Night came, and Minori enjoyed one of the best dinners of his life, with Tohru and the others, he was amused by their shenanigans and how close everyone was. Kyo broke a bowl and Yuki got frustrated and accidentally threw him into the door. Minori was laid on a bed next to Tohru's, after 30 minutes earlier of debating who should sleep on the bed, Minori won and was able to sleep on the floor. In the darkness Minori looked up at the bed.
"Tohru…a-are you asleep?" he whispered.
"Hm?" Tohru yawned. "Yeah I'm awake, do you need something?"
"Oh no it's fine, I-I uh just wanted some water, but I'll go get it myself." said Minori.
"Okay…" said Tohru as she went back to sleep.
Minori tiptoed downstairs into the kitchen where he poured himself a glass of water. He drank his water outside, looking up at the night sky. Soon he would have to go back…back to his "home." Minori loved being with Tohru and the others, he also loved his grandpa, but he couldn't stand his aunt and cousins. Minori squeezed the shirt that Kyo had lent him.
Looking up at the sky, everything that Minori had ever suppressed came to him all at once. His parents, his mother and father, that house, his disapproving aunt, scornful cousin, perverted Shousuke, his school, his cruel classmates, and unforgiving teachers. He remember and relived all of the hits that he felt, the blow to his head, all of the unwanted touching. Minori clenched his fists, but he squeezed his hands too tight and the water glass broke in his hand. Yet, as the blood streamed down from his hand, he felt nothing. Minori looked at his bleeding hand with contempt. And he began crying. As if all of his feelings were bottled up, they suddenly overflowed. Minori covered his mouth with his clean hand to prevent any sound from coming out. There was a shuffling of footsteps behind him.
"Minori?" Minori froze up, and hid his bloody hand near his chest, covering it with his unwounded one.
"What are you doing up so late?" Shigure asked.
"I-I was just getting some water." he answered.
Shigure saw the shattered glass glimmering on the ground.
"Why are you outside then?" he asked.
"I-I thought I saw something outside…" Minori answered. "I'll…be going back upstairs…"
"Minori, there's broken glass on the ground, you're hand is bleeding, and you're crying." Shigure stated.
Minori turned and looked at Shigure with desperate eyes.
"I'm sorry…I-I'll go clean up the glass."
"No it's fine, just sit down while I go get the first aid kit." Said Shigure.
Shigure mended Minori's hand at the table, where they both sat in silence.
"Now, then…why don't you tell me what really is going on." said Shigure.
"The glass slipped out of my hand, a-and I was trying to pick it up b-but got cut, a-and-"
Shigure pressed the gauze down hard on Minori's hand, he winced in pain.
"The truth, Minori." Shigure restated.
Minori couldn't speak, he stared as Shigure was fixing his hand for a while longer before answering,
"I've been robbed."
"You've been robbed?" repeated Shigure.
Minori nodded, he felt his heart beat faster, he knew that he was going to say the truth, The whole truth.
"I-I've been robbed of my worth, my identity, my virginity, and my dignity." He finally answered. "I don't have much left."
Minori looked down at the floor as Shigure looked at him with wide eyes.
"A-At school…my classmates hate me, and the teachers…they d-don't care," he continued. "They either ignore me or hurt me, they call me…such..c-cruel names." Shigure dared not to move a muscle. "I-I'm not safe at….a-at "home" either. W-when grandpa isn't home…"he"…h-he does things. He calls me names and threatens me, he touches me and hurts me…a-and…."
Minori was crying again.
"A-and..and…I'm not even sure that…that I even deserve to be a man." he said.
Minori looked up at Shigure, Minori's tear stained face surprised him for a moment.
"P-please…don't make me go back there Shigure, p-please…just for a while longer…then I'll leave when it gets better…"
"No one is going to make you go back anywhere." Shigure said. "You will stay here as long as you like. I'll talk to your grandfather, I won't saying anything, but I'll try to see if you can live here from now on, and I'll try to enroll you somewhere else."
"R-really?" Minori asked. Shigure sighed and nodded.
"You know at first I thought you were some clumsy shy kid, but now…it seems like you'll be a real handful." Shigure sighed.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Shigure grinned.
"No it's fine, just try to put in a good word with the beautiful Ms. Hara, and I think we can call it even."
Minori smiled. "Sure."
That next morning Shigure let Minori stay inside, he had told the others that Minori has cut himself while picking up broken glass.
"I called you grandfather, he says that you can stay, and he would deal with your transfer himself, I just need to go get your things from school." said Shigure. "Can you keep watch of the house while I'm gone? Tohru and the others will come right home when school is over."
Minori nodded and waved goodbye. He was alone. Minori felt happy though, it was a peaceful loneliness, because he knew that people would be back for him. He did some chores here and there, washing the dishes and drying the laundry. Most of the time he sat outside drinking tea, watching clouds pass by from the shade.
He felt at peace.
"Hello there." A dark figure appeared out of the shadows. It was a young man with dark hair and eyes. Minori quickly stood up in alarm. "Don't be afraid, my name is Akito, I know Shigure and the others."
"I-I think I should be going…" said Minori, he turned his back toward Akito as he quickly ran back to the house.
"You know…this won't last forever." said Akito. Minori spun around and looked back. "You'll be pulled back into the darkness, you'll be alone and hated again."
"I-I think y-you should go too…" sternly stuttered Minori. Akito shrugged.
"I suppose, I only came to tell you the truth. Goodbye then." Akito disappeared as quickly as he had came.
Minori could still feel the chill crawling up his spine as he ran back inside. As the day passed school had ended and Tohru and the others were walking home.
"So can someone tell me why these two are coming with us?" asked Kyo, referring to Momiji and Hatsuharu.
"Aw, don't get all angry, we just wanted to meet Tohru's cousin!" cheerfully answered Momiji.
"Besides, from what you said about him transferring schools, it's most likely that'd he'd go to our school." added Haru.
Kyo huffed in annoyance.
"It's nice of them to drop by anyways, I think Minori wants to make new friends." said Yuki.
When the five of them arrived at the house they knocked on the door. Minori peeked through a small sliver of the door with caution, and then opened the door widely.
"We're home!" cheerfully said Tohru.
"Ah…welcome back," smiled Minori. He looked at the two people next to Kyo, one had black and white hair, while the other and bright blonde hair, Minori was used to strange hair colors, but these two were especially strange. "W-Who's this? I-If you don't mind me asking."
As they entered the house Yuki gave him a quick introduction.
"This is Hatsuharu and Momiji Sohma, they're our cousins as well. They also might be your classmates when you transfer."
"Hello!" greet Momiji.
"Hi." said Haru.
"O-oh, i-it's v-very nice to meet you." said Minori with a slight bow of his head.
"Where's Shigure?" asked Tohru.
Minori chuckled slightly.
"W-well, he went out to get my things from school, b-but ended up eating out with the school nurse," he answered. "He called me earlier."
Kyo and Yuki sighed.
"I''l go get drinks for everyone." said Tohru as she walked into the kitchen.
"I-I'll help you too." said Minori.
"No it's alright, I can do it." cheerfully said Tohru.
"O-oh, but please, I-I would like to help you as w-well." said Minori.
"It's fine really!"
"O-oh, but I insist!"
The boys laughed as Tohru and Minori politely argued with each other about serving drinks.
"Just sit down, it's fine, I'll help her." said Kyo as he got up from the table. Minori reluctantly nodded and sat down.
"Wow, I guess you and Tohru really are cousins!" said Momiji.
"I-I didn't mean to make such a f-fuss…" embarrassingly stated Minori.
As time passed everyone was having a good time, laughing and telling funny stories. The occasional argument, and Minori even found out about, "Black Haru." However, one thought creeped into Minori's mind…Akito, it was a strange meeting, and he was curious to know who he is.
"Who is Akito?" casually asked Minori.
Everyone froze. Their wide eyes frightened Minori, and no one spoke.
"H-He uh….came by earlier…when everyone w-was gone. I-I only talked to him for a l-little bit, I was just wondering…" he stammered.
The door suddenly opened and a smiling Shigure walked through the door. He paused when he walked in and saw everyone with blank stares.
"What's with the heavy atmosphere?" he asked. Minori looked up in confusion.
"He met Akito." answered Yuki. Kyo clenched his jaw.
"I-I'm sorry…I-I didn't know, I-I just thought that, y-you knew him and-"
"Oh we know him alright," said Shigure, he faced Minori with a plastic smile. "But it's nothing you need to worry your little head about, you should all get some rest, you all have school tomorrow! And Minori you have your first new day at school as well with the others."
Minori nodded slightly. Shigure shooed Haru and Momiji outside, and everyone left without saying goodbye, Tohru and Minori went upstairs to get ready for bed; no one was hungry that night. Yuki and Kyo stayed at the table, staring at Shigure.
"Well I was planning on telling Akito after we got Minori settled in, but…I guess there's no need for that now." sighed Shigure.
"That damn Akito…" hissed Kyo.
"Now, now, there's no need for that, I doubt that he'll come back again." said Shigure.
Yuki stared at the table with fear, looking back at the torture he had endured in the past. Shigure scratched his chin for a moment.
"But why…why would he come here, just to meet Minori?" asked Yuki in a low voice.
"Should I tell them about Minori? What really happened to him…?" thought Shigure.
"Boys…" said Shigure. "I think it's best if you keep an eye on Minori. Akito might be planning something."
"But why Minori? He's just some shy kid." said Kyo.
"Well…Minori is…very…vulnerable." answered Shigure.
"Vulnerable?" asked Yuki.
"I'm not allowed to say it but, Minori has also experience some…"things" as well." said Shigure. "In time, I suppose, if he wishes to tell you, he will."
"So what now?" asked Kyo.
"So for now…I need to keep a close on him and Tohru, just to be safe."
Kyo and Yuki nodded in agreement.
That very next morning Tohru and Minori were racing downstairs.
"Oh no! I can't believe we woke up late!" cried Tohru.
"I'm sorry! I didn't hear the alarm!" cried Minori.
"Oh no it's alright, I didn't hear it either to wake you!"
Kyo waited impatiently for them at the bottom of the stairs holding some fruit and some toast.
"Hurry up you two, you'll have to eat on the run." said Kyo.
"Oh we're going to be late!" said Tohru.
As Minori went faster, his sock caught onto a loose piece of wood on the stairs. He quickly found himself tumbling down the steps.
"Minori!" exclaimed Tohru and Kyo.
Kyo extended his arms to catch him and Tohru leaped forward to grab him.
"No wait, don't jump to him!" shouted Kyo.
Tohru caught the back of Minori's collar and Kyo had grabbed his hands, as gravity pulled everyone to the ground, Minori landed in Kyo's arms. Yet, by instinct, Kyo had also caught Tohru. The dazed Minori saw a puff of smoke and heard a screeching meow.
"DAMMIT."