Lost and Returned (Ouran High School Host Club love story)

Chapter 17

Son of bitch. I watched as two thugs- from what I could tell at this distance- started to attack and grab at Haruhi. They think she's a guy! While she was plenty independent, she wasn't exactly a fighter, and really I wasn't either, but I still charged up there. Those girls were going to tell the other guys, but they would take more time to get there, if I could at least buy some time.

"Hey! Let him go!" I was used to referring to Haruhi as a him, and right now revealing that she's a girl wouldn't be a safe option either. I didn't know what these guys would do and judging by a discarded bottle, they were probably drunk.

"Well, well, come to save your boyfriend?" They were pissed off, that much was obvious, but I saw discarded sea urchins on the ground, so I could only figure that was Haruhi's doing in order to get their attention while the other girls went for the guys. 

"Seems like just as much of a pain as he is. Why don't you join him for a little dip then?" They had Haruhi at the edge of the cliff, I tried to move away, but I couldn't dodge faster than I was grabbed. Dammit, I needed to be better at these things, but this was another thing where I could only take second place. 

"Let me go!" I pulled against him, trying to tear my arm away, but by time I had a good opportunity, him holding on to me was all that was keeping me on the cliff. Haruhi wasn't doing much better either, she was about to get tossed over too, she was practically dangling over the edge. I heard the sound of people running, but just as they got up there, I felt air rush past me, they dropped us. They actually dropped us. I was hoping they were bluffing, that they would chicken out once they saw the others, but they hadn't. I hit the water hard, it took the breath out of me, not only that, I felt something hard graze my side. It stung like hell, but I was doing better than Haruhi, she almost seemed like she passed out. Just as I pulled up for air was when I noticed Tamaki had grabbed Haruhi.

"Are you alright?" He was panicked and serious for a change, the beach had cleared out, probably Kyouya's doing. I nodded, it was too hard to speak, but I could at least make it to the beach where I could stand again. The others were there waiting by time we actually reached the shore, Tamaki was slowed significantly by Haruhi, and I wasn't helping either since he was always checking to see if I was keeping up. When we hit sand I was grateful. I could properly get my breath back. Haruhi seemed fine all in all, she was conscious and could stand on her own. Good. I had a hand over my heart trying to get my breath back from the impact of the water before I felt something around me. It was black and I looked up to see Kyouya had given me his shirt from earlier.

"Thank you..." I breathed out and managed to stand up straight, just in time for Tamaki to lecture Haruhi and me. He wasn't happy at all, but seeing how much he cared about everyone in the club especially Haruhi- I couldn't say I was surprised. He could be obnoxious and over the top, but he was genuinely good person. Though I couldn't shake the feeling, that the only reason he scolded me to was because I was there, not because I was part of this strange family picture he had in his head. When we got back to the house, the air never stopped being tense. I managed to escape to my room for a bit, and had to bandage that cut I had earned earlier. Thankfully it didn't look too deep like it needed stitches, but it hurt like hell- especially when I was cleaning it. About as soon as I had it wrapped up and had gotten dressed again Haurhi came to my room she was dressed up to go to dinner, or more so in her night gown. She looked cute, I'd admit that. 

"You ready to go to dinner?" She watched me curiously, I was wearing a white sun dress my mom had gotten me for this trip. I figured I might as well wear it for a little while, and I was just going for a walk on the beach. I decided to leave my camera, I did take some pictures earlier, but I had no need for it now. Though apparently I missed a few fun shots while I was sleeping, because from what Haruhi told me, the guys had started leading her around all over the place and taking her into caves, trucks, and what not. Why, I don't know, but I could always ask one of them later when the air wasn't so tense. 

"I'll skip it. I'm not hungry, I'm just going to go for a walk. I should be back soon." To get out of this atmosphere and away from everyone for a bit was what I needed. I wasn't used to being around people so much, it was an odd sensation and I didn't exactly like it or dislike it. 

"Are you sure?" She didn't seem completely okay with the idea of me leaving when it was dark and skipping a meal, but I was used to skipping meals and I really wasn't hungry enough to go and sit with everyone.

"I just need some time to myself is all." I explained that much and when someone came to lead us to the dining hall, I veered off when we reached a point where I could find the front door and left. I got another strange look, but Haruhi was the one that ended up clearing everything up for me. Once I was outside, the air was cooler than it had been, and a silence had settled. It was nice. Walking away from the house, it didn't take me long to touch sand. Even that had already started to cool off, no warmth from the day was left on it. I lost my flip flops in the fall, so I wasn't wearing any shoes, it was the beach anyway- and a private one at that- I didn't really need them. I started on what seemed like the longest path to walk and was at the water's edge, where I could feel the waves roll over my feet and ankles. It was cold, but I got used to it quickly. The moon reflected on the water was pretty, I stared out at the water for most of my walk, it wasn't like I was going to run into someone. However thirty or some minutes of my walk, I distinctly heard something rumble in the distance, I had heard faint bits of it before but couldn't be sure. However within a matter of moments there was a flash and a large clap of thunder before I was engulfed by water.

"Where is Kokoro?" Kyouya had just left Haruhi to Tamaki before the storm, however once he returned to everyone else, there was someone missing. Now they had been told she went out to the beach, but he was certain she would have been back by now. 

"She isn't back yet?" Hani looked up and so did the others, no one had seen her come back or heard the front door since she left. Though before jumping to any conclusions, Kyouya thought it a good idea to check her room.

"She isn't here." The others had ended up joining him, but she wasn't there, so she was still out on the beach, and soon they heard a loud clap of thunder as water started to hit the glass. A storm started and she was still out at the beach. 

"Should we wait a few minutes to see if she comes in?" Hikaru and Kaoru didn't seem sure about whether or not it was worth going out to get her if she could possibly be about to open the door or run in within a few moments. However the storm was pretty intense as it was, looking out the window the sea was getting rougher by the second as well and there wasn't any sign of anyone coming back up the beach.

"I don't see anyone close by, it may be a good idea to go after her." Kyouya hummed in thought, and eventually Hikaru and Kaoru were the ones to go out and find her, while the rest of them kept a check on things here. They had tried calling her phone, but she had left it here, so they could call Hikaru and Kaoru if she ended up coming back. 

"Dammit, can you tell which way she might have gone?" Hikaru wasn't happy about being in the rain, but leaving someone out in the rain wasn't good either. He looked around, but the sand had been wiped of any tracks telling them which way she must have gone. Thunder clapped again and they looked around, but they couldn't see her nearby. 

"It'll probably be best if we split up. I'll call you if I see her." Kaoru didn't like the idea of splitting up in the storm, but it would be the fastest way to find her, and it wasn't like there was anyone on the beach to begin with. So she was the only one that they probably would find if she wasn't just taking some long way back to the house. After deciding on different directions the two went off trying to find her as fast as possible, but Kaoru was worried. Who wouldn't run home when a storm started? What if something had happened like earlier? What if, she wasn't going to be there to find...