"Why are you giving me this?" Kaoru held the book in his hands as if it were from another planet. He had no clue why he had it.

"I'm giving it to you because you need it. I'm not as dumb as you all think I am. I see what's going on."

"What are you talking about, Tono?" He seemed uninterested in the book at this point.

"You aren't happy and I'm certain it's got to do with a certain boy in your life," Tamaki said with pompous confidence. He's playing hero again, Kaoru mentally sighed.

"I'm fine, Tono," he said exhaustedly.

"But you don't deny it and you aren't torturing me by now." Tamaki brightened and grinned triumphantly. He began walking out of the music room, turning now and then to continue speaking. "I'm right and you know it. Take that book, read it, and learn from it. Those are my orders and you shall follow them." And he closed the door to prove his point.

It took Kaoru almost all the way through the book to find what Tono had wanted him to find.

"He's just not that into you if he's a selfish jerk, a bully, or a really big freak."

Sigh. So Boss had figured it out after all. Kaoru groaned and suddenly didn't want to read any further. He was angry at himself for being so transparent. But he'd been given an order and could never disobey the king.

So he read on.

Nina was the girl Tamaki had wanted him to see. How did he know this? Well, there was the relevancy of her story and also the flamboyant pen marks splattered over the page, pointing to her section with stars and shocked faces drawn everywhere.

He got the memo. He read it and was absolutely floored by the fact that he reacted the exact same way. Which, surprisingly, made him feel better. He didn't feel pathetic any longer; apparently it was a normal response. Make excuses and think, "It's just an insecurity…"

But once Kaoru read what the author's response was, he was filled with rage. He was better than this! He shouldn't waste anymore of his precious human life on this downer of a boyfriend! And he threw the book on couch and left the music room.

"No, don't give me that look." Anger swept through Kaoru. "You know exactly what I'm talking about and I can't believe it took me so long to wake up and smell the coffee! You're nothing but a scumbag who can't live without making others feel worse to better himself! We're through!" he finished to absolute silence and a heaving chest. He could no longer feel the eyes of those who were frozen in the hallway, only the eyes of the boy in front of him. Those eyes that had mercilessly teased the teaser to such an extent even Hikaru couldn't take the jokes made about his brother. Those eyes were shocked now, and no anger dared to emerge, only present in the angry red mark spreading across the tyrant's face.

And so Kaoru walked away, strutted all the way down the hall and back to the third music room where he found Hikaru reading the book. "So you finally laid waste to that douche bag?"

Kaoru sighed, suddenly exhausted and flopped down on the couch next to his brother and eventually laid his head on Hikaru's shoulder. He thought a while before answering, "I did. It hurts a bit, but it's also liberating. I was the one controlling the situation for once. I never realized it was always the other way around." Hikaru nodded and started to stroke Kaoru's hair. In response, the younger twin sighed in contentment and burrowed himself down into Hikaru's lap instead.

"Oh, you are so spoiled," Hikaru complained playfully. His hand felt soft and smooth against Kaoru's head and Kaoru felt something stir inside of him. He realized with an internal start that it was the feeling of being loved, one he had recently forgotten. He also realized something else and opened his eyes to look at the identical set above him.

These eyes were so very different from those he had seen moments before: Filled with love and adoration, a desire to protect and not to harm.

And so, gazing all the while into these familiar, newly discovered eyes, he took Hikaru's hand in his and brought it to his lips.