The Forked Path

* Hi all, here's chapter 3. Thanks sadi for that lovely review. I'll try to keep up the good work. Still, the rest who are reading and would like to see more, do keep the reviews and votes coming. Any feedback is welcomed.

Cheers :)

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Chapter 3

The rest of summer vacation went by peacefully, with Hikaru and I spending the last two weeks shopping in Paris as our mother had to host one of her world acclaimed summer fashion tours there. Before we knew it, it was back to school again and more work at the club and, unavoidably, more time spent with Haruhi. All 3 of us had found ourselves in the same class again. It surprised me that Hikaru had managed to maintain the grades needed to seat himself in class 2-A but he managed nevertheless. I guess his consistent pleas for my help with studies got him what he wished for, to be in the same class as her.

“Hikaru!” The sound of Haruhi’s chirping jolted me from my current string of thoughts as the both of us walked into our beloved 3rd music room. She was different today, somehow a little more cheerful and excited than she usually was. She walked quickly towards us and nodded her head in greeting me.

“Ah, Kaoru. Good day to the both of you. If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow Hikaru for a little bit.”
“Sure..”, My sentence was left hanging as I tried hard to keep myself from adding in *As long as you’re not stealing him permanently its fine.*
Haruhi took Hikaru by the hand and led him deeper into the room towards one of our specially imported Italian designed sofas. Resting on it was a little package in a box wrapped neatly in some commoner’s cute wrapping paper. I followed them but reluctantly stopped half-way where the tea table was. I was torn between giving them some privacy and wanting to pry into the interesting conversation they were having. So, I decided to make myself useful by getting some tea ready for the clients that would soon flow into the room by the hundreds. The concentration to make a cup of good English tea wasn’t quite enough to distract me from them and I kept straining my ears to listen in. But unfortunately, no matter how badly I wanted to eaves drop, all I could hear were some brief murmurs followed by laughing from both parties and a thank you note from Hikaru.

“You can stop spying now.” That surprised me. Kyouya had just whispered directly into my ear again leading me to turn and face him abruptly, shaking his hand from my shoulder and rubbing my ear. I was angered by the violation of my private space and what he did had just sent shivers down my spine in a way I did not wish to feel, especially not through his actions. If our clients had not already begun filing in, I would’ve punched him straight with all my might.

“You have got to stop doing things like that you asshole and, I wasn’t spying.” I stated firmly whilst maintaining composure as to not alert the clients and the rest of the group that had the room quite filled. With one hand, Kyouya pulled his glasses down just slightly and peered over them to give me a closer examination as he leaned towards me. “Hmmm, looks like you’re better today but you should understand that it doesn’t get any better from now on. Especially after what I just observed, it’ll probably keep going downhill from here and by the end of the school year, not even I can help you.” He reached out a hand past me to take one of the cups of tea I had just prepared and as he sipped on his tea he gave me a cunning smile.

“What the fuck are you trying to get at?”

“Don’t even try to defend yourself. You know it’s useless and although it’s not obvious to some, it is to me.”

“What is?”

“That you wish you could hold, kiss and fuck Hikaru without feeling guilty about it.”

“Damn it, what you said was way out of line, Kyouya! Take that back!”

“Right Kaoru and I suppose relishing each night that you spend next to him and masturbating while thinking of him isn’t out of line?”

“You’re being a complete jerk about this, seriously.” I snapped at him, feeling absolutely defeated with his last statement. I turned to look down at my feet as his bluntness had really hit the bull’s eye causing me to tear.

“Look Kaoru, I’m just trying to prove a point. You should just let him be and look elsewhere for happiness. After all, isn’t that what you wanted to do, to break the barriers that divided the both of you from the rest of the world? I remember quite clearly last year that you purposefully sent them on a date together.” Kyouya paused to take another sip of his tea.

“Seriously, you should think more deeply about your situation and ponder on my pointers a bit more instead of calling me an ass and a jerk. I am after all, just speaking for your well-being.”

“So, what you’re trying to say is I should turn to you, which is what you refer to as ‘elsewhere’ in your statements and I suppose in your own twisted way, you’re asking me out on a date?”

“Hm… So you finally understand.”

“Seriously, Kyouya, who the fuck would understand that, since all you’ve been doing is scaring the shit out of me, bombarding my head with pessimistic thoughts and making me feel sick about myself?” At this point, I was so filled with anger I thought I would explode.

At that, Kyouya placed the cup of tea he had been holding back onto the table behind me. He lifted my chin with one hand and looking into my eyes he spoke softly, “I apologize Kaoru, really I’m sorry. I guess my ice cold façade is really difficult to shake off and so are my habits. But somehow, you Kaoru…” he leant in slightly closer to me. This was the first time I had seen such a gentle look on Kyouya’s face to the point it got me thinking he could’ve been an imposter. He continued, “You have managed to prick me deeply. You’ve melted right through my icy mirrors using those stunningly beautiful eyes of yours.”

I relaxed and softened slightly with that. It was then that I decided to lighten up on the situation a little. After all, we were in the same club and it seemed that at that moment, this side of him wasn’t that bad and I guess there was no reason to be enemies just because he was speaking the truth. Furthermore, whether I liked it or not, I’d still have to bear with his traits and habits since we practically had to face each other almost every day.

“Perhaps you should try asking politely rather than fill my head with nightmares.”

“Mmm..Ok, I’ll try. Kaoru, would you like to go on a date with me?”

“No..”

“Just for one day.”

“No.”

“You told me to ask, see it isn’t working, like I thought.”

“Of course it isn’t.” *No way in hell will I ever betray the feelings I have for Hikaru, I’m not that kind of person and I would never in a million years ever be with the likes of you, so why don’t you get that through that icy mirror of yours, idiot!*

Kyouya smiled at me once again. Putting his hand on his chin he closed his eyes in thought and when they were opened, he looked straight at me, sending shards of ice that held me fixated in my position. His icy composure had returned. It was as if I had a sudden premonition. I knew I was about to fall into a trap and no matter how much I could foresee it, I couldn’t do anything to avoid it and then it happened, Kyouya’s undefeatable negotiation skills.

“Hence, here’s my way. Go out with me and see if Hikaru will turn around and look at you in a different light. That way I get to enjoy your company and you get a chance at making him jealous, a full-proof win-win proposition.” Fuck, I had been caught. It was something that I could not resist trying and definitely a chance that I wished to take even if it meant having to spend time with the ice cold prince. “Damn it, you are good.”

“I know and I take that as a yes. So this Sunday I’ll come by your house to pick you up, making it more obvious and definitely more effective, wouldn’t you say?”

“Fine, but if you make anymore funny moves on me…”

“I won’t. I’m trying to charm you remember? Not make myself appear repulsive.” With that, the conversation had officially ended. I nodded curtly and began strutting off to the other side of the room to where a bookshelf was. *Yes Kaoru, good thinking. Put yourself as bait in a trap and maybe Hikaru will fall for you. NOT!*

I stopped from bombarding myself any further with the idiotic decision I had just made and sat down on a comfortable reading chair, grabbing a book and trying my best to be interested in whatever it was I had in my hands. However, I couldn’t help glancing over the book and at the scene across the room, where Hikaru and Haruhi were still chatting cheerfully. Hikaru was scratching the back of his head laughing and Haruhi was smiling lovingly back at him. It was wrenching my heart out with every second that passed by. Unable to stand the sight any longer and as if he read my mind, Kyouya went by Hikaru to exchange a few words with him. I suppose it was to tell him that he had to cut it short as we had many customers waiting to be served. I could see Hikaru agree and then he made a short wave to Haruhi before running towards me. *I’m not jealous, I’m not jealous, I’m not jealous*. As if chanting it in my head would help me believe it was a real fact.

He bounced towards me trying to hide the part of him that was bursting with joy from what had happened, whilst I forced a sly smile. I decided to use this and act it out as a scene for the girls. “Mmmm… Hikaru, you spent such a long time away from me that I thought you had forgotten me,” I whined and teased him. He then grabbed hold of me and clutched my thin frame to his chest and whispered in a loving tone “I would never forget you. If I did, I should be struck by lightning each time I said ‘I love you’.” As usual our rabid fan base screamed and squealed with the flames of ‘moe’ bursting from them.

*Damn it, why isn’t this real?? Why does it have to be just an act?* Having been completely blown by his words, I let a single tear trickle. He looked at me and held my face gently in one hand whilst the other wiped the tear away from my cheek. “Kaoru?” I jolted backwards. “Ahhaha, I myself was so touched by that.. hahaha.. ahahaha that.. err u know like a touching movie?.” I spluttered the first excuse I could think of as a cover up and smiled the dumbest smile I ever had. *That was stupid! I’m stupid! So stupid*. Standing and turning, I quickly exited the room all the time knowing that behind me Hikaru had just stared at me in the most puzzled look I could imagine and I didn’t want to see that. All I wanted to do was to get out of there.

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The rest of the day went by quietly. Hikaru had not brought up the subject and I knew it was because he knew better than to try. He knew that if I had made up my mind not to tell him about something he wouldn’t be able to get it out from me unless I wanted it to be heard. But then again, I also knew that he wouldn’t be able to accept my silence for long and would attempt to pry it out from me sooner or later. I turned my attention back to the drawing before me and continued putting in the finishing touches to my latest creation. I was slowly filling in the limbs to a model dressed in a red roman gown set in a modern cut with black satin ties and trimmings. Mother had looked at it and was inspired enough to do an entire collection based on my design and that at least was one happy thing I could think about for the moment.

Hikaru was listening to his songs on our bed as usual, flipping through some of today’s class notes. After finishing my drawing, I turned around to look at him and then at the remains of the package he’d just unwrapped, the package he had received from Haruhi. It comprised of a bunch of alternative rock CDs she’d purchase from the Internet and Hikaru was listening to one of them now. I decided to drum up the courage to ask him what the gift was for, after all, it wouldn’t hurt to know, would it?

“Hikaru… Hikaru?”
He looked at me and took off his headphones.

“What’s up?” He asked casually.

“Just curious that you haven’t told me about that package you got from Haruhi.”

“Oh, that. Its nothing, I made a bet with her and the penalty was that the loser buys the winner whatever he or she wanted.”

“Hmm.. That was interesting. What was the bet?”

“That Tamaki was going to ask her out soon for real. The terms were that I’d win if he did it in the next two weeks and, to no surprise, he asked her. I didn’t even have to wait a day for it to happen. Man these CDs are cool.” We both laughed at that.

“How come you never told me? You should’ve let me in on it, especially when it involved something as interesting as this.” I moved towards the bed and lied down on my side of it. He turned towards me and rested an arm across my stomach.

“It all happened so fast and for the next whole week she was asking me what she should do and if she should turn him down.”

“So, did she? Did she turn him down?”

“No, actually, she’s agreed on one date with him this Sunday.”

*Fuck this Sunday*.

“Kaoru? What’s the matter?”

I must’ve paled instantly as I was suddenly reminded of my promise to Kyouya.

“Nothing, I just felt a little faint. I think I must be really tired.”

“Honestly, you are getting me more worried. Your behavior has been erratic”.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Really, I just need to get some sleep.”

“Kay, better turn off the lights then. Goodnight love.”

“Nights.”

When the lights were off and when I was sure Hikaru couldn’t see, everything hit me. *Oh my god!* I started wondering about all that had happened recently and realized that there might be the slightest possibility that Hikaru had been just a tad gentler than he had ever been towards me lately. What if that meant that he was slowly accepting more than just my choices? Maybe he was slowly coming to accept me as more than just his brother. And if Haruhi had agreed to go out with Tamaki, then what was she to Hikaru? Maybe he knew more than I knew he did and if that was the case should I still be going out on that date with Kyouya this Sunday? Did I really still need to test him or am I just forcing everything to fit the way I had always wanted it to? *Oh what the fuck am I going to do now? Am I going to regret it? Shit!!!! I’m done for. This is going to fuck with my brains throughout the night.*