Hatori's POV

I sat at my desk, hunched over my English textbook and mumbling sentence after sentence under my breath, committing each nonsensical phrase to memory. Before I could turn the page and continue reading the next passage, however, there was an urgent knock on my door.

"Come in." I turned around in my chair, raising an eyebrow at Shigure. Something had to be wrong; he usually didn't wait for my permission to waltz into my room uninvited and kick his smelly feet on top of my bedcovers. "What is it?"

'Someone's here to see you," he said, uncharacteristically somber, jutting his thumb towards the stairs.

Swallowing back my urge to panic (years and years of holding my tongue in the presence of Akito had trained me well in this aspect), I calmly rose to my feet, giving Shigure a curt nod and shuffling to the door. Just as expected, Kotomi was waiting there, her hands folded across her midnight blue kimono. "Good evening, Sohma-san."

"Hello," I replied, inclining my head in a polite bow. "What brings you here at this hour, ma'am?"

"Akito-sama wishes to speak with you," she said solemnly, and lowered her voice, "and the girl." She hissed the word as if it were taboo, synonymous with the plague.

I was mad at myself for getting complacent, for believing that if I was careful enough, I could go on with the way I was living- like I was on vacation, like I could escape from her, even just for a little while. Of course all efforts to keep this from her would fail; our family had spies and look-outs stationed all over the place- who was I to rule out the possibility of one being at school? I'd been foolish to think for a moment that this could last forever.

So I'd braced myself for this, spent sleepless nights playing out every possible scenario, but nothing could have prepared me for the real thing.

"We'll be there as soon as possible," I said flatly.

Kotomi made a low, sweeping bow, before melting back into the darkness, the soft fabric of her kimono trailing after her.

Our lives had seemed so normal, living in the company of a completely ordinary girl. What would I do if that comfort disappeared? Fujikawa still believed the curse was adorably embarrassing, a harmless secret we just didn't want the general public to find out. What would she do if she found out the truth?

"Sohma? Is something wrong?" Fujikawa asked, peering out of the kitchen.

But I couldn't hide anymore. If I dragged this out, who knew what she would do?

"The head of our house wishes to speak with you," I said softly.

She was by my side in an instant, a hand on my shoulder. "Sohma-" Fujikawa faltered, before plastering on a strained smile. "Well, this day was gonna come any day now, right? Better get over sooner than later. We'll be just fine, I'm sure of it." If anything, she was trying to reassure herself more than me.

I cleared my throat. "Ready when you are."

I tapped on the screen door. "Akito-sama?"

"Come in!"

Settling my shoulders, I pushed past the curtain of beads, and together, we faced her.

Akito was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, surrounded by her circle of candles, her hands clasped together in what could have been prayer. The light cast eerie shadows across her face, illuminating the hollows of her cheekbones, the heaviness beneath her eye sockets. She was so weary, so worn, practically disappearing into the folds of her kimono- sitting there, tiny and frail, I almost pitied her.

Fujikawa froze besides me. Monster, I could hear her think.

Well, you're not wrong.

"Hello, Hatori. It's good to see you again," Akito said mildly, before turning to Fujikawa. "And you must be Sukochi Fujikawa. You're a very pretty girl, my dear."

Fujikawa merely nodded, casting her eyes towards the ground.

"Kneel down before me, girl," Akito ordered, pointing to the spot in front of her. When Fujikawa stayed resolutely in place, she put on a sickly sweet smile, hissing, "I said kneel."

"Akito-sama," I warned, starting forward, but I was silenced by a wave of her hand.

"Quiet, Hatori," she snapped, her pupils dilating. "I told the girl to kneel, didn't I? Why is she still standing?"

Fujikawa sent me a distressed look, but obliged, much to relief. Raising her head and keeping an unwavering gaze on Akito, she sank to the floor, her teeth gritted and jaw clenched in something that looked a little like defiance. Any sign of fear had disappeared, replaced by smoldering eyes and parted lips. Hit me with your best shot, she seemed to challenge.

Akito, her face twisted in an ugly grimace of rage, lunged for Fujikawa's neck, tilting her head up. "Yes, yes, very beautiful, indeed. I can see why they chose you," she crooned, reveling in Fujikawa's strangled growls of protest. "Oh, you poor little thing. So innocent. So fragile." Her fingers tightened around Fujikawa's throat, turning her face a sickly purple.

I reached out for her. "Akito-sama, please-"

Akito rolled her eyes, but relented, shoving her back towards me.

Fujikawa took in a wheezy breath, massaging her neck. "Who are you?" she snarled.

Akito began to laugh uncontrollably, clutching her stomach as she doubled over. "Me? I'm the god of the Sohma family! Their creator! The one they'll always obey! Me, me, me!" She sat back up, wiping the froth off of the corner of her mouth, and grinned maniacally at me "Isn't that right, Hatori? The thirteen of you, all my slaves. Mine, mine, mine."

Her eyes widened. "Tell me she's lying," Fujikawa begged, and I looked away. "Please, Sohma, please."

"What, you don't know the entire story?" Akito giggled. "Foolish girl. From the moment they were born, they were all destined to be my slaves. To serve me and love me and stay by my side forever and always. Me, their beloved god, the one that will accept them when all others turn away. That was their fate, sealed by the monsters inside of them.

"Yes, that's what we are, Sukochi! Monsters! Monsters that can never be accepted by fools like you!" she jeered, jabbing a finger in Fujikawa's face. "You thought you were different than the rest, didn't you? Better, even? Wrong, wrong, wrong! You will never understand what we are, never understand the pain of being a curse."

"Stop," I mumbled, but Akito ignored me.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you?" she taunted, a malicious grin dancing its way to her face. "Planning to run away while you can? Don't be ashamed, sweetie- they all do, in the end."

"You're wrong," Fujikawa mumbled.

I was taken aback. She was bold and a little outspoken, sure, but was she honestly willing to challenge someone who had nearly choked her to death? Did her recklessness extend that far?

No, not recklessness.

Courage.

Akito's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, really? Tell me how I'm wrong."

Fujikawa clenched her jaw. "I'm not gonna run away. Sohma asked me the same question, and I told him that I was gonna stay! Not even you can change that. Do you think I'm scared?" When Akito didn't reply, she let out a bark of shaky laughter. "Well, you're wrong! I'm not the same stupid girl they met two months ago. I'm not gonna give up anymore! I-" Fujikawa faltered, and laughed bitterly. "Run away, my ass. What do you know about me?"

Akito looked amused. "Oh? Your tenacity is admirable, but...you still don't know the full story do you? What we do to little outsiders like you who stick their noses into business that doesn't concern them?"

I froze. Please Akito, please. Don't tell her that. Anything but that.

She leaned forward, a mysterious look of glee alighting her face, the one I'd see before she went berserk, breaking porcelain vases and battering me with her bruised knuckles. The calm before the storm. "We erase their memories," she whispered. "Want to know who does the deed?"

"No, Akito-sama," I whispered.

But her smile only deepened "Yes, your very own friend, Hatori Sohma. Do you know the story, Sukochi?" When Fujikawa ever-so-slightly shook her head, Akito sat back on her heels, continuing, "Every generation, there is a man who is granted the gift of hypnosis, passed down from father to son in Hatori's bloodline. Just as you'd expect, his father had this power. Most unfortunately, however, he passed away not too long ago."

She mock pouted, yanking a flower out of a nearby bottle and twirling it between her fingers. "Such a pity. He was a handsome man. Fortunately, Hatori has not only inherited his good looks, but also his extraordinary abilities. And so, when anyone stumbles upon our secret..." she drifted off ominously, watching the horrified look spread on her face with pure malice. "I think you can guess what happens next."

Akito reached out to stroke Fujikawa's temple, using the back of her hand to push the stringy hair out of her face. Without looking up to meet Akito's eyes, Fujikawa spat, "So is that what you're going to do with me? Screw with my mind like the coward you are?"

She scowled, her hand leaving Fujikawa's face and falling back to her side. Akito cocked her head to the side, appearing more bemused than angry. "You are an interesting one. No wonder they seem so...entranced by you." She turned to me, smiling coyly at me. "So, Hatori. Will you erase her memories? I'll leave it up to you."

My eyes widened in surprise. She was giving me a choice?

But maybe if I did erase her memories, I'd protect myself. Shigure and Ayame, too. We could go on living the way we used to- restrained and wearing those fake smiles for the public, pretending like our lives trapped in the Sohma estate were more than glorified imprisonment. Without Fujikawa, our lives would be less complicated. Without her, we'd go on serving Akito, pretending like we were her loyal lapdogs, licking at her slippers for a treat or two.

But no. I was sick of running away. Sick of turning my cheek when my younger cousins were hurt, shunted to the side, leaving the main house with bruises and scrapes. Sick of pretending like I didn't have a mind of my own, like I existed to fulfill Akito's twisted whims, touch my fingers to their temples and watch those memories fade away.

I shook my head.

"Very well then," Akito chirped, giving us a closed-eyed smile. "You are dismissed. It was a pleasure to meet you, Sukochi."

Bowing to Akito once more, I grabbed Fujikawa's hand and tugged her outside. She remained eerily quiet during our walk back home, seemingly immersed in a deep, unshakeable reverie. I shot her pointed stares from time to time, but she refused to even acknowledge me, her eyes cast down at the pebbles littering the walkway.

Shigure ran to the door the moment we returned, breathing heavily. "What happened?"

When he saw the somber look on her face, his face fell. "She knew, didn't she?"

I murmured in assent, and he nodded, turning back to her. "Fujikawa-chan-"

"So, that's the truth about the curse, isn't it?" she spat, hands curling into fists at her sides. "You guys only exist to love him, right? And you don't have other choice but to be his slaves."

Shigure winced. "Well, when you put it like that-"

"And you're okay with that?" she demanded, voice a little crackly, glowering when he didn't immediately reply. "I said, are you okay with that?" Her eyes blazed with pure, unadulterated fury, her fingers twitching as if she wanted nothing more than to punch the nearest wall.

I reached for her. "You have to calm down."

"No, I'm not gonna calm down!" Fujikawa shrieked, stomping her foot and shoving me away. "He called you his slaves. He treated you like you were worthless. And you don't even care?"

"Yes, of course we care, but-"

"No matter what he says to you, you're still gonna be Mr. Polite? You're gonna nod and mutter that yes, you'll do this, you'll do that. You're the one who taught me to do my own thing. To do what I wanted, no matter what anyone else said." A sob wracked her body, and she fell to the ground, whispering, "You damn hypocrites. You were lying to me this entire time."

I crouched down besides her, holding her gaze. "What are you going to do now, Fujikawa?"

"Who the hell do you think I am, some kind of coward? I'm through with that." She laughed humorlessly. "Your curse? He says that it lasts forever. To hell with that! Nothing lasts forever. So your damn god better watch out, because things are changing today!"

I pulled her closer to me, pressing a hand to her forehead. Why hadn't I noticed before? "You're burning up, Fujikawa. You don't know what you're saying."

Her breathing was ragged, uneven. "No, you're wrong. I mean it. Everything I said- it's true."

"Don't strain yourself. You're delirious." Frowning, I carefully lowered her onto the futon. "Please, don't talk."

As she lay sprawled on the ground, her gaze glassy and far-away, her lips moved to form a single, hoarse word. "Hatori."

My name. I felt a pang of guilt in my stomach. Such familiarity and coziness in this house, its empty rooms and pockets filled with signs of her. Her spice deodorant, her dog-eared textbooks, her hoodies and t-shirts and jeans. It was the first time I'd considered a real home, a sanctuary, an anchor in our turbulent lives.

And one girl was enough to change me? To lower my guard and get me to hope for the first time in my life?

But things were going to change. I saw that in her eyes.

We had a long road ahead of us, but I had a feeling that things just might turn out okay.