Misuzu.

"Ouch." Y/n muttered sympathetically.

"Misuzu." He slowly turned his head over his shoulder with a distressing expression. "Please don't add any sound effects to my moment of despair."

"How about we take a seat and catch up!" Y/n suggested with a companionable grin.

"Yeah, I'm okay with that." Arai smiled and the two sisters led him to a table. The three of them sat down with a glass of orange juice that Y/n prepared and began to chatter with one another.

"We haven't seen you since graduation." Haruhi began.

"Yeah--you cut all your hair off." Arai pointed out. "That's such a shame."

"I don't think so. I mean, since I cut it, it has been easier to manage." Haruhi versed while playing with a small strand of her brown hair.

"So how's Ouran treating you two? Do you keep in touch with anyone from middle school anymore?"

"Kind of. Kazumi calls us once in a while. What about you?" Y/n quizzed kindly.

"Yeah, I keep in contact with some old friend." Arai smiled then glanced over to the side to see the Host Club sitting a few feet away from them. "So these guys are all in a club with you?"

"Host Club." Haruhi and Y/n admitted with an uninterested tone.

"Oh. Is that so?"

"Hey, Haruhi, Y/n! Don't you think you two should be working? You shouldn't be slacking off!" Hikaru called out to them, holding up his empty glass that only had a small amount of ice.

Y/n showed him an annoyed glance, her eyebrows slightly furrowing.

"Misuzu said we could take a break!" Haruhi informed.

Y/n and Haruhi turned their heads to the left when they heard a noise of paper tearing. They caught sight of Tamaki crouching down beside a wall ripping up his manuals.

"Hey, quit making more garbage we'll have to take out!" Haruhi chided.

"It's not garbage. I'm making a hamster home." Tamaki murmured, making Y/n sigh and slowly shake her head.

"But Senpai, you don't have a hamster." Haruhi prompted.

"I'm not your senpai. I'm just an acquaintance of yours."

Arai let out a friendly chuckle. "Wow, who knew you Ouran guys were so funny? You know, it's such a prestigious school. I've always imagined it was a whole different world."

"It's a different world, alright." Y/n and Haruhi confirmed blankly, staring at the blond haired male who was sweating profusely.

"To be honest with you Fujioka's. I was kinda worried that you two were gonna have a hard time going to such an elite school. I'm glad to see you're doing well." Y/n and Haruhi smiled at Arai's words.

Arai looked at Haruhi and moderately blushed, soon glancing down to the side. "Um, I mean. It's not like I was the only one who was worried about you two, lots of people were." He scratched the back of his head with a closed eyed smile.

A flash of amusement came across Y/n's brown eyes. She was well aware of the crush Arai used to have on Haruhi, but her sister was too oblivious--still is--to figure that out. Y/n never told Haruhi about how Arai felt towards her out of respect for him and because she wanted him to tell Haruhi himself when he was ready.

"I'm just sayin'. It's obvious this guy has a thing for Haruhi." Hikaru's distasteful words reached the table that Y/n, Haruhi, and Arai were sitting at. "It's sickening to watch him try and flirt." He made a disgusted noise. "Y/n might as well just leave that table since he's practically only paying attention to Haruhi."

Arai's joyful aura slightly faltered. Y/n narrowed her eyes angrily at Hikaru and slammed her hands on the table, shooting up from her chair.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Cut it out now, Hikaru!" Y/n snapped, exasperation evident in her voice and face.

"Hey, it's no big deal. He's right; I did have a thing for Haruhi once, and you know it, Y/n." Arai reassured, but the wavy haired teenager could still see he was still somewhat embarrassed and uncomfortable. He looked at Haruhi and scratched the back of his neck with a vague blush. "But who cares, you already turned me down, right?"

Honey, Tamaki, Y/n, and Haruhi gasped. The two sisters were now standing with the Host Club--the only ones who remained seated were the twins at the bar and Arai who was still at the table.

'How come I don't remember this?!' Y/n thought in utter disbelief and shock.

"Why do you two look so surprised?" Kyoya questioned the two females with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, I didn't know." Haruhi contended unassertively, glancing over her shoulder to stare at the raven haired male.

"Me neither." Y/n excused, staring at Kyoya with a staggered expression. "I don't remember Haruhi telling me anything about Arai confessing to her!"

"You have to fill us in on this story, Arai. Now when did this happen?" Tamaki urged.

"Well, it was about a year ago..." Arai started softly. He told the story about how he told Haruhi about his feelings back in middle school. Apparently, Arai wanted to stay close with Haruhi and wanted her to go with him--which Haruhi mistook as him wanting to attend Ouran Academy and to check the application deadline to the prestigious school.

Once he was finished telling the story, Y/n facepalmed herself while her sister had a look of mortification.

"You're so oblivious, Haruhi..." Y/n shook her head steadily and sweat dropped.

"Haruhi." Kyoya began in a accusing tone. "You broke this innocent man's heart just to get a laugh from some sick joke?" He interrogated as he wrote into his notebook.

"Um, no, that's not what happened. I didn't understand what he meant..." Haruhi spoke nervously.

Honey turned around and glanced up at his tall, dark haired cousin. "This crime's pretty serious, huh?"

"Mh." Mori nodded.

Haruhi spun around to confront Arai and bowed in one's regret. "I'm so sorry."

The said boy's eyes widened as he pointed at himself. "So you're turning me down again a whole year later?!" He then let out a laugh and waved his hand hearteningly. "Don't worry, Fujioka! I'm over it already! You didn't realize what I meant so that means you weren't interested. But you know, I was always drawn to that faraway look in your eyes. And the way you would look someone in the eyes when you spoke to them. I liked that about you, I always thought you were special."

Tamaki smiled widely with tears prickling at the corners of his violet eyes and grabbed Arai by the hands, pulling him out of his chair. "You think that much of my little girl? Don't worry; I'll never forget your gallantry!"

'And Tamaki-Senpai completely ruined the moment...' Y/n thought as she hunched her back over.

- - - -

Tamaki, Kyoya, Mori, Honey, Y/n, Haruhi, and Arai sat at the table together and discussed about the sister' middle school days. The only one's who didn't sit with them were Hikaru and Kaoru, who were still seated by the bar.

"Wow. You guys went to Kyoto for your middle school field trip? How unusual that you stayed in the country." Honey grinned with a piece of cake in front of him.

"Nah, it's quite normal for us, really." Arai disclosed with a friendly smile.

Tamaki placed his chin against his thumb and index finger with a faint smile on his lips. "Well, I've always been a fan of Kyoto."

"I can't tell you how many times I've had to tour the temples with him." Kyoya mentioned.

Y/n felt herself softly smiling at the scene in front of her--she was glad that at least some of her friends were getting along with Arai. She knew that Kaoru wasn't really bothered with Arai's presence, but she knew that Hikaru was.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" Tamaki cheerfully called out to them, standing as he held his hand up. "Get over here! This may be our only chance to hear what Haruhi and Y/n were like in middle school!"

"Sorry, but I'm not interested." Hikaru refused in a bored tone, leaning back before looking at the group behind him. "Man, how stupid can you guys get? Where's the fun in sitting around talking about somebody's past? I don't see the appeal. Besides, doesn't that guy realize Haruhi doesn't want anything to do with him?"

Y/n stared at Hikaru in anger and in disbelief. She immediately noticed Haruhi get up from her chair and approach him. Y/n got up as well, wanting to stop Haruhi before she does anything--even though she was quite outraged herself and believed that Hikaru deserved what was coming to him, she didn't want Haruhi doing something she might regret--but it was too late.

Hikaru continued to rant as Haruhi advanced towards him, Y/n not too far behind her. "She's got plenty of friends, and so does Y/n. So they don't need you around, get it?"

Skin colliding against skin erupted throughout the area, making the atmosphere grow in tension and silence. Y/n covered her mouth, muffling her gasp--she was only about three steps away from Haruhi and Hikaru.

"That's not something for you to decide, Hikaru!" Haruhi shouted with narrowed brown eyes. "I'm not gonna tolerate you insulting Y/n and I's friends anymore! You got that?"

Hikaru tilted his head downwards, causing a shadow to cast over his eyes as he began to speak quietly. "But why...why should anyone else even matter to you two?" He slammed his hand on the counter and got up from the stool he was sitting on. "I thought we were your friends! Are we or aren't we?!"

Y/n's eyes widened and so did everyone's in the room. Hikaru trembled in resentfulness and enviousness. Not wanting to say anything else, he rushed past Haruhi and made his way up the stairs and to his room that he shared with his brother.

"Hikaru! Wait for me!" Kaoru hurried after his brother. Not too long after that, everyone downstairs heard the room door slam shut.

Tamaki put his hand on the back of his head. "Their world is still so small. It's such a shame."

Y/n looked down at her shoes. 'I can't believe he acted like that... But why though? Arai is just a friend. Wait, could it be that he's...jealous?'

"I should probably head back to my uncle's shop." Arai advised and got up from the chair he was sitting on.

"Let us walk you out." Haruhi rendered and Y/n nodded.

He hesitated at her volunteer. "Oh, um, alright."

Y/n, Haruhi, and the rest of the Host Club, except Hikaru and Kaoru, walked Arai out of the bed and breakfast and proceeded towards his bike.

"I'm really sorry about what happened back there, Arai." Y/n apologized with sympathetic eyes, genuinely feeling sorry.

"It's okay. I don't know what I did, but whatever it was it sure seemed to set him off, huh?" Arai displayed a kind, closed eyed smile.

The doors to the pension opened and out walked one of the Hitachiin brothers. Honey looked behind himself and saw the twin walk down the steps.

"Hika-Chan."

The auburn haired male had his hand behind his head and avoided eye contact until he stopped in front of Arai. "I was outta line. I'm sorry."

'Hmm... That voice. That doesn't sound like Hikaru.' Y/n suspected and it didn't take long for her to realize the truth. 'Ha! Kaoru thought that he wouldn't get caught if he acted like his brother, huh? Wrong!' She mocked.

"Thanks, don't worry about it." Arai smiled widely and directed his attention towards the two females. "Well, see you soon, Fujioka's." Arai held out his fist to Y/n.

Y/n stared at it with a questioningly look in her eyes until she remembered that she and Arai used to fist bump each other back in middle school as a way of doing a 'handshake'.

Y/n lightly grinned and gently connected her fist with his. "See you later, Arai."

The brown haired male, who was wearing his sapphire-blue cap, hopped onto his bike and began to ride away. "Bye, guys!"

Tamaki, Honey, the auburn haired young man, Y/n, and Haruhi waved one of their hands in farewell.

Honey jumped up and down while waving his hand, his arm stretching upwards. "Bye-bye!"

"So," Y/n began with a small smile, "what's up with you wearing Hikaru's clothes and pretending to be him, Kaoru?" She inquired, causing the said boy to flinch.

Haruhi pulled on Kaoru's right cheek. "Hey! What happened to that scratch on your cheek?"

"I just covered it up with some concealer!" Kaoru nervously chuckled as Haruhi pulled on his cheek, holding up a small concealer makeup container. Haruhi eventually let go of his cheek. "I don't think Hikaru's temper is going to let up anytime soon. He's no fun when he's like this, so I've got a small favor to ask of you."

"Huh?" Haruhi began, granting Kaoru to continue speaking.

"How would you like to go out with me tomorrow on a date?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

😂

💖