Author's Notes/Disclaimer – I do not own Fruits Basket, namely the characters. However much I wish I did, they belong to Natsuki Takaya. So, unfortunately, I will have to settle for just owning my plushies.

Laurie Salyers, on the other hand, does belong to me. Don't steal her, please. I put hard work into my characterization.

Enjoy!

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-Arrival-

There was a stir in the air around Kaibara High school. The presence of curiosity was enough that Hanajima Saki could sense it the second that she stopped by the school gate. Her dark eyes scanned the terrain for anything out of the ordinary. Finding nothing, however, she continued into the school like normal, seeming to find Uotani Arisa as though drawn to her by a magnetic force.

"What's going on?" Hana asked, her calm voice and cool stare showing none of the curiosity that she held.

"I hear there's a new student floating 'round somewhere." Uo answered, seemingly without the slightest bit of concern.

"A new student?" Hana asked in reply, looking unimpressed.

"Well, a foreign student." Uo added. Hana nodded at this.

"Where's our Tohru?"

"Hmm…" Uo replied, looking puzzled. "Guess she's not here yet."

Hana's expression didn't change as she shifted her body to get a better glimpse of her surroundings. Tohru wasn't anywhere in sight, but it didn't bother her. Tohru was often late, now that she was staying with the mysterious Sohma family.

It wasn't until Hana and Uo were going to class that Tohru came over, that bright smile on her face that seemed to warm even the coldest heart. Kyou and Yuki weren't far behind; Kyou was holding onto Tohru's hand, like usual, and Yuki was walking along thoughtfully behind. For the most part, everything was well. Kyou and Tohru were happy together, and the curse had been lifted. Yuki seemed content with life. No one bothered to think twice about that.

Yuki couldn't blame anyone. The façade of happiness, of peace, was a façade that he put on himself; why should he be upset that it apparently went unnoticed? He didn't have a right, he knew.

Everything went according to the usual schedule that morning. The five of them - Uo, Hana, Kyou, Yuki, and Tohru - were in class on time, even if barely. In the rush to get to their seats, only Hana seemed to notice the peculiar dark-haired girl in the back of the room, absorbed in a book that looked like if you gave it the slightest tap, it would crumble into a fine dust.

However, Yuki's eyes were on her, as well. He could tell from his seat - which was only a few in front of hers - that the almond eyes scanning the page were a deep cerulean. It was certainly unusual for a Japanese child to have blue eyes, but upon closer look, Yuki realized that she wasn't Japanese at all. I didn't know we were going to have a new student, he thought as he took his seat. Immediately after he sat down, however, the foreign girl was out of his mind; his eyes strayed to Tohru.

She had been with Kyou for nearly three months now. Yuki was pleased that Tohru was content with Kyou; the two seemed very much in love. With the curse lifted, it was even possible for them to embrace. Kyou could hold his beloved to his heart's content, Tohru could sneak up on Kyou and throw her arms around him, and the two could lean into each other with the air of a typical "disgustingly cute" couple. Indeed, Yuki was happy to see the two find peace with each other. It was no less than either deserved.

The selfish part of him, however, resented both Kyou, and even Tohru to an extent. In the place that his gut instincts came from, Yuki knew that he and Tohru were right for each other. They would be happy together, no less happy than she was with Kyou.

Privately, Yuki was disgusted that he could allow himself to be so jealous. If Tohru was happy, then he should be, too. It was what he had wanted all along, wasn't it?

Bringing himself out of his thoughts with a barely noticeable shake of his head, Yuki took out his pencil and idly tapped it against the desk. As much as he scolded himself for his childish resentment of Kyou, he knew he was only human. He had loved Tohru. She had been his Princess, the one to set his soul free. And, he reminded himself with the patient voice he usually used with Hiro or Momiji, you were the one that stepped aside.

The day progressed as normal. They began with calculus, then went straight into physics, followed by foreign language. The mysterious girl in the back of the class hadn't spoken a word to anyone, had only listened with rapt attention and scrawled notes in a notebook that appeared so neat it would have put Yuki to shame. Tohru and Kyou were passing notes as discreetly as possible, while Hana hid a book inside of her textbooks in order to pretend she were paying attention, and Uo idly marked down important facts. Yuki himself had kept a very neat record of his daily notes, each in their own notebook, with headers and dates. He was the Prince of Kaibara high, after all; though the thought of being referred to as "Prince Yuki" mortified him in some ways, it also made him feel rather proud. He wasn't going to let his image slip.

The lunch bell couldn't have been any more welcome. Tohru paused at the door, causing Kyou to stop; it was that, or jerk her arm uncomfortably, which Kyou was very careful not to do. For a moment, it was like old times. Only, Kyou's fingers were interlocked with Tohru's, signifying to Yuki unspoken boundaries. The old days were gone.

With a half-smile, Yuki waved for Tohru and Kyou to go ahead. He wasn't feeling very hungry at the moment, and noticed that a few other people were lingering in class as well. It was a good enough opportunity to clear his head.

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