A love too precious to squander, too strong to avoid, and too fragile to withstand anything in between…This is the relationship between Hatori and Yukina…What happens when Shigure, out of boredom, tries to meddle with their affairs?
The 'Best' Laid Plans
He frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together as they always did when he was irritated or annoyed. It seemed to him that she was trying to avoid him lately, in a way of speaking because they still slept on the same bed every night. However, not much could be done during the night, because he had taken a vow not to do anything…anything rash that might cause both of them ending up regretting it.
Sitting at his desk, Hatori pondered over the few days that had passed with him being increasingly lonely and bothered when he turned behind expecting to find Yukina ever ready to be there for him, but he got disappointed more often than not. He wondered if he had done anything to upset her during these few days, but he could not remember anything even after racking his brains over and over again.
For four consecutive mornings, she had just gulped down a glass of milk and hastily swallowed her breakfast of bread and butter before bidding a quick goodbye to Hatori. Actually, Yukina did not need to go to the café as early as such because her job only starts in the evening. However, Hatori could not think of any other destination for Yukina, who could not drive and did not know her way around town quite well yet.
A few months before, he had found Yukina outside his house, almost freezing to death and having no memories of her past. Then, her talent in music allowed her to get a job in Ayumu's café, and Ayumu provided her with food and lodgings, as well as a satisfactory pay. Hatori had also tried his best in recovering Yukina's memories, but after many times of hypnosis, Yukina still could not remember anything. However, it brought them closer together, and after a series of events, Yukina ended up living together with Hatori, sharing a secret 'more than friends, less than lovers' relationship under the same roof. Another thing that made her so special was that Yukina once had accidentally 'hugged' Hatori, but he did not transform into a seahorse, surprising him and making him cherish Yukina more.
After enduring the zodiac curse for so many years, Hatori was free now. Akito was the one who lifted the curse from all of them, finally realising that she had been wrong all the while. Now that Hatori was free to love anyone he liked, he intended Yukina to be the recipient of all his love, care and passion for her. She knew his bizarre past, but she was willing to accept all of it, just like how she accepted him to be her lover.
However, now, Yukina was avoiding him like a plague, Hatori brooded. What in God's name had he done to deserve this treatment? Was it because he had paid less attention to her as his work in the clinic had increased? No, Yukina had always been understanding and rational. So…what is it?
He reached for the phone, debating whether it was wise to call Yukina and ask her where she was. Suddenly, an unwelcome thought slammed into his head: What if she was going out with another guy? The mere idea of Yukina smiling, laughing and enjoying herself with any male other than Hatori had him bristling, a rare phenomenon for the usually calm, cool and collected doctor.
'Yeah, right, as if you own her,' the taunting thought that sounded in his mind made him scowl at nobody in particular.
"Got down from the wrong side of bed this morning?" Shigure sauntered into his office without knocking, noticing immediately the expression on Hatori's face.
"Do you know where Yukina is?" Hatori went straight to the point, looking at Shigure closely to gauge whether he was the one responsible for Yukina's absence.
Shigure shrugged nonchalantly. "She could be anywhere, Hatori-kun. Wouldn't you know better than I?"
Hatori shook his head, missing the glint of mischief that flickered through Shigure's eyes, who was indeed the main reason behind Yukina's temporary non-appearance.
"Hatori-kun, if you have any problem, I'm always here to listen," Shigure grinned. "That's what cousins are for."
Hatori raised an eyebrow at the sometimes annoying, yet uncannily observant novelist. After some considering, he decided that it would bring no harm to tell Shigure about how Yukina disappeared for the whole day and only came back at night. Shigure listened with the utmost attention, giving himself a mental pat on the back for a well laid plan to probe out a love confession from Hatori and Yukina.
A few days back…
Hatori brought Yukina to Shigure's house, aiming to let her mingle around with the few people about her age – Yuki, Kyou, Tohru and Haru. While Hatori was engaged in a conversation with Ayame, who also happened to be there, Shigure went over to where the youngsters were. It was a known fact that Kyou and Tohru were in a steady relationship and did not bother to hide it. Being seventeen and slightly less experienced than the others, Yukina watched wide-eyed as Kyou and Tohru addressed each other as 'darling', 'sweetheart', and many more pet names, as well as showing numerous gestures of affection in public.
Upon arriving, Shigure chuckled at the expression on Yukina's face which was a mixture of curiosity, shock and wonder, and interpreted it correctly.
"Yukina-chan, you have a weird expression on your face," Shigure teased.
"Oh…Um…sorry," an embarrassed smile appeared on Yukina's face before she turned her gaze away from the couple.
"No…no…I'm not scolding you or something," Shigure assured hastily. "Has Hatori treated you well for the time you have been here?"
"Oh…Hatori has been very kind and caring to me…" Yukina smiled softly. "Only if…" she muttered, not realising that she had spoken her thoughts aloud.
"Only if?" Shigure queried, leaning forward in interest. The others also paused in their conversation, eager to find out the relationship between Hatori and the young girl in front of them.
"It's…it's nothing," Yukina stuttered, her cheeks turning pink, and she gazed innocently at everyone, hoping that Shigure would drop the subject.
"Yukina-chan, the main and biggest problem with Hatori is that he is too unromantic, and does not know how to express his feelings well," Shigure confided with an air of one telling a secret. "Has he told you that he loves you?"
Yukina gulped, for she never anticipated such a blunt question, which was coincidentally the exact problem going on in her mind right now. She shook her head, wishing that the glumness she felt did not show up on her face.
"It's easy, if Hatori would not admit it, we will just have to force him to do it," Haru interrupted, perking up at the chance of seeing his stoic cousin confessing to be in love with Yukina.
"Eh…it's interesting, don't you think so, Kyou?" Tohru chipped in, poking Kyou, who nodded his agreement.
"But…I'm…it's…I don't need Hatori to do anything for me…what he's doing for me now is more than enough," Yukina protested, seeing that all of them were now discussing excitedly about the plan.
"Calm down, Yukina-chan, we are doing it as much for Hatori as we are doing it for you. I don't want to see him lose such a gem like you just because he has some 'communication difficulties' and be a grouchy bachelor for all his life," Shigure guffawed at his own joke. "Would you cooperate with us, please?"
The insistent tone of Shigure's voice, combined with her own desire to hear the magic words from Hatori, coaxed her into agreeing with the strange, crazy plan devised mainly by Shigure himself. What she did not know was that, Shigure also added a few elements of his own to get Yukina to confess her own love for Hatori.
"Have you ever tried telling her that you love her?" Shigure directed the questions at a broody Hatori.
"I…it's…" at a loss for words, Hatori stared at Shigure. "I thought she would already know it – it's so obvious."
"Listen to the expert, Hatori-kun. Every single female in the world softens up at the three magic words, why should Yukina be different?" Shigure continued. "Maybe she got tired of waiting for your stubborn mouth to open and went off with another…you know?" "Although I highly doubt it," he added silently, suppressing the urge to laugh at the look on Hatori's face.
"Or, you might try your hand at getting her to admit it to you instead of the other way round," Shigure suggested, thus starting the second part of his plan.
After listening to Shigure's idea, Hatori was a little dubious and suspecting at first, but gave in when he thought that the plan would get Yukina back to him once more. Gritting his teeth in determination, Hatori set off to make a phone call to a person who was essential in carrying out the plan.
That night, Yukina was as usual working at the café, performing on the stage when she saw a familiar figure walk into the place. Her spirits rose instantly as she recognised the person as Hatori, and then sank to the very bottom as immediately as they shot up when she saw a female companion beside him. They seemed to know each other very well and were enjoying their time together. The female was about Hatori's age, and the two of them quickly found a small table while Hatori ordered the drinks. Forcing herself to smile, Yukina tried to focus on her music, channelling her attention towards it.
"She's really something, Hatori," Mayuko Shiraki commented, observing the lively brown-haired girl who was indeed competent in her job, entertaining the audience with pleasant music, soothing their nerves after enduring a long, hard day at work. She did not just play the music, she literally gave life to it with her skilful fingers. If the music she played could not warm one's heart, the bright, happy smile on her face surely could.
Hatori smiled at Mayuko, his ex-girlfriend after Kana. After going on a trip together, the both of them arrived at a mutual conclusion that they were not at all suitable for each other, and parted ways as friends.
"She's also good for you…I never seen you smile this way before," Mayuko patted his hand in a friendly way. "Now, what possessed you to trust Shigure and his devious plan?" she thrust him the question with a sharp look.
Yukina saw Mayuko touch Hatori's hand, and her mood, if possible, sank even lower. If she had looked closer, she would have seen a wedding ring on her finger. "Serves you right for being childish and demanding." Her inner voice sounded, and her fingers slipped, causing her to make a mistake on the piano. Thankfully it was just a minor error, and nobody in the crowd seemed to notice. "Look how elegant and matured the woman is compared to you…"
Yukina looked at their direction again, and noticed that they had disappeared. Blinking back tears, she concentrated on the piano, pushing all nasty thoughts of Hatori together with the woman to the back of her mind.
Actually, the two of them went to join Shigure's table, while Shigure then proceeded to explain the plan to Mayuko, who finally relented to give her assistance.
"Mark my words, Shigure, I'm just doing it to help Hatori here," Mayuko glared at Shigure. "And that's a stupid plan if you ask me."
"I assure you, once Yukina sees that she might lose Hatori, she will admit it in no time," Shigure said confidently, sparing a glance at the stage. "Are you sure that she saw the two of you together?"
"I'm absolutely sure of that," Mayuko said wearily. "Her eyes have practically trailed Hatori since he stepped into here."
Together with them was Ayumu, the owner of the café who also agreed to help Shigure.
"These two have an eerily accurate instinct when it comes to each other," Ayumu confirmed. "Just don't overdo it, Shigure," he warned. "Yukina is merely a young girl after all."
"I afraid of losing, of being abandoned…It's my entire fault for not being content with what I have," These thoughts rammed into Yukina's mind as she wiped her tears away. She asked the other musicians to take over her shift, claiming that she had something urgent to attend to.
She rushed home in a cab, packing some of her personal belongings in a bag and scribbling a note for Hatori.
"I'm sorry, Hatori. I should not have taken you for granted and be your burden for so long. I'm leaving now. Yukina."
As she ran out onto the streets, she realised that she had nowhere to go. After considering for a moment, she dialled Tohru's number using a public phone. Although surprised and intrigued, Tohru readily welcomed Yukina to stay at hers and Kyou's house. However, despite the many attempts by the both of them to find out what had happened, Yukina remained tight-lipped about her reasons for leaving Hatori's house. Kyou and Tohru also noticed that she looked pale and withdrawn, not like the cheerful, bubbly girl they knew.
After much pleading and begging from Yukina's side, both of them agreed not to inform Hatori of her whereabouts. Based on experience, Kyou knew that something went really wrong, and that Yukina's heart was on the brink of shattering. Once Tohru had tucked the girl into bed, he had a long discussion with Tohru about what action they should take, which should not betray the promise they made to Yukina, neither cause irreparable damage to the relationship between her and Hatori.
"I'm worried about her," Tohru said in an undertone. "Did you think Shigure-san's plan went wrong somewhere?"
"'m sure of that," Kyou said grimly. "I have never seen anyone look so heartbroken, especially this girl who is smiling and energetic all of the time."
"So, what should we do now?" Tohru pressed, throwing a glance to the room where Yukina was sleeping. "We can't tell Hatori-san about her because we had promised…"
"Hmm…" Kyou thought hard for a moment, and perked up. "We just promised her not to tell Hatori-kun, but…"
"We can tell someone else!" Tohru exclaimed, knowing instantly what was in Kyou's mind. "Who do you think can solve this problem?"
"Well…Shigure-kun was the one who caused all this trouble, so he's hopeless," Kyou said. "Ayame-kun cannot be trusted either…leaving only the owner of the café…what's his name, Ayumu-san?"
"We should call him and Yuki-kun…two heads are better than one right?" Tohru replied carefully. "Anyway, we should both get some sleep and deal with it in the morning."
Kyou nodded, and the two of them fell into a deep sleep, having worried much over the problem between Hatori and Yukina.
At the pub, Shigure glanced at his watch, and then looked at the stage.
"Hatori-kun, the next step is letting Yukina-chan see you with another woman at home, so you should bring Mayuko to your house before she finishes her shift." Shigure said.
Reluctantly, Hatori obeyed Shigure, wondering if he would regret his actions in the future. Ayumu watched as they walked away, and then frowned.
"What is he doing on stage? Yukina-chan's shift is not over yet…" Ayumu mused, and went backstage to look for her.
After a while, Ayumu came out, looking troubled and uneasy.
"Shigure-kun, Yukina-chan…she disappeared," Ayumu said, hauling the man up on his feet. "We should go and tell Hatori now."
"What are you so worried for?" Shigure answered easily. "She might have just decided to go somewhere else, or maybe she is already looking for Hatori-kun…"
"Will you shut up and just follow me?" Ayumu snapped impatiently. Being the sensible one, he always had to work with Hatori to take care of the trouble Shigure and Ayame left behind since their school years.
"Okay…okay…don't bite my head off," Shigure held up his hands in defeat.
At the same time they arrived at Hatori's house, they saw him rushing out of it, with Mayuko following him.
Ayumu opened his mouth, but Hatori was faster.
"Yukina…she's gone…" his eyes had a blank look, as though he was too shocked beyond words. He held a piece of paper to Ayumu, who read it out loud.
"I'm sorry, Hatori. I should not have taken you for granted and be your burden for so long. I'm leaving now. Yukina." Ayumu read, and his eyes widened. "Shit…this is bad."
"Guys, don't get frantic, we should split up and search for her," Mayuko held up a hand. "Hatori, you take this side with Ayumu-san, I will go with Shigure. She can't go very far at this time because there are no cabs around."
The four of them split up and went searching for Yukina immediately. However, the three hours they spent looking for her was fruitless as they could see no signs of her on the streets, especially the streets near Hatori's house which was quite secluded.
"Um…Hatori, won't you think it better if you take a rest and continue searching for her tomorrow morning?" Mayuko suggested tentatively, looking at Hatori's agitated expression.
"You guys go and get some sleep, I will continue looking for Yukina," Hatori replied, his face forbidding anyone to question his decision.
Unable to reason with Hatori, Ayumu, Shigure and Mayuko returned to their respective homes, leaving Hatori alone to pursue Yukina. After long hours of searching, dawn finally arrived, but Hatori still had no luck in finding her. Frustrated and perplexed, he went back home, finding his house unusually quiet and unwelcoming because of the lack of presence of a certain brown-eyed girl.
He did not go to bed, or rather, he could not sleep. How could he fall asleep while knowing that Yukina was not snuggled in the comforts of the huge bed, but somewhere outside, probably lost and unhappy? He read and re-read the note Yukina left him over and over, hoping to get some clues from there about where Yukina might go. He knew that she was sad because she had seen him together with Mayuko, but he was expecting a love declaration, or at least a jealous argument like Shigure had predicted, and not an abrupt leaving like she did.
Finally, dawn arrived after a long, sleepless night for both Yukina and Hatori. Hatori's eyes had black rings around them, while Yukina's was slightly swollen as a result of crying over what she had seen.
Hatori rubbed his eyes, noticing that the sunlight already was shining into his study. He glared at nobody in particular, crumpling the note that Yukina had left him. The whole night spent brooding over a piece of paper was useless, as he was no closer in finding Yukina than he was yesterday. However, he was filled with determination to locate Yukina by the end of today, and drag her back to his house no matter she was willing or not.
On the other hand, Tohru was debating whether to call Ayumu and inform him that Yukina was in her house. She knew without asking, that Yukina would be extremely reluctant for her to do so, but she felt it her responsibility to prevent Yukina from leaving Hatori, as the two was obviously so in love with each other. After a prolonged period of thinking of the matter together with Kyou, they decided to call Yuki first and get his opinion.
In a few minutes, Yuki hurried over to Kyou's house after hearing the news. Since the day he met her, Yuki has always been fond of Yukina, and loved her like his own sister. It was not only because of the similarity in their names, but also that Yuki felt that she was a mere child lacking a family to love and protect her. Sometimes, when Hatori was busy at the clinic, he would drop Yukina at his house, and Yuki took good care of her together with Machi who was equally fond of the girl. Kyou, Yuki and Tohru were twenty years old, while Machi and Haru were one year younger. From what she could gather of her past, Yukina was now almost seventeen years old and slightly younger than the others.
Tohru was ready to receive Yuki into her house. In a few brief sentences, she explained the happenings since yesterday night, and how Yukina ended up in her house. Being a quick thinker, Yuki immediately knew that Yukina's actions were caused by Shigure's idiotic plans, and he sat down to ponder on ways to solve the problem. While he was thinking, Kyou placed another call to Ayumu, who was startled to realise that Yukina was just a few streets away from the unsuspecting Hatori. Ayumu promised to keep Yukina's whereabouts a temporary secret, and also made his way to Kyou's house.
Yukina lied on the bed, feeling a little dizzy and light-headed. Fortunately, the walls of the house were soundproof, and she could not hear Yuki's and Ayumu's voices from the living room. She looked at her surroundings, thinking it very strange that she was not in Hatori's bed. Then, the memory of seeing Hatori together with Mayuko flooded back into her head at a rapid pace, and she sank onto the bed, a deep sorrow hanging on her heart like the heaviest stone. Before she knew it, she drifted back into a dreamless slumber, which was to make up for the previous night she spent awake on the bed, thinking of Hatori.
"Where is Yukina-chan?" Ayumu asked in a low voice, directing the question to Tohru. "Why did you not tell Hatori instead of me?"
"She's in the room there," Tohru replied, pointing in the general direction of where Yukina was. "And she made us promise not to tell Hatori that she's here."
Ayumu nodded, considering this piece of vital information. Although Ayumu had not seen her since yesterday, he knew that she must be heartbroken, or else she would not take her departure like this. Being her employer for these few months, he had grasped her character and grew to genuinely like Yukina. The latter also developed a deep trust for Ayumu, and the relationship between them was sincere and frank. Ayumu quite liked the idea of Yukina being together with Hatori, who was his best friend. To him, Hatori was too serious and quiet, and Yukina was just the perfect one to brighten his life up with her cheery smiles and cute antics. Maybe Yukina was a tad too young, but that was not an issue in her relationship with Hatori. If the stupid game played by Shigure caused them to break up, it would be too much of a loss for both of them.
Yuki and Ayumu let out a sigh simultaneously, and they smiled wryly at each other.
"What do you think we should do, Ayumu-san?" Yuki inquired.
"Let's go in and talk to her first, shall we?" Ayumu stood up and went into the room. "On second thought, you go and call Hatori-kun to ask him to come here, and I will talk to Yukina-chan."
Yuki frowned. "Do you think it's okay to inform Hatori? I mean, Yukina-chan seems extremely reluctant to meet him…"
"It would be easy for him to come and explain, to say that he has nothing going on with Mayuko-san," Ayumu said, longing to bang Shigure's head for doing something like this.
"I don't think it's as simple as that, Ayumu-san," Yuki answered, appearing to be deep in thought. "Yukina-chan does not seem like the type that would run away from a confrontation, and if she is merely jealous of Mayuko-sensei, she would just go and tell Hatori about it."
"Hmm…" at a loss for words, Ayumu motioned for Yuki to continue.
"If I'm not wrong, Yukina feels very insecure, with her amnesiac condition…and maybe she thinks that her existence here is very precarious, and Hatori did not actually give her any strong reassurance that he needs her to be with him, at least not that I know of," Yuki said. "In brief words, Yukina does not feel a sense of belonging here, and any wrong actions that we take will cause her to think that she is not welcomed…"
"For instance, seeing Hatori with another woman makes her think that she is not wanted by him anymore…" Ayumu completed his sentence, thinking hard about the meaning and consequences of it. "At this stage, we would just have to tell Hatori about our guesses, and pray that we are correct, and also hope that Hatori could manage to persuade Yukina to stay with him."
"I agree, Ayumu-san, would you go and distract Yukina-chan while I ask Hatori to come here?" Yuki said in an undertone.
Ayumu nodded, and did as Yuki said. He knocked on the door, did not receive an answer and went straight into the room. He grinned wryly as he saw Yukina buried under a thick pile of blankets, obviously still in a deep sleep. Looking at her angelic face, Ayumu had no trouble imagining why Hatori loved her. Deciding not to disturb her, Ayumu sat down on a chair, thinking about what he should say to Yukina when she woke up. Unfortunately, he let out a great sigh before he could stop himself, and the sound immediately woke Yukina up.
"Ayumu-san…you…" Yukina stared at the older man, wondering why he was here in the room.
"Good morning, Yukina-chan," Ayumu smiled at Yukina, who was looking as though she had seen a ghost.
"Good morning, Ayumu-san…Um…why are you here?" Yukina regained her composure and asked, all the while staring at him suspiciously.
"Just call me Ayumu, Yukina-chan," Ayumu ignored her question and said smoothly. "Anyway, this is not the main point…the issue is, why are you here?"
"I thought I asked you first, Ayumu," Yukina replied evenly, her brown eyes never leaving Ayumu's face.
"What a coincidence, I'm here visiting Tohru-san and Kyou," Ayumu lied, his eyes never blinking even for once.
"I have learnt to not believe in coincidences, especially when it comes to you, Ayame and Shigure," Yukina gave a small smile at him. She knew Ayumu well enough to know that he would not mind her speaking not so politely to him; in fact, he would probably like it better when she was not behaving formally to him.
Ayumu raised a quizzical eyebrow and pretended to look hurt. "What have I done to earn your distrust, Yukina-chan?"
Yukina poked out her tongue cutely. "Okay, no more word games, Ayumu. What did you want to talk to me about? You, of all people, would not wake up so early just to visit anyone, not even your mother…"
"I will sum all the things I want to talk to you this morning into one word – Hatori," Ayumu stated, watching as her mouth dropped open in surprise.
"Hatori?" Yukina asked innocently, while a pang of pain stabbed her in the heart.
"Yes, him. Why are you not in his house at this moment?" Ayumu asked. "Has something happened between the two of you, Yukina-chan?"
Tears welled in Yukina's eyes, causing Ayumu to get flustered. He hurriedly sat on the bed, putting an arm around her in a gesture of reassurance.
"What's the matter, Yukina-chan? You know, you can tell me anything that's troubling you…" Ayumu said softly, trying to comfort her.
She did not answer, but tears flowed down her face at a more rapid pace. Desperately seeking comfort, she buried her face into Ayumu's chest, and the startled Ayumu instinctively put his arms around her into what that seemed like a hug to anyone who might walk on the scene.
The gods must have been playing a cruel joke on Yukina and Hatori, for the latter, after receiving the phone call from Yuki, immediately made his way to where Yukina was. At the instant he barged into the room, he saw Yukina literally in Ayumu's arms, and he would not be surprised to hear the sound of his heart shattering upon seeing his close friend and the person he loved most in the world apparently cheating on him.
Sensing a chilly atmosphere from the doorway, Ayumu turned to see a simmering Hatori staring at both of them in what seemed like a glare. Ayumu stared back at Hatori in puzzlement – what reason in the world had possessed Hatori to glare at them as he never did before, moreover to the girl that he was supposed to hold and comfort right now? Then, he realised with a jolt that he was holding the aforesaid girl in his arms at that very moment, and correctly guessed the reason behind Hatori's cold expression. He gently released Yukina and whirled around to face a seething Hatori.
"You had better put a stop to the perverse game both of you are playing before somebody gets hurt," Ayumu said to Hatori in a curt whisper. "And go and comfort her instead of standing here like a jealous idiot."
Ayumu walked out of the room before Hatori had a chance to retort, feeling exasperated at the almost childish jealousy shown by Hatori a moment ago. Hatori, of all people should have known and understood the relationship between Ayumu and Yukina by now. In his haste to get away from the room, he collided into Yuki, who was coincidentally looking for him.
"Ayumu-san…I tried explain the situation to Hatori, but he barged into the room after hearing that Yukina-chan is inside," Yuki said apologetically.
To Yuki's surprise, Ayumu smiled. "Maybe this will be better, anyway, it's best for us not to interfere, but sit back and look at how they sort things out…"
"What if they don't?" Yuki asked, feeling more than a little bit worried at how things were progressing. He had not seen Hatori looking so grim before, and that was before he went into the room. Now that he had the opportunity to confront Yukina, there's no telling what flames might burst out of the room.
"Then we would have to lock the two in the room and leave them to make up…and out," Ayumu added the last two words silently, suppressing a grin. "Maybe Hatori was just jealous and angry that Yukina-chan would stay overnight in someone else's house."
Yuki shook his head disbelievingly, but he did not pursue the subject. The two of them returned to the living room, where they were served tea and cookies by Tohru, while Ayumu were questioned by them about what happened inside the room.
Meanwhile, Yukina was puzzled by Ayumu's sudden departure, and turned around to see the man she dreaded most to see. Hastily, she turned away to hide her tears, but not before Hatori caught a glimpse of shock on her face, replaced by bewilderment, fear and lastly, heart-wrenching sorrow. Hatori's emotions were in turmoil. He could not believe what he had seen from the doorway, but a devil inside him was trying to persuade him that he had actually caught Yukina cheating on him.
He walked tentatively towards the side of the bed. Whether Yukina was cheating on him or not, he was determined to win her back into his house, and his bed. Before he could do or say anything further however, Yukina was already running her way out of the door. An inexplicable rage filled Hatori's mind. Was Yukina so determined not to be with him that she was even unwilling to be in the same room as him? Or she was just anxious to be with Ayumu, who had left the room earlier? Another unwelcome thought hit him – was Yukina's absence this few days caused by Ayumu? Was she at his house for the whole time?
The four people in the living room looked up in surprise as Yukina fled out of the room without saying anything, followed by a harried Hatori, who oddly looked perplexed and angry at the same time. At the exact instant Yukina reached for the door handle, the door opened, nearly hitting her if not for Hatori, who grabbed her quickly, if more than a little roughly from behind.
Yukina rubbed her nose, dazed from all the complicated events that happened since yesterday. In came Shigure with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, tailed by the woman who was with Hatori yesterday. In broad daylight, she looked even sophisticated wearing a casual blouse and jeans. Sadly, Yukina thought of herself, still in her cartoon-printed pyjamas, looking all the more childish compared to this woman. Maybe it was best for her to leave after all – Hatori was too good to be stuck with a plain, childish girl like her.
"Yukina-chan?" Mayuko called hesitantly, unsure what the girl's reaction would be. "Hatori had been looking for you since yesterday."
Yukina stared stupidly back at her. Wasn't she the one who was Hatori's new girlfriend? Why would she say something like that?
"What?" Yukina finally organised her tongue to produce that mono-syllable. "Um…if you would excuse me, I'm in a hurry right now."
Before the sentence ended, she was already out of the door, running as if she had seen a ghost. Hatori swore loudly, startling everyone as he was always a good mannered person, while the swearing is normally done by Shigure and Ayumu. He too, followed Yukina's trail, cursing himself for being a total idiot. Of course Yukina would not cheat on him, what had he been thinking? The way she ran out of the door, instead of into Ayumu's arms was proof enough.
Hatori's legs were naturally much longer than Yukina's, and he caught up to her without any effort. He snagged her from behind, ignoring the curious stares of passers-by who were evidently wondering if the grown man was playing tag with the teenager girl clad in pyjamas.
"Stop running away from me, Yukina," Hatori stated in a cool, dangerous voice that Yukina never heard him use before.
Turning back, she saw Hatori, appraising her with the cat-like green eyes he had. His movements were panther-like as he dragged her into a secluded alley. Mistaking the expression on his face for anger, she opened her mouth quickly to speak.
"Hatori, I will compensate you for what I have used in the past few months, but will you please give me some time?" Yukina pleaded, thinking that Hatori was angry because she had ran away without paying him for the food, clothes and many more that she used while she was staying with him.
"Now what in the world you are talking about?" Hatori stared at her in consternation, wondering what was going on. His quick doctor mind immediately thought of the note she had left him, the one about living off him and such, and made the association with her words. Grinning slyly, Hatori found the perfect way to deal with the situation.
"You want to compensate me?" Hatori asked Yukina softly, and the latter nodded. "Let me see…you have lived with me, used my time missing and thinking of you, stole my heart with your cute smile, and made me love you. How do you propose to compensate me, Yukina?"
Yukina's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something, but Hatori found a way to silence her effectively. His hands tightening on her arm in a strong grip, he pulled her into his arms, leaving her with no chance to escape from him. In another smooth move, his head swooped down to capture her lips in a kiss. An achingly sweet, crazily passionate one. He kissed her with all the pent-up desire he felt since a few days ago, tongue diving into her mouth, seeking out hers and enticing it to come out. Immediately, heat seared through the both of them, warming them from head to feet in spite of the cold weather. His hands fisted in her hair, pulling her head back for a deeper kiss. He devoured her as if he would never get enough of her, and he was unwilling to release her.
After a while that seemed like eternity, Hatori finally ended the kiss, holding Yukina at arm's length and gazing into her startled brown eyes.
"Hatori…" The breathless way Yukina murmured his name was music to Hatori's ears. Smiling, he pulled her close again, savouring the moment they were together. At that instant, Hatori knew that he was too in love with Yukina, that he will not ever let anything be an obstacle to him, be it a love rival, or even her mysterious past.
"Shall we go home, Yukina?" Hatori asked softly, and the girl nodded. "But first, I need to drop by Kyou's house to explain something."
Hand in hand, they walked slowly back to the house, where Tohru was standing at the gate, looking anxious and concerned. When she saw them together however, the expression on her face turned into one of relief. Although all seemed peaceful now, there was still a nagging question in both Hatori's and Yukina's hearts. They wondered whether the other had been unfaithful, but they were equally determined to forgive and forget, and not bring up the subject any more. This question might always be in their hearts, and stay there forever until it erupts into another full-fledged argument.
However, luckily Mayuko and Ayumu were still there at the house, and the former immediately went forward to greet Yukina.
"Yukina-chan, I know you might have some misunderstanding of me," Mayuko started, and held up a hand to stop Yukina, who was about to say that she did not mind any more. "Actually, I'm married."
She showed the wedding ring on her finger to Yukina, who went wide-eyed with surprise at seeing it.
"But, just to be truthful with you, we were once a couple, a long time ago, but now what exists between us is pure friendship," Mayuko continued.
Hatori held his breath, wondering if Yukina would accept this fact. He was relieved to see that Yukina nodded and bowed.
"Thank you for telling me," she said sincerely.
"I'm Mayuko Shiraki, previously Yuki's and Kyou's homeroom teacher," the older woman offered, and shook Yukina's hand.
"I'm Yukina-Rei, a musician at Scarlet Café," Yukina replied, a long lost smile back on her face. Now that Mayuko was just a very short distance away from Yukina, she could see how her particular smile could lift one's spirits instantly, and fill one with the joy and fun it brings.
"I have seen you perform, Yukina-chan. You are one extraordinary girl, and Hatori is very lucky to have you," Mayuko complimented, patting her on the head. "Sorry, that's an old habit of mine; although I'm not a teacher any more…" she withdrew her hand quickly and smiled back at Yukina. "I should be leaving now…Hatori, take good care of Yukina, and don't take part in any of Shigure's stupid games again."
Mayuko left before Yukina could ask her about the 'stupid games' part. Sneakily, Shigure also took off from the back door, in case Hatori and Yukina found out that they have been set up by the same person.
Not noticing anything out of the ordinary, Hatori kept a firm grip on Yukina's shoulder lest she ran away again. Gently, he steered her to the doorway and was about to leave, when Tohru came running with a bag in her hands.
"Yukina-chan, these are the stuff you brought here when you came here in the morning these few days," Tohru said, handing the bag over to Yukina. "From now on, be a good girl and stay at home," Kyou added with a grin.
Thus, the confusion Hatori had of Yukina's whereabouts was cleared up, and vice versa. Feeling that a great load had been lifted from their shoulders, the two of them felt blissfully happy, and Hatori was just too glad to bring Yukina home, to where she belonged.
After a short while, both of them arrived home in Hatori's car. At the instant both of them went into the house and closed the door, Hatori immediately pulled Yukina into a deep kiss, filled with all the raging desire and passion he felt for her. The kiss was violent, mixed with tenderness and love, leaving Yukina's lips slightly swollen. Even Hatori himself was startled by the depth of his own feelings for her – he had never thought that one day he would kiss her so forcefully and almost brutally. Mentally, he chided himself. If even Hatori lost control of himself, who will be the one to protect Yukina?
He noticed that Yukina was looking at him with a strange expression on her face. It was neither fear nor anger she showed, but a kind of bafflement that he could not place a finger on. Slowly, she gazed at him with a soft light in her eyes that held all the love and adoration in the world. He held out a hand to touch her face then – he was afraid that he might not be able to control his emotions for her if he did anything more intimate.
"Don't look at me like that, Yukina," Hatori said in something like a groan. "I have promised you, I won't do it to you before we find out the truth of your past…"
Yukina remembered his promise all too clearly. Once, she had unintentionally came out of the bathroom with only a towel around her body, still dripping water, thinking that nobody else was in the house, as she assumed that Hatori had went to the clinic. However, on that particular day, Hatori planned to give Yukina a surprise and bring her to dinner. Instead, his plans were severely disrupted when he saw Yukina in her half-naked form.
It was like electric that sparked between them. Before that, their physical contacts were only limited to touching each other on the face and arms, and maybe a few passionate kisses in between. Hatori had his own strict code of conduct, and he felt it inappropriate to do anything more to Yukina. As a result, the tension between the both of them had always been there, increasing steadily with each day that passed, restrained only by Hatori's rationality.
Yukina gave a small squeal when she saw Hatori in the room, stumbled on something on the floor and fell forward, her towel loosening and falling to the floor. She would have hit the floor face-down too if Hatori did not reach out a hand in time to grab her. As such, he had the full view of Yukina's form, finding it better than what he had often dreamed about at night. In a smooth move, he pulled her to her feet and pressed her to the bed, taking off his own clothes at the same time. Below him, Yukina was dazed, wondering what was going to happen at the moment. As suddenly as his impulsive action, a warning flashed through Hatori's mind, clearing his thoughts and forcing him to calm down. Yukina, how much he might love her, was merely a child, not even eighteen years old. If he took her virginity right now, it would be extremely unfair to her, who was still innocent and pure.
Shaking his head gently at Yukina, Hatori had found some clothes for her to put on. Then, he held her hand and promised her gravely, that he would never attempt to do this to her, not until he had found out Yukina's real identity. At least, he had to protect her this much.
Now, Hatori was repeating his words like how Yukina remembered. She smiled wryly – Hatori was a responsible enough man not to break his promise, which also meant that she had to regain her memory so that she could truly be with him. After so many attempts at hypnosis, story reconstructions and guesswork, she was no closer to finding her memory than when she first met Hatori. However, this also reassured her in a strange way. In truth, she feared her past, because she had read many stories about amnesiac people who had their own dark pasts, which eventually resurfaced to destroy their lives by revealing the things that happened before. Yukina was perfectly content to live with Hatori now, and did not want anyone who knew her before to come and reclaim her into her past life.
With tears in her eyes, Yukina buried her face into Hatori's chest, willing him to comfort her. Instinctively, Hatori knew what was troubling Yukina – she had confided her fears in him before – but he was still determined to uphold his promise.
"Yukina," Hatori whispered, tilting her head up to gaze into her brown eyes. "Your past is a part of your life, and however you might feel, it is still better to recover your memories, so that you can make peace with it…"
"But, Hatori…" he held a finger to her lips to stop her words.
"I intend to keep my promise, Yukina, although it costs me a lot," Hatori continued. "And remember that I will always be by your side, that I will never give you up, unless you wish for me to do so…"
"Whatever my past is, I will still choose you," Yukina said in a voice so soft that it was barely a whisper, and her voice broke with the last words.
The emotions Hatori felt upon hearing her words were powerful and intense beyond words, and he could do nothing except to hold her closer to him.
In the safety and privacy of Shigure's house, Ayumu was busy scolding him for all that happened in the past few days.
"Do you know, you idiot, that your actions could have cause irreparable damage to their relationship?" Ayumu hissed, slapping Shigure on the arm.
"I was just trying to bring them closer," Shigure defended, shrugging as though he was entirely innocent, and all these had nothing to do with him.
"What you did was clearly interfering, and if both of them found out that you set them up…" Ayumu trailed off, not seeing either Hatori or Yukina plotting revenge on Shigure. Sometimes, they were too soft-hearted for their own good…
"How's Akito doing?" Ayumu asked suddenly, a sly grin on his face. "Last time I heard, you and her were sleeping together. Shall I try to bring both of you closer too?"
"Akito?" Shigure repeated, his tone becoming evasive and secretive. "She travelled to somewhere north, saying that she had to atone for some mistakes she did in the past."
"Ah, I see," Ayumu said, although he did not see at all. "Well, when she comes back, you can count on me to have a plan ready for 'bringing you closer together', as you put it."
With these words, Ayumu left the house, smirking at the look on Shigure's face. The latter continued thinking hard, Akito occupying his whole mind. Ayumu's words were true – they have lain together many times before, but now, it was different for both of them. By setting the cursed zodiacs free, she automatically gave up her position as the leader of the Souma clan, and was now more emotionally vulnerable than before. Shigure tried the best he could to support her, but Akito was determined to resolve all the problems she created in her past by herself. Lately, she told him that she was trying to locate a girl, whom she had harmed gravely before. That mysterious person had the bonds of fate which were connected to the Souma clan, but these bonds were ruthlessly destroyed by Akito out of spite and jealousy. When and how it happened, Shigure could only guess, as Akito would only tell him this much.
Akito had left on her mission for a week now, leaving Shigure at home, bored and unoccupied. In reality, this was the main reason he would play such a prank on Hatori and Yukina. He did not bargain on Yukina acting the way she did, running away instead of confronting Hatori. Thankfully, all went well at the end, or Shigure would be guilty for causing the rift between the two of them. Thinking about Akito, and the girl she was about to bring back, Shigure eventually drifted into a deep sleep.
Back in Hatori's house, Yukina was sitting on his lap, the both of them watching a comedy on television together, apparently still too wound up to get any sleep. Suddenly, Hatori shifted his legs, and caught Yukina before she fell off the couch.
"I forgot to ask you something…" Hatori began, and continued after he had Yukina's full attention. "Exactly why did you go to Kyou's house in the early morning for these few days?"
Oddly, Yukina's face turned a crimson red, and she hesitated for quite a while before replying.
"Well…um…it's actually Shigure…" she replied, and told Hatori, with some embarrassment, about everything since the day he bought her to Shigure's house.
Hatori's expression changed from amusement, bewilderment to outright irritation. So, it was Shigure who caused all this trouble, and he still had the cheek to advise him what to do?
"I'm sorry, Hatori," Yukina apologised, mistaking his expression as annoyance directed to her.
"It's not you, it's Shigure," Hatori reassured her, and told her how Shigure had set the both of them up.
"But, if it means so much to you, I will say it again…" Hatori's tone became softer and gentler, as he gazed straight into her eyes. Lowering his head so that his lips almost touched hers, he whispered, "I love you, Yukina."
Then, he kissed her squarely on the mouth, and it was a long while before anyone of them remembered the comedy on the television.