Author's Note: A huge thank you to all my readers! I wouldn't have been able to write this without your support. As of the writing of this epilogue, this story's stats are as follows: 148 Favs, 202 followers, 423 reviews and 58,900 hits. I'm awed and humbled. Thank you.
Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will. Just own this plot and the various, highly insignificant OCs.
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Date Posted: 6/17/2018
Trigger Warnings: None in here
Chapter 50: Epilogue
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Kyoya turned to Haruhi and grabbed her – one hand on the back of her head and the other on the small of her back. I watched, horrified, as he pulled her to him and swiftly kissed her. My heart dropped to the floor and shattered as she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him back.
I had waited too long. I had honored our agreement. I hadn't told her how I felt about her. I'd lost.
Kyoya released her lips, but not her body. He pulled back and declared, "You're free. My father will never be a threat again. I can now fully protect you from him and anything else."
I wanted to be her protector. It's a role I saw myself in for the rest of her life.
"Thank you, Kyoya-senpai," she breathed as she laid her head on his chest. "I'm finally safe."
"Kyoya."
"What?" she asked as she lifted her head up and looked him in the eyes.
"You can call me Kyoya. Please drop the honorific."
"Thank you, Kyoya," and she gave him that smile and laid her head back.
She'll never call me Takashi.
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I looked around the room in shock. All of us were staring at Kyoya-senpai and Haruhi. Had he just done what it looked like he did? Did he just tell her to call him Kyoya?
Tamaki-senpai had a grin on his face. I guess if he was just friends with Haruhi, he wanted her to be with his best friend. Honey-senpai's brow furrowed and anger flashed in his eyes. Kyoya-senpai had broken our agreement. He had declared himself to Haruhi. But, more than that, she had chosen him back. She had not been given the chance to consider Mori-senpai.
Mori-senpai was crushed. His shoulders sagged, his face drooped. He looked so dejected. He hadn't told her. He'd waited and lost because of that. I felt so sorry for him. He'd have been much better for Haruhi than Kyoya-senpai.
Kasanoda's face was dark red, his hands clenched in fists, his eyes narrowed. Deep waives of red hot anger washed off of him. Is he planning on a quick death for Kyoya-senpai? Is he going to smash his face in – right here and now? His eyes caught mine and I saw him taking deep breaths to calm down.
As for me, she's my friend. She's my best friend after Hikaru. As hard as it is to see it happening with Kyoya-senpai, I just want her to be happy. No one can tell Hikaru about this.
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Are you fucking kidding me? Ootori? Is she insane? What has he pulled on her? Hypnotism? Bribery? Blackmail? Who am I kidding – Haruhi wouldn't fall for any of those.
They don't belong together. He's a horrible choice. There's no warmth in him, no caring. He'll use her and ignore her.
Now I have to get into the Host Club. I have to break them up.
If she couldn't be with me, she should be with Morinozuka-senpai. He would take care of her and respect her. It would be a partnership.
Can I talk Pops into killing Kyoya-senpai? Shit! Fuck!
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How wonderful. My two best friends together. They look so happy. They fit together perfectly and will be so happy with each other.
As I watched them kiss, it confirmed my feelings of friendship, and nothing more, for darling Haruhi. If I can't have her, Kyoya should. She'll bring some light into his life. He'll need that after taking over his father's empire. Especially at 16.
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NO! Kyo-chan can't possibly think that he gets Haru-chan. Poor Takashi. Look at him – he's completely deflated. I've never seen him with such rejection in his face. They would have been so good together.
They still will be. I won't stand for this. I'll take care of Kyo-chan. When I'm done, Haru-chan will have no choice but to realize he's terrible for her.
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Ah…young love. Haruhi-kun and Kyoya-senpai look so good together. How will this affect the Host Club? As manageress, I must keep it afloat!
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"Kyoya," Mori-senpai got my attention. It was hard to let go of Haruhi. She fit in my arms perfectly. "What's the timeline for the results of your plan?"
"I'll receive a text from my lawyers confirming the emancipation paperwork has been filed. Then they will start contacting companies, starting with the Ootori Private Police. It won't be long before I receive a call from the overall head to confirm change in control and to get new orders.
"Once he calls, I'll order a stand-down and a freeze of all activities. Then other steps will be taken to secure information."
I can't wait. My heart is thundering. I wish I could be there to see the look on my father's face. We need to get back.
"As soon as I give new orders, we can return. I suggest we pack. I need to be there for certain steps. At this point, you can all return to your estates and Mori-senpai, Kasanoda" I caught their eyes, "you can then order a stand-down of your security and call them back.
"There is no way I can sufficiently thank you for your protection of Haruhi and all of us. Please know that you have my undying gratitude."
"I'd do anything to keep Haruhi safe, Kyoya." Challenge shown in Mori-senpai's eyes. He's threatened by my relationship with Haruhi. I've got to define it with her and set them all straight.
"Let's pack." Honey-senpai walked from the room mumbling, "I need cake."
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I opened my bedroom door to find Kyoya-senpai. No, wait – Kyoya.
"Haruhi, can I talk to you?"
"Come in." I stepped back and he walked in, reaching out and taking my hands. He kicked the door closed.
"Haruhi, I want you to know I like you, a lot. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want us to start dating." He had an anxious look in his eyes, but his body screamed self-confidence. Was he faking his eyes?
Wait…What? Girlfriend? Dating? Kyoya? Am I ready? Do I even want that?
He was waiting for an answer, but I didn't have one, did I? I'd never dated before. But, the Shadow King? But, there were sparks when we kissed. Huge sparks that went through me all the way to my toes. Is that enough? Dad said you need to kiss a lot of frogs.
It's not like he's asking me to marry him. It's just dating. If it doesn't work out, we can stop – Right? What's the harm? I do like him.
"Haruhi?" His soft plea broke me from my thoughts. Never would I have expected him to use that tone, to ask like that.
"Yes, Kyoya. I'll be your girlfriend." It's that simple. I smiled at the relief in his eyes.
Wait a minute – it can't be that simple. "Now what?"
"What do you mean?"
"How do I be the girlfriend of the new head of the Ootori Corporation? What's expected of me? How crazy will this get? What about the Host Club?" I looked up at him and admitted, "Maybe I should have waited to decide until I knew the answers."
"No, I'm glad you didn't wait. We'll work all that out as we go along. Don't worry."
He reached for me and kissed me again. It felt so good. Like I always expected it to. I was safe in his arms. Finally safe.
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"Takashi? Don't worry. They won't last." He was worrying me the way he was shoving his clothes in his bag. I rarely see him this angry.
"She looked happy."
"She looked happy to be safe. There's a difference."
"Admit it, Mitsukuni, I lost."
"Over my dead body," he looked at me, shocked. "I'll fix this."
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"Renge? Are you done yet?"
"Really, Tamaki-senpai? You're going to ask a girl if she's done packing after 15 minutes?" I was sure it would have taken him longer than me to pack.
"You're right. I should give you more time. Excuse me."
He turned to leave and I stopped him, "Wait. If you're done, you could keep me company while I pack."
"Great!" he sat on my bed and we started talking about Kyoya-senpai and Haruhi. It was a great thing.
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"Undying gratitude. He had the nerve to tell me I had his 'undying gratitude' for keeping Haruhi safe. Like she was his. Like she'd been his this whole time. Like I was going out of my way to protect her for him. More like she needs protection from him."
"Kasanoda – can I come in?"
I'd been mumbling and shoving my shit in my bag – I didn't even hear Kaoru open the door.
"Sure. Come on in. But only if you're as mad as I am."
He gave me a half smile. "I'm probably not, but I can sympathize and I can totally understand your anger."
"That fucking bastard didn't even wait! He practically pounced on her in front of all of us. Asshole!"
"I just want her to be happy."
"She won't be happy with him. He's cold, manipulative, and secretive. The total opposite of her. He's going to play her and toss her. He doesn't understand what a relationship means.
"I know. I hope it will work out or end soon." He looked at me – he seemed to be trying to tell me something with his eyes, "I just want her to be happy." Then he turned and left.
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"Haruhi?" I knocked on her door and opened it, "Can I come in?"
Shit. Kyoya-senpai and Haruhi were making out again. They pulled apart quickly, as he smirked at me.
"Kaoru? Did you need something?"
"Yeah, I think I left my phone charger in here."
"I should go and finish packing," Kyoya said as he left the room.
"I don't see it. Maybe it fell behind the nightstand?" She was on the floor looking. I felt bad – it's already in my bag. I just wanted an excuse to talk to her.
"It's not here."
"I guess it's still in my room. I'll give it another look." I walked over and sat on her bed, patting the space beside me.
She took the indicated spot and gave me a questioning look.
"Are you happy?"
"Yes! I'm finally safe. My dad can come back. Our apartment is ours again. I can go back to living my life like normal. It's wonderful." Her voice was full of joy and awe.
I hated to do this, but, "No, I meant with Kyoya-senpai."
"With being his girlfriend? Yes, I'm happy. We'll see where it takes us. It's exciting. I've never dated before."
Girlfriend? She's his girlfriend? No way! Shit.
I put my arm around her and whispered, "I hope he keeps you happy, but if you aren't, please talk to me."
"Sure Kaoru. You're my best friend; who else would I talk to."
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"Tamaki!" I caught him as he was walking out the door.
"Kyoya! I'm so happy for you. It's amazing! It's wonderful! Congratulations!" He was jumping up and down, screaming.
"Tamaki-senpai!" Haruhi admonished as she joined us. "Calm down. We're all excited for Kyoya-sen…Kyoya, but you don't have to make this much noise."
"But Haruhi, he defeated his father, is becoming the head of the Ootori Corporation, and he got the girl. That deserves some yelling, doesn't it?"
He took a deep breath and smiled, "Haruhi? Can I pick you up and swing you around to celebrate?"
Damn those puppy dog eyes, "Sure," and she held out her arms.
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"Tamaki. Now that you've had your celebration," Now that he's finally put my girlfriend down, "I need to ask a favor."
"Anything, Kyoya. You know that."
"Can you take Haruhi to your estate for the night? Her father will be home tomorrow and then they can return to their apartment."
"Yea! Haruhi's coming for a sleep over!"
"Is that really necessary, Kyoya?"
"I want to be sure tonight. It will ease my mind to know you aren't alone." And aren't at any of the other estates. In that respect, Tamaki's the most trustworthy, unfortunately.
"All right, but just for tonight."
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"Ootori-san, I have to ask you to move away from the laptop and phone. I'll also need the combination for the safe."
"What! What is the meaning of this? Just who are you calling –san? Have you forgotten your place? How dare you give me orders!"
Just then, Kyoya walked into the room – no, it's more like he strode into the room, like he owned the place, like he wasn't afraid of me.
"They are following my orders, Father."
My son's orders? What the FUCK! "Kyoya," my voice was so hard it could cut glass, "what are you talking about." I stood there, waiting for him to answer. Waiting for him to admit his mistake.
"Yes, my orders. You are no longer in charge of the Ootori Private Police. As a matter of fact, you are no longer in charge of the Ootori Corporation." He looked back at me like I was an insect under glass.
"Kyoya…"
"Father, as of a few hours ago, I've been emancipated. Enjoying this new freedom has allowed me to exert my influence over the Corporation and subsidiaries. I now own the majority stock or control the majority voting block in all of it. The different boards will be contacting you tomorrow to fire you. There will be no golden parachute.
"My first action is to take over my Private Police Force and have them stand down from all activities. I will be reviewing their orders and adjusting them as I see fit.
"In order to secure the rest of the Corporation, they will be securing certain things in this house. This office is no longer yours. All electronics in this house are owned by the Corporation and are being confiscated. That includes yours and my brothers' laptops, phones, pagers, panic buttons, and any media storage devices. All paperwork in this house is being confiscated – to include everything in here and in the safes, both here and in your bedroom. If any personal items are collected, they will be returned to you after examination.
"There are also movers packing up my possessions and moving them to my new place. I am not able to displace you and my brothers, as this estate is owned by the family, but I will not spend one more second living under this roof.
"Any questions?"
"You can't do this! It's impossible!"
"It's done. There's nothing you can do. Step aside and let them work."
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That evening, everyone's thoughts were on the future…
Tamaki: The Host Club is back together and better than ever. My two best friends have found love and have inspired me. I have taken a long, hard look at my current situation and have allowed my real personality out from hiding.
This next year holds many new adventures for our family. The Congratulations Ball, graduation for our two oldest members, a life together for Kyoya and darling Haruhi, and so many more new cosplays! This will be so much fun! It's like a dream come true.
Kaoru: I'm glad we're all safe now and the guards can be called off Hikaru. I won't have to worry anymore, now that Kyoya-senpai runs that hospital.
I'm happy Haruhi is with Kyoya-senpai if it makes her happy. I understand why the others are either happy, angry, jealous, or crushed. I just can't bring myself to care. I hope Kasanoda picked up on what I was trying to tell him.
I want Hikaru back. Our parents come back this weekend and I'll have to tell them everything. Now that all this Yoshio shit is over with I need to spend much more time with Hikaru. He has to get better. I need him back more than anything. Now that Haruhi is with Kyoya-senpai, she won't be able to help me as much. We won't be helping each other sleep anymore. How will I sleep without her? How bad will the nightmares get?
Honey: Now what? I can't let Kyo-chan have Haru-chan. It's breaking Takashi's heart. He's so selfless and caring to his friends. This is the one thing he's wanted for himself in a long time. He should have the right to be selfish when it's good for him. They would be perfect together.
I've told Kyo-chan before that handling employees is a lot different than having a relationship with friends. It's even more different when it's a romantic relationship. Maybe we all just need to sit back and watch it implode. He won't treat her the way she deserves, and she won't put up with that. It could be fun to watch her put him in his place.
Mori: I've lost. I know what Mitsukuni said, but I've lost. It would be dishonorable to come between them. Haruhi has made her choice, even if she didn't know I was an option.
I'm glad I'm graduating soon. Maybe I should go abroad for college instead of staying in Tokyo? I could get away from them and try to forget her. But, how? She's the only one who will ever make me feel gooey.
What did Father and Mother want to talk about Haruhi? I don't understand. They couldn't have known that this was coming.
Kyoya: That was everything I hoped for and more. That old man had no idea what hit him. The hatred, denial, and defeat in his eyes was worth a thousand times what I paid for it. Every part of my plan came through. From the beginning I was pulling the strings and he was too wrapped up in himself to notice the noose closing. I had to keep myself from shouting triumphantly in his face.
I'm considered an adult and I own and control the Ootori Corporation. He exerts no influence in my life and has no say in anything I do. I am free from him. That old bastard will never strike me again, never tell me I'm inadequate again, never tell me that I'll ruin the Ootori name again. I completely control him. Now he can get a taste of what I've had to bear my whole life.
I'm an adult. I'm able to live the life I want. I'm able to improve the company the way it should be. He never could see innovation; he's stuck in traditional ways. That's why the Company was vulnerable to begin with. I will bring the Ootori Empire to new heights and rub it in his face.
Now everything can progress with Haruhi. I'm an adult now. Able to enter into my own marriage contracts. Able to arrange my life the way I wish. I have her and I'll never let her go.
Kasanoda: Now I have to become a member of the Host Club. They'll need someone to fill in after Morinozuka-senpai and Haninozuka-senpai graduate, right? I can step in easily. The girls will be afraid to designate me by myself, so I'll host with Haruhi. It will be perfect. If we have to act like we're in a relationship like those weird twins, then I won't have a problem. Sounds great to me. Ootori will have a shit-fit, but it will increase the profits, so he'll have to back down.
I just need to come up with a way to break them up. He doesn't deserve her.
Renge: I've learned so much these last several days. Haruhi-kun is a girl! She told me the whole story. Now that she's out of debt – she should have told be earlier, I could have gotten that debt paid off, her designators would have come together to break her out of prison! Anyway, now that she doesn't have to pretend to be a boy, she can be a girl! We can have spa days and shop. I can give her a make-over! We can be great friends!
Kyoya-senpai won't have much time to spend with her. He may think he knows, but he probably has no idea how much of his time will be consumed by running that empire, even if he does hire people to do it for him. I don't see how he can stay involved in the Host Club.
Haruhi-kun and I can spend so much time together. It will be so much fun!
Haruhi: I'm Kyoya's girlfriend. It's weird, just a couple of weeks ago, I hated him. Hate…it's such a strong word. I was furious with him. He's so manipulative.
Then he saved me. He protected me. He, what would the girls in the host club say?...he killed the dragon for me. OK – that sounded really stupid. He stood up to his father for me. He got his father out of my life. I can go back to normal now because of Kyoya.
His kisses are amazing…and the way his arms feel around me – it's like something I've been missing my whole life without knowing it. Is this real or new? How do I know? I've always been so serious with planning my life. I think this time, about this relationship, I'm going to have to go with the flow.
Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai will be graduating soon. Since I joined the Host Club, all of them have become such large parts of my life. How will it work with us not seeing each other daily? Will we grow apart? Will college be so busy, they stop talking to all of us? We just fixed our friendships, I don't want to lose them.
And, Hikaru. Kaoru and I need to focus on getting him better. Having me visit isn't going to help anything, so I need to support Kaoru as he visits. I can't let him down. I can't spend so much time with Kyoya that my other friendships are hurt. They all need me in their own way.
Ranka: I'm so glad my darling daughter is safe now. We can return home and go back to normal. I won't have to worry, and she can concentrate on her studies.
Should I tell her about what Jarou and I discussed. I can't decide if I'm amused or insulted by the way everyone referred to him as 'my friend'. We are so much more. Will Haruhi be upset by our plans?
Hikaru: Kaoru said our parents are coming home soon and he'd tell them everything. Will they come visit? Will they be angry? Will they feel sorry for me? Will they help me get Haruhi, so I'll get better?
She's all I want, she's all I can taste, she's all I can hear, she's all I can smell, she's all I can feel. My beautiful Haruhi. When I get out of here, I'll do it right. I'll tell her, and she'll get the chance to listen. She'll know how much I feel for her. She'll be mine – she'll choose to be.
Yoshio: I can no longer call that boy my son. He has betrayed the Ootori name and everything it stands for.
He thinks he controls me? He thinks taking away my electronic toys and my papers will cut me out? I have information stored EVERYWHERE. I have backups of backups. I have influence he cannot comprehend. This is not the end. Before I was just toying with him and that disgusting commoner, now he has declared war.
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Author's Note:
To everyone who wanted an epilogue – here it is. I'd like to think it brings closure, but I think it opens more cans of worms.
This has been a great ride. I had no idea I would have so much fun doing this. I had no idea I have this creative side. I'm hooked. It felt so weird this last week, only having that short epilogue to write.
Thank you again to everyone for reading, and a special thanks to those who reviewed. You kept me on track and gave me great ideas. Before I started writing, I didn't realize how important reviews are to authors. Now, I make it a point to review everything I read. Reviews are very motivational.
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Future Plans:
This isn't the end. To everyone who wanted a sequel, it's coming. I'm working on the outline now and need suggestions. It will time skip about a year but have flashbacks. Please PM me with things that need to be tied up, ideas for more plots, thoughts on Kyoya/Haruhi, suggestions on how he runs his empire and is a high school junior/senior. And anything else you might want to see. I'll do my best to incorporate where they fit and give credit where it's due.
I've been publishing a chapter (or more at the beginning) a week since September. During that time, my life has completely flipped and been turned inside-out a couple of times. I need a break.
I'll be concentrating on outline and plot (and life) for a while and won't start publishing until I know I can keep that weekly schedule. I owe it to you all to produce a story I can be proud of.
But, be warned – I've also got some other ideas for other Ouran stories. I might just decide to do one of those first. The multi-chapter ones are all much darker than this one. For that reason, I my chicken out. I do have some one-shot ideas that I could write as a 'warmup' to the sequel. We'll see what happens.
Please follow me if you want to be updated when the new story comes out.
Thank you again for all your dedication. I've read so many good stories on this site, I'm touched that you liked mine.
Good night.
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