• When Roses Bloom

    Chapter 3 : The Orange Rose Starts to Bloom

    “Good morning everyone!” Ichigo greets the Host Club on her first day od assisting her childhood friend, Kyouya in the club's activities and income.

    “Good morning Ichi-chan! Would you like to eat some cake before working?” Hani said in a cheerful tone.

    “Hehe... sure! I would like some strawberry cake please.”

    “ One strawberry cake, coming right up!” He left and quickly returned with a strawberry cake in hand.

    “Here you go Ichigo-chan!” He gave it to her and began dancing around with his Usa-chan.

    “ Arigatou, Hani-sempai.”

    “O-HA-YO!” Chiyuki peeked through the door behind her friend.

    “ Yay! Chiyuki-chan is here too!” Hani twirled around.

    “Ohayo, Chiyuki! Where's Seira?”

    “At her usual spot beside the pond. She said she'll follow later on.”

    Hikaru and Haruhi entered the room and said “Good morning” to everybody.

    “Ah....the two of you must be Ichigo and Chiyuki. I'm Hikaru, nice to meet you.”

    “I'm Fujioka Haruhi, good morning. Both of you came from the same class as me right?”

    “Yes, sorry we didn't introduce ourselves earlier.” Ichigo replied

    Kyouya came in, holding a laptop in his hand and a clipboard on the other.

    “Ohayo Ichigo... Hikaru, I could see that you've already met my new assistant.”

    “You're gonna work here? That's great! I'll be looking forward to your performance.” Haruhi said, smiling at her

    “Thanks! I'll do my best.”

    “Ooohh..I forgot to give Seira's ring back.” Chiyuki said while holding a silver ring.

    “ Don't worry about that Chiyuki, she'll come here anyway.” Ichigo replied

    “I guess you're right.”

    “What time will she come here?”

    “I don't know...”

    “ -sigh- she always hang out at that place.”

    “Speaking of friends who love wandering around, where's your brother Hikaru?” Haruhi asked

    “He said he's gonna take a walk before going here.” Hikaru answered

    “Sounds like someone we know...” Both Ichigo and Chiyuki said

    “Oh,well...Gotta start working now. We have a lot of stuff to do.” Ichigo clapped her hands twice.

    “Right here Ichigo, you could start managing the club's product's and...” Kyouya instructed Ichigo while the rest of them go on with their jobs.

    ~At the school grounds~

    Kaoru is on his way to the Host club but he changed his mind and decided to hang out beside the pond for a while. He saw Seira sitting beside it with a sketchbook on her hand. He quietly approached her to see what she's doing. Seira continued sketching, not knowing that the person she's drawing is right behind her. Watching every pencil stroke she produce in his face.

    “ That's a pretty nice portrait of me you got there.” He said

    “K-kaoru?!” She said, quickly covering her drawing.” H-how long have you been t- aahh!” She tried to stand up but she lost her balance and fell. Kaoru, tried to grab her and the next thing he knew is he's on top of her, their face only two inches apart. They stood up right away, both of them in a state of shock.

    “S-sorry Seira, I-I didn't mean to surprise you.” Kaoru apologized, his face a bright color of red.

    “Nah, it's ok Kaoru-kun. It's my fault for being so clumsy.” she replied, her heart pounding really fast. “C'mon now, we have to change or else we'll both catch a cold. Also...Chiyuki and Ichigo are waiting for me...”

    “R-right, Hikaru is waiting too.”

    They hurried back to the third music room, being careful not to slip on the stairs. They opened the door and everyone looked at them.

    “Goodness! What happened to the two of you?” Ichigo asked

    “ Is it raining outside” Hani said with eyes full of innocence

    Chiyuki handed them two paper bags containing spare uniforms. “Here, go change into this.”

    They took the bags and changed uniform without saying a single word.

    I can't believe this. Of all the people who could see my drawings, why does it have to be him? Why does it have to be the person in my sketches?- Seira thought to herself. Meanwhile, in the boys dressing room, Kaoru is also lost in his own thoughts.

    -What...is this feeling?- He asked himself. Images of him and Seira falling into the pond began flashing in his mind.

    -Argh! Why can't I take it off my mind?-

    He finished the last button of his shirt and got out of the curtains. He caught sight of Seira's sketchbook lying on the chair. He opened and saw that most of the pages contain different sketches of him.

    “Seira... what an interesting girl...' He told himself while placing it back. When he got out og the dressing room, he saw Hikaru waiting beside the door.

    “Kaoru, what happened out there?”

    “Seira fell, I tried to grab her. But... we both ended up in the pond...”

    “She's that clumsy?”

    “Nah...it's my fault...I kinda surprised her...or something like that”

    “So that's why the two of you are dripping wet.” Chiyuki said, interrupting their conversation.

    Seira go out of the boy's dressing room bringing Kaoru to confusion.

    “Chiyuki, thanks for lending me your spare uniform.” she said

    Kaoru turned to Hikaru and asked “What is she doing in there?”

    Hikaru raised on eyebrow and the answered the question. “ The girl's dressing dressing room is under renovationso she used the boy's dressing room instead. It's only now that you noticed? You were looking at her sketchbook a while ago.”

    “You were watching?”

    “uhuh...I could still picture your face while looking at it. You looked surprised, impressed andhappy at the same time.”

    Kaoru didn't answer, he just kept staring at the floor for no reason at all.. Seira and Chiyuki left for their song practice. Hikaru pointed at something on the table saying “ Hey...What's that?”

    Kaoru picked up the silver object which appears to be a ring. There, the words “My dear twin, Sara” is engraved on it.

    “it's a ring..” He said, examining the object in his hand.

    “Who owns it?”

    “I dunno. I guess it's someone with a twin named Sara.”

    “But aren't we the only pair of twins in the entire campus?”

    “ Oh, well...let's just keep it for now until we find its owner.” Kaoru said as he placed the ring in his pocket.

    “Ja...let's go. The princesses are waiting for our 'brotherly love' performance.” And Hikaru took his twin's hand.. The hosts kept themselves busy, paying close attention to their guests. They spent the whole afternoon doing their usual stuff, not knowing that from that day... their lives are gradually changing.

    ~After the club activities~

    Ichigo and Kyouya locked the music room doors, the others already went home.

    “ Ichigo... thanks for agreeing to work with me.” Kyouya smiled

    “How many time have you thanked me already?” She replied.

    “Well, then...Mata ashita ne! Ichigo-chan!” He waved at her.

    “Mata ashita, Kyou-kun!” she waved back, walking to the opposite direction. When she reached the school entrance, she bumped onto Kaoru who is entering back the building. She had mistaked him for Hikaru because he switched the parting to his hair to the left, just like his brother's.

    “Sorry Hikaru-kun! Ja ne!” she said as she hurriedly got out of the gates.

    When she's out of sight. Kaoru sighed “Nobody can really tell us apart except for Haruhi.” He remembered the day Haruhi told them apart, the words that she said is still clear in his mind “Hikaru is more childish while Kaoru is more reserved. Even though they're twins they still have their own individual characteristics. Yes, they are both 'Evil' but if you compare them, Hikaru's evil level is one percent higher than Kaoru's”

    He came to a stop as he realize that he's in front of the auditorium again. And he suddenly remembered that Seira is practicing her songs here everyday.

    “it can't be..she's probably home right now...” he said to himself, stepping in the doors. “What the heck am I doing here?”

    He was lost in hig thoughts again that he didn't noticed Chiyuki who was standing in front of him.

    “ Hel...looo!” she said loudly, almost making him jump.

    “Ahhh! “ he yelled out.

    “Hikaru-kun, it's me....What are you doing here?”

    “Actually, I was wondering the same thing.” He said weakly

    “ What?”

    “I-I mean, I was just roaming around “ He said

    “Ok...see you tomorrow hten.” she finally said, leaving him alone.

    “Geez, can't they really tell us apart?” He's starting to feel hopeless that somebody else would be able to tell the difference between him and his elder twin brother.

    “Kaoru-kun?” someone said behind him.

    “ Seira-chan?” He answered the familiar voice. He turned to look at her, her brown eyes fixed on him. This time, he didn't know what to say, his mind went blank.

    “What are you doing here?” she asked

    He just stood there without saying anything, he decided to give her the same reason. “I was just roaming around. What about you? Why are you here?”

    “I was trying to find something...” She said

    “What is it?”

    “Nah... it's nothing, forget about it.”

    “ Wait, a while ago...did you just call me 'Kaoru'?” he asked

    “Yep... did I got it wrong? You changed the parting of your hair right?”

    “ No...actually, you're right, I'm Kaoru. How did you know that?” His expression changed, he felt delighted. Finally, somebody could tell them apart other than Haruhi.

    “ I... know how to differentiate a pari of twins. I have my own way...”

    “What way?” And he was suddenly curious

    “It's a secret. Chiyuki is waiting for me at the gate. I have to go now. You too Kaoru-kun, Hikaru might get worried.”

    “I'll accompany you...I'llbe heading home after that.”

    “Sure...let's go now...” Seira smiled at him.

    “Uhh...Seira, I'm really sorry about what happened earlier. I was just curious, and um... I'm also sorry for looking at your sketchbook without permission.”

    “I already told you...It's- hold on a sec! Y-you scanned my sketchbook? As in every page?” She said, her cheeks turning pink.

    “Y-yes, ah, this is getting awkward.” images of his face drawn by Seira came flashing in his head. His heart is racing.

    “I-I see... so you saw who's in my sketches. Sorry if I made you uneasy... I'll just throw them away if you like...”

    “ Throw them away? Are you kidding? It didn't bother me at all....as a matter of fact...I liked it...”

    “Really?” She said cheerfully

    “Yeah, I like it very much.”

    “ Thanks for the compliment. I don't always get this kind of reaction.”

    “Why? Your drawings are good. How can that be?”

    “People don't like me to make sketches of them. Whenever they see it, they ask me to burn it.... except when they're a friend of mine...”

    “ Don't listen to those people, they're just envious of you. They probably can't draw something that's as nice as yours. Or.....maybe...they don't even know how to draw stick figures.”

    “ Haha! Now that's hilarious....come to think of it....everyone tries to bring us down during elementary and middle school years....” She remember her twin who died the previous year because of a disease.

    “ What do you mean by 'us'?”

    “Nothing, forget what I said...”

    They reached reached the school gate and saw Chiyuki leaning on the wall. She waved at them holding a cute smile on her face.

    “ What took you so long?” Chiyuki asked

    “Gomen... I saw Kaoru on the way and we had a little chat with each other.” She said, looking at Kaoru's direction, he smiled at them.

    “Kaoru-kun? I thought that was Hikaru...”

    “ You were fooled by his hair huh? That's why I told you not to tell them apart by looking at their hair.”

    “ Ah...gomen Kaoru-kun! I have mistaken you for Hikaru...”

    “That's ok, we're already used to it.”

    “ Ja! See you tomorrow Kaoru-kun!” Seira waved at him, while walking out of the campus.

    “Mata ashita! Seira, Chiyuki.” Kaoru replied as he rode the car that came to fetch him. Upon arriving home, Hikaru welcomed him and asked their maids to carry his brother's things upstairs.

    “Konbanwa, Hikaru.”

    “Konbanwa, it's dinner time already, mom and dad are waiting inside.” He led Kaoru to the dining room, both of their parents are seating beside each other. Their dad gave them a warm smile and their mom stood up and embraced her sons.

    “Hikaru, Kaoru! I missed you...” Mrs. Hitachiin said

    “ Welcome back mom and dad!” The twins said in chorus, the maids came and began serving their food.

    “How's school? Their father asked

    “It's great dad, Ouran Academy is the best school we've ever had. Right bro?” Hikaru answered

    “ Have my babies already found the future young mistresses of the Hitachiin family?” said their mom

    “ Huh? What do you mean?” Kaoru asked with a puzzled look.

    “When talking about young mistresses, your mother is asking about your love life.” Mr. Hitachiin explained

    “Oh...no,mom, we don't have girlfriends...” Kaoru said

    “ What? How come my cute sons are still single? Isn't there anyone you like in school?”

    Hikaru drank some juice and said to his mother “ I do like someone but, I don't think she's into me.”

    “ Awww. Don't worry, with that look,you'll get her in no time!” She told her Hikaru then hugged Kaoru very tightly. “And you my little Hikaru! You haven't found someone yet?”

    “Uh...mom, that's Kaoru...I'm Hikaru.” Hikaru sighed. Even their mother are having difficulties.

    “ Ah...ahaha! Sorry...I got a little confused with your hair.”

    Kaoru just smiled and said “Apology accepted ma. And about my love life...I'm not really sure...”

    “Oh...mom, I forgot to tell you... there are three new girls who visits the club. Ichigo Sasaki-Kyouya's childhood friend, Chiyuki Sakamoto- Tono's new buddy, And Seira Fukuyama- Kaoru's new costumer..I think....”

    “ Really? My son has a new costumer(or something like that)? So...how is she?”

    “ How's who?” Kaoru shrugged trying to hide his now blushing face.

    “That Seira, your brother is talking about.”

    “Oh..w-well...she's friendly, talented and-”

    “You know, the way you describe her...it's like you admire her...” Hikaru said, mocking his twin.

    “O-of course! I'm her fan after all...” Kaoru blushed even more, though..he's still hiding it.

    “Ahem...it's getting late kids, go get some rest.” Their father said

    “ Alright. Good night mom and dad!”

    The twins went to their room together, changed into their pajamas and laid on the bed. Hikaru dozed quickly dozed off, while Kaoru stared at the empty ceiling.

    -...way you describe her...it's like you admire her...- Hikaru's word echoed on his head. At that moment, he knew that something inside him is changing, he has developed a crush on Seira. He smiled as he told himself “ I thought I was gonna be left behind by Hikaru... But I guess things are different now...” And he closed his eyes to get ready for the next day.