Yuki kneeled in the dark room. The only light came through the open sliding door. He could feel a breeze pass across his face and he longed to stretch his aching legs in the bright afternoon sun. Akito was on the porch. Yuki could see was his long, thin legs. Akito's kimono rustled as he stood up and entered the room.
A woman followed the head of the Souma family. She was voluptuous, her brilliant red kimono slipping down her shoulders, almost revealing her bosoms. Crimson flashed in her gray eyes. Fine lines around her full mouth and startling eyes gave her a look of sophistication but took nothing away from her seduction. She winked at Yuki and licked her lips. Akito saw and slapped her hard, grabbing her hair before she could fall.
"Whore! How dare you!"
She let a mask of fear fall on her face but it was only an act. She feared nothing, not this boy so near death, not her own death. But she was required to give any member of the Souma family exactly what they wanted. And fear was what Akito desired most.
Yuki had flinched at the sudden violence. Not from surprise but from revulsion. Akito let go of the geisha and took Yuki's chin, forcing the boy to look up.
"Did you want her, Yuki?" he said in that patronizing way he had of talking to his cousin. "Would you like her? I'm finished with her for now."
Yuki only stared, trembling, unsure what was the correct answer, the answer Akito wanted. Akito pinched Yuki's chin and waved the woman away. When she had left, he stroked Yuki's cheek in a way that might have been tender.
"Dear Yuki. Are you saving yourself for Honda-kun?" He said her name the same way he had said "whore" to the older woman. Yuki clenched his teeth but remained silent. "Now, Yuki. Let's have one of our talks. We haven't had one in such a long time." Akito smirked as he perched himself on a bench. "I've missed you."
****
"Oh, I hate that brat!"
"What, Mama?"
"Oh, nothing, sweetie." Kohaku ran her fingers through her long hair and turned to her daughter who was slipping out of her kimeno and into a pair of cutoff shorts. She admired the long tan legs of her child that slid through shorts. A moment of regret seized her heart but was dropped quickly. Kohaku refused to be weighed down, even by emotion. "Where are you going?"
Midori turned to her mother as she finished dressing. She grinned. "I have permission to go shopping this afternoon."
Kohaku clapped her hands together. "Are you buying a birthday gift for a certain special Mama? Hmm, my lovely Jade?"
Spinning in a circling and leaping from the room, Midori replied, "What makes you think that, my vain mother?"
Midori heard her mother calling after her, "Rose oil would be nice! Or something sweet smelling!"
*******
Tohru hummed softly to herself as she glanced around the supermarket, finding things for dinner and some things to use in dinners the rest of the week. She paused at a row of fruits. The oranges looked particularly nice. Kyon-kun might like them.
"E-excuse me? Ma'am?"
Turning, Tohru almost dropped her basket. A pair of eyes the color of polished jade, emphasized by the green button up shirt, stared at her under thick strands of black hair.
"Y-yes?"
"You're, um, standing on my foot."
Tohru leapt back, waving her arms crazily in front of her. "OH! I'm so sorry! Sorry! I'm so stupid!" She banged her head with her fist.
The girl stared for a second but then smiled and tilted her head. "You're not at all stupid. It could happen to anyone."
"But," Tohru pointed at the girl's feet, "you're wearing sandals. It must have hurt."
The girl blushed. "Well, yes and it was for a few minutes."
"Aaaahh!!" Tohru began to wave her arms around again. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The girl's laughter stopped her.
"You remind me of someone I know."
"Oh?" Tohru smiled. A few people I know, too! "I'm Honda Tohru."
"I'm...did you say Honda Tohru?"
"Mmm." Tohru nodded happily. The girl suddenly appeared frightened and she bowed her head. "Is something wrong?"
"Ah...no." The girl looked up. "I'm...Aya Midori."
A woman followed the head of the Souma family. She was voluptuous, her brilliant red kimono slipping down her shoulders, almost revealing her bosoms. Crimson flashed in her gray eyes. Fine lines around her full mouth and startling eyes gave her a look of sophistication but took nothing away from her seduction. She winked at Yuki and licked her lips. Akito saw and slapped her hard, grabbing her hair before she could fall.
"Whore! How dare you!"
She let a mask of fear fall on her face but it was only an act. She feared nothing, not this boy so near death, not her own death. But she was required to give any member of the Souma family exactly what they wanted. And fear was what Akito desired most.
Yuki had flinched at the sudden violence. Not from surprise but from revulsion. Akito let go of the geisha and took Yuki's chin, forcing the boy to look up.
"Did you want her, Yuki?" he said in that patronizing way he had of talking to his cousin. "Would you like her? I'm finished with her for now."
Yuki only stared, trembling, unsure what was the correct answer, the answer Akito wanted. Akito pinched Yuki's chin and waved the woman away. When she had left, he stroked Yuki's cheek in a way that might have been tender.
"Dear Yuki. Are you saving yourself for Honda-kun?" He said her name the same way he had said "whore" to the older woman. Yuki clenched his teeth but remained silent. "Now, Yuki. Let's have one of our talks. We haven't had one in such a long time." Akito smirked as he perched himself on a bench. "I've missed you."
****
"Oh, I hate that brat!"
"What, Mama?"
"Oh, nothing, sweetie." Kohaku ran her fingers through her long hair and turned to her daughter who was slipping out of her kimeno and into a pair of cutoff shorts. She admired the long tan legs of her child that slid through shorts. A moment of regret seized her heart but was dropped quickly. Kohaku refused to be weighed down, even by emotion. "Where are you going?"
Midori turned to her mother as she finished dressing. She grinned. "I have permission to go shopping this afternoon."
Kohaku clapped her hands together. "Are you buying a birthday gift for a certain special Mama? Hmm, my lovely Jade?"
Spinning in a circling and leaping from the room, Midori replied, "What makes you think that, my vain mother?"
Midori heard her mother calling after her, "Rose oil would be nice! Or something sweet smelling!"
*******
Tohru hummed softly to herself as she glanced around the supermarket, finding things for dinner and some things to use in dinners the rest of the week. She paused at a row of fruits. The oranges looked particularly nice. Kyon-kun might like them.
"E-excuse me? Ma'am?"
Turning, Tohru almost dropped her basket. A pair of eyes the color of polished jade, emphasized by the green button up shirt, stared at her under thick strands of black hair.
"Y-yes?"
"You're, um, standing on my foot."
Tohru leapt back, waving her arms crazily in front of her. "OH! I'm so sorry! Sorry! I'm so stupid!" She banged her head with her fist.
The girl stared for a second but then smiled and tilted her head. "You're not at all stupid. It could happen to anyone."
"But," Tohru pointed at the girl's feet, "you're wearing sandals. It must have hurt."
The girl blushed. "Well, yes and it was for a few minutes."
"Aaaahh!!" Tohru began to wave her arms around again. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The girl's laughter stopped her.
"You remind me of someone I know."
"Oh?" Tohru smiled. A few people I know, too! "I'm Honda Tohru."
"I'm...did you say Honda Tohru?"
"Mmm." Tohru nodded happily. The girl suddenly appeared frightened and she bowed her head. "Is something wrong?"
"Ah...no." The girl looked up. "I'm...Aya Midori."