They ran around to every shop that they desired, which turned out to be mostly clothes and make up. It turned out to be a lot more fun then Hakiri thought it would be, The girls modeled some clothes in front of him (he especially enjoyed the swim suits). They stopped by a gothic store for Hana, and managed to convince him to pierce his ear, and Hana chose an earring that resembled a circular black hook.

As lunch time rolled around, Hakiri was laden with four large shopping bags on his arms. He treated them all to an ice cream, getting a large vanilla for him and Hana, a strawberry for Tohru, and Uo ordered choclate.

"Your not that bad tiger," Uo said. "Tiger" had coincidentally declared as his new nickname by Uo, who named him after his odd colored hair.

"Where are we going now?" Hakiri asked after passing the cone back to Hana.

"Movie," Uo answered, pointing towards the line in front a ticket box. Hakiri groaned, hoping they wouldn't be seeing some chick flick.

Tohru was suddenly shoved, and she felt her bag slip off from her shoulde

"Hey!"

The guy bolted off with Tohru's money and purse. Hakiri dropped all the bags, and charged after him. The thief glanced over his shoulder, and ran even faster when he spotted he was being pursued.

People jumped out of the way and passed by in a blur as Hakiri ran after him. Using his cat reflex, he sped up and closed the distance between him and his prey, and leaped through the air, and tackled the man's back.

They rolled in a twisted tangle, struggling and fighting as Hakiri struggled to tear the purse away from the thief's hands. A quick hard punch collided with Hakiri's face in desperation to escape. Infuriated, Hakiri attacked relentlessly, slamming one fist after the other into the man's face until it was bloody and broken.

Hakiri stood up slowly, allowing the security guards to arrest the man. Hakiri held Tohru'as purse out in his hand as the three girls caught up with them.

"Thanks," Tohru said, grabbing her purse. Hana ran and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek.

"Bastard," Uo said, watching the being man carried away.

Tohru gasped, her eyes widening as she realized that Hakiri was missing his contacts. His eyes were the tiger slit pupils of a cat.

"What's wrong Tohru?" Uo asked, seeing the odd expression. Hana realized it too as she pulled away from Hakiri and stared into his face.

"Your eyes…" she said. "They've changed…"

Hakiri suddenly realized the itch of his contacts had disappeared. Fear creeped over his mind, and he paniced. Turning away, he ran full speed into the crowd.

"Hakiri wait!" Hana called, but it was too late. Hakiri was gone.

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Dammit, dammit dammit, Hakiri cursed himself over and over again as he ran towards the train station and leaped through the door as they were closing. He kept his eyes focused on his shoe laces as he took a seat among the many passengers. He clutched his head with his hands, shaking his head at his stupidity.

When the train stopped, he didn't immediately head for the awaiting bus. Instead he ran the entire way back to Shigure's house. He ran in, ignoring Shigure, running up the stairs and dashed into his room, locking the door behind him.

He dropped to his mattress, burying his hands in his face. He blew it. Hana was going to think he was a freak, and avoid him like any other person who had seen his true eyes. He reached under his mattress as he sat up, his fingers closing around a box cutter razor blade that was hidden beneath. He slid the sleeve of his jacket down, and placed the razor carefully in his fingers. Slowly, he added another cut to his wrist next to the scars of his previous lacerations, dragging the blade across his wrist and watched as the blood trickled down his forearm.

This was his escape. The physical pain was enough to distract him from the thoughts and mental stress of his mind.

There was a knock on the door, and Hakiri quickly slid the blade back beneath the mattress and covered over his cuts with his sleeve.

"Hakiri?"

That was Hana's voice. Hakiri was surprised to hear it. He glanced up at the door as the lock snapped and broke. The door swung open with Yuki standing in the door frame, lowering his foot.

"Their you go, Ms. Honda," he said, turning around and walked over to his room. The three girls walked in, all surrounding him on each side. Hana sat down to his right, while Tohru sat on his left. Uo was satisfied enough to stand in front of him.

Hana placed her hand in his. "Tohru told me about the contacts," she said, breaking the silence. "You don't have to be afraid."

"Grow up," Uo said suddenly, crossing her arms. Hakiri looked up to her, confused.

"No ones perfect," She continued. "You shouldn't try to be either by hiding stupid little imperfections. Anyone treats you different because of it, they need to be taught a lesson."

It was like the American could read his mind. He thought back to when he was a child in elementary school, many of the kids would bully him about his eyes and his hair.

Hana rested her other hand on his shoulder. "Don't disguise yourself anymore," she told him.

"And if anyone at school has a problem with it," Uo said, cracking her knuckles, "I'll set'm straight."

"Thanks," Hakiri replied. "But I can fight my own battles."

Tohru sighed with relief that she could see a smile in his eyes. She smiled, taking his other hand in hers. 'Were here for you," she said cheerfully. She felt something wet trickle on her left hand. She let go of Hakiri and looked at his blood that covered her fingers and palm.

"Hakiri, you didn't!" she said anxiously, grabbing his sleeve and pulling it down to expose the blood that was spilling over his arm. Uo shook her head, and Hana only sighed sadly, staring at the wound in concern. Tohru rushed down the hall and grabbed a towel from the cupboard, passing Yuki on the way. She soaked it in water, and returned to the room with Yuki following her.

He saw the entire sight of Hakiri stitting on his mattress with Hana at his side and his blood covered forearm was exposed.

Yuki shook his head as Tohru got on her knees and wiped away the excess blood from his arm and wrist, showing the fresh cut stretched about two inches down from his wrist. He stepped in front of Uo, and slapped his cousin across the face.

"The hell was that for?" Hakiri yelled, glancing up at his cousin in surprise.

"For being an idiot," Yuki replied simply. "For making Ms. Honda and her friends worried over you for your own stupid actions."

Hakiri looked back down at his shoe laces, feeling embarrassed and ashamed at Yuki's words.

"You really should stop," Hana said, hugging him tightly. "I don't like seeing you hurt." Hana could remember the first time they had actually met, he had perfomed the same torture to himself.

"And if you don't quit, I'll kick your ass," Uo added.

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After having some tea with Shigure and Yuki, Uo and Hana said their goodbyes with Tohru and Hakiri walking them out the door. Hana gave her boyfriend a goodbye kiss.

"I'll see you at school," she said, "No contacts."

Hakiri nodded, and added anther kiss before she turned away and ran to catch up with Uo to the bus stop. Hakiri leaned back against the wall of the house, slipping his hands inside his pockets. Tohru finished waving her friends off and sat on the front railing across from him. The question she had been itching to ask slipped out from her lips.

"How come the curse didn't work?" she breathed, catching his attention. "How come Hana didn't change you into a tiger?"

"The curse didn't work because I didn't want it too," he answered. That wasn't what she expected. She tilted her head a little in confusion.

"Since when could the curse be controlled?" she asked.

"Since I was twelve," he replied. "Tohru, I'm not supposed to be part of the zodiac. Kisa is the true tiger of the circle, not me. They knew that the day they saw my eyes. The tiger before Kisa didn't have slit pupilsm and neither does she. Whatever magic that curses us made a mistake. Me."

"Don't talk like that," Tohru protested. "Your not a mistake. You were meant to be, everyone is." Another question popped into her mind.

"How do you control it?"she asked.

"Easily. I ask it not to happen. I beg inside my thoughts to remain human," he answered.

"And you the only one who can do this?"

"Obviously," Hakiri said, nodding. "And I'm the only one who knows, too. I'd like to keep it like that."

Tohru nodded in understanding. She wondered how furious it would make Akito. Hakiri could become the only one of the family who could fully love without the hazard of transforming into an animal.

"I'd think your lucky," Tohru said after a slight pause. Hakiri shook his head.

"Akito would love an excuse to banish me from the zodiac circle," He replied. "He'd keep me from seeing Kisa, Yuki, Shig…" he paused in midsentence. Tilting his head, he perked up his ears. He put a finger to his lips, and slowly crept towards the overhanging of the roof.

Tohru watched him in silence, wondering what he had heard. He jumped out, and reached up pass the edge of the roof. She heard a yell as Hakiri pulled, and Kyo came sliding down, landing hard on the dirt ground.

"How long have you been up their?" Hakiri demanded.

"I heard the whole thing," Kyo snapped, standing up and dusting off his shirt. He gave both of them a hard look.

"Your secrets safe,"he said finally before walking through the screen door back inside.