Chapter 05: Too Close For Comfort

The Chapter is dedicated to my FB-fanatic friend, Omi

To Tohru's surprise, she found her master waiting for her outside the gates of the school. Upon seeing her, he rushed towards her.

"Honda-san!" His eyes widened upon seeing the bruise on her forehead.

"It's ok, Yuki! It was my fault. I slipped…and hit my head on the railing," she said, using the same excuse she gave Shigure.

"Did you lurch forward or backward?" he asked.

"F-Forward," she stammered.

"Really?" he asked. "When did you start to learn how to lie?"

"H-Huh?"

"How can you fall forward and get bruised both on your forehead and at the back of your head?" He took out his hanky and started to wipe her wound gently. "What really happened, Honda-san?"

She had no choice but to narrate to him the whole story.

After she finished her narration, Yuki turned grim. "I won't let that boy get away from this!"

"Don't worry, Yuki. It's just a small bruise. I won't die of hemorrhage because of this," she said lightly.

"But Honda-san-"

"You worry too much when it must be my job to do that for you," she said.

He looked away. "I can't help it," he said softly. "You are just too…fragile."

Her heartbeat quickened. Fragile? As in something delicate that he must take care of and protect?

She shook her head vehemently. The mushiness of the shoujo mangas she read was already see seeping into her system!

"Maybe we ought to have the school physician look at your injury," he said his voice business-like again.

"I'll be late-"

"I'll talk with your teacher. I'm sure she will understand." He took her bag and carried it for her.

Upon entering the school premises, he maintained a safe distance between them. She was puzzled, but soon she realized why.

The members of his fans club were standing by, and they shrieked at the sight of him.

She smiled wanly. He was just protecting her from the jealousy of his super-obsessed fans. She nearly forgot that he belonged to the masses.

At lunchtime…

Kyo was equally outraged after learning what happened to her, only he was more vocal than Yuki. "That boy will pay dearly!" he yelled as he slammed his fists on his desk, rattling the plates set on his desk.

Kagura quietly fixed the plates. "Don't break them." She finished setting Kyo's lunch on his desk. "OK, dig in!"

Tohru bit on her sandwich. "How old is Hiro?"

"Eleven or twelve?" said Kagura.

"Ten?" guessed Kyo."We don't exactly keep each other's birthday calendars, you know," said Yuki wryly.

Tohru chewed on her sandwich, reflecting on how unintimate the bond between Sohmas is.

"But Hiro Sohma's personality is just like that. He loves Kisa very much and acts as her protector at all times. That made him mature quickly," explained Kagura.

Tohru frowned thoughtfully. "I see." She recalled how fierce the lad's face was when he thought that she was going to harm Kisa.

She then remembered her moment with her master ago when he confessed that he couldn't help but worry about her. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and smiled. Having someone like Yuki Sohma worry about her makes her feel so..feminine.

"Anything wrong, Tohru?" asked Yuki when he caught her gaze.

She blushed and looked down. Not again! Why couldn't she stop sneaking glances at him?

"Does your bruise still hurt?" asked Kagura.

She nodded slowly.

"Then you should be home, resting," said Kyo.

"B-But I still need to buy groceries thid afternoon-"

"I'll take care of it," promised Yuki.

Kagura looked at her cousin, stunned. Since when did the Prince learn to volunteer in domestic chores?

"Hah! If I know, you're planning to buy poison to mix in my milk!" said Kyo, glaring at Yuki.

"I won't waste a cent on your assassination since you can get yourself killed anytime without my help, knowing what a blockhead you are," Yuki shot back coolly.

"If you don't trust Yuki then why don't you shop with him?" suggested Kagura.

"What?! Spend time with that snob?" exclaimed Kyo. "I'd rather buy myself a poison and mix in my milk!"

"Do me a favor and mix it really well," said Yuki dryly.

Kagura sighed. "I guess that means I must come with you two, just to make sure you won't try to murder each other." She faced Tohru. "Will you be ok?"

"Of course!" She picked her bag up. "I'm going home already."

Yuki and Kyo both stood up to accompany her, but she shook her head. "I can manage to go home by myself."

Shigure was surprised to see her home early, but he looked pleased. "As soon as you feel better, come down and chat with me."

"Will do!"

"And if you don't feel better within an hour, I'll call Ha-san already."

She had no idea who was Ha-san, but she was too tired to ask. She went straight to her room and to her bed. As soon as she felt the mattress underneath her, her eyelids started to get heavy. She was about to drift asleep when she felt something creep up her legs.

She lazily picked it up. It was warm and squishy. She opened her eyes to know what it was.

Her heart froze.

Her jaw dropped.

And she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Hiro stepped out from where he was hiding, laughing hysterically. "Baby! Are you afraid of an itsy-bitsy mousy?"

When he received no reply, his laughter ceased. He looked at Tohru, who was clutching her blanket as if it was a lifesaver. "Hey, Honda Tohru?" He blinked when he saw her shoulder shaking violently. "Honda Tohru?"He panicked when he heard a sob from her. "Y-You're not c-crying..are you?"

Kisa appeared in the doorway. "Hiro, that wasn't very nice."

Hiro bit his lip. "B-But it was just a harmless prank.."

"You shouldn't use people's morbid fears in that way," said the girl disapprovingly.

Just then, Shigure appeared. 'What's going on here? Why did I hear Tohru scream?"

Kisa looked at the boy expectantly.

Hiro looked down. "It's like this-"

"It's my fault," said Tohru. "I-I thought a mouse crept on me, but it was just Hiro's hand, waking me up."

"Oh?" Shigure looked at the three skeptically.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Shigure," she apologized.

After the man left, Hiro looked at Tohru. "Why didn't you tell him it was my fault? I could have gotten into trouble and you would have gotten even with me!"

She smiled in reply. "I never like revenge. It's not healthy. What good would I get from it after the initial pleasure? I would be just as naughty as you if I do that."

Hiro blinked, then fled from the room.

Kisa watched her cousin go. "He..understood what you wanted to say." She looked up to Tohru. "It was his first time to get scolded, and I thank you for that." She bowed and left the room.

Tohru smiled.

That night, Yuki visited her in the bedroom, carrying her dinner. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better!" she replied enthusiastically as she looked down at the bowl of noodles in front of her. "Smells great!"

"I took your assignments from your classmates. As soon as you feel well, we'll study together," he said.

"That's a promise!" she said as she spooned food into her mouth. "Mmm! Delicious! Did you cook this?"

"Well, if you call boiling the water for the instant ramen cooking, then yes, I cooked it," he replied.

"Hey, I can always teach you, Yuki!" she said between eating.

He chuckled and wiped the soup liquid at the corner of her mouth.

Tohru nearly dropped her bowl in surprise. His action suddenly made her feel too intimately close with him.

And his purple eyes gazing at her…they were burning her!

Mercifully, he stood up. "I better go down and check on the baka neko and Hiro or the kid might end up getting skinned alive."

"Thanks for the dinner again!" said Tohru, grateful that no shakiness was evident in her voice.

As soon as he shut the door of Tohru's room, Yuki sighed. "Good lord, I'm just as idiotic as that neko is. Why can't I keep myself away from her? If she learns my secret…" His grip on the knob tightened. Now more then ever, he was determined not to let her know about the secret of the Sohma clan.

tsuzuku