Chapter 10: Fruits Basket

"This is all too sudden," remarked Yuki as he watched Tohru pack her things.

"I know," she admitted sadly. "But I hate the thought of leaving Grandpa alone in the house."

But she didn't really want to leave the Sohma house yet. She has learned to love the place and the people living here.

She looked at Yuki who was looking at her too, face carefully devoid of emotion. "We'll still see each other in school, right?"

"Right," he agreed. He started to leave the room when he faced her again briefly. "Bye."

The door closed, leaving her stunned. Was it her or could she detect a hint of sadness in his voice?

She shook her head vehemently. "No way! Kagura-san can get another personal attendant for Yuki-kun that will be much more competent than me."

Shigure tried to stop Yuki who was walking on the hallway silently, head hung. "What's going on? What is all the racket here?" the novelist asked.

"Honda-san..is leaving."

"What!? We have to stop her then!" He started to go to Tohru's room when Yuki's hand grabbed his arm. "Her grandfather is taking her home," he explained. "She needs to attend after her own family."

"But we're her family too, right?" a little girl's voice asked sadly. He looked down and saw Kisa and Hiro in front of him.

Yuki knelt down in front of his cousin and smoothed her hair. "Yes, but you see, her grandfather needs her more, because he is old and alone."

"I need Onee-chan too," she protested weakly.

"Don't say that, Kisa. We must not be selfish. Honda-san has her own life to live," he said soothingly.

"Funny that you say that, when you sound like you're just trying to convince yourself too," remarked Hiro.

Yuki was silenced. Was his cousin that perceptive? Was his cousin right?

Fortunately he didn't have time to answer his silent questions for Tohru had emerged from her room already, carrying her duffel bags. He quickly carried her bag. "Let's go," he said.

Tohru nodded and turned to them. "Shigure-san, there's a leftover meatloaf in the refrigerator. It's reheatable. The laundry is almost done. All you guys have to do is to hang it."

The novelist nodded solemnly.

She knelt before Kisa. "I'll come visit you before I go to my part-time job, ok? Or you can ask Hiro to bring you to my place."

She nodded quietly, blinking back her tears.

She turned to Hiro. "Take care of her, ok?"

"You don't need to say that," he replied, trying to be sarcastic but lacking in force.

"W-Where's Kyo-kun?" she asked.

"He's not here. He said he' s mad at you because now it's Yuki again who will cook dinner, and he'll be forced to eat leeks again," said Hiro.

"I'll drop by here and cook for you, ok?" she said.

Yuki patted her shoulder. "Your grandfather is waiting."

She nodded and followed him outside.

Her grandfather smiled at her. "Ready?"

She nodded and took her things from her master. "Thank you, Yuki-kun."

He nodded.

"She's gone," said Hiro after a few minutes. "I..I can't believe it."

"Alas! Goodbye warm delicious homeprepared meals that serve as my only consolation here!" cried Shigure. "It's back to canned mushroom soups and Yuki's dishes again."

"Ouch. Kisa, want to go back to the main house already? Just to make sure we won't die of food poisoning and all," said Hiro.

Yuki quietly entered his room and locked himself in.

"Oh dear, did I just happen to hurt his feelings? I thought someone like Yuki has overgrown those things," said Hiro.

"He's just mourning," said Shigure knowingly.

Outside they heard Kyo scream, "Damn you, Tohru! Come back here!!!"

"He's just mourning," said Shigure again.

Tohru began to unpack her things, but then she saw Kisa's hanky in her bag. She felt her heart wrench. She misses them already. Very much.

"I wonder what they're doing right now." She absentmindedly touched her hair, then gasped.

"I left my ribbons!"

"Yuki-kun, answer the phone. Kagura wants to know if you would like her to look for another attendant!" called Shigure from the hallway.

He didn't reply. He merely stared at the ribbons that Tohru dropped awhile ago. He brought them to his lips and sighed. "My only memory of her."

But he remembered how Tohru never forgets to put them on her hair everyday. She must love these very much.

He pocketed them. "I'll return them to her tomorrow in school."

"Shigure, tell Kagura that I don't want her to look for another one!" he shouted.

Tohru was washing the dishes that night - her grandpa's house reminded her a little of the Sohma house before she came. Again, she found herself missing the Sohma place again.

"It's seven PM. Shigure-san must be in front of TV, watching a re-run of some censored films while Kyo-kun is lying on the roof, staring at the stars. Hiro and Kisa would be in the kitchen, keeping me company while I cook, and Yuki-kun will be on the kitchen table, doing my assignment for me," she said wistfully. "An hour later, Hiro would call Kyo-kun to eat downstairs, and Yuki-kun will comment on how Kyo-kun never helps at home, and they would start bickering again as Shigure-san untiringly praises my dishes and asks me to serve him rice beside him."

She didn't know that her grandfather was looking at her from the living room, watching her curiously.

The next day, Tohru woke up early to start cooking. She was about to smile when she remembered that she wasn't in the Sohma house anymore. Sighing, she went to the kitchen to start cooking breakfast.

"Milk…no leeks…lots of rice.." she couldn't resist murmuring as she made breakfast.

"Why, Tohru! That's quite a meal for just the two of us!" said her grandfather, surprised.

She blinked. She was used to making big breakfast for the big Sohma family.

"Do your former housemates like your cooking so much?" asked her Grandpa.

She smiled, grateful to have an excuse to talk about the Sohma family. "Oh yes! They appreciate the meal so much that's why it inspires me to give my best when I cook! I want to make them happy."

She remembered Shigure's glowing praises, and Kisa and Hiro's satisfied smiles. Kyo's grudging compliments and Yuki's subtle smiles of delight.

Her grandfather's eyes softened. "I see."

"Is this what I think it is?" asked Shigure, looking at the overdone eggs and bacon in front of him. "Charcoal? But we do not have a fireplace!"

"Shut up. If you don't want to eat then don't," said Yuki darkly.

"There must be another way to escape starvation." Shigure looked at the leeks. "I'll make a leek soup. What about you, Kyo?"

Kyo looked disdainfully at the food before him. This or leeks? It's like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea! "I think I'll skip breakfast." He looked at the empty seats. "Where's Kisa and Hiro?"

"They left ages ago," said Shigure. "Hatori had them fetched upon knowing that Yuki-kun is going to be our cook again."

"Will you stop making such a fuss on my culinary skills?" snapped Yuki. He was extra-irritated today, especially when he woke up, expecting to see Tohru cooking in the kitchen already but instead found dirty dishes that Shigure didn't bother to touch.

(Shigure: What?! And contaminate my skin with your saliva germs?)

Kyo picked his bag up. "I'm leaving. I think I'll just hunt for my food. It will be tad better than poisoning myself."

"May the Holy Spirit be with you, baka neko," Yuki shot back bitingly. "Just don't kill Kagura by mistake!"

"Goddam mouse!"

Shigure groaned. "Oh Tohru, come back already! We need your guiding light in this otherwise dangerous abode!"

Yuki shot him a dirty look. Great, just what he needed. More emphasis on Tohru's absence.

He looked down. Beyond missing Tohru's superb dishes and peacemaking nature, he misses her presence so. His day wouldn't start without her cheerful "Ohayou!" and bright smiles.

"Ah, damn it." He stood up in a huff. "Wash the dishes, Shigure."

"What?!" The writer was horrified. "And contaminate my skin with your saliva germs?!! My health is frail, you know."

"It doesn't matter since I'll kill you anyway if you don't shut up," he said menacingly before he left the house.

"Ohayou, Yuki-kun!" greeted Tohru.

He paused when he heard the familiar angelic voice. "Ohayou, Honda-san. Did you sleep well?" he asked. Finally, his day was starting to look better.

"N-No..I mean.." Her face was flushed.

He smiled. "It's ok, Honda-san. I didn't sleep well too."

"You didn't?" she echoed.

"Yes. I was used to-" It was his turn to be rendered speechless.

"Me too," she admitted. "I miss you guys already."

"I…we miss you too, Honda-san," he stammered.

Her brown eyes shook. "I would like to visit you guys again."

"S-Sure, no problem."

The bell rang, interrupting their conversation.

"Let's go back, or Mayu-sensei might make us stand in the hallway for the rest of the period," said Tohru, pulling him into the classroom.

"W-Wait, your rib-" He sighed. He'll just have to give them later.

That afternoon, Yuki watched as Tohru went to her part-time job. He found himself reminiscing on the day Tohru ditched her job just to protect his secret base that he now comes to think of as "theirs". His and Tohru's.

He looked at her hair ribbons. He could feel an unexplainable ache in his heart, just thinking that those days may never happen again since she's far away from them already.

He was about to turn to leave when a voice called him. "Hey!"

He saw an old man waving at him.

"Tohru's grandfather?"

That night Tohru wearily opened the door. She accomplished her job in overtime since she has to pay for that day she didn't work. That was the day she saw Yuki's secret base.

She smiled. "I don't mind the fatigue, because it gave me and Yuki-kun time together."

"Tadaima!" she called. "Grandpa, have you eaten dinner already-oh!" She stopped when she saw Yuki carrying her things. "Yuki-kun!"

He smiled at her. "Welcome back, Honda-san. We were so worried about you!"

Kyo appeared from the kitchen. "At last, you're here. At least I can dispose of the milk of magnesia."

Shigure and her grandfather entered the living room.

"Grandpa, w-what's happening?" she asked in daze.

"Hi Tohru! We came to beg to your grandpops if we can take our sweet homemaker angel already," said Shigure.

Yuki was scandalized. "Shigure! How dare you refer to Honda-san's grandfather that way!"

The old man laughed. "I don't mind. It makes me feel young."

"Shigure-san! Kyo-kun! Yuki-kun! W-What-"

"These men seem to need you more than me," explained her grandfather. "They knelt down before me, begging me to lend you to them even at least every morning."

"K-Knelt? B-Beg?" She could imagine Shigure doing that, but Kyo and Yuki?

"We love you that much, Tohru-kun," said Shigure smilingly.

"So I decided to move in with your aunt and cousins, and so you can go back to them already," said her grandfather.

"R-Really?!" she cried in delight. "Oh, but Grandpa!"

"It's ok. I won't be happy anyway if you're not happy." He turned to the Sohmas. "Judging by their faces, I'm sure they would make you much happier than I could."

She was on the verge of tears. "G-Grandpa, I don't know what to say…"

Yuki handed her a hanky to dry her tears. "Just say you'll come back to us. We personally guaranteed to him your happiness…"

"..or he'll get his granddaughter back, no questions asked," put Shigure in.

Kyo looked at the writer with narrowed eyes. "You're watching way too many home TV shopping channels."

"A-Arigatou, Grandpa!" She hugged him, crying.

"Be happy, dear Tohru. Be happy," he said as he hugged her tight too.

Shigure, Kyo, Yuki and Tohru were walking back home together, all in a high mood. Shigure was narrating what happened while she was gone.

"..and Yuki-kun tried to kill us with his mystery dishes!" Shigure burst out laughing.

Tohru giggled.

"It's not funny. I nearly starved to death, you know," said Kyo, arms crossed.

"Who told you not to eat breakfast anyway?" snapped Yuki.

"Hah! I want to live longer!"

"Maybe you two should just combat in culinary fields," suggested Tohru. "Then Shigure-san shall declare who's the better cook!"

Shigure shivered. "Please, Tohru-kun. I love my life."

Tohru laughed.

It feels so good…

…to be back home…

to the fruits basket…

that I love.

"Honda-san?"

She turned to Yuki." H-Hai?"

He handed her a familiar-looking couple of ribbons.

"Arigatou, Yuki-kun!"

"I'm glad you're back," he murmured, flashing her a smile he reserved only for her.

She smiled back.

tsuzuku