The second day, Hatori woke up to see that Yukina was still sleeping, mouth slightly open, and an arm around his neck. He stared down at her sleeping form, wondering how did she heal his left eye, and most important of all, his wounded heart. He also thought about what Shigure told him the day before, about confessing to Yukina that he needed her by his side. He considered this option, thinking about the consequences if he really did so.
Just then, Yukina turned over a little in her sleep, and her face was buried into the crook of Hatori's neck. He could feel himself heat up, not because of the temperature, but at the feeling that engulfed him immediately as he felt Yukina's soft lips brushing against his neck unintentionally. He gritted his teeth and tried to prevent himself from reacting to the contact with Yukina's body. Unfortunately, Yukina chose that moment to cuddle up to Hatori more, and almost every part of their bodies were touching each other.
Groaning, Hatori could not control himself and thought fiercely, "Just this once, I will let my emotions run free…" and he wrapped his arms around Yukina to pull her closer. His abrupt movements woke Yukina up to see Hatori for a fleeting moment, before his lips closed over hers in an aggressive, passionate kiss. Her eyes widened in shock, and her face turned scarlet in colour. Giving in to Hatori's intense demands, she kissed him back with her soul, deepening the kiss.
Hatori sensed Yukina's response, and invaded her mouth mercilessly. After a kiss that lasted for about a few minutes, Hatori let loose of Yukina reluctantly. Then, he rolled over on top of her and opened his eyes. What he saw was Yukina's eyes, wide open and full of wonder and innocence. Her lips were slightly swollen, her face was flushed and she was panting slightly.
His pupils widened as he could not believe what he had just done. Slowly, he cupped Yukina's warm face in his hands and looked at her as thousands of emotions flitted through her face.
"I'm very sorry…Yukina-chan…" he apologised softly.
Timidly, Yukina raised a trembling hand to his face and ran a delicate finger down his cheek, again sending series of delicious shivers down his spine. "Please don't apologise for it. I…I had taken pleasure in it too…" she whispered and blushed scarlet.
Since they were born, the cursed Soumas were able to feel one another's aura. Now, everyone in the house except Tohru sensed the intense passions coming out from the room, and they wondered what had happened.
In the meantime, Shigure was bellowing at the top of his voice, calling everyone to wake up for breakfast, and Hatori and Yukina went downstairs for breakfast hastily, not yet acknowledging the pangs of passion that ran in between them. Shigure noted their flushed faces and strange behaviour, and deduced that something odd must have happened, although he did not know what it was.
After breakfast, Hatori made a clear statement for everyone at the table to hear.
"Yukina-chan, I have to work at the clinic for four days a week, so when I go to work, I would leave you here, and pick you up again when I come back. It's not safe for you to stay at home alone."
She accepted the suggestion without a single question, and the others, especially Yuki, were more than happy to let her stay here and welcomed her happily. Then, the occupants of Shigure's house resumed their daily activities, with Yuki studying together with Yukina, Shigure and Haru loitering around, Tohru and Kyou spending time together and occasionally they come together to chat with each other. Meanwhile, Hatori busied himself with surfing the net looking for medical information.
On the whole, the day passed normally, except for a few blushes from Yukina when she had eye contact with Hatori, and Hatori was quite flustered throughout the day, which was extraordinary for his usually cool demeanour. Being the observant person, Shigure noted these and pestered both Hatori and Yukina about what had happened, but they remained tight-lipped on the subject.
At last, it was time for them to go to bed again. That night, when Hatori entered the room, Yukina pretended to be asleep, not having the courage to face the delicate matter of what that happened. However, she stole a peek at Hatori from time to time, thinking how handsome Hatori was.
Hatori noticed the fleeting looks from Yukina, and he sighed softly, determined to end the tension between them. Slowly, he knelt down between Yukina and called her name softly but firmly.
Reluctantly, Yukina opened her eyes and looked at Hatori apprehensively, wondering what he was going to do. She sat up and timidly moved near Hatori, and when she sensed no resistance from him, she laid her head against Hatori's strong warm chest, enjoying the warmth and feeling of security.
Hatori was glad to know that Yukina still trusted him, and he pulled Yukina closer until she was sitting in his lap.
"Yukina-chan, if you feel uncomfortable about the incident, I promise that I won't…" Hatori began but was interrupted when Yukina shook her head.
"Hatori, I did not mean it that way…it's just I wasn't prepared then, but I…I liked it…" Yukina said softly.
Relieved, Hatori replied, "I'm very glad to hear that…but I was the one who went out of control. It's rather unacceptable to do that, especially when it could have led on to…" his voice trailed off.
"It could have lead on to what?" Yukina asked curiously.
"Oh, it's nothing, Yukina-chan," Hatori smiled at the girl and stroked her hair lovingly. "We should both go to sleep now, ne?"
The tension between Hatori and Yukina vanished after their conversation, and once again they slept together, with Hatori making silent vows not to touch Yukina in that way again if he could help it.
On the third day at Shigure's house, Hatori had to get back to work, and he bade goodbye to Yukina, promising to fetch her after he finished. That day, Yukina felt a little restless, as she sensed that something was going to happen in the Souma residence. However, she did not tell her feelings to anybody, as she did not want them to worry.
The morning passed without any incident, and the house was peaceful, unless one counted the time when Shigure got punched by Kyou for teasing his relationship with Tohru.
In the afternoon, Yuki, Shigure, Kyou and Tohru gathered in the living room for a game of Scrabble. All four of them were happily engrossed in the game, until Yuki sat up abruptly. The others stared at him, wondering what was wrong.
"Where is Haru-kun and…Yukina-chan?" he looked around but could not find those two. His body tensed, "If Haru turns black on Yukina-chan…"
Yuki got to his legs in an instant and rushed around the house, looking for Yukina and hoping that she was in the presence of Black Haru. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the same light he saw when Yukina 'cured' Hatori from the study.
He then dashed over there and threw open the door. Subsequently, he witnessed probably the closest thing to a miracle he would ever experience in his life. Yukina was standing there, her hand on where Haru's heart is. Yuki stood in the doorway, spellbound by the sight.
"So much discontent and unhappiness in your heart, Haru-kun…the result of being cursed by the cow and the reason you go 'black' sometimes…I sorry that I can't help remove the curse now, but at least let me make it easier to bear by making your dissatisfaction melt away. The adults tease you, because they don't understand…the cow is actually patient but powerful leaders…so don't hate yourself for this reason…please…" her soothing, tranquil voice went into Haru's mind effortlessly despite his attempts to resist.
At that time, Kyou, Shigure and Tohru also arrived there, and they just gaped at the scene. The similar soft light shrouded Haru and shone, then shimmered and disappeared. It left Haru there awestruck, and he was aware that Yukina had just dispersed the evil inside him, leaving behind the white Haru, but with the slightest aggressiveness, which might be good depending on the situation.
To everybody's relief, Yukina did not faint like she did before, but she was so weak that she needed to grip on to a chair to keep on her feet. Seeing her like that, Shigure and Yuki walked over quickly to help support her.
"Seems like you are getting used to performing this healing, Yukina-chan," Shigure remarked, looking at the pale girl in front of him.
"I guess so…it seemed easier this time…" she smiled weakly.
Noticing her fragility, Tohru bustled over and shooed the two men away.
"Yukina-chan, don't talk any more. You should go and rest instead…let me help you to your room," she chided gently.
"Thanks, Tohru-chan," Yukina said gratefully and she went to her bedroom to sleep.
Now, the four males were left in the study. Shigure was the first to open his mouth, "Haru-kun, what aspect did Yukina-chan heal of you?"
"I think that…she made the evil side, or the black side of me, disappear," Haru answered softly, not having completely recovered from the incident.
"I see," said Shigure thoughtfully, "she is not able to remove the curse from us now, but she can cure the consequences of it." Then, he looked at the grandfather clock. "Hatori-kun would only be here after a few hours, I think she would be fine sleeping upstairs," saying this, he left the room to work on his novel.
Kyou looked a moment at Shigure's back, and he turned to stare at Yuki.
"You seem to be overly concerned about Yukina-chan, rat," he commented.
Yuki glowered and retorted, "I had promised Hatori-kun to take care of her, and what's it got to do with you anyway, cat?"
Kyou shrugged, "It's so obvious that you have fallen for her, but Hatori and her…" his voice trailed off.
"What about Hatori-kun and Yukina-chan?" Yuki's tone softened dangerously.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just feel that Yukina-chan would be better off with Hatori-kun, that's all," Kyou remarked offhandedly, but his actual intentions were to find out whether Yuki was interested in Yukina.
Yuki's eyes flashed, and Kyou could not see the swift blow coming. In an instant he was knocked down to the floor, and Yuki left, saying, "Maybe you will think twice before opening your mouth next time, stupid cat."
Kyou sat up, tenderly massaging his face where Yuki punched him just now. He smirked and said to himself, "So the damn rat really likes her after all…"
Feeling himself once more, Haru shook his head at their antics, and went back to his room silently. Kyou stood up and walked outside to bump into Tohru, who inquired about the red mark on his cheek. He related the whole incident to her, and Tohru advised him not to mention the matter in Yuki's presence again.
The short hand of the clock reached six, and after a while, Hatori entered Shigure's house. He looked around but could not see Yukina anywhere, and he grew quite worried until Shigure informed him that Yukina was sleeping upstairs.
Hatori frowned, thinking that it was odd for Yukina to sleep at this time of the day. "Is Yukina-chan sick?" he asked anxiously.
Shigure chuckled, seeing Hatori so concerned about Yukina. He patted his shoulder and said reassuringly, "No, she's just a little tired." Then, he told everything that happened in the afternoon to Hatori.
After Shigure finished, both of them went upstairs to where Yukina was sleeping. Hatori stared down at her sleeping form, curled up like a cat, and murmuring something softly in her sleep.
Forgetting about Shigure's presence, he knelt softly beside Yukina and tried to discern what she was saying. It was difficult, but he caught something that sounded like "Don't leave me alone…I don't…lonely…" and suddenly a single, solitary tear rolled down her cheek.
It was then Hatori decided to wake her up. He laid his hand on her cheek, wiped off the tear and called out her name in a soft but firm voice. He watched fondly as her eyes fluttered open slowly.
"Hatori…?" Yukina asked, apparently still half-asleep.
"Yukina-chan, I knew what you did in the afternoon and you must be tired. However, I would like you to rest only after I get you home with some dinner, okay?"
She nodded dazedly and bade goodbye to Shigure, who was staring after them with an amused but knowing look. Then, they made their way back home after Hatori brought her to a restaurant for dinner.
He held her hand gently and led her up the stairs, noticing that she was still dreamy. They both changed into their pyjamas and Hatori tucked Yukina into bed and lie down. Before she closed her eyes, he took her hand in his own and whispered into her ears, "Don't worry, Yukina-chan. I won't leave you alone, nor would I allow you to be lonely."
Yukina smiled happily at this, and they kept each other company throughout the night, in each other's arms.
The night passed peacefully, and Yukina was woken up by the sound of shuffling papers, and she leapt out of bed, noticing that Hatori was already up and about.
"Do you have work today, Hatori?" she inquired, hoping the answer was 'no'.
Her prayers were granted as Hatori replied, "No, Yukina-chan, but I will bring you to take the qualifying exam at Kaibara High today, as you need it to determine which year and class you will go to next year."
"Oh…okay. So, I would need pencils, erasers, pens…" she began making a mental list of what she would need to bring, ticking off her fingers one by one.
"Don't worry about those things; I have them all ready for you. You just need to concentrate on doing your best in the exam afterwards," Hatori smiled and handed her a pencil case.
Yukina nodded her head and followed Hatori to the car, and he drove both of them to Kaibara High.
Once they reached, they went in to find the principal, who fortunately was quite free at the moment. He greeted Hatori warmly, for he recognised him as the cousin of Yuki, Haru, Kyou, and the others who studied in this school as well as the town doctor. Hatori told him their purpose for coming, and handed over some documents. Then, the principal handed a set of qualification test papers over to a teacher and Yukina started to sit for her exam. Meanwhile, Hatori was having a conversation with the principal, Shiro Kurama.
"It's good to see you again, Hatori-san, since you came to collect Yuki's, Kyou's and Haru's report book. So, who is that girl you brought in just now?" Shiro smiled genially at Hatori.
"Ah, her name is Yukina-Rei Jia," Hatori replied, eyeing Shiro.
Shiro smirked, and continued, "I think that both of us know very well that this is not the answer I wanted to know, Hatori-san."
The doctor sighed, knowing that his teacher would not rest until he got an answer he was satisfied with, which was typical of teachers. "About a week ago, I found Yukina-chan outside my house, unconscious and freezing. She was abused and tortured by a mysterious master whom she ran away from. Then, I decided to take care of her, and considering her age, let her study in this school with my cousins."
"I see. But, that girl seems a little familiar. Would she come from this area?" Shiro asked.
His words startled Hatori, and he inquired, "I can't know for sure. But, do you keep a record of the students with their pictures who had studied in this school before? Maybe we can find some clues about the people who are connected with Yukina-chan in that way…"
He had not finished speaking when Shiro was already busy in front of his computer, checking out the list of the students and ex-students. Suddenly, he frowned at the monitor for a long time, making Hatori notice his change in behaviour.
"Did you find anything, Shiro-san?" he asked anxiously.
"Yes, but…it's quite impossible…come over and take a look at this," Shiro seemed perplexed.
Hatori walked over and was stunned. On the screen there was a picture of Yukina staring back at him. Although the face was the slightest bit rounder, but her features, and the look in her eyes could never be mistaken. Then, he looked at the date, and his heart skipped a beat – it was about thirty years ago since this student had graduated from the school. Even the more baffling was that her name was exactly the same as Yukina's full name.
"How could this be…they are exactly the same…" he whispered, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"I thought so too, but that would make her more than ten years older than you, which doesn't make sense either, Hatori," Shiro said thoughtfully, pondering on the possibilities.
"Would she be someone related to Yukina-chan then?" Hatori asked, gesturing towards the picture.
"It's quite possible too, but how would they have exactly the same names then?" Shiro gazed intently at the profile in front of him. "Maybe if we ask Yukina-chan to see it…"
"There will be no use in doing that, for Yukina-chan has amnesia," Hatori cut off his words.
Shiro nodded and glanced at his watch. "I think the exam should be over in a few minutes, and you can know what class she is going to go into next year afterwards, Hatori. Do…you wish to show the picture to her?" he added the last question, knowing that Hatori is able to judge the consequences better than anyone else.
"I think it's better not to show her the picture, for her emotions might be disturbed. But, please keep the profile as it could be helpful in finding out her identity in the future," Hatori said.
Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door, and the teacher who was in charge of the qualifying exam came in, with Yukina tailing behind.
"Ah…Shinta-san, the exam has ended. So, how did Yukina-chan do?" Shiro noticed them and asked.
The teacher called Shinta handed over a set of papers, presumably Yukina's test papers, over to Shiro and said, "It is amazing, Yukina-san got almost ninety five percent correct – it was a combination between the senior and the sophomore syllabus, which means that she qualifies to the senior year."
Shiro peered at the papers, and looked up at Hatori. "The only other student I know that can perform so well would be your cousin, Yuki Souma. My, my, looks like he is going to face some challenges to maintain his first place in the form in the next schooling term," he chuckled and continued, "then it's settled. Yukina, you shall go to the first class of the senior year starting from the next semester."
Yukina heard it and smiled brightly, making the room seem to light up slightly. Then, she bowed and expressed her thanks to Shiro for giving her permission to study at Kaibara High.
"You are very welcome, Yukina. In fact, I'm glad to have a student like you in the school. Remember to study hard, and play hard too," Shiro smiled kindly at Yukina.
After that, Hatori and Yukina exited the office, making their way to the car. Hatori then drove to a nearby café for lunch and they had themselves a satisfying meal as way of celebration for Yukina's entry into Kaibara High.
Subsequently, they went to Shigure's place for the rest of the day, informing them of the news. Everyone was delighted to know that Yukina would be joining them to school next year, especially Yuki, for he could spend more time with her now that they were going to be in the same class.
