Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Curse of the 'Flu ❯ Interferring ( Chapter 8 )

CHAPTER VIII: “Interfering”

 

Kyouya had. He had given “love” a lot of thought lately. Not running the Host Club could do that to people. Without the need to calculate expenditures, organise elaborate settings or predict the impact of both on designation rates and the club's overall reputation, Kyouya had a surprising amount of free time to sit and think; to sit and think; to think; to sit; and to sit and think some more.

He had given “love” a lot of thought lately and it was making him ill in a way he had never been. Even though his thoughts on the subject were focused on directing Haruhi to Tamaki, they also brought him to the irksome presence of Hikaru and thus to the younger twin he had no intention of thinking about.

In their last `exchange' Kyouya had emphasised Kaoru's role in all of this. He did not say it in so many words, as Kyouya disliked being direct about these things, but he believed that Tamaki deserved to succeed. Tamaki had introduced to their lives a new sort of meaning, and without him, where would any of them be? Because of Tamaki's encouragement, Hunny retired from an image that made him unhappy, and because of Tamaki's encouragement, the twins finally met someone who could distinguish correctly between the two of them. So Tamaki deserved to succeed and Kyouya would help to realise his success.

However, there was Hikaru to consider.

Kyouya did not know the Hitachiin brothers well and merely accepted their membership as a sign of Tamaki's rare foresight. They proved that “brotherly love” had a market and enhanced the Host Club's progress - except their contribution would probably deteriorate, should Hikaru form a relationship with Haruhi, as part of the club's success came from the fact that none of its hosts were actually engaged. If customers discovered that Hikaru, or for that matter, Kaoru as well, had someone `special' in mind, their enjoyment would plummet and they would designate other hosts. Then again, rates could suffer if Tamaki and Haruhi were to do the same thing, yet none of their customers knew the truth of Haruhi's gender and would likely perceive their relationship as curious and exciting, boosting designation rates by over 200% - according to calculations.

Anyway, where did Kaoru come into this? From Kyouya's point of view, Kaoru was essential in eliminating the competition. As a twin, he would be able to dissuade Hikaru from pursuing or developing feelings that could go beyond the boundaries of friendship. Yet Kaoru had been appalled by Kyouya's advice, refusing before he had given it genuine thought, but Kyouya was convinced that Kaoru would eventually sympathise with his way of thinking.

Hikaru can establish Haruhi as a friend to his heart's content, just no more than that: it's time for Tamaki to be happy for a change. Surely Hikaru is happy now that he and Kaoru have found someone who recognises them as individuals?

Surely?

It wasn't just for Tamaki's sake. It was for his sake, Kaoru's. Hikaru falling in love would be the worst thing that could happen. The twins had experience sharing their world with friends, of course, but with lovers…? What would a lover do to a bond as deep and unique as Hikaru and Kaoru's? When they observed the reconciliation of Hikaru and Arai that summer, when Kaoru answered that question on the balcony, it was then that Kyouya felt he had to interfere, that something significant had to be done…

…yet he did not know it was for “love”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2