My wonderful-super-special-awesome-cool readers!!! How are ya all?!? Emichii here!! And we're about to unleash chapter 14!! WOOT!! Please read and review!!

Don't own Fruits Basket.

Fourteenth Chapter: Your deepest thoughts

Tohru had a concerned look on her face. She stood outside Kaibara High School and looked back behind her, frowning.

"Yuki's taking a long time. School ended fifteen minutes ago." she said.

"Eh?" Kyo yawned. He grumpily stuffed his hands into his pockets. "He's probably still busy with his Student Council stuff. And he doesn't even tell us that he's gonna be late."

"Okay…" Tohru said hesitantly. She turned to Kyo and smiled. "Let's go home now, Kyo."

Yuki's eyes were wide but they didn't see anything. Crap, he must look so pathetic right now- sitting on his knees, leaning against a desk in total shock in an empty messy council room alone.

He desperately yearned for something he could hold on to. Where was Bad Yuki when you needed him? Couldn't there just be one person who didn't hate him right now? Couldn't there be someone he could talk to? Couldn't there be some way for him to figure out all his thoughts and emotions?

But Bad Yuki was gone. He had left a while ago, on the night of the Festival. That night, when he had kissed Machi.

Was it his fault? He wondered. Machi had thought that Yuki was the prince. But she was partly right. He'd been the prince in Kaibara High for as long as he could remember. But he'd never been perfect!! Machi hated perfection. All those other students and people had thought he was perfect, when all along he never had been!! There was another person!! There was another Yuki beneath all the princely perfection; it was just that others had failed to see it.

Until Tohru came along. When she learnt about Yuki and started to like him for who Yuki really was, he was no longer afraid to be himself. Yet he knew that most of the time, the real Yuki was still hidden behind all the perfection the others believed was there.

Machi… Yuki bowed his head and let his silvery-blue hair fall over his eyes. You really saw me, didn't you? You found out about the real Yuki that wasn't a prince. He wasn't perfect. He was no better than anyone else. And you even… learned to… maybe love him…

I know that you must be confused. And you… must be very hurt. Because I'm the perfect Yuki, and yet again, I'm not.

Bad Yuki exists, and then again, he doesn't. Because he is still me.

Machi, I've done a lot recently. And I look around this room right now, and I can see… that I've hurt so many people… I don't want to blame anyone, but I know that I'm partly to blame. Hey… Machi? If I talked to you, would you reply? Would you… forgive me?

Because you might feel like a fool for loving me, but in truth… I think- I know that after all this, I find myself falling for you as well…

Kaibara High School was quickly emptying out. People were going home and soon the only ones in the school left were Yuki and the Prince Yuki Fan Club, who were busy excitedly planning their new plans-of-attack.

"Hey, guys," Minami said, looking up from her watch, "It's getting late. We should be going home now."

"Hm? Oh yeah, we should." Motoko said.

The three fangirls were in a happy mood as they closed the classroom door and started heading off down the corridor together, talking and chatting excitedly. Minami was walking a couple of steps ahead of the others, and she happened to past the student council room. The door was open and she tilted her head towards it, just to see if she might catch a glimpse of the prince. She did see him.

"P-Prince Yuki?!?" she cried alarmed, her face exploding bright red.

"Huh? What? Prince Yuki?!? Where? Where?!?" Motoko cried. She was a flurry of activity all at once, looking everywhere to find him.

Minami was astounded. She burst into the council room full of concern and love for her prince. "What happened to you, Yuki-kun?" she cried.

Motoko and Mio appeared on the scene right behind her. Their eyes widened and they soaked in the dreadful scene. Since when was the prince alone and dejected in a messed-up room?

"Yuki!!"

"Yuki-san!!"

Motoko and Mio gasped. Minami rushed up to Yuki and crouched down beside him, as though he was lying there, dying and they were in some kind of soap-opera.

"Yuki-kun, what happened?" she asked.

Yuki didn't look at any of them. Yep, great, he was thinking. Back to the prince of perfection, again, huh? Motoko, Minami and Mio crowded around him, firing questions like crazy, and vowing to murder whoever it was that had made Yuki upset.

"Please say something, Yuki-kun!!" Minami pleaded.

Yuki just sat there, staring blindly ahead of him and letting his thoughts drift off without him. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the words to use.

Then finally, to the surprise of all his adoring fangirls, he spoke. Just one word:

"…Machi…"

"Machi?!?" Motoko cried in fury. "It's that wench Kuragi, isn't it? I knew it was gonna be a disaster letting her be in the student council with dear Yuki! She's done this to you, hasn't she?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Mio agreed furiously.

Minami was silent for a while. She looked at Yuki intently. "Well, are they right?" she asked quietly. "Or is it something else?"

Yuki barely moved from his frozen position. Is it something else, she asks… well, is it? What is it?!? It's me!! I did all of this!!

Yuki tensed.

Minami noticed it. "Yuki-kun?" she ventured carefully.

"I… did it… it's my fault."

"What?!??" A shock and a tremor ran through the three girls. "What did you do?!?"

Yuki no longer cared what he was saying or who he was saying it to. He knew he might lose all the respect they had for him by showing himself to be weak and upset, but that was him right now.

"I did it," he said in a whisper. His eyes grew bigger as he tried to grip the reality of the situation. His silvery-blue hair shook as he kept talking. "Everyone's angry. Everyone's fighting with each other. And I started it… it was all because… because…" Yuki couldn't make himself say it.

Minami gently nudged him on. "Keep going, Yuki-kun." she said.

Motoko nodded her approval. "Don't be afraid to tell us. We're the Prince Yuki Fanclub. We exist to help your needs, Yuki."

Yuki hardly responded to their gentle words.

Mio burst into a wide grin. "C'mon, Yuki-san!! We're here because we wanna know what's wrong with you!! That way, we can help you!! I'm sure that you must be feeling sad or disappointed right now, but we're here and we're gonna make sure everything will be all right!!"

Yuki could see these three girls who truly loved him so much weren't disgusted by his pathetic position. They didn't mind if he wasn't as princely and perfect as he normally seemed. They were there and waiting. They wanted to help and they were willing to listen.

"Will you listen to what I have to say?" he asked solemnly.

Minami and Mio nodded. Motoko sighed with adoration. "I will always listen to you!!"

Yuki cracked the tiniest smile. "But then will you accept it and acknowledge it?"

"I will definitely accept what you have to say, Yuki!!" Motoko said loudly. "I will embrace it fully and do my best to be of help to you!!"

"But what if it was… a shocking truth…?" Yuki said, with a little smirk on his face.

"Huh?" All three of them were bewildered.

Yuki took a deep breath. He opened his eyes fully and said it loudly and clearly.

"I love Machi,"

Minami was frozen with shock and Motoko and Mio reared back in horror.

"What?" Motoko spat out. "What?!? WHAT!?!?"

Yuki kept going as serious as he'd ever be. "But to get what I want, I've hurt her and many other people. I've taken away something from her and I know she'll hardly ever look my way again, because I've failed to see the obvious. I've hurt her greatly and I know that it'll be hard for her to forgive me. I'm not even sure… what I'll say to her the next time I see her. And I'm not sure what I can do…"

It was an awkward silence. Yuki had more or less expected it.

"Heh. I thought so."

Motoko and Mio were overwhelmed with the fact that the dear prince was indeed in love with someone, and so much that he'd become so pathetic.

Minami took a deep breath and stared the prince straight in the eyes. She'd thought of the possibility before. She'd realised it before at the festival. The prince was just as normal as any other person. He could fall in love just like anyone else. Minami would always love Yuki but she knew that if she really loved him then she'd be willing to give him up so that he'd be happy.

Minami stared at Yuki. She declared loudly, "Then tell her you love her!! What are you doing here anyway?!? Why are you just sitting around and sulking?!? Go get her!! Go and run after her!! You can't just let her go like that!! Go after her and tell her you love her!! Tell her how you feel!!!"

Yuki and the others stared at her wide-eyed.

Minami had some tears in her eyes. She was moved with the words she herself was saying. "Yuki-kun, you're an idiot!! What are you waiting for? Go and tell her already!!"

He was speechless. Yuki could just watch everything happen in front of his eyes. Minami sniffed and wiped her eyes. Yuki stumbled to his feet. He slowly started walking out the door.

Suddenly, Yuki broke into a run. He finally started seeing things clearly again. Yuki ran out of the room and down the corridor. He tore down the stairs and out of the school. His feet pounded on the pavement. They thudded heavily and matched the beat of his heart which was growing faster and faster.

Thanks. Thankyou Kinoshita-san… and thankyou Minagawa-san and Yamashita-san… All of you helped me to see clearly. You girls helped me regain my confidence so now I know what to do… so I have to hurry… I've got to find her!!

Yuki ran down the street, desperate to find Machi. Where was she? Where was she?!?

Minami sniffled, as she brushed her tears away. Motoko and Mio were looking at her in amazement and concern.

"What you two looking at?!?" she scolded. She turned away from them and felt one tear roll down her cheek. She smiled.

"I know…" she whispered. But that was the right thing to do… I truly love Yuki-kun so I want him to be happy… I know that he and Kuragi love each other very much, so I wanna make sure they end up together. And I'll always be here to watch over the prince no matter what. So, Yuki-kun, if you can hear me…

Minami stared at the open door where Yuki had left.

If you can hear me, Yuki-kun, please run. Run faster and faster, because you have to find her and tell her!!

Yuki ran faster and faster. He was sweating under all the effort, but he kept going. Because he knew that he had to tell Machi what he felt.

He finally slowed down when he saw her.

Standing in the distance, Machi stood alone. A light breeze blew past and her brown hair fluttered in the wind. She turned suddenly and saw him.

Yuki stared back at her. He clenched his fists.

I know I have to tell you, Machi. I know that's what I have to do!! Machi…

Ooohh… sweet, eh?? Well, there ya go!! Was it a bit too cliché? I hope not, cuz I really worked hard on that!! And you know what? Next week, the last chapter comes out. Yup. You heard right. The Disastrous Adventures of the Student Council are coming to an end!! NOOOO!!! I don't want it to end!! But, it's true, it's ending. Thankyou everyone for all your support!! Please review and be sure to check out the next chapter when it's out!! lotsa love from emichii!!