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

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHILDREN

"Asami," the young girl seems to be lost in her head as she stares mindlessly at the water fountain in front of her. She went into the garden at school to gather her thoughts before school started for the day. She needed some time to herself. She knows that the news of Emica's arrest will be buzzing everywhere today. She saw the headlines in the media when she went on her phone after she woke up. Every form of news outlet seems to be reporting on what is happening—even including how Emica is trying to go for custody. Thankfully, no one knows about the surrogacy yet excluding Asami's family and the police force. She wonders if Kyoya knows about it considering it is his father's police force. "Asami." Maybe she needs to leave and go hide forever in a hole. She wants to avoid the stares and whispers she'll be sure to get today. Paparazzi reappeared on her lawn, trying to capture any photos they could of her. People chased her down into the car, demanding that she tells them how she feels about the entire situation. Luckily, Tamaki kept them at bay and made sure no one got too close to her. Is he going to have to do that every morning now? What's going to happen when she goes home later? "Asami," she startles out of her thoughts as a gentle hand is caressing on her cheek. She glances up to lock her eyes with Takashi. "Are you okay?" People seem to be asking her that question a lot nowadays and each time, she is unsure how to answer them. With others, she often feels like she shouldn't burden them with her problems and bottles her emotions up; however, as she stares into the gentle and caring eyes of Takashi, the boy who eludes a protective aura, she finds herself throwing herself in his arms as she cries. He wraps his arms around her, softly stroking her hair and rubbing her back while she sobs. "It's okay, you don't have to hold your emotions in with me," he whispers, "I'm here for you."

"Em–Emica," she tries to say something to explain why she is crying. "Arrested b–but she–she,"

"You don't have to talk right now," he shushes her, "I'm here to listen once you're ready to talk after you get all your emotions out." She appreciates his comforting aura and hides her face in his chest as she sobs harder. Takashi glares at any student that tries to get close in curiosity. Most of them immediately turn away once they spot him and his dangerous expression, but a few students were brave enough to still try to approach him. Luckily, Takashi has befriended the animals in the garden by taking care of them and the birds start to peck at everyone they notice he is glaring at. The birds ward off any other stragglers in the garden from the two. Asami feels safe in his arms, knowing that he is protecting her from being seen by others. She eventually calms down, sniffling a bit when she hears the bell ring for class.

"We're going to be late," she says and tries to move, but he continues to hold her in place. "Takashi?"

"School can wait." He muses. "Let's focus on you right now." He gently brings his hands up to wipe away her tears and his finger linger on her cheek before dropping back to their original position—her back. "How are you feeling?" She is surprised at how much he is speaking to her considering he tends to be more quiet.

"I don't know what I feel." She admits. "I'm happy she got arrested, but I'm also sad about it. I'm angry she's trying to go for custody, but I'm also glad because that shows she still cares about me. I know I should hate her and I do because of all the pain she's caused my family and me, but..." she pauses.

"But she still raised you." He comments. "She was there for you in your vulnerable moments growing up. She was your mother and you still see her as such in a way."

"I feel horrible about that." She whispers. "I'm sorry for crying so much too."

"Don't feel sorry, emotions are a natural part of being human. It's okay to feel confused about this situation." He reaches down and grabs her hands. "You want her to get justice for what she has done, but you don't want it to be too harsh because you still care for her. The bonds between certain people can be hard to break. Are you ready to break that bond with her?" She stares down at their hands, focusing on the warmth emitting from them.

"I want to try," she states, "she tried kidnapping me twice. She wants to go after Tamaki. She hurt everyone I care about." She looks back up and meets his gaze determinedly. "I need to break my bond with her to move on and be happy." He nods his head at her words. He allows her to gather herself.

"Do you feel ready to go to class?" He asks. "We can stay out here until you do. I'm sure your father will understand if you miss a few classes."

"I've been missing a lot of classes lately." She chuckles lifelessly. "I feel like every time I take a step forward in the right direction and am finally feeling happy and like everything is going my way, something happens and sets me twenty steps back."

"You just have to keep stepping forward." He softly states. "These obstacles are a testimony of your strength and will."

"You're very wise." She mumbles, a thankful gleam in her eyes. "Thank you."

"Anything for you." He says. Suddenly, a bird lands next to them. He leans down and holds out his hand. To Asami's surprise, the bird hops right into his hand. He brings it up and sets his hand on her lap. "This is Chiki." He informs her. "He is a Japanese White-Eye," she observes the small, greenish-yellow bird with a distinctive white eye ring. He chirps at her and she slowly reaches out, stroking his head. "He likes you."

"You have such a caring touch with animals, it's beautiful to see." She whispers with a smile tugging at her lips.

"Nature has always been a source of solace for me." He informs her. He lifts his hand up in the sky and Chiki hops a bit before flying away.

"Your care for animals reflects the kindness in your heart." She smiles at him.

"You have a kind heart too." He tells her. The two sit in silence, enjoying the nature surrounding them. Asami scoots closer to him and cautiously lays her head on his shoulder. "That's a Japanese Bush Warbler, it's known for its melodious songs." He points at a small, plain brown bird with a narrow dark line through its eyes and white feathers on its face. He continues to tell her about the numerous birds around them. She lifts her head a bit to watch him as he talks, appreciating how he took time out of his day to comfort her and is now distracting her. She knows he doesn't talk much and it warms her heart to see how talkative he currently is about animals and nature.

•••

Emica grins darkly, eyeing the policemen standing in the room with her. She glances to the side at her lawyer. Outside the room on the other side of the one-way glass stands Yoshiro and Yuzuru. "They will begin interrogating her soon," Yoshiro informs him. "She did not agree to any questions until she had a lawyer with her."

"Is my lover out there?" She asks and stares directly at the glass. "I'm back for you and our children, Yuzzy." She giggles madly. "I did a great job in raising Asami by myself. Imagine what we could do together."

"You need to come completely clean to the media about your relationship with her," Yoshiro gives him a hard look, "and to your children. I know you only told them how she was a friend, worked for you, and then became your surrogate."

"They don't need to know the full story." Yuzuru shakes his head. "Asami will never look at me the same again."

"This trial is going to be live. News outlets are going to be on this as soon as any information is said or leaked. You need to tell your family so they know what to expect especially when the trial starts and Emica," he points at the woman, "is on the stand."

"Yuzzy, do you miss me? I miss you," Emica sighs dreamily, "I miss your kisses and how you would me at night when Anne-Sophie was too sick to entertain you. She could never satisfy you as I did. She couldn't even carry your children, I had to do that for you." Her lawyer is hissing at her to shut up as the policemen in the room look shocked at the revelation of an affair. Yuzuru rubs his face tiredly. "Do you miss my moa–"

"Okay, that is enough. Please don't speak unless you're asked a question. Now, tell us how you met Yuzuru."

"Yuzzy and I went to the same school together. We became very close friends. He took my virginity." She giggles. "I worked for him as well. We did everything together."

"When did you meet Anne-Sophie?" A dark look crosses her face.

"That horrid woman ruined everything for me." She hisses. "Yuzuru met her on a business trip and fell in love. He introduced us and I had to pretend to like her for his sake. If I had shown any distaste for her, he would've thrown me to the side." She slams her hands on the table. "And then, Anne-Sophie got sick, too sick to carry children. She lost two babies and so they came to me, begging and pleading for me to carry their children for them." Yuzuru frowns because she offered to be a surrogate, "So I did what anyone would do for the person they loved, I carried Tamaki and Asami for him. Sometimes, when Anne-Sophie couldn't satisfy him because she was too ill to get out of bed, he would come to me, even before I became their surrogate," She whispers as if telling a dirty secret. "She had no idea that the man she loved was warming my bed. I wonder if seeing me pregnant is what turned him on more." Yuzuru closes his eyes, regretting his choices in life. "I birthed his children. We had an affair. I thought he'll leave her for good and come to me after I nearly died giving birth to Asami, but no," she scowls, "he told me that we had to stop what we were doing—that it was wrong. What's wrong with a man having relations with the mother of his children? I carried them for nine months, I birthed them and then, I was tossed aside like nothing. They cut me out of their lives. Finally, I realized that Anne-Sophie has no right to them." She shakes her head. "No right to my children. So I planned to take them with me back to my home country. I was too slow to grab Tamaki, but I grabbed my daughter. I raised her for years and she is so amazing and talented." A gentle smile comes to her face and the crazed look in her eyes vanishes. "She plays the piano beautifully though I always love it when she plays the harp. She makes everything sound so magical. She did well in school and had lots of friends. She enjoyed her life with me. I am her mother, the only mother she knows. You can't keep her from me. And if I had the time, I would've raised Tamaki as well. They both would've been in my care–as their rightful mother." She suddenly looks directly at where Yuzuru is standing. "Who knows, maybe Tamaki and Asami are biologically mine. We did have sex numerous times around the time the doctors implanted his sperm and her egg in me. He could've fertilized my eggs and her eggs could've failed. I want genetic testing to be done."

"Oh my god," Yuzuru breathes out and stumbles back in shock. "I never thought, I never considered that the implantation could've failed–but they look too much like Anne-Sophie. They look like her, she has to be wrong, right?" He turns to face Yoshiro, but he has a solemn look on his face.

"Can you 100% be sure that those kids are Anne-Sophie's? They may have blonde hair and blue eyes, but they could've gotten that from either side of the family." He informs Yuzuru. Yuzuru remembers his aunt who has blond hair and how Emica has many European relatives who have blond hair and blue eyes. "You need to tell your children the truth now because they're going to be very confused when I come and ask for spit samples to test their DNA against hers."

"You know," Emica continues to talk, "I also was having sex on the side with a few other men around the time I agreed to be a surrogate. I love Yuzzy, but sometimes, all of his attention was on her and a woman has needs. They may not even be his children."

"No," Yuzuru breathes out in shock and stares at the woman he once called a friend.

"We only ever took her fingerprints to confirm her identity." Yoshiro grimly states. "We never took her DNA. If these results don't give us what we want, this is bad—very bad."

Emica laughs manically, knowing the drama she just caused and she turns to the doorway, "Oh no, who let the journalist in?" Yoshiro and Yuzuru snap their heads to the doorway and their eyes widen in horror at the sight of a journalist recording the entire conversation. He bolts away as policemen quickly chase him down but it was already too late.

The recording was sent to multiple news stations across Japan.

•••

Asami laughs at the Arabian outfits everyone is wearing. Once again, Tamaki has Asami in a similar outfit as his. It is just a feminine version of it. She hums and heads over to the harp that she has set up for today's music. She cracks her neck and fingers before closing her eyes. She begins to play I See The Light from Tangled. Tangled is one of her favorite movies. She loved Rapunzel's spirit, her desire to explore, and her wish for freedom. Now, she can relate to the princess. The hosts get in position just as the door opens. "Welcome!"

"Huh? Ah!" A small child falls backward in shock. Asami stops playing, staring at the boy in confusion. Why is there a child at the school and why is he in the host club's room? This is so wrong in her opinion. She gets up and heads over to the child.

"What? A kid?" Hikaru asks.

"On top of that, a boy." Kaoru comments.

"What's the matter, are you lost? What brings you here to my palace?" Tamaki holds out a hand toward the child from his spot on the chair. Asami reaches him and bends down to help him up.

"Are you okay?" She asks in concern. The child glances between her and Tamaki.

"Y-You're the king here?" The child asks Tamaki before looking at Asami. "Are y-you the queen?" Asami laughs at that because she has never been addressed as a queen before.

"Come forward, little lost one." The child approaches the Host Club members with a nervous expression on his face. "What did you call me just now?" Tamaki asks. Asami sighs, standing next to the twins.

"He is going to let this get to his already enlarged ego." She mumbles. The twins nod their heads in agreement.

"King."

"Ohh, king! That's right. I'm this Host Club's king!" Everyone sweatdrops at Tamaki's dramatic actions.

"I'm from elementary school class 5-A, Takaouji Shirou! I am here to ask the Host Club King to take me on as an apprentice!" Shirou informs them, determinedly pointing at Tamaki. Everyone stares at the child in shock at his words.

"Is this legal?" Asami whispers to Kyoya. "Can we go to jail for this?"

"He is voluntarily being here and we aren't teaching him inappropriate things," he pushes his glasses up his nose, "I think we're fine." Asami sighs, not liking this and goes back to her harp as more guests arrive and Tamaki whisks the child underneath his wings.

"My, Tamaki-kun's apprentice?" A guest asks.

"Yes. While he's still an elementary student, his eyes tell me he's good material." Tamaki smiles.

"Will a little boy like him be able to carry out a host's job?"

"Age does not matter in romance. No, if you were to make love to me sincerely, my heart would beat so fast before you... that I'd revert into a young child any time." Tamaki caresses her cheek with a smile.

"Ahh, Tamaki-kun..." she blushes. Shirou sits right next to Tamaki, observing the interaction closely.

"Isn't it difficult if he lets him observe from that distance?" Haruhi asks.

"He's always been a strong advocate of the saying that people are perceived to be more beautiful the closer they are viewed. Anyway, just leave them be." Kyoya comments.

"Huh..." Haruhi still looks confused as she walks away toward Asami who is taking a small break from playing. "You sound amazing." She compliments.

"Thank you." Asami grins at her. "I've been playing instruments since I was young. I find peace while playing them."

"I can tell, I've never seen you look so relaxed before." Haruhi comments says with a soft smile. She reaches out and grabs Asami's hand. "I heard about...her arrest." She is careful to not say Emica's name because she is unsure how Asami would react to it. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

"You're too sweet." Asami laughs, giving Haruhi's hand a squeeze before releasing it. "Thank you." The two exchange a smile when their attention is caught by the child and Tamaki.

"O, naughty person who let me taste the forbidden fruit... You are like a mermaid princess who has brought me light unto a sea called solitude." Tamaki dramatically says, leaning in close to his guest's face.

"Me, a mermaid princess?" The guest asks with an giggle.

"Heck, you actually look more like the carp in my pond. I'm not going to give compliments that are this blatant." Shirou states.

"Carp..." the guest freezes and begins to cry.

"Ahh, it's just a kid saying this. You know, kids are frank." Tamaki informs her. Asami covers her mouth with her eyes wide and shakes her head at him. Haruhi sighs.

"Frank..." the guest repeats.

"Ahh, but that doesn't mean you are a carp. Even if you are a carp, you're a beautiful ca—" Tamaki tries to salvage the situation.

"So I am a carp..."

"N-No, that's not what I..."

"T-Tamaki-kun, you idiot!"' The guest rushes off with Tamaki reaching out for her.

"Wait, my mermaid princess!" He cries out.

"Quit crying, crybaby." The kid scoffs. Tamaki stares at the child in anger.

"Great that you have a cute baby brother now, my lord!" Hikaru says.

"Hikaru... Would you have preferred a brother like him?" Kaoru shyly asks with an upset gleam in his eyes.

"You idiot... Even if I searched all over the world, there wouldn't be a better brother than you, Kaoru." Hikaru grabs Kaoru, pulling hun in close and caressing his cheek.

"Ah, Hikaru..." Kaoru blushes. The guests swoon and squeal over the forbidden love.

"Ah... Homos! And they're twins... So this is the so-called kumquat yokan!" Shirou yells.

"You mean incest." Tamaki corrects him. Mitsukuni tackles Shirou in a hug.

"Shirou-chan! Want to eat cake together?" He asks in excitement. "So I got a chocolate one and a strawberry one..."

"Get off!" Shirou pushes him away with a sharp glare. "What grade are you in? Why are you wearing a high school student's uniform?!"

"What's wrong, Mitsukuni?" Takashi appears, standing next to the upset Mitsukuni.

"Ahh! Not fair! You got this old of a buddy!" Shirou backs away from those two but bumps into Haruhi.

"What's the matter?" Haruhi asks. "Ahh, you're surprised because of all the weirdos here? I also had a hard time understanding the atmosphere here and was quite confused at first." She notices the calculating look he gives her. "Hmm?" She stares back at him.

"Are you a crossdresser?" He finally asks.

"What?" Tamaki and the twins freeze before launching into action. Tamaki runs over to Shirou and covers his eyes with his hand.

"Ahh, we'll take care of things here, so could you bring tea around?" Tamaki asks.

"Haruhi's really manly!" Hikaru yells.

"Okay, manly Haruhi, let Shirou take care of the tea set. This is part of his training." Kaoru says. The three of them laugh nervously. Shirou moves Tamaki's hand covering his eyes.

"Who knew a child is smarter than our guests?" Asami muses quietly to Kyoya.

"Well, it's heavy, so be careful, okay?" Haruhi hands the tea set off to Shirou, but he drops it immediately.

"This isn't my fault, okay? It's your fault for making me do this!" He immediately defends himself angrily.

"Haruhi, you're down another 100,000 yen." Kyoya comments. Asami gapes and grabs his notebook, hitting him in the head with it.

"This wasn't her fault, blame those three!" Asami points at the twins and Tamaki.

"What?!" Haruhi shouts.

"Hey, let the crossdresser do the trivial chores! Instead, hurry up and teach me how to please women already!" Shirou demands.

"I don't think I want to get married and have kids in the future if they have a chance of turning out like him." Asami muses, unaware of the arrows striking a few people's hearts at her words.

"What's with your attitude? On top of that, I can't forgive you for talking so rudely to Haruhi." Tamaki crosses his arms in annoyance. "Quarantine this scoundrel!"

"Yes, sir!" A metal cage falls down over Shirou.

"What the hell is this?! What did a steel cage drop on me?!" Shirou shouts, banging on the cage's bars.

"Yeah, really, why? This is the music room, right?" Haruhi asks.

"I mean, this room is weird. Remember how Renge has a platform she randomly appears on?" Asami shudders at the thought of the girl.

"Damn it! Let me out, let me out! Is this something you do to your cute little apprentice?!" The child is clearly very angry and upset at them.

"Stay in there until you're calmer. I made you my apprentice since you really wanted to be a host, but I guess I was wrong about you." Tamaki shakes his head.

"I'm serious... Really totally serious! I want to be a host, too!" Shirou falls to his knees. "I don't have much time left. Teach me..." Haruhi and Asami pick up on his words, sending each other a confused look. "You like girls... You like to see girls happy... That's why you're a host, right? I beg you, please teach me! You're a genius at this, right, King?!"

"Well, you may be impertinent, but your desire to become a host seems to be sincere. Plus, you somewhat resemble me." Tamaki grins.

"Poor boy..." Haruhi mumbles and Asami snorts.

"Then you'll make me a host that can please girls?"

"Someone who cannot please ladies cannot be called a host. Very well. If you're willing to go that far, then think about how to make good use of your qualities." Tamaki muses.

"Qualities?" Shirou asks.

"Our Ouran Host Club makes use of our individual features and answers our customers' needs as our basic strategy. Starting with the prince type, Tamaki, we have the wild type," Takashi merely stands there, "the loli-shota type," Mitsukuni cutely poses, "the little devil type," the twin grin, "and the cool type," Kyoya smirks, "among the many variations we pride ourselves on. Then, the honor student and natural rookie, Haruhi, joined us."

"I'm the natural type?" Haruhi asks.

"I feel like I've told you that before," Asami says in confusion, "you're very natural when it comes to interacting with people." Haruhi stares at her in equal confusion, remembering their tender moments but not if Asami ever mentioned she was a natural type of host. Asami pouts, thinking that Haruhi does not cherish their moments together like she does.

"So our formation is now pretty much perfect. I wonder if we will find more types." Kyoya informs the child.

"What's her type?" Shirou points at Asami. Asami blinks in surprise.

"Asami is not a host so she does not have an assigned type." Kyoya states.

"Age-wise, it'd be the shota type..." Hikaru muses, tapping his chin while observing the child.

"...but then he'll overlap with Honey-senpai." Kaoru states.

"Wahhh... Am I a nuisance already?" Mitsukuni cries out. "Ami-Chan, don't let them replace me!" He launches at her and she catches him. She pats his back while sending glares at the twins.

"Not good enough! Not good enough, I say!" Renge appears on her platform.

"See!" Asami gestures to the platform. 

"Like I said, this place is a music room, right?" Haruhi states, agreeing with Asami how weird this room is.

"I didn't know you Host Club members were this poor at analyzing characters. I'm quite disappointed." Renge tsks.

"Well then, Renge-kun, how would you bring out his qualities? Honey-senpai already owns the shota-type department." Tamaki comments.

"And he won't be getting replaced," Asami adds on.

"And that's where you're not good enough! Listen to me! While it's true that we call girls who experience unexplainable throbbing at the sight of younger boys and babyfaces "shotacon" lovers, this kind of categorization is rather sloppy, and different preferences require even more delicate categorizing. Yes, while Haninozuka-senpai is of the more royal road, the "loli-shota" type, in that boy's case, the direction he should aim for has to be that of the naughty type!" Renge dramatically points at the kid.

"Naughty type..." Shirou repeats. The metal cage is lifted from over Shirou. Renge blows a whistle and coaches Shirou.

"The basics to being a naughty type... is that you must always wear half-trousers." Renge looks over Shirou's appearance. "Okay. You must show your naughtiness with injuries on your knees and cheeks." Hikaru and Kaoru draw fake scratches on Shirou's face and cover him in bandages. "Run in a naughty way! Run recklessly!" Shirou runs recklessly. "And make a spectacular fall there!" Shirou trips over a rope. "Are you okay, little boy? Okay, and promptly say your line!"

"No, it's nothing." The kid says, wiping the pretend dirt off his body.

"Ah... Perfect! It's perfect!" Renge squeals.

"This feels so wrong," Asami scrunches her nose, "how can high school girls genuinely enjoy the company of an elementary boy? That seems kinda...pe—"

"How wonderful. Your instructions are flawless, Renge-kun." Tamaki cuts her off to compliment the French girl.

"Forget it already!" Shirou suddenly shouts. "There's no way she'd be happy with this!"

"She?" Haruhi and Asami repeat. Shirou runs off.

"Ahh, wait, Shirou! You still have more application techniques to learn now...!" Tamaki shouts as Shirou leaves the room.

"Young ones are not good enough yet, I guess. After all my coaching, he doesn't want to go on." Renge leaves on her platform.

"We even gave him a lesson and he didn't like it. What a selfish kid." Tamaki scoffs.

"That's not it," Asami shakes her head while leaving Mitsukuni to stand by Haruhi.

"People normally wouldn't like something like that. By the way, did you notice?" Haruhi asks.

"He said he doesn't have much time left for you to teach him," Asami muses.

"And he also mentioned "she"." Haruhi adds on.

"I think he was looking to impress one specific girl, not all the girls." Asami informs them. Lightbulbs went off over Tamaki's and the twins' heads.

•••

Asami and Tamaki enter their home, discussing their plan for going into the elementary school to get Shirou alone to talk to him. They pause, seeing their father sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands and Yoshiro is next to him with a doctor. Yuzuru lifts his head and stares sadly at his children. Shizue is going to murder him if either one of his children come back with a different mother—and she'll kill them all if it turns out that they're not his children at all, but he knows deep in his heart that these are his children. He's merely unsure who their mother truly is. "What's going on?" Asami asks cautiously, scooting a bit closer to Tamaki. Tamaki wrap an arm around her to comfort her. The last time something like this happened, Emica was in the mansion wanting to speak with them.

"I'm sorry," Yuzuru starts, "I haven't been completely truthful with you two." The two immediately know what he is speaking about.

"You promised that you told us everything when I confronted you," Asami's voice cracks.

"I know, I was worried that if I told you about something that occurred between Emica and me, that you would never look at me the same." Yuzuru tries to explain. Asami's eyes widen in horror, putting the dots together because why else would she look at him differently?

"You slept with her." She states more than ask. Tamaki startles at that, staring at his father with a confused and disappointed gleam in his eyes. Yuzuru tries to not wince at the expression on his children's faces.

"Yes, I did." He sighs. "Emica and I were having an affair while I was with Anne-Sophie." Tamaki chokes on his air and stumbles a bit, but Asami quickly steadies him.

"Why?" She asks, tightening her grip on Tamaki because she knows this must be hitting him harder than her. He's known their father longer and he grew up with Anne-Sophie. It is probably hurting his heart knowing his father was not loyal to her.

"I..." he sighs, "I was selfish. Your mother," Yoshiro clears his throat. Asami and Tamaki stare at him, unsure why he would do that. Yuzuru winces even more. "Anne-Sophie was too sick sometimes so I found comfort in Emica. Our relations stopped after your birth, Asami, but we did start the affair before Tamaki was born." He stands up and approaches the two, but they take a step back from him. He stops and stares sadly at them. "You two could potentially be Emica's biological children."

"What?!" They shriek.

"There is a possibility that the surrogacy implantation failed and because they were having relations..." Yoshiro steps in, "there's a possibility you two could have different parents. I have a doctor here, Dr. Light, to take spit samples from you to compare to Emica's and Yuzuru's."

"Why are you comparing our DNA to his?" Asami asks.

"Emica admitted to having relations with other men at the same time as the affair was occurring. If the implantation failed, there's a possibility that any of these men could be your father." Yoshiro gently explains. Tamaki and Asami stare in horror at them. The family they thought they had and belonged in could be breaking apart. Asami allows a few tears to escape her eyes before she sniffs, reaching up to wipe them off.

"Let's get this over with," she stalks toward the doctor and takes the vial from him. Tamaki quietly follows her. The two spit into the vials up to the required line and hand it back to the doctor. Tamaki ignores everyone and heads up to his room to process everything while Asami pauses on the last step to turn around and stare at Yuzuru.

"Maybe your mother is right about you being a disgrace to the Souh name." She comments and spins on her heel, heading to her room. Yuzuru stares after their figures with a forlorn expression.

"They're going to hate me for the rest of my life, aren't they?" He asks.

"They're children, they're angry and confused right now." Yoshiro gently pats his back. "They'll come around. We'll let you know as soon as we get the DNA results back. We're still trying to handle the news outlets who got sent the recording, but you may want to tell them about that as well in case it does get posted." Yuzuru nods his head, slowly heading to the main mansion with a million thoughts running through his head.

Asami finds Tamaki entering her room late at night. The two hold each other, crying as they talk about what happened and how they felt about it. Now that they're now they may have different parents, they are analyzing each other's features against each possible known parent. They find various differences between them and Anne-Sophie and similarities between them and Emica, causing them to worry. They promise to not tell anyone else about their problems until the results comes back.

•••

Asami and Haruhi are dressed as a middle schooler while Honey is dressed as a high schooler. They enter the elementary school together.

"Why did it end up like this?" Haruhi sighs.

"We have successfully infiltrated the building. This way, they'll see me as an elementary student, so it'll be fine, right, Haru-chan, Ami-chan?" Mitsukuni smiles at them.

"Indeed, I do understand the logic of dressing up like an elementary student to infiltrate the elementary school building, and it fits very well for you, Honey-senpai, but why do I have to dress up like a middle school student?" Haruhi turns to raise an eyebrow at Asami who is acting like they're in a spy movie. She sticks to the walls and does a somersault to hide behind objects when the wall disappears. "At least she's enjoying herself." Asami hums the Mission Impossible theme song in her head. "Is there some meaning to us changing into these conspicuous disguises?" The rest of the Host Club watches the trio from a darkened room.

"Of course there is. There is tremendous meaning to it." Tamaki smiles with a blush on his face.

"Haru-chan, Ami-Chan, that way!"' Mitsukuni grabs their hands and begin to lead them.

"Damn, she's cute!" The twins swoon, both focusing on a different girl.

"Ahh, her mini skirt look... She's like a little doll." Tamaki stares creepily at Haruhi. "And my darling sister looks adorable!"

"In other words, you just wanted to see them dressed like that." Kyoya comments, his eyes observing Asami. Haruhi, Asami and Mitsukuni go to Shirou's classroom.

"This is Shirou-chan's classroom. I was also in this classroom when I was in elementary school." Mitsukuni informs them. Asami sneakily slides into the room, crawling towards the teachers desk. She peaks her head out from over the top and surveys the area. Takashi, watching with the rest of the host club, finds a small smile crossing his lip at her goofiness. It's rare for them to see such her goofy and happy side.

"Ahh...No one's here, huh?" Haruhi observes.

"What, no one's here?" The rest of the Host Club enters the classroom.

"How nostalgic." Hikaru comments, looking around.

"I wonder if my doodles are still on the desks." Kaoru muses and begins to look at the desks.

"Our school desks are replaced with new ones every year."' Kyoya informs them.

"Guys, you're ruining my immersion." Asami pouts as she stands fully up and places her hands on the table.

"Let's head to the cafeteria later." Hikaru states.

"And the gym, too!" Kaoru adds on.

"Oh, good idea, good idea!" Tamaki agrees.

"If you all are here, then what's the point of having us wear disguises and coming in here?" Haruhi asks.

"It's okay." Hikaru says.

"Not like anyone's here." Kaoru states. A teacher walks through the halls.

"Hide!" Asami grabs Takashi, who is standing the closest to her, and they duck underneath the teachers desk together. The other Host Club members hide behind some desks. Asami blushes when she realizes how close Takashi is to her and even more when she notices how their bodies are pressed up against each others. Takashi is trying very hard to not lock eyes with her, a light blush decorating his cheeks as well.

"If the teacher finds us..." Kaoru whispers.

"...coming up with an excuse would be troublesome." Hikaru mumbles.

"Shh! Quiet! Make a zipper for your mouth. Mm!" Haruhi zips her lips. Haruhi looks into the hall. The teacher has passed the classroom. "Ahh... Looks like he's gone. But even if we've infiltrated the building, how are we supposed to find Shirou-kun?" The club moves out from their hiding spots. The twins curiously eye the flustered forms of Takashi and Asami,

"There's something interesting over here." Kyoya says and points at a framed photo of Shirou playing the piano with a little girl.

"It's Shirou-kun!" Haruhi realizes.

"He's a musician." Asami smiles, maybe she can bond with the little kid over music.

"The classical music club, huh?" Kyoya muses.

"He seems pretty happy." Haruhi comments. "This is the expression Shirou-kun smiles with, huh?" They head to the classical music club room to find Shirou.

"There he is. It's Shirou-chan!" Mitsukuni points out the child.

"Takaouji-kun." The young girl from the photo approaches him. "Have you practiced the new piano part?"

"No, not much..." he nervously says.

"Then I'll teach you, so let's play together." She grins at him.

"Aw, she wants to play with him. Classic musician flirtations." Asami whispers.

"It's okay, I don't...There's only one grand piano, so you use it, Kamishiro." Shirou comments.

"Oh, he's an idiot." Asami whispers in pity. Haruhi gives her a look that clearly says what she's thinking, 'you're an idiot as well.'

"Ah... Okay! I understand. Then tell me when you feel like playing." She sits at the piano and starts playing. A young girl comes out of the club room.

"Excuse me, fair lady." Tamaki holds out a white rose for the girl. "I wasn't able to find a rose more beautiful than you, but please accept this." Asami scrunches her nose, not liking her brother complimenting a small child. The girl accepts the rose. "By the way, I was wondering whether you could tell me about the girl playing the piano over there."

"Kamishiro Hina-chan?" The girl asks.

"Hina-chan, huh?" Tamaki repeats the name.

"No, it won't do you good if you fall in love with Hina-chan." The girl says. "You know, Hina-chan is going to move soon. Hina-chan will be going to Germany all of next week because of her dad's job."

"Aw, it's makes so much more sense now, he wanted to woo her before she left." Asami smiles. Shirou comes out of the club room.

"What are you doing?! What are you doing here?!" Shirou shouts. Tamaki picks Shirou up and hoists him over his shoulder. "Wha... Wha... Hey! What are you doing?!" Tamaki walks away with Shirou and the rest of the Host Club following. "Put me down! Put me down already!!"

"Stop struggling." Tamaki demands.

"Let me go! Ngh!"

"Everyone, retreat."

"Put me down!!"

•••

In the Host Club room, Tamaki tosses Shirou onto a sofa. "Ngh... What's the meaning of this, you stupid king?!"

"You're the stupid one!" Tamaki yells. "You wanted me to teach you how to make girls happy? Don't make me laugh! You think we'll be able to answer you no matter how much you ask us? What you want to please isn't many unspecified girls, but only Kamishiro Hina... her and only her, right?! You're the only one that can find out how to make her happy. Listen, our job as hosts is to make girls happy. But for a girl that you personally love, you cannot approach her as a host. You can only approach her as a man! What you should aim for isn't a fully-initiated host but a fully-initiated man, right?" Asami blinks in surprise at the monologue.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I don't have time left..." the child sulks. "I just wanted to watch her play the piano as much as I could... so..."

"The practice piece just now... That's Mozart's sonata for a duet performance, right?" Tamaki pulls a curtain aside, revealing a grand piano.

"Was there a grand piano in this room before?" Haruhi asks.

"I did play on it before, did you not pay attention?" Asami asks.

"This is a music room, after all." The hosts say similar things to this statement causing Haruhi to deadpan. Tamaki reaches his hand hand out to Asami who takes it and they walk toward the piano together. Together, the siblings play the piano piece. Everyone watches in amazement at how beautiful the piece sounds.

"For all mornings, lunch breaks, and afterschool times all next week, you'll be having concentrated piano lessons. You better be prepared." Tamaki informs the kid. "You came to be my apprentice, right? Plus, it appeared to me as though that girl wanted to play with you." Asami grins at him.

"Let us help you." She comments. Shirou watches the stars and flowers that swirl around the two who seem oblivious to how they look to him right now. These two are his saviors.

•••

Asami and Tamaki head back home to once again be greeted by their father, Yoshiro and the doctor. Asami sucks in a breath and she reaches down to grab Tamaki's hand. He squeezes her hand in comfort. The siblings haven't spoken to Yuzuru for the last few days, unsure on how to proceed with him when they're not entirely sure if he is even their father. The doctor walks toward them with four envelopes in hand. "Your results have come back. These ones contain the results on your relation to Yuzuru, and these ones contain the results on your relation to Emica." He hands them the envelopes. "You may open them when you feel ready to do so." The doctor bows and heads out of the mansion. Asami feels the dread drowning her as she stares at the envelopes in her hands. These results can completely change her world once more.

"You don't have to open them right now," Yoshiro gently says to them, "you can take as much time as you need; however, I will need those results as soon as you do open them. They will be used in court." He pats Yuzuru's shoulder before leaving as well. Yuzuru stands there, staring at his children.

"I don't want to pressure you into opening them," he softly whispers, "but can you please open the father's results first? I just...need to know." Asami glances at Tamaki, who also seems to be going through an internal struggle. They nod and begin to slowly open their one envelopes. They exchange a look, reading each others faces. They smile, turning to Yuzuru. The smile is all he needs and he happily laughs in relief, pulling them into a tight hug. He places kisses on their heads. "I'm so proud to be your fathers." He sighs, laying his cheek against their heads. "No matter who your mothers are, I will still love you and you will forever have a home here." He releases them and assures them. "And I will fight her tooth and nail for custody."

"I think I need another day before I open this one," Asami mumbles, "I don't think I'm ready to find out yet."

"I'll wait as well." Tamaki agrees. "We'll open them together another day when we're both ready."

•••

Hina arrives at the Host Club room with an invitation. Hina opens the door. The Host Club greets her.

"Welcome, princess." They greet her. Asami walks toward her and holds out a hand, escorting her to the piano where Shirou sits. "Today's main event is... Takaouji Shirou's piano piece."Tamaki gestures to Shirou.

"Princess, please have a seat." Tamaki says as Asami lets go of Hina's hand and gestures to the empty seat next to the child.

"Let's play together." Shirou grins. Shirou and Hina play the duet together, happy smiles on their faces.

"Aw, young love, how adorable." Asami gushes.

"I thought you didn't like children." Kyoya comments, remembering her dislike toward Shirou earlier in the week.

"I don't like children with attitudes, but if I had a kid as sweet as him, I'll be happy." Asami says with a clap of her hands.

"We did something nice." Tamaki smiles.

"A single-minded love, huh? Does that part of Shirou-kun resemble you?" Haruhi asks.

"Yeah, absolutely." Tamaki agrees. Asami smiles, glancing between the two because she knows her brother is single-minded in love with Haruhi even if the two don't realize it themselves yet.

•••

Shirou is surrounded by girls as they fawn over him in the host club. "So, you've been exchanging texts with Hina-chan in Germany every day?" Haruhi asks.

"Pretty much. But she gets unexpectedly jealous very easily. So keep the fact that I'm getting friendly with all these older girls a secret." Shirou naughtily grins at the girls.

"Aww, so cute! He said we're nice older girls! I want to make him my younger brother! You naughty kid! I want to kiss him already." The girls all say various things simultaneously. Two girls kiss Shirou on the cheeks.

"Ew," Asami says, "I felt like that has impure intentions."

"I think you automatically assume the worst out of people," Kyoya comments. She shrugs at that observation.

"Gahh... Wh-Why?! Even my customers!" Tamaki watches in disbelief as his customers are stolen.

"Heh! It's so easy to be popular with the girls! Your customers got taken away so easily... Are you really the host king?" Hikaru and Kaoru hold Tamaki back as Shirou smirks.

"I thought he finally pulled a cool act..." Hikaru says.

"...but I guess he was bound to end up like this!" Kaoru finishes.

"Yep, he resembles Tamaki-senpai all right." Haruhi nods her head. "I'm sure that's how senpai was when he was a kid."

"No, that's definitely not how it was, Haruhi! I... I was just a little precocious and innocent boy!" Tamaki cries, reaching out for Haruhi.

•••

Asami releases a low sigh, eyeing the envelop laying on her bed when a knock sounds. She glances up to see Tamaki peeking his head in. "Can I come in?" She nods her head and he wonders in with his envelope in hand. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yeah, I need to know." She breathes out. "We need to know the truth. Are you ready?"

"I don't think I'll ever be ready." He admits, sitting next to her.

They hold each others one hand as their other hand steadily open the envelope. They take the papers out, breath in deeply and exhale slowly. In less than second, their entire world could be crumbling around both of them or one of them.