'His... Mother?' Mina thought. 'Why is it... I feel like she's hurt him before?' she thought again,images of Yuki crying and his mother walking away from him flashing through her thoughts. 'She... She did hurt him. I bet. Yes,she did. She sold him to... Akito.' she thought again.
"Yuki,you can come in,now."Mr. Kimmoto called from the small room,and Yuki sighed.
"Mina? Aren't you going home?"Shishou asked,stopping when he realized Mina wasn't following him.
"Um... I think I'll stay here."she said,glancing at Yuki as he walked into the conference room. Shishou understood why,and left. Suddenly,a woman pushed past her and rushed into the conference room.
"I'm sorry,am I late?"she asked.
"Not at all,you're just in time."
"Good. Then,I don't mean to be rude... but can we get this over with?"she asked again. "I'd rather not waste time.'she mentioned. This seemed really familiar to Mina... But,where did she see it before? Mina held her head as flashes of Yuki's mother walking away,and Yuki crying. He looked much younger than he was now. Those sudden memories Mina was having... they made her so... angry...
"Well... there's no need to go over it again."Yuki's mother told Mr. Kimmoto
"By which you mean...?"
"He will go on to college. Of course,the places he will apply... have already been decided."she told him again.
"Huh..?"
"It's already been decided that Yuki will stand at the top of the Sohma Family one day. It would be disgraceful if he didn't have a suitable academinc background."
"Wait...! Wait,what are you...? How could you just decide this on your own?"Yuki asked her. "Mother,you can't just assume without asking me!"
"I'm deciding for you."
"Ms. Sohma..."
"But it's true,isn't it? You can't decide anything on your own,can you? You thought you could choose your own highschool,and... you pick this undistinguished place."she continued,and frown on her face. Mina clenched her fists as she heard that woman speak to Yuki that way. "My God,Yuki. You really never have had... a worth-while thought of your own,have you?"
"Ms. Sohma..."
"If all you can do is disobey me,then be quiet.If you don't get your act together soon,it will cause problems for me,too."
"Ms. Sohma,please stop. Right now... you're striking your child with hurtful words."Mr. Kimmoto said,and Yuki's mom looked at him.
"What are you saying?"she asked. "Oh,perhaps I upset you when I said 'undistinguished'?"
"No. I don't care about that at all."
"You're still single,correct?"she asked Mr. Kimmoto again. "It must be nice to be so carefree."Mina's fists cleched so tight,one of her fingers peirced the skin on the palm of her hand. She ignored it as the blood dripped to the floor. "It's not easy having children... they can be so selfish. Like this boy."she continued. All the images came to Mina in one big flash...and the images looked like a book. Like... a comic book. A manga. "When we fought over whether or not he would apply to this school... Yuki would sulk and give me the silent treatment."
All of a sudden,Ayame rushed into the room.
"I apologize for making you all wait!"he said dramatically. "But there is no longer a need for worry,Yuki! I,who am number one in affection for my younger brother,have now humbly arrived!"
"Wha?!"Yuki gasped as Ayame placed his hand ontop of his head.
"WH-WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"Yuki's and Ayame's mother yelled at ayame.
"Let us begin the conference forthwith!"
"Answer my question,Ayame!"she yelled again.
"I wonder if you would be quiet,mother."Ayame said,his smile gone. "It would be the height of foolishness to interrupt the discussion of Yuki's precious future.
"Y-Y-YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S INTERUPTING!!"
"Do not shout. Yuki and I are both delicate."Ayame replied.
"Will you please just stay out of Yuki's conference?! What is it with you,all of a sudden?!"she yelled. "You never cared about him so much before! Do you want him to become a good-for-nothing ingrate like you?!"she yelled again. Mina growled,shaking with fury.
"That's not true. Nii-san... is reliable. He's not... 'good-for-nothing'."Yuki spoke up for the first time in a while.
"Do you not realize? Yuki,you see... has given us a chance... to do things right. In respect to you as well... what was once nothing is beginning to change into something. Do you not see it? Right now... you are just as I was then. Not realizing how much you have trampled... on what's important."Ayame told her,frowning.
"Who do you think you are,lecturing me?! You're talking to your mother! I've never been so insulted! You don't know what I go through!"she yelled,standing up. "If this is how you're going to treat me,I wish I hadn't given birth to either of you!!"she yelled again,and slammed the door behind her as she stormed out. Mina clenched her fists tighter as the woman rushed past her. Oh,yes... Mina heard every word that was spoken. Mina went after the woman,and tapped her repeatedly on the shoulder. The woman turned around.
"Who're you?!"she asked. Mina glared daggers at her.
"I'm Yuki's friend. And I suppose you're his and Aya-san's mother?"she asked.
"Yeah,what of it?"the woman replied,putting her hands on her hips. Mina couldn't contain her anger,and she grabbed the woman by the collar of her shirt. She slammed her against the wall. "What's your problem?!"she yelled.
"You're the problem!"Mina yelled back. "You may be Yuki's mother,but you don't have the right to treat him like that!"she yelled,shaking her.
"What are you talking about?"the woman pretended not to know what Mina was talking about.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!!"Mina snarled. "Do you have any idea on what Yuki's gone through because of you?!!"she yelled at the woman,who's eyes were widening every second.
"Wha-"
"You abandoned him! Right when he needed you most,you wouldn't even listen when he told you to take him back home!"she yelled,clutching the fabric of her jacket even tighter.
"Let go of me,you-"
"No! You shut up and listen to me!"Mina said. Yuki arrived at that moment,and gasped. But,he stood his ground. He's never seen Mina that mad at anyone before,and he didn't want to interfere. "He's told you that he hated it at the Sohmas many times,and you always say that you've never heard him say it before! You just don't want to hear him,and it's disgraceful! Akito's abused him! Both mentally and physically! And you've abused him! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE HIM THINK THAT HE SHOULD NEVER PUT HIS FEELINGS INTO WORDS AGAIN!!!"Mina roared,and threw the woman aside.
"Yuki,who is that?!"the woman asked her son.
"That's Mina. She knows about the curse."Yuki told his mother. Mina towered over the woman,who was still on the floor.
"It's your fault that Yuki was put through that!"she yelled,pointing at her. "And don't pretend it's not! You know it's your fault,and it's eventually going to start eating away at you inside!"she continued as the woman stood up.
"Mina..."Yuki murmurred,but Mina payed no attention.
"And if you put Yuki through anymore pain,I'll kill you!"she said,grabbing her by the collar of her shirt again. "I swear to God,I'LL KILL YOU IN COLD BLOOD!!"Mina roared,and slammed her against the wall for the second time. Yuki's mother couldn't seem to tear her gaze from Mina's.
'That... that look in her eyes. It's terrifying. It's pertifying!' she thought,shaking in fear. Mina threw her to the side,and she stumbled to the floor again. 'How can Yuki even be aquiantences with that... that-that MONSTER?!' she thought again. Mina took a step toward Yuki's mother,and the woman began to back away.
"Mina..."Yuki got out,beginning to shake as well,and Mina turned around to see him quietly crying. "Please... just stop. Y-you've made your point."Yuki said,hiding his face with his bangs as he looked down. Mina looked back at Yuki's mother.
"Go. Get out of here,while you still can."she warned her. The woman didn't wait for her to tell her again. She got up to her feet,and ran off. Mina went back to Yuki,and hugged him.
"I've never seen you that infuriated."Yuki continued,clinging to her.
"I'm so sorry you had to see that. I just don't want you to get hurt again."Mina said,crying as well. "Let's go home."she told him,and they silently walked home.