10 years ago…
On a bench near the Sohma Main House sat Ritsu. Adora and him were both were fairly young. Nine year old her and ten year old him. It was a wonderful Valentine's Day, or so it seemed.
Happily walking to the park near her house, she waved at Ritsu. She had a card in her hand gripped tight. Adora and Ritsu had known each other for three years.
"Ritsu!" She called still waving with a big smile on her face.
"Hey Adora!" he called back.
Finally reaching him, she handed him her card. Both of them just stared at the card for a second and then he smiled.
"I have one for you too." He pulled out a small card with a picture of the both of them that her grandmother took.
She smiled and grabbed the card for herself and opened it. It had a big heart in it. Looking up she saw Ritsu had already opened his card and was looking at it oddly.
"You okay Ritsu?" She said kind of confused.
"XO?" He pointed at the x's and o's at the bottom of the card.
"Hugs and kisses."
"Oh. Sorry I didn't know."
"It's okay Ritsu."
A rustle came from a bush and Ritsu looked up.
"What was that?"
"Hm?"
"Never mind…" He smiled and stood up.
"Thanks for the card."
"No, thank you." She took a playful bow and giggled.
"…That's enough." A voice called.
Akito came from a bush and grabbed the cards and stepped on them.
"Stop, stop, stop! I've had enough! No more!" Akito was upset and yelling very loudly.
Akito pushed Adora on the ground and grabbed Ritsu by the hair and made him bow down.
"You will never see this girl again you hear me? Never!"
He held onto Ritsu's hair to hold still his squirming self. He used his other hand and grabbed Ritsu's clothes and dragged him away slowly. Ritsu hid his eyes from her as she watched him go.
Sitting there on the ground she stared at her now dirty card. Picking it up she started to cry. Getting up quickly and running home, with the card in hand, to try and forget, Ritsu Sohma.
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"Grandma! You home?" She walked around.
"Alright. I guess I'll just have to go to the store and get a whole box all to myself!" She called sarcastically.
"Make sure they're Valentine jelly buns. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day you know." A voice called.
"Yeah… I know."
She lived with her grandmother for she replaces Adora's parents. They were killed in an accident when she was no more then half a year old. She would do anything for her grandmother and her brother.
"Will you be okay while I'm gone?" She called back to the voice.
"Yes, as usual." The voice called again.
A faint smile appeared over her face as she headed out the door. Walking down the street to the store she drifted into a daydream. It was of Ritsu. Slowly a frown took over her face as she realized who she was daydreaming of. 'A quick shopping trip should clear my mind.' She thought. Adora was a fairly tall brunette, about five feet eight inches. Beautiful hair roaming to her hips and deep cloudy grey eyes that had an amazing spark of gold and green in them. She had a gentle light caramel color to her skin, which was smooth as silk.
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Walking into the store she blinked, rubbed her eyes, and gave a loud whining moan. The whole store overnight had gone from an old fashioned market to a Valentine's Paradise. Slowly moving to the jelly buns she felt worse and worse as she saw all the couples. She tried to ignore all the googly-eyed girls whispering things into their boyfriend's ears that seemed to give them a perverted look. Finally reaching the jelly buns, she grabbed the Valentine pack and gave a long sigh.
Slumping to the checkout counter her friend was at, a little girl pulled on her shirt.
"Hey, you look sad. Cheer up!" the little girl said while handing her a small chocolate.
"Thanks." She said with a warm smile and took the chocolate and in return, handed the girl one of her Valentine's jelly buns.
She smiled and took the jelly bun, bit it, and strode off munching away.
As quick as that smile came, it went. She reached the check out line and lazily put the jelly bun box on the counter.
"Rough day Adora?" James said.
"Do you have to ask?" She looked up at him and he just stared at her.
"I guess not." He said while ringing up the jelly buns.
"Thanks James." She grabbed the box and headed out of the store.
Off in that odd daydream land of hers, she imagined what she would be like if James was her boyfriend. She stopped right in her tracks and shivered.
"Never gunna happen."
Walking again she watched kids across the street playing some type of sport in the fields. She smiled and then felt a huge bump against her and fell to the ground. Sitting up she rubbed her head.
"Hey watch where your go…" She couldn't finish what she had to say. She looked up and was completely speechless.
"R…Ritsu?"
The person in front of her was blabbing 'I'm sorry!' so much that he didn't even hear her. He stopped as soon as he saw her face. He blinked, and they both just stared at each other, No words to express what was happening. He went to talk, but no words came out of his mouth.
"I'm sorry. You look so much like a dear old friend of mine, I forgot to help you up." He said while extending a hand out for her.
She grabbed his hand and pulled herself up and another odd staring contest began.
"An old friend huh?" She put her hands on her hips.
"Yeah I swear you look just like…" he shook his head. "Never mind."
"I look like who?" She said with a smile.
"Hmmmm…I think I look like a Adora don't you think?" Now she was just messing around. A big smile spread across her face.
"Adora?" He said surprised.
"Ooooh! You got me!" She said, laughing a little.
"And if I'm not mistaken, you look like a Ritsu." Pointing at him she smiled even more.
"I am Ritsu, which makes you my old friend, yes?"
"Bingo! Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Ritsu!" She said laughing.
Ritsu had an odd spaced out look on his face. She waved a hand in front of him. Nothing happened so she shrugged, picked up her box of jelly buns, and kept walking. He jumped back to reality, turned around and ran up next to her.
"How weird…Are you sure you're my Adora?" Ritsu said while studying her.
"Oh so I'm yours?" She raised an eyebrow.
"You know what I meant!"
She pouted. "Aw. You don't make it fun."
"Scratch that question. I definitely know that you're the Adora I know."
She laughed and took a deep breath.
"Why are you following me?" She said while looking at the box of jelly buns in her hands.
"I'm going to your main house."
"Hm? How'd you know about our main house?" She said while coming right to a stop.
"I have my resources." He said not realizing she stopped.
'And I have mine.' She thought.
She slowly walked ahead of him, going faster and faster. She started going at a running pace and started laughing.
"Well if your coming to the Lee Main House you better catch up!"
"Oh I don't want to run." He watched her grow further away.
"Guess I have to." He started to run after her and stopped when he saw her in front of a giant wall with a gate.
"Lee Main House?" He said while panting.
"Yep!" She pushed on the gate. "Man it's being a pain."
Ritsu stood next to her and helped push the gate open and when she walked in, close it.
"Thanks a bunch. Now follow me through the crazy maze I call home."
She walked passed a fairly large building that was larger than the homes. Ritsu was looking at it.
"What's in there? I mean, why is it bigger than the other buildings?"
"That would be the information building. That's not its real name but that's what I call it so I don't get confused. We'll visit it later."
She directed Ritsu's attention to a house with a little pond with flowers in the front yard. The water was crystal clear and the flowers were lively and free. The gentle touched house was saying 'Welcome!' all over it.
"That would be my home."
"Wow."
"Thanks?" She smiled.
Both of them walked into the house slowly.
"Grandma? Hello?"
A short woman popped up in front of Ritsu, studying him. She circled him twice with an 'Mm hm' and 'Ooooh!' with every turn. Ritsu just stood there giving Adora a very confused look saying 'What's happening?' but she was too busy trying to hold back a laugh. Ritsu's expression was just too great.
"Grandma! Cut it out!"
"Alright. Sorry. Just admiring."
Ritsu looked at Adora and then the short woman you called 'Grandma'.
"Admiring?" He looked even more confused then ever.
"Yes, admiring." She looked at Adora. "He has grown to be so handsome. Snag him for yourself Adora before he's taken." She raised a eyebrow at her.
"Yes he ha--Wait a second…you know who this is?" She looked at her grandmother oddly.
"Ritsu. Am I right?" She faced him.
He looked at her, then Adora, and then her again, and blinked a couple times which meant he was still trying to process what was happening.
"Umm…yes, that's me. How'd you know?"
"My child. I know all." She laughed and gave him a warm smile.
Ritsu stood in front of Adora and just stared at her.
"Hello? You okay?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm still wondering how Grandma knew who you were."
She popped up in between the both of them.
"Adora. Give me those jelly buns."
She looked down and saw she was still holding the jelly bun box and handed it to her grandmother.
"Now Ritsu. You must try Adora's jelly buns! I can't eat them because if I do, I won't be able to stop. They're that good!" She had a big smile on her face.
"Oh. I don't want to be a burden…" Ritsu said seriously.
"No. You will always be welcome here." Her big smile was a warm welcoming for sure.
"I cannot. I have somewhere to be. It is fairly important. I came by just to see where Adora lives so I can visit more often."
"Well, at least take some of her jelly buns." She grabbed two.
"Grandma! Let me wrap them up." Adora grabbed them and ran into the kitchen and came back out with them wrapped in a light yellow silk cloth.
"I've always treasured this wrapping cloth. I want you to have it. So you always can remember me." She looked at the cloth as though saying goodbye to it and handed it to Ritsu who happily took it.
"I will treasure the jelly buns and the beautiful wrapping it's in." He said with a faint smile. "I most go now. I will see you soon." He nodded and headed to the door.
"Ritsu. Promise to come back tomorrow. I'm doing something special tomorrow that I do every year. I wish for you to be there. Meet me outside the gate at eleven?" She said in a hopeful way.
"I will try, for you." He looked at her and her grandmother and gave a nod of thanks and went out the door.
Adora's grandmother grabbed her by the shirt and dragged her to the window.
"What?" She said annoyed.
"You better watch him leave. Make sure he can make it out okay. And, maybe to admire his handsome features." She giggled at the last sentence.
Adora looked out the window trying to ignore the fact that her grandmother was trying to get her to check Ritsu out. He was walking away slowly. Not looking lost, but examining the area. His walk was enchanting. Graceful and smooth, yet sturdy and bold. His long beautiful hair flowing behind him looked like sweet dark honey fresh from the hive, dancing through the air. She hadn't realized this coming home but he was attractive, very attractive at that. Adora turned away from the window when he drifted from her view.
"Grandma…do you think he'll come back?" She looked at her.
"My dear child." She put a hand on her cheek. "The truth is yet to unfold. The world is a mystery. But if you believe he'll come, he'll come." She smiled and put her hand down. "Now let's go eat some Valentine's jelly buns!" She jumped up and headed straight for the jelly bun box she had placed on the counter. Adora smiled and got up and went to the box too. She grabbed a jelly bun and took a small bite out of it. She swallowed it hard because she was too busy trying to hold back a huge laugh when her grandmother stuffed three in her mouth amazingly fast and tried chewing it, which made her cheeks plump, and her lips pucker. After twenty minutes of continuous chewing she finally got all three buns down. She rubbed her jaws in pain.
"Hey that's what you get for trying to eat three whole jelly buns at once."
She looked at Adora and frowned. "I guess my craving was too high for my own good." She gave a chuckle, which hurt her jaw and she rubbed it again.
"Hey Grandma. I'm going to bed. Today's been a long day."
"But it is still early."
"I know. But I do have my performance tomorrow as well as handing out chocolates to the audience afterwards. That always takes a lot out of me. I want to get enough sleep."
She nodded and sent Adora off to her room. Slowly walking up the stairs Adora felt more and more tired. She reached the top of the steps and looked at the two guest room doors, the ladder to the library, and the empty wall to the right with a beautiful painting of a beach. She walked along the wall with the painting and stopped in front of a giant sand dollar. Reaching for the center of the sand dollar where the star begins, she pushed in and a small handle came out of the hole. She turned the handle and opened the secret door to her room. Adora and her grandmother were the only people who knew how to get into her room. No one would know unless one of them told someone. The door wasn't even visible. The painting covered any sight of the door crack, so it just looked like a painted wall. That's what Adora thought was so cool about it.
She stepped into her room and smiled at the peaceful coconut milk and orchid smelling room. It relaxed her. Slowly she walked to her closet and pulled out a long sleeved button up shirt, it was a business shirt. It was silk and white colored. She loved it dearly. Adora got undressed and put on the top, which covered her up to her thighs. She slipped on a pair of panties and sat on her bed. Before going to sleep she took a deep breath. She was relaxed immediately. She laid down and covered herself in her blanket. She curled into a ball, in the fettle position and pulled the blanket up more. Burying her face in it and laid there silently. 'I really hope he comes tomorrow.' She smiled and slowly fell asleep.