After the funeral, Kaoru wanted to be alone. He couldn't stand the idea of being around the people who had always known him as a part of a set. He was now an individual, and he isolated himself as such.

"Kaoru? Are you sure?" Haruhi asked him as he opened the door to leave the music room, where their friends had gathered after the funeral.

"Yeah, I….I just want to be alone for a little while. I'll see you guys later." He walked away, out into the hallway. He still couldn't believe that Hikaru could be gone so suddenly. One day without Kaoru, one car crash, and it was over. Kaoru couldn't stand being by himself. But it was the only time he didn't feel incredibly depressed. When he was around the others, he just felt pitied and like a burden. Who wants to be around someone who looks identical to the dead?

He could feel the tears forming in his eyes, and quickly wiped them away. Even though the hallway was empty, he didn't want anyone to walk by him and see him crying. But it was useless, because every time he thought about Hikaru, his eyes would tear up once again. And he was always thinking about Hikaru.

He leaned up against the wall, trying to fight against his tears. Once he had given up on fighting, he allowed all the thoughts of his brother to come flooding in, and the tears to flow freely. He sank to the floor, burying his head into the tops of his knees as he hugged his legs to his chest. His body was racked with sobs as he cried over the loss of his twin.

Not long after, he heard small footsteps approaching, but he didn't try to compose himself. He was tired of being strong.

"Kaoru?" He heard Haruhi ask. He just tightened his arms around his legs, hoping she would go away. Instead, he heard her come closer.

"Please go away." He whispered, but she didn't hear him. Either that or she simply refused.

The next thing Kaoru knew, he felt a weight on his shoulders. He lifted his head and looked at the blanket resting on his shoulders.

"I brought it because the comfort of it really helped me with my grief when my mother died. And I know...I know that I don't really know how you feel. I lost my mother, not my twin. But I know what grief looks like and feels like. And I just wanted you to know that we all loved Hikaru, and we all love you. And no one sees Hikaru when they look at you. There's no need for you to feel guilty." She said, putting a hand on top of his.

He quietly broke into more tears. "I'm sorry. I just miss him so much."

Haruhi carefully put her arms around him. "And you're allowed to do that. And if you need to take some time away, we'll be here when you come back. Just don't isolate yourself, Kaoru. Please."

He hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Haruhi. Thank you. But I think I'm going to just sit here for a few minutes." She reluctantly pulled back from him with a concerned look on her face. "Would you care to join me? I just need some space from everyone else."

She nodded, and they sat there in the dark of the hallway, casually holding hands and talking through the night. And Kaoru knew that he could never isolate himself again. At least, never from her.