Hidden From the World
By: .Cami.B.
Chapter 10: The Beginning of Something New
AN: Hi everyone! It's been about a couple of months now. How is everyone? I, once again, apologize for the seemingly everlasting wait. My time has been overtaken by huge amounts of studying for both classes and the SAT/ACT. (If you don't know what they are, they're sort of like assessment tests that major colleges look at to determine whether or not you qualify to apply for their school.) Any who, enough blabbering from me; I'm pretty sure you're thinking, "Shut up and get to the story already!" (Hehe) so here it is! We left off with Tohru moving into Shigure's place and she foreshadowed an acquaintance that will (like her encounter with Akito), once again, change her life's path. Most of you guessed and everyone who guessed is correct. She does in fact bump into the lovable Kyo Sohma! Hehe. But as for how he changed her life's path, you'll have to wait and see. Ok, enough is enough. I'll leave you all to read Chapter 10. I hope you like it! Please leave a review if you have time! Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FRUITS BASKET!
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I was finishing up the dishes when Yuki-kun peeked into the kitchen to check on me.
"How are things going Honda-san? Do you need any help?" he asked politely.
I turned my head and gave him one of my assuring smiles. "No, I'm fine, but thank you for offering Yuki-kun!" I replied cheerfully.
Then, another familiar face appeared; Shii-chan's smiling face protrudes from behind Yuki-kun.
"Now Yuki-- how rude of you to interrupt dear Tohru-chan while she's at work?" Shii-chan joked playfully.
Yuki-kun shot Shii-chan a seemingly annoyed look. I couldn't help but giggle a bit.
"And telling her to do your chores is very polite of you?" Yuki-kun replied with sarcasms.
Shii-chan, with ease, ignored Yuki-kun's comment. He came over to my side with both of his arms behind his back, body slightly bent forward, and curious eyes shifting from the cleaned dishes to me and then back again.
"Is something wrong Shii-chan?" I asked nervously.
Shii-chan returned his body to an upright position. He smiled. "Hm? Oh no, I just never thought that our dishes would ever be white again," he said in a joking way.
Amused, I smiled and looked over to Yuki-kun who was standing at the entrance with his arms loosely folded in front of him. He was definitely not amused by Shii-chan's comment; this made me a little nervous.
"Um…I'm almost done. Afterward, I'll start on dinner. What would you like to have Yuki-kun?" I asked trying to break the tension.
He thought for a minute and then finally smiled (slightly but still, he smiled). "I'm sure anything you make will be delicious Honda-san," he said as his eyes suddenly moved to the window behind me just above the sink.
"Is something wrong?" I asked turning my head to see what he was looking at.
His attention returned to me. "Oh, it's nothing important. Don't worry yourself, Honda-san," he turned to Shii-chan who was standing beside me with both hands comfortably tucked into their opposite sleeves, "I'll be back before dark."
Shii-chan smiled in his unique way and gestured for him to go. "Sure, sure, just don't do anything bad while you're away," he teased.
"Speak for yourself," Yuki-kun said coolly as he departed.
"Ok then, my beautiful flower, I will leave dinner up to you. Ta-ta," he said and slipped away before I could reply.
I smiled and began to examine the fridge for ingredients.
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Flashback.
After the movers left, I was guided upstairs to my new bedroom by Shii-chan. My new room was on the second floor. I even had my own bathroom that came with it. I set Kumo-san's carrier onto the floor and then placed him in it. I examined the room. It was a big room with a huge king sized bed in one corner. Near the window, there was a desk with only a desk lamp and empty picture frames on it. In the middle of the room there was a low square table with a cushion neatly placed on each of the sides. My eyes shifted away from the table and stopped at a dresser behind it, against the wall parallel to the wall that the bed was against. My luggage and stuff was scatter all over the room. The room seemed crowded at the moment, but it definitely had a homey feel to it. I must admit, I liked it…a lot.
"Well, here we are my beautiful flower!" Shii-chan announced, "What do you think?"
"I love it. Thank you Shii-chan," I replied as I walked over to the bed and sat down.
He laughed. "Anything for you my beauty," he said.
I smiled (I was somewhat used to his "ways" by now) as Shii-chan examined the boxes in my room.
"Hm, you sure do have quite a bit of stuff," he commented.
Embarrassed, I replied, "Oh, um, yes, I guess I do. Is that a problem?"
"Oh no, but we'll need a lot of time to unpack," he said cheerfully.
I giggled.
"Let's get started then," he added as he reached for one of the box near by.
I smiled and headed toward my luggage. I grabbed it and threw it onto the bed. I unzipped it and pulled out a dress. I was straightening it while Shii-chan opened his box.
"Where would you like these, Honda-san?" I heard him ask from behind me.
I turned around and replied, "On the desk, thank you."
He nodded. As we both rambled through my seemingly endless amount of stuff, I heard a familiar voice.
"I'm home!" it called.
We both paused. An evil smile appeared on Shii-chan's face instantly. He seems to have an evil plan in mind.
"Ah-ha! Help!" he jerked and slipped out of the room as quickly as possible.
I followed him downstairs to find a familiar face at the entrance way. It was that same man at the estate. He is one of the Juunishi. He was removing his shoes when we reached the ground floor.
"Welcome home, Yuki! You have such great timing!" Shii-chan greeted him.
Without lifting his head, he replied, "What are you talking about?"
"Since you're back, you can help with the unpacking," Shii-chan informed him.
"What are you talking---" he lifted his head and instantly silenced once he saw me.
I smiled politely. "Hi…Yuki-kun," I began nervously, "I don't know if you remember me, but we've seen each other at the estate."
Yuki-kun looked from me to Shii-chan and back to me. "Yes, you are…Honda-san?" he replied.
I nodded. "It's nice to see you again. I didn't think that we will see each other again so soon, but---" I was beginning to babble again. (It's so embarrassing!)
Shii-chan noticed my confusion and nervousness. He wrapped his right arm around me and rested his right hand comfortably onto my right shoulder. I blushed and froze. He smiled happily.
"Yes, Tohru-chan here will be living with us from now on until further notice," he announced interrupting my blabbering.
"What have you done this time Shigure?" Yuki-kun asked without interest.
"Oh, you know, a little bit of this and that…Making new life, typical stuff like that," he joked.
My eyes widened dramatically as I turned my head to look up at Shii-chan smiling expression. Yuki-kun looked at me and then he shifted his eyes down toward my waist area. I instantly jerked my hands to cover my stomach. I blushed.
"Idiot," Yuki-kun said coldly to Shii-chan.
"Now, now, is that any way to speak to the person who took you in?" Shii-chan asked teasingly.
Yuki-kun didn't reply. Instead, he removed his coat. Shii-chan's arm released me and it was very relieving for me. I smiled and bowed.
"Hi, Yuki-kun, I will be living here with Shii-chan for the next month or two. Since you live here too, I hope that we can be friends. I want to know everything about you and Shii-chan!" I said cheerfully.
The confused/shocked expression on his face confused me.
"Yuki-kun?" I called.
His mind seemed to have returned from where ever it had dozed off too. "Yes?" he replied.
"Is it ok if we became friends?" I asked cheerfully.
He smiled slightly accepting my offer. I smiled back.
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So there you have it! For the past couple of weeks, I have resided here at Shii-chan's house. Since I am not attending school like Yuki-kun, I had a lot of spare time on my hands. As a result, I talked Shii-chan into letting me do the house work in exchange for my room. Shii-chan gladly accepted, but Yuki-kun was somewhat reluctant about the idea at first.
I turned my head and glanced over at the clock on the wall behind me. It read 3:56.
"Hm, it's too early to start on dinner. I wouldn't want the food to be cold when Yuki-kun returns. I guess I'll just start on it later," I thought to myself, "Meanwhile, what can I do?"
I exited the kitchen and into the living room.
"Spick and span, no cleaning needed here," I thought and headed to Shii-chan's office.
"Clean," I thought and moved onto Shii-chan's and then Yuki-kun's room.
"Both rooms are spotless, what else can I do? Laundry?" I asked myself as I looked over at the empty dirty laundry basket in Yuki-kun's room, "Guess not."
I walked down the hall to my room and laid onto the bed with my arms stretched out on either side of me. I took in a deep breathe. Before I knew it, I was slowly falling asleep…
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Flashback.
"Akito-san, what does it feels like to be loved?" I asked curiously as I took another bite of my piece of cake.
He looked up at me with a confused expression on his face.
"You know, like being loved by your parents. Akito-san, where are your parents?" I asked.
He set his fork onto the table and rested his hand beside it. "I don't have any," he said simply.
Surprised, I replied, "But everyone has parents."
"Not me," he said.
"What happened? Are they in a far away place too?" I asked.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said almost sadly.
"Hm? Why not? I'm sure your parents loved you too. I bet your daddy loved you a lot…and your mommy too. Your mommy must be really really nice---" Akito-san slammed his two hands violently onto the table and it hushed me.
I was frightened; I sat still silently. He looked at me with angry eyes.
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY PARENTS! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM! I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEM! SHUT UP!" he yelled.
After a short moment of heavy breathing from Akito-san, I finally swallowed up the other questions that I had and said, "Yes…Akito-san…"
My stare sank from Akito-san's face to the sliced birthday cake in between us that originally read, "Happy 10th Birthday Akito!!!"
End of Flashback.
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"Honda-san?" I heard Yuki-kun's voice call.
I pushed my eyes open; I saw a blurry face topped with silver hair hovering over me.
"Are you alright?" Yuki-kun asked.
His face began to take shape. As I sat up, he moved backward.
"Yes?" I asked sleepily.
"Are you alright?" he repeated.
"Um…yes, I was just a little tired, that's all. Is there a problem?" I replied sleepily.
"Oh no, but when Shigure and I came home you were no where to be found and dinner was not on the table. We figured that something was wrong since this is not like you at all," he explained.
Instantly I jerked my body up, "OH NO! I FORGOT ABOUT DINNER! WHAT TIME IS IT?" I gasped.
Yuki-kun smiled slightly. "Don't worry Honda-san, it's only about five o'clock. You're not that late," he assured me.
I let out a light sigh of relief. "Well then, I will start immediately!" I exclaimed energetically.
Yuki-kun smiled once again. "I'll help," he offered.
"Ok!" I smiled and headed to the door.
When I was by the doorway, it sudden hit me that I didn't know what to make. I decided to asked Yuki who was or was suppose to be following right behind me.
"Um, Yuki-kun, what would you---" I was interrupted by a loud crashing noise and dust that blinded my ability to see him.
I fanned the dusty air away from my face. Then I caught a glimpse of silver.
"Yuki---" I began but froze once I saw another presence in the room.
An orange-haired teenager about our age had broken through the roof and into my room. He seemed to be angry. I watched from behind this orange-haired teen; he doesn't seem to have noticed that I'm in the room.
"ALRIGHT RAT BOY! TODAY'S THE DAY THAT I'M GONNA KILL YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!" the orange-haired boy exclaimed angrily.
My eyes widened. Yuki-kun was not the least bit fazed. He folded his arms in front of his chest and smirked.
"How many times have I heard that line before?" Yuki-kun said in disinterest.
"SHUT UP YOU STUPID RAT!!! I'M GOING TO BEAT YOU!" the orange-haired teen replied.
Suddenly, his right arm was up in the air; it slammed onto the table in between the two of them. The table scattered. The bits and pieces of the table flew in all directions; a piece fell toward me and scratched me on my face. I started to bleed, but I was so distracted that I didn't bother to deal with it. Before I knew it, the orange-haired teen's fist was in the air and it was heading toward Yuki-kun. Based on first instincts, I ran toward the orange-haired teen and try to stop him. But being the clutz that I am, I slipped on a piece of the broken table on the floor and fell forward. I caught a glimpse of the orange-haired teen's red-ish orange eyes just as my body crashed onto his and then a loud poof sounded the room; the room was now covered in orange smoke. When the smoke vanished an adorable orange cat was on my lap and I was sitting on the orange-haired teen's clothes. Frightened, I remained silent merely examining the animal. The cat looked up at me seeming to be annoyed. Instantly, Shii-chan's head appeared at the doorway.
"I heard a lot of commotion. Yuki, please don't tell its---" Shii-chan paused for a second when he saw the cat on my lap, "It is Kyo. Welcome back Kyo! It's been awhile now…what is it? Four months?"
"Kyo?" I repeated confusedly.
The cat jumped off of my lap and retrieved the orange-haired teen's clothes with its mouth. Then it pulled them toward a wall, away from me.
Shii-chan slipped the rest of his body into the room. "Yes, yes, that," Shii-chan gestured to the cat that was now alone in the corner of the room, "Is Kyo Sohma, the cat."
My stare shifted from Shii-chan to the cat whose name, I suppose, was Kyo. However, all I saw was the cat's back. "Um, hi…Kyo-kun…I'm Tohru Honda," I introduced myself.
The cat ignored me. Everybody was still and quiet for a short period of time.
"Please, ignore his rude behavior Honda-san," Yuki-kun said to me, "Stupid cats don't know any better."
"Oh, um…" I pondered for a correct response.
The angry cat turned around and started cursing at Yuki-kun, but Yuki-kun ignored him. He came over to me and gently outlined the cut on my face with his thumb.
"You're hurt Honda-san," he said in his usually gentle voice.
"Oh! I'm alright! Don't worry," I said and smiled, "See."
Yuki-kun smiled slightly. Shii-chan has somehow floated to where Kyo-kun was.
"Kyo, you should apologize," Shii-chan said.
"OH! He doesn't have to! I'm fine!" I exclaimed.
The cat hissed. Then another loud poof sounded and smoke appeared again. Before I knew it, a handsome, naked orange-haired teen stood before me. I jerked my entire body around immediately. I blushed.
"Um…" I struggled for the right words to say.
"Ha-ha," Shii-chan laughed, "Tohru-chan, my beautiful flower, would you excuse us."
I looked up at Shii-chan. Then a loud grumbling noise sounded the room. Shii-chan's familiar smile appeared on his face.
"When's dinner again?" he asked joyously.
I smiled. "I'll go start on it right away!" I exclaimed having forgotten about it. "What would you like?"
"Anything my beautiful flower makes will warm my heart, be loved by me, and satisfy every taste bud on my tongue," he said jokingly.
"Ok," I replied happily and exited the room as my glance shifted to Kyo-kun.
I was gathering ingredients when it hit me. "Is Kyo-kun staying for dinner? What would he like?" I asked myself.
I straightened out my apron and headed for the exit but before I left the kitchen, three familiar faces, one grinning, one content, and one…irritated, I suppose, appeared before me.
"Oh! Shii-chan, Yuki-kun, and…Kyo-kun! I was just about to ask if Kyo-kun will be having dinner with us," I informed them.
While grinning, Shii-chan replied, "Yes, beloved Tohru-chan, Kyo here will be spending the night."
A cheerful smile appeared on my face, "Ok then, I shall get started with dinner!" I exclaimed motivated now to do a good job.
I decided to make miso soup with a vegetarian dish, some fried fish, and rice. However, only Yuki-kun, Shii-chan, and I ate at the dinner table. Kyo-kun locked himself in his room. I wanted to see if he's alright but Yuki-kun insisted that he was fine and that he could take care of himself. After dinner, I started on the dishes and when I was done, I heated up some food that I had set aside for Kyo-kun. After hesitating for a little bit, I heated up the food and decided to bring it to Kyo-kun. I head upstairs and as I passed my room door, I noticed that there was light on in the other side. I opened the door to find Kyo-kun repairing my broken roof by patching the hole with some plastic material and duct tape. He looked down at me with a piece of tape in his mouth.
"Kyo-kun?" I called questioningly.
He finished his work and jumped off of the ladder. "It should keep the rain and wind out, but if you want a better job, you'll have to get a professional to do it," he said coldly.
I smiled. "Oh, no it's fine. Thank you," I replied cheerfully.
He looked at me as if I was an alien from outer space.
"Is something wrong with me?" I asked examining myself.
He didn't replied.
"Oh! Kyo-kun, you skipped dinner, so I thought you might be hungry. I reheated some food for you," I informed him.
His glance shifted from me to the tray in my hand. Without replying, once again, he folded the ladder up, tucked it under his right arm, and started toward me. He walked pass me and headed out into the hall.
"I don't want it," he said softly as he disappeared into a room down the hall.
Disappointed, I headed downstairs to the kitchen. I set the tray onto the counter by the refrigerator.
"What should I do?" I asked myself.
After a few moments of pandering, I finally decided to wrap up the food and place it into the refrigerator. I cleaned some dishes and headed upstairs. However, when I got to my room, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned as images from the incident tonight ran through my head like a movie.
"Kyo Sohma-kun, who is he? He's the cat, like the one from the stories that mom use to tell me. I wonder…if he is sad like the cat in the story. And he doesn't seem to like Yuki-kun much. I wonder if it's because of the same reason as the one in the story," I started to think.
Suddenly, I heard noises coming from downstairs. I jerked my body upward. Frightened, I panicked.
"Is it a burglar?" I panicked.
I tip-toed out of the room and grabbed a stick (that I used for drying the laundry) perched against the hallway wall by the door that lead out to the patio on the way downstairs. The noise came from the kitchen. I peeked in and saw a figure in black. Without hesitating, I pulled the stick above my head; I swung at the figure. The figure yelled. His voice was familiar. It moved backyard a little and into the moonlight coming through the kitchen window. I dropped the stick in shock. It was Kyo-kun. He stared at me with a "what-are-you-doing" look and a pair of chopsticks in one of his hands.
"Ah! Kyo-kun! I'm so sorry! I thought you were a burglar!" I tried to explain nervously.
He bent down to pick up a piece of fish that had probably fallen out of his mouth when he yelled. He threw it into the garbage bin nearby and returned his attention to me.
"Do I look like a burglar to you?!" he jerked annoyed.
"Um…" I looked at his dark outfit consisted of a black t-shirt and a pair of forest green cargo pants.
He looked down at his outfit and then up. "Never mind," he said as he picked up another piece of fish with his chopstick.
I smiled. He looked at me with a weird expression on his face.
"What's that for?" he asked.
I only smiled.
"Idiot," he said.
I slightly tilted my head to the right examining the way he eats. Something about Kyo-kun reminded me of Akito-san. Oh wait, he called me an "idiot" just like Akito-san does. Maybe that's it. But any way, there's definitely something…something makes me feel really close to Kyo-kun, but we've only meet a few hours ago. I smiled as I stared at the figure before me…a person that might be…or I'm afraid will be…Akito-san's substitute…No…He can't be, but…but…why do I feel so familiar to him. Kyo-kun is definitely not who I thought he would be…and probably who everyone thinks he is. After what I've seen tonight, I truly believe that Kyo-kun is merely misunderstood. There's a kind person in there somewhere and I want to find it. I don't know why…I don't know how, but I will. I want to get to know him just like I want to get to know Yuki-kun…for them…for me…for whatever it is that is telling me that these people are not who I think they are…They're more…much more. Like Kyo-kun, he's more…much more than another everyday encounter. I want to know…