Bitter 1: Haruhi's Bitter Days

Chapter 18: Special and Wise, A Good Combo

Bitter 1: Haruhi's Bitter Days
Chapter 18: Special and Wise, A Good Combo

Haruhi entered her apartment and sagged against the door. She was finally home. Although she loved spending time with the Haninozuka and the Morinozuka families, today she was beyond exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. Thankfully she did not have to cook for her father since Hunny's mother had sent her home with enough food to feed at least three people. At least she would have enough food left over for her lunch bento the next day.

She was about to push herself away from the door and move into the kitchen when she was propelled forward and landed on the floor. Turning back to see what happened, Haruhi found her father standing at the door looking rather sheepish. Groaning she laid there for a minute before she felt her father trying to lift her up from the floor.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry Haruhi! I didn't know you were there. I thought the door was sticking when it wouldn't open at first and so I shouldered it so that I could open the door. I didn't know you were standing there! Forgive me! Are you alright? Did you hit your head? Do I need to take to you to the hospital? Speak to me!" Ranka gushed once again reminding his daughter about why she didn't flinch when she was around Tamaki.

Getting off of the floor, Haruhi shook her head at her father and rolled her eyes, "I would answer you if you give me a moment. I am fine. I don't need the hospital and I did not hit my head. I just got home and had shut the door and leaned against it for a moment when you opened it. I am just tired after a long day at school and then karate practice with Chika and Satoshi."

Ranka looked his daughter over very closely. She was precious to him and he would make sure nothing ever happened to her. Noticing the dark circles under her eyes, he could not find anything else wrong with her. Finally smiling and assured that she was not going to die on him, he said, "Why don't you go ahead and go to bed and I will make me something for dinner."

"You don't have to. I ate dinner at Hunny and Chika's house and Mrs. Haninozuka sent me home with enough food for your dinner and my lunch tomorrow. Here," she explained as she handed the bag holding the containers of food out for him to take. Hopefully it wasn't a huge mess after her nose dive.

"That was so nice of her! You will have to be sure to thank you next time you see her!" Ranka exclaimed as he pulled his daughter into a crushing embrace.

"I need some oxygen," Haruhi muttered and took in a deep breath with her father released her. He and Tamaki were too much alike for her comfort sometimes. "I already thanked her, but I will make sure to thank her again when I see her. I am going to go to bed. Just put the left overs in the fridge for me and I will make my bento in the morning. Good night."

"Good night Haruhi!" Ranka smiled as he pulled a plate down from the cupboard. He watched Haruhi trudge to her room and shut the door. "She is growing up so fast Kotoko. She has a wonderful boyfriend and really good friends. You would be so proud of her. I hope whatever was bothering her has resolved itself though so that she can sleep tonight. You know how she gets when she is stressed; it is hard for her to sleep." Ranka said to himself. He still liked to talk to his deceased wife. It made him feel closer to her, almost like she was still there giving him a sense of peace. Finishing with his dinner preparations, he placed the remaining food in the refrigerator and walked into the living room to eat at the table. He smiled to himself, Haruhi was becoming more and more like her mother every day.

Once Haruhi entered her room, she sent a quick text to Mori saying that she was home and going to sleep, and immediately lay down. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was dead to the world and did not rejoin civilization until her alarm clock started to go off in the morning.