Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Looking for the Perfect Nanny ❯ Three ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran. I only own the plot of this story.

Looking for the Perfect Nanny

-- Three--

Haruhi Fujioka let her mouth slightly hung open for a couple of seconds before she shook her head gently as if trying to inject some senses into the words that she just heard from the man sitting comfortably on the expensive-looking settee in front of her.

It was not a daily routine for Haruhi to hear any of her friends asking her to move in to their houses let alone to hear it from a person whom she just met again only two weeks ago after they had lost contacts for so long. To make things worse for her; Haruhi also realized that the person who gave her the offer apparently was also capable of doing anything to make sure that she did not have any other option than to agree with his own one-sided decision. He had already done as far as buying all the houses and apartments around her area and with his power who knew what he might do next if she had the guts to decline his offer.

She should have known better that her life would never be simple let alone organized like what she used to have ever since her host club days were over when she entangled herself with a person by the name of Kyouya Ootori. Haruhi realized that the guy was anything but simple and a mere commoner like her certainly could never predict his actions no matter how hard her attempts were.

“It is not a funny to throw such a bad joke in this kind of situation, Kyouya-Senpai,” stated Haruhi after she finally recovered from her shock. She was very much unwilling to look at the person whom she just spoke to. In the past couple of minutes, she had been trying to avoid looking at him when she noticed that the guy still continued staring at her with such intensity that evident in his onyx eyes. Yet when her gaze accidentally met his; those eyes had caught her and somehow she seemed like lost in it; as if she was inside turbulence with no visible way out.

“Well, it was not supposed to be a joke, Haruhi. So I guess it's only normal for you not to find it particularly… amusing,” replied Kyouya patiently; almost as if he was trying to teach a very stubborn toddler how to read alphabets.

“How can you possibly do such thing in the first place, Senpai? What's wrong with you anyway? I failed to understand the purpose of you doing things as far as buying all the houses and apartments in my neighbourhood merely to make sure that I will agree to stay at your house in the end,” said Haruhi exasperatedly after Kyouya's words had pulled her back from her reverie. She had been known as a slightly emotionless girl ever since she was young. However, this kind of situation had forced her to take out every single emotion she did not even know she had them before.

Kyouya chuckled softly by the time Haruhi stopped throwing her tantrums; as if he found her frustration at that moment was particularly hilarious although his eyes somehow showed the other way around. Haruhi could swear that for a moment she saw a glint of unfamiliar sadness in that pair of onyx eyes. However, when he spoke to her once again the emotions were no longer visible on his face; replaced by his usual aloof self.

“As what I've mentioned to you when I visited your apartment last time; I want you to be Hajime's nanny. And needless to say, you're right from the very beginning, Haruhi; I am indeed a person who is capable of doing almost everything to get what I want. Thus, before I am sure that you accept my request; I do not care even for the slightest to what extent I will have to go in order to prove my point to you. Just like what I've said to you previously; you don't have any other options than to agree with me for this matter, Haruhi,” stated Kyouya in a firm tone. He never left his eyes from Haruhi even for a fleeting moment; as though he was really trying to decipher the meaning behind her expressions upon hearing his words.

“And let me assure you, Haruhi; there is nothing wrong with me. On the contrary, I never feel more right about anything other than this before,” added Kyouya. His trademark smirk reappeared on his handsome figure by the time he finished his last sentence.

Haruhi let out an audible sigh. She felt her head almost split into two only by listening to Kyouya's intriguing answers. It was utterly ridiculous to hear that a person would do anything to make her the nanny of his son. But then again, it was Kyouya Ootori who proposed such ridiculous thing in the first place. And seeing the absurdity of everything that related with the host club or any of its members through the eyes of commoners like her; Haruhi knew that she could not expect any less than insane reasoning for her current situation from him.

“What do you actually expect from me, Kyouya-Senpai? You know it very well that I have no knowledge whatsoever about children and I don't really have much time on hand to really learn those stuff as well. Besides, do you truly believe that my father will agree with me staying at your house of all places?” replied Haruhi at last. She did not know how to give a proper response to Kyouya without sounded too blunt or sarcastic anymore. She was even more clueless on how to change the guy's mind or how to explain to him that she would certainly be the worst candidate for his son's nanny that he could possibly find.

Yet her sarcasms were only being shrugged off unconcernedly by Kyouya at the following moment as he spoke in a smooth voice, “Don't let yourself drowning in such trivial thoughts, Haruhi. I have already got more than enough nurses and maids to take care of Hajime's wellbeing. The only thing I ask from you is to simply spare some of your.. uh... precious time for my son by staying here in this house.”

Kyouya smirked slightly when he added, “Of course you don't need to be worried about your father, Haruhi. He could not be more than ecstatic to know that you will be living in here soon. You can't blame him though; your father really should be worried with her daughter living alone in this big city especially when the crime rate's increasing tremendously these past few months.”

Upon listening to what Kyouya just said, Haruhi could not help but cursing herself instantly for thoroughly forgetting the most important fact about her father. Ranka always adored Kyouya to the extent that he never saw the necessities of explaining anything to her as long as it involved Kyouya in the first place. Thus, it was not that hard for her to believe that her father would be more than relieved to let her living under the same roof with that guy anyway. She should have seen that one coming especially when her father often uttering his worries that his precious daughter had to live alone in a big not to mention dangerous city every time she called him.

Haruhi took a deep breath as she asked, “Why does it have to be me? I don't understand you at all, Senpai. How can you possibly hire a person like me as your son's nanny when you obviously know that I don't even know the how to act as one? What I do know is that your son deserves somebody better than me. I am sure you can find somebody with both skills and qualifications for the job.”

Much to Haruhi's surprise, there was a sincere smile on Kyouya's flawless face when he replied, “I believe that I do have the right to choose what's best for Hajime as long as he's still under my care, Haruhi. And what I do know is that I don't want anyone other than you to be his nanny. It really doesn't matter for me that you don't possess either skills or qualifications for the job.”

Something in Kyouya's words really ticked off Haruhi. It sounded as though Kyouya needed her because who she was and not what she was capable of. But on the next second, her brain told her that she might have been thinking too much. The shadow king she knew all along would never do unnecessary things unless there were merits to be gained. And as far as she could think of, he would never have any benefits by hiring such an inexperienced girl like her as the nanny of his son.

Haruhi sighed heavily once again before she spoke with much gentler tone, “Honestly, Kyouya Ootori; since when did you become a dictator like this?”

And Kyouya did not even try to conceal his laughter when he replied, “Then I take it as you have accepted my offer.”

“Do I have an option not to accept your offer, Senpai?” asked Haruhi helplessly. She knew it all along that rich people like Kyouya could be very pushy sometimes and clearly could not accept `no' as the answer.

Upon hearing what Haruhi just said; Kyouya could not help but smiling sincerely. Her rhetorical question just now had reminded him with the one that she gave him when he offered her a bookshelf in one afternoon during their host club days. The only difference back then was probably the fact that things were always much simpler than what they had at the moment. However, probably it did not matter anyway knowing that she was Haruhi after all. Besides, he knew it very well that to a commoner like her; things about him and his society would always remain too complicated to comprehend by her logic in which had made her gave up trying to understand them at all in the end.

With that thought, Kyouya chuckled slightly and said, “I'm afraid my answer is still a 'no', Haruhi.”

“Do you need any further assistance from us, Fujioka-Sama?”

Haruhi startled slightly upon hearing somebody spoke from behind her. She turned around only to find a man with black attire and a pair of black sunglasses staring at her.

Upon noticing that he got the girl's attention, the man bowed slightly and waited for her response.

Haruhi sighed and glanced around at her now already empty apartment before she replied, “No, I think that's about all. Thank you so much for all your help today.”

“It's our pleasure to be at your service, Fujioka-Sama,” the guy bowed for the last time before leaving the place.

Haruhi sighed quietly; after all the years she had spent with the host club, she still had not accustomed to all kinds of courtesies. And to realize that starting from that day she would be living with one of the richest and most influential families in the world; she knew sooner or later she had to get used to all sorts of formalities once again no matter whether she liked it or not. Somehow thinking about that fact alone had made her feeling oddly exhausted.

However before she could say anything; another guy with the same attire as the previous one appeared at her doorstep and spoke succinctly, “Ootori-Sama is waiting for you on the other line, Fujioka-Sama.” Shortly after that, he handed over a cell phone to Haruhi. Without further ado, the guy left her alone inside the room muttering darkly at the expensive cell phone in her palm as though trying to let go some of her frustrations before talking to the person on the other line.

Haruhi took a deep breath before trying to speak with the most cheerful tone she could muster at that time, “Hi, Senpai. How can I help you?”

On the other line, she could imagine vividly of Kyouya smirking over the phone as he spoke casually, “Nice try, Haruhi. Why do you have to let yourself feel depressed on such a big occasion like today?”

“I am not depressed, Senpai. Why should I? Anyway, what pleasure do I owe you to have your call all of a sudden, Kyouya-Senpai?” replied Haruhi bluntly; mimicking Kyouya's sarcasms couple days back when she was still at his house.

To add Haruhi's irritation further, Kyouya did not bother to conceal his chuckle as he answered, “Ah, I'm just checking on your… um… packing. So, have you got everything ready?”

“It did not need much time for me to finish my packing actually as I don't have many things to pack to begin with. However, since you obviously have found the necessity of sending the entire Men-in-Black brigade to be my movers today; it's not surprising if the people in this neighbourhood start thinking that I've been hiding my real job as a secret agent. Of course all thanks to you, Senpai,” stated Haruhi through gritted teeth.

It was really very depressing indeed for Haruhi to notice that people began to gather around the apartment ever since Kyouya's men arrived at her place together with an 18-wheeler truck. She did not know why the guy got the impression that she would need him to send her a big truck like that in the first place. It was not very easy for the truck driver to reach her apartment since the streets around there were quite narrow as they were obviously not being designed for any kinds of big-sized cars let alone an 18-wheeler one.

And it really did not help the situation much when all the guys that Kyouya sent showed up at her doorstep wearing black attires with manners that would only be suitable if they were acting in some action slash thriller movies rather than being her movers for the day.

Seeing all those excessiveness; Haruhi could not really blame her neighbours for asking her whether she was attempting to flee out of the country because her cover had been blown up somehow. The only person she could actually blame for all the unnecessary uproars was obviously herself. After all this time, she really should have known better than to ask a multimillionaire like Kyouya Ootori for a simple help such as moving her things to his house for instance. In the first place, she should have understood by now that there was no simplicity in the autobiography of Kyouya Ootori to begin with.

Kyouya was still smiling when one of his assistants informed him that he got a video call from no other than his best friend Tamaki Suoh. To be honest, Kyouya did not even know whether he and Tamaki still could be considered as best friends like they used to be back then in their high school days. They had no longer kept in touch ever since the day both of them graduated from Ouran and no sooner than that their relationship drifted apart along with the passing days. And the most tragic part of it was the fact that none of them really tried to rekindle their loosening friendships or closed the distance between them that seemed to appear out of nowhere without they ever realized it.

Yet it was not a big surprise for Kyouya to have a call from his best friend out of the blue like what he did at the moment. In fact, he had been expecting Tamaki to call him earlier than that. And somehow, Kyouya knew the only reason that could make his best friend called him all of a sudden like that; Haruhi Fujioka.

Upon seeing Kyouya's face on the screen; Tamaki Suoh did not bother to tone down his volume level and immediately spoke in a very impatient manner, “Kyouya, I've heard what you've done to Haruhi-Chan and I must say that I am not happy with it at all.”

“Well, nice to see you too, Tamaki. I could only assume that Paris suits you rather well since it helps you to speak with such straightforwardness that I used to find it… ah… lack… in you…” replied Kyouya calmly.

Unlike Tamaki, Kyouya still looked as nonchalant as ever and only stared his best friend with his usual calculating look; as if nothing had changed between them and none of the days passed by without them talking to each other.

“Stop talking those kinds of nonsense, Kyouya. Tell me what is your actual plan that makes you drag Haruhi-Chan along?”

“Ah, since when did we lose our usual honorific terms as father and mother, Tamaki? I can barely recall when the last time you referred me as mother was.” Kyouya smirked.

“I am not in the mood to joke around with you, Kyouya. I don't know what you're up to by making Haruhi-Chan as your son's nanny or whatsoever stuff you have obviously made up to convince her in the first place. What I do know is that you have to stop it before anyone gets hurt because of your actions,” stated Tamaki in a more dangerous tone than before.

“I know what I'm doing, Tamaki and I don't need you to baby-sit me or Haruhi for this matter. And just to let you know; I will never allow anyone hurting Haruhi. You know it perfectly well that I do care about her as much as you do… or even more than what you can imagine,” said Kyouya with tones that were much more serious than the ones he used previously. At that moment, his eyes were gleaming with indescribable emotions; very much the same with the one that his best friend was showing currently.

“I trusted you before, Kyouya; even when everything had to end not in the way it was supposed to be. Yet you never really bothered to explain to any of us for everything that you did all along. Don't tell me you did not realize that you had already hurt all of us when you walked out on our life that day,” said Tamaki with an edge in every word that he spoke.

“I never walked out on anyone's life… but mine…” whispered Kyouya in a barely audible volume. Once he finished his sentence, Kyouya stared at his best friend with sadness still visible on his impeccable face.

Tamaki frowned. He could not hear what Kyouya had just said, however from the remorseful looks that still lingered on his handsome face; he could only assume that his best friend had a valid reason for whatever he did last time. Still, it did not mean that he could just easily forgive him after he had abandoned their friendships just like that. Furthermore, what the point of a friendship really was when there was no honesty and trust in it after all.

Finally the blonde guy spoke in a softer tone than before, “At least you could try to explain to me the reasons behind all the things that you did last time so we can mend them and start everything all over again, Kyouya.”

Kyouya laughed cynically almost instantly upon hearing Tamaki's words; as if he could only hear sarcasms hinted in each of them. And much to Tamaki's astonishment, Kyouya looked hollow and empty when he stopped his laughs just about as abrupt as when he started it.

By the time Kyouya opened his mouth to speak again; his voice was dreadfully cold and distant, “Between the two of us you're always the naïve one, Tamaki and I am sorry I have to destroy that perfect little dream of yours since it's a friend's job to tell the truth, isn't it? Let me tell you then, my dear friend; nothing can ever be mended once it's already shattered and broken.”

Tamaki's eyes widened; he was more than surprised to hear such response from Kyouya. He knew that his best friend could be sceptical in seeing things most of the times but he never heard him sounded that lonely and dejected.

In the end, Tamaki shook his head sadly. “You've changed into somebody that I no longer know of, Kyouya.”

However before Kyouya could say anything, Tamaki spoke once again; as if he suddenly remembered something very important, “I'm just wondering whether it has anything to do with Nakashima Reina, Kyouya.”

It was as if Tamaki had incidentally pushed the wrong button when he chose to mention something forbidden, which made Kyouya roared with a voice full of hatred and disgust, “I told you once before; don't ever mention that name again as long as I still live, Suoh.”

Without waiting Tamaki to reply, Kyouya turned off the screen in front of him at once and stormed out of the room with an apparent anger etched on his flawless face.

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

1 year 7 months 21 days before…

3rd Music Room

“Mother, what took you so long? I've been waiting for you downstairs for God knows how long. The meeting has already ended for more than an hour and yet you still linger in here. Didn't you ever notice that everyone's already gone?” said Tamaki in a loud voice as he barged into the 3rd music room only to find Kyouya still busily typing something with his laptop.

“Yeah, I noticed that,” answered Kyouya curtly without taking a glance at his best friend.

“So why are you still typing? Come on, you still have tomorrow for goodness sake. It is not necessary to rush everything in one day. It will only make you grow wrinkles before you even reach your 20th birthday, Mother,” replied Tamaki as he sat on the empty chair next to his best friend.

Kyouya halted his typing. He stared at his best friend who by then was busily drumming his fingers impatiently against the desk next to him for a couple of seconds before he said, “I need to finish this by today, Tamaki.”

“Why? What are you typing anyway? Is it really that important?” asked Tamaki as his eyes glanced over the monitor before Kyouya with great interest.

“Yes, it's very important, at least for me.” Kyouya continued staring at his best friend whom could not help but frowning deeply upon hearinghis somewhat cold reply.

Kyouya sighed before added in a lower voice, “I'm typing my resignation letter, Tamaki.”

“Yeah… yeah… yeah… you can finish typing yo… What did you say just now?” Tamaki stuttered almost hysterically after a sudden realization of what Kyouya just said hit him.

“I quit,” repeated Kyouya simply. His onyx eyes were hidden behind his jet-black bangs.

“Hahaha… That's not funny at all, Mother. Honestly, haven't you learned it by now that you don't have any flair in throwing jokes, Mother? It's simply horrible. Thankfully, you still have time to practice your skills before April Mop,” replied Tamaki cheerfully as he tapped Kyouya's shoulder amiably.

However, Tamaki's cheerfulness ended almost abruptly when he saw Kyouya still staring at him with an unfathomable expression etched on his handsome face.

When there was still no reply from Kyouya, Tamaki could not help but starting to feel anxious. His expression was somewhat less cheerful than usual as he hesitated, “Why don't you answer me, Mother? It's a joke, right?”

Kyouya answered in a barely audible voice; yet in the empty music room where they were at the moment, that volume had served more than enough to be heard by his best friend, “Regretfully I am notjoking, Tamaki. I mean it when I said I quit just now. I quit from the host club. And I also quit from anythingrelating with it altogether.”

Kyouya returned his gaze to his laptop and started typing once again as if nothing had happened. After a painful silent a couple of seconds later, without leaving his eyes from the monitor of his laptop; Kyouya continued, “Starting from today onwards, I am no longera member of the host club, Tamaki.”

“What do you mean by you're no longer a member of the host club, Kyouya? Our membership is valid for a lifetime. You also clearly know that we always consider Mori-Senpai and Hunny-Senpai as the members of our host club even when they're no longer with us in this school anymore. The real purpose of the host club is for us to be friends foreverno matter where we are in later parts of our lives, Kyouya.” said Tamaki seriously; there were no more smiles shown on his normally jovial face.

Without both of them ever realized it, Tamaki had unintentionally dropped the nickname he saved only for Kyouya for the first time ever since Haruhi became the member of the host club. At that moment there was nothing more important for Tamaki than to change his best friend's mind.

However, neither of them had foreseen that day as the last day he ever called his best friend with that special name he gave him. Starting from that time onwards, their friendship gradually changed and no longer the same like it used to be.

“There is nothingin the world that can last forever, Tamaki. Even with your naïveté I believe you also know it.”

“No, there are many things that are timelessand ourfriendship is definitely one of them. I understand that you feel a little bit overwork with all the preparations for the Tokyo University's entry exams lately. You can take a break from the club as long as you want to. Let me handle all your tasks in here so you can have your study peacefully. You can come again when you feel much better,” snapped Tamaki hotly as his bright-colour eyes skimmed through the figure of his best friend; as though he was looking for hidden clues behind Kyouya's sudden resignation.

Kyouya did not give any replies to his best friend. He only looked at Tamaki for a couple of seconds longer before he stood up and gathered all of his belongings quietly.

Just before Kyouya left the 3rd music room; he still could hear Tamaki shouted at him in a firm tone, “I'll be waiting for you in here, Kyouya. I will never accept your resignation. Not now. Never. And if you know me well you will also realize that there's no way on earth I will let you walk away from me and the rest of us in here like this.”

Kyouya continued to walk away without even glancing back at Tamaki to see whether his best friend was following him or not. He knew that idiotic blonde guy would not leave the room anytime soon especially when he still failed to grasp the reality behind what he just said a moment ago.

To be honest, he found it very hard to believe it himself. He never wanted to accept the fact that it was really him who have just said that he wanted to back out from the host club. He knew perfectly well that once he admitted the fact; he would have to face the consequences that he would no longer have anyonebeside him anymore.

With that thought, an image of a girl who dressed up as a boy came vividly to his mind as an understanding began to sink in to his heart. Starting from that day onwards itwas the closestthing he could ever have from her.

Nearby the Parking Ground - Ouran High School

“Ootori-Kun, I've been waiting for you. I know that you're still around since I still saw your limousine in the car park awhile ago.”

Kyouya froze on the spot upon recognizing the source of the voice that had awakened him from his stupor.

Inhaled his breath and kept his nonchalant façade intact, Kyouya continued walking towards the direction where his car was parked; completely ignoring the girl whom just spoke to him.

Yet it seemed that the girl did not mind even for the slightest bit on the cold response she just got from Kyouya. She continued walking only slightly behind him and smiling happily. Her cheek was slightly blushing when she added, “I brought you an umbrella since it's raining out there. You'll get wet if you don't use any umbrella to go to the car park, Ootori-Kun.”

However, Kyouya still did not show any kinds of inclinations that he heard the girl and resumed his walk with a faster pace than before.

Seeing that there were no visible possibilities that Kyouya would response to anything that she said, the girl hastily grabbed the sleeve of the long black coat that Kyouya wore that day to catch his attention.

Kyouya's steps halted almost immediately and turned around abruptly to look at the girl whom have been talking to him for the first time in that entire afternoon.

Somehow the girl could not hide her gasps upon seeing the expression engraved intensely on Kyouya's gorgeous face. It was full of hatred and repugnance; as if she did not have any values in his eyes to begin with.

Before the girl could utter any words, Kyouya bent his body slightly as if he wanted to whisper something to her. The scenery alone would look like a scene that came out straight from a romantic story if only Kyouya did not emit malice in every word that he hissed to the girl's ear, “Don't you dare to touchme ever again, Woman. I am going to make sure myself that I'll give you a retributionthat you surely deserve.”

As soon as he finished the sentence, Kyouya walked away from the girl and furthering away from the parking ground where his limousine was parked.

He did not even bother to turn around to see the girl anymore. But yet he still could hear what she said at last before the voice from the raindrops drowning her words, “My name is Nakashima Reinaand never addressed me as Womanever again, Kyouya Ootori! You know perfectly well that you're no longer able to run away from me anymore…”

Kyouya did not know how long he had walked through the heavy rains or how far he had left the parking ground that day. He could not care less for anything anymore. To him, everything had lost its meaning ever since he walked out from the 3rd music room earlier that day.

Kyouya had shouted to his chauffeur to leave him alone to no avail. He knew that his current state must be awfully bad to make his chauffeur took a risk of losing his job by keep on offering him to get in to the car, bringing him an umbrella, or even sheltering him with the umbrella that he had rejected previously when he did not give any slightest inclinations that he had noticed his offers.

It was still raining heavily as he kept on walking pointlessly with his chauffeur following him in a frantic manner from behind. The raindrops felt like piercing his bare skins yet it was not as hurtful as what he felt inside his heart.

The last sentence from Reina still kept on ringing inside his head no matter how many times he tried to shunt it away. Deep inside, Kyouya knew that she was saying the truth; he had faced a turning point where he was no longer able to escape from her anymore no matter how hard he tried.

Upon that thought, Kyouya instinctively ran as fast as his tired feet could muster; leaving his flabbergasted chauffeur behind. He no longer cared where he was heading to or how much longer his weary feet would be able to run. For all he knew, once he stopped running; he no longer had the life that he always wanted since he had sealed his own not so long ago.

After what it seemed like forever, Kyouya finally stopped his steps. He stared at the greyish cloud that still hung low in the vast sky of Tokyo, which continued pouring out water to the ground and also to his flawless face.

He wanted to throw his frustration away but he was too tired to think of any ways to do that. In the end, Kyouya only managed to shout out loud; releasing his long bottled up emotions while his gaze was still fixed at the murky sky above him. In between his shout, once again he saw the same exact image of the girl who dressed up as a boy that he just saw playing in his mind only for what it seemed a moment ago. Yet this time, her image was slowly fading as if it was slipping away together with the falling raindrops; leaving his bare face filled with nothingness.

And without warning, water that was not originated from the rain escaped quietly from the corners of his eyes. In that dreary afternoon, for the first time in his life; Kyouya Ootori let himself cry.

-- to be continued --