Ren was glad, so, so glad that all the anger she had been feeling the previous hours disappeared.
"I always knew that hiring you was the best choice I ever made, Honda-san." Said Ren with a smirk, her eyes moving between the girl and her daughter that was just behind her, kept still by Tohru who was holding her tight by the wrist. After a long night of research, Tohru was the one who finally the one who had her hand on Akito. Ren was glad that it ended that way. She was so glad that she forgot to be angry at Akito because of the accident provoked with the Murashima clan. She paid the compensation and they had both settled with that. However, they were now never going to form an alliance for good. Too bad, too bad, it was such a good occasion.
"Madam Ren…Yo-you have to do what you promised me to." Said Tohru, shivering but holding still Akito. Ren rolled her eyes, well, she did not care. "Sure" she said, sitting behind her chabudai and started writing the cat's room demolition permits and then handed it to the girl. Little she knew that without the Sohma's stamp, this paper will be useless. Akito having the stamp was a real drag because she had to wait for Akito to sign all the papers that she written, the permits, allowance... However, for this case it was good, never Akito would allow the cat's room to be demolished. Everything was perfect. And even if Akito end up stamping it, Ren won't care, actually, she will enjoy it in fact. The family that was in Akito's side will be outraged and she will lose more followers. It was as if fate was by her side.
"Here it is" she said, handing the paper to Tohru who let go Akito's wrist to take the paper. The woman saw it as an occasion to flee and ran toward the door, only to be stopped by servants who grabbed her violently. "Tohru, can you go with the others and lead Akito back in her room?" she ordered with a nasty smile. The girl bowed "Yes Madam Ren" and then she executed herself, holding the paper against her chest tightly.
Akito, like she given up all her will to escape, let the girl took her wrist and leading her back to her room. Ren hummed a little song as she caressed her husband photo. "This little Honda is worth any trust. I'm so glad to have such a kind girl to obey me." She said to herself.
Ren smiled to herself, with this, all the zodiacs will hate Tohru. They won't trust anybody else from the outside again. All was perfect
The mood has been the worst in Kazuma's house, Tohru knew why and she wasn't regretting anything, but it still hurt when she saw how disappointed Yuki and the others were toward her. But even so, Kyo and Momiji still continued to talk with her, she was so grateful, it made her cry. She hoped they will forgive her.
The breakfasts that used to be animated by Kyo yells and Yuki remarks were now just quiet. It was horrible and Tohru knew she was the cause of that, but she didn't have the choice…She didn't. Tohru remembered her mother saying once that sometime, to help the people you love, you have to be hated by them. She understood now what her mother meant and she knew that she was doing something very important. Even if they don't notice it yet, she was doing it for them, for all of them.
Sighing and feeling herself like the girl in the drama she used to watch with her mother before sleeping, she dried a glass and then she put it in the cupboard. She missed those times where she was laughing with Kyo and Yuki. She quickly wiped a tear that was threatening to fall, no, she couldn't allow herself to be weak. Saki had proposed her to sleep at home if thing were starting to get too hard for her, but she decided against it. She still have things to do here.
"Kyo! Yuki! Tohru!" screamed Kazuma, sliding open the doors. Tohru jolted in the kitchen while Kyo turned his attention from the TV to look at his master. "Shishou, why are you screaming?"
"Kyo…I…" Said Kazuma, out of breath before pulling his son in his tight embrace. Tohru couldn't help but spy their embrace, and a smile grew on her face. Yuki was looking at them, confused. "Wa-wait that's for?" said Kyo, the face red once he escaped from his master's arms. Kazuma put his hand on his cheek and he looked at him proudly, like a father watching his son first steps. "Ren ordered the cat's room to be demolished. The destruction started today!"
Kyo eyes widened, he wasn't believing what he was hearing. He looked down to his wrists, even if he was still cursed, it felt like the invisible chains that were tying him down weren't here anymore, that he was free. It was strange, he used to stop thinking about future, knowing that once high school will be over, he will be imprisoned, but now…Now he was going to live, he had a future to think about. It somehow made him anxious but also, so happy. He suddenly turned his head where Tohru's was. He wanted to see her reaction of the new, he wanted her to know. He wanted to tell her what he had in mind, he wanted…
Tohru had quickly resumed her position and she was showing her back, facing the kitchen sink, wiping the plates. She hoped she wasn't too obvious. She was too focused on her task to be inconspicuous that she hasn't noticed Yuki staring at her. The boy was already putting the pieces together and walked in the kitchen. "Honda-san." He called, making the girl jolt.
"Y-yes?" she asked sheepishly, turning pointing her nose in his direction. Yuki titled his head "Honda-san, are you maybe implied in this?" he asked softly and Tohru colors drained. "Hm…it's that…" her breath hitched; Yuki was looking at her with sad eyes. Finally understanding, or so he thought, the reason behind Tohru's actions. He looked down and decided to go in his room. Now alone in the kitchen, Tohru looked the door Yuki disappeared through before removing her apron. "Everybody, I'm sorry…" she whispered to herself.
She changed her clothes in her room, putting her servant uniform. She decided she was ready once she tied she obi and she walked out of Kazuma's house to go at Akito's. She entered without fearing to be denied the entrance, yet still anxious and crossing her arms around her chest. Ren entrusted her like with Akito under her charge, she was her official maid in all the house eyes. The servants haven't spared her much attention, they were too busy with a man screaming at her madly "You can't destroy the room! He is a monster! He killed his own mother you can't let him out like that!"
"Sir, please listen us, this is a decision from Akito-san and Ren-san, there is nothing we can do." A woman tried to explain only to be shut down by another scream from the man. Tohru was terrified by this person and she wondered who he was.
She shook her head and resumed was she was doing. Pulling even closer her kimono, she walked through the hallway and slid open the door giving in Akito's living room. "Shigure was really right, she does trust me" she whispered to herself.
She walked straight toward Akito's room and knocked. "Akito-san! It's Tohru, I'm coming in." she said joyfully before sliding the fusuma doors and entering. Akito welcomed her from the chabudai. "Oh, Tohru, hello." She said, sparring a quick glance before resuming what she was doing. "Akito-san is writing?" asked Tohru with curiosity, wondering what she was writing on the paper. Akito simply blushed and stamped the paper before folding it and slid it in an envelope. From where she was, she saw the woman writing Kisa's name and then, putting the envelope on a pile of sealed letters.
"So, tomorrow right?" said Tohru, kneeling down beside Akito who nodded before taking another paper and starting to write a new letter. However, after a few seconds of silence, she stopped and let the pen fall on the wooden table. "To be honest…I'm scared it won't work." She confessed.
"Huh? Not why, Shigure planned everything, and look!" Tohru opened her kimono and pulled out a new rope ladder out of her nagajuban. "I brought this!" she said proudly. Akito blinked "Wait, you were the one who put that ladder then?!" she gasped and Tohru laughed sweetly. "Yes, it's Shigure-san who asked me to do that." She explained, charmed by Akito and Shigure love story.
Akito rolled her eyes and took the ladder, studying it. "Tohru…Why are you doing that much for me?" she asked, confused by the girl behavior. "Because of what happened, the others must hate you."
Tohru's smile fall and she looked down. "Hating is…I'm not sure, probably disappointed…" she was so sad about it, she knew it was showing and she didn't like this, so she forced herself to remember her mother's words. "To do something good, you sometime need to hurt…" she whispered to herself. Akito frowned "What?" she snapped it out to the point it made Tohru jolt in surprise. She blinked and then made a gesture of the hands, embarrassed.
"It's just…I was thinking about my mother!" she smiled and Akito tilted her head like a curious child. She told to her the wise words her mother had once spoke to her. Akito hummed and rested her chin on her palm "I wish I had a mother like that too…" she said and Tohru noted that it was the first time Akito had talked about Ren as her mother.
"Akito-san, for who are you writing those letters?" she asked, changing the subject. The woman went still and downed her eyes on the table, looking at the papers "I…" she was obviously at lost for words; she didn't know how to describe what she had in mind without sounding silly like Tohru would be. She straightened her back and squared her shoulders, looking very much like the family chief she should be. "I…Refuse to go without giving them something to help them in the future." She just said and then, she took her pen and wrote.
Tohru was amazed by the woman in front of her and she wondered if in another world, one where Akito has been with them since the beginning of the story, they would have been happier. Tohru desperately hoped it was the case. But a curse is a curse, and it bounds everybody to be unhappy, whatever the scenario.
"You know Akito-san, they started to demolish the cat's room." Said Tohru. Akito hummed in answer, her attention on the letter she was writing for Momiji. "Then, everything is working as planned, isn't that good?"
"Yes, I'm glad…But, I'm somehow scared that Ren-san discover everything." Muttered Tohru. If Ren were to discover everything was planned…Akito sneered nastily. "Welcome in my world, please take a seat and enjoy yourself." She said with sarcasm, a fake smile on her lips, it made the girl laugh. Akito frowned, not expecting Tohru to react that way. "I'm sorry, it's just that, you sounded very like Shigure-san."
Tohru understood why the man had fallen in love with her when she saw Akito blush "What are you saying…" she pouted, like a child.
"Anyway!" she clapped suddenly, bringing her hands together and making Akito jolt in surprise. "Let's put the ladder!" Tohru said before taking the rope with her and rushing in the garden. Akito blinked and followed her. "Do you need help?" she asked with hesitation, Tohru gently nodded. "Yes please, last time it was been hard but together we can do it quickly." Akito followed her, twisting her fingers anxiously, looking sometime back to make sure nobody would catch them. They stopped in front of the wall and the younger turned her nose in Akito direction.
"Hm…So…" she started, unsure. "I think if one of us get on the other shoulders…"
"I'm not letting you climb on me Tohru." She talked back without missing a beat. "Ah…Sure" she bashfully said and bent down to let Akito climb on her back. Tohru was glad that in PE, she stretched a lot with Arisa, it prepared her to carry Akito's weight. However, it was different because Uo-chan was insisting to be the one holding Tohru. But lucky for her, Akito was pretty light.
The woman fastened the rope ladder to the wall and made sure it was well tied, then she asked Tohru to pull her down. She dusted her clothes with a gesture of the hand and returned in her room. Tohru followed her, glad to have succeeded today's mission without any trouble. She decided to go clean the house one last time before Akito departure tomorrow morning. "When Shigure-san will fetch you?" she asked to the woman writing, she completely forgot the details of the plan. "Hum, at dawn, before people wake up." She answered "We will go to the bank and then head to the train station."
Tohru frowned "But, didn't Shigure-san bought plane tickets?" she asked. "Yes… He didn't tell me why." Probably in case to confuse people who will search them tomorrow when they will notice her absence. The silence was back and Tohru wondered if she should say something. "Akito-san…" she called again, the woman hummed but didn't rise her head up from the letter she was writing and slid it in an envelope, then took another paper and wrote another letter.
"Akito-san, you don't hold any grudge on me…If I haven't saw you that night, you and Shigure-san would already be far away…" she said reluctantly. Akito continued to write, but her hand moved more slowly, there were a long silence that made Tohru anxious before she put down the pen. "Actually…I think I'm somehow grateful" she said slowly, trying to expresses her thoughts. "That night I was tired and I had enough of everything, I just wanted all to be over." She took a deep breath "but, thank to you, I took my time to think about it…And you were right." Tohru closed her eyes, remembering that night.
"You can't go! You can't go and leave Kyo-kun get imprisoned! I won't let you!" Her owns screams echoed in her head. "I can't leave them without any weapons against Ren" Tohru's eyes narrowed before she closed her eyelids and beamed warmly "Akito-san…"
Akito stamped the last letters and slid the Sohma's clan stamp with the letter in the envelope. "Tohru, give them the letters as soon as possible tomorrow." She ordered, handing the precious letters to the girl. Tohru nodded and Akito allowed herself to stand up and stretched her hand to Tohru. "I guess this is a goodbye."
Tohru eyed the hand Akito was showing and instead of shaking it, she took the woman in her arms. Akito made a yelp of surprise, not expecting Tohru to be so daring. "Even if it wasn't for long, I'm glad I've met you Akito-san!" she said warmly "I will always consider you as a friend!" Akito blushed, embarrassed, but she didn't try to pull Tohru away. She told herself she could indulge the girl, even if deep down, she knew it was because she really loved her and she was sad to tell her goodbye. She wished she would have known Tohru earlier. She closed her eyes painfully "You were a great friend, Tohru."
The girl let her go and gave her a shiny smile "Akito-san, I wish you the best!" Akito hummed, still blushing. "Yeah…And you…" she started, wanted to wish the best to her too but decided against it. "Watch Kyo well, this kid looks really clumsy." Tohru pink cheeks turned red in an instant and she started to stammered. "Wha-what are you saying Akito-san, waah." She squealed before smiling one last time to the woman and hide the letters in the fold of her kimono. When she walked out of the house, the young girl couldn't retain her tears and she had to take a moment to stop before going home.
On her way home she decided to go see Shigure, she wanted to bid her goodbye to him too. She smiled sadly by thinking she couldn't hold him to say farewell as she did with Akito. She knocked at the open door and preyed in the house. "Ah? Tohru-kun" she heard and then saw Shigure with books under the arms and wearing a casual yukata. "What bring you here?" he smiled.
"Well…I wanted to say goodbye before you go" she said "Akito-san told me you were going at dawn" she explained and Shigure hummed. "What a nice girl, I'm gonna miss you a lot you know." He patted her head like brotherly. "Thank you so much for what you done." He smiled gently.
"Here, you want at least tea? I know that Akito isn't that generous to offer it." He sneered and Tohru felt the need to defend Akito even when Shigure was obviously messing with her. He put his hand on her head "Sorry Tohru-kun, I was joking."
"Ah…Yes…I'm okay with tea…" she said slowly, embarrassed. Shigure chuckled and leaded her to the living room. She installed herself at the table in seiza while he boiled water. She noticed how empty the house was. Before there used to have papers and books laying around, but all of this disappeared. "Shigure-san…The house is…"
"Hm? Well, I already sent my useful stuffs in that house, like my pc or books." He explained, putting the cup on the table. "I'm going to let piece of furniture here, if somebody want to move in, they're free to do it." He sneered and took a sip. "Then…Maybe Kureno-san?" she said hazardous, but Shigure frowned for half of second before making a big smile and a gesture of the hand "No way Tohru-kun, he has his own house now haha."
"Oh…" she bowed her head. "…Shigure-san, you know where it is?" she asked quietly. The man took a few seconds to answer "Well…There is a Sohma propriety near of the forest, I think it's kind of close of your high school. He lives there now."
"I see…" she clenched the letters she was hiding in her kimono. Tomorrow, she will have to give him his letters. She hoped that the rest of the zodiacs will listen her and forgive. Shigure smiled to her. "Tohru-kun, I'm sure they will all understand you, I'm going to call Haa-san as soon as we are arrive tomorrow, it's unfair for you to be misunderstood when you helped so much." He said in a gentle tone, looking at her kindly.
"It's normal Shigure-san! Mom always said that you shall always help the people who love!" Shigure chuckled in a confused way "I see, I see, your mother was a great person."
"Yes, very much…Shigure-san?" she was confused when she noticed how warmly he was looking at her. "Just…thank you Tohru-kun without you, we wouldn't have been able to do it. Really." Tohru felt like crying again. Ah, farewell hurt so much.
•Nagajuban: long cloth you put under your kimono, kind of underwear.
Wow, next chapter is the last and then it's the epilogue!
I'm shivering in emotions! I hope you will all like the end of the story haha