Kureno was reading against the window while Akito was studying the whole Sohma bank account. Kureno succeeded to stole all the information concerning the Sohma family from Ren's office. It has been a risky move for all got along well. He rose his head up when he heard the oven ring and stood up, telling her to tidy her papers up in a place where Ren won't find them. She quickly nodded and went in her room while he set the table. He put the onigiri on it and the two bowl of unagidon and kakitama-jiru soup. Akito came back quickly and sat in seiza before shifting for a more comfortable position and drank her soup in one go, barely chewing. He chuckled and told her to take her time to eat.
"I have to be quick so we will leave faster!" she said in a scowl, answering as if he was an idiot but did not said it. At least, now Akito was finishing all her food and Hatori congratulate her for gaining weight. Her body was starting to show feminine curves that weren't here before. Of course, the breasts, but also the legs, the waist, the cheeks. She looked healthy and it have been since an entire month since she hadn't caught any sickness. Improvement was made. Kureno told himself that the next time he would meet Tohru, he will thank her and tell her how much Akito loved her cocking.
He wondered if they would talk about Arisa…Kureno really wanted to, but he was wondering if it was a good idea. He was starting to feel thing he shouldn't for a high school girl, it wasn't normal, it was wrong but Arisa really made him happy and he felt like himself with her.
Kureno smiled gently at the memory of the blonde girl before answering to the girl he considered like his sister. "Ahah, but Akito, I need to eat too" he said, taking a sip of the soup between two bites of grilled eel. Akito pouted and took an onigiri. She blinked when she saw the cat shaped rice ball she was holding in her hand and then she studied the others, noticing that they all had an animal shaped form. Rabbit, pig, mouse, dog… Akito looked deeply at the cat, thinking if she should eat it or not before taking the rice ball in mouth. If Kureno noticed the happy face she was trying to hide, he said nothing and smiled. Today was going to be a great day.
It was the farer she ever been from the Sohma estate, she knows it was because she and Shigure were facing the sea right now. She has been surprised when she saw her man in a car and inviting her to go in. "Since when do you have a car?" she asked, dumbfounded when she sat on the passenger seat. Shigure smiled cockily. "I never said it was mine." And then he moved to kiss her quickly. "Hello by the way." She pouted and she mumbled an 'hi' back.
His smirk grew bigger. "Where are we going?" she asked, looking at the unfamiliar landscape through the window. "It's a secret~" he said and put his hand on her thigh. "I don't want to spoil you the surprise" he beamed. Akito frowned. "Don't worry, we will be back on time, you trust me, right?" he winked and she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "I'm not sure if you're somebody I would call trustful."
"Hah! You wound me, how I am going to survive if the person I love the most don't trust me." He put his hands on his heart and Akito turned over with a white face. "Oh my god! Put your hands on the wheel!" she screamed and he put his hands back on the wheel bursting out. She wanted to strangle him. "Where and who did give you a driving license?!" Shigure laughed even more. "You have one, right?" she asked, getting anxious of hearing him laugh like that way. "You're not serious?!"
He never answered, continuing to drive and Akito never regretted Kureno even more than that day. He stopped the car near of the sea, on a port. There was no beach close so was only boat leaving and coming in Japan. Akito groaned at the smell, it wasn't the best, however, Shigure wrinkled nose expression was worth of the scent. Akito walked near of the wall separating the water and the land and admired a cruise ship. She turned over her man.
"Shigure, what are we doing here?" she asked and he shrugged. "I don't know, wandering around in new places? It's better than always staying in the same area?" he explained, his hair waving the salty wind coming from the sea. Akito hummed and turned her attention back on the ships. "Yeah, but there nothing to do here neither." She said, letting him draw her against his chest. "It's not true, we're looking at the sea and the boats~" he said and she grunted. She couldn't understand what was in this man head.
"Let's get a spot where we can sit!" he said and pulled her by the hand, they walked a little minute before finding a wall remoted enough and they sat, their back resting against it. Akito moved her body on him and put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his.
It was nice actually, she got used by the smell and the sound of the seagull's cries, the water clashing against the land and the view of ships sailing was nice. "Hey, do you know where they're going?" she asked, breaking the silence. Shigure put his chin on the top of her head. "Anywhere, they're free to go where they want." He said, looking at the distance. "Anywhere, anytime, anyhow" he said hoarsely and she chilled. Freedom, she wished it so much.
She wished that Shigure pulled her in one of those boat and they would go far, far away. Far away from the house that confine, far away of Ren, far away of that family. But she refused to leave the zodiacs, they needed her, they were waiting for her. Right?
"Hey, if you were taking the chance, would you get in one of those ships?" he asked and she scowled. "To go where? What if I end in a country I don't speak the language?" she answered and Shigure chuckled. "I will be with you, I can speak Korean you know~ saranghae!" he made a heart with his fingers and she refrained herself to roll her eyes. "So, you would?" he asked once more.
"I don't know…To go where?" she mussed, she will be alone if she were to take that boat, it was scary. It will be different from home where she had at least Kureno with her. In her youth, she had been alone and she was scared to go back to this period.
"Anywhere, be free." He just answered and Akito straightened herself. Be free, huh…What does that even mean. Will she be happier by leaving everything she know and she cares? She couldn't so she wouldn't leave. But…She could be dreaming. If there were no curse, no bond tying her up with twelves people, would she allow herself to leave? What about the Sohma? One day, they will expect her to take the lead of the clan. At least she thought they were. No, she couldn't leave, she had responsibilities, she couldn't leave it all behind but…
She wanted to have Shigure by her side the rest of her life, she wanted him to have a license so he could take her in different places. They could walk to the top of the Fujisan, play in the sea, onsen, attraction parc, they could just live together, she won't have to wait for a week to see him again. She just needed to go home and he will be here, probably doing something stupid. She…Loved the idea. But it would be in a world where the curse doesn't exist and where she wasn't the heir of the Sohma's clan.
Sometime, Akito wondered how Shigure would react if she told him that she was a kind of reincarnation of a god. Would he think she was crazy? Would he believe her? And what if the family reject Shigure as her future partner in life? She knew that the family will object about bringing somebody from the outside, it will be worse if it's a man and the heir's lover. They wouldn't be able to be together, to wed…Akito eyes widened. Marrying Shigure.
She felt an absolute joy as she thought about it. All her life, she never thought about getting married, thing about marriage and family…It was girl's thought, Ren wouldn't allow it. So Akito banished the mere idea but, if she was given the chance to live her life with Shigure, it will be inevitable. And suddenly, images of white and black kimono, cups of sake and red flashed in her head. A voice sounding exactly like her Mother's screamed that she shouldn't think about it, that it will never happens, but the image was getting more and more vivid. She wanted it; she wanted her whole life by his side. The animals could take care of themselves, Akito had the right to be free and happy, didn't she?
Will the god in her accept that?
"…Staying in Japan would be better I think." She said, staring a ship. "But…Maybe in another city." Shigure hummed. "Oh, we could live at Kobe, their do the best meat." He said playfully but Akito scowled. Kobe uh… She wasn't sure, she snuggled closer "Not in the Kansai, people are too noisy." She grunted, making him laugh. "I will have already enough of you, I don't need more." She added with a teasing smile and he tickled her, playing. He stopped when she begged for air.
"You want to stay in the Kanto? That's not funny, it's all the same." He said when she took her place back in his arms. "No specially… But, it's too cold in the north and too hot in the south, I won't be able to survive a summer in the Shikoku." She simply answered. "Hm… Then, Chubu region sound good." Akito frowned her eyebrows, taking a serious though. "Yeah…Chubu sound right…" she said, somehow convinced.
"Oh! Then, let's live at Kanazawa!" he exclaimed. "Let's live in one of those samurai house!" Akito burst out, imagining him with a chonmage haircut and she in geisha kimono, it was ridiculous. "Excuse me, but I deserve a golden house." she taunted and Shigure brayed "A golden house?! No less?" he laughed against her shoulder and she couldn't hold back a smile. "My, my, with such a house, I won't need to write anymore, we'll be rich." He said.
"Hmm, I'm sure you don't mind being a house-husband." She said, closing her eyes in a cockily expression "Oh, you're gonna be the one working?" he replied. "I don't mind, you're so bossy, it will suit you."
"I'm not bossy!" she said, turning back and he rose up his eyebrows, incredulous. "Not that much!" she defended herself before clicking her tongue. "Whatever!" she said, slapping her back on his chest, smiling, satisfied when she heard a muffled 'ooffh' coming from his throat. She cleared her throat.
"But, won't it be wiser to be in Nayoga" she said, coming back to the main subject. "Hm? You think, Nayoga is a big city…" he mused. "Yeah, but Kanazawa is full of tourist, it will annoy me." She explained.
"Yeah, but Nayoga is full of people" he talked back and she pouted. Won't there be a place they will like in that damned country? "What if we moved in a village?" he proposed and she liked the idea. It will be calm, nobody to bother them. "Thought, it will be a bit hard if we want to start a family…" he said gently and her heart missed a beat. Starting a family, with him? Together. Oh god, the idea that he wanted to have a family with her shouldn't made that happy, right?
"You don't want it?" he whispered in her ear and she felt goosebumps all along her skin. Of course she wanted. "We could have a child of our own, a little boy or a little girl, running in our garden. Don't you like the idea?" he said and she closed her eyes, she was seeing it as if it was real. She was in the garden and she could see their children playing tag while Shigure simply put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her to him.
Yet she said nothing, she couldn't voice that wish, she was scared it would make the illusion disappear. Shigure continued to tell her the plan they could have together in the future. Sometime she would disagree. "Why should I be your editor, I don't want to be responsible of your works too!" And sometime, she hummed in agreement. They stood like that for a long time, she snuggled against him and he, his arms all wrapped around her. But they have to move from that comfortable position when the first drops of rain started to fall.
They flee back into the car, laughing crazily in joy, there were suddenly a downpour outside and they ended up all drenched. "I'm gonna end sick" said Akito, wiping a tear off and Shigure put his vest on her. "There, it's not too soaked." He said lovingly and started the engine. She turned her head toward the gray view behind the glass. She felt always sad and cold when it was pouring this much at the house. She couldn't walk in her garden and she was forced to stay in a house too empty for her. Yet, in that small car, she felt an unusual happiness looking at the rain. Maybe it was because Shigure was by her side, unless it was because of her thought about a possible bright future.
Strangely, they didn't talk once in the way back. Shigure had turned the radio on and they stood here, listening the music go. However, their joy didn't disappear, it was a calm and easy mood. The kind of mood she liked the most. She never thought she was the kind of people liking to travel. If all the trip were like that, she didn't mind it. Without noticing, she fell asleep, her cheek against the glass.
Shigure woke her up gently by caressing her face with his fingers. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, yawning. "We already arrived?" she asked in a small voice. "Yeah, you're alright? You can sleep a little if you want." Akito yawned again and shook her head before moving on top of him like a big cat and hid her nose in the crook of his shoulder. She noticed his tobacco smell was starting to disappear for something that was closer of his original scent, something like moist earth. She liked it. She stood here a moment before opening the car's door. She knew it was time already. She and he kissed one last time.
"See you next week." She said before leaving, his vest still around her shoulder. Going from Shigure's car to Kureno's. She slid in his branded car nimbly and Kureno stroked her head before noticing the car she came out. "The rain showed out of nowhere, you didn't have any problem?" he asked, his eyes fixing Shigure's car. "It was okay." She lazily answered before sticking her head on the glass to look at the rain. The delight she had feel with her lover was nowhere to be seen, it probably stayed in the car, on Shigure's laps.
They arrived to the Sohma estate and they both exited the car, very tired by the day, it was probably the weather that was making them so lethargic. They discreetly came back to their house, walking quietly between the wall and sliding the doors open in silence. Akito feel strange when she arrived in the house, it was quiet exactly like it was before they left, but the ambiance…It was different.
She hesitantly opened the living room doors open and her eyes widened in horror when she saw Ren waiting for them like a snake waiting for the little mouse to fall in its grip. "here comes the sneaky boy, did you have fun outside?" Ren smiled sickly and all sadness, joy, even fear disappeared for deaf numb. Ah, it was over.
Kureno arrived behind her and stopped breathing when he saw Ren standing up from the chabudai and slowly moving her hand on Akito, putting it on her cheek. Akito was scared, she was so scared that she wasn't able to move, to said a word or to even blink. "You know that you didn't have the right to go out, but you did it nonetheless hm?" Ren said, rubbing her thumb on Akito's skin, wiping a tear off before violently slapping her. Kureno caught her before she could hit the ground.
Akito didn't dare to make any sound, she felt like she lost all her sensation. Just a few hours ago, she was talking about the future she could have with Shigure, about them fleeing the city to go far away from this hell, starting a family on their own. Now, it was all over. Ren will never let her out of the house, she will never see Shigure again, the dream was over.
Kureno was checking her face to see how hard Ren had slapped her. There was a bright hand imprinted on her cheek. But Akito feel nothing, she was slowly realizing that she will never see the man she loved the most in the world. Ren found her bag and spilled the contents on the floor, her wallet, her phone, books. "Oh, what's that?" she asked, taking the smartphone and Akito eyes widened. It was where she saved all her photos with Shigure and his messages.
In a slow motion, she saw Ren smashing the phone, breaking it in piece. It was only at this moment that Akito screamed her sorrow and kneeled down, her tears pouring non-stop. She desperately took the phone and tried to put it back in place, as if it was going to work on again. Kureno took her by the shoulders. "It's over Akito, stop…" he said heart-brokenly. She wept and stuck her forehead against the floor in a pathetic shape. Kureno rubbed her back.
"As for you Kureno…You broken my trust" Ren said, like a tyrannical empress. "I want you out of this house before tonight." She just said and Kureno face paled. No, he couldn't let Akito, not in that state, not alone in this house. It was going to kill her; Ren will kill her. "Ma-madam Ren…My parents moved out and I don't have a house" he tried to say, asking for mercy, asking for a chance to stay by Akito's side.
"That's not my problem, it was your fault, you should had thought about it twice." Kureno eyes were full of anguish and he bowed his head. Akito hugged him, clinging on him and sobbing like the day his curse flight away.
Ren looked down on them before walking to the door when Kureno's voice caught her by surprise. "You think that it was Akira wanted?!" The woman gritted her teeth in anger, how did he dare. "Don't said his name you mongrel!" She backed off but Kureno was watching her with sadness. "Akira-san just wanted you and Akito being happy…" Do you realize that you ruined everything?
Ren looked him with wide eyes, his fisted her hand, she desired to strangle that man but in the opposite of that idiot daughter, he could resist against her hold. "I want you out before tonight." She spat and walked away. Now she wasn't going to leave Akito without supervision.
•Unagi-don is a dish with roasted eel on rice
•kakitama-jiru is a soup based on beaten egg
•Kanto, Kansai and Chubu are three region of the main island of Island of Japan called Honshu. Kanto at the east is where the city of Tokyo is. Kansai in the west center is where is Osaka, Chubu is in the center of the Honshu is where Nagoya city is.
•Shikoku is another island of the japanese archipel in the south.
•Kanazawa is a city in the Chubu, it's know to be a very touristic city and for the use of gold. They have traditionnal houses and a very famous tea house called higashi chaya.
•Chonmage hair cut is the haircut that samurai used to wear