To Belong - Chapter 5
"He loved her very much. To him she was the only family he has left. They were very close even after she got married and had her first child."
"You mean Ayame?"
Shigure nodded, seemingly lost in the tale he was telling. "And then she had her second child," Shigure sighed. "She loved you very very much and was over protective of you. Gradually, she began to ignore Tasuki and care less about him. He used to say it didn't matter but everyone could tell it did. Anyway he remained living in the same house with his sister's family," Shigure stopped.
"Is that it?" Yuki was puzzled. "That's why he hates me?"
"I'm not finished yet."
Yuki willed himself to be quiet and waited for Shigure to continue.
"have you heard of the Saioki family?"
"There are three Saioki students in our school."
"The Saiokis are cursed just like us Sohmas."
Yuki's eyes widened.
"But their curse is different than ours. The Saiokis are stronger and more powerful than we are. They are very vicious and, how do I put it, evil's the right word I think."
"What is their curse exactly?"
Shigure narrowed his eyes. "When angry or pissed, they turn into huge, blood seeking creatures-full demons-powerful and very ugly. Unlike us their curse lasts for a whole day."
"Only when angry they transform?"
"Angry, injured, hurt or simply pissed. They send their children to special schools that teach them to control their anger and other unpleasant feelings. Thus to control their curse. Even though our families been on unfriendly terms for lots of generations, we took it upon ourselves as a silent vow to keep each other's curse a secret from all others."
Yuki tensed. "I don't see how this is related to."
"Let me continue."
Yuki went quiet once again.
"During the time of Nakago Saioki, the Saioki's master at his time, it was a custom for the Saiokis to kidnap one of the Sohmas youngsters or newborns each year, give him their blood, and make him one of them. They had problem reproducing then you see. That day your mother was alone with you and Tasuki in the house. Your father and Ayame went to buy some fish. You were about one and a half years old. Suddenly a bunch of Saioki men blew into the house and demanded of your mother to hand you over to them. She resisted of course. And then they noticed Tasuki. It was a fun game to them so they laughed as they told her to choose between her son and brother. She told them she can't and begged them to leave her and the children alone. They got angry and approached her with the intention of tearing you out of her arms. At that point she lost her mind. She grabbed on to you with all her might and started to scream, 'Take him. Take him. Just leave my boy alone!' You can imagine how Tasuki felt then. The only person he cared about betraying him like that! Of course he was thinking with a little boy's mind so we can't really blame him."
"And they took him?" Yuki was overcome with denial.
Shigure nodded.
"And no one did a thing?!"
Looking uncomfortable, Shigure shifted in his seat. "We couldn't. They were very powerful like I told you and we were very young. Beside, Akito (let's just ignore the fact that he's only few years older than Yuki) ..."
"He ordered you not to," Yuki said stiffly.
Shigure didn't reply but Yuki didn't need him to. He knew it was true. And he hated Akito even more-if that was possible.
"Do they still do that? The kidnapping I mean?"
"No it ended years ago. Right after Nakago's death."
"What happened to Tasuki?"
Shigure looked away. "He became one of them."
"They gave him their blood!!" Yuki looke disgusted.
"They did. In fact it was Nakago's brother, Ogawa, who gave him his blood and claimed him as his son."
Shigure continued his tale. "The thing is Tasuki never forgot the Sohmas' betrayal - his sister's betrayal. He never forgave your mother even after he learned that she got sick after the incident and died not long after that. Your father couldn't handle your mother's death and just left and we never heard from him again. You on the other hand began to suffer from your asthma attacks after your mother's death and always fell ill easily. All that didn't change Tasuki's foul feelings towards you or us. He lived with his hatred and as he grew older, his desire for revenge grew with him. The only thing stopping him from trying anything all those years ago was his blood donor Ogawa. But Ogawa is dead now. He died a month ago and we thought he forgot. Apparently we were wrong." Shigure ended his tale and waited for the younger boy's reaction.
"I don't really blame him. He has every right to feel the way he does," Yuki confessed in a hushed voice.
"None of this was your fault Yuki. Tasuki should've at least realized that."
Yuki shook his head tiredly. "Why didn't he kill me when he had the chance? Why just injure me?"
Shigure shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't even transform that was strange.You look tired," Shigure pointed as he stood up. "You should rest."
"No. Wait! You didn't tell me about Kyo's curse."
"There's nothing to tell. We have no power over that. It is a part of our curse that we cannot change."
"You had no right to hide it from Kyo or me."
"We were trying to protect you both," Shigure said sternly. "If you think for one moment that Kyo'd be happy after he kills you, think again. I said it was part of our curse and I meant it."
Yuki lowered his head, speechless. Shigure placed a warm hand over Yuki's rigid shoulder. "Try to rest Yuki. I know it looks bad but it will get better. It always does."
Yuki nodded.
"And don't worry about Akito, I'll talk to Hatori. Now try to get some sleep." Shigure turned the lights off and left the room.
Yuki heard rather than saw his older cousin leave. The room was dark except from few moon rays sneaking up from his window. He laid down, hundreds of ideas flowing painfully in his head. Sleep, Shigure said. What a joke! Sleep was as far away from him as the sun from earth. *************************
"He loved her very much. To him she was the only family he has left. They were very close even after she got married and had her first child."
"You mean Ayame?"
Shigure nodded, seemingly lost in the tale he was telling. "And then she had her second child," Shigure sighed. "She loved you very very much and was over protective of you. Gradually, she began to ignore Tasuki and care less about him. He used to say it didn't matter but everyone could tell it did. Anyway he remained living in the same house with his sister's family," Shigure stopped.
"Is that it?" Yuki was puzzled. "That's why he hates me?"
"I'm not finished yet."
Yuki willed himself to be quiet and waited for Shigure to continue.
"have you heard of the Saioki family?"
"There are three Saioki students in our school."
"The Saiokis are cursed just like us Sohmas."
Yuki's eyes widened.
"But their curse is different than ours. The Saiokis are stronger and more powerful than we are. They are very vicious and, how do I put it, evil's the right word I think."
"What is their curse exactly?"
Shigure narrowed his eyes. "When angry or pissed, they turn into huge, blood seeking creatures-full demons-powerful and very ugly. Unlike us their curse lasts for a whole day."
"Only when angry they transform?"
"Angry, injured, hurt or simply pissed. They send their children to special schools that teach them to control their anger and other unpleasant feelings. Thus to control their curse. Even though our families been on unfriendly terms for lots of generations, we took it upon ourselves as a silent vow to keep each other's curse a secret from all others."
Yuki tensed. "I don't see how this is related to."
"Let me continue."
Yuki went quiet once again.
"During the time of Nakago Saioki, the Saioki's master at his time, it was a custom for the Saiokis to kidnap one of the Sohmas youngsters or newborns each year, give him their blood, and make him one of them. They had problem reproducing then you see. That day your mother was alone with you and Tasuki in the house. Your father and Ayame went to buy some fish. You were about one and a half years old. Suddenly a bunch of Saioki men blew into the house and demanded of your mother to hand you over to them. She resisted of course. And then they noticed Tasuki. It was a fun game to them so they laughed as they told her to choose between her son and brother. She told them she can't and begged them to leave her and the children alone. They got angry and approached her with the intention of tearing you out of her arms. At that point she lost her mind. She grabbed on to you with all her might and started to scream, 'Take him. Take him. Just leave my boy alone!' You can imagine how Tasuki felt then. The only person he cared about betraying him like that! Of course he was thinking with a little boy's mind so we can't really blame him."
"And they took him?" Yuki was overcome with denial.
Shigure nodded.
"And no one did a thing?!"
Looking uncomfortable, Shigure shifted in his seat. "We couldn't. They were very powerful like I told you and we were very young. Beside, Akito (let's just ignore the fact that he's only few years older than Yuki) ..."
"He ordered you not to," Yuki said stiffly.
Shigure didn't reply but Yuki didn't need him to. He knew it was true. And he hated Akito even more-if that was possible.
"Do they still do that? The kidnapping I mean?"
"No it ended years ago. Right after Nakago's death."
"What happened to Tasuki?"
Shigure looked away. "He became one of them."
"They gave him their blood!!" Yuki looke disgusted.
"They did. In fact it was Nakago's brother, Ogawa, who gave him his blood and claimed him as his son."
Shigure continued his tale. "The thing is Tasuki never forgot the Sohmas' betrayal - his sister's betrayal. He never forgave your mother even after he learned that she got sick after the incident and died not long after that. Your father couldn't handle your mother's death and just left and we never heard from him again. You on the other hand began to suffer from your asthma attacks after your mother's death and always fell ill easily. All that didn't change Tasuki's foul feelings towards you or us. He lived with his hatred and as he grew older, his desire for revenge grew with him. The only thing stopping him from trying anything all those years ago was his blood donor Ogawa. But Ogawa is dead now. He died a month ago and we thought he forgot. Apparently we were wrong." Shigure ended his tale and waited for the younger boy's reaction.
"I don't really blame him. He has every right to feel the way he does," Yuki confessed in a hushed voice.
"None of this was your fault Yuki. Tasuki should've at least realized that."
Yuki shook his head tiredly. "Why didn't he kill me when he had the chance? Why just injure me?"
Shigure shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't even transform that was strange.You look tired," Shigure pointed as he stood up. "You should rest."
"No. Wait! You didn't tell me about Kyo's curse."
"There's nothing to tell. We have no power over that. It is a part of our curse that we cannot change."
"You had no right to hide it from Kyo or me."
"We were trying to protect you both," Shigure said sternly. "If you think for one moment that Kyo'd be happy after he kills you, think again. I said it was part of our curse and I meant it."
Yuki lowered his head, speechless. Shigure placed a warm hand over Yuki's rigid shoulder. "Try to rest Yuki. I know it looks bad but it will get better. It always does."
Yuki nodded.
"And don't worry about Akito, I'll talk to Hatori. Now try to get some sleep." Shigure turned the lights off and left the room.
Yuki heard rather than saw his older cousin leave. The room was dark except from few moon rays sneaking up from his window. He laid down, hundreds of ideas flowing painfully in his head. Sleep, Shigure said. What a joke! Sleep was as far away from him as the sun from earth. *************************