Acharne paced the floor of the room they were in, while Ginny poured some tea for them all to drink. Akari was getting changed out of her muddy, wet jeans and T-shirt into a plain, white kimono that Shigure had insisted she wear. Ginny rapped on the door of the bathroom a little.
"You done yet, Akari?" she called. Akari's small, nervous voice came out from behind the door. "Y-you'll laugh." She said. "I'm not coming out."
Ginny slapped her forehead. "Whaaaaaat, you think we're gonna laugh at how loose it is? Jeez, Akari! Come on out of there!"
Akari shook her head, inside the room. "No way." she said. "It just looks silly."
"I think you look fine, but maybe tie the obi a little better this time?" a voice offered. Akari whirled round and screamed at the sight she saw!
A boy!! A boy was hanging upside down outside the window, looking at her!! And…she was…!!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!! PEREVERT!!!" she screamed loudly, throwing bathroom utensils at the place where he was while trying to cover herself!! Ginny who had leapt back from the door at her scream, now demanded to be let in and see what was wrong with her!
Akari opened the door, leaping at Ginny, and sobbing onto her shoulders! Acharne came onto the landing too, upon hearing Akari's screams and Ginny's confused yells.
Ginny patted Akari's head awkwardly, not knowing what on earth she was babbling about between her sobs. Acharne shook her head and exchanged tired glances with her. What had happened now…?
"Akari, are you sure?" Acharne asked of her as they sat downstairs in the living room, snuggled into the blanket of the kotatsu. Akari nodded, her face red still from the embarrassment.
Ginny proceeded to lighten the mood in the usual manner, by teasing her. "So…was he hot, is that why you're so ashamed Akari?" she grinned at her. Akari immediately shook her head violently, while squealing, "No, no, no!! That…isn't it, I…!! No, no, no!!"
Ginny chuckled while Acharne sighed, stopping Akari's head from moving with her hand resting on top of it. "She's only messing with your head, Akari." She smiled as she watched her breathe calmly now.
Ginny patted her head apologising now too, "Sorry, sorry." Akari looked up at her. "You're just so fun to tease, Akari."
Akari smiled, nodding. "Yeah, so I've heard… Ha ha ha." She laughed a little, and then remarked bravely to lighten the mood, "And yes, he was pretty good-looking Ginny."
Ginny hooted loudly, laughing out loud now, and Acharne raised an eyebrow at her. "Wow, so you're cheating on Riyuji then?" she accused, poking her friend playfully.
Akari blushed again, but didn't spaz this time. She simply shook her head, smiling, and said, calm but firm, "No. Not at all."
Acharne smiled, glad she was back to normal, but wondered who it could have been…? Ginny was already plotting how to severely injure the guy should he make another appearance, for peeking at Akari in the first place!
Akari simply smiled, drinking her tea happily. She felt really lucky to have such wonderful friends…
Shigure had returned from an outing with Aki, to get the jeep away from the woods. It wouldn't start at first so they had to push it a little along so they could see better what was wrong with it in the light.
When they'd arrived back, Aki had come in to inform the girls on what had happened. It turned out it had run out of petrol from a leak, so they would have to go to town tomorrow to get more and to service it.
Akari and Ginny groaned unhappily at the state it was in… Acharne's birthday present looked like it had had gone up and over a mudslide. Mud was splattered all down and along its sides… and bits of debris hung off the edges too. They cleaned it up as best they could right there and then, getting hot water and detergent from Shigure who seemed to be enjoying watching them while they worked.
Akari kept on having to roll up her sleeves; they were too big for her, being his kimono after all. He smirked, coming up behind her after she struggled for a tenth time to roll them up and out of the way, slipping a long thin string around her waist and over her shoulders to hold the material up for her at the back.
Akari blushed and thanked him. Shigure merely smiled, but as he leaned forward to tap her nose with his hand, Aki threw a sponge in his face! Ginny nodded at the boy approvingly, putting down the bucket she was about to lunge at him, too. She didn't like the way Shigure kept harping on Akari either, and she was way too innocent to notice anyway! Or so they thought…
Akari actually knew what Shigure was about; having read that much into him at least, but just didn't want to be rude about it. Besides they had bigger problems right now, then her getting checked out by a perverted author… Just how much would the servicing cost anyway? She hoped they had enough on them…
When the jeep was reasonably clean, it was getting colder outside and they all started to shiver. Shigure called for them at the door to come in, and the girls relented, following Aki inside.
"Truthfully, I would rather have stayed and given you three lovely ladies some company, but-!" Aki whacked his head hard at that point, and Shigure whimpered with 'teary' eyes to Akari (who he had already figured out was the most naïve and trusting one of the bunch) so that she looked at him with pity and poured him a cup of tea.
"Here, Shigure-san." She said, bringing it to him as Aki withdrew from his side to sit beside Acharne (!) on the floor. "Oh! And thanks for the kimono, too." She smiled, and then looked away.
"Akari-chan? Oh…may I call you that?" Shigure's voice, low and sweet, spoke near her turned ear. Akari's head snapped back to him, blushing to her roots. "Ahm, uh, yes! Yes, of course you can!" Shigure just smiled, and thanked her. Akari smiled back, her blush not fading one bit.
Ginny rolled her eyes at this. 'Poor Akari. She really is… like Tohru.' Acharne meanwhile was trying to avoid looking at Aki for no reason and was freaking out by how close he was sitting next to her, although, she thought sadly, it wasn't like he had much choice since they were on the floor of the kotatsu and all…
Ginny observed how uncomfortable her other friend was and smiled to herself. 'Those two…are so funny.' Instead she faced Shigure from the floor directly and asked him, "So? What should we do about all this?"
Shigure blinked at her bluntness and said quickly, before Aki could speak, "Of course you must stay here with us until we can get you home!"
Aki stood up, looking at the three. "But…won't your parents worry?"
Acharne felt a pang in her chest and told him, "No, they wouldn't." looking at him directly for the first time. He seemed to search her eyes for a moment then looked back at Shigure again.
"So they'll stay here?" he asked him. Shigure nodded enthusiastically, already imagining dressing them in cute maid outfits at Ayame's store, and bringing his three new 'wives' to drop in at Hatori's house for a visit, too!
Akari said it first, "Thank you both. You've been a great help." Ginny and Acharne both nodded, smiling. "Yeah, really. Thanks."
Shigure nodded, waving their thanks away graciously. "You're most welcome here, for as long as you wish."
"But you may wish to contact someone and let them know where you are." Aki said matter-of-factly. Acharne nodded, and said they would. Aki looked at her, and smiled.
A small one, but it was a smile…and Acharne almost felt sad when he did so. It was such a…lonely, distant smile. What had happened to this boy?
They went to bed soon after that, a big bedroom on the second floor with a large bed, big enough for three people easily. Ginny had a suspicion this was Tohru's old room, and her bed.
"But…why is it still here?" she wondered, glancing at the other two as they sat on it, facing her on the left side nearer the window.
"M-maybe she and Kyo have gone already?" Akari wondered. Acharne shook her head. "No, guys…I don't think this is the Furuba we know."
The other two girls looked at her in shocked silence. "Whatcha talking about, Acharne?" Ginny asked first. Acharne got out of bed and started pacing. "Well, we don't know because…they aren't here, but…then where is Yuki?"
"His…apartment?" Akari offered, referring to the place Yuki had supposedly moved to to be near his College of preference. Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I agree." She said.
"In any case, where did this Aki guy come from?" Acharne wondered aloud. Ginny raised an eyebrow at her, nudging Akari beside her knowingly. "Don't worry, whatever the reason, I'm sure he's single Acharne!" she smiled craftily. Acharne blushed at this and threw a pillow at Ginny's face, crying, "Shut it! It isn't like that!"
Ginny grinned at her and Akari joined in now, slyly adding a "Suuuuure it isn't!" to Acharne's embarrassed state. Acharne just denied it again and climbed into bed to sleep, ignoring them.
As they settled into bed, each girl was in her own thoughts.
'I wonder if we'll get to see Hatori-san? And the others, too?' Akari wondered, knowing that Ginny secretly hoped to see the Dragon too. 'And…I wonder if everyone else is worried about us? I left a message for home, but then ran out of charge for my cell so I couldn't call anyone else…'
She thought of the rest of her friends and of Zanza. She'd rather be home, really. This was all too weird. She wanted to see everyone.
'Riyuji-kun…' she held her pendant in her hand tight, how many times had she done this today? 'I'd rather face Entity's insanity than be here, even,' she thought, smiling slightly. Imagining cheese and god-knows-what-else in her hair soon made her forget that thought though!!
She didn't know why, but…she was worried. What Acharne had said made some sense, yes, but they had to figure it out… Exactly what time were they in in Fruits Basket? Was the story even the same? And who was Aki-kun, and that pervert-guy who she saw? …What was their part in all of this?
'I hope I get to see Hatori. Lemme see Hatori, God, I'm begging ya!' Ginny prayed on a whim of desire and then got serious again. 'Still…this is all pretty weird… I wonder what's going to happen?'
She reached under the covers and held Akari's hand in hers. Akari did likewise with Acharne's too. Ginny smiled, turning in the dark, knowing her two friends were thinking the same things she was.
'We're in this together, no matter what… So, we'll be okay.' With this thought, Acharne closed her yes and slept soundly.
But what the three of them didn't notice were the shadows on the walls opposite them…from outside the window…
Three shadows watched them as they had been talking and as they finally slept, withdrawing only to go and report their findings to the one who had sent them…
Outside, Aki sat up on the roof, the wind blowing his hair around his face. Something was beginning to stir. He put a hand to his heart, clenching the fabric of his thin, white shirt, the searing pain starting…
'They…are in danger here.' He realised. 'They have to leave. Before they come back for them.'
To be Continued…The plot is thickening now, huh?
Next few chapters:- Aki takes our three heroines on an outing and then they get separated?!
Who does Akari run into in town and why call Riyuji and Entity about it?!
Ginny gets caught up in a shoplifting incident, and earns an unlikely new friend into the bargain!
And what does Aki mean by they are in 'danger', Acharne wonders as she gets stuck with him alone…?!