Although Rutherford said that he would "assess" Hatori, nothing actually happened in that few days. Yukina and Hatori were quite relieved, but little did they know the test was arriving soon…in the form of an old acquaintance.
On that eventful day, Rutherford was watching television in the living room, while Hatori and Yukina were loitering in the garden, enjoying the spring sun. Suddenly, they saw a woman running towards the house, very out of breath.
Curiously, Hatori got up and opened the gate to see who she was. To his astonishment, the woman smiled brightly at seeing him, and tears flowed down her eyes. Unexpectedly, she ran towards him and hugged him tightly.
"I…I had already remembered everything, Hatori…" the woman said.
Yukina was staring at the scene, wondering who the woman was, and suddenly her memories flew back to a few months ago, when she cured Hatori of his blindness in his left eye. Could this woman be…?
"Kana! What happened?" Hatori asked the woman in his arms, clearly startled.
Yukina then thought of something. Rutherford had always been very protective of her, so could this be his doing? She wondered and looked into the house, but she could not see Rutherford anywhere.
Suddenly, she felt his presence behind her, and Rutherford's voice came whispering into her ear, while his hands were on her shoulders, preventing her from going to where Hatori was.
"Althena, don't worry, for this is just a test…" he said softly, not loosening his grip on her.
Yukina narrowed her eyes at him.
"I suspected that this might be your deed, brother…what actually are you trying to do?"
"I just wanted to see if Hatori-kun would be able to make the correct decision at the right time, you do know that I cannot simply allow anyone to be a member of our tribe, right?" Rutherford smirked a little, noticing that the way Yukina treated him was different from the way she treated Hatori.
Then, the two of them quietened down, paying attention to the exchange between Kana and Hatori.
"I was tidying up the house when I came across a picture of both of us, Hatori. Now I remember everything…can we pick up from where we have lost, now that you are free from the curse?" Kana asked in a quivering voice, holding tightly on to Hatori. Yukina averted her glance, unable to bear the sight of someone else being in Hatori's embrace.
However, Hatori prised Kana's fingers off him one by one.
"I'm very sorry, Kana, but the past is the past, and we have to move on. You are already married, and I have found someone I can be happy with…" he pushed her away gently.
"But…the only person I had loved in my life is you, Hatori…are you so cruel as to push me away, when you were the one who locked my memories?" Kana cried out, sobbing loudly. "You loved me too, right? That's why you stood in when Akito was going to punish me, isn't it?"
Something in Hatori's conviction faltered as his old, pent-up emotions about the incident came flooding into him. Kana buried her face into Hatori's chest, while he just stood rooted to the spot, unable to react.
"Kana…"
"I'll get a divorce, this is what we deserve, when finally nothing will stand in between us any more, Hatori."
A single, solitary tear rolled down Yukina's right cheek as she heard their exchange. She broke free from Evan's grasp and turned back, intending to go quietly into the house and pack up her belongings. However, her sudden movement seemed to jolt Hatori into action.
Calmly and surely, Hatori strode towards Yukina, and grabbed her arm, while Rutherford watched on in interest.
"This is the one I love, and decided to spend my life with, no matter what happens. She is the one who taught me that one does not need to forget in order to be happy, they just have to accept the thing that happened and keep on trying hard to live. She is the one who melted the winter in my heart once again…" he kissed away the tears on her face.
"Besides, since I saw her for the first time, I had sworn to protect her even if it means that I have to risk my own life, and I cannot bring myself to hurt her however slightly, Kana. Please forgive me, for we cannot go back to the past…"
Until now, Yukina had been listening to Hatori, deeply touched by his words. She broke free from Hatori's arms and went towards Kana.
"Kana-san, I know that you have been an important person in Hatori's life, I and appreciate you greatly for everything you have done to make him happy…please understand that nobody, not even I can move back in time, and I wish you happiness with your husband forever…" as she said, she used her healing powers once again, comforting Kana and giving her the redemption she seek desperately.
"I understand now…thank you, Yukina-chan. Thank you for freeing all the cursed Soumas so that they can live as normal people again," Kana hastily wiped away her tears and expressed her gratitude.
Then, she left the place quickly, leaving behind a smiling Rutherford, a relieved Yukina and a mystified Hatori.
"You have just recovered…and should not use your powers, Yukina," Hatori chided her gently. However, she just smiled.
"It is my duty to put to right all the mistakes I have caused, Hatori. This is the only way I can express my apologies and gratitude to the Souma family…" Yukina started but Hatori put a finger to her lips and entwined her in his arms
"How many times I must tell you, it is not your fault in any way…and the best part is – I get to meet you, which is something that I won't regret in my entire life…" Hatori smiled softly at her.
Rutherford then walked over them and patted Hatori on the back genially.
"Congratulations, Hatori-kun. You have passed the test and earned the entitlement to become a member of clan Ceres, that is, if you accept the offer…" he looked straight at Hatori seriously.
Hatori nodded, trying to ignore the nagging feeling inside him. However, he could not withstand the curiosity and finally asked.
"Why I was the only one allowed to become a member of Ceres? You should know as well as I do, that I am not the only one attached to Yukina…"
Rutherford considered this for a moment.
"Ah…but you were the first one Yukina truly fell in love with on Earth. Besides, if I am not wrong, you were possessed by the dragon but transformed into a seahorse instead, right?"
Again, Hatori nodded, and Rutherford continued.
"The seahorse is the young of the dragon, and when it is strong enough to grow up and mature, it will become a real, full-grown dragon and rise to the sky…and I assume that when the animal spirit left your body, it was in the form of a dragon…so you are the only one qualified to become a member of the Ceres clan, Hatori-kun."
Hatori grew wide-eyed at hearing that, for he had not expected it in any way. On the other hand, Yukina smiled happily, for Hatori had finally proved himself worthy even in Rutherford's uncompromising eyes.