Challenge-"Loss"

Title: Loyalties
Rating: G
Genre: General
Characters: Satoshi and Mori, with mentions of Yasuchika and Hani.
Warnings: None really, unless the sibling relationships are spoiler...
Notes: Takes place in the days after Hani's asked to join the Host Club.
Word Count: 935


Loyalties

Morinozuka Satoshi had always admired his big brother. To him, Takashi was the epitome of what a Morinozuka man should be. He was loyal, honorable, passionate, strong and frankly, perfect in every way. No questions about it in his mind. He’d die a thousand times over to protect his brother’s name if it were ever tarnished. That sacrifice he’d make in a heartbeat—both for his brother and his best friend, Haninozuka Yasuchika.

That is, if he didn’t beat Yasuchika to death while smacking some much needed sense and manners into him. He knew the rivalry between him and Mitsukuni was normal as fighters in the same school went, and couldn’t help noticing how much worse it became once the elder Haninozuka quit the Karate Club and joined the Host Club. On some level, he had a bit of a competition with Takashi—even if that was more from his side to become every bit the gentleman his brother was.

Mitsukuni’s actions, admittedly, made him a bit weary, to say the very least. Would Takashi do the same? Quit the Kendo Club? What kind of club was this strange host club anyway?

The biggest and most agonizing question on his mind though was:

“Will I be able to fill Takashi’s shoes so soon?”

It was enough that Takashi was moving into his third and final year at the high school, and he himself was moving into the last year at the junior high and would take over the high school division of the Kendo Club, but there was a whole year potentially in limbo. It’d be the first time that a Morinozuka wasn’t involved in a martial arts club while being enrolled at Ouran since the school’s foundation. The thought of someone else running it boggled his mind. For years, it was always Takashi running the kendo clubs and once he left, Satoshi would take over.

Obtaining control of the club from someone else who wasn’t his brother didn’t feel right. Not at all.

A couple days after Yasuchika’s rather angry announcement about his brother’s leaving, Satoshi finally got up the courage to talk to his brother. The suspense had become too much for him, especially since Takashi didn’t make any mention of anything regarding kendo or this host club he’d started to hear more and more about in the gossip between the girls in his class. Usually he had no problems striking up a conversation with him. Greet him, ask how his day has been, and commence speaking—that’s pretty much how he always did it. But that morning during breakfast and before they set off in their separate limos, nothing. During lunch, he’d even run over to the high school’s cafeteria to see if Takashi’d be there—and he was, with Mitsukuni—but he couldn’t bring himself to go in there. The words just wouldn’t come and his feet wouldn’t move in the direction they needed to go in.

By the time Kendo club arrived, he was determined to do it. He had to. There was no way he could face himself if he didn’t. He had to know. Yasuchika probably would be mad at him for being late, but that he could deal with.

So the second they were bowed out and were free from their protective gear—of all the days to have sparring matches, he cursed silently—he ran across to the high school’s portion of the practice area. He had half a mind to yell for his brother, but knew it wouldn’t be something his brother would do unless he was truly in danger. There was no need for him to either, he found upon opening up the door to the dojo. Practice had already ended. Mumbling a few choice words, he left and ran around the building to the outside practice area, chancing that Takashi was training a bit with his katana rather than the bokken and shinai used during club time.

And there he was, felling one of the targets.

And again, there was his hesitation.

This time he couldn’t run away though. Takashi had looked up after wiping sweat from his brow and saw him.

“Uh, hi brother!” Satoshi said in greeting, throwing on a grin. His brother really did make him smile when it came right down to it. Carefully he trotted down the hill, dodging other targets yet to meet his brother’s sword, and stopped right in front of him. It was there that the smile faltered and he looked away.

“I…wanted to ask you something really important, but I’m not sure how to phrase it, but I really have to know! So, um…I’m just going to ask it straight out, if that’s okay…”

Takashi made no reply. No backing out now.

“Are you going to join the Host Club and leave the Ken—?” But he didn’t get to finish his question. Takashi’s hand upon his head, that simple gesture and sign of affection he’d always used, told him everything he needed to know.

And his brother’s smile confirmed that everything would be all right.

Of course, his worrying had been pretty silly. Takashi knew what he was doing, and he would never leave Mitsukuni’s side, but neither would he the Kendo Club’s.

Really, that Yasuchika… He made a mental note to give him a stern talking to about doubting his brother’s thought processes once he arrived for Karate Club.

With his smile broader than before, he said good-bye to his brother and sprinted off to the karate dojo in hopes he’d have time to give the younger Haninozuka that much needed lesson.