Chapter 10: Deduction
The group understood Kaoru's statement right away: this girl was their lost, long-awaited cat.
"No joke…?" another boy, still sitting, asked. He had messy, light brown hair and playful amber eyes.
"This is the cat?" the last boy added. He had dark purple hair and, nearly fiery, red eyes.
The girl with the green hair simply looked up from her book and at Tohru for a fraction of a second, before returning her gaze to its previous downward position. Tohru had even caught a glimpse of her faded purple irises.
The boy, who had stood up first, quickly grabbed hold of Tohru's hand and kissed it. "Hey, I'm Torahku… Is your name as cute as your face?"
Tohru blushed slightly, as she muttered, "Tohru… uhh, S-Sohma, I guess."
The name Tohru came as a shock to him for a moment, but he regained his cool quickly. "Tohru Sohma: The greatest name to be given…" he made a face, "except for that last bit."
Tohru looked confused, "You mean the Sohma-part? Isn't that your name too?"
Very dramatically, Torahku proclaimed, "Yes but, we're all Sohma's here." He stared right into her eyes, his yellow irises nearly glowing, and completely capturing Tohru's attention. "So what's your real name, outsider?"
"T-Tohru… Mizunashi…"
He smirked, closing his eyes and severing the link between him and Tohru. "That's better." He gently let her hand down and cupped his chin, "You know, I can't help but feel like I've seen you before Mizunashi-chan. Have we met?"
"Not that I'm aware of…" Tohru answered.
"Duuuude!" the brown haired boy called, "No one, not even Neko-chan, wants to hear your cheesy pick-up lines!"
"It's not a pick-up line!" Torahku argued, "I actually swear that she looks familiar." He grabbed hold of her hand once again and used the same trick with his eyes to capture her attention. "You believe me, right Mizunashi-chan? Could it possibly be fate?"
Quickly, and unexpectedly, Kaoru pushed Torahku's hand away from Tohru's. "I think that's quite enough Torah-nii." He said, trying to speak nonchalantly, but having obvious annoyance in his voice.
"Whoa hey Kaoru, what's the problem?" Torahku was a little shocked; within the walls of the Sohma estate, Kaoru wasn't one to be so outspoken.
"Saru-nii is right," Kaoru nodded, crossing his arms, "None of us are in the mood to hear your annoying pick-up lines."
"I don't really know about that Kaoru…" The boy with dark purple hair stood up and walked over to Tohru.
Man, everyone's taller than me damn it! She sighed, Oh, except for Michiko-chan and those little kids… But they don't count!
He looked hard at Tohru before nodding, "She does seem to have an air of familiarity. And even in saying that, Torahku's pick-up lines are, nonetheless, still terrible."
"Thanks guys don't hold anything back." Torahku muttered sarcastically. He shook his head, "But, anyway… what's up with you today Kaoru? You're gone for two days and then suddenly come back as a different person?"
"I'm not acting any more different than I usually act." Kaoru reasoned.
"Yes you are…" a sharp, feminine voice interjected.
The girl with the book stood as well, placing said book gently on the ground as she walked up to Tohru and Kaoru. She gave them a calculating stare before concluding. "Looks like lil' Kao-chan is jealous… Tell me Kaoru, do you have a habit of crushing on someone after only being two days in their company?"
Tohru and Kaoru's faces turned scarlet red. Kaoru was first to object, only because he cut Tohru off as he usually did. "I-It's nothing like that! I was only assigned to bring Tohru-chan here!"
"Exactly!" the only boy sitting remarked, "So why'd you start crushing on her if it wasn't in your job description? That's so unlike you Kaoru!"
"N-no seriously, why would there be anything between me and Kaoru?" Tohru protested as well. "I mean, we're cousins, as in, related!"
The four teens gave her a disapproving look and Kaoru just sighed in disappointment. He leaned over and whispered to her. "Yeah Kitten, that argument holds no water… I told you, people can marry each other in the Sohma family and not care, remember…?"
"W-well there still isn't anything going on!" she nodded, trying to regain what little pride she had left.
The boy still sitting rocked on his back and, finally, stood. "I like you Neko-chan!" he laughed, "You're pretty funny!" He extended his hand and smiled playfully, "The name's Sarutoubi - Sarutoubi Sohma!"
The purple haired boy bowed his head slightly and said, "Ryusuke Sohma…"
Tohru looked to the girl, who simply pulled a kind smile - the first that Tohru had seen on her - as she told her, "I'm Akane Sohma, pleased to finally meet you, Tohru-san."
"Y-yeah," Tohru nodded, "Umm, nice to meet all of you too!"
"Well Kitten," Kaoru began, "can you guess their animals?"
"Oh, Neko-chan's playing the old Tohru's game too?" Sarutoubi wondered.
"Well then, Tohru-san, allow me to give you a hint." Akane said. "Besides me, these three idiots are fairly easy to guess."
"Don't tell her that Akane-nii, it'll be too easy now!" Sarutoubi beckoned.
"Can you guess Kitten? Here, let's go one-by-one and start with Torah-nii. You may not have been able to see most of what little personality he has…"
"Thanks Kaoru… that was really nice to say when I'm standing right next to you!" Torahku muttered.
"His eyes are a dead-giveaway." Akane added. "In fact, he showed you his power just a moment ago."
Tohru thought it over; Torahku was swift, wild, unpredictable and his eyes… You were frozen, completely taken over when he looked at you. Like an animal and its prey like a… Wait, what did Akane-san say again? Tohru thought, The three were fairly easy to guess, right? And, what did Kaoru call Torahku: Torah-nii, right? Torah… Sarutoubi… Ryusuke…
"I've got it!" Tohru concluded.
"Alright, what's Torah-nii's animal?" Kaoru asked.
Tohru smiled smugly, "I know all of there animals… well, except for Akane-san."
Akane's eyebrow rose as Tohru recited. "Torahku-san is the tiger. He captures you with his eyes, just like a tiger does to his prey. And, besides that, Tora is Japanese for tiger. After I discovered that, the other two were even easier. Even though I haven't seen most of your personalities, I know that the Ryu in Ryusuke means dragon, and you kinda seem like a dragon, Ryusuke-san. Also, Saru means monkey and Sarutoubi-san seems kind of playful like a monkey."
Akane applauded her hands lightly, like a refined woman. "Well played Tohru-san, you hit the three nails right on their idiotic heads."
"Akane, don't be mean." Ryusuke scolded.
"But, even still, awesome work Kitten!" Kaoru beamed.
Tohru ignored their praise and stared right at Akane. "I can't seem to get yours though…"
Akane smirked, "Find it out on your own…" And with that, she picked up her book and stepped out of the room, Ryusuke following her. Akane's socked feet padded their way down the hallway outside of the room, only to stop and come walking back. She peered through the doorway, saying, "Oh Kaoru… you might want to pay your best friend a visit. He was looking for you for the past two days."
"No one bothered to tell him where I was?"
Akane shrugged and motioned for him to come, "Let's go, we're going to pass his room on the way."
Kaoru nodded and turned to Tohru, "I'll leave you in the care of Torah-nii and Saru-nii, kay'?"
Sarutoubi smiled brightly, "I'll take good care of her U…" he paused, as if rephrasing something. "Ahh, I mean Kaoru…"
Kaoru smiled knowingly at him before turning back to Tohru and messing up her red hair with his hand. "Be a good Kitten, okay?" And, in saying that, he walked off with Ryusuke and Akane.
Tohru scoffed, "Tch, what am I, five?!" She rolled her eyes as she walked off with Sarutoubi and Torahku. "Stupid Kaoru…"