Chapter 21
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and its characters are property of Natsuki Takaya
The girl Tohru Honda. She traded in her freedom for the sake of the Jyuunishi; cursed beings who bear no blood ties to her. Why does she care so much? She is better off without the Sohmas.
In the week she's lived at the main house, she has already caused changes. She helps with the cooking and cleaning when she doesn't need to. Yet she does it in a way that no one, not even the servants, get offended. The servants welcome her into their quarters and are at ease with her. One could trace where she's been by following the smiling faces left in her wake.
She accepts me as I am and expects nothing from me in return. Not once has she asked me to take messages to Shigure-niisan, Kyo-kun or Yuki-kun. She knows I cannot betray Akito. But I know she wants to see them again.
She hides her sadness, especially from Akito. She tries not to displease him. Again for our sake. Why does she care about us?
Kureno shook his head. He didn't understand her at all.
Tohru walked into Akito's bedroom and sat next to his futon. She watched over him until he fell asleep then padded silently out of the room. Maya didn't show up again tonight. She turned her steps toward the forbidden wing of the house where her next charge awaited.
"Hatori-san, I'm here."
There was no mistaking the smile in her voice. She enjoyed her visits to the dragon. Kureno watched from the shadows to make sure neither Akito nor a servant discovered her. He wondered if she would do the same thing if he was the one locked up.
Half an hour later, she bid Hatori good night and prepared to return to her room. But she turned back, placed a hand on the locked door and wept. She covered her mouth to stifle any sobs. Kureno debated with himself whether he should comfort her or leave her be. His pragmatic side won and he stayed put. Tohru left as quietly as she came. Kureno was puzzled at his reaction. It hurt to see her cry for some reason.
Akito drove Tohru to school at the start of the term. Kyo, Yuki, Hatsuharu and Momiji were waiting for her by the gate. "Tohru!," the rabbit yelled and ran toward her. He stopped abruptly when he saw Akito. The clan leader grabbed Tohru's arm and steered her away from the four Sohmas. When she tried to wave at them, he gripped her arm so hard she winced in pain.
"Tohru-san, don't forget what I told you."
He walked her to her classroom and didn't leave until the teacher arrived. The girls in class stared wide-eyed at his departing figure. When the lunch bell sounded, they crowded round her desk demanding to know her relationship with the handsome man in the dark glasses. Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima waded into the crowd and pulled her outside.
"Tohru, why didn't you come to school with the prince and orangey?,'' Uotani demanded.
Hanajima quietly observed Tohru who didn't know what she should say to her best friends. A familiar voice came to the rescue.
"Honda-san! Are you OK?"
Yuki appeared followed by Kyo, Momiji and Hatsuharu. The rabbit wanted to hug her but since the two other girls were there, he settled for holding her hands.
Tohru burst into tears which further perplexed the Yankee. She angrily turned on Kyo.
"You! Why is Tohru upset? What have you lot done to her? Tell me or I'll beat you senseless!"
"I'd like to see you try, bitch!"
"You're not helping things," Hatsuharu told the cat.
"Shut up you brat!"
Hanajima gently removed Momiji's hands from Tohru's and hugged her friend. She only let go when Tohru stopped sobbing.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry.''
"What's wrong Tohru? And who was that man? Why would he bring you to school?,'' Uotani quizzed her.
"Akito-san's the head of the Sohma family and he's ... he's my fiance."
"Whaaat!!!," Uotani's voice echoed across campus.
The four Sohmas were equally shocked. Yuki and Kyo felt their world collapse. After what they all went through, Akito won in the end.
"You don't seem happy to be engaged, Tohru-kun," Hanajima said.
"I just got emotional when I saw everyone. We haven't seen each other in awhile since Akito-san wanted to spend a lot of time with me this summer,'' she lied.
No one bought her excuse.
Tohru felt bad for lying but she couldn't very well tell her best friends the reason why Akito wanted to marry her. The school bell rang. With a promise that she would explain further, she urged Uotani and Hanajima to go on to their next class. She would soon follow them. Kyo blocked her way.
"Why? Why are you doing this?,'' the cat asked.
Tohru couldn't bear to look at his stricken face or the suddenly pale Yuki. Her eyes sought Hatsuharu and pleaded silently for understanding. Then she said the words Akito made her rehearse last night.
"Akito-san is right. He and I can break the curse. So I've decided to live with him in the main house and marry him next year. Please be happy for us."
"I see. I'll pass the message along to Shigure,'' Yuki coldly said.
He thought Akito was holding her against her will. The rat suspected that the clan leader released him and the cat because he finally tracked down Tohru. But this was worse. She willingly went to Akito.
"How is Shigure-san?"
"He's fine, Honda-san. Just fine."
She flinched at his tone, excused herself and ran off to her next class. The ox put a hand on the rat's shoulder.
"I don't believe what I just heard. He got to her somehow,'' Hatsuharu said.
Kyo walked away, muttering to himself.
Akito became a regular sight at the school. Girls waited to catch a glimpse of Tohru Honda's "boyfriend" as he dropped her off in the morning and picked her up after school.
Tohru noticed that the rat and the cat kept their distance now. Only Momiji and Hatsuharu greeted her everyday.
One day, Akito had to meet with a broker and ordered Kureno to pick up Tohru.
Yuki and Kyo walked past them, not acknowledging Tohru. The rooster saw how hurt she was by this. At the main house, he looked for Momiji and wheedled out of the rabbit what she told them at the start of term and how the rat and the cat have been avoiding her.
Shigure sat before a blank screen waiting for inspiration to strike. He hadn't written one word since the day he was told of Tohru's decision to live at the main house and marry Akito. A persistent knocking drew his attention away from his computer. He opened the door to see Kureno.
"I would like to speak to you, Shigure-niisan, as well as Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun."
The puzzled dog let him in and yelled for his cousins to come down.
"What's with the yelling Shigure?,'' Yuki asked.
"This better be important,'' Kyo groused and saw Kureno. "What's he doing here? What does that Akito want now?"
Kureno really couldn't blame them for assuming he was on an errand from Akito. Hadn't he always been his lackey?
"I came because of her. You don't know how much you two are hurting her."
Shigure quickly grasped who Kureno was talking about.
"What's wrong with Tohru-kun?"
"Just because she's marrying that bastard doesn't mean I have to join in the celebration,'' Kyo angrily said.
"She had no choice."
Kureno revealed the deal Tohru made with Akito and also told them what befell the dragon. Shigure clenched his fists.
"He has yet to free Hatori-niisan. She cries outside Hatori-niisan's room when she thinks no one is looking. Akito treats her like a possession, yet she endures it. For who? For the Jyuunishi."
Shigure gave Kureno a calculating look.
"So why are you doing this? Why do you suddenly care about Tohru-kun now? What do you get out of this?"
"She swore me to secrecy. But I couldn't stand by and watch her get treated badly by the very people she sacrificed so much for. That's all."
Kureno quickly walked out. In a rare show of temper, the dog rounded on his cousins but Kyo fled to the roof and spent the night berating himself. Yuki ran upstairs, entered Tohru's deserted room and lay down on her bed.
"I'm sorry Honda-san. I'm so sorry," he whispered over and over like a mantra.
Haru was right but he didn't listen, Yuki thought. He let jealousy rule him. She was suffering and he refused to see it. He even added to her pain. He was pathetic.
Kureno wasn't done yet. He went to Akito and offered to drive Tohru to and from school the rest of the week. The clan head refused at first until the rooster reminded him he still had meetings with the family lawyer and accountant lined up this week.
He didn't say anything to Tohru when he dropped her off at school the next day. But he lingered long enough to see a guilty-looking rat and cat approach her. Yuki was the first to hold her hand. Not to be outdone, Kyo grabbed her other hand. She smiled happily at both of them.
Kureno drove off, oblivious to the admiring glances sent his way by swooning school girls. He'd never once thought of questioning Akito's actions, never considered going behind his God's back. But for her, he did.
He planned what he needed to do and didn't feel one ounce of guilt for putting it into action.
Because in the end, what I really wanted was to see her happy, he told himself.