Light Makes Shadows Stronger
"Please Nekozawa-sempai. Just this once? Onegai?" She looks up at him. "The blinds are drawn, the lights are off. There are only candles. Please, let me see the real you." She reaches up to pull down his hood. Just as she is about to touch it, he pulls away.
"I can't." he takes a step back.
She withdraws her hand slowly, looking hurt. She turns away quickly. "I see…" She starts walking. She stops at the door and looks back. She's wearing a sad smile. "It's alright sempai. You're not ready. I understand." She turns the door handle, "Well, I'll see you later sempai."
"Chotto matte!" A hand grabs her wrist and pulls her close. The cloak and wig lay on the floor by the table. Their lips connect in a brief kiss. Nekozawa Umehito pulls away quickly and turns around.
"Sempai?"
"Gomen," Nekozawa replaces his cape and dark wig. "This wasn't a good idea. Gomen." He hurries away into the Dark Magic Club room, leaving her alone in the darkened room.
"Sempai…" she watches the retreating figure. She sighs and heads towards the door. She turns the handle and stops, looking back at the Dark Magic Club door. "Sorry sempai. I didn't mean to make you do something you didn't want to." She opens the door and leaves, not noticing the flash of golden hair disappearing back into the dark room.
Three weeks pass. Nekozawa Umehito hasn't seen her at all since that day after school. That was strange since they had some classes together, despite her being a first year student.
"Nekozawa-kaichou, you seem distracted lately." Kanazuki Reiko states after the club meeting.
"What are you talking about?"
"It's her isn't it? That girl."
"I don't know what you are talking about, Kanazuki-kun."
"Then you won't mind if I curse her with this Beelzenef doll, just to be safe." She starts writing on the back of the wooden cat.
"NO!" he turns and slaps the doll out of her hand. There isn't even a spot on its back.
"It's evident, Kaichou, you return her feelings."
Nekozawa turns away to straighten the articles on the altar. "It's impossible. She belongs in the light while I can't stand it. She can't really like me."
"Someone once told me: To get someone to understand, you need to talk to them. If you want them to like you, you should talk to them a lot." Kanazuki smiles slightly. "Well, I'm going to pay the Host Club a visit. Think about it." She closes the door, leaving Nekozawa alone with his thoughts.
"Beelzenef…" he talks to his puppet as he walks down the hall, "What do you think? I have been a bit preoccupied since then I guess. I can't stop thinking about her, the way she looked back at me. I really screwed up didn't I, running off like that? I have no chance now…"
"Nekozawa-sempai what brings you to the Host Club?"
The false brunet looks up, "Ootori-kun?" apparently he'd wandered into the Host Club.
Ootori Kyouya looks at his blond sempai from over his clipboard. "So? What type are you interested in? Prince type? Wild type? Loli-Shota? Little devils? Cool type? Natural perhaps?"
"Host Club?" He looks around. Kanazuki-kun is enjoying cake with Haninozuka-kun. They aren't talking a lot. They look mismatched, one a short cute boy with a childish grin, and the other a quiet, reserved girl. Even so, they're enjoying each other's company. "Ootori-kun, what is the feeling that makes a dweller of darkness want to brave the light, that causes a user of curses to not want to use dark magic?"
"Hmmm?" Suddenly, the redheaded twins are on either side of him.
"Nekozawa-sempai wants to brave the light again?"
"Wonder what it is this time?"
"Does he have another sister?"
"Can he even stand a flashlight?" one of them shines light on him.
"Stop it!" Nekozawa slaps the flashlight from the offender's hand.
"Excuse me, you dropped this sempai." Haruhi is holding an envelope in his hand. Nekozawa takes it, staring at his name on the front. There is a slight childish air to the writing. The corners of his mouth twitch slightly, trying to smile.
One of the twins snatches the note. "Hmmm…" they grin in unison,
"Could it be?" they put an arm around Nekozawa's shoulders. "Nekozawa-sempai's in love?"
Tamaki's ears perk up. He scurries up behind them and whisks the note from the redheads.
"Host Club!" On cue the boys gather around him. "Our mission: To help Nekozawa-sempai find his love and win her over!"
They chatter, tease, egg, and just observe Tamaki. Nekozawa finds himself surrounded. Strong arms lift him up and out of the crowd. He finds himself face to face with Haninozuka-kun. Morinozuki-kun as usual, is next to him.
"Ne, Nekozawa-kun," the cute blond boy smiles up at him. "You know, she doesn't care about light or dark." He looks over at Kanazuki-kun who's ignoring the ruckus and eating cake. "You ought to give it a chance. Who knows what can happen?"
Nekozawa, suddenly catches a glimpse of reddish-black hair disappear through the Host Club doors.
"Misukuni." The tall stoic boy gestures to the door.
"Go find her Nekozawa-kun. You'll regret it if you don't try." He smiles.
Nekozawa doesn't need to be told twice. He immediately leaves. He looks left and right in the hall. He thinks he sees her further down. He pursues her, but she turns a corner and disappears. "Kuso!" He sighs and decides to go back to his sanctuary.
He opens the door to the Dark Magic Clubroom. There already is someone inside. She spins around.
"Sorry, I took a wrong turn… Nekozawa-sempai!" it's her. She bolts for the door.
"Chotto Matte!" He grabs her arm, and pulls her in, embracing her from behind. "Listen to me. Please. I don't know if this will work. Us, I mean. I can barely stand the light, and I like these dark things. I don't know if I can make you happy, I don't know if I can please you. I don't know if this will work out…"
"It's alright Sempai," she cuts him off. "I'm just not right for you that's all."
"But…" he continues, "I know I'll regret it if I let you go." he turns her around. In front of her stood a handsome blond prince in the Ouran uniform.
"Nekozawa-sempai…"
"Umehito" he kisses her gently
When they part lips, he looks into her brown eyes." I can't promise I'll have picnics with you in the sun, or I'll be the date you'd want to show off to the world. The Dark Magic Club Kaichou isn't like that. Umehito isn't very good at this, but he will love you, kiss you and always be there for you at least. Is that okay?"
"Sempai…"
"Shh!" he puts a finger to her lips. "I told you to call me Umehito."
"Umehito..kun?"
He kisses her again. "Suki da yo"
"Hmm…I wonder where she is today?" Haninozuka-kun asks out loud "I haven't seen much of her since Nekozawa-kun went after her."
"She's probably in the Dark Magic Club room." Kanazuki-kun replies to his rhetorical question, "She does that at lunch a lot these days."
"Guess he did go for it ne, Takashi?"
"Ah"
Nekozawa Umehito looks down at the sleeping girl whose head rested on his chest. He strokes her hair. She stirs.
"You already awake? Why didn't you wake me up too?"
He smiles "You looked so serene and I know better than to wake you. You are like Medusa when forced to wake up."
"Umehito-kun!" she pouts. He tilts her head back a little and kisses her.
"Lunch is almost over. We have to get ready for class." He puts his blazer back on. She helps him put on the dark wig and cloak. "Kirimi wants to know if you're going to come over and play today."
She smiles mischievously. "That would depend."
"On what?"
"If 'Onii-chama' can catch me." She runs.
"Not again!" he shakes his head and starts for the shortcut to their classroom. "Always the same route. Of course I'll catch her."
If anyone could see into his cloak, they would notice a contented smile on Nekozawa Umehito's lips.
"Ne, have you noticed Takashi, Nekozawa-kun doesn't hide in the shadows as much anymore.
"Ah. That's because light makes shadows stronger."