AFTER YOU
By: Souma no Hime
____ QUICK AUTHOR"S NOTES ON READING THIS FIC Sentences enclosed in double slash [//] are flashbacks and/or thoughts. ____
//"When I lose my memory, please be my friend again."//
She said that when the first threat of memory-erasure surfaced.
//"Ichigo(1)? I love ichigo!"//
Her smile. She used to smile so sweetly, as if she was always very happy. She had carried everything, her deepest depression, our own problems... but she never changed. Even when in our own eyes we see ourselves as freaks of nature, she always had something good to see in us.
Tohru. Tohru-san. Tohru-kun.
I never had the chance to call her by name. Honda-san. Always Honda-san.
How I regret that now.
//"At least I got to see a very cute Honda-san..."//
"Souma-san?"
I looked up and gazed at the blue-green eyes I knew so well. "Yes, Honda- san?"
"Are you all right? The lunch bell sounded 15 minutes ago, but you're still here..."
"No, it's nothing, Thank you."
She left. Part of me wanted to reach out and draw her back. But I can't. We had never been the same to each other, ever since that night when Akito bore down on Hatori and demanded him to erase Honda-san's memory.
//"Please be my friend again."//
Honda-san... Tohru... I wanted to... so much. But Akito...
//"You shall cease to deal with her except strictly as a classmate."//
He leaned his mouth close to my ear, like he did numerous times before. I felt terror paralyzing me. But I wanted to fight. Akito had sensed my rebellion. A sinister smile spread across his face.
//"Do you remember, Yuki? That little room... where I visited you? If news of your re-acquaintance with Tohru reached me, we will relive our memories in that room... in addition, Honda Tohru-san will also suffer..."//
I can't be your friend again. It's for your own good.
That can't be right. If I really wanted to, I could fight.
But in the end, I was just a pathetic coward after all. I hated myself even more. Before, Tohru eased my anger with myself. Her presence assured me that I can be a better person. But how, now? She doesn't even remember the experiences we shared. that night at the Onsen(2), or even the red cap(3).
"Sohma-san, would you like some onigiri(4)?" She appeared again before me. I realized I was still sitting on my desk, my notes scattered.
"Onigiri?" A distant memory.
"Yes. I made some extra ones, expecting Uo-chan and Hana-chan to eat too. But they're in the library, finishing their paper. I guess they can't eat anymore, it's already 5 minutes before our lunch ends." She extended her bento(5) to me. I looked at her, unable to believe.
I must have looked at her for an awfully long time. She began to fluster. "I... I'm sorry. It must have been rude of me to offer you lunch when we're not really that close. You must have been assuming these were poisoned or anything... but the Prince Yuki fanclub would have killed me if..."
"Honda-san..."
Daisuki(6).
It took an enormous amount of restraint not to embrace her right there and then.
"Honda-san... Arigato Gozaimasu(7)..." I took a riceball from her bento and slowly ate it. Swallowing was hard. Tears choked me up.
Please call me Yuki-kun again...
I miss you.
All I really wanted to say was...
I miss you so much...
"Honda-san... would you mind if I walked with you home today?"
"Of course not, Sohma-san! It would be a great honor..."
Tohru.
Even for just this one last time...
.-=+=-. Like it? Hate it? Review it! First Fruits Basket fic! If I get the urge [or if I get enough reviews, whichever comes first] this is going to be just the first chapter. I plan to make a series of 'thought-fics' for each and every member in the Souma family whom Tohru had touched.
DISCLAIMER: No characters belong to me. This fic is not being used for profit. Notes: Ichigo - strawberries [anime episode 4 I think] Onsen - hot springs [anime episode 11 I think] Red cap - a sub-story left out in the anime. Learned of this from various manga translations (SPOILER!!!) It seemed that when Tohru was a child, she got lost in an alley. A boy in a red cap led her back home. Later manga events showed that Yuki was the boy in the red cap. [correct me please if I'm wrong] Onigiri - riceball Bento - lunch box Daisuki - may be translated to I love you. Arigato Gozaimasu - thank you very much
____ QUICK AUTHOR"S NOTES ON READING THIS FIC Sentences enclosed in double slash [//] are flashbacks and/or thoughts. ____
//"When I lose my memory, please be my friend again."//
She said that when the first threat of memory-erasure surfaced.
//"Ichigo(1)? I love ichigo!"//
Her smile. She used to smile so sweetly, as if she was always very happy. She had carried everything, her deepest depression, our own problems... but she never changed. Even when in our own eyes we see ourselves as freaks of nature, she always had something good to see in us.
Tohru. Tohru-san. Tohru-kun.
I never had the chance to call her by name. Honda-san. Always Honda-san.
How I regret that now.
//"At least I got to see a very cute Honda-san..."//
"Souma-san?"
I looked up and gazed at the blue-green eyes I knew so well. "Yes, Honda- san?"
"Are you all right? The lunch bell sounded 15 minutes ago, but you're still here..."
"No, it's nothing, Thank you."
She left. Part of me wanted to reach out and draw her back. But I can't. We had never been the same to each other, ever since that night when Akito bore down on Hatori and demanded him to erase Honda-san's memory.
//"Please be my friend again."//
Honda-san... Tohru... I wanted to... so much. But Akito...
//"You shall cease to deal with her except strictly as a classmate."//
He leaned his mouth close to my ear, like he did numerous times before. I felt terror paralyzing me. But I wanted to fight. Akito had sensed my rebellion. A sinister smile spread across his face.
//"Do you remember, Yuki? That little room... where I visited you? If news of your re-acquaintance with Tohru reached me, we will relive our memories in that room... in addition, Honda Tohru-san will also suffer..."//
I can't be your friend again. It's for your own good.
That can't be right. If I really wanted to, I could fight.
But in the end, I was just a pathetic coward after all. I hated myself even more. Before, Tohru eased my anger with myself. Her presence assured me that I can be a better person. But how, now? She doesn't even remember the experiences we shared. that night at the Onsen(2), or even the red cap(3).
"Sohma-san, would you like some onigiri(4)?" She appeared again before me. I realized I was still sitting on my desk, my notes scattered.
"Onigiri?" A distant memory.
"Yes. I made some extra ones, expecting Uo-chan and Hana-chan to eat too. But they're in the library, finishing their paper. I guess they can't eat anymore, it's already 5 minutes before our lunch ends." She extended her bento(5) to me. I looked at her, unable to believe.
I must have looked at her for an awfully long time. She began to fluster. "I... I'm sorry. It must have been rude of me to offer you lunch when we're not really that close. You must have been assuming these were poisoned or anything... but the Prince Yuki fanclub would have killed me if..."
"Honda-san..."
Daisuki(6).
It took an enormous amount of restraint not to embrace her right there and then.
"Honda-san... Arigato Gozaimasu(7)..." I took a riceball from her bento and slowly ate it. Swallowing was hard. Tears choked me up.
Please call me Yuki-kun again...
I miss you.
All I really wanted to say was...
I miss you so much...
"Honda-san... would you mind if I walked with you home today?"
"Of course not, Sohma-san! It would be a great honor..."
Tohru.
Even for just this one last time...
.-=+=-. Like it? Hate it? Review it! First Fruits Basket fic! If I get the urge [or if I get enough reviews, whichever comes first] this is going to be just the first chapter. I plan to make a series of 'thought-fics' for each and every member in the Souma family whom Tohru had touched.
DISCLAIMER: No characters belong to me. This fic is not being used for profit. Notes: Ichigo - strawberries [anime episode 4 I think] Onsen - hot springs [anime episode 11 I think] Red cap - a sub-story left out in the anime. Learned of this from various manga translations (SPOILER!!!) It seemed that when Tohru was a child, she got lost in an alley. A boy in a red cap led her back home. Later manga events showed that Yuki was the boy in the red cap. [correct me please if I'm wrong] Onigiri - riceball Bento - lunch box Daisuki - may be translated to I love you. Arigato Gozaimasu - thank you very much