Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club does not belong to me
A Glimpse.
"This was never supposed to happen." Mrs. Hitachiin said, stress evident on her face as she looked desperately to her husband. "Kaoru was supposed to be perfect, popular, and have tons of girlfriends. He could have! He wasn't supposed to hang out with a…ugh. What kind of child does that anyway? I could put up with him always reading books, and him having no friends. But…not this…it's just….where did we go wrong?"
Mr. Hitachiin frowned, putting a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "Who knows? Who knows but Kaoru and that mirror."
"Don't ever mention that fucking mirror again. I want it destroyed. I want to kill whoever made it."
"Of course, dear."
xxx
Presently.
Kaoru Hitachiin knew he was considered many things. Many things that were so far from the truth that they almost seemed real in a twisted way. He knew what kids said about him and many of the things they said were lies. Well, other than he was odd. That was true. He wasn't in denial about that in the least bit. He knew he was odd. He wasn't proud but he wasn't ashamed. You always needed an odd kid and who better to suit the job than him?
People just left him alone. Which was fine to him because people just interrupted his reading and he really wanted to know what was going to happen next. And teachers always expected almost genius grades from him but that was fine too because he had no social life and he needed something to keep his mind preoccupied. He'd go batty otherwise.
No matter what rumors said about him, he wasn't depressed. He had everything he wanted. He had books, money, good food, and there were plenty of maids to laugh at if he needed human companionship. How could you have possibly been depressed with that kind of good fortune? Only a very selfish person and even if he was prone to his selfish moments, he was not nearly selfish enough.
He didn't cut himself either. He liked his skin too much to mar it with scars. He wasn't sure where that one had come from but people were very unoriginal.
It was true he hardly saw his parents and that he had been raised by maids. But it wasn't as if he was an orphan in an orphanage like some of those characters he read in books. He got to see his parents every month or so and it suited him just fine. Without them working, he would have had no money and so, he loved his parents for giving him the money that let him live in luxury.
He wasn't a genius. Not even near it. He was just a boy with a lot of time on his hands. He still had problems with math. But he could say, with a small hint of arrogance that seemed charming, that he was very gifted in language. He loved metaphors and even if it was something as simple as eating, he had a metaphor for it.
As he sat in his math class, he already knew all the answers as all the other students seemed to be struggling with the new information. He had finished his book earlier than expected and had decided to go weeks ahead in the lessons. The teacher always used the textbook's problems and so, he knew all the answers to them already. It was fine, really. He'd just have more time to start a new book he had bought recently which was always better than doing homework anyhow. He was like any other student and thought there were tons of things better than homework.
Even as the teacher called on him and he answered the question correctly, stunning the teacher because he had seemed to grasp it so quickly, Kaoru was still average. He was just very good at seeming above average. Which was useful because he liked the reassurance and so did every other average child.
Except Kaoru didn't like to think of himself as a child. He was fifteen years old not young.
And as it was time to go, he picked his things up and proceeded to walk out the door. Passing all the other students who were making plans with their friends or as some were hoping to score a date. He walked past them all, only smiling slightly as he heard one boy get turned down.
Girls never asked him out. He had heard them whisper to their friends they found him good looking but that they were scared because nobody ever talked to Kaoru so nobody knew what could happen. But, what might have made him different from the other boys, he didn't care too much if girls asked him out. There was no certain girl he liked or had ever liked. To fall in love or to even become infatuated, the person must be very special. Kaoru just didn't think there was anybody special like that.
So, as he tells his driver to take him home, all he thinks about is how long it will take him to read his newest book, hoping it'll be a good one.
xxx
His mom surprises him by coming home two weeks earlier than expected. She had hugged him and he had given her a quick hug back, only a little annoyed because he couldn't read his new book and he really had been looking forward to it.
As they ate dinner together, his dad not there since he still had to work on business, his mother tells him stories of her life in the fashion world. He likes hearing all about her work since he will do it some day and since he likes fashion, which he considers something else that makes him unique from all the other kids. Especially the boys. He has the best hair out of all of them.
"This woman wanted me to design her this dress for some award show in some country. I forget what it's called but anyway, she wanted me to make her this dress that I know is going to be hideous." She laughs as if she's imagining it before continuing. "And I try to be the nice woman that I really am and tell her that."
"What happened?"
"Oh, she was a bitch. I made it for her. She looked bad and I laughed."
As much as Kaoru loves his mother, he feels he is wasting his time. For the conversation will always turn to-
"Any new friends?"
-that.
"Nope." Kaoru says, giving her a quick shake of his head.
She frowns and gives him a stern look. "Kaoru, I love you but I'm starting to get sick of hearing this. Really now, are you even trying al all?"
If he answers no, the truth, he knows she'll just give him what she calls a lecture. If he says yes, she'll just tell him that it's not his fault nobody can see how amazing he is.
"I have."
"Well, then," She mutters, looking fiery. "It's their fault they can't see how wonderful you are. Screw them, Kaoru. Make friends with people who deserve you."
"I will. Thanks, Mom." He smiles and gets up, going over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Do you mind if I go up to my room and do some homework? I was having a little bit of trouble over it." It was a lie but he wants to read and he knows she won't allow him if he says he wants to read rather than talk to his mother he hasn't seen in a month. A lie was necessary.
"Of course! School's important. I'm going to be here tomorrow too so we'll have some extra time together!"
He just gives her a smile and goes up to his room. Kaoru loves his mom but even though she is his mother, she doesn't understand him and Kaoru doubts anybody ever will.
xxx
The book was a waste of time. It had had a stupid ending that had made him wish he had never gotten so engrossed in the book in the first place. It had caused him to stay up late and he yawned. He was going to be tired for the next day of school and all over a book that hadn't been worth it. He sighed. He could only blame himself.
Kaoru was realistic.
But he had to take a shower. He just hoped he wouldn't fall asleep under the spray. After all, it wouldn't be fun to die so young. It seemed a little too tragic. He had a few things to do before his unfortunate death. Or seriously thought of dying.
As he walked into the bathroom and began to undress, he noticed he was in front of the large mirror his mother had only bought him a few months ago. It's a nice mirror with wooden carvings around it. It was weird, though, Kaoru thought. It showed people who looked exactly alike, holding hands all around it. The person must have had an obsession over twins.
Whoever made it was probably very odd. Like him.
He smiles. It fits him well, he guesses.
He finishes undressing and looks one more time at the mirror before going to enter his overly extravagant shower. He's like his mother. He likes everything to be over the top. His clothes, his hair, his room, and anything else he can think of. His shower has meticulous crafted tiles, an mp3 player protected by glass in case he gets bored, and he knows his shower could make even the richest celebrity feel envious and he liked it like that.
He yawns as he steps out, water dripping everywhere but the maids can clean that up and he's tired. He can afford to be lazy. He can be lazy all he wants and he does.
He finds that he is in front of that mirror again and looks at it from the side of his eye before yawning and groping for the towel he had left on his counter.
"Are you going to cover yourself?"
His eyes widen and he looks around frantically. Who had said that? He definitely hadn't. He was supposed to be alone and as he still looks for whoever had talked to him; he wraps the towel around his lower self.
"Why do that? We have the same body."
Kaoru feels very scared and he feels himself going into hysterics. Somebody, who isn't allowed, is inside his bathroom. His home. Is talking to him and seems to be crazy. Talking about having the same body doesn't seem sane. He could possibly be hurt. Killed. Could-
"Look at the mirror."
He does, expecting to see some demon or some disheveled man but only sees his reflection. Nothing else.
"I'm going crazy," Kaoru sighs and wipes his eyes. "I'm tired. I'm delirious."
"No you're not."
He screams and jumps, looking at the mirror again but sees that his reflection is not the same as him anymore. He tries moving, but his reflection doesn't follow. He makes faces and all his reflection does is laugh.
"You're not going nuts."
"Yes I am," Kaoru answers, skeptically. Just a bit bothered that he's talking to a mirror. Just a bit perturbed by everything. "I'm talking to a mirror. The mirror is talking back. That isn't very normal."
"I'm your reflection. So, you're talking to a reflection, not a mirror. Any better?"
Kaoru frowned and sent a glare to his 'reflection', "No. Not at all. I'm going crazy."
"Okay, listen," the reflection said with a sigh and he seems to have an annoyed air to him. As if it all seems to be a waste of time. "I'm Hikaru. I'm your reflection. Always have been. So really, you're talking to an old friend. Kind of. You're not crazy. Or delirious. Tired, yeah. But definitely not insane. I'm as real as anybody, including you. Hell, I am you in a weird sort of way."
Kaoru rubbed at his eyes again, as if trying to wipe away his reflection. Yet Hikaru still stood there, looking amused.
"Then why haven't you ever talked to me before?" Kaoru challenged.
"It's against the rules." he answered in a simple tone. "I'm breaking the rules right now. I have to do everything you do. I don't know how they can punish me but they can."
"Then why break them?"
"Rules are meant to be broken." Hikaru smirked.
They didn't say anything for a while after that. Kaoru felt confused, something he didn't feel very often and it sparked his interest. He was sure he was crazy. There was no way 'Hikaru' existed. If reflections were actual people, there would be something mentioned somewhere in books. There would be written proof.
He looked to the mirror again. Looking at the carvings around it. Of the identical people holding hands, reaching for each other and he frowned. That was when it hit him. They weren't twins. They were reflections. Was the mirror…?
"Hikaru, is this a magical mirror?" Kaoru asked, hoping maybe it was. Hoping maybe he wasn't crazy. And yet a magical mirror didn't seem very sane either. Nothing seemed very sane at the moment.
"How the hell should I know? I just know I'm Hikaru, you're Kaoru, and I wanted to talk to you." the reflection answered, and he sat down. Kaoru still felt a little strange that his reflection was acting on its own. He was so used to it copying him.
He sat down anyway. He wanted to talk to Hikaru. If he was going crazy, then he had to at least get everything he could from his lapse of sense.
"So, Hikaru. Have you always been my reflection?" He was guessing this would be an interesting conversation. Talking to your reflection had to be.
"Yep. I was born when you were born," Hikaru answered, seeming like he was waiting for the boring questions to be over. Kaoru knew how that was. "I've seen everything you've done in a mirror. Anytime you looked at yourself, brushed your teeth, checked yourself out…" he added teasingly.
"That seems like an invasion of privacy." Hikaru was trying to bait him into a reaction. He knew how it worked because he pulled that track a lot.
"I guess. But isn't it nice to have somebody that knows all about you?"
"How can you know all about me?" he asks, looking at Hikaru in a confused manner. "It isn't like you've been with me all my life."
"But I have," Hikaru replies, and Kaoru notices that they have the same smile. Except opposite. Like a somebody in a mirror should have. "I'm your reflection, Kaoru. I've been with you all your life. I know all about you. Everything."
It really was like Hikaru was his other half, Kaoru mused. The way Hikaru looked back at him and the way he just felt. It felt like Hikaru would understand him and nobody ever did.
"Okay," Kaoru smiled. "Be my friend, Hikaru."
"Sure. Be mine."
"Then it's settled," Kaoru said.
And from the same look Hikaru had, it was settled and that suited just fine for Kaoru.
A New Beginning.
Notes: I really want to thank my friend Coco for helping me come up with this idea. And also to Val-Creative since she always gives me a boost of confidence about my writing right when I need it. Kind of creepy. And reviews are nice because they let me know I'm actually doing something right. Is that a hint? You better believe it.