Now that I notice it, you're always there next to me,
but do I actually hate you? Love you?
Or am I delusional?
When I take a look at my feelings clearly,
whether I'm a lady or a host,
it doesn't matter to me.
People fall in love for all sorts of different reasons, but...
I want to see you now,
to give your tender self cherry-blossom kisses,
and if your heart beats faster, let's let our love bloom.
Right now is more vital than the future.
The springtime of love's beauty
is the aesthetic of a damsel in bloom.
Okay then,
which one of us is Hikaru, and which one is Kaoru? Can you tell?
You're Hikaru-kun.
We were always two, yet one.
The two of us were a single, unique being.
This was very important.
"Eight years later..."
"Hikaru and Kaoru's 2nd year of middle school"
But we were separate beings. The one that wasn't me was Hikaru,
and the one that wasn't Hikaru was me.
For us, this was something that was...
She's here.
Yeah, you're right.
Sorry, I must have kept you waiting.
--I read your letter. --Hikaru-kun...
No, I'm sorry, but I am Kaoru.
You must have mistaken my desk for Hikaru's
when you put the letter in it.
Even so, would you mind if it was me?
The truth is, I've always thought that you were cute.
And Hikaru seems to have another girl that he likes.
Well, would you mind?
Um, I...
if I'm okay for you, Kaoru-kun...
Hey, Kaoru!
She says that she'd be fine with you.
You're really Hikaru-kun?
That was no fun. I'm getting tired of this same old pattern.
How mean of you! How mean of you!
You're the one who's mean, aren't you?
You're okay with either one of us? Who do you think you are?
Another thing, that hairstyle doesn't look good on you.
If you want us to go out with you, brush up on your fashion sense.
Next time, make your love confession more interesting.
That was a mean thing to do, huh?
Are you all right, my cute young lady?
Kaoru, want to play a game?
"5th period, study hall"
I found an interesting site.
What about that net game from before?
I'm tired of it already. They're all a bunch of weaklings.
It's no fun, is it?
Yeah, you're right. Never mind.
Whenever anything was no fun, we'd get rid of it immediately.
That was our motto.
Those Hitachiin twins are horrible, huh?
They're always looking down on everyone.
But my dad told me to get along with them.
Yeah, mine too.
Mine, too.
I'm sure they've never liked anyone besides themselves.
That wasn't true. Up until then, there was just one person--
a lady maid, whom we were very fond of.
"10 years earlier"
That was quite a while ago, though.
"Hitachiin Manor, courtyard"
Oh, my, how cute you look today!
Just like little dolls.
The one with blue hair is Hikaru-kun, and pink, Kaoru-kun, right?
Wrong, auntie. The blue one is Kaoru, and the pink one is Hikaru.
You always get it wrong. You must be dumb.
I'm sorry. You two really do look exactly alike.
Auntie, you look exactly like a frog. See?
Hey!
Oh, you boys!
Madam, I'm sorry.
We liked that maid.
She was a little different from the sycophants
and the ingratiating types that we'd had up until then.
What are you doing?!
Night exploring.
Since you've found me, I've got no choice.
You two are going to keep this quiet.
If we push this button,
the security guards will come running. Let's try it.
3... 2...
Whoa, stop!
This is the combination to that safe.
If you'll play with us...
...we'd be willing to give you this paper.
W-What do you want to play?
The "Which one is Hikaru-kun?" game!
Hikaru, are you sure you have the paper with the combination?
It's okay.
I hid it in the coin bank. She can't get it out without breaking it.
I'm sure that we wanted that lady to be able to tell us apart.
We liked that lady, after all.
You broke your promise.
I had no choice, did I? I can't tell you two apart.
It's just possible that no one will ever turn up in your whole lives
that can really tell you two apart.
The lady maid, the one and only one we ever liked,
said that to us, and then disappeared into the darkness of night.
We became progressively more twisted as we grew up.
And so, we kept putting up a barrier,
to keep others from getting too close. But even so,
somebody too dense to notice the barrier
would come along, every once in a while.
You two don't seem to be too occupied.
If you've got the time, what do you say? Let's form a club together!
Who is this guy?
Ah, I know. All the girls in class are clamoring about him.
You know, that guy Suou, who was admitted last spring.
Ah, so this is the guy, huh?
Really? Really? I'm that famous?
I feel so... guilty.
My brilliance, both within and without,
has reached all the way to everyone's eyes, has it?
"Tamaki Suou (middle school 3rd-year)"
Ah, i-is this what it is to have the fortune of a man,
possessed by God?
"Tamaki Suou, middle school 3rd-year (mid-fantasy)"
Nobody ever said that.
Ah, but still, no need to worry. Though perhaps not as great as mine,
you two do show quite a bit of promise.
Look, what are you talking about?
I'm starting a new club in April, two months from now.
I'm thinking, as soon as I move up to the high school.
We would have to have you come up from the middle school for a year,
but I'll put in a word for you to take care of that.
It will be so fun! I've also got Otori Kyoya, from my class.
"'The Setting Sun' by Dazai Osamu"
Additionally, high school 1st-Years Haninozuka-senpai
and Morinozuka-senpai have been invited.
And that's where you two--
You're bothering us. Go away.
We don't hang out with anyone.
We're not interested in you.
If you absolutely must come near us...
...will you play?
The "Which one is Hikaru-kun?" game!
You understand the meaning of the game, right?
You just have to pick which one of us is Hikaru.
You have a one-month time limit.
In that time, you can try as many times as you like,
but we will ask you for your reasoning.
No random guessing.
We should warn you,
nobody has ever given the right answer in this game before.
If that's all right with you, then try your best.
He's balking, he's balking.
Never mind him, did you hear that lineup of his?
I can see why he wants to add the Hitachiin name to it.
Is he just trying to create a faction of highborns?
One month, right?!
Very well. In return, if I win, you have to join my club.
But I'm making a prediction.
Come April,
I'm sure that you two will be opening the doors
to High School Music Room #3.
And so, our time-limit game had started.
"Game start"
Um, Hikaru-kun, Kaoru-kun,
we're planning to have a class event after closing ceremonies.
Yeah, we'll pass.
But, it's going to be the last event of our second year.
We're not all that pensive about it.
The one who's reading the book right now is Hikaru!
What is this, coming into our classroom like this?
Am I right? Did I get it right?
No, you didn't.
I've discovered something! Hikaru, you're right-handed!
Yeah, but both of us are right-handed.
Also, Kaoru, you part your hair on the right.
We're always switching hairstyles.
When you harmonize, the one who takes the lower tone is--
What are we, a chorus?!
Um... You're Suou-senpai, right?
Yes, I'm sorry. Did you need something with these two?
Yes, um, I was inviting them to attend a class event.
Hmm, a film festival? That will be nice.
I'll just circle Hikaru and Kaoru as attending.
Don't you go deciding for us!
Hey, where are you going?!
We're leaving. You're annoying.
What about our game?!
I thought we told you.
Try your best.
"'No Longer Human' by Dazai Osamu"
I thought you went to go see the twins.
No, they ran away on me.
Help me out here. This is for the club, right?
No biggie. We can still form the club without them, right?
No, I have an interest in those two.
Are they some more of "our friends" that you were talking about?
Oh... mm-hmm.
Then again, what are they thinking? If they wanted to be told apart,
they could just change their hairstyles, or something.
Then they don't want to be told apart.
But the game is to tell them apart.
Then they do want to be told apart.
Are you even listening to what I'm saying?
About half of it.
"The next morning, Hitachiin Manor, front door"
This morning, the one parted on the right is Kaoru,
and the one parted on the left is Hikaru!
Hey, good morning!
What is this, coming to our house like this?
Am I right? Did I get it right?
No, you didn't.
I've discovered something!
Kaoru, you're a bit pigeon-toed, aren't you?
You should have that fixed.
How rude! That's not true!
I thought of something last night.
What if we let your brotherly love be your draw?
Huh?
A somewhat risky, symmetrical, brotherly love.
The Hitachiin Brothers!
How about that?!
We don't know what you mean.
Hey! Don't run away! Hold it!
What's with that guy?
Starting in, first thing in the morning...
You know, that tone he takes...
Yeah, yeah, I thought so too.
He talks just like some feudal lord, huh?
Why, when he has such a princely face, does he take that tone?!
"Hold it! " he said! "Hold it! "
He seems like, before long, he'll start using "gozaru," doesn't he?[gozaru: somewhat archaic Japanese copula verb]
He's a fool. A foolish lord.
Then again...
...we're starting to get tired of him, huh?
Huh?
Like we said, we're done.
Game over.
What are you talking about? How self-serving!
That's right. We are self-serving.
Or, should we say...
We heard you're the illegitimate son of the superintendent, huh?
Forgive us, but we did a little looking into you.
My, you've got quite a sad little life story, don't you?
You wouldn't want us to spread this around the school, right?
What's more, your actual mother is still missing, even now.
Ultimately, you're just lonesome, being by yourself, aren't you?
So could you not arbitrarily try to make us your friends?
The two of us are still better off than the one of you.
Let's go, Hikaru.
O-Okay.
He won't go sticking his nose into our business anymore.
Still, it's sort of a shame.
Maybe we could have toyed with him a bit longer. Then again,
I'm not up for being disappointed again.
We were always inconsistent.
We wanted to be told apart. We didn't want to be told apart.
We wanted people to know us. We didn't want to be known.
We were always looking for someone who would accept us...
But there's no way that anyone would ever accept anyone
as surly as we were.
We kept a very, very secure lock, to make sure that no one
could ever hurt us, in our own two-person world.
Kaoru...
She's here.
Yeah, you're right.
Hey, Hikaru!
She says that she'd be fine with you.
Huh?
Ah, not again.
For as sweet a face as you have,
you sure have an awful personality, huh?
Saying that either one of us would be fine...
...really means that you don't want either one of us, doesn't it?
How mean of you! How mean of you!
Which one of us is really meaner?
The one about to rip up the letter is Hikaru!
H-How did you...
Am I right? Did I get it right?
What's your reasoning?
Intuition!
You know... I thought we told you at the beginning
that you couldn't just randomly guess.
Yeah, I'm sorry. I just can't tell yet.
I mean, you're just too alike.
But then, it all depends on how you look at it.
As identical as you two are, it's like you have a talent.
So from now on, work to perfect the two-in-one Hitachiin Brothers.
But you mustn't forget that you are also independent beings, of course.
Which is why I'm going to keep working at being able to tell you two apart.
That's crazy.
It's inconsistent.
What are you talking about?
It may be inconsistent, but it's who you are.
It's what we call individuality.
What are you talking about?
If we start going with this "Hitachiin Brothers" style, like you say,
then we'll be a set piece forever!
No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to tell us apart!
We're the only people who are able to tell ourselves apart.
There isn't anyone who can win the "Which one is Hikaru-kun?" game.
We've known that from the start!
Then whenever anyone guesses wrong,
why do you always look so sad?
That's right. I remember.
You're Hikaru-kun.
You guessed wrong.
After that, the girl said...
I'm sorry.
Don't cry, okay?
I remember how surprised I was when I heard those words.
We probably looked like we were about to cry at the time.
Even if I'm not able to do it, someday, somewhere,
somebody may show up who is able to tell you apart.
Still, this much is certain.
If you keep staying in your own little world from now on,
you will never run into the people who are able to tell you apart.
So instead, why don't we open the doors of the Host Club together?
Let's try to expand your world, together.
Our first meeting will be after the opening ceremony, after school.
We're having it in the high school's music room #3.
That day, after his highness offered an exceptionally correct answer,
unconsciously, we were a little bit--
just a little bit--
impressed by him.
Wow, this school is incredible.
"Admissions Guide"
Even if I do get in here,
will I really be able to get by okay?
Is that right? Takashi, you were invited by Suou-kun, too?
Yeah.
You know what? He said it was okay for me to like cute things.
He said it was okay for me to like cake.
I'm not sure what to do.
Mitsukuni, you can do whatever you want.
Mm-hmm, you're right.
Well, I guess something will work out.
Now, to work towards the entrance exams next year.
"And so, one month later"
"after school, following the opening ceremony"
Remember, Kaoru,
it's not like we were impressed by what that fool lord said.
I know. We're simply here to kill time.
Yeah, exactly.
We're killing time.
It's just possible that no one will ever turn up in your whole life
that can really tell you two apart.
You're right, lady.
There's nobody in the whole world who is able to tell us apart.
I'm sure there's nobody.
I understand that. And yet...
Well, let's open them together.
Mm-hmm.
Ready, set...
And so, we opened the door.
"The Door the Twins Opened! "
I can run for 5000 miles, until I'm out of breath.
100 liters of adrenaline keeps the body working at full strength.
Having come this far, is it enough? How far until it's okay?
The trees that imbue the streets of this town
keep repeatedly changing their appearance.
In completely washed-out pallor, and unchanging frailty,
I want to believe in myself, as I am here and now.
With my right hand, and my left hand, held over my head,
I tear through the darkness and go!
There is no deceit!
I've made my resolve!
From the moment I make my start, the world expands.
Starting today, the Host Club is having a special Halloween week!
Oh, we're going to...
...miss our club activities, because of our class event.
Wait, wait, why are you taking Haruhi with you?!
Next time, "Until the Day it Becomes a Pumpkin! "
Ouran High School Host Club will be waiting for you, next week!