Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Curse of the 'Flu ❯ Into The Common Wilderness ( Chapter 3 )

CHAPTER III: “Into the Common Wilderness”

 

The journey to Haruhi's house would take roughly thirty minutes by car - even less on a world-class motorcycle. But Kaoru remembered the dismay this had caused Haruhi and tactfully chose to catch the train. For Tamaki, perhaps, the train would have made a great adventure, and maybe for Hunny and Mori as well, yet the twins had been on public transport before - once on a journey to the airport when the family shuttle had broken down.

The experience was not as interesting as both had supposed either, despite their being the centre of attention. In the carriage they occupied, they were easily the best-looking guys there and nearly pissed themselves laughing at the looks on people's faces:

`Kaoru, are you travel-sick?'

`Not at all, Hikaru… I'm just tired, I think…'

`But Kaoru, you look so ill… Here, rest your head on me like this…'

`Mmm… your chest feels so nice and warm… Will you let me sleep here, Hikaru?'

`There, there, little brother… Sleep for as long as you like…'

`Oh Hikaru, you're so kind…'

`Shh, Kaoru… I know…'

Kaoru stifled a laugh, which resembled a hiccup to fellow passengers. Those were the days! He alighted at the next station, noting, as he stepped out of the carriage and into the sea of commuters flooding the platform, how many a female stare lingered on his disappearing figure. Most were from school girls on some class trip or something. Others were from old ladies charmed by the freshness of youth and, surprisingly, a few from the odd businessman pretending to read his newspaper.

Sometimes that happened.

Now where was Haruhi's apartment again? Oh yes, now he remembered. He had to walk across a foot bridge, take two lefts, and then two rights, and then there he would be outside a four-storey condominium with the Fujioka residence on the second floor - simple.

Or was it?

Kaoru emerged from the exit, eyes hurting in the sun. He marvelled at how different his surroundings were and stood for some time gazing intently at the scruffy buildings that dared to dream they were skyscrapers. Commoners were everywhere too, dressed to a standard non-existent in his mother's imagination. Kaoru smiled; compared to these people, Haruhi had style.

`Excuse me, young man, but are you by any chance lost?'

Kaoru raised his brows at the old biddy beside him. She had with her a little dog on a short leash. He smiled carefully. He wasn't lost, just appreciating the view. He presented Haruhi's address.

`Come with me, young man, I'll show you the way,' the old biddy chuckled, taking him by the hand like she would a small child. `I used to know a man who lived there a long, long time ago and he was very, very handsome…'

And the old biddy confided a lot, lot more as she dragged the “young man” through the streets that converged on Haruhi's apartment. In her earnest stroll down Memory Lane she forgot that Kaoru was a person and that people lacked the resilience to bump and bounce through traffic as skilfully as her little dog. By the time a foot bridge, two lefts and two rights were accomplished, Kaoru no longer felt the same person he was this morning.

`Give my regards to your special, special friend,' said the old biddy, waving “bye-bye” with the hand that held the dog leash.

Kaoru raggedly waved back and watched the old biddy go, feeling distinctly sorry for the poor little dog. Then he faced Haruhi's condominium and trudged up the stairs to the second floor. Recollecting commoner protocol, he refrained from peering into any windows he passed along the way and made it to the Fujioka residence, manners intact. Automatically, his hand reached up for the knocker, but there was no knocker, just a grubby doorbell, tsk tsk!

Kaoru pressed it. He heard nothing. Was the doorbell broken? He pressed it again. Movement on the other side. The door unlocked. Then outwards it swung, nearly hitting him in the face.

`Yes?' said Kyouya.

Snowballs pelt Kaoru.

`Er…' said he.

`Hmm,' said Kyouya.

`So who's at the door, darling?' called the voice of Mr Fujioka - or “Ranka”, as he preferred.

`Salesman,' said Kyouya, and shut the door.

`Ha?' said Kaoru, confused.

Again, the door opened and this time it was Haruhi. She could not match Kaoru's expression, no matter how hard she tried, so she invited him in as means of consolation. As Kaoru removed his shoes, Haruhi asked what had brought him to her (very) humble home. Kaoru replied that he had come on behalf of (`You can't fool me…') Hikaru, who was too poorly to move from his bed to come and see Haruhi personally.

`Oh…?' interrupted Ranka, dressed in a female three-piece suit and munching on a bowl of rice. He was stood in the kitchen, about to go to work.

`We would like to invite you to our house…'

Ranka's eyes lit up. `Oh thank you, sweet boy, what an honour-'

`…Haruhi,' finished Kaoru.

Ranka ate his bowl of rice on an island.

`When would it be good to come over?'

`Maybe not today, but tomorrow would be good.'

`Sounds great.'

A bowl was slowly placed in the sink and a jacket slipped on. `Well, kids,' said the gloomy tone of Ranka, `I shall be going now…'

Everyone wished him a good day at work and Kaoru, feeling guilty, assured Haruhi that she could bring her father to the house; Haruhi's mouth impersonated a sausage.

`I thought you were ill,' remarked Kyouya from the living room; where he sat cross-legged in front of the coffee table.

`I was…'

`So I see.'

Lava drowns Kaoru.

`Tea?' offered Haruhi.