Furuba
A Peek into the Past
By:Soleil Reve
*Furuba Characters DO NOT belong to me in any way, shape or Form. It belongs to Takaya Natsuki and her publishers. With the exception of Kaoru Sohma*
Characters: Tooru Yuki Ayame Akito
Kyou Shigure Hatori
Cameos: Some of the other Juunishi, Uo, Hana-chan. Other miscellaneous cameos.
Chapter 1: Meetings
The staccato beats of soft bare feet . The soft scratching of a sliding door. All these seemed horribly muted by the pounding of the girl's heart. Her hand clutched the door anxiously, her palms already sweating. She was careful to keep her face expressionless, despite the growing fear within her. Instead of kneeling, as most of the other Juunishi did, she stood, awaiting the voice that had summoned her. It was deceptively gentle when it did reach her ears. The door slid closed behind her slender body, covered in a loose, untucked, white shirt and a pair of blue jeans. The voice, horribly soft, like everything else, spoke out. " I've missed you...." Hands reached out from the dimly lit room to touch her, to embrace her. His face was buried in her hair. All this she accepted without flinching. The fear was knawing away at her, slowly, as her arms wrapped around him in return, though in actuality she would love to do the opposite, to turn and flee. Her answer was a farce, nevertheless, she knew she was to say it, or risk evoking her fiancee's wrath upon herself, something she'd done many times before." I've missed you too..." She clutched his kimono, adding some semblance of feeling into it, though it was really only to keep her hands from shaking. It was already too late to avoid her fiancee's anger. She'd seen the look in his eyes, and knew what to expect next from him. Akito didn't disappoint. His grip tightened, and she was pushed against the wall, hard. She looked up at him, her visage like a stone, unrevealing. "Where were you? "The boy hissed menacingly.
Softly, the girl replied," out." He slapped her, sending her tumbling to the floor, where he pinned her with his body. Her temper flared, her face showing emotion at last. How she hated it when he did such things to her! Akito whispered in her ear, his voice seeming resonate in her mind. "Answer me...properly." Through gritted teeth, she replied, "The teacher made me stay after school." Akito smiled, his hand cupping her chin, jerking it upward, forcing her to look up at those hungry, wolfish eyes. She was still angry, and her eyes sparkled dangerously with her ire. His cold lips brushed her cheek, causing bile to rise in her throat. He spoke furtively, his lips close enough to brush her ear. Her eyes closed automatically to stave off the sinking feeling that had begun to consume her." I do so love it when you get angry...." He removed himself from her, letting her sit up and breathe for a moment. But the semi-peace was not to last. A pot sailed through the air, hitting her in the arm, the fragile china breaking as it bounced off of her and hit the floor. She came to her feet, only to be buffeted repeatedly by miscellaneous objects, some glass, a metal pot or two. The tactic was simple. Make her as angry as possible... and hard as she tried to suppress it, her animosity grew. Blood ran from her nose and a split lip as the girl took solace in a corner. Akito approached her, and cupped her visage in his hand, wiping the blood away with a thumb. His touch was suprisingly gentle, but the malice had not left his voice. He stared at her defiant eyes, blazing with hot fury." No matter how much I hurt you, you never cry. Why is that?" It was a question that went unanswered, earning her still more abuse. The girl was on her knees now. Akito had pulled a whip on her and was hitting her with it, repeatedly, tearing through to rough cotton of her shirt. Her anguished cries fill the room, her voice morphing, changing. They had become cries of growing anger. The girl grabbed herself, feeling the changes begin, the fabric of her shirt and jeans rupturing more and more with each second. With each whiplash the cries grew louder, rougher, more animal like. Her vision was going black. The cries had now became animalistic roars. Akito let up on the whip, smiling wickedly." I like you so much better this way, my love..." His hushed tone was greeted by a soft, hissing snarl.
* * *
Kaoru Sohma sat on top of the cool, flat surface of the doctor's table in Hatori's office, awaiting the doctor. A gentle sigh slipped past her lips, followed by the closing of a door. Habitually, her head moved upward. It was her only way of greeting her once favorite Uncle, the one she blamed for her own fate. Hatori groaned under his breath. The child was never going to forgive him. Resuming his examination, he reminded himself small talk was useless. Kaoru would only turn her head away sullenly. Gentle, experienced hands changed Kaoru's bandages, checked her
Pulse, took her temperature, and blood pressure. Her eyes shifted to half-mast, relaxing under her Uncle's protective care. Though she wasn't speaking to him, being with him still gave her a sense of safety, and peace...it reminded her of her childhood. A sudden feeling of pressure snapped her out of her daze, where she found her uncle, staring down at her with a queer expression on his face. Her coal black eyes wouldn't meet his, though...until his hand pressed against her cheek, causing her to look up at him in surprise. Hatori said in a voice soft enough to be drowned out by a heartbeat, "Kaoru..."his sentence was left hanging in the air, unfinished, though he wanted to say more. Sheepishly, Kaoru realized her eyes had closed against the soothing warmth of his touch, and quickly broke the contact, knowing if she acted receptive, Her uncle would think she might speak to him again. She smiled silently at him and shook her head, nimbly leaping down off the table. Hatori closed his eyes, running a hand through his hair. He never thought raising a child would be this hard...especially a moody, teenager....
Removing a cigarette from his pocket, he stuck it in his teeth and lit it, lazily puffing out the smoke. Kaoru was one of the few things that he actually cared for; enough to loose his ever present cool. Hence the cigarette...it calmed him, enough so that he didn't yell at the poor kid. He sighed, knowing that the girl hadn't spoken a word to him in 4 years. It broke his heart that his niece, with whom he was once so close, could treat him so coldly... even after all that time, he still couldn't get used to her treatment of him. The cigarette, only about a quarter of the way gone, was snuffed out in annoyance, followed by the sound of a door shutting. The room was empty, indifferent to the emotional turmoil going on between the two people.
Kaoru walked away from Hatori's office, glad that most of her cuts had healed. Walking into the Honke, she removed her shoes, heading towards her room. It was small and plain, kind of like her. A mirror, a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp were the only furniture. The only decoration was a colorful little Oriental rug, just big enough to cover the gaping hole in the tatami mats, thick enough to keep her feet from the hard wood floor. She sighed softly, staring at the homely, rosy colored sheets of her bed. A discreet, checkered quilt in shades that hardly varied...the rest all in the same rosy hue. The only thing that really stood out was the dark navy blue of her school uniform (Sailor fuku). Both hands ran through her thick, wavy hair, defeated. She had almost forgotten she had school today...she growled, stripping and quickly changing into the clothes. Kaoru gave herself a quick once over in the mirror, before grabbing her school bag and a brush and running out of the Honke. She'd just have to brush her tresses on the way.
* * *
"DAMN YOU!" A bowl went flying through the air at a slender, dark haired boy, who 's skin pale as snow. It was deftly dodged, causing the bowl's contents to splatter all across the floor. His aggressor, an orange haired boy with blazing red eyes, stood up from the table, slinging his school bag over his shoulder. "I'll get you later, Yuki. You can count on that!" The boy turned on his heel, exiting the room.
Yuki shook his head, following suit. He murmured, "You'll only get your ass handed to you again, Kyou." He too left the room, leaving only a dark haired, amber-eyed man in a male kimono at the table, reading the newspaper. He murmured quietly to himself," It's too bad Tooru leaves so early for school.... She misses out on half the fun." He pushed his glasses further up his nose, chuckling to himself.
Tooru raised her arm, waving an enthusiastic hello to her friends, a tall blonde and a smaller, darker haired girl." Ohayou, Uo-chan, Hana-chan!"
The pair smiled and waved back. Running a hand through her fine, brown hair, Tooru asked," Ne, Uo-chan, it's your turn to pick where we eat lunch today." Uo-chan smiled mischievously.." I've found the perfect place..." The loud ringing of the bell cut her off, sending most of the school body skittering to their respective classrooms.
Tooru hustled after Hana and Uo, knowing her teacher was strict about pupils being tardy to class. Clumsily, her foot caught on one of the steps, causing the poor girl to pitch forward, falling. Tooru closed her eyes, already feeling the hard floor beneath her... seconds passed, and still she did not hit the ground. She opened a brown, inquisitive eye, confused. She found that instead of being inches from the ground, she was standing upright. "Gomenasai." A soft voice said, before a whirl of black and blue ran by. Tooru looked after the figure, still lost. Had the girl stopped her from falling? She had no time to ponder the question, for the tardy bell went off at that moment. "AHH!! I'M LATE!" She bolted through the doors, running to her teacher's classroom, praying she wouldn't get a detention.
* * *
Kaoru stared at her math test in disgust. Algebra had never been her forte, and her grade definitely proved it. She cradled her chin in her hands, elbows on the desk, looking up at the teacher. He was about to say something... she has heard the soft intake of breath one takes before addressing someone they were uncomfortable with. "Try harder next time." Kaoru nodded wordlessly, glad she wasn't forced to stay after school. The ringing of the lunch bell broke through her thoughts, along with growling in her stomach. Searching through her bag, Kaoru realized she'd forgotten to pack a lunch. With a sigh, she said to herself," Might as well make use of the time." She grabbed a sharpened #2 pencil and began her extra practice assignment, opening her math book to get started. About half way into the assignment though, she set her pencil down and looked out the window. Math just didn't click, and it probably never would. It was a beautiful sunny day, making the grass seem greener and the sky seem a bit bluer. She looked down among the students, some heading home for lunch, others staying on campus. Oh, she'd love to go home for lunch too.... And once, there was a time when she would have run there. But now... now things were different. She didn't want to go home...ever again.
She'd had enough of Hatori's pained looks, of Akito's abuse. She stood, pressing her hands against the window, frowning down at the students. Her eyes were strangely drawn to a brown-haired girl chatting with two friends at the gates to the school. She seemed familiar... wasn't that the klutz that nearly fell on her own two feet?
Kaoru let her hands slide onto the windowsill, looking down upon the scene.
Wow, that little brown haired chick was lucky... she had friends, real friends that probably cared about her a lot. She raised her hand to the glass again, her fingers resting on the cool material. Her whisper was barely audible in the little room." I sure wish someone gave a rat's ass about me..."
Someone else's voice made her jump, her head turning as fast as a cornered cat. Her eyes were widened in shock, as if she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. In her haste, she accidentally bumped the desk, sending her pencil rolling. It stopped at the stranger's feet. He picked it up, and leaned in the doorway, twirling it in his fingers. His brown eyes focused in on her, His left shoulder rested on the doorframe, and his mouth was set in a line. His eyes turned away, focusing on the pencil in his hand once more. " I said, what was that about rats?"
Kaoru blinked, and said very carefully," I was speaking metaphorically, Haru..." The boy appeared unimpressed. She approached him cautiously, needing her pencil back... it was the last one she had that wasn't broken. "Can I have my pencil back, Haru? I need to do this assignment or I'm going to fail math class." Haru stopped twirling the pencil, holding it by its tip." Do you now?" Kaoru stopped, almost within arm's reach of the boy. Haru drew the pencil closer to him, his gaze no longer fixed on her. His voice was carefully neutral as he spoke his next words." Does Yuki know you're here?" Kaoru shrugged, crossing her arms." Probably... he's just avoiding me again." Haru grinned, his neutral tone melting away. "Or are you avoiding him? It wasn't all that bad, you know. I'm sure he'd forgive you..."Kaoru looked away, unwilling to answer the white haired boy's question.
"Look, can I please have my pencil back, Haru? I actually need to stu-..." her sentence was cut short as Haru came forward, Backing her into a desk. He placed his arms on either side of her, not allowing her to escape. Kaoru looked up at him, wondering what he was going to do." Haru! Let me go, please! " She said firmly, pushing against his chest with all her might. Haru didn't budge. Instead, He leaned down to whisper in her ear.... His tone was so soft she had to strain to hear the words." Apologize to Yuki. It would do you both some good, Ne?" He got up, stretched in a tired fashion, and began walking to the door." Besides, you have no time for math homework anyway... Lunch is over." The young woman stared at him in disbelief as the boy walked down the hallway, a black and white specter. She was awakened from her reverie by the loud ringing of the bell." Nani?! Already? But I barely... damn it!" Grabbing the pencil, which had been dropped on the floor, She ran quickly to her bag, packing up her things.
Brushing black bangs out of her face, she rushed toward the door, still struggling to get the math book into her bag, not bothering to look up. In fact, it wasn't until she crashed into something navy blue that she did glance.
Her mouth moved, to say " Gomen..." but no sounds came forth. ... She was frozen in shock. The smells...That smell of sweet, flowered soap... that face... purple eyes... grayish hair. Yuki! He stared at her for a moment, as if he himself was shocked to actually see her in school. Kaoru closed her eyes and ran by him, fearing he'd see the embarrassed blush on her cheeks." GOMENASAI! SUMIMASEN!!!" She yelled, clutching the unfitting book to her chest and rushing out of the room, exceedingly flustered. Another person nearly got ran over in Kaoru's flight, someone with soft brown hair, who shrieked, "Uwahh!!" Kaoru stopped paying attention after that, skidding to a stop near the girls restroom, bent over, her breath coming in rushed gasps." I can't... I can't face him... especially now...after this..." She closed her eyes and rested against the wall, tears in her eyes. Why did I have to be such a coward? I could have apologized to him then and there... but I panicked... and fled like a scared kitten! Recreant!
A hand went to her face as the tardy bell rang. Now she was late. That meant detention. "Oh.... Great... Akito is going to be pissed off.... Again."
* * *
Kyou remarked from behind Tohru," I wonder what her problem was?" The shorter brown -haired girl looked up blinking. "Maybe she had an emergency? Or maybe she was trying to get to class early?" Kyou shook his head and walked into the classroom," You're going to be late..." Tohru followed after him, getting into the class just as the bell rang. Almost subconsciously, she took a seat near hana-chan and Uo-chan. Kyou wandered over, and the usual friendly spat with Uo-chan ensued. Tohru smiled nervously, unsure of what to do in such situations.
It was then that she noticed the teacher, before calling roll, was having a private chat with Yuki. " I wonder what it's about? Has Yuki done something wrong?" That was before Kyou slammed his hand on the desk, jarring Tohru back into reality. Apparently, the fight had dissipated and Kyou was just trying to catch her attention. "Hey! What have I told you about day dreaming?" Tohru blinked, and replied, in all innocence," That I could day dream whenever your around..." Their conversation was cut short by the teacher, calling out that the day's lesson was beginning, and that the class should be seated. Kyou, Hana, and Uo all took their seats, as well as the remainder of
The pupils. Tohru spotted Yuki in his usual seat, although he had an odd look on his face. Was he worried about something? Tohru blinked, and the look was gone, replaced by a smile, for her. So he had notice d her staring.. Feeling awkward, Tohru turned towards the teacher, who was putting the day's lesson on the board, purposely shuffling her papers and grabbing a pencil, ready to take notes. Later, she'd ask Yuki what was bothering him... but right now she needed the notes for her exam tomorrow! A passing thought still nagged at her though. Something about the girl that ran by... something about her was very familiar...
* * *
At the end of the day, Kaoru ended up heading straight home, managing to talk her way out of the detention. As Kaoru walked, she murmured, "Nothing like the good, old 'I have my period' excuse." She chuckled to herself as she approached the gates of the main house. Then her laughter died in her throat, remembering what she had to go through here. Mentally steeling herself, she opened the gate, walking inside and carefully shutting the gate closed. She took a moment to stare at it. It was a beautiful thing, this gate. Made of heavy, blackened iron, which twisted and spiraled, in a complex array of curly-cues and other fabulous designs. Strangely, it reminded her of a door to a birdcage. Perhaps it was because that was how she felt...like a trapped bird, unable to escape the confines of this horrible place. Kaoru closed her eyes and turned away, ready to face Akito and then, later on, Hatori. " KAO -CHAN! YOUR HOME!" The shout sent her thoughts flying like a million scattered
doves, disrupted in their feeding. The young, blonde foreigner pounced on her, leaping into her arms and snuggling close." Welch ein Gluck! I was just leaving to go see papa when I saw you coming in!" Kaoru hugged Momiji back, smiling brightly. Momiji had that effect on people, she supposed. He had a past just as bad, if not worse than her own. And yet he still managed to smile and be so genki. One could say she took comfort in the boy's strength, especially since he was one of her closest friends here. "Sieh do? It's good you caught me then...I haven't seen you in a while, Momiji. What have you been up to?" Momiji giggle let her go and smiled up at her, saying," you've gotten better at your German.... Soon we'll be able to have a conversation together!" Kaoru patted his head, ruffling his hair. "It's only because I have a great teacher! Momiji-kun!" The pair giggled together for a few moments, before Momiji answered her previous question." I've been spending a lot of time at Papa's building, helping To-ru-mutti. I have to go now! Auf Weidersen!" He kissed her cheek, and skipped out of the gate, running down the street.
Kaoru stared after him, and mouthed, "To-ru-mutti?" She blinked, and her smile faded as she remembered how angry Akito had gotten over her lateness the previous day, and jogged toward the honke, trying to prepare herself mentally for more abuse as she went.
* * *
Stretching, Kyou walked into the room, the wooden floor feeling good under his bare feet.
The smell of dinner was heavy in the air, so he figured Tohru must be close to serving it. Yuki was already seated, a math book open on the table. He seemed absorbed in his task, writing notes here and there. Kyou liked the silence, and sat across from him, not saying a word. The sound of furious typing reached his ears, followed by the sound of Tohru's gentle tones." Gomen! Sorry dinner took so long." The sound of footsteps announced Shigure's presence, along with his overly cheerful voice." Ah! Good, Dinner is ready!" Yuki looked up for a moment, his gaze wandering to the back doors, which were open, showing part of the lush, green landscape that comprised most of Souma Shigure-kun's estate, ignoring the idle clamor of dinner being served, and the mundane chatter of the other three house mates. Why can't I concentrate? That odd girl from today... I keep thinking of her. She looked so familiar...I should have gotten a better look at her face. He shook himself out of his reverie, to find Tohru extending him one of the small, round bowls full of fluffy white rice." Yuki-kun? Are you okay?" The boy's deep purple eyes focused upon her, giving her a charming smile as he took the bowl from her hands. "I'm fine, Honda-San. Thankyou." The boy took his chopsticks delicately, trying to absorb himself in his dinner. Yet his thoughts were elsewhere. It was only when Tohru Let out a soft gasp that he came to his senses." Yuki! Your Math test book!" Yuki looked down at the textbook, finding that he had poured soy sauce on it by accident. The brown haired girl stood, speaking." Yuki, I'll get some napkins, Maybe we can still save it!" She turned and hustled back into the kitchen. Next to him, he heard Kyou utter," Kuso nezumi. Tohru's clumsiness is starting to rub off on you."
Shigure piped cheerily, "Why Yuki! That's not like you! Such absentmindedness could only be caused by meeting some pretty girl, I'm sure!" The playful tease was spoken just as Tohru was walking through the doorway as Shigure spoke. Yuki saw her easy smile freeze, her muscles tense slightly. Her eyes flickered with uncertainty. Kyou noted this also, his face shifting into a grimace. Yuki blinked, and then stood to "Iie...." He stood to take the napkins from Tohru abruptly, trying to hide the slight agitation. Tohru bent down to help him wordlessly. "Usually you're the one that does stuff like this, Kyou." Kyou fixed a hot glare on the writer." Nani? " The two proceeded to get into an argument. Tohru didn't look up as she cleaned. "Yuki-kun just has to be more careful." She murmured. The gray haired boy was really getting agitated now. As he cleaned he stared at the sauce, dumbfounded. How could a chance meeting with one faceless girl cause something like this?
* End of chapter *
A Peek into the Past
By:Soleil Reve
*Furuba Characters DO NOT belong to me in any way, shape or Form. It belongs to Takaya Natsuki and her publishers. With the exception of Kaoru Sohma*
Characters: Tooru Yuki Ayame Akito
Kyou Shigure Hatori
Cameos: Some of the other Juunishi, Uo, Hana-chan. Other miscellaneous cameos.
Chapter 1: Meetings
The staccato beats of soft bare feet . The soft scratching of a sliding door. All these seemed horribly muted by the pounding of the girl's heart. Her hand clutched the door anxiously, her palms already sweating. She was careful to keep her face expressionless, despite the growing fear within her. Instead of kneeling, as most of the other Juunishi did, she stood, awaiting the voice that had summoned her. It was deceptively gentle when it did reach her ears. The door slid closed behind her slender body, covered in a loose, untucked, white shirt and a pair of blue jeans. The voice, horribly soft, like everything else, spoke out. " I've missed you...." Hands reached out from the dimly lit room to touch her, to embrace her. His face was buried in her hair. All this she accepted without flinching. The fear was knawing away at her, slowly, as her arms wrapped around him in return, though in actuality she would love to do the opposite, to turn and flee. Her answer was a farce, nevertheless, she knew she was to say it, or risk evoking her fiancee's wrath upon herself, something she'd done many times before." I've missed you too..." She clutched his kimono, adding some semblance of feeling into it, though it was really only to keep her hands from shaking. It was already too late to avoid her fiancee's anger. She'd seen the look in his eyes, and knew what to expect next from him. Akito didn't disappoint. His grip tightened, and she was pushed against the wall, hard. She looked up at him, her visage like a stone, unrevealing. "Where were you? "The boy hissed menacingly.
Softly, the girl replied," out." He slapped her, sending her tumbling to the floor, where he pinned her with his body. Her temper flared, her face showing emotion at last. How she hated it when he did such things to her! Akito whispered in her ear, his voice seeming resonate in her mind. "Answer me...properly." Through gritted teeth, she replied, "The teacher made me stay after school." Akito smiled, his hand cupping her chin, jerking it upward, forcing her to look up at those hungry, wolfish eyes. She was still angry, and her eyes sparkled dangerously with her ire. His cold lips brushed her cheek, causing bile to rise in her throat. He spoke furtively, his lips close enough to brush her ear. Her eyes closed automatically to stave off the sinking feeling that had begun to consume her." I do so love it when you get angry...." He removed himself from her, letting her sit up and breathe for a moment. But the semi-peace was not to last. A pot sailed through the air, hitting her in the arm, the fragile china breaking as it bounced off of her and hit the floor. She came to her feet, only to be buffeted repeatedly by miscellaneous objects, some glass, a metal pot or two. The tactic was simple. Make her as angry as possible... and hard as she tried to suppress it, her animosity grew. Blood ran from her nose and a split lip as the girl took solace in a corner. Akito approached her, and cupped her visage in his hand, wiping the blood away with a thumb. His touch was suprisingly gentle, but the malice had not left his voice. He stared at her defiant eyes, blazing with hot fury." No matter how much I hurt you, you never cry. Why is that?" It was a question that went unanswered, earning her still more abuse. The girl was on her knees now. Akito had pulled a whip on her and was hitting her with it, repeatedly, tearing through to rough cotton of her shirt. Her anguished cries fill the room, her voice morphing, changing. They had become cries of growing anger. The girl grabbed herself, feeling the changes begin, the fabric of her shirt and jeans rupturing more and more with each second. With each whiplash the cries grew louder, rougher, more animal like. Her vision was going black. The cries had now became animalistic roars. Akito let up on the whip, smiling wickedly." I like you so much better this way, my love..." His hushed tone was greeted by a soft, hissing snarl.
* * *
Kaoru Sohma sat on top of the cool, flat surface of the doctor's table in Hatori's office, awaiting the doctor. A gentle sigh slipped past her lips, followed by the closing of a door. Habitually, her head moved upward. It was her only way of greeting her once favorite Uncle, the one she blamed for her own fate. Hatori groaned under his breath. The child was never going to forgive him. Resuming his examination, he reminded himself small talk was useless. Kaoru would only turn her head away sullenly. Gentle, experienced hands changed Kaoru's bandages, checked her
Pulse, took her temperature, and blood pressure. Her eyes shifted to half-mast, relaxing under her Uncle's protective care. Though she wasn't speaking to him, being with him still gave her a sense of safety, and peace...it reminded her of her childhood. A sudden feeling of pressure snapped her out of her daze, where she found her uncle, staring down at her with a queer expression on his face. Her coal black eyes wouldn't meet his, though...until his hand pressed against her cheek, causing her to look up at him in surprise. Hatori said in a voice soft enough to be drowned out by a heartbeat, "Kaoru..."his sentence was left hanging in the air, unfinished, though he wanted to say more. Sheepishly, Kaoru realized her eyes had closed against the soothing warmth of his touch, and quickly broke the contact, knowing if she acted receptive, Her uncle would think she might speak to him again. She smiled silently at him and shook her head, nimbly leaping down off the table. Hatori closed his eyes, running a hand through his hair. He never thought raising a child would be this hard...especially a moody, teenager....
Removing a cigarette from his pocket, he stuck it in his teeth and lit it, lazily puffing out the smoke. Kaoru was one of the few things that he actually cared for; enough to loose his ever present cool. Hence the cigarette...it calmed him, enough so that he didn't yell at the poor kid. He sighed, knowing that the girl hadn't spoken a word to him in 4 years. It broke his heart that his niece, with whom he was once so close, could treat him so coldly... even after all that time, he still couldn't get used to her treatment of him. The cigarette, only about a quarter of the way gone, was snuffed out in annoyance, followed by the sound of a door shutting. The room was empty, indifferent to the emotional turmoil going on between the two people.
Kaoru walked away from Hatori's office, glad that most of her cuts had healed. Walking into the Honke, she removed her shoes, heading towards her room. It was small and plain, kind of like her. A mirror, a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp were the only furniture. The only decoration was a colorful little Oriental rug, just big enough to cover the gaping hole in the tatami mats, thick enough to keep her feet from the hard wood floor. She sighed softly, staring at the homely, rosy colored sheets of her bed. A discreet, checkered quilt in shades that hardly varied...the rest all in the same rosy hue. The only thing that really stood out was the dark navy blue of her school uniform (Sailor fuku). Both hands ran through her thick, wavy hair, defeated. She had almost forgotten she had school today...she growled, stripping and quickly changing into the clothes. Kaoru gave herself a quick once over in the mirror, before grabbing her school bag and a brush and running out of the Honke. She'd just have to brush her tresses on the way.
* * *
"DAMN YOU!" A bowl went flying through the air at a slender, dark haired boy, who 's skin pale as snow. It was deftly dodged, causing the bowl's contents to splatter all across the floor. His aggressor, an orange haired boy with blazing red eyes, stood up from the table, slinging his school bag over his shoulder. "I'll get you later, Yuki. You can count on that!" The boy turned on his heel, exiting the room.
Yuki shook his head, following suit. He murmured, "You'll only get your ass handed to you again, Kyou." He too left the room, leaving only a dark haired, amber-eyed man in a male kimono at the table, reading the newspaper. He murmured quietly to himself," It's too bad Tooru leaves so early for school.... She misses out on half the fun." He pushed his glasses further up his nose, chuckling to himself.
Tooru raised her arm, waving an enthusiastic hello to her friends, a tall blonde and a smaller, darker haired girl." Ohayou, Uo-chan, Hana-chan!"
The pair smiled and waved back. Running a hand through her fine, brown hair, Tooru asked," Ne, Uo-chan, it's your turn to pick where we eat lunch today." Uo-chan smiled mischievously.." I've found the perfect place..." The loud ringing of the bell cut her off, sending most of the school body skittering to their respective classrooms.
Tooru hustled after Hana and Uo, knowing her teacher was strict about pupils being tardy to class. Clumsily, her foot caught on one of the steps, causing the poor girl to pitch forward, falling. Tooru closed her eyes, already feeling the hard floor beneath her... seconds passed, and still she did not hit the ground. She opened a brown, inquisitive eye, confused. She found that instead of being inches from the ground, she was standing upright. "Gomenasai." A soft voice said, before a whirl of black and blue ran by. Tooru looked after the figure, still lost. Had the girl stopped her from falling? She had no time to ponder the question, for the tardy bell went off at that moment. "AHH!! I'M LATE!" She bolted through the doors, running to her teacher's classroom, praying she wouldn't get a detention.
* * *
Kaoru stared at her math test in disgust. Algebra had never been her forte, and her grade definitely proved it. She cradled her chin in her hands, elbows on the desk, looking up at the teacher. He was about to say something... she has heard the soft intake of breath one takes before addressing someone they were uncomfortable with. "Try harder next time." Kaoru nodded wordlessly, glad she wasn't forced to stay after school. The ringing of the lunch bell broke through her thoughts, along with growling in her stomach. Searching through her bag, Kaoru realized she'd forgotten to pack a lunch. With a sigh, she said to herself," Might as well make use of the time." She grabbed a sharpened #2 pencil and began her extra practice assignment, opening her math book to get started. About half way into the assignment though, she set her pencil down and looked out the window. Math just didn't click, and it probably never would. It was a beautiful sunny day, making the grass seem greener and the sky seem a bit bluer. She looked down among the students, some heading home for lunch, others staying on campus. Oh, she'd love to go home for lunch too.... And once, there was a time when she would have run there. But now... now things were different. She didn't want to go home...ever again.
She'd had enough of Hatori's pained looks, of Akito's abuse. She stood, pressing her hands against the window, frowning down at the students. Her eyes were strangely drawn to a brown-haired girl chatting with two friends at the gates to the school. She seemed familiar... wasn't that the klutz that nearly fell on her own two feet?
Kaoru let her hands slide onto the windowsill, looking down upon the scene.
Wow, that little brown haired chick was lucky... she had friends, real friends that probably cared about her a lot. She raised her hand to the glass again, her fingers resting on the cool material. Her whisper was barely audible in the little room." I sure wish someone gave a rat's ass about me..."
Someone else's voice made her jump, her head turning as fast as a cornered cat. Her eyes were widened in shock, as if she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. In her haste, she accidentally bumped the desk, sending her pencil rolling. It stopped at the stranger's feet. He picked it up, and leaned in the doorway, twirling it in his fingers. His brown eyes focused in on her, His left shoulder rested on the doorframe, and his mouth was set in a line. His eyes turned away, focusing on the pencil in his hand once more. " I said, what was that about rats?"
Kaoru blinked, and said very carefully," I was speaking metaphorically, Haru..." The boy appeared unimpressed. She approached him cautiously, needing her pencil back... it was the last one she had that wasn't broken. "Can I have my pencil back, Haru? I need to do this assignment or I'm going to fail math class." Haru stopped twirling the pencil, holding it by its tip." Do you now?" Kaoru stopped, almost within arm's reach of the boy. Haru drew the pencil closer to him, his gaze no longer fixed on her. His voice was carefully neutral as he spoke his next words." Does Yuki know you're here?" Kaoru shrugged, crossing her arms." Probably... he's just avoiding me again." Haru grinned, his neutral tone melting away. "Or are you avoiding him? It wasn't all that bad, you know. I'm sure he'd forgive you..."Kaoru looked away, unwilling to answer the white haired boy's question.
"Look, can I please have my pencil back, Haru? I actually need to stu-..." her sentence was cut short as Haru came forward, Backing her into a desk. He placed his arms on either side of her, not allowing her to escape. Kaoru looked up at him, wondering what he was going to do." Haru! Let me go, please! " She said firmly, pushing against his chest with all her might. Haru didn't budge. Instead, He leaned down to whisper in her ear.... His tone was so soft she had to strain to hear the words." Apologize to Yuki. It would do you both some good, Ne?" He got up, stretched in a tired fashion, and began walking to the door." Besides, you have no time for math homework anyway... Lunch is over." The young woman stared at him in disbelief as the boy walked down the hallway, a black and white specter. She was awakened from her reverie by the loud ringing of the bell." Nani?! Already? But I barely... damn it!" Grabbing the pencil, which had been dropped on the floor, She ran quickly to her bag, packing up her things.
Brushing black bangs out of her face, she rushed toward the door, still struggling to get the math book into her bag, not bothering to look up. In fact, it wasn't until she crashed into something navy blue that she did glance.
Her mouth moved, to say " Gomen..." but no sounds came forth. ... She was frozen in shock. The smells...That smell of sweet, flowered soap... that face... purple eyes... grayish hair. Yuki! He stared at her for a moment, as if he himself was shocked to actually see her in school. Kaoru closed her eyes and ran by him, fearing he'd see the embarrassed blush on her cheeks." GOMENASAI! SUMIMASEN!!!" She yelled, clutching the unfitting book to her chest and rushing out of the room, exceedingly flustered. Another person nearly got ran over in Kaoru's flight, someone with soft brown hair, who shrieked, "Uwahh!!" Kaoru stopped paying attention after that, skidding to a stop near the girls restroom, bent over, her breath coming in rushed gasps." I can't... I can't face him... especially now...after this..." She closed her eyes and rested against the wall, tears in her eyes. Why did I have to be such a coward? I could have apologized to him then and there... but I panicked... and fled like a scared kitten! Recreant!
A hand went to her face as the tardy bell rang. Now she was late. That meant detention. "Oh.... Great... Akito is going to be pissed off.... Again."
* * *
Kyou remarked from behind Tohru," I wonder what her problem was?" The shorter brown -haired girl looked up blinking. "Maybe she had an emergency? Or maybe she was trying to get to class early?" Kyou shook his head and walked into the classroom," You're going to be late..." Tohru followed after him, getting into the class just as the bell rang. Almost subconsciously, she took a seat near hana-chan and Uo-chan. Kyou wandered over, and the usual friendly spat with Uo-chan ensued. Tohru smiled nervously, unsure of what to do in such situations.
It was then that she noticed the teacher, before calling roll, was having a private chat with Yuki. " I wonder what it's about? Has Yuki done something wrong?" That was before Kyou slammed his hand on the desk, jarring Tohru back into reality. Apparently, the fight had dissipated and Kyou was just trying to catch her attention. "Hey! What have I told you about day dreaming?" Tohru blinked, and replied, in all innocence," That I could day dream whenever your around..." Their conversation was cut short by the teacher, calling out that the day's lesson was beginning, and that the class should be seated. Kyou, Hana, and Uo all took their seats, as well as the remainder of
The pupils. Tohru spotted Yuki in his usual seat, although he had an odd look on his face. Was he worried about something? Tohru blinked, and the look was gone, replaced by a smile, for her. So he had notice d her staring.. Feeling awkward, Tohru turned towards the teacher, who was putting the day's lesson on the board, purposely shuffling her papers and grabbing a pencil, ready to take notes. Later, she'd ask Yuki what was bothering him... but right now she needed the notes for her exam tomorrow! A passing thought still nagged at her though. Something about the girl that ran by... something about her was very familiar...
* * *
At the end of the day, Kaoru ended up heading straight home, managing to talk her way out of the detention. As Kaoru walked, she murmured, "Nothing like the good, old 'I have my period' excuse." She chuckled to herself as she approached the gates of the main house. Then her laughter died in her throat, remembering what she had to go through here. Mentally steeling herself, she opened the gate, walking inside and carefully shutting the gate closed. She took a moment to stare at it. It was a beautiful thing, this gate. Made of heavy, blackened iron, which twisted and spiraled, in a complex array of curly-cues and other fabulous designs. Strangely, it reminded her of a door to a birdcage. Perhaps it was because that was how she felt...like a trapped bird, unable to escape the confines of this horrible place. Kaoru closed her eyes and turned away, ready to face Akito and then, later on, Hatori. " KAO -CHAN! YOUR HOME!" The shout sent her thoughts flying like a million scattered
doves, disrupted in their feeding. The young, blonde foreigner pounced on her, leaping into her arms and snuggling close." Welch ein Gluck! I was just leaving to go see papa when I saw you coming in!" Kaoru hugged Momiji back, smiling brightly. Momiji had that effect on people, she supposed. He had a past just as bad, if not worse than her own. And yet he still managed to smile and be so genki. One could say she took comfort in the boy's strength, especially since he was one of her closest friends here. "Sieh do? It's good you caught me then...I haven't seen you in a while, Momiji. What have you been up to?" Momiji giggle let her go and smiled up at her, saying," you've gotten better at your German.... Soon we'll be able to have a conversation together!" Kaoru patted his head, ruffling his hair. "It's only because I have a great teacher! Momiji-kun!" The pair giggled together for a few moments, before Momiji answered her previous question." I've been spending a lot of time at Papa's building, helping To-ru-mutti. I have to go now! Auf Weidersen!" He kissed her cheek, and skipped out of the gate, running down the street.
Kaoru stared after him, and mouthed, "To-ru-mutti?" She blinked, and her smile faded as she remembered how angry Akito had gotten over her lateness the previous day, and jogged toward the honke, trying to prepare herself mentally for more abuse as she went.
* * *
Stretching, Kyou walked into the room, the wooden floor feeling good under his bare feet.
The smell of dinner was heavy in the air, so he figured Tohru must be close to serving it. Yuki was already seated, a math book open on the table. He seemed absorbed in his task, writing notes here and there. Kyou liked the silence, and sat across from him, not saying a word. The sound of furious typing reached his ears, followed by the sound of Tohru's gentle tones." Gomen! Sorry dinner took so long." The sound of footsteps announced Shigure's presence, along with his overly cheerful voice." Ah! Good, Dinner is ready!" Yuki looked up for a moment, his gaze wandering to the back doors, which were open, showing part of the lush, green landscape that comprised most of Souma Shigure-kun's estate, ignoring the idle clamor of dinner being served, and the mundane chatter of the other three house mates. Why can't I concentrate? That odd girl from today... I keep thinking of her. She looked so familiar...I should have gotten a better look at her face. He shook himself out of his reverie, to find Tohru extending him one of the small, round bowls full of fluffy white rice." Yuki-kun? Are you okay?" The boy's deep purple eyes focused upon her, giving her a charming smile as he took the bowl from her hands. "I'm fine, Honda-San. Thankyou." The boy took his chopsticks delicately, trying to absorb himself in his dinner. Yet his thoughts were elsewhere. It was only when Tohru Let out a soft gasp that he came to his senses." Yuki! Your Math test book!" Yuki looked down at the textbook, finding that he had poured soy sauce on it by accident. The brown haired girl stood, speaking." Yuki, I'll get some napkins, Maybe we can still save it!" She turned and hustled back into the kitchen. Next to him, he heard Kyou utter," Kuso nezumi. Tohru's clumsiness is starting to rub off on you."
Shigure piped cheerily, "Why Yuki! That's not like you! Such absentmindedness could only be caused by meeting some pretty girl, I'm sure!" The playful tease was spoken just as Tohru was walking through the doorway as Shigure spoke. Yuki saw her easy smile freeze, her muscles tense slightly. Her eyes flickered with uncertainty. Kyou noted this also, his face shifting into a grimace. Yuki blinked, and then stood to "Iie...." He stood to take the napkins from Tohru abruptly, trying to hide the slight agitation. Tohru bent down to help him wordlessly. "Usually you're the one that does stuff like this, Kyou." Kyou fixed a hot glare on the writer." Nani? " The two proceeded to get into an argument. Tohru didn't look up as she cleaned. "Yuki-kun just has to be more careful." She murmured. The gray haired boy was really getting agitated now. As he cleaned he stared at the sauce, dumbfounded. How could a chance meeting with one faceless girl cause something like this?
* End of chapter *