"Kyoya-sempai, can I have a word please?"

The man in question did not hesitate from his rhythmic typing, his eyes not moving from the screen. He seemed, for all intents and purposes, to have no interest in having a conversation. However, when it came to the Shadow King, appearances could be deceiving. His glasses flashed in the light, hiding his eyes as he inclined his head slightly in acquiescence. If she hadn't been paying close attention, Haruhi wouldn't have noticed.

"Go ahead."

"It's about my debt," she continued on, moving closer to Kyoya and lowering her tone to ensure none of the rest of the club could overhear. There were no girls to entertain, all having left for the day, and the boys were busy amusing themselves before they went home as well.

Glancing around, Haruhi could see the twins playing tricks on an enraged Tamaki. Honey was eating cake while Mori sat patiently sipping a cup of tea beside him as they both watched the Hitachiin's antics. None of them were paying Haruhi and Kyoya any attention, but it would only be a matter of time.

Kyoya stopped typing at her words. He suspected that this conversation was imminent, and he hadn't been looking forward to it, for reasons that he couldn't explain, even to himself. He closed the lid of his laptop and turned a steady gaze on her, no emotion showing on his face. He suspected she wasn't fooled, however.

"Yes?" he encouraged, adjusting his glasses on his nose and wishing this could be put off, for just a little longer.

"You know, and I know, that by the end of this week, my debt will be paid off," she started again.

Kyoya made a non-committal sound in the back of his throat, taking his own look around the room at his club brothers. And they really were like a family. Tamaki liked to call himself 'daddy', and while that portrayal may be a little off, since the beautiful blonde boy was often the most immature of all of them, Kyoya's own title of 'mother' was somewhat more accurate, and he cared deeply for the whole group. Not that he would ever tell them that. As far as they all knew, he was only there for what he could gain.

If Haruhi's debt was cleared, there would be no more need for her to remain in music room number three. She would have no more need to maintain their friendship, as she herself, as a commoner, felt she didn't need the benefits wealthy and prestigious friends would afford her. The twins would still see her, they were in her class after all, but the loss would be keenly felt by the whole group. Kyoya included. He would never admit to it though.

He had already started to devise possible ways to keep her within the club, and he wasn't above sacrificing some priceless objects to her clumsiness if that was what it took.

"Increase the debt," she stated, her voice quiet but filled with conviction.

Her demand was met with silence. There was little in life that surprised Otori Kyoya. He had made a career of knowing everything there was to know about everyone. Haruhi was never quite so predictable though. He blinked once at her where she stood next to him, the only visible reaction to her statement.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, and she smiled slightly. He sounded genuinely confused and Haruhi had never heard the emotion colour his voice before. It felt nice to get one over on the 'cool' Otori.

"Look. I don't want to leave the Host Club. I... I'm happy here."

"So why not just stay? Why the secrecy? The others will be thrilled to know you want to be here, and not just because you need to pay off your debt."

Haruhi wrinkled her nose slightly before a genuine, albeit small, smile graced her lips.

"I have my reasons, and I suspect you already know why," she stated, making to head back to collect her bag before going home for the day. "Let's just keep this between us, okay?" and she turned her head back to look at him, tilting it slightly and smiling brightly. Kyoya felt his heart stutter in his chest.

Pushing his glasses up his nose, allowing them to catch the light again, Kyoya answered her smile with a small, almost imperceptible curve of his own lips.

As she walked away, Kyoya contemplated the woman. He suspected he did understand her reasons for wanting their conversation kept secret. How she would not want the others to know how much she had come to care. He watched as the twins slunk up beside her, each throwing an arm across her shoulders. He saw how Usa-chan was thrust into her arms by Honey before Mori picked her up and removed her from the little devils' clutches. In his periphery, Kyoya noted how Tamaki was crouched into a foetal position, sulking in the corner of the room. The group really needed no further encouragement when it came to the disguised female.

Why then, had she divulged her secret to him? Was it because he was the only one who could help? There were other ways she could achieve her goal, plenty of ways to increase the debt without asking. She had done it accidentally often enough in the past. Was she then, perhaps, trying to express her feelings to him?

"An interesting thought, in its own way," he murmured to himself. Haruhi was already too far away to hear.