//Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.//

CHAPTER EIGHT
THE DANGEROUS STALKER

Asami feels like she is underwater. Her cries for help are being drowned out by water. She sits motionless in her room, curled up in a ball while staring out her window. Her mind is racing about what to do with the new information she discovered. She is sure Emiko will be alerting Kyoya's police force about how Emica has been in contact with her and she'll be facing the wrath of them and her father soon. It's obvious that Yuzuru and Anne-Sophie combined their sperm and egg and put it into Emica because Anne-Sophie was having troubles conceiving—well this makes the most sense to Asami considering the siblings look too much like Anne-Sophie to have any biological ties to Emica. Emica was her parents' surrogate, she wasn't just some worker that planned events for them. Emica had much closer ties to Yuzuru than he was willing to admit. Is he ashamed of the surrogacy? Why would he feel the need to hide it from them? This proves just how unhinged Emica truly is. Emica developed an inappropriate bond with Tamaki and Asami because she gave birth to them yet they have no biological ties toward one another. Asami rubs her face tiredly and perks up when a few meows catch her attention. She glances down to see Salem and Gremlin sitting there, just staring at her. She pats her laps and the two jump up, rubbing their heads against her body. "What am I suppose to do?" She mumbles and gently scratches their heads. The door to her room flies open and Yuzuru stomps in with an angry expression on his face.

"Emica has been texting you and you didn't think to tell anyone about this?" He yells at her, clenching his fists. Tamaki appears in the doorway, but stays a bit behind the wall while warily eyeing their father.

"You would've taken my phone away and then I wouldn't have any access to my friends." She responds.

"Yeah, I would take your phone away from your safety! Asmai, she could be tracking your phone at any given moment. She could sneak around everyone and kidnap you again! What were you thinking?" Asmai knows that he is right. She should've immediately alerted the proper authorities when Emica continued to text her. She doesn't dare mention how they met up in Shirakawa because then he would probably keep her locked away in her room for good. She observes her father as he continues to yell at her, but none of his words make it to her ears.

"Why didn't you tell Tamaki and me the truth?" She asks tiredly, cutting Yuzuru off mid-sentence without meaning to. Tamaki perks up and steps more into the room now.

"What?" Yuzuru looks bewildered for a moment before a look of horror overcomes his face. "Did she..."

"Tamaki, Emica meant to grab you that day as well." Asami informs her brother. "She feels like we belong to her because she gave birth to us, isn't that right, father?" Yuzuru stumbles back, his breathing picking up in pace. "Was our real mother unable to get pregnant or carry to term? Why would you lie that Emica was merely a worker for you? You two chose her to carry us for a reason. You must've had a much closer relationship than you've told us."

"Is this true?" Tamaki asks and gazes at his father, hurt gleaming in his eyes. "Was Emica more than an your assistant?"

"Sit down," Yuzuru sighs and rubs his temples. "There's a lot I need to tell you both." Tamaki sits next to Asami, reaching out to grab her hand. They lean into each other as they try to seek comfort from one another. Yuzuru sits in front of them and seems to be struggling to find his words. "Anne-Sophie and I wanted a family together. We loved each other fully, but it was hard for her. She lost two babies during the first trimester and the doctors predicted that she may never be able to carry to full term. So we looked toward our friends for help. Emica was more than an assistant," he pauses to take a deep breath in. "Emica was our friend. I've known her since high school. We were in the same classes and she worked for me later on. I was on a business trip in France with Emica when I stumbled upon your mother. It was love at first sight." He smiles gently at the memory. "Emica fully supported our relationship and helped us hide from my mother because your grandmother did not approve of Anne-Sophie at all. When we told her of our pregnancy problems, she offered to be our surrogate. We got contracts written up that states that she would have no motherly role in your lives after she gave birth to you. We thought everything was going to be fine and at the time, Emica was fine with never being a mother to you guys, but everything changed after Asami was born." Tamaki tightens his hold on his sister. "Emica grew too attached to you as a baby. Her pregnancy with you was hard on her body, much harder than hers with Tamaki. She...," Yuzuru closes his eyes, "she nearly died giving birth to you." Asami winces at that. "That trauma bond she formed with you made her very reluctant to give you to us. We had to take her to court and luckily we had those contracts written up because if we didn't, she may have won."

"That probably feeds into her delusion that she has a right to Tamaki and me. The court almost sided with her." Asami mumbles.

"After that, we cut ties with her. She wouldn't stop saying that you two belong with her because she gave birth to you. She truly believes that she is your real mother despite the fact that you share no biological ties. Anne-Sophie and I were scared that she was going to do something plus with my grandmother constantly on our backs with her disapproval, we decided that it'll be safer for us to separate. Your mother took you guys back to France to be raised and I would visit on occasions. Everything was going good. We never heard from Emica again; however, everything changed on that January 4. I woke up to threatening messages from an unknown number who I instantly knew was Emica. She found where Anne-Sophie lived and sent me pictures of the house. She implied that she was going to kidnap you two. I immediately called Anne-Sophie while I ordered my staff to get the Ootori police force on the phone," he clenched his fists in his lap, "we were all too late. Emica had already taken you, Asami. We were all relieved that she wasn't able to grab Tamaki as well. We spent years searching for you, please believe me, we truly did." He reaches over and grabs Asami's free hand. "Eventually, after the fifth year of no new leads, we had to stop. I kept making sure updated digital photos of what you should like look now were posted in every police department across Japan. I prayed every night that someone would see you and call me." He gently strokes her hair and tucks a piece behind her ear. "And finally, my prayers were answered. My sweet beautiful Noémi was found and our family was reunited."

"Did no one know about the surrogacy?" Asami asks, leaning into his hand.

"No, surrogacy is considered unethical in our culture. Your grandmother would murder me if she ever learned about it." Yuzuru informs them.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about Emica texting me," Asmai launches forward to hug Yuzuru. "I'm so sorry, dad!"

"I understand, Emica played a huge  role in your life and it's hard for you to see her in the way we do. You merely wanted to hold onto that bond with her, but promise me," he softly grabs her face and forces her to look him in the eye. "You will never talk to that woman again and if she contacts you, you immediately alert the Ootoris." She nods her head and they go back to hugging one another. Yuzuru gestures for Tamaki to join and he does. The family hugs one another tightly as the siblings come to terms with the newfound information about their births. Yuzuru closes his eyes, feeling at peace that his children finally know the truth.

•••

Asami rests her head on Tamaki's shoulders as they head to school for the day. She watches as the scenery passes by, her thought quietly mulling over about her classes for the day. "Asmai," she turns her head to look at him, "why didn't you tell me that Emica was in contact with you?"

"I didn't want you to worry," she softly says.

"Do you trust me?" He asks.

"Of course, I do. I thought I was protecting you," she sits up and sighs. "But really, I was just being a dumb teenager that thought they could do everything on their own."

"Please rely on me more, rely on the host club more. The hosts would be more than happy to help you with whatever you need." He tells her. "I can't believe that Emica was our surrogate," he rubs his face tiredly. The Souh family stayed up very late last night before heading to bed. Tamaki is still struggling to come to terms with everything. He could've been in Asami's position. He could've been raised by Emica, never knowing the true love and affection from his real mother.

"I feel like our lives keep getting turned upside down," she grumbles and the car pulls up to the school. "I'll see you after school." She bids him goodbye and heads into the entranceway, looking around for a lilac haired male. "Kazuki!" She calls out after spotting him talking to a rather shady looking red head male. She hops over, linking their arms together. "I have so much to rant about to you. Who's this?"

"This is Kasanoda Ritsu," Kazuki replies, "Kasanoda-Kun, this is my best friend, Souh Asami." Ritsu looks a bit freaked out when he hears her last name.

"Nice to meet you," she smiles at him causing him to blush, "I'm sorry, but I truly do have to steal Kazuki for a moment." She yanks her friend away without another word, oblivious to the stammering red head she left behind. "I've had the craziest night." She proceeds to tell him everything that occurred.

"I don't understand how you're not more mentally unstable," Kazuki stated and she hits him in the arm. "It's true! Most people would be in a psych ward by this point. Your family has so many secrets."

"I really hope that's the last one," she grumbles.

"Watch, there's going to be another twist and your father actually dated Emica at one point or something." Kazuki laughs but stops when he sees Asami glaring at him. "Never mind, that wouldn't be funny at all."

"No, it wouldn't be because it means my father has once again lied to my brother and me." She shakes her head at him. "Oh, that reminds me, did you know there's a kendo club here?"

"A kendo club?" He perks up.

"Yeah, Takashi is in it and I'm going to go watch one of his matches next week. Do you want to come and check it out to see if you'd like to join?" She asks. She curiously tilts her head when she sees his demeanor change. "Kazuki?"

"You're going to one of his matches?" Kazuki questions. She nods her head. "I'd feel a bit awkward going with you then. I wouldn't want to intrude on your support for him." She blinks in confusion at his sudden hostility.

"Do you not like kendo anymore? You wouldn't be intruding on anything either. I'll be there with Mitsukuni anyways." She informs him. The bell rings to signal the beginning of the school day before he could respond. "Come find me during lunch to let me know what your answer is and so we can eat together, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"We've both been busy." He smiles at her and nods his head. "I'll see you at lunch." They wave goodbye, heading off to their respective classes. She shows up to her Japanese class and slides into her desk. She warily eyes the empty desks on either side of her considering the twins are usually in their seats before her. The bell rings to begin class as Mr. Ryota Daichi walks in. She frowns in worry, wondering where the twins are.

"Hello class, let's dive back into the book we've been reading. Can someone tell me what Kokoro means?" Daichi hops onto his desk and grabs the book, flipping through the pages with his fingers.

"It means heart or the mind," Asami watches as Kaoru and Hikaru stroll through the door with pink slips in their hands which they hand to the teacher. "It can also be translated to spirit." Kaoru answers.

"Thank you, Mr. Hitachiin, go take your seats." They slide into their respective seats on either side of Asami.

"Why are you late?" She leans close to Kaoru, whispering her question.

"We woke up late." He replies. She hums at that answer and believes to because Hikari has fallen asleep before guests come and it's a struggle waking him up.

"What era does this story take place in?" Daichi questions. "Miss Kimura."

"It takes place during the Meji Era."

"Correct. Now, there's a specific passage I want to focus on for a moment," he clears his throat, "'Since the day I met Sensi, I have known no other friend so intimately, yet in some ways, he remains an enigma to me. He often speaks of his past, but there are still layers of mystery surrounding his true nature.' How does the narrator describe his relationship with Sensei?" Asami raises her hand. "Miss Souh."

"The narrator describes his relationship with Sensei as intimate but still shrouded in mystery. Sensei and the narrator may have a close friendship, but Sensei still hides some secrets from the narrator." She responds.

"Good." Daichi nods his head, pleased at the answer. "For the rest of class, please continue reading the book." Everyone pulls their books out and silently reads. Asami continuously glances at the clock, wishing for it to go a bit faster. She is looking forward to lunch and to the host club later.

•••

"Kazuki!" Asami sing songs as she launches herself at her friend, wrapping her arms around his shoulder with a bright smile on her face. "I've missed you!"

"You saw me this morning," he chuckles and allows her to hang off of him as they walk to the cafeteria. "You brought lunch today?"

"Yep! The cafeteria isn't serving chirashi today so I brought some." She tells him. "I was craving it." A sad tone overcomes her voice. Chirashi reminds her of when Emica would make it for her after succeeding at something. Kazuki gently bumps her shoulder to knock her out of her thoughts and they find an empty table to sit at.

"Wow, your bento looks amazing. This reminds me of when we were in middle school and you brought the best looking lunches everyday." He reminisces while staring at the bento box contents. He silently wishes that she would make him some of her amazing food. A blush comes to his face as he imagines Asami in a apron, cooking in the kitchen with flour on her face and he comes home from a long day at work.

"Thank you! My food is always made with extra love from the preparer," she points at herself, "moi!" She snaps open her chop sticks and begins to eat. Kazuki does the same. A few moments of silence fills the air between them, but neither go to break it. This is why Asami enjoys spending time with Kazuki. His mere presence is calming and she never feels the needs to talk. She can just enjoy being there in the moment with him.

"When are you attending the kendo match?" He asks, finally deciding to break the silence.

"Next Wednesday. Are you coming with me? You acted a bit weird about it earlier." She cocks an eyebrow at him with a questioning expression on her face.

"I will come with you. It's been a while since I've been involved with kendo but maybe this will be the push I need to get back into it." He states. He watches her, observing how she sits with her back straight and her elbows not on the table which is different from middle school. That etiquette school must've drilled into her about posture. She doesn't talk between bites, she waits until she finishes a bite. She used to get too excited and would talk while eating. Her hair is up in a braid and out of her face. He remembers when she would let her hair loose and run away from Hikari when she would try to put it up. The wild girl he knew doesn't seem to be in the girl before him anymore. It's like life has tamed that wild girl and he finds himself missing that part of her. "Asami, I've always admired how carefree and wild you are. You never cared what other people thought of you. You did what you wanted when you wanted. Yet at the same time, you ensured that you were always caring and kind to everyone around you."

"Thank you?" She says in a confused tone. Kazuki needs to take this chance before someone else does. He's seen how the boys—hell, even girls—react around Asami. Someone will sweep her off her feet soon. Kazuki wants it to be him.

"Asami," he takes a deep breath to calm his racing heart, "spending time with you like this, makes me incredibly happy. You bring so much joy into my life and I really like you." He stops breathing, staring wide eyed at her to see how she reacts to his confession.

"I really like you too." She grins at him and he finds himself blushing even more until she finishes her sentence, "you're such an amazing friend. You always make me feel comfortable and I appreciate that." His blush vanishes and his happy smile drops into a sad one. "Did I say something wrong?" She asks.

"No, you didn't. I'm glad we're friends, Asami. Your friendship means the world to me." He softly states.

"Don't tell the twins this, but you're my best friend." Asami winks playfully at him. The two go back to eating, unaware that two sets of ears were listening to their entire conversation.

"I think someone is trying to take away our toy."

"How is she in class A when she can't even recognize a love confession?"

"Oh so it's okay for you to call her dumb but not me."

"I'm not being unnecessarily rude to her and saying it to her face."

•••

"Welcome to Ouran's purr-fact cat cafe!" Tamaki playfully paws at the air. Asami did not expect to show up to the host club to see them all in cat costumes. Each host has a pair of cat ears, whiskers and a tail that matches there rose color. Cats are strutting around the place, some are playing with the toys littering the floor, others are lounging on the cat towers, and some are being petted by the guests. "This is such a hit! The girls love it!" Tamaki gushes, clapping his hands together in excitement. "Allow me to introduce our official mascot for today," he holds up a tuxedo cat, "Lord Whiskers! Isn't he beautiful?" She reaches up and scratches the cat's head causing Lord Whiskers to purr.

"He is beautiful." She comments with a smile. She enjoys seeing how happy Tamaki is over the theme. "Are the cats enjoying the beauty salon?" She asks after seeing a few cats being carried by guests with accessories and clothes on them.

"That was our idea," the twins grin and point their thumbs at themselves. "What do girls love? Cats and accessories. So we brought those two things together. We asked our mother if she could send us some cat clothes and accessories so our guests can dress their adopted cats up."

"All those cats have been adopted already?" She asks, happiness swelling in her that so many animals will be going home.

"Yes, it seems the cat cafe theme idea wasn't entirely ludicrous." Kyoya states. "We've had more new customers join us today than any other day. We've made more profit than expected especially since you convinced the shelter to provide us the necessities for the cats so that did not come out of our pocket. By my calculations, every cat that is here will be adopted if this continues." He gazes at her with a soft glint in his eyes. "Of course, none of this would've been possible if you hadn't planned it."

"I did a good job?" She asks.

"You did a good job." He agrees. She smiles at him at that praise when her attention is turned elsewhere by a shout.

"Ami-Chan, Takashi! Look, this little kitty loves belly rubs!" Mitsukuni exclaims while rubbing the belly of a black cat. Asami sends him a quick thumbs up to let him know she heard him before turning back to Kyoya. 

"I'm surprised you don't have a photographer around to take photos of all the hosts with cats." She muses. "We could do an entire animal themed photo album for the guest."

"That could work. The guests do seem to be blushing and stuttering more today with the hosts in these costumes." Kyoya observes. "What other animals would we do?"

"Foxes, bears, lions, dogs." She shrugs. "Those are animals that most girls associate with boys."

"Foxes?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Foxes are for men that are considered attractive and clever. I personally like foxes more than the others. I've always wanted a pet fox." She informs him.

"Which hosts would you consider a fox?" He questions.

"Why do you want to know?" She inquires, crossing her arms over her chest with a suspicious look on her face.

"I'm simply curious what animal each host is because it can help us cater to the guests more if we incorporate that more into our characters." He states.

"Well in that case, wouldn't you want to know what animal I associate with every host instead of focusing on which ones I view as a fox?" She questions.

"That would be better for my data." He agrees.

"You remind me of an owl." She admits and snorts at the look on his face. "You have a very strategic and calculated way of thinking. You're wise, observant, clever and analytical. Owls are the epitome of intelligence and knowledge which I think aligns with you perfectly. Kaoru reminds me of a fox," she looks at the said twin who is currently putting catnip on Hikaru without him noticing. "He's clever, quick-witted, charming and has a sort of calm mischievous vibe to him. Hikaru, on the other hand, has a very energetic and playful mischievous vibe to him which is why he reminds me of a squirrel." She nods her head as she says this. "Takashi is a bear. He's gentle despite his size, loyal, strong, and protective. Mitsukuni is definitely a bunny. He's adorable, sweet, social and playful like one. Haruhi," she finds the girl trying to get out of Tamaki's hold, "is a cat. She's independent, calm, intelligent and observant. Tamaki is a peacock." Kyoya coughs a bit at this answer as if trying to cover up a laugh. "He's flamboyant, prideful and outgoing. He also likes beautiful and elegant things which peacocks are associated with most of the time. Plus," she smirks as Tamaki leaves Haruhi to strike a cat pose for his guests and listens to the cheers from the girls, "he enjoys attention."

"Interesting." Kyoya comments. "Maybe instead of having all of us dress up as one animal at a time, we'll have a photoshoot where we are dressed up as the animals we represent."

"I'm sure the girls will absolutely love it. You could even sell some animal merch for each host." She muses. The two take a moment to watch the other hosts interact with the guests and cats.

"You remind me of a chameleon." He informs her, watching in amusement at her surprised expression. "Chameleons have the ability to adapt to any environment which I believe is most like you."

"I think that's the kindest thing you've said to me since we've met." She comments with a soft laugh.

"Asami, one of the cats ran out of the door." Haruhi appears next her and grabs her hand. "Tamaki asked us to go get it."

"Okay, let me grab some cat food so we can lure it in." She grabs the food and the duo head out together. They stroll around the corridors, calling out for the kitty while she waves the food around. They stumble upon the forbidden corridor. The forbidden corridor is known through the academy to be the scariest in all of the buildings. People actively avoid it due to the superstitions surrounding it. The corridor emits an eerie, uneasy atmosphere. The windows barely lit the floors thus making it quite dim and hard to see anything. The corridor itself is long and narrow, parts of the wallpaper are peeling as if the administration doesn't worry about caring for it. A soft meow echoes down the corridor and Asami curses under her breath before gripping Haruhi's hand tightly as they slowly make their way to the meowing. The cat sounds like it's in distress and calling out for help which worries Asami. What is in this corridor that could harm a cat? The floor boards creek with each step they take. Asami feels like a strange whisper is trying to tell her to go back and to stay away. She furrows her eyebrows, shaking that feeling off when they come face to face with a broken wooden door. The meowing seems to be coming from within the room. Asami opens the door and sees the cat struggling to get out of the hands of a girl with black hair. The girls turns around to face them and Asami's breath hitches. "Maru." She pushes Haruhi behind her, squaring her shoulders and planting her feet in case she needs to fight this girl. Haruhi gazes between the duo in confusion. Haruhi was not apart of the club yet when Asami was told about Maru. "Give me the cat." She demands.

"You can have the filthy feline back," Maru throws the cat at Asami and she quickly catches it to ensure it doesn't hit the floor. She hands the cat to Haruhi who cradles it closely to her chest. "I knew you would come searching for it." She hisses, glaring daggers into Asami. "You really think I'd let you come in and take Tamaki from me?" Suddenly, Maru reaches into her pocket and pulls out a knife. Haruhi freezes and tightly clenches Asami's arm. Waves of pure hatred roll off of Maru and nearly suffocates Asami's senses. "Tamaki is mine!" She screams and runs toward them with the blade held high. Asami shoves Haruhi further away before turning to grab Maru's arms, struggling to keep the knife away from her face.

"Asami!" Haruhi yells from her position on the floor because the shove caused her to trip. The cat meows frantically from beside her. She scrambles to get up when she sees Asami's hold weaken and Maru's knife gets dangerously close to her eyes. "Stay away from you!" In a flash, Haruhi is tackling Maru. Maru drops the knife and it clatters against the ground. Asami quickly kicks it further away from any of them as Haruhi and Maru wrestle one another.

"Get off of me!" Maru practically roars. "She must die! She's standing in the way of my love for Tamaki!" She places her legs right underneath Haruhi's stomach and pushes as hard as she can. Haruhi grunts at the force and is thrown away from Maru. Maru crawls toward Asami with a wicked grin. "Everyone tries to get in between Tamaki and me! I never let them!" She laughs hysterically. "He's mine!" Haruhi is holding her stomach in pain while Asami prepares herself for a fight. Maru stumbles to her feet and stares angrily at Asami. "I'll give your eye as a prize when I win."

"Haruhi, go get help." Asami demands and meets Maru in the middle. Maru launches a rapid series of punches towards Asami. Asami swiftly dodges and weaves, countering with a swift kick, aiming for Maru's midsection. Maru quickly brings her forearm up to deflect the attack but grunts as they make impact. Haruhi watches in worry and slight fear, she battles over whether or not she should listen to Asami or get involved. "I can handle her, go get help!" With that, Haruhi rushes out of the room to find someone to help them. The sound of their fists and kicks colliding with one another echoes throughout the dinky room. Asami makes a mental note to make her father update this corridor and rooms to make it less scary. Asami drops down low as Maru aims a powerful roundhouse kick at her head. She springs up and lands a spinning backfist on Maru's cheek. Maru stumbles and releases a scream of frustration before trying to lock Asami in a head hold. Asami lifts her knee, striking Maru's stomach and forcing her to loosen her grip. Asmai grabs Maru's hands and switches their positions, tightening her arms around Maru's neck. "You really should've thought twice about doing this." Asami sighs.

"I just wanted to show Tamaki how much I love him by eliminating all the obstacles in our way." Maru sobs, struggling to release herself. "I'm going to kill you!" The sound of multiple footsteps reaches their ears. Asami looks to see Haruhi appearing with Umehito, Reiko and three other gothic looking teens.

"Souh-San," Umehito steps forward with a gleam of concern in his eyes, "you're bleeding." Asami finally realizes the wet feeling trailing down her face. Maru must've given her a nosebleed. "Yuji, tie her up." The one gothic male nods his head and steps forward with some rope in his hand. Asami decided to not question why they had rope. She holds Maru as he ties up her arms and ankles. After Maru is secured, Asami releases her and steps away with a sigh. She brings her hand up and touched her face, pulling it away to see blood coating her fingers. "Here," she glances up to see Umehito pulling out a handkerchief and walking toward her, "let me help."

"You don't have to do that, senpai. I can go to the bathroom and clean myself up. I don't want to ruin your handkerchief." She protests, shaking her head at him.

"You're not going to ruin it, there's a thing called a washer." Umehito says and gently starts cleaning her face. She allows him to do so and glances over to see Reiko speaking to Haruhi. "Is that a knife?" He asks after a glint of metal catches his eye.

"Yeah she tried killing me and failed." Asami laughs but her laugh dies down when no one else joins her. Everyone is staring at her with concern. "What? It's not the craziest thing to happen to me." They nod their head in agreement when more footsteps are heard and the host club bursts through the door.

"Asami!" Asami grunts as Tamaki tackles her in a hug. "Haruhi messaged us what happened! Are you okay?" He pulls away to observe her face and notices the red stains. He spins around, staring deadly down at Maru's figure.

"Tamaki,"Maru cries, "I did this for you, my love! For us! No one can get between our love!" Asami rolls her eyes and gestures for Yuji to hand her more rope. She shoves some in Maru's mouth and ties it on the back of her head. Maru's muffled yells can be heard as she violently struggles in her bindings.

"She was bleeding when we got here, but I cleaned her up." Umehito informs them. "Would you like for me to call the authorities?"

"I can put a curse on her instead." Reiko snarls, glaring at Maru.

"No need, I already called my police force." Kyoya states and stares at Maru. "She'll be placed in a juvenile center far away from here."

"Ami-Chan!" Mitsukuni tugs on her hand. "I was so scared when I read that text!" A hand grabs her fists and she turns to see Takashi staring at them in concern. He gently runs his thumbs over the bleeding and bruises knuckles. She sees the unsaid question on his face.

"I'm fine, I promise." She answers. "The only thing that hurts is my nose." The twins are unusually silent in the corner of the room, staring at Asami with unknown gleams in their eyes. It worries Asami to see them in such a state but she is distracted as Kyoya suddenly grabs her face and forces her to look at him. She winces in pain at his fingers probing her nose.

"You're lucky, it's not broken." He informs her and releases her face.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more help," Haruhi apologizes.

"If it weren't for you, she would've stabbed me." Asami scoffs. That's when the host club notices the knife on the ground and their angry expressions get even more deadly.  "Thank you." She says to the black magic club members. Asami is fretted over for a few more moments until the police arrive and arrest Maru. They watch as Maru is escorted out of the academy in handcuffs and shoved into the back of a police car. Asami allows her body to relax and leans against the nearest person to her, closing her eyes. Kaoru glances down at her and wraps an arm around her to keep her steady. "Thank you." She mumbles. "What happened to the cat cafe?"

"All the cats got adopted and we were cleaning up when we got that text from Haruhi." Kaoru replies. He gestures for Hikaru to pick her up which he does. Asami yawns as the adrenaline in her body rapidly decreases. She snuggles her head in Hikaru's neck. "I'm sorry we weren't there."

"We won't let anyone hurt you ever again." Hikaru says with an angry tone to his words, tightening his hold on her.

"I appreciate the sentiment guys but you couldn't have known that I was going to be attacked by a crazy stalker. Plus, you can't protect me from everyone." She says, cracking open an eye to gaze up at them. Kaoru is staring at her from over Hikaru's shoulder. "I want to go to bed."

"Our car is here." Tamaki informs them and reaches his arm out to take his sister from them. Tamaki cannot find it in himself to scream at the twins for their display of affection toward his sister. Hikaru reluctantly hands her over. "Let's go home." He mumbles to her, walking over to the car. Takashi opens the door to make it easier for Tamaki to put her in. They close the door and stand there for a moment. "Make sure she gets punished to the extreme." Tamaki says, locking eyes with Kyoya. "I could've lost my sister again today." His voice breaks from the realization. If Haruhi hadn't been there and tackled Maru, Maru could've fatally stabbed Asami. Tamaki gets in the car. The rest of the host club watches as the car drives away. Each of them came to a realization: maybe they view Asami as more than a friend.

•••

Yuzuru strokes Asami's hair as she sleeps soundlessly in her bed. He stares at her face, wondering how she finds herself in such situations. A quiet knock is heard on the door and he stands up to see Hana opening the door and peeking her head in. "You have a visitor, sir." She sounds very nervous.

"Who is it?" Yuzuru asks, raising from the bed and walking toward the door.

"It seems Madam Shizue has returned from her trip early."

At those words, dread fills Yuzuru. Why would his mother be here? She only ever returned home early after Asami was found. This cannot be good news for anyone in the family.