5) Show her anything that you know or that is related to your profession. It can be a sport or a hobby that you're good at. Make sure you do it well. This makes her feel overjoyed by your presence.

"Honda-san…" Yuki whispered.

Shigure lowered the newspaper and glared at Yuki. "What did you just called her?" he grinned.

"Gure-san, what else? It is the name of LOVE" Kagura twirled around dreamily. "Honda-san…" she mimicked Yuki's voice.

"That's not funny."

"It isn't. YOU ARE." Kagura pointed.

"He-he." He bickered.

"What is it, Sohma-kun?" Tohru asked. He stared at her unusually and took a deep breath.

"Can I be excused," he asked. "For the day?"

"Where are you going, nezumi?" Kyou shouted from the other end of the breakfast table. "Afraid to die?"

"Kyou has impressive ears." Momiji wondered.

"Yeah, and if the table is 2 meters shorter, I could have punched him!" Yuki shouted back.

"I heard that!"

"Of course, you do, baka neko! I JUST SHOUTED!" Yuki yelled.

"Why are we shouting anyway?!"

"I don't know!!!"

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD SHOUT OUTSIDE!" Hiro yelled at them. "YOU'RE DISTURBING PEOPLE WHO ARE PEACEFULLY EATING THEIR OMELETTE!"

"Why don't we finish this outside?" the neko asked.

"Great idea, bastard." the nezumi grinned.

"Please no violence!" Kisa covered her eyes.

"Yuki, sit down." Hatori snapped sternly.

"But---"

"You're job is to protect the mistress, not bother other people's business." The doctor reminded. "After what happened to her, I can say that the assassins might be waiting outside right now, so whatever you do, you are not excused."

"Hatori---"

"No. That's final." He glared and looked at Tohru. "Am I right, Tohru-kun?"

Tohru blinked. "Eh… ano…"

"Please, Honda-san, it's only for a day!" he begged. "I promise I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Yuki, you are hired to guard her and to protect her! You are not suppose to---"

"It's okay, Hatori-san." She held his hand and looked at Yuki. "It's alright, Sohma-kun. You have my permission."

"T-Thank you." He bowed. "I won't break my promise. I'll be back soon." Then he ran off.

Tohru sighed on her chair. "That settled it then."

"Tohru…" Hatori looked at her.

"You all had your freedom to do whatever you want, as long as you know your place." She explained. "As for Yuki, I don't want to see him unhappy because he's stuck in this place. I would like to see him free."

"Even if it costs your life?" Gure asked.

"Yes" she simply smiled. "He is person, not a thing to own and to use as a human shield."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The room was empty until Yuki came in. He darted across the room and kneeled in front of an altar. "Please don't do that again."

The stranger smiled. "Why? It's not against the plan, right?"

"It isn't but…" Yuki bowed low. "Please give me more time."

"Why, my dear Yuki? What are you planning to do?"

"I don't want… to see her dying…" he whispered.

"Close your eyes then."

"It's not enough. I believe that my conscience will haunt me once I realize that she will be…"

"Killed?" the stranger finished the sentence. "My Yuki, what words did she use to move you like that?"

"What do you---"

"You've change."

"Please explain." Yuki asked confusedly. "I don't understand."

"You have become… softer…" he grinned.

Yuki ignored his master's observation. "Will you give me more time?"

"Anything for you…as long as you do the job brutally." He reminded.

Yuki bowed again and went towards the door. Before he left, he looked behind him. He's dying… but still, he's unstoppable.

"Is that a promise?" Yuki asked. It took a while before his master gave a nod of agreement. Yuki smiled and left the room.

Yuki… is she going to take you away too? I won't let that happen. Not you. I won't lose you.  The stranger wondered as reached for the phone and began to dial some numbers. He grinned once he heard a voice in the other end.

"Yes, master? DO you need anything?"

"Do you have… a really large vehicle? Like a bulldozer or a tank?"

"What are you after, master?" the voice asked. "I think a bulldozer is not enough to flatten the girl's residence."

"It's not for the girl. It's for Yuki."

"Yuki?"

The stranger grinned. "I need to wake up his sleeping merciless side . I think that Tohru knows how to lure every Sohma."

"So, where should we bring this baby?"

"You know where to bring it: The only place where Yuki is peaceful. Also, make sure who will be blamed in this natural tragedy."

"What's going to happen sir?"

"I think my Yuki will invite Honda Tohru on a walk… towards hell."  He stared at his garden and laughed evilly.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Tohru stared at the grandfather's clock near the hall. 4:00 pm. She thought. Yuki is not back yet. I hope he's okay.

"Onee-chan." Kisa tugged Tohru's sleeve. "Hiro and I are going to watch cartoons. Do you want to join us?"

"Nonsense!" Hiro snapped. "She's too old for that!"

"I'll be with you in a little while, Kisa-chan." The onigiri smiled.

"Nan de--" Hiro said.

"Hurrah!" Kisa rejoiced. "Be sure to be there before it reached the middle part! That's where the story---"

"Kisa, you're spoiling the movie!" Hiro reminded.

"Ah, sorry. Please hurry, onee-chan!" she smiled as she held Hiro's hand and went to the movie room.

"Kids…" Haru whispered. "So innocent…"

"Yes… I wish I were a kid. So that whenever my time comes," she said sadly. "I'll always remember… that I'll be going to heaven." She smiled.

"Don't think like that." Haru encouraged her not to cry. "You're not going to die yet."

Tohru stared at her messenger. What does he mean when he said "yet". "So, I'm going to die soon." She corrected.

No… Haru thought, We don't really know… when he's going to attack, Tohru-kun.

"Haru?" she asked. "Am I right… about what I said? That I'm not yet but soon."

"Tohru." Haru looked away. "There's something you need to know… about us Sohmas…"

"Eh?" she asked.

"We…" he began, "are planning to---"

The phone suddenly rang and Tohru picked it up. "Hello?"

"Honda-san…" a voice came.

"Sohma-kun!" she said excitingly. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

"Is Hatori there?" he said coldly, ignoring her questions.

"Um, no, I think. He went back to his work---"

"Honda-san, I want to meet you… outside the house."

"But, Hatori---"

"He's not there, so there's no reason to leave the house." He said firmly. "Take the neko with you and tell him to go to my private spot."

"Private spot?"

"Yes, I want to meet me here alone." He instructed.

"But you said---"

"Kyou can wait in the car." Then he hung up. Tohru placed the handset back and looked at Haru confusedly.

"Did I miss something?" Haru asked.

"Nothing…" she wondered. "Ano, I'll be leaving for a while."

"But--"

"I'll take Kyou with me." She smiled. "Don't panic. I'll be back soon." She went towards the door. "Oh yeah, what did you say earlier? You're planning to…?"

"Uh… planning to…" he searched the words.

"..give you a gift next week." Hiro suddenly appeared behind Haru. "for your birthday." He continued. Tohru smiled.

"I hope it's a good one. I'll be expecting it next week then." She waved farewell and shut the door behind her.

"Are you planning to tell her EVERYTHING?!" Hiro asked angrily. "ARE YOU NUTS?!"

"Are you?" the cow asked.

"No." the sheep crossed his arms. "But I'm trying to keep it to myself. It's not the right time yet."

"But… he will attack soon and…"

"That's not our problem, right?" he asked cruelly. "If she dies, she dies. We have no choice."

"You don't care about her?" Haru asked.

"I don't know. At least, after this job, I could live happily and peacefully with Kisa."

"Do you think so? Our master is never a considerate man." Haru glared and left the room.

"I'm taking chances because… I don't want to get Kisa involved again." He whispered. Without him knowing, Kisa was listening to their conversation. Tears fell from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her.

"Onee-chan…" she whispered. "I hope he doesn't hurt you… like he hurt me."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you?" Kyou asked as Tohru went out of the car.

"No, it's okay. Just take care of the car." She smiled. "I'll be back soon--"

"Wait! I just can't leave you there!" Kyou pointed at the forest. "There are many wild beasts in the forest. Believe me, I've been and lived there."

"Thank you but I can manage."

"I promise I won't be a bother and can protect you better than that nezumi does." He assured.

She frowned. "Actually, it was Sohma-kun's request for you to stay here." Then she closed the door and ran through the forest. Kyou leaned against the car.

Yuki requested that I should stay here? He thought carefully. That's odd. Most of the time, he just let me go because, in case I get myself killed, I won't be bothering him anymore. He laughed. It's not really like him at all, ensuring my safety rather than Tohru's---

He stopped and stared at the ground. Wait a minute… Tohru… went alone in the forest?

He started to ran towards the direction where Tohru went. It makes sense! He sent Tohru alone in the forest for him to… , He shook his head, No, I can't expect for the worse. Tohru, I hope I'm not too late.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Sohma-kun!" she smiled as she saw Yuki in a middle of the barren field. He looked serious and he was grasping a shovel tightly.

"Honda-san… welcome to my private spot." He grinned.

"Private Spot?" she looked around. There's nothing really to be seen because it was a small barren place. "May I ask why I am here?"

"Honda-san…" he looked at her. "Have you seen this place before?"

"No, not really…"

"Are you sure?"

"I wasn't really allowed to go to a place like this." She explained.

"I see…" he whispered. Maybe she haven't been here. "There must be some kind of reason why…"

"Reason why…" She asked.

He slowly approached her. "I think… you're… being set up, Honda-san."

"What do you mean?"

All of the sudden, Kyou rushed in the scene and began to punch Yuki.

"Don't you dare touch her, kuso nezumi!" he grabbed her in the arm. "Run now, Tohru-kun. I'll take care of him."

"W-What?" she looked at him. What did he mean, run now… I'll take care of him.

"Kyou, it's okay. I didn't---"

"Shut up and don't move!" Kyou commanded. "Stay right there! Tohru, run now!"

"What do you mean?"

"It's obvious! He's here to kill you!"

"What?" Tohru gasped.

"There's no time to explain--"

"There IS time to explain!" Yuki looked at the confused girl. "Tohru, listen to me. I'm not here to kill you. I got it all figured out." He stared at Kyou. "She's being set up… by him."

"What…" Kyou glared at him.

"It always happens right?" he grinned.

"So… the assassin… and master---"

"is only one person whom we know." Yuki glanced at Tohru. "Whom the Sohmas only know."

"Eh?" Tohru looked at one after the other. "I don't get you two."

"We don't have time. We should get back to the---" Kyou stopped as he heard a gunshot. Then he collapsed on the ground.

"KYOU-KUN!!!" Tohru screamed.