Fruits Basket episode 29
"So I heard there's a new girl living with you and the guys, Tohru-kun?" Uo asked.
"Hai, I also heard." Hanajima added in her quiet calm voice.
"Hai!" Tohru smiled.
"What's she like? She's not treating you unfairly I hope. Because if she was…" Uo suddenly drifted off into her own world, "I'll run over there right now and show her a piece of my mind!"
"Ah, Ano…!"
"No one messes with Tohru-kun! If she tries to use or upset you I'll kick her into hell and-"
"No no!" Tohru waved her hands in a panic, "Deiji-kun is nothing like that!"
"Oh really? Well what is she like?"
The oblivious trio of girls where unaware that their conversation was being overheard. A brunette girl, who was also known as the loopy puppy, due to her hyperness, turned around to briefly look at the trio as they gossiped. She suddenly turned back when Hanajima's phychic electric waves kicked in. When the coast was finally clear and there were no eyes on her, the girl quietly and sneekily shifted her desk closer to the trio to hear them better. She could have sworn she heard that Honda girl mention Deiji's name. Just then Kyou walked into the room.
"Ahhh…!" the girl suddenly forgot all reason of being there and drifted into her own dreamland.
"Kyou-kun…!! If only I could be locked in the locker room alone with you for a while! I'd-" The girl was suddenly cut off from her thoughts when the dark green haired phychic stepped beside her desk.
"Don't tell me you can read minds aswell?!??" The girl asked in a partly sarcastic way.
The phychic continued to glare down at her suspiciously with glowing purple eyes.
"You're the new girl, am I right?" Hanajima asked, "The one known as the 'crazy one' and 'the loopy puppy'?"
"That's me! Why have you got a problem with that?"
"I'm not saying anything. But I am curious about one thing. Is your desk closer to my friends and I for a reason? Or are you just being a nosy little trouble-maker?"
The girl smirked mischiviously,
"And what's it to you? Oh and just to warn you…" The girl stood and moved closer to Hanajima, then whispered,
"If I were you I really wouldn't even consider reading my mind. I assure you, you will not like what's in there…" she pulled away and grinned.
Hanajima glared at her for a while.
"Hana-kun? Come on, Class is about to start!" Tohru called.
Hanajima's eye twitched.
"Aww go on Phychic-saki! You're friends are calling you" The girl smiled innocently and sat back at her desk.
Hanajima continued to stare until she was called again. She hesitantly turned around and walked away.
"So how old is this Deiji-kun then?" Uo asked, which caught the girl's attention again.
"Ahh…I think she's about the same age as me? Maybe a year older? Or maybe younger? I'm not sure!"
"Nani!?! Why doesn't she come to school!??" Uo asked.
"Ano…"
"You don't know, do you?" Hanajima and Uo said together with a sweatdrop.
"Nope!" Tohru replied innocently with a bright smile, "I've never asked!"
"Right class" the teacher started, "I'm sure you all know what today is…" he picked up a pile of sheets,
"Exam day"
"Awww no…" moaned most of the class. Tohru was the only one smiling.
Yuki suddenly walked in.
"Gomen nasai, sir!" Yuki appologised, "A girl got lost and I had to show her the way to her class but she wouldn't seem to go and kept following me but I finally lost her. Gomen" he bowed low.
All the girls apart from four sighed dreamily.
Tohru, Uo and Hanajima didn't even notice him.
"It's ok Yuki. Here's your exam paper" The teacher handed the sheet to him.
"Yuki-kun… that damn Yuki…" The girl glared and whispered to herself as she leaned over her desk, watching him out the corner of her eye.
"No other pupil would just so easily get an 'It's ok' from the teacher for being late especially on an exam day. And all the girls go dopey and dreamy for him, but why? If he were wearing a girl's uniform I'd easily mistake him for a girl. And also…" She peeked over to Kyou in the front corner of the class,
"Just look at the way Kyou-kun looks at him…! He can't stand the sight of him let alone the sound of his voice. That must be for a very good reason. What is your secret, Yuki? All these other girls find your mysterious-ness attractive and almost a turn on but I just want to know what's in that box in your mind you're hiding all your secrets in…"
"Reicheru!!!" The teacher yelled,
"Eh? Nani?!? Hai?!?!"
"For the 5th time, your exam paper! You'd better not space out again during your test!" he yelled as he passed her, earning a few scattered giggles around the room.
"Feh! We all know who the loser is, Sir!" she whispered.
"WHAT WAS THAT!?!" he screamed.
"I said I wouldn't want to lose to you, Sir. I want to be all smart just like you when I'm older!" she said with big innocent eyes.
~*~
Deiji was outside hanging up the laundry.
"I can't believe it's been three days already…" she thought, "Hatori-san is so sweet. He came all this way just because he was concerned and he actually let me stay! I'm so thankful to him! Where would I be without him?" 3 familiar people walking toward the house soon distracted her.
"Ah! Welcome back!" she called.
"Hai. We're home!" Tohru said happily.
"Hai. I did the laundry for you" Deiji said as she pointed to the damp white sheets blowing in the breeze,
"Ah! Arigato!" Tohru thanked.
"No problem. I got kinda bored and I just felt like doing some housework…strangely enough" Deiji turned away with a confused look on her face, "I hope I'm not coming down with something"
"Nani?!? Are you feeling unwell!?! Come back inside and put something warmer on while I make some tea!" Tohru said while trying to lead Deiji in.
"Ah, ah! Wait!" Deiji stopped her, "I was only kidding! Really Tohru, I'm fine!"
"Ah, hai…"
"So how was school?" Deiji asked excitedly while looking at all 3 faces.
"Dull!" Kyou mumbled.
"It was ok…" Yuki smiled.
"It was great!" Tohru cheered.
"Ah, hai. That's good…" Deiji said with a sweatdrop,
"It's amazing you three get on so well. In a lot of ways you seem very different" she said.
"I'd rather die than be anything like him!" both Yuki and Kyou said together while pointing at eachother.
"NANI!?!?!!" Kyou screamed.
"Same back to you, Nani?!" Yuki said calmly.
"How dare you say that about me you shimatta nezumi!!"
"You're so annoying baka-neko. And there's no need to shout I'm right in front of you…"
"TALKING ISN'T SATISFYING, YOU KUSO NEZUMI!!!"
"Ah, ano…"
"This is exactly why I wouldn't want to be like you…"
"OF COURSE BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST A KUSO LITTLE SNEEKY NEZUMI!!!"
"Ano…!" Tohru tried to stop them,
"You're such a baka"
"N-nani?" both Kyou and Yuki's heads snapped to a very confused Deiji,
"Nezumi? Neko? What are you on about? Why are you always calling eachother animals?"
"Ano…!!"
"Hmmm…Oh I get it now!" Deiji said aloud. Both the boys looked wide-eyed.
"Nezumi and Neko are your nicknames since you two always fight like a Neko-desu and Nezumi-desu, right??"
"Ah, Hai! Hai! That's it!" Shigure called before anyone spoke. He had overheard the fight and came to make sure they didn't say anything stupid but came a bit too late.
Both Yuki and Kyou sighed in relief.
"Ah, Sachiko-san I'm pretty thirsty… would you mind making me some tea?" Shigure asked as he walked over to the group.
"Hai! I'll call you when it's done" she ran back inside,
"I'll help!" Tohru called, running after her.
Shigure turned back to the boys with a serious look on his face,
"You two should really be more aware of what you say now. Ha-san said she could stay only on the condition that she doesn't find out about the Jyuunishi. If she finds out, he'll erase her memory and take her away. Do you want that?"
Yuki's eyes widened. He suddenly got a brief flashback of when he erased her memory as a kid.
"No" He replied, "I'll be more careful", Yuki said.
Kyou just turned and walked away.
~*~
Later that evening Tohru walked passed Deiji's room to her own to get ready for bed. Deiji's door was open a bit and Tohru noticed her sitting on her bed doing something. She walked in and looked over her shoulder. She saw her drawing someone in a sketchbook. She looked closer and recognised the familiar face.
"Ah, Deiji-kun-"
"AH!" Deiji jumped and tumbled off her bed.
"Deiji-kun, are you alright!?!!" Tohru quickly dropped down to her side.
"Ah…hai. I'm fine…" she said, rubbing her head while she got back up. Tohru noticed that Deiji had dropped her sketchbook and it was open on a new page.
"Deiji-kun, is that Hatori-san you drew?" Tohru asked.
"Ah! No!" Deiji quickly grabbed the book, wrapping her arms around it.
"Oh. It looked very similar to Hatori-san… Well anyway I think it's really good!" Tohru smiled.
"Arigato…" Deiji smiled shyly.
"Do you draw a lot?"
"Hai… I love drawing. It's my biggest hobbie. My Otousan was an artist"
"Ahh! Really!?!!" Tohru said amazed with stary eyes,
"Yeah. I wish I could have learned more from him. Ya know, his techniques n' all…" Deiji lowered her head smiling while holding the sketchbook closer.
"Why didn't you live with your Otousan while your Okaasan is unwell?" Tohru asked.
"I can't, I haven't seen him since I was four"
"Nani? Why?"
"Ano… well Otousan… he was dangerous. He didn't mean to be but he became an alcoholic and Okaasan and him fought a lot. Okaasan became worried, she didn't want me to grow up in that atmosphere. He became so hooked on alcohol that when I used to have days out with him every two weeks he used to take me to the bar with him. I didn't think anything about it then of course because I was only young. I probably thought it was just normal, that's what father's do with their kids… Okaasan could always tell because he used to bring me back and my clothes stunk of ciggarette smoke. He smoked aswell although he was an asthmatic. Anyway my Okaasan didn't want me to grow up with him around because she was worried. He got to the point where he was almost violent. The alcohol ruined him… She ran away with me and we moved to a new place."
"Oh… can't you see him again?" Tohru asked.
"No. My Aunt, Otousan's sister, called us 2 years ago. He died from liver failier, caused by alcohol"
Tohru gasped.
"It's a shame, really" Deiji smiled weakly with a chuckle, "He was such a good artist and yet he only sold his pictures for such a cheap price at the bar".
Tohru's eyes flooded with tears as her cheeks became flushed.
"Gomen ne, Deiji-kun!" she threw herself at Deiji, hugging her tightly.
"Ah!" Deiji gasped as she almost fell back.
"I wish you could have known your Otousan better…" Tears slid down her flushed cheeks, "I wish none of that happened!"
"Ah-ha-ha-!" Deiji tried to calm down Tohru's emotional outburst,
"No-no! Tohru-kun, it's ok!" Deiji felt guilty. She knew that was a selfish thing to do.
"Gomen ne, Tohru-kun! I didn't mean to upset you! Really, it's ok!" Deiji said as she hugged Tohru in a loose embrace before prying her off,
"Gomen ne, Tohru-kun. I know that was selfish for me to just say that!" Deiji smiled, "But really it's not so bad. I mean of course I regret it! I regret it all! Of course I wish Otousan never drank more than one or two a week or just occasionally…or at all! But even if he didn't drink he would have died eventually because he was a smoker. Not many asthmatics live long as smokers. I'm surprised he lived as long as he did. But really I'm not hurting as much as most girls who lose their Otousan's would" Deiji mantained her same smile, which confused Tohru.
"But…"
"Oh, don't get me wrong! I'm not saying I didn't care! Of course I did. I cared a lot! After I found out about his death I missed school for nearly two weeks just to get over it. My dream for years around that time was to go to the city and meet him, even if it was a secret from Okaasan. But because I didn't grow up with him and because I have very few memories of him, I'm really not hurting as bad as I thought I would" Deiji opened her eyes to meet Tohru's smiling face.
"I understand" Tohru hugged Deiji again but didn't go over the top like before.
"Gomen ne, Tohru-kun. I know you are such a sweet person and I was just blabbering on about something so sad so please just don't worry. In fact, forget the whole conversation if you want!" Deiji smiled again. Tohru smiled back again as she stood.
"Hai. I won't forget but I won't tell the others if you prefere?"
"Hai" Deiji nodded while keeping her smile, "Arigato".
Tohru bent down and picked up Deiji's sketchbook again.
"Here" she handed it.
"Arigato"
"Are you going to bed now?" Tohru asked just before she left.
"Ano, not yet. If it's ok I want to go out for a bit of air. I'm feeling a little weird" Deiji replied, "Oh and I'll lock up when I get back so tell Shigure-san not to worry" Tohru nodded and left.
~*~
"Oi, Yuki-kun" Kyou mumbled at the table.
Yuki looked at him without a sound.
"Did you see that new girl?" Kyou asked.
"Hai but only a few quick glances. Have you talked to her?"
"No way! Everytime I look in her direction she's staring at me!"
"Eheheheheheh" Shigure chuckled quitely while holding his tea close to his face.
Tohru walked in.
"Oh, Kyou-kun…" Shigure shook his head with a smirk, "You really are getting luckier after the minute…"
"Nani?" Kyou asked, clueless of what he was getting at, while at the same time Yuki sighed, knowing exactly what was coming.
Tohru sat next to Kyou, looking at Shigure curiously.
Shigure snickered.
"Tohru-kun I think you may have competition"
"Eh?"
"The girls are all after you, Kyou-kun!" Shigure finally said followed by another mischivious snicker.
Yuki sighed irritatedly, he was right, what he thought was coming, came.
"NANI!?!" Kyou raised a little from his sitting position,
"Feh!" He sat again, "Not everyone in this world are sick perverts like you, Shigure-san!"
"Shame… the world would be a much better and fun place" Shigure opened his eyes and winked at a confused Tohru.
Kyou was about to yell when Deiji stepped in.
"Oh, ano, sorry for interupting…" Deiji said nervously noticing the raging look in Kyou's face.
"I'm going outside for a while. I know it's late so Shigure-san," She turned to the still grinning Inu,
"Please don't lock me out" she begged with a hint of humour in her voice, "And I'll lock up when I get back!" She smiled.
Everyone was silent except Shigure.
"Now why would I do a thing like that? Locking a lovely girl like you out will be breaking the law in my book! But locking Kyou out…" he trailed off, giving a mischivious glare at the neko enjoying the sight of his face getting redder with rage,
"Now that would be a different story".
"Eheh…!" Deiji felt the air getting heavier, which made her feel like running for dear life.
"What book of law would that be Shigure?" Yuki asked.
"My book of law!" Shigure rushed to the small cabinet in the corner of the room and pulled out a mini pocket-sized green book with the title 'The book of law on how to treat women' with the small text at the bottom 'Written and created by Shigure Sohma'
Yuki face faulted.
"N…n…n…n-n" everyone turned to the stuttering girl standing in the doorway,
"Heh", Shigure smiled while rubbing his chin, "Impressive, eh?"
"H-h-ha-hai-nani!?!" Deiji couldn't belive it.
"Y-you're-You're" She stopped and cleared her throat. If she carried on stuttering like that they might think she'd been taking drugs or something,
"Y-You're an author?!?"
"Is that all you were trying to get out?" Kyou sweatdropped.
Deiji blushed and looked at her feet.
"Well-" Shigure sat up straight, sticking his chest out with a proud smile, "I'm a novelist actually"
Everyone turned away from Shigure when they heard a light bang. Deiji had collapsed against the doorframe.
"Nov-novelist!?!!"
"Yes. It's someone who writes novels! Novels as in books of a story, most cases long stories and-" Kyou was cut off from his irritated explaination.
"I know what a novel is" Deiji protested while still blushing, feeling stupid.
"Anyway I really need to go out and get some freash air now! I'll be back later and lock up. See you in the morning!" She smiled and left.
"She's going out to get some freash air?" Yuki said curiously, glancing at Tohru for any explanation.
"Oh, she said she's feeling a little strange!" Tohru smiled.
Yuki smiled a soft almost fake smile to thank her.
~*~
Deiji walked around to the back of the house and walked out of sight from it. She sat on an isolated rock there while she looked out at the view of the city with all the flashing night-lights.
She sighed peacefully enjoying the freash breeze. She felt bad for lying to Tohru about feeling weird but she needed to get away to think. That was basicly the reason she was drawing in her room. Drawing always seemed to calm her nerves and take her to a different world so she wouldn't have to think or get stressed over something.
"It's two weeks…" she thought, "Just…two weeks". Her face lowered depressively. "Okaasan is sick. She won't be well enough to visit him. But how will she cope with that? She won't be able to forgive herself although she has no choice. But…but the whole thing was my fault to begin with!" she felt her eyes stinging and beginning to leak tears out the corners of her eyes.
"Deiji-kun?"
"Ah!" she spun to the sound behind her. Yuki was standing there with a concerned look on his face.
"Oh, Y-Yuki-kun!" She stuttered as she wiped her flooding eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing! Just a little headache!" she tried to smile.
"If it's that bad Shigure-san has some pills, or I can call Hatori-san and-"
"No, no!" She panicked, waving her hands in front of her, "You can't call Hatori-san this late! It's just a little headache! Really, it's nothing! Nothing a little freash air can't cure!" she smiled.
Yuki wasn't so convinced anymore weither there was a headache to begin with. If there was how could she talk so loudly and move around so much without it hurting more?
"Yuki-kun?"
"Hai?"
"Do you think it'd be ok if I went out for most of the day two weeks from now?" her soft question made Yuki curious.
"Hai of course. Mind if I ask why?"
"Ano…well, I-I don't really want to talk about it. Not yet anyway"
"Oh, ok." Yuki smiled and got up to leave.
"What day is it today?" She asked.
"Friday" he said simply before strolling off.
"So the day would be a Friday this year… that was his favorite day" She smiled a little to herself continuing to gaze out at the nightlife going on before her.
~*~
Morning finally came and Tohru woke up. She yawned and stretched before climbing out of bed.
She walked out into the hall and was amazingly the first to make it to the bathroom. She had a quick shower, knowing Shigure and Kyou were probably waiting, fighting over who goes in next. She quickly brushed her teeth and came out all bright and freash for the new day.
As she predicted, the orange-headed neko and older Inu were waiting beside eachother outside the door.
"Go on Kyou-kunnnn" Shigure teased
"Nani?!?" Kyou yelled, irritated.
"You know! Kiss your girlfriend a good morning kiss!"
"Gah!" Kyou frowned.
"Kiss her before I do!" Shigure teased again.
"If you dare-!!!"
Shigure took hold of Tohru's arm and tugged her toward him.
"Is that a challenge?" The Inu's sneeky glimmering eyes shone.
Kyou's fists clenched. He didn't get a great amount of sleep so today he was especially short tempered.
"You touch her again and you'll regret it!"
"Oh, like this?" Shigure teased again, snaking his arm around Tohru's waist and pulling her closer to him but not too close.
Tohru just stood in the middle of it all beginning to panic with a faint blush on her cheeks.
Kyou jumped at the Inu but stopped suddenly on his tracks when Shigure quickly grabbed Tohru and moved her in front of him like a shield.
"Now kissy kissy!" Shigure teased again. Tohru looked nervous with her eyes getting wider by the second.
"Feh!" Kyou turned a bit but glanced back at Tohru, hoping she wasn't hurt by the rejection.
Lost in his thought, Shigure sneeked behind Kyou and like an annoying schoolboy pushed Kyou to Tohru not meaning for him to crash into her.
*POOF!*
"AHHH!!!" Tohru screamed in a panic and grabbed Kyou from hanging over her shoulder, and held him in front of her with tears in the corners of her eyes.
"Gomen nasai, Kyou-kun!! Gomen, Gomen, Gomen!!!" she cried her appologies, once again for something that wasn't her fault.
"Stop, stop! It wasn't your f-" he was cut off by the distraction of the Inu's snickering when he slammed the bathroom door shut.
"KUSO!!!" The neko screeched, jumping out of Tohru's grasp and scratching the door.
"I didn't know you had a pet neko-desu!" Deiji's bright cheery voice distracted them all.
"Ahhhh!!!!" Tohru screamed in panic.
Kyou's eyes widened in shock. Damn she's going to give the secret away if she acts like that!
Kyou stepped toward Tohru and rubbed against her legs, meowing.
Tohru froze.
"Awww! Is it yours, Tohru-kun? That's so kawaii!!!" Deiji clasped her hands together.
"Ah-ah-h…hai. I guess!" Tohru sweatdropped.
Deiji walked closer to them and got down on her knees, closer to the meowing neko.
"Aww what a sweet little thing" Deiji reached her hand out toward him to pet him but before she could touch his fur, he was an orange blur, scattering away and was out of sight in seconds.
"I guess it's a nervous neko then?" she looked up at Tohru with a sweatdrop.
"H-hai"
"Oh, good morning, Yuki-kun!" Deiji smiled. Tohru spun around to the half alive form behind her.
"Ugh…" was all that escaped his mouth.
Deiji looked concerned.
"Is something wrong?"
"Don't worry" Tohru smiled, "Yuki's not a morning person"
"Oh… well I'll go and make you some tea Yuki-kun!" She smiled. Deiji went to grab his arm to lead him downstairs when she was grabbed and pulled away.
"Sachiko-san, I really wouldn't do that if I were you!" Shigure warned, holding her arm.
"W-why?" She asked, pulling her arm away from his grasp.
"Ano, Yuki-kun isn't aware of what and who are around him. Just one slight touch and he'll go into self defence mode and hurt whoever touched him unconciously, as crazy as that sounds…"
"Oh. Well your tea will be downstairs Yuki!" Deiji said as she walked passed him, raising her voice.
Yuki groaned tiredly.
"I'll give him another 20 minutes…" Shigure said before closing the bathroom door again.
Tohru sighed.
~*~
"Phew!" Shigure walked in the room, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand,
"It's a hot day today, ne?"
Deiji looked over her shoulder with a smile and nodded.
Tohru and Yuki walked in behind the inu.
"Oh, Yuki!" Deiji frowned, "I poured your tea about 15 minutes ago. It'd be stone cold by now!"
"Gomen nasai" he ran his hand through his hair with a sheepish smile.
"You're awake now then?"
"Hai"
"I'll make some more…" Deiji sighed.
"Oh no, I'll do it!" Tohru ran in the kitchen.
"Ano, has anyone seen Kyou-kun?" Deiji looked around, "Is he not up yet?"
"Ano…" Shigure said, trying to think of an excuse.
"Hai" Kyou mumbled, walking in while fastening the top button of his shirt,
"I'm up".
"Oi, Sachiko-san, would you mind opening a window? It's very hot" Shigure whinned.
"Hai!" She smiled.
Deiji walked over to the nearest window and slid it open a little but froze when a spider suddenly fell and dangled centimeters away from her face. Her eyes widened as she paled.
"What's wrong?" Yuki asked, noticing her stop suddenly.
Deiji's mouth dropped open in shock as she paled again when the spider began to crawl on her fingers.
"AHHH!!!!!!" She screamed as she spun around and shot straight toward Yuki, hugging him tightly for protection.
Yuki paled.
Shigure paled.
Kyou paled.
"Ah!!" Tohru came through the door and dropped the tray of tea when she saw Deiji holding Yuki.
"Oh no! She's going to find out! It's all over!!" Yuki thought.
They were all standing in shocked and fearful silence, waiting for the transformation.
Ten seconds had gone by and still, nothing.
"Whats going on?" Yuki thought again, as he just stood, frozen.
Deiji finally opened her eyes, sencing the awkward silence.
"Oh no! I'm so stupid! They don't know what to say because I just went forward and hugged Yuki without any sign or permission! How could I be so rude and stupid?!? And poor Yuki's just standing there not knowing what to do!!!" Deiji panicked in thought.
"Yuki-kun, Gomen ne!!!" She cried in appology as she pulled away instantly,
"I'm so stupid!" She bonked herself on her head, "It's just that I saw this huge spider", she pointed to the half open screen at the window, "And I really hate spiders! And I didn't know what to do and I unconciously just ran over to the first person I saw because I was so scared and- Gomen nasai" She bowed but her explanation was pointless since everyone were still silent, lost in their own thoughts.
"What's going on!!!?! Why didn't I transform?!? I don't understand! She embraced me, more than close enough to cause me to transform but I didn't! I don't understand!!!" Yuki tried hard to figure out what was going on.
"That shimatta nezumi! Don't tell me that he's found a way to prevent transforming when embraced by a girl!" Kyou thought.
"Can this really be true? What if she's the Yamazaru that mysteriously went missing 16 years ago? Was she the next cursed one to be born after the previous one died? But how? If that's true how can she not know?" Shigure thought.
"Ahh!" Tohru screamed, "Does this mean your curse is gone, Yuki-kun?!?" Tohru asked excitedly as she ran to him and hugged him.
*POOF!*
"Ahhhh!!!" Deiji screamed, stumbling back and finally fell back on her butt in shock.
"Y-y-Yuki?!?!?!!!!" She stuttered as she paled.
Tohru was on the floor, propped up on her hands and knees with the tiny nezumi sitting in front of her, wide-eyed.
"AHH! Gomen-nasai, Yuki-kun!!" Tohru panicked and picked him up, tears of appology pouring out of her eyes as she hugged the small form.
Shigure and Kyou turned their gaze from Tohru and Yuki to Deiji who continued to stutter as she crawled backwards in shock.
"W-what-what's going on!?! Where did Yuki-kun go?!??!!!"
Tohru gasped. She'd somehow forgotten about Deiji's pressence. She paled again.
Deiji finally got to her feet but continued to stutter.
"Y-Y-Yuki's g-g-gone? W-where, h-h-how?!?!"
"Stop, wait, wait!!!" Shigure panicked as he ran to Deiji as she paled again and panicked more.
"It's not as bad as you think!"
"B-b-b-"
"Here's Yuki…" Tohru slowly turned, holding the small grey Nezumi in her hands with hesitation.
"NANI!?!?!!!" Deiji screamed as she fell back again, her eyes stretched wider.
"I-I don't understand! What's going on!?!?!!!"
"Onegai!" Shigure tried to hold her in place since she wouldn't stay still.
"Let me explain it to you, but you MUST listen!"
Deiji looked up at Shigure, still pale and shaking a little.
"Right, well…now where to begin?" Shigure ran his hand through his hair.
"JUST TELL HER!" Kyou screeched in frustration.
"Hai! Well you know the zodiac animals? Have you heard about the zodiac?"
"H-hai. My Okaasan used to tell me the stories when I was young"
"Right, well we have a curse that involves the zodiac. If any cursed Sohma is embraced by the opposite sex outside the cursed family, we become our zodiac animals. We have our own animal depending on what year we were born. Yuki is obviously the Nezumi. I'm the Inu and Kyou is the Neko"
"Nani?!?" Deiji turned to look at Kyou, "Y-you? But… You wern't…you wern't-"
"Yes I was the Neko-desu you saw this morning!" Kyou said irritatedly, "Shigure pushed me into Tohru, causing me to transform!" he glared at Shigure.
"B-but how do you turn back into human? When?" Deiji asked, still partly in shock then looked up at Shigure.
"Well… after a period of time we turn back into human but the only problem is-"
*POOF!*
"AHH!" Tohru screamed, turning away.
"AHHHHHH!!!" Deiji screamed and covered her eyes, crouching down against the floor.
"Ano, we're naked when we turn back!" Shigure finished.
Yuki quickly ran out of the room and upstairs to get dressed.
After a few minutes of silence Deiji finally spoke.
"So, if all of that is true, and you're all cursed…" She stood up with a confused expression, "Why didn't Yuki-kun transform when I embraced him?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out…" Shigure said in a serious tone.
"I need to lay down…" Deiji said.
"Tell me, Sachiko-san…" Shigure started, "When's the last time you hugged a guy?"
"Ano…" Deiji thought, "Ah! 4 days ago! When Hatori-san was here, I hugged him!"
Trying to ignore the mischivious urge to ask why she hugged Ha-san, Shigure continued,
"And before that?"
"Well…about probably just over a month ago!"
"With?"
"Hatori-san!" Deiji smiled.
"Oh…" Shigure ran his hand through his hair. Kyou sighed. This is going to take a while.
"Ever hugged any guy other than Ha-san?"
"Ano… I've lived with Okaasan all my life. I don't think I've had the opportunity to embrace a guy."
"What about your Ototo-chan?" Tohru asked.
"Oh! Arekanderu… well…" Deiji lowered her head, "He didn't like any girls other than Okaasan to hug him, even me!"
"And your Otousan?" Shigure asked.
"Don't remember" She answered.
"So you don't recall embracing any guy, ever?"
"Nope!" she smiled although this was all a lot for her to take in so suddenly.
"I need to lay down…" She repeated.
Shigure thought,
"Maybe this is why Ha-san is close to Sachiko-san and seems so protective of her. Maybe this is his connection with her! It'd make sence if she really were the missing Yamazaru out of the Zodiac! Ha-san said he doesn't want her to find out about the curse…"
"I need to lay down" Deiji repeated herself again.
"Maybe because it's a secret! Maybe she didn't know she was cursed and somehow Ha-san was stopping her from getting close to any guys! I remember her saying something about her Okaasan telling her to stay away from guys and only make friends with girls! She must be the missing Yamazaru…"
"Wait!" Deiji finally realised something, "You said you guys only transform when you hug girls who aren't cursed?"
"Hai"
"So does that mean I'm cursed?!??"
Shigure thoughtlessly shrugged.
"I need to lay down!!" Deiji repeated herself again a little more panicked as she held her head in her hands.
"It's a shame there isn't anyone around that you could hug to make sure, Sachiko-san" Shigure said.
"Ugh…" Deiji finally got up and staggered out of the room and upstairs.
~*~
It was 6:30pm and Deiji finally came back downstairs. She'd been up in her room for most of the day, continuously thinking about the chances of her being cursed. She had realised that this was probably the reason Hatori-san didn't want her to get close to any of the guys here physically. After she had realised that she had panicked after the realisation of breaking her promise to Hatori. She'd finally let it sink in.
She sighed to try and relax herself before entering the room.
"Deiji-kun!" Tohru called as soon as she saw her enter, "Are you ok!?!!" She plopped the full laundry basket on the floor and ran to her side.
"I'm fine" Deiji smiled, "I have a question, Shigure-san"
"Hm?" He looked up at her, sliding his glasses off his nose with his index finger and thumb.
"If I am cursed… what animal am-"
She was cut off by 3 loud knocks at the door.
"I'll get it!" Tohru said happily,
"No, I will! I need something to take my mind off of this…"
Deiji walked to the door and opened it. She raised her face to meet a very familiar one. Deiji's eyes widened in surprise.
"HELLLOOOOOO!!!!!" said the new girl from school, cheerfully.
"R-R-"
"Deijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!" She squealed in excitement before jumping forward and hugging her tightly.
"Rei-chan!!" Deiji hugged back.
Tohru and Shigure stepped out of the room to see what was going on.
Deiji's eyes flooded.
"Rei-chan! I've missed you SO much!!!"
The girl giggled before letting go and stepping back with her hands on hips and a frown across her face,
"Sachiko Deiji! Where have you BEEN!???! I've been looking ALL over for you and-" she stopped when she spotted 2 new faces peering over Deiji's shoulder. But her attention was drawn more toward the Inu.
"OHHHH!!!" She stood still with wide eyes and her mouth hung open.
"Eh?" Deiji was confused.
"Oh, Deiji-kun, You!" the girl stepped forward again and ruffled Deiji's hair.
"I didn't know you had such a nice looking guy with you. Good job!!!" She said, eyeing the confused 27-year-old.
"W-What do you mean?" Deiji looked behind her,
"Oh! This is Sohma Shigure. Shigure-san, this is Reicheru. She's my best friend!" Deiji smiled.
"Ahh…" Shigure smiled, "Nice to meet you, Reicheru-san" Shigure held out his hand.
Reicheru stared at it for a moment.
"And such a nice, good-looking guy! Deiji you sneeky little thing! You're going to take all the gorgeous bishounen away from me!" She whimpered childishly.
"Ano, Me and Shigure…We-we're not…"
"You're not together!?! He's still free!!?!!!" She screamed excitedly.
"H-hai"
"WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" she cheered and grabbed Shigure's offering hand and wrapped her arms around his arm.
"Well aren't you a nice girl…" Shigure said with a mischivious grin.
"How in the world did Deiji-kun find someone as gorgeous as you!?!!" She asked.
"Well Sachiko-san was looking for someone and asked us for help, and eventually she came to moving in with us and-"
"NANI!!!?!! Deiji, you LIVE with him!!!??!!"
"Hai!"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Reicheru screamed, "It's my lucky-"
"What the hell is going on?!?!!" Kyou stepped out of the room.
Reicheru froze with her mouth still hung open. Everyone turned to the curious Neko.
"AHHH!!! OH MY GOD!!!" Reicheru squealed,
"KYOU-KUNNNNNNN!!!!!" She ran straight toward Kyou and before he could even note her pressence, she jumped at him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
"Ahhh!!"
*POOF!*
Deiji's eyes widened as big as they could go as she covered her mouth in disbelief.
Reicheru was on her hands and knees on the wooden floor.
"Owww…" She whinned,
"Where did my Kyou go??" She looked down and noticed his clothes in a bundled pile on the floor below her. She sat back on her heels, confused. Suddenly the pile began to wiggle and an orange cat's head popped out.
"A Neko-desu?"
"Rei-chan! Wait! Please let me explain!!"
"Is this Kyou-kun? My Kyou-kun is a Neko-desu??" she asked. Kyou gulped. He couldn't get free because one of his legs were caught in his pants' pocket.
"Hai but let me explain oneg-"
"AHHH!!!" Reicheru squealed and grabbed the orange neko, hugging it tightly.
"My Kyou-kun is a neko-desu!!! I LOVE Kyou-kunnnnnnnnnn!!!" she hugged him tighter. Everyone stood with a sweatdrop, watching.