Several hours later, after school…
After class ended for the day and the teacher left the classroom, Miyuki, Akemi, Isamu, Ken, Tohru and the other students packed up their bags, stood up and left the classroom and as Tohru run down the staircases (with both Akemi and Ken following behind her while Miyuki and Isamu went to the student council room to meet up with Akechi) to the first floor where the shoe lockers are, Tohru, Akemi and Ken stop when they see that Yuki's already there and taking his school shoes out of one of the shoe lockers.
"Oh, Soma-kun! Thank you for this morning!" said Tohru thankfully to Yuki (who glance at her when she started talking to him).
"Nonsense. I apologise for Shigure." said Yuki apologetically to Tohru.
"What did you just say? Did Shigure-san do or say something bad to you, Honda-san?" asked Akemi concernly to Tohru when she and Ken heard their conversation.
"Guess that explains how and why Honda-san came to school with Yuki-kun today…" thought Ken to himself.
"H-Huh? H-He didn't! All he did is talk to me and showed me his zodiac knickknacks and he seems like a nice person, Kanzaki-san." replied Tohru reassuringly to Akemi.
"If only you knew that he's not a nice guy and is actually a sly, scheming guy…" muttered Akemi coldly under her breath.
"Hm? You say something, Kanzaki-san?" said Tohru in confusion to Akemi.
"… Nothing. I should be going to pick up Nanako-chan from her piano tuition." said Akemi as she shake her head at Tohru.
"I see. Goodbye and see you tomorrow, Kanzaki-san. You too, Amada-kun." said Tohru as she nodded to them.
"Yeah, goodbye and see you and Yuki-kun tomorrow, Honda-san." said Ken as he smile and nodded back at both Tohru and Yuki before they grab their own shoes from the shoe lockers, put them on and left the school.
"Honda-san. Try not to overwork yourself too much and watch out for your own health because it's still hot out." said Yuki concernly to Tohru before both she and Yuki left school next with Tohru going to her part-time job place and Yuki went back to Shigure's house.
XXXX
A few minutes later, in the Kirijo's private cottage home…
"Welcome back, Miss Arisato, Mister Amada and young master Arisato." greeted a fair-skinned, long black-haired, pale blue-eyed stern-looking woman named Kikuno Saikawa wearing a long sleeve button up white shirt with a sleeveless dark grey vest over it, white gloves on her hands, long black pants with a black belt around her waist and black socks on her feet formally to Miyuki, Ken and Mitsuki after they came home from school.
"Yeah, we're back, Kikuno." greeted Miyuki politely back to Kikuno.
"Is my mom back yet, Saikawa-san?" asked Mitsuki.
"Not yet, young master. Are you 3 hungry because dinner is ready." said Kikuno.
"Yeah, we are. Let's go, Mitsuki." said Ken as he smiled and nodded at Kikuno before he gently grab and took Mitsuki with him to the dining room while ignoring and not looking at Miyuki.
"Miss Arisato…" said Kikuno, about to say something to console Miyuki a little only for Miyuki to raised her left hand to silenced her before she could say anything.
"It's fine so just drop it, Kikuno-san." said Miyuki calmly to Kikuno about Ken's behaviour to her as she also made her way to the dining room with Kikuno following behind her to have another silent dinner together.
XXXX
Meanwhile, in the Dojima's house…
After Akemi picked up and bring Nanako home from her piano tuition, they put away their school bags, cooked and ate simple fried rice dinner, washed, wipe dry and put away the dishes together in the kitchen before they went into the living room, sat down and Nanako turned on the TV to watched the next episode of Neo Feathermen cartoon series.
"Dad's home late again…" sighed Nanako.
"I know. He's as busy as usual, Nanako-chan." said Akemi sympathetically to Nanako.
"… Um, big sis…" said Nanako as she glance hesitantly at Akemi.
"Yes? What is it, Nanako-chan?" said Akemi as she glance at Nanako.
"… Well, it's about big sis Miyuki, big sis Isamu and big bro Goro. Are you and big bro Ken still mad and disappointed at them because I really missed them and wished and wanted them to come over like before…" said Nanako sadly to Akemi (who tensed up a little when she heard Nanako mention Miyuki, Isamu and Akechi to her).
"Look, I know how sad and painful it is for you to missed and not seeing them, Nanako-chan. But, right now mine and Ken-kun's relationship with them is… in a complicated situation." said Akemi with a blank look on her face to Nanako.
"Complicated situation? What do you mean by that, big sis Akemi?" asked Nanako in confusion to Akemi.
"… I'm sorry. I just can't because it's hard for me to say it out to you so please drop it, Nanako-chan." said Akemi sadly and apologetically to Nanako before they fell silent and resumed watching the TV.
XXXX
Meanwhile, in the Soma estate…
"Welcome back, Toudou-san and Akechi-san." greeted a slightly pale-skinned, long grey-haired (that's tied up into a bun behind her head), brown-eyed elderly-looking woman named Izumi Kudou wearing a simple light purple kimono with a huge dark and light yellow ribbon tied around her waist and white socks on her feet (with 2 younger-looking women wearing the same kimono, ribbon and socks and standing behind the elderly woman) politely to both Isamu and Goro after they came back from school.
"We're back, Izumi-san." greeted Goro politely back to Izumi while Isamu nodded in silence at her.
"Toudou-san, Akito-sama has told me to tell you that he requested your presence once you're back." said Izumi as she glance at Isamu.
"Is that so? Very well then, I'll go see him now and thanks for telling me about it, Izumi-san." said Isamu as she nodded again at Izumi, briefly glance and smile at Goro (who gave a sad smile back to her) before she walked past Izumi and the 2 younger women, make her way down the hallway toward where Akito's room is, open and went in and closed the door behind her, saw Akito sitting by himself near the window and staring out at the garden as Isamu sat down.
"Welcome back, Isamu." greeted Akito as he slowly turned and glance at Isamu.
"I'm back, Aki-chan." greeted Isamu back to Akito.
"How's your day at school and did you, Akechi and Miyuki met the others?" asked Akito slightly curiously to Isamu.
"It's the same as usual and yes, we did met the others." replied Isamu with a nod of her head.
"I see… Will you play some music for me? I'm bored and I think I prefer Brahm's lullaby from you tonight, Isamu." said Akito.
"Of course, Aki-chan." said Isamu as she gave another nod to Akito, take out her mint green-coloured ocarina instrument from inside her bag and began playing the requested music for Akito.
XXXX
Meanwhile, with Shigure and Yuki…
"Eating out or getting delivery every night is starting to get old real fast." sighed a fair-skinned, dark grey-haired, grey-eyed tall and handsome man named Shigure Soma wearing a simple long sleeve dark green kimono with a light grey cloth tied around his waist and wooden geta shoes on his feet tiredly to Yuki as they walked down a pathway in the forest.
"You make dinner, then." said Yuki boredly to Shigure.
"Yeah right. You complain when I do that." said Shigure in a deadpan tone of voice to Yuki.
"Anyone would complain about pickled radishes in their curry, especially Akemi." said Yuki.
"That's true about her. Plus you may be smart, but household stuff is the one thing you suck at. Two slovenly men living alone really needs a woman's help. Wonder if Akemi-chan wouldn't mind if I ask her to come stay with us…" said Shigure with a pondering look on his face.
"Sure. If you don't mind her uncle arresting you for asking his niece to stay with us…" said Yuki before he stop walking and trailed off into silence when he (and Shigure) saw through some bamboo branches at Tohru walking by herself down another pathway to his right.
"Say, isn't that Tohru-kun? What's she doing here so late?" asked Shigure curiously to Yuki about Tohru.
"I heard her mother died… Maybe she moved out here?" replied Yuki.
"No, the Somas haven't rented any of this land outside the family, Yuki-kun." said Shigure as he and Yuki glance and exchange curious and confuse looks before they decided to follow Tohru only to discover that she live in a tent next to a cliff in the middle of the forest, which caused Shigure to burst into laughter and make Yuki berated him for laughing at Tohru and her tent home before they bring her back to Shigure's house for more explanation.
XXXX
A few minutes later, in the living room in Shigure's house…
"I thought something was strange—since the Somas own all the land in this area." said Yuki in confusion to Tohru about her tent home (while Shigure continue to chuckled in hilarity at Tohru).
"Um, would either of you please let me live there for a little while? I'll leave as soon as the renovation are over. I… don't have much money, but I'll pay what I can. Please." said Tohru in a pleading tone of voice to both Shigure and Yuki.
"That's a dangerous spot. The soils is soft near the cliff, there are pervs roaming around and a girl like you can't just live in a tent for months, anyway." said Shigure concernly to Tohru.
"About time you're done laughing at her and you're one to talk about pervs, Shigure-san." thought Yuki sarcastically at Shigure.
"It's all right! I'm already used to the slugs now!" said Tohru reassuringly and determinedly to both Yuki and Shigure as she suddenly stand up.
"R-Really?" said Yuki.
"I promise, I've got more than enough strength and willpower! So please…" said Tohru before she fell silent and collapsed back to the floor.
"Honda-san!?" said Yuki concernly to Tohru before he stand up, went toward Tohru to raised and placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. "She's got a fever." added Yuki more concernly to Shigure about Tohru having a fever.
"Well, I'll go get some ice." said Shigure as he stood up, turned and open the doors to the kitchen and reveal how cluttered, messy and smelly the kitchen is. "Uh oh, where would it be…?" added Shigure with a feign troubled look on his face.
"It's the Sea of Decay." said Tohru with a worry look on her face at the terrible state of the kitchen room.
"Nice analogy!" said Shigure with a delighted look on his face at Tohru before he fell silent and a serious look appear and replaced the previous look on his face when he heard a lone dog howling in the distance. "See? Like I tell you earlier. Part of the cliff just crumbled." added Shigure slightly smugly to Tohru.
"Huh? U-Um, how can you tell?" asked Tohru in confusion to Shigure.
"Hmm? Let's call it animal instinct." replied Shigure more smugly to Tohru.
"Right…" said Tohru unsurely to Shigure.
"Enough joking. Don't you have the exact location?" asked Yuki to Tohru as he went toward the tiny cupboard under the TV, open and take out a first-aid kit.
"Could it have been… somewhere near my tent!?" said Tohru nervously to Shigure before she started chuckling.
"Surely not!" chuckled Shigure as well.
"Well? Where was it?" asked Yuki again to Tohru before she, Yuki and Shigure left the house, went to where Tohru's tent home is only to find it mostly buried under a huge pile of soil, which distressed Tohru a lot before she try to dig and move the soil away to get her mother's picture before Shigure managed to convinced her that they'll come back and get her mother's picture and the rest of her things in the morning, which appeased Tohru before she followed them back to Shigure's house, take a bath, change and put on a white shirt and long brown pants before lying down on the futon, blanket and pillow that both Yuki and Shigure prepare for her.
"I'm sorry. I've lose my home again." said Tohru apologetically to Shigure.
"Is it painful?" said Shigure sympathetically to Tohru as he sat down near her.
"No. I know something more painful." said Tohru.
"What's that? Tell me." asked Shigure gently to Tohru.
"I miss the chance to say, "See you when you get back." The morning of the day my mother died… I'd stayed up almost all night studying for a quiz. I couldn't wake up. That's the only morning I didn't said it. I always said it, but that one morning… I said I'd work, that I didn't want to go to high school. But my mother said…" explained Tohru.
XXXX
Flashback…
"I only have a middle school diploma. But I wish I'd gotten to try the "high school girl" thing. So you go enjoy the high school life I didn't have." said a fair-skinned, short light orange-haired, brown-eyed pretty-looking woman named Kyoko Honda gently to Tohru when she's a little girl.
Flashback end…
XXXX
"She was the best mother, and I didn't manage to say "See you when you get back"… I didn't even get to see her leave for work. I'm an idiot. Who cares if I fail a test or have my home blown away? It was my mother that I should have prioritized… So I want to at least graduate from high school… The school mom wanted to go to… I… don't have time to succumb to this fever…" said Tohru as her voice got softer and softer until she didn't say anything anymore and fell asleep.
"This girl kinda reminds me of…" thought Shigure as he watched Tohru in silence.
"This is a surprise. She's always so cheerful at school, looking like she hasn't got a care… She's amazing and her cheerful attitude reminds me of Minako Arisato, Miyuki's older sister who died years ago." said Yuki with an envious look on his face at Tohru as he hold a kind of red pillow thing with a small white towel wrap around it.
"That she does and amazing how?" said Shigure as he glance at Yuki.
"I thought I'd broken free of the Somas… but if I really hated them, I could've just gotten a tent like Honda-san did and gone off somewhere where they wouldn't find me. I'm realizing now that I'm quite a spoiled one." said Yuki with a disgust look on his face at himself.
"Calling Tohru amazing is an insult to her, you know. Be glad that she's asleep and didn't hear you say that about her, Yuki-kun." said Shigure.
"True." said Yuki as he walked past both Shigure and the slumbering Tohru toward the doors behind Shigure while giving him the thing he holds in his arms. "Can you take things from here?" added Yuki to Shigure as he stop in front of the doors.
"Don't tell me you're going to dig that up? Want me to come along or call someone else like Akemi-chan or Ken-kun to help you out? That's a lot of work for you to do alone." said Shigure slightly concernly to Yuki.
"There's no need for you to call either Akemi or Ken to help out and alone, me? Just who do you think you're talking to, Shigure-san?" said Yuki as he look over his left shoulder at Shigure with an amused look on his face while the doors opened by itself to reveal many black rats with glowing red eyes outside Shigure's house.
"See you when you get back, Yuki-kun." said Shigure without looking at Yuki (who left and close the door behind him) before he take out his phone to dial, call and inform some of his friends about Tohru.