BLOOM [OHSHC]

Chapter 4 - At a Crossroads

She doesn't know.

How does she still not see?

She doesn't understand.

I can't keep this up for much longer...

She has to figure it out sooner or later.

It hurts to be so close, but it's worse to be away.

She needs to reciprocate my feelings...

Or I don't know what I'll do.

-

School got infinitely weirder after my meeting with the Host Club.

Roses showed up on my desk before every class, attached to apologetic notes from Tamaki Suoh. Suoh Tamaki? Whatever, you know who I mean. Each gift pissed me off a little bit more, and by the end of the day, I had amassed a dozen red roses and just as many typed cards.

Didn't I ask to be left alone?

At the very least, the twins and Haruhi didn't try to chase me down at lunch. Honestly, though... I'd kind of been hoping one of them would try to find me, at least so I could ask what the crap Tamaki's problem was.

Whatever.

After English - which I didn't sleep through! - I shoved the bouquet of roses under my arm, packed up my bookbag, and stormed off down the hall toward Quartet practice. I was so lost in my fury and swirling thoughts that I didn't hear anyone following me... Not until I swept into Music Room 2 and dropped my things in an empty chair, disappearing into the back room to get out my cello.

I hummed a song that had been stuck in my head all day as I rolled the case out and set up my music stand. Tying my hair up into a loose bun, I sat down and tuned my sleek, black cello as I waited for the rest of the quartet to arrive.

Until someone cleared their throat.

My face dropped and I let out a long sigh. Annoyed at being interrupted after one second of peace, I swiveled my head toward the source of the sound. Kyoya Ootori stood beside the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking smug.

"Can I help you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and letting my bow droop to the ground.

He shrugged and straightened up, beginning to pace the room. "I just wanted to check in and see how you're faring after yesterday's-"

"Shit show?" I finished for him.

"I was going to say debacle," he said coolly. His smooth, calm veneer cracked just a little as the corner of his mouth quirked up, but it vanished just as quickly as it arrived. "But I suppose that works equally well."

I eyed him, suspicious of his motives, but answered, "I'm fine. Mei stayed home from school today just to be safe." Busying myself by pulling out my sheet music, I avoided looking directly at Kyoya. Something about his steely gaze over my skin made me want to simultaneously tell him every deep dark secret about myself and lock my lips up tight to never speak again. He was unnerving.

He hummed, as if processing. If I'd been paying attention, I would have noticed him swooping in close, hovering behind my shoulder. "Rachmaninoff, hmm?" His low voice reverberated up my spine, his breath hot on my neck as he leaned in to examine my sheet music. "Excellent choice."

"I didn't choose it," I countered, turning to keep him in my sights, "It's just a warm-up piece. I prefer Debussy."

I saw it again, that little twitch of his smile - there one second and gone the next. The door opened, and another member of the quartet came in, waving to me with a bemused grin, his eyes flitting between Kyoya and I.

Chuckling, Kyoya righted himself. "Well, I'll take my leave," Kyoya murmured. He strode across the room in a few long-legged steps, silent as a ghost.

As his hand reached for the door, I gathered my courage and yelled, "Tell Tamaki to apologize face-to-face!"

Kyoya paused, just ghosting the doorknob with his fingertips.

"All of these roses with notes seem insincere," I added, watching Kyoya's posture for any sign of recognition, "If he wants me to join his club so bad, then he should apologize in person. Explain himself to my face."

With a single nod, Kyoya slipped from the music room. My heart thudded in my fingertips, poised on my cello and bow. Weird.

"I didn't know you knew Kyoya Ootori," said the other quartet member, Yoru Tanaka, as he exited the back room with his violin in hand.

I focused on the sheet music once more, dragging my bow across my strings in bursts and fits to warm up. "I don't."

-

"How'd today go?"

I laughed at Mei's shout, depositing my sneakers and bag at the front door. Our dog, a little bichon-frise named Mochi, bounded up to me and begged for attention. "I should be asking you that," I shouted back, scooping Mochi into my arms for scratches. Ellis snuck in the front door behind me, his arms full of my roses, locking up and setting the alarm. We nodded to each other, our usual greeting, and I took off into the empty house, looking for my sister.

Mei reclined on the white leather couch, her eyes fixed on a K-pop music video blaring from the huge TV in the living room. Letting Mochi roam free, I plopped down beside Mei, laying my head in her lap. She automatically threaded her fingers in my hair, working her way through my knots and tangles. "Ellis and I hung out. I beat him at chess twice before he gave up. We ordered pizza for lunch," she told me robotically, her gaze still fixated on the television.

"Sounds thrilling," I sighed, my eyes drifting shut as she massaged my scalp.

The music video changed to a commercial, and Mei rounded on me. "Did anything happen with the host club today?" she grinned, yanking my hair to emphasize each word.

I squinted at her and grumbled, "Did you not see the dozen roses Ellis walked in with?"

"What?!" Mei gasped, her eyes widening, craning her neck to see if Ellis was nearby. "Who are they from? Why did they give you roses?"

Pursing my lips and scrunching up my eyebrows, I muttered, "The blond one is buttering me up."

"The annoying tall one? Or the nice small one?" she asked for clarification.

"The tall one," I laughed. "He wants me to join their club, and keeps sending me roses to apologize for yesterday."

Ellis entered from the kitchen, seating himself in the emerald green armchair opposite Mei and I. "What happened yesterday?"

We glanced over at him, and I almost told him the truth. But something about his stare bothered me. Too eager? Too interested? A tiny voice in the back of my mind worried that he'd tell my parents if he knew the truth. "I met up with some new friends and one of them said something stupid," I fibbed, squeezing Mei's hand so she'd know I was lying on purpose. "The roses you brought in were an apology from him."

His hands clenched into fists, and I could see his jaw working from across the room. My stomach twisted in knots. Did I say the wrong thing? Choose the wrong answer? "Good thing he apologized," Ellis finally said, smiling as he leaned back in his chair. He pulled his phone from his pocket and started scrolling, the conversation obviously over as his floppy, white-blonde hair fell into his eyes.

Mei and I exchanged a look, weirded out by Ellis's behavior. Another music video started up, and Mei zoned out. Ellis tapped away on his phone in the corner. I let my eyes slide shut, overthinking. Had I just screwed myself over by lying to him? Would Ellis tell my parents what I said? Would my parents freak out at the thought of me having new friends?

And better yet... what came next?

Why did this feel like a crossroads?