Sweets and Hearts

By Kinthinia

Ouran High School Host Club is owned by Bisco Hatori.

The plate I was carrying fell with a deafening crash. I flinched. The boy before me turned with an angry glance as the strawberry sauce drenched him. What had I gotten myself into?

Prologue, Etsuna Shiori

I was comfortably seated at the table, ready to start clearing the table. As I rose to do so, my father waved his hand for me to take a seat. We all looked at him. My two younger brothers, my mother and me. My father cleared his throat nervously, and I knew it was awkward. The tension around the dinner table was more than proof enough that things were changing. My parents were getting a divorce. They had been married for nearly two decades. I could remember hoping that one day I would be as in-love with my husband as they were. But people did change and this separation was for the better. I knew it and had accepted it.

It was harder to hide the signs of fighting to a nineteen year old, than it was to either a sixteen or thirteen year old. I had seen the signs ahead of time that it was coming. Seiya had no idea. This was the hardest on him, the baby of the family, but he was coping. Yasuo was managing. Maybe not in a healthy way, but it was still a form of management. He was angry. Seiya was in denial. I had accepted it.

My father, Takahiro Shiori, was a famous novelist. His income was substantially larger than most other authors. He was quite popular. "I'm moving to London, England," he announced abruptly. "I've decided that the calm country life will aid my artistic needs."

"When will you come back?" Seiya asked innocently. He had no idea.

Yasuo did, and unlike me he had no issues bottling things back. "You're not, are you?" he demanded, rising to his feet with a glare. "You're leaving us here."

My father winced. "Not how I would word it, but bluntly put, yes."

Seiya gasped. My mother started to cry. I looked at him, saddened by the news. "Otousan," I whispered.

I knew how our financial was. It wasn't good. The divorce had sucked a large amount of cash into a gaping hole from whence it would never return. I worked a part-time job to continue my education at Ouran University. My brothers were both enrolled in Raiden, where the financial stress was considerably less than Ouran would have been. I had also attended Raiden for high school. But when I had the opportunity to go to Ouran University, I simply couldn't let it pass up. I worked as a waitress to pay for the little that my parents couldn't cover. I did my best.

"Everything will be the same," he said to me. "The payments regular and on the clock. You just… won't see me."

He flinched as Yasuo kicked the table and stormed off to his room. The echoing slam of his bedroom door surrounded us. I looked between Seiya and my family. They were going to have to talk to him. I rose to my feet, politely excusing myself and went to my younger brother's room. I knocked on it, and waited for his answer. I could hear him smacking something violently, but I wasn't sure what.

He opened the door, his cheeks flushed and his knuckles swelling. I entered his room and he closed the door, grumbling about how our father couldn't fix his own mess. I looked at him patiently. "You know how Otousan is," I explained. "He hates conflict. He does his best to avoid it."

"Looks to me like all he's doing it, is causing it," he hissed scathingly. His fist shot out, slamming into a new stuffed teddy bear. The punching bag was in the basement, apparently too far away for his convenience. We always made sure he had a stuffed animal of some sort, for those moments he exploded with rage.

"Yasuo," I said warningly. He sighed and plopped down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "He'll be leaving in the morning. You won't see him after this." I paused, and sat down on his rotating chair for his desk. "He's trying to say goodbye."

I watched him until his blue eyes met mine, and then I left. Yasuo had a short temper. I returned to the dining room, where my parents were embracing each other. Seiya had probably left for his room already. My father had always been drawn into his writing, well rather obsessed with it when his creativity was flowing. My mother worked long shifts at a computer company. I was the oldest, and I supposed that I still felt responsible for my siblings in a sense. I knew that it was going to get worse before it got better with Otousan actually moving. Yasuo would have to start looking after Seiya. Someone had to. I was fairly busy myself with university work and waitressing. I did my best to spend some time with them, but it was a lot less frequent than before. The only thing I didn't want them thinking was that I was leaving them as well.

I watched as Yasuo opened his door, and headed out to our father with a reluctant apology already formed. I smiled from the shadows. I was just an observer, really. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair nervously. I wasn't sure how I was faring with this knowledge myself. I headed to my own room and lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

What the hell was I supposed to do? I felt nervousness clambering around me, squeezing. I had my own life going on, and I couldn't afford to sort this out now. It might interrupt my schooling, and that was not something I was willing. If I was working this hard for it, I was going to pass it with flying colors. The least of what I could do. I sighed and heard my door open. I turned towards it to see my father. He walked in, hesitant and uncomfortable. I knew this couldn't be easy for him.

"This isn't easy for you, either, is it?" he asked, dark eyes twinkling.

"Not in the least," I groaned, keeping my eyes on my ivory ceiling.

"I'll miss you all. Be sure to remind Yasuo of that, when he forgets."

I could hear the sorrow in his voice. I got to my feet, letting my father hug me. "I will." I sighed, "Why do you have to move?" I asked, pulling back, keeping my eyes on him. "You know it won't change anything."

It was his turn to sigh, "It'll be better for us all."

"It won't," I said, looking up at him. "You know it."

"Let me try, please Etsu," he said, using my nickname.

I shook my head. "Yasuo won't understand. And both he and Seiya need you. Neither I nor Okaasan is here much. They're going to be alone."

I saw the pain in his eyes. I felt bad for causing it, but I was speaking the truth. "I can't help it, Etsuna. It's better if I go."

Is it better for you, or for us? I wondered as we embraced again. I didn't press the matter. I knew that he wanted to go. That he felt he had to go. I didn't like it, but I couldn't change it. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about that one, but there it was. Its how things were. It's how life was. We embraced again. This was the last time that I was going to see my father. I would never see him after this. I didn't let my tears fall. They wouldn't do any good, even as far as serving as an emotional release.

We stepped back, looking at each other. I didn't look anything like the man before me. "I'll miss you Otousan," I said. I had to wonder at how my brothers would fare. They needed a father. They needed someone who could spend time with them and neither my mother or I harbored that luxury.

"Goodbye Etsuna," he said, turning to go and rejoin my mother.

Did twenty years of marriage have so little effect on people? We needed him. My mother needed him. But no. Takahiro Shiori was far too brave, prideful and selfish to allow himself to notice. He was doing this for his career, mostly, I suspected. A little of it had to do with my mother's confession. I scoffed and sat back down. Of all the things I didn't need to think about, that was certainly one of them.

I'll try to keep these chapters longer than in my last story. Prologues are different, I find, just an introductory to Etsuna's world.

Those of you who have read The Shadow King's Ultimate Test will note that in later chapters, Ashia does reappear. Or will reappear, once I get there.

This is a loosely related sequel. It is not necessary to have read it by any means as this story takes place a year later and centers around different characters.

For those of you reading, thank you and I hope you enjoy Sweets and Hearts. Have a good day!