Business (Kyoya Ootori)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Apparently, Private Exams Are in the Job Description

It felt good to wake up on a Saturday morning to my personalised alarm tune, especially when I remembered that I wouldn't have to deal with that dreadful Host Club. They'd been working me raw since the day I joined – sending me on silly errands and constantly tossing pages and pages of costume ideas at me.

Hikaru and Kaoru, in particular, had been exhausting me. Along with their ridiculous pranks, the duo often liked to snatch my sketchbook out of my hands and share hushed conversation as they flipped through the pages. It didn't help when I learned that their mother owned the famous Hitachiin clothing brand. I could've crapped in my pants right then and there.

Somehow, I still managed to keep up in my classes, but as the days passed. I could feel my shoulders sagging and my eyelids dropping more and more often. Even short bursts of caffeine did nothing to increase my energy level and, by Friday, I was about ready to break.

Luckily, I managed to hide my struggles.

Throughout the morning, I sauntered along, absentmindedly completing chore after chore. My efforts were half-assed until I'd accidentally dropped one of the bowls, chipping a large piece out of one side. I cursed – I'd have to replace that as soon as possible.

"I suppose it's still usable," I murmured to myself when I inspected it further. It wasn't as though it shattered or had a big crack running through it. "I'll just have to be careful."

I finished washing, drying, and packing away the dishes before I used the wet towel to wipe my forehead a little. The bright sun and clouds showed no chance of rain, and as I stared up into the blue sky, I felt something soft brush my leg.

"What's up, Westly?" I asked, bending down to scratch the back of my Teacup Golden Retriever pup, who, in turn, jumped up into my arms. I caught him with ease and rubbed my cheek against his head, his golden fur tickling my skin. "You're such a spoilt dog."

Not long after, my phone (Kyoya had gotten it for me) rang loudly, the familiar ringtone that I'd set for Kyoya making me sigh and hit my head against the wall. I ignored it and remained where I was, letting Kyoya leave me voicemail after voicemail for about ten minutes.

I sighed. Kyoya wasn't giving up easy, so I eventually snatched the phone off the desk and flipped it open, just barely opening my mouth to speak when Kyoya stated, "There's an emergency with Haruhi, come to this address."

He hung up after speaking the address, one that I faintly recognised, and I quickly changed into my appropriate gear, stuffing what I already had on into my backpack. I sprinted out to my bike, wasting no time in goodbyes and starting the engine.

I raced down the gravel driveway, almost swerving out of control a few times, but soon enough, I was driving down the road. I could feel some strands of hair that escaped my helmet whipping in the wind behind me.

Please, don't let this place be too far away, I prayed in my head when I slowed to a stop to allow a large group of students cross the road. Some I recognised from Ouran Academy, but the majority of them were strangers in different uniforms – uniforms that looked admittedly more comfortable than the vibrant yellow dress.

I thanked my helmet for hiding my face from the crowd and, while the hundreds of students continued to walk at a snail's pace, I took the chance to glance around at my surroundings. Unsurprisingly, I'd ended up on a street of beautiful mansions ranging from the Victorian to the modern age.

A voice in my head that reminded me greatly of Lady Bracknell (from 'The Importance of Being Earnest') jokingly criticised some of the houses. I could just imagine her, sipping her tea with her littlest finger sticking out as she stared in distaste at the tiniest crack in a wall or a couple of dead roses that had been left unclipped.