Fruits Basket: Cursed Memories
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.
Chapter 1: A Mere Coincidence
It was a bright Saturday morning. Most people go about their daily ritual with the usual gaiety they greet the new day. Faint tinkling of the bells on bicycles going around the blocks could be heard from a distance, as well as people saying goodbyes to their families as they leave the house.
Inside the large campus of the Sohma residence however, the same cold and silent atmosphere greeted the unwelcomed day, particularly in Dr. Hatori Sohma's clinic.
Hatori was quietly reading through a document on his table when a faint noise, almost unnoticeable, was heard outside the door.
"Shigure," Hatori acknowledged without even turning around.
Caught, Shigure opened the door with a grin and leaned on the door frame, "Wow, that's incredible! I haven't even knocked yet. How did you know? Is it some power you got or have you came up with a potion that tells you—"
"What do you want?" he asked dryly, too used to Shigure's chattering.
"That certainly dampened the spirit," Shigure muttered with a sweatdrop, "Anyway, I'm here to ask you if you want to go out with us shopping."
Shopping?
Definitely Tohru's idea. Cursed Sohmas such as them do not shop for fear that they might accidentally blow off their secret, Hatori thought, still not looking at Shigure.
"Not to worry! Kyo already checked the place, not much people shop at this hour…" Shigure whispered with hands around his mouth, as if sharing a secret.
"No." Hatori answered, and as if to emphasize his disinterest, he flipped to the next page of the document.
"Aw come on, Ha-chan…don't be such a spoil sport! It's gonna be fun!" Shigure nagged with dramatic antics.
"No. And I'll appreciate it if you close the door after you leave." Hatori countered again.
"Oh alright, if that's your deci—"
"Ohayo gozaimasu Hatori-san!" Tohru greeted cheerfully with a bow.
"Ohayo," Yuki greeted politely beside her.
"Ohayo," Kyo, behind her, followed not too enthusiastically and not looking.
At the sound of Tohru's voice, Hatori closed his file and stood up, turning around to face her with a smile, "Ohayo gozaimasu."
"Hatori-san, would you like to come with us shopping today?" Tohru asked with her usual soft smile.
"Alright," Hatori readily agreed.
"Nani!" Shigure complained, scratching his head, "I beg you to come and you don't even listen, whereas she only has to ask once and you readily say 'yes'?"
Hatori turned around and removed his lab coat to hang it on the hook on the wall, answering him at the same time, "The reason to that is simple, my friend."
Moving towards them, he saw Tohru's sympathetic smile at Shigure and bit back a smile. Calmly, he stepped out and closed the clinic door.
"And the reason, oh holy mighty one?" Shigure asked with raised eyebrows.
As Tohru and the others move ahead of them into the hallway, Hatori turned to Shigure with a straight face, "You're not Tohru."
00000
Hatori followed behind the four along the street, observing the four going about their so-called "shopping." He thought they were going to a mall, or a department store, not these stalls beside the street selling small, poor quality things. After all, the Sohmas do not have own almost a fourth of the city for nothing. But his companions are definitely having the time of their lives. He never saw Kyo and Yuki walking together as they continue tolerating each other's presence. They may look very bothered, but he could see the content within their eyes. Even happy-go-lucky Shigure is happier than before.
Hatori could not help but smile inwardly. Females like Tohru often have that effect. They simply make other people's life seem lighter and brighter. Just like what Kana did on his life…
Immediately, Hatori shook off the thoughts. Thinking about her lets out all the pent-up emotions inside, and this is not the time to be vulnerable. Returning to his observations, he decided on listening to what his companions are doing.
"Oh look, isn't it beautiful!" Tohru exclaimed as she picked up a butterfly designed hair clip from the stall beside the street.
"Lady, you have exceptional taste!" the seller said, "I'm sure it looks good on such a beautiful face like yours. Try it on!"
Tohru promptly blushed at the sweet words and shyly refused.
"Try it on, Tohru." Yuki encouraged with a smile.
"Yeah, it looks good." Kyo added.
After some persuasion, Tohru finally put it on. "How do I look?"
"Exceptional!" Shigure exclaimed.
"Beautiful." Yuki said.
"Good." Kyo answered with a shrug.
Looking at Kyo from the corner of his eye, Yuki murmured tauntingly, "'Good', is that all?"
Matching his rival's stare with a challenging look, Kyo answered, "Yeah, got a problem with that?"
"No, not at all…for a cat, I guess it's understandable." Yuki looked away haughtily.
Unaware of the ongoing deadly stares of her friends at each other, she happily took the clip off and asked the seller the price.
"Uhm, no thanks." Tohru smiled apologetically as she returned the clip.
"Come on guys, there are still stalls over there…" Tohru told them as she moved ahead, looking afar.
Yuki and Kyo stopped their stare fight and blinked at her back. In a flash, they quickly moved in front of the seller and saying at the same time, their hands already reaching into their pockets for money, "I'll buy the butterfly clip!"
"My, my, don't we have a lot of money today eh?" Shigure slyly implies behind them, "and I thought those birthday gifts we got for her last week were already our allowance for the next two months…or was I wrong…"
The two promptly froze in motion. With a quick jerk of the head, they glared at Shigure for reminding them of that fact.
"Fine, so you said. I suppose you can lend me some money?" Yuki asked.
"Well now, I guess I can lend you boys a bit, but uhm, just like any lender, I would need some guarantees…" Shigure said, pretending to consider the option.
"What guarantees?" Yuki asked.
Shigure looked up as he counted with his fingers, "Uhm, let's see…there's my room to clean, especially now that I have to write my final chapter and the place is so messy…and then there's my editor who always nags me about things…and of course, my favorite cold juice by my side whenever I work…"
"What do you think we are!? Slaves!?" Kyo shouted.
Shigure looked at him innocently, "Alright then, I guess we can forget about the clip, and probably have some other men buy it for their girlfriends, which I'm sure they'll love…"
"Fine!" Yuki cut off irritably, "I'll do it, but only until your deadline."
"That's good enough for me. And you?" Shigure turned to Kyo.
"Same." Kyo mumbled.
"Oh happy day!" Shigure exclaimed as he bought the clip.
"Yuki! Kyo! Come over here and look at these!" Tohru called out in front.
"Coming!" both replied quickly and stormed in front, leaving Shigure and Hatori behind.
"At this rate, you'd have both of them build you an altar where they'll have to worship you night and day within the week." Hatori commented coolly.
"What an idea, Hatori! But it's simply too extravagant, don't you think?" Shigure's eyes twinkled at the thought and laughed evilly, with his hand covering his mouth, "Oh I wouldn't do that, now would I?"
"I wouldn't doubt it." Hatori replied dryly.
"I wish Tohru was here years ago, that way, I would have both of them eating out of my palm for years!" Shigure laughed out loudly as he started to fantasize himself sitting on a throne with lots of women by his side and the two bowing down before him.
Occupied with his imaginations, Shigure moved ahead subconsciously, walking with his head up and eyes dreamy, laughing like a lunatic.
Hatori looked at his friend, and with a sweatdrop, sighed loudly.
"How about you sir? Would you like to buy something for your love?" the seller asked Hatori.
Hatori looked at the seller, and then at a similar hair clip Tohru tried on. With ease, he approached the stall and picked up another hair clip, this time a flower design and examined it closely.
Something for my love? Yes, she'd probably love this. It'll probably look good on her…
"Hatori-sensei?"
Hatori froze. That voice. He could almost hear his heart scream.
With his usual cold look, he turned to look at her. "Kana-san."
"Oh it's really you! I'm glad to meet you again, sensei." Kana greeted happily, her eyes filled with innocent happiness.
Hatori kept silent for a while, staring at her subconsciously. She still looks the same, he thought. Still the optimistic cheerful lady he met and loved.
"Sensei?" Kana frowned warily as he continued to be silent.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Hatori answered, "yes?"
Kana laughed softly, unsure of what to say, "Well…uhm, you're shopping?"
"Uh, yes…I guess." Hatori answered unsurely, still not fully recovered at seeing her again.
"Err..hey mister, if you're not going to buy, can you give it back?" the seller interrupted.
Hatori looked at him questioningly, forgetting the clip he was still holding.
"I think he meant that." Kana smiled as she pointed to his closed right fist.
Hatori followed her gaze and opened his hand, seeing the clip. "I see."
"Well? Are you going to buy it or not?" the seller asked impatiently.
Hatori looked at the clip a second longer and then with a gentle smile and an extended arm, asked Kana, "Would you like to have it?"
"Me?" Kana asked, surprised. "Well, it's beautiful…I like it but…"
Hatori pulled out a bill from his pocket and tossed it to the seller.
The seller's eyes widened at the amount he gave for he probably hadn't the money for his change.
"Keep the change," he added.
The seller murmured a "thank you" and happily kept the money.
"Here." Hatori gave the clip to her.
Kana, still puzzled with his unusual behavior, quickly extends a hand to receive it, "Thank you, sensei…"
"No problem," Hatori remarked, "I have to go. It's nice to see you again, Kana-san."
"Oh, uhm, yes, it's nice to see you too, sensei…bye."
Hatori didn't respond and quickly strode off.
Kana looked from the clip to his retreating form, feeling a mixture of wariness and sympathy. Hatori Sohma is the coldest, most contained and controlled person she knows. She almost thought the man didn't have emotions. Even when she had her apprenticeship with him, he never opened up to her, not even after she tried all sort of things to lighten him up. He would always just look at her for a while and then leave. He never said anything to her other than her assignments and he never smiled.
For that reason, she had no relationship with him other than a strict professional relationship, not friends, not enemies, not anything. It must be hard for him to have no one to share his feelings…
She frowned slightly. What led that on? And why does she suddenly feel sad?
Technically, they are distant cousins. Same ancestry, same surname. Yet she doesn't know him. It's a big clan after all, and it is quite understandable that she doesn't know much of her family lineage, so she shouldn't feel bad not really knowing him. But for some unknown reason, she gets the gut-kicking sensation that she knows him in a deeper sense, as if they have been…intimate.
Kana cleared her thoughts with a shake of her head. What was she thinking? He was her mentor, nothing more. There's really no point looking deeper than that.
But then again, he really looked disturbed. And as if she could link with his emotions, she suddenly had a feeling that he was…in pain.