When Tohru dies in a car accident, all the Soma's are crushed. Still, life has to go on in Shigure, Yuki and Kyo's household, and they need a housekeeper. Minne Kuremoto is the one who is chosen, a bright, lively girl, who soon wins, if not the love, but at least the respect of the Sohma's. But Minne has big secrets to hide, and big secrets to discover. Will she take Tohru's place in the Sohma's hearts, even though Minne and the late Tohru are so different…?
Chapter 7:
Akito: I visited her again. Even though she disgusts me, something in her persistence, her hopefulness, fascinates me beyond measure. Locked up, guarded, fed meagerly, spooked constantly, she still has the cheek to talk to me like nothing happened. Like everything would get better again. The little SLUT! I would have killed her, but Kureno opposes the idea. Nobody else knows, of course! I have to protect my little fledglings from that one-of-a-kind monster. I will not let them succumb. Whatever happens, whatever obstacles are set in my path, the twelve Sohma's will all come back to me, and the cat will be shut away, maybe even with that creature, so that both monsters can keep company to one another! HA! Two beasts in one cage. One too perfect to be true, the other too imperfect to exist…
Wouldn't that be a sight…!
Minne: I woke up alone, staring at a patched-up ceiling. I had no trouble remembering what had happened. It was all so incredible, strange. Yet true. And I had just kept Yuki from going back to Akito. My heart filled with pride, and pain. If Tohru had been there, then Yuki wouldn't even have thought about abandoning. He loved her more than he would ever love me. All the Sohmas would. Suddenly, I felt like crying. I had grown to appreciate them all so much, and now that I knew so much about them, their pains, their loves…
I wanted them to love me as much as I loved them.
Maybe I should go and tell them everything, about their future. But at what point of the manga were we? Had they already lived everything, or had they only come to half of it. Maybe my only presence was enough to change everything. And Tohru's disappearance.
I thought about it for a long time, until I felt strong enough to stand up. I dressed slowly, and walked down the stairs in a daze.
And right then and there, on the stairs, I swore myself that I would try and help the Sohma's as much as Tohru had. Not to mention that I knew so much more about them than she had…
Shigure: When she came to the bottom of the stairs, I looked up from my book. The boys glared at me, but I acted like I hadn't noticed, when in reality, their glares were like daggers in my heart! But this was as necessary a step for the welfare of the Sohma's as any other I had accomplished so far. Minne wasn't Tohru. She would stand up to Akito; tell him a piece of her mind to her without fear. And maybe the Sohma's would realize that they could do the same. Or at least try.
-Good day, Tohru. Did you have a nice sleep, I told her, taking on my most pleasant voice. Then, I become conscious that I had called Minne Tohru, and not Minne. I cursed myself for my stupidity. Yelled at myself mentally for making such a dumb mistake. Hoped she wouldn't notice, that nobody would notice.
But she did, they did. Minne stared at me, a sudden, cold, icy stare that chilled me to the bones. The sadness behind that stare seeped through it like tears between closed eyelashes. But she smiled, like she hadn't heard. Yuki looked at me with barely contained surprise, Kyo glared, as if to hear Tohru's name on my lips disgusted him. I shook my head slightly. This was all getting too complicated to bear. The sooner we would go see Akito, the better. The sooner everything got sorted out, the sooner we would all be free. Free…
Yuki: he spoke her name instead of Minne's. A lapsus, an error. But I still loathed him for it.
Kyo: THE DOG HAD DARED…!
Compare Tohru-chan to Minne. It was a rough comparison to make, when both girls were made from different materials altogether. But I could feel the resemblance, and it made me wonder. Would I have fallen in love with Minne if she had lived here instead of Tohru? No, I doubt it. Minne was nice, and pleasant, but she would never have the same significance to me. Maybe I just couldn't love somebody I hadn't hurt. I was a monster, but she had accepted me. Even in seeing my true form, she had wanted to stay friends. But what if she had known about her mother…
Would she still have accepted me?
I realized I had spaced into daydreams, even though these were more like nightmares. Slowly, I scrambled out of it, turning my eyes away from Shigure, who was acting like absolutely nothing had happened. Minne as well, but I could feel a tingle of confusion in the air where she stood. Confusion and sadness.
Minne: He had said her name. Did he think of her every time he looked at me? Did they all? Did they compare me to her? I decided not to notice, not to care. People made mistakes, and if I was going to try and help these people, I would have to forgive and forget. I smiled. This motivated Shigure to continue. Not something I was keen on hearing.
-Akito invited us over. All of us, as soon as you are feeling better.
Right now, I felt like collapsing.
-YOU CALLED HIM, STUPID DOG! IF YOU HADN'T, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN, yelled Kyo.
-I must agree with that, said Yuki.
I didn't collapse. I would have longed to, just to postpone the moment of that meeting. But I stood, firmly rooted to the ground. "Do I have to?" I heard myself groan, like a five year old kid who has to go to the dentists. I felt ashamed. I continued, much louder. "I mean, do I have to NOW? I still feel a little faint…I hope it doesn't bother too much."
-Of course not, answered Yuki promptly. Take all the time you need.
I realized he wanted to go to that meeting as little as I did, maybe even less.
I nodded, then settled myself in an armchair. An hour later, we went out of the house. Half an hour after that, we were there. With Akito greeting us at the door. And suddenly, I felt strong. Because I knew. I knew it all.
Yuki: He greeted us, and smiled jovially, like we were all his best friends. But behind that, I could see the hatred in his eyes, directed at each of us in turn, focusing on me like I was a satellite dish and he was the beam. And the glance he shot at Minne was almost deadly, if glances could kill. Surprisingly, she stood still, looking at him with a great amount of composure. Strength. That strength blew over me like a warm breeze, and I felt ready to confront Akito. A glance from him was enough to blow that flickering flame right out. But the candle still remained, burning deep in my heart, waiting to be ignited once again. Akito led us calmly to the main hall, chattering happily with Shigure all the way. He barely looked at Minne or at me. He ignored Kyo completely. We sat down at a small table laden with appetizing dishes. I ended up sitting at one side of Akito, Shigure on the other. Minne in front of him, and Kyo somewhere off to the side. That's when the real talk started.
-Well, Miss Kuremoto, it seems like we finally meet, said Akito with a synthetic warmth only he could produce, and which fooled no one regarding to the real feelings behind it. Those feelings were hate.
-Indeed, Akito-san, she answered, purposefully, straightforwardly. I've wanted to do that since I found out you existed.
-Ah, now that's a good point. How did you find out about me, about us, he asked, vaguely waving his hand at the people sitting around the table.
-I would like to keep that private, she answered. Still straightforwardly. And with such assurance, I was sure Akito wouldn't be able to find a reply.
But Akito is always able to do that.
-Oh, my dear girl. You think you're all-powerful. Don't you realize that if you act stubborn, your memory will be erased? Akito said, with laughter as cold as ice.
I felt my heart sink.
-I realize that those are your intentions, Akito-san, she answered. But will it happen? Do you think I will let you do that?
-We shall see, Akito replied, but I knew he was disconcerted by her. A flicker of hope rose in my heart again. Maybe, just maybe…
Akito's next question made my blood turn to ice.
-So, you supposedly know what the Juunishi think and feel. What does my beloved Yuki think about me then?
Minne laughed. A harsh, cold, mocking laugh. So unlike the Minne I knew.
-Are you that much of a coward not to ask him directly?
It was like a bullet piercing through me at top speed. A bullet that made anything possible. Minne had just insulted Akito.
-You have a sharp tongue, bitch! snapped Akito. You probably don't know a thing. You're fooling yourself, thinking that you can steal the Sohma's from me. You think you'll manage to help them? But they have reached a point of no-return, and you know nothing, NOTHING!
-I know nothing, eh? The coldness in Minne's voice had reached its culminating point. So you really want me to tell them everything? About you, Akito. How you were raised. About your favorite bird. Or not-bird.
Akito's frown was visible all around the table. His hands clamped together, tightly. Shigure had paled. And I was lost. What did she know? Non-bird? How he was raised? WHAT did Minne know?
-Leave us! Akito pronounced, his words as sharp as steel. I was afraid to leave Minne alone with him. Shigure seemed reluctant to. Kyo shot up, and left, not before throwing a look at Minne which could just have been encouraging. And still we left, because we couldn't disobey.
Kyo: So many thoughts swirled around in my mind. Minne, she knew, she seemed to know, so much! What did she know, really. What was all that talk? And why had Akito reacted so strongly. I shut my mind of. I walked out of the room, disgusted at myself for not butting in, for not staying. But what could I do against Akito. I was bound, by the curse, and by fear. I felt useless. Broken. I walked aimlessly around the large residence, but my feet had purposes of their own. They led me to the old house, where I would soon be confined. I touched the walls, the feel of their rough would against my fingertips. This is where I would probably spend the rest of my life. The air around me was still, an orange sunset hanging over the sakura trees surrounding the walls. Nothing moved. Nothing to blemish the perfect silence of doom. And then, a sob. Stifled, but clear. A small sob, uttered by small lips that hadn't felt water against them for a long time. My ears pricked up, trying to catch the direction from which the sound had come. And then another sob, louder, clearer. From the cat house. My house.
-Who's there…? I asked, afraid but excited.
-Kyo…?
My heart missed a beat. Then started beating so hard I thought I would burst. A thousand butterflies rose in my stomach all at once, and I felt as if I would fly up to he sky with them, but shock kept me rooted to the ground.
That voice, I knew it. That voice had greeted me every morning for two years, cheering me up to the deepest of my being. That voice belonged to the person that I loved most on earth. The only person that really mattered. I crashed through the solid wooden walls, not caring how many bruises, cuts and marks would be left on my skin. I broke down every beam, every fiber in that would to be back with her. To hold her in my arms, to breathe in the scent of her flesh and kiss her tear filled eyes.
-Kyo…, she whispered, as if she had found gone at last.
-Tohru, I whispered back, my heart bursting and blossoming in my chest.
Here is chapter 7. Isn't it soooo heart wrenching! And there are even MORE surprises to come! But I think this is enough content to create emotional overload (at least for me!) so I'll leave this story here for now! Waiting for your comments people!
Shigure: Awwww…so sweet!
Kyo: YOU CRAZY DIG! I MEAN DOG, DAMMIT! DON'T COME RUINING THE BEST MOMENT OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!
Tohru (taking Kyo's hand and looking up at him fondly): He means well, forget about it. But I am so happy you found me…starts crying
Kyo: Tohru…
Tohru: Kyo…
Shigure: Aya…
See you soon in chapter eight! ;D
