Epilogue
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Yes! I did it! I made it this far and I finished it! In just ONE WEEK!!! I would like to thank the people who give good comments. *runs around like Ritsu* ARIGATOU! ARIGATOU!
Note: Ritsu's not my favorite Sohma character. I just like his attitude, that's all.
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"THERE IT IS!!!" Shigure called out loudly. "Guys, you have to see this!"
Shigure pointed the book on display in a bookstore. 10 ways on how to impress a woman by Sohma Shigure was read on the cover. Kisa gasped in amusement.
"Gure-san, you finally made a book that is worth reading!" Kisa smiled happily.
"Well, actually, you can't read it." He laughed at Kisa. "It has a PG 13 scene. Sorry, Kisa."
"But still, you made it this far!" Kagura clapped. "Congrats, Gure-san."
"This book won't be possible if Yuki wasn't there to act it out." He winked at the younger Sohma, whose mind was drifting away.
"Oe, nezumi. He just mentioned you." Kyou gave him a nudge.
"So?" Yuki asked coldly. He turned around and left the group.
"What's wrong with him?" Kisa asked.
"He's still heartbroken after Tohru 'dumped' him." Kyou joked.
"That wasn't funny." Kagura looked at him sternly. "She also cried after the lady told her that they'll be leaving. She couldn't even look at him in the eye."
"Poor Yuki. He really loved her badly." Shigure sighed. "But that's love, right? It isn't always right. There will come a time that something goes wrong."
"I hope you're right, Gure-san." Kagura nodded.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Yuki-kun." She whispered as she looked at him. "I'm leaving."
"But what about our promise?" he asked.
"I can't… disobey my father."
"Tohru, listen to me." He knelt in front of her. "He'll understand. Please stay!"
"I can't…" she cried. "I don't know."
"Please… we already made this far." He begged. "It shouldn't end like this! We should be living happily in Shigure's house. Or we could run away! I'll get a good job and we'll get married and---"
"That's one reason why I'm scared." She looked at him tenderly. "I don't know if I'm ready to be your wife."
"Tohru, you don't have to be my wife NOW. We could wait. Maybe after we finish our college years, we could stay together…"
"Yuki, this is my father's last gift. I have to accept it no matter what." She whispered.
"You're not scared that… we won't see each other again?" Yuki asked.
"No, I'm not. I'm just on the other side of the world." She smiled. "I promise that I'll write everyday. We'll always keep in touch!"
"But… when you're not near me, it feels different." He mumbled. "I don't want her to take you away from me!"
He stood up and kissed her roughly. She tried to push him back but he gripped her too strong. Soon, he invaded her mouth with his tongue and this was when it got serious.
With all her strength she had, she pushed him and crawled away. "Yuki…"
He licked his lips. "I won't lose you. I won't let them get you. You won't leave me." He whispered evilly as he grabbed her in the wrist and was about to hurt her again but---
POOF!
Yuki stared at Tohru who was now larger than him. Instead of hurting, she wept bitterly. "You… sounded like him…"
"I'm… sorry." Yuki whispered.
"You sounded like him!" she yelled.
"I… don't want to…" he stared at her helplessly. "I don't want you to be…"
"Akito was right. You were trained to be like him." she whispered.
"But I love you, Tohru!" he cried. "You were the one who completed my life! You're the missing piece! If I lose you then…"
"Yuki, I understand that you love me. But," she smiled at him. "once Akito gets out of jail, he will go after me again and---"
"I'll protect you from him!"
"I want you to be free, Yuki." She said calmly. "That's one thing that I wanted from the very first time that I noticed the Sohmas are filling the house."
"Tohru…"
"Once I have enough reasons…and money… I'll fly back here… back towards you."
"It's not enough, Tohru…" he whispered to himself. "I really want you here… because I love you… not because I'm like Akito. It's because I love you…"
"I understand, little brother." Ayame appeared behind him. "You are really very heartbroken."
"What are you doing here?" he asked coldly.
"Do you think Tohru will be happy once she sees you like this?"
"She doesn't deserve to see me." He looked away.
"Ne, you shouldn't be that cold-hearted." Ayame chuckled.
"There's no reason to be soft, Aya-san."
"If you really love her, then let her go." He explained. "You have to set her free, like a bird. If she flies away and never returns, then so be it. There's nothing you can do."
"That only works on hopeless romances like you."
"Yuki, to tell you the truth, you're acting like Akito once in a while."
"What do I care? I was trained to be like this, remember?" Yuki muttered.
"But still, you were given your freedom like the rest of us. We owe a lot from Tohru. Now," he pointed out. "She deserves the same freedom as well. Just let her go, Yuki."
"I… can't…" he stared at his brother. "I love her… ni-san…"
"It can be hard but for the sake of love, you must let her go…" he smiled.
Yuki went towards his brother and stared at him. "What if she…"
Ayame wrapped his arms around Yuki. "She'll never forget you. So don't forget her…"
If that's what you wished for, Tohru… then I can't stop you.
I'll miss you… your warmth… your smile….
Goodbye, Tohru…
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"AAH! IT'S HERE!!!!" Shigure yelled happily and ran across the Sohma backyard. "IT'S HERE!!!"
"What is?" Kisa asked.
"The mail…" Hiro sighed.
"HERE IT IS!!!"
"What are you yapping about?" Kagura asked.
"I'M IN!!!"
"In where?"
"The dating game on tv!" Shigure smiled. "At last, I'll find the girl of my dreams!"
"WHAT?!" Ayame stood up. "You cheated on me again!!!"
"Aya-san, it's a love race." He grinned. "And I'm nearly on the finish line!"
"Eh! Onee-san wrote a letter!" Kisa waved the envelope. "It's for all of us!"
Yuki stood up and went towards Kisa. "Let's open it."
"No…" she grinned. "She has a letter for YOU."
"Eh?" Yuki asked confusedly. Kisa handed him a smaller envelope. True, it's for Yuki and came from Tohru. He smiled. She didn't forget about me after all.
"Open it!" Kisa jumped excitingly.
"Isn't that some sort of personal letter?" Shigure asked.
"I think so."
"Just open it, nezumi!" Kyou yelled. Yuki nodded and carefully opened the envelope. He pulled out a small card. There's no decorations in it, only Tohru's writing which says:
Go to your private place…Everyone stared at the card. "Where's the personal thing about it?" Kagura asked.
"I don't know…" Shigure wondered. "This is a joke!"
"There must be some kind of mistake." Kyou snapped his fingers. "It's a set up!"
"You're dreaming…" Hiro snapped.
"Quiet, shrimp!"
"Maybe we should follow what the card says." Kisa suggested.
"Not we. HIM." Ayame pointed his brother. Yuki stared at them, and their reactions are different from each other.
"What do you mean him?"
"This is getting too weird."
"It's exciting!"
"Do you want me to accompany you?" Kisa asked.
"No…" he whispered. "I'm going there myself."
"But what if… Akito was there! Then you'll get yourself killed!" Kyou said.
"Wow, I didn't know you cared for me, baka neko." Yuki grinned.
"Shut up."
"If that's what Yuki wants," Hatori said. "Then do it. We'll stay here."
"But---"
"No buts, Kisa." He looked at Yuki. "Don't be a hero. Run if you need to."
"I will…" he nodded.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Yuki cautiously went towards his former hiding place. The place was still barren as usual and nothing more to see, except…
"Yuki…" a voice came.
There he saw Tohru standing in front of him.
"This… is not a dream, right?" Yuki asked.
"of course it isn't!" she giggled. "It's nice to see you again… Yuki…"
"It's been a month, is it?"
"Yeah, but still, I thought about you everyday." She smiled. "And I really tried very hard to convince auntie to come back here and visit you all. It was hard to convince her, since she knew that you and the others are Sohmas, who are relatives of the imprisoned assassin. But still, I told you that I owe you all my life." She still looked lovely. Her eyes gazed at him, forcing him into a trance but…
"W-What are doing here?" he snapped out of his daydream.
"I'm here for you." She replied. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"I was… and I am… but," he looked away. "Tohru… am I not good enough?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you love me?"
"Of course I do!" she smiled.
"Why did you leave me, then?" he asked quickly.
"I… never left you." She looked away. "I may not act like Ritsu but… I don't know how I can apologize."
"Tohru---"
"My father once said that nobody could outrun destiny. I… tried to…" Her voice sounded harsh but calm. "Because I…"
"You're scared that you won't make it this time." He finished her sentence. She looked at him and his face was blank and dark.
"I'm sorry, Yuki, that I did something so meaningless. I thought over and over again how to make you happy. I thought freedom was enough but…" she sighed silently. She shivered once she felt Yuki's hand massaging hers.
"Marry me…"
"Huh?" she turned to look at him, but it ended up in a passionate kiss. This time, she kissed him back. Even though it was only a month, they felt that years had passed since they last kissed.
"Please marry me." He murmured as he buried his face on the crook of her neck.
"But---"
"I wouldn't ask for more." He gazed at her. "Akito might train me not to love, but you thought me even if it's against my will. Nothing's wrong with you, Tohru. I like you the way you are."
"Yuki… I'm sorry."
"Please stop apologizing. You sounded like Ritsu." He giggled.
"Could this be the end?" she asked. Yuki stared at her, after she asked a question that wasn't really related to the topic. But he understood her and smiled.
"It's over, Honda-san. Please come live with us… live with me." He corrected. "You'll be living peacefully from now on. You don't have to go to Brazil for that."
"Yes, I will."
"Then, when will you like to get married?" he asked cautiously.
"…" she remained silent until she laughed hysterically. "Yuki, you knew my answer all along!"
"Yeah. You're just too slow to say yes." He held her tiny waist and kissed her cheek. "I'll ask again if you want to."
She laughed once more. "Even without a ring?"
"I don't care." He murmured. He looked up the sky, which was getting dark all of the sudden. There was the sound of thunder and soon, it started to rain.
"Tohru, we have to go. We might catch cold in this place." He held out his hand. Instead of taking it, she stood up by herself and twirled around dreamily.
"I don't want to go home yet." She yelled happily.
"Tohru---"
"Dance with me, Yuki."
"Eh? But, under the rain?" he asked. "Can we do this at home?"
"I can't. I'm not good at dancing when I'm in a crowd." She laughed. "Cmon, the rain's good in warm weather!"
"Tohru! We might get sick. Let's go home. Besides," he smirked. "I'm not a very good dancer."
"It's okay. There's no audience!" she yelled.
"Honda-san---"
"Please dance with me, then I'll go home." She asked again invitingly. He grinned at her and held her hand. The lovers aimlessly danced on the field endlessly. It rained hard and there were splashes of mud all over on their clothes but they didn't care. They were dancing right there, right now, like they will be facing death soon.
She looked at him playfully. He looked so handsome. How she wished he were a prince who came to take her to his castle. But he's just an ordinary citizen. Even so, she loved him.
He gazed at her as she laughed. She looked so sweet when she smiles. He dreamt once that she was princess who needs a savior. And he was there for her. But she was an orphan in front of him. Even so, his heart showed the right direction, and he loved her.
"Ne, let's get out of the rain." He suggested.
"No." she quickly said as she held him closer to her.
"But we'll get sick. Besides," he giggled. "Hatori might kill me once I get sick. And you too."
"I don't care." She sighed. "Because I'm with my prince right now. I won't leave you no matter what."
"Then if I go home, right now, you'll be coming with me," He pointed. "Since you said you won't leave me."
She laughed as Yuki gazed at her after realizing that she has no other choice. "Of course." She said happily. Yuki held her hand as they ran out of the forest, laughing blissfully.
That may be a perfect ending…Or maybe there's more. I don't really know how I made her happy but… seeing her happy makes me feel comfortable.
I guess that's what I get after falling in love.
I was trained not to love, that my heart would be as cold as ice and my blood will endlessly flow in an opposite direction.
They told me over and over again that love wouldn't take me anywhere.
But they were wrong. In fact, it took me somewhere.
Heaven. Yes, heaven on earth, that is.
I tried to act natural, but her smile freed me from this invisible oppression inside me.
I would like to thank her for that. But I didn't use such words for it.
I used my actions to impress her.
That's why…. Impressing a woman can take you somewhere far more than love.
Believe me, I realized that.
---Sohma Yuki---
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Ahh, the end at last. I would like to thank everyone for reading this fic until the very end. I'm making another Yukiru fic soon, and I hope you guys will be the same reviewers soon.
Bye bye!!! ^^
Thank you very much! *bows like Tohru*
Gomenasai for the short ending, ne? *cries like Ritsu*