Author(s) note: Nighteyes and I originally did a similar story as a project for school. I have taken the main idea and rewrote it into a fan fiction. This Fruit Basket fic mainly revolves around Vol 6 of the manga series. All standard disclaimers apply.
There must be people who live their whole lives with the unhappy feeling of being in the wrong place. They feel unlike everyone else but they do not know why. They are aware that something is missing, maybe an emotion, maybe a conscience. They never know their own story. How would this story unfold?
*
You knew you never belonged. They always made sure you did. You could watch them. Sometimes, they did not notice you. You hoped they never did. But when they sensed your longing, they began to tease you. You could not help but fall for the bait. You were still naïve. All you could do was pick yourself up and walk away. Alone. They belonged. You didn't.
On the outside, you were normal. But it was a façade, a mask that hid the hideous monster, trapped only by the fragile string of beads.
"Disgusting." You wanted to disappear.
"So this is how you really look like," You were hurt by the contempt on his face.
"Revolting, ugly." That's how you really looked.
"Go away! You smell of rotten meat!" You ran.
Within you, burned the desire to find someone that could accept you, with or without the beads. Until then, all you could do was run.
Your parents. The ones you thought you could naturally rely on. Yet they failed you when they said they loved you and cared for you. You knew through the lies they fabricated that they were ashamed of you.
" I'm so proud of you." If so, why do they never let you out?
" Because you are too precious, I don't want anyone else to see you." Lies, all lies.
" I love you so much. I would give up my life for you." Why, pretend?
They don't love you truly. They love the son they think they have. They never loved you because they never could accept the other side, the side that was not human. How you wished you could believe them, yet unable, because you could not live a lie. You did not want love. You wanted hope.
Then they were gone. Cowards, you think, unable to accept you being different.
People talked, they said it was your fault.
"If only they did not have him, what a pity!" They thought you were the cause.
"He did not even shed a tear." Because you couldn't.
You blamed it all on others. Because you did not want to admit the role you played that caused their suffering.
Hope found you. He taught you how to control your physical and mental body. You learnt that with the will of the mind, you could block out the pain of rejection and repulsion. You found solace, but only temporarily. He understood you, accepted you. However, he had no reason to. Maybe he had, but you would never know would you?
You realised that you being with him, made people talk.
" Why do you bother yourself with him? He's not like us." People asked him.
He never replies, just shrugs. But you knew that you could no longer burden him. You could not let him suffer what you have been through. All the repulsion, the disgust. It was agony to leave, but you could no longer accept his pity or sympathy or kindness. You had to stand, alone.
Revenge, envy, or what other emotion, drove you to seek those who mocked you. You wanted to prove yourself, force the world to see that you were as human as they were. You thought that by using your fists, your strength, you could get them to acknowledge you.
But you could never beat them. Instead you lost. They were forced to add you into their circle. You wanted to leave, but you had nowhere else to go. So you 'belonged', yet remained an outsider.
Slowly, but steadily, you realised that it was not for the people to accept you; you had to convince them that you deserved to belong. But you did not have the courage to do so.
Although you found hope, you were greedy for more. You wanted love. You wanted that someone who would accept the true you. Not out of sympathy or pity. Would you ever find that someone?
Hope decided to force you to reveal yourself. You wanted to run. You ran, as always.
You thought that no one would chase you. Because you thought that you were not worth chasing.
But I ran. I ran after you.
*
Author's ending note:
Now, after reading the story, what do you think?