Disclaimers: I own nothing.
A/N: SORRY FOR THE DELAY! BUT thanks so much for the reviews! Special thanks to Carpetfibres for her SUPER ENCOURAGING reviews. ^_^ this one's a tad bit too long, so I apologize. I have chapter 6 written already, after I edit it, I will post. Thanks to all readers!
* * *
"Honda. . . Tohru." Yuki repeated, letting her name linger on his tongue. He looked into her ocean blue eyes, her dazzling smile, captivating him in her sweet innocence. What was she doing? He thought, why is she smiling at me?
He looked away. Tohru flinched. "Ara? Sohma-san. . . did I. . . do something to displease you? Have I upset you? I am terribly terribly sorry! You should punish me! I was so horrible! I-"
Yuki marched over and placed a hand on Tohru's lips. This immediately shushed her. "Quiet. I. . . don't like loud noises. Er. Well, come up to my room. . . I want to go golfing."
Tohru bounced up and down again. "Hai! I was trained to be a caddie before! I shall serve you as a faithful partner!" She said, clenching her fists in a determined manner. Yuki simply shook his head.
The prince marched out of the maid's room, shooting a cold glare back at Tohru. "Learn to contain your enthusiasm, woman. Being bouncy like that annoys me."
Tohru watched, disappointed, as her new "master" left the room. She plopped into the couch, beside her best friend. "Stage 1 of trying to be nice, failure."
Hasegawa laughed again and patted her friend on her head. "Hai, hai. That boy's heart is made of ice. I'm pretty sure you can get close to him, Tohru. You seem to have some magic with Sohmas, after. . ."
Tohru quickly stopped her. "Thanks for the encouragement, Segawa-chan. I'll go get changed, now."
As Tohru left the room, Hasegawa sighed. "I wonder. . ." she pondered, "If this new Sohma will connect her, back to where she belongs. . .?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That girl, thought Yuki furiously, avoiding the adoring stares from his surroundings, reminds me too much of my mother. Why. . . that smile. . . something about women and smiles made him grow weak, and made pains that he didn't want to relive pop up fresh and new back into his mind, wrapped and packaged, ready to make him vulnerable. His mother. . . always so welcoming, so happy. Until she walked out on them. Then he was stuck with his father, constantly re-marrying, wrecking the whole family.
He had then set off to America. Art engineering wasn't exactly his thing, but it was what his mother had wanted. He didn't know why he still bothered to listen to her, the one that had betrayed him so many years back, but. . . he wanted to grant her her wish. . . So he had plunged into his studies. It was the only thing he could turn to. Then he met them. . . the new Sohmas. At first he kept his distance. . . then that boy. He smiled. The one true friend that he had found, that used to be his arch nemesis. Bickering and fighting, the two had reluctantly been placed in a room together, and unfortunately, had found out about each others' curses. And then realized that they were cousins.
Which ultimately brought them close. However distant their blood relation may be, Yuki treasured him as an equal, a brother, someone he could rely on.
Then. . . he had returned here. To Japan, somewhere full of memories he didn't want to revisit. But he had no choice. They were coming back to get engaged, and without them, he didn't know if he could still survive the crude life in America.
Now he was here, rolling around back in his early pains, with someone that resembled his hateful mother in many ways. Honda Tohru . . . did he HAVE to be stuck with a happy, bouncy, optimistic person like that? Why did he need to be reminded of his mother every living second of his life?
Yuki quickly entered his room, and snatched his bag of golf clubs. Flicking his hair out of his eyes, he continued his rampage down the hall into the elevator. Some of golf may relieve most of his stress. It usually did, anyway.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kyou watched hills roll by around the untouched part of Japan, as he rode along in a vehicle down to Osaka. He would pay a surprise visit to his old time friend, Yuki. He heard the news about Yuki returning to Japan, and had rushed to meet him.
He hated Yuki with all his living guts, but also treasured him as a true friend. It was a weird mixture of feelings. As a cat, he was born to hate the rat, but somehow, through much fighting, they had grown to understand each other deeply. They helped each other in the most needy times, had taken full eight years of school together, and had shared very valuable secrets. Yuki knew about Kyou's sister, even though Kyou refused to reveal her name. And Kyou knew about Yuki's painful past.
"Sir, we have reached your destination," the cab driver called.
"Huh? Oh. Right. Here." Kyou muttered, as he tossed a couple of yens. "Alright. I'll call for you when I need you. But go on your way for now."
The cab pulled away slowly, leaving Kyou in front of a large hotel. Osaka Hotel. Something tingled in Kyou's stomach, and he began to get excited. Meeting Yuki was not enough to arouse Kyous curiosity this much, and his cat instincts told him that there was so much more inside the hotel. He wondered about this notion, but cursing, brushed it off. He had tried countless times to find Tohru, and everything had failed. She was nowhere to be found in all of Japan, and especially not Osaka, since he had tried this city first.
Sighing, he marched into the hotel.
Kyou payed no heed to a small girl, dressed in a pink uniform, skip out the door, her brown locks mingling with the gentle breeze.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What took you so long?" Yuki spat, irritated. He was usually a calm, composed, polite, nice, and a very princey person. But around this girl, he found that hard to do. "You disgust me." He said, not to the fact that she was milliseconds late, but to the fact that she resembled so much of his mother.
Tohru bowed. "Sumimasen, Sohma-san. I - "
"And don't call me 'san'. It's disturbing. You can call me Sohma-kun." Yuki stated, before picking up a golf club, and preparing to swing it.
"Hai!" Tohru smiled, before hopping over to her new master. The two played golf for a long, extended period of time, all the while Tohru babbling away. Something told her that she would very much like to be friends with this man, and very good friends at that. The way he held himself, the way he talked to her, and the way he built a wall around himself and her, reminded her of someone she treasured, deep in her heart. . . even though they contradicted each others' personality drastically, there were still so many similarities.
Yuki looked up from his latest hole. He smiled proudly. "That was a good one."
Tohru clapped wildly. "Sohma-kun! Sugoi desu!"
Yuki looked at her. He was helpless. . . slowly he was falling into her friendliness. . . he couldn't resist her. She was too much like his own mother, pulling him into her circle of friends. . . but he reminded himself, he couldn't get close to anyone like that. He would be hurt. . . without a doubt. "Honda-san. Tell me more about yourself." Yuki said, before moving on to another ball.
"Ara? Sohma-kun? There's nothing for me to tell you anymore!" Tohru laughed. "I've already told you everything you need to know about me."
Yuki sighed. "really. . . sorry, I may not have been listening."
He wiped his sweat on the back of his hand, then stared up at the glaring sun. "It's really hot right now. Why don't we wrap it up for today."
Tohru nodded happily and continued her job, cleaning up after her master. Yuki stared. His new maid was very pretty. Her delicate skin stretched over her small frame, her honeybrown locks, her ocean blue eyes, miniscule hands, damp, rosy lips. . . plus her good nature, she was an incredible person. What was she doing as a maid, serving a bitter person like him?
"All done, Sohma-kun!" She chimed, picking up his club bag. "Shall we go?"
"Not yet, Honda-san." Yuki replied. "But you will. Please put those things back into my room. I'll linger here for another little while."
Tohru bowed and resumed her paces up the field and disappeared. Yuki sighed. Looking at her reminded him so much of his mother. . . his head began to ache from an overload of lost memories.
He peered out into the other end of the field. It was so tranquil here, when the sun was bleaching down onto his shiny silver hair. He enjoyed the view so much from this golf field. . . he wondered how he had lived without it for almost ten years. Trees sagged due to an early autumn influence, stained in heavy yellow. Yuki breathed the fresh air. Japan. . . how he had missed it.
Then he saw something, heading his way. That clumsy caddie of mine, did she lose her way? But no. . . it was another figure, a tough one, gruffily marking his path down towards him. He was wearing very familiar cargo, his crimson eyes radiating from the sun's glare, his orange hair standing up on his head, unruffled from the gentle wind.
It had to be. . .
"Baka Neko," Yuki smirked, as the figure drew close to him.
"Kuso nezumi," the figure muttered before the two launched into battle. Unfortunately, there were no walls for Yuki to smash the boy through, so it ended up as the boy sprawled onto the grass, and Yuki pulling him up, as they smiled at each other.
"Good to see you, fem-boy," the orange-head whispered.
"You too, Kyou." Yuki replied.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tohru mounted her bicycle, as she threw her hair back onto her shoulders. She pedaled down the street with great ease. Her frail wrists clasped the bike handles tightly, a small blue watch on her left one.
"I wonder what Kyou-kun would say, if he saw me right now," she thought, smiling.
"With your weak health, and those tiny wrists of yours, you'll never learn how to ride a bike."
Tohru smirked. She still had so many details of him enlisted in her mind, of her brother. The pain had subsided, but the longing lingered. How she missed her brother. . . most of the time she never realized it, but now she felt it more than ever.
Sohma Yuki. . . a man of great secrets, and mystery. He held himself in a princey composure, and he was slightly friendly, but a barrier surrounded him. And his remarks were like dry ice, cold and unbearable. But she knew she could get through to him. Somehow, a strong urge to become his friend and remain someone special to him suppressed her. She could do it. Because Honda Tohru never gives up!
She let herself wander inside her own thoughts, drowning in memories until she reached a familiar shack by the ocean. It was a long ride back home from work, about half an hour of cycling, so she was usually worn out by the time she arrived. But today, she was brimming with energy. She stepped into the grocery store by her neighbourhood, and purchased some oranges for her mother.
Dragging her bike in front of her house, Tohru stepped in quietly. She noticed her mother in the living room, surrounded by bottles of beer, and a pack of cigarettes clenched tightly in her hand. Something was bothering her again. Tohru gulped. "Tadaima, Okaa-san."
Kyoko looked up. "Tohru? Back already?"
Tohru nodded and sat by her mother. "Okaa-san. . . what's wrong?"
Kyoko shook her hand free of her daughter's grasps. "Tohru. . . that man came by again. . . he raised the price on you. . . he said he would take you for any amount of money, upto two million yen. Tohru. . . can you imagine it?"
Tohru felt her heart plummet into unknown depths. That man. . . he was willing to pay anything for her. . . he thought she was beautiful, smart, incredible. . . which Tohru knew she wasn't. But the problem was, she didn't love the man. He was an old, rich businessman that had suddenly picked her as his future wife. But she didn't want to be with him. . . even though she knew her mother desperately needed the money, she found it hard to accept. But she never told her this. She would go to any lengths to please her mother. "Hai, okaa-san. . . that's an incredible sum."
Kyoko took hold of her daughter's hand. "I'm sorry, Tohru. . . this isn't what you want, is it. . . if only I didn't need the money. . ."
Tohru crushed down her feelings of desperation, and comforted her mother. "Daijoubu, kaa-san. . . I'm assuming he'll come back in a few days. It'll all be finished by then, ne?"
Tohru stood up, placing the oranges in front of her mother. "Okaa-san. . . Have some oranges. I'm going to take a shower."
Tohru marched into the shabby bathroom, and collapsed onto the cold, hard floor. The previous energy spurt had now vanished. She desperately needed someone to talk to, someone to hold on to, someone to lean on.
Suddenly, thoughts of her brother flooded her mind. No, she thought, not again. . . painful memories of her brother whipped through her mind in the hardest of times. This made her miss him more than ever.
She let tears freely fall. Just imagining herself with that weird old man made her want to die.
"Kyou-kun. . ." she softly whispered.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Two glasses clanged together in mid-air as Sohma Yuki and Kyou celebrated late into the night. The two emptied many bottles of sake as they talked for hours, out on Yuki's balcony, the night air cooling the two alcohol filled men down.
". . . so it's tomorrow." Yuki replied to Kyou's statement. "Congrats, to both of you."
"Yeah, well," Kyou shrugged, as he took another deep slug, "Kagura's cool, I guess, but dammit, she's so clingy."
"Most women are like that." Yuki said, taking a soft sip. "that's why I'll never get married."
"Kuso nezumi, of course you will." Kyou teased. "I heard you got a new maid."
"Yeah," Yuki said, a hint of displeasure in his voice, "she's so. . . happy."
Kyou wandered off into thought. Happy. . . that's what she once was. And then. . .
Yuki peered into Kyou's crimson eyes. "Thinking about Her again?"
Kyou nodded. "I couldn't find her. . ."
Yuki chuckled. "she's here. . . you'll find her soon enough."
Kyou poured more of the sake into his small cup. "Maybe. . . I'm beginning to think It's impossible. . ."
The two stared off into the night, lost in their own thoughts. Yuki was the first to break the silence. "So, your engagement's in Tokyo."
Kyou nodded. "Kuso. . . I have to head back there tonight."
"It's too late now," Yuki smiled sinisterly. "And besides, you're so drunk, you couldn't tell the difference between a garbage can lid and a steering wheel."
Kyou chuckled in to the night, the cold, frosty air biting into his skin. "Fine, have it your way. I'm crashing this place tonight."
"Whatever." Yuki replied.
The night's chill was comforting as Kyou imagined himself on the old roof, gulping the moon's glare in. Everything was serene, peaceful. . .
A perfect evening.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Done!" She cried triumphantly, finishing the bow on her hair. It was the rules that she had to tie her hair up in a bun every day, but she never failed to wear the blue ribbons that she had carried ever since childhood. And her watch.
"Yeesh, Tohru, you should get a new watch," Hasegawa exclaimed, feeling the small girl's wrist. "That thing's totally worn out."
"It means too much to me." Tohru replied.
Hasegawa smiled, and she handed Tohru her mop. "Hai. Here you go. Good luck with that Sohma prince."
Tohru smiled back. "Hai!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!!!" Kyou cursed, trying to get his cellphone to work. "Damn you machine, why are you dead!?"
"Baka neko. Your batteries are out," replied Yuki calmly, marching in with a half-buttoned up shirt.
"Kuso nezumi! I know that much! But man, Kagura will pound me if it doesn't turn on in a while."
Yuki laughed. "You left your charger back in Tokyo? Then you can use the one in this hotel. . . it can charge any cellphone."
Kyou looked up. "Really? Alright then, hang on, femboy, lemme get this to the front desk."
Kyou leaped to his feet, and reached out the door. On the other end, Tohru performed the same action. But Kyou was quicker. Slamming the door into Tohru, he rushed down the hallway, his belt on his cargos flickering behind him. "Sorry!" he yelled, before bolting down the stairs. Kyou was too lazy to wait for the elevator.
Tohru rubbed her forehead as she stared behind the man. "Wow. . . that was. . . rude." She huffed, a very un-Tohru-ish thing to do. Then she smiled again. "Sohma-kun, I'm here for the cleaning. Is it okay?"
Yuki stepped out to greet his maid, then noticed a slight mark on her forehead. "Honda-san, what happened?"
"Eh? Ah, someone just crashed into me, moments ago." She laughed. "It must be your friend, ne?"
"Ah, that crazy fool." Yuki shook his head. "Gomen. Now, I'll be leaving for most of the day. I'll be back around. . . six. I'm going to that friend's engagement."
"Engagement!? Wai, sugoi desu!" Tohru screamed in delight. "Congratulations to your friend, Sohma-kun! I'll make sure your suite is sparkling clean!"
Yuki shrugged. He marched down the hall towards the elevator, like a normal human being.
Tohru watched as the elevator door opened, and Yuki about to step in. He looked back. "Ah, Honda-san. My friend needs to re-charge his cellphone. I'll be giving him my spare, you know the number, right? Call him to that number after his phone is charged. He should be very eager to receive that call."
Tohru bowed deeply. "Hai! Leave it to me!"
Yuki stepped into the elevator and disappeared into its steel depths. Tohru marched into the room and resumed mopping. A small smile flickered to her lips. Engagement, love, marriage. . . she had hoped something like that would come to her one day.
Was it hopeless for her?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What? Your spare phone?" Kyou exclaimed.
"Yes. My maid will call you to this phone after your phone is back." Yuki stated.
Kyou didn't want to admit it, but he was thankful. He brushed it off. "Oi. I've gotta go get a suit in Tokyo. Wanna come?"
Yuki shrugged. "You still don't have a suit? I can't believe I'm talking to such a fool like you."
"Urusei and help me, stupid rat," Kyou spat. "I have to go now. Come if you want to."
"I guess I have no choice," Yuki sighed. "I have some things to take care of in Tokyo anyway."
The two left, bickering, the hotel behind their back.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Tohru-chan! The cellphone for room 276 is all done!" Yelled the head of the maid institute.
"Ah, hai!" Tohru responded, dropping her work and rushing over to the front desk. "Arigato!"
She rushed to make a phonecall to the owner of the cellphone. She looked it over. It was miniscule, white, and timid. It was a very plain cellphone. Her fingers landed on a small metal object. "Ara?" She thought, as she held it between her fingers. A small, orange cat lay dangling from the antenna. She gasped. Could it be. . .
She remembered the day when she placed the charm inside the cookie jar, crying onto the cups. She remembered it so clearly. . . but she couldn't remember the appearance of the charm. She shook her head. It wasn't possible. How could it ever be possible?
She went to the payphone and dialed Yuki's spare cellphone's number. "Moshi moshi?" a gruff voice answered on the other end.
Tohru gulped. "H-hai. . . this. . . this is Osaka hotel, I'm Sohma-kun's maid and, I was instructed to inform you that your cellphone is now charged."
Kyou sighed in relief. "Arigatou. Er. . . right now I'm a little busy. . . my engagement's going to take place in about an hour. Is it okay if I meet up with you around. . . 3 o'clock?"
Tohru gratefully agreed. She placed the phone down, collecting leftover change. Strangely, she was looking forward to this meeting. The voice in the phone sounded ever so familiar, so warm, something touching her. Sohma- kun has great friends, Tohru thought, as she skipped back to work, the cellphone tucked deep inside her pockets.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Kyou~~~~~~~kun~~~~~~~~" Kagura whined as she skipped into the regal room.
"O-oi," Kyou stuttered, seeing Kagura bouncing up and down around the fancy room. "You shouldn't do that, you know. . . you could. . . break something."
Kagura laughed. Kyou was befuddled. She looked exceptionally pretty today, even though pink wasn't exactly the colour for her. A short, sleeveless dress, in baby pink, modest and timid, outlined her skinny figure. Her hair was placed in a bun, a wreath of pink roses holding it together. She stunned Kyou. "Ne, ne, Kyou-kun, I told you you would look cute in a suit!"
Kyou blushed, muttering something like "crazy woman". Kagura was about to change into her mad rage state if she hadn't been called, along with Kyou, for the engagement to start.
Kagura leeched onto Kyou's arm, clinging desperately. "Let's go, Kyou- kun~!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tohru glanced at the clock. Two fifteen. Only fourty-five more minutes until. . .
Tohru didn't know why she was so excited. Something about this meeting made her bubbily and happy, more than she usually was.
"Tohru-chan! Help me out over here!" A fellow maid cried
"Hai!" She screamed, snapping out of her daze, as she rushed to aid her friend.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The cork erupted from the champagne bottle as a small diamond ring was slipped on to Kagura's finger. The whole audience clapped, as Kagura launched to kiss her fiancé, Kyou dodging swiftly. The reception at the end ended fairly quickly, since Kyou wasn't exactly the most sociable person in the world. Kagura ended up dragging Kyou out, still in their formal clothes.
"Ne, ne, Kyou-kun, let's go somewhere to celebrate!" Kagura squeaked.
"Ah. . . umm. . ." Kyou said hesitantly, glancing at his watch. 2:30. . . he was going to be late.
Kagura looked upset. "Kyou-kun. . . even on our engagement day . . . you will still push me away?"
Kyou looked at Kagura. "Ah. . . Kagura. . . I didn't mean to. . ."
Instead of exploding like she was supposed to, Kagura continued to walk, her bag slumped against her miniscule shoulders, which slumped even more. She walked into the middle of the streets, not noticing anything. A car honked. Kyou turned. Kagura screamed.
"KAGURA!!!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Three o'clock. Tohru bolted out the door like a flash of light. She chose a perfect spot, underneath the sunlight, holding the cellphone close to her heart. She peered around the corners, to meet her master's friend. I wonder what he's like, she kept thinking, I wonder if he's nice? Maybe we could be friends.
Minutes crawled by, and still no signs of Yuki's friend showed. Tohru looked at her watch. 3:30. Well, I guess his engagement could have dragged out longer. . .
She chose to sit down on a nearby bench.
More people walked by, sweeping particles into the breeze, making Tohru cough. The sun slowly made its descent, along with leaves from the trees. Tohru grew tired. . . she stared at her watch. 6:02. Was it that late already?
The sun finally set, along with Tohru's heart. She let tears gather at her blue eyes. She looked at her watch one more time. 8:45.
"doushite. . . I was really looking forward to this. . . doushite. . ." she cried.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Will she be alright?" Kyou questioned desperately. The doctor stepped out, along with Yuki.
"Hai. She only has a broken arm. It will heal quickly."
"That's good." Kyou breathed.
Yuki sat down next to Kyou. "Why don't you go see her?"
Kyou shook his head. "I think I should leave her alone for a while. . . I'll see her after a couple of minutes. I'm . . . going outside."
Kyou deserted the hospital, mind racing with guilt. Dammit, why did he have a habit of hurting those close to him? First it was Tohru, and now. . .
Kyou banged his fist into a tree. The pain overtook him and he regained his senses. What time was it?
He realized the darkness surrounding him. It was nowhere near three o'clock by then.
Something began to gnaw at his stomach. He was in no rush to reclaim his cellphone at the moment but. . . he had actually, for a strange, unknown reason, looked forward to seeing Yuki's maid. For some reason. . .
He picked up Yuki's spare phone, and dialed his cellphone number. "Come on, pick up, pick up. . ." Kyou muttered.
A piercing sound echoed in the halls of Osaka Hotel. Tohru looked up from her tears. She wasn't sure if she should pick up or not. . . but after reading Yuki's spare cellphone's number on the caller ID, she quickly picked it up, hoping, wishing. . .
For what? She asked herself, before answering. "Moshi moshi?"
"Ah, hai. It's. . . me. I'm sorry I. . . couldn't . . ."
Tohru felt sadness drift over her. "It's alright."
"You. . . it. . . my fiancé she's. . . hurt. . ." Kyou managed to say.
Tohru suddenly felt concern. "Is she alright? Daijoubu-ka? Sumimasen. . . I was just a burden."
"No. . . really, it's me. My fault." Kyou claimed. "I. . . can I make it up to you?"
"It's okay, really."
"Oi. . .Are you sure?"
Tohru pondered that. No. . . it wasn't okay. She had been looking forward to this meeting. "Actually. . . I. . . I was kind of upset."
Kyou continued to listen.
"I don't know why. . . I was really looking forward to this meeting. And I waited a long time, too. . ."
"I'm. . . not good at making apologies but. . ." Kyou replied sheepishly. "I'm sorry."
"Daijoubu."
"I'll go and pick it up tomorrow."
"Ah. . . no . . . I'm sorry, I'm busy tomorrow." Tohru echoed. "It's. . . a birthday."
Kyou thought. "What day is it tomorrow?"
"September 29th." Tohru answered.
"What coincidence," Kyou muttered, "I also have a birthday tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Yeah. . ."
Kyou continued to think. He felt that he felt more than just a personal contact with this girl. He was curious, an emotion he thought he had left behind. "So. . . erm. . . who's birthday is it for you tomorrow?"
Tohru smiled. "It's my brother's birthday."
Kyou smiled too. "Brother, sister. . . it's a great thing, isn't it?"
Tohru smiled. "Hai. . . a sibling is someone you can hold on to, no matter how far he is, no matter how fast you have to run to catch up with him." Tohru continued. "Who's birthday is it for you?"
"Mine. . ." Kyou replied.
"Ah. I see." Tohru said.
The two sat in silence. Tohru broke the serenity and bid goodbye. "Well, ja- ne. . . I will leave your cellphone with Sohma-kun."
"Un. Alright." Kyou said, before hanging up.
Then he realized the mistake. He hadn't asked her for her name yet!
"O. . . Oi!!"
But. . . he was accompanied by beeps from the other end. Kyou turned the phone off, then held it tightly in his hand. This girl. . . the powers she had so subconsciously cast over him. . .
Who was she?
Tohru hung up, clutching the phone to her heart, fondling over the small charm. Sohma-kun's friend, this man. . . why was he so familiar?
Who was he?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * R&R! Onegaishimasu!
Oh and btw, doushite is Why in Japanese.
A/N: SORRY FOR THE DELAY! BUT thanks so much for the reviews! Special thanks to Carpetfibres for her SUPER ENCOURAGING reviews. ^_^ this one's a tad bit too long, so I apologize. I have chapter 6 written already, after I edit it, I will post. Thanks to all readers!
* * *
"Honda. . . Tohru." Yuki repeated, letting her name linger on his tongue. He looked into her ocean blue eyes, her dazzling smile, captivating him in her sweet innocence. What was she doing? He thought, why is she smiling at me?
He looked away. Tohru flinched. "Ara? Sohma-san. . . did I. . . do something to displease you? Have I upset you? I am terribly terribly sorry! You should punish me! I was so horrible! I-"
Yuki marched over and placed a hand on Tohru's lips. This immediately shushed her. "Quiet. I. . . don't like loud noises. Er. Well, come up to my room. . . I want to go golfing."
Tohru bounced up and down again. "Hai! I was trained to be a caddie before! I shall serve you as a faithful partner!" She said, clenching her fists in a determined manner. Yuki simply shook his head.
The prince marched out of the maid's room, shooting a cold glare back at Tohru. "Learn to contain your enthusiasm, woman. Being bouncy like that annoys me."
Tohru watched, disappointed, as her new "master" left the room. She plopped into the couch, beside her best friend. "Stage 1 of trying to be nice, failure."
Hasegawa laughed again and patted her friend on her head. "Hai, hai. That boy's heart is made of ice. I'm pretty sure you can get close to him, Tohru. You seem to have some magic with Sohmas, after. . ."
Tohru quickly stopped her. "Thanks for the encouragement, Segawa-chan. I'll go get changed, now."
As Tohru left the room, Hasegawa sighed. "I wonder. . ." she pondered, "If this new Sohma will connect her, back to where she belongs. . .?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That girl, thought Yuki furiously, avoiding the adoring stares from his surroundings, reminds me too much of my mother. Why. . . that smile. . . something about women and smiles made him grow weak, and made pains that he didn't want to relive pop up fresh and new back into his mind, wrapped and packaged, ready to make him vulnerable. His mother. . . always so welcoming, so happy. Until she walked out on them. Then he was stuck with his father, constantly re-marrying, wrecking the whole family.
He had then set off to America. Art engineering wasn't exactly his thing, but it was what his mother had wanted. He didn't know why he still bothered to listen to her, the one that had betrayed him so many years back, but. . . he wanted to grant her her wish. . . So he had plunged into his studies. It was the only thing he could turn to. Then he met them. . . the new Sohmas. At first he kept his distance. . . then that boy. He smiled. The one true friend that he had found, that used to be his arch nemesis. Bickering and fighting, the two had reluctantly been placed in a room together, and unfortunately, had found out about each others' curses. And then realized that they were cousins.
Which ultimately brought them close. However distant their blood relation may be, Yuki treasured him as an equal, a brother, someone he could rely on.
Then. . . he had returned here. To Japan, somewhere full of memories he didn't want to revisit. But he had no choice. They were coming back to get engaged, and without them, he didn't know if he could still survive the crude life in America.
Now he was here, rolling around back in his early pains, with someone that resembled his hateful mother in many ways. Honda Tohru . . . did he HAVE to be stuck with a happy, bouncy, optimistic person like that? Why did he need to be reminded of his mother every living second of his life?
Yuki quickly entered his room, and snatched his bag of golf clubs. Flicking his hair out of his eyes, he continued his rampage down the hall into the elevator. Some of golf may relieve most of his stress. It usually did, anyway.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kyou watched hills roll by around the untouched part of Japan, as he rode along in a vehicle down to Osaka. He would pay a surprise visit to his old time friend, Yuki. He heard the news about Yuki returning to Japan, and had rushed to meet him.
He hated Yuki with all his living guts, but also treasured him as a true friend. It was a weird mixture of feelings. As a cat, he was born to hate the rat, but somehow, through much fighting, they had grown to understand each other deeply. They helped each other in the most needy times, had taken full eight years of school together, and had shared very valuable secrets. Yuki knew about Kyou's sister, even though Kyou refused to reveal her name. And Kyou knew about Yuki's painful past.
"Sir, we have reached your destination," the cab driver called.
"Huh? Oh. Right. Here." Kyou muttered, as he tossed a couple of yens. "Alright. I'll call for you when I need you. But go on your way for now."
The cab pulled away slowly, leaving Kyou in front of a large hotel. Osaka Hotel. Something tingled in Kyou's stomach, and he began to get excited. Meeting Yuki was not enough to arouse Kyous curiosity this much, and his cat instincts told him that there was so much more inside the hotel. He wondered about this notion, but cursing, brushed it off. He had tried countless times to find Tohru, and everything had failed. She was nowhere to be found in all of Japan, and especially not Osaka, since he had tried this city first.
Sighing, he marched into the hotel.
Kyou payed no heed to a small girl, dressed in a pink uniform, skip out the door, her brown locks mingling with the gentle breeze.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What took you so long?" Yuki spat, irritated. He was usually a calm, composed, polite, nice, and a very princey person. But around this girl, he found that hard to do. "You disgust me." He said, not to the fact that she was milliseconds late, but to the fact that she resembled so much of his mother.
Tohru bowed. "Sumimasen, Sohma-san. I - "
"And don't call me 'san'. It's disturbing. You can call me Sohma-kun." Yuki stated, before picking up a golf club, and preparing to swing it.
"Hai!" Tohru smiled, before hopping over to her new master. The two played golf for a long, extended period of time, all the while Tohru babbling away. Something told her that she would very much like to be friends with this man, and very good friends at that. The way he held himself, the way he talked to her, and the way he built a wall around himself and her, reminded her of someone she treasured, deep in her heart. . . even though they contradicted each others' personality drastically, there were still so many similarities.
Yuki looked up from his latest hole. He smiled proudly. "That was a good one."
Tohru clapped wildly. "Sohma-kun! Sugoi desu!"
Yuki looked at her. He was helpless. . . slowly he was falling into her friendliness. . . he couldn't resist her. She was too much like his own mother, pulling him into her circle of friends. . . but he reminded himself, he couldn't get close to anyone like that. He would be hurt. . . without a doubt. "Honda-san. Tell me more about yourself." Yuki said, before moving on to another ball.
"Ara? Sohma-kun? There's nothing for me to tell you anymore!" Tohru laughed. "I've already told you everything you need to know about me."
Yuki sighed. "really. . . sorry, I may not have been listening."
He wiped his sweat on the back of his hand, then stared up at the glaring sun. "It's really hot right now. Why don't we wrap it up for today."
Tohru nodded happily and continued her job, cleaning up after her master. Yuki stared. His new maid was very pretty. Her delicate skin stretched over her small frame, her honeybrown locks, her ocean blue eyes, miniscule hands, damp, rosy lips. . . plus her good nature, she was an incredible person. What was she doing as a maid, serving a bitter person like him?
"All done, Sohma-kun!" She chimed, picking up his club bag. "Shall we go?"
"Not yet, Honda-san." Yuki replied. "But you will. Please put those things back into my room. I'll linger here for another little while."
Tohru bowed and resumed her paces up the field and disappeared. Yuki sighed. Looking at her reminded him so much of his mother. . . his head began to ache from an overload of lost memories.
He peered out into the other end of the field. It was so tranquil here, when the sun was bleaching down onto his shiny silver hair. He enjoyed the view so much from this golf field. . . he wondered how he had lived without it for almost ten years. Trees sagged due to an early autumn influence, stained in heavy yellow. Yuki breathed the fresh air. Japan. . . how he had missed it.
Then he saw something, heading his way. That clumsy caddie of mine, did she lose her way? But no. . . it was another figure, a tough one, gruffily marking his path down towards him. He was wearing very familiar cargo, his crimson eyes radiating from the sun's glare, his orange hair standing up on his head, unruffled from the gentle wind.
It had to be. . .
"Baka Neko," Yuki smirked, as the figure drew close to him.
"Kuso nezumi," the figure muttered before the two launched into battle. Unfortunately, there were no walls for Yuki to smash the boy through, so it ended up as the boy sprawled onto the grass, and Yuki pulling him up, as they smiled at each other.
"Good to see you, fem-boy," the orange-head whispered.
"You too, Kyou." Yuki replied.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tohru mounted her bicycle, as she threw her hair back onto her shoulders. She pedaled down the street with great ease. Her frail wrists clasped the bike handles tightly, a small blue watch on her left one.
"I wonder what Kyou-kun would say, if he saw me right now," she thought, smiling.
"With your weak health, and those tiny wrists of yours, you'll never learn how to ride a bike."
Tohru smirked. She still had so many details of him enlisted in her mind, of her brother. The pain had subsided, but the longing lingered. How she missed her brother. . . most of the time she never realized it, but now she felt it more than ever.
Sohma Yuki. . . a man of great secrets, and mystery. He held himself in a princey composure, and he was slightly friendly, but a barrier surrounded him. And his remarks were like dry ice, cold and unbearable. But she knew she could get through to him. Somehow, a strong urge to become his friend and remain someone special to him suppressed her. She could do it. Because Honda Tohru never gives up!
She let herself wander inside her own thoughts, drowning in memories until she reached a familiar shack by the ocean. It was a long ride back home from work, about half an hour of cycling, so she was usually worn out by the time she arrived. But today, she was brimming with energy. She stepped into the grocery store by her neighbourhood, and purchased some oranges for her mother.
Dragging her bike in front of her house, Tohru stepped in quietly. She noticed her mother in the living room, surrounded by bottles of beer, and a pack of cigarettes clenched tightly in her hand. Something was bothering her again. Tohru gulped. "Tadaima, Okaa-san."
Kyoko looked up. "Tohru? Back already?"
Tohru nodded and sat by her mother. "Okaa-san. . . what's wrong?"
Kyoko shook her hand free of her daughter's grasps. "Tohru. . . that man came by again. . . he raised the price on you. . . he said he would take you for any amount of money, upto two million yen. Tohru. . . can you imagine it?"
Tohru felt her heart plummet into unknown depths. That man. . . he was willing to pay anything for her. . . he thought she was beautiful, smart, incredible. . . which Tohru knew she wasn't. But the problem was, she didn't love the man. He was an old, rich businessman that had suddenly picked her as his future wife. But she didn't want to be with him. . . even though she knew her mother desperately needed the money, she found it hard to accept. But she never told her this. She would go to any lengths to please her mother. "Hai, okaa-san. . . that's an incredible sum."
Kyoko took hold of her daughter's hand. "I'm sorry, Tohru. . . this isn't what you want, is it. . . if only I didn't need the money. . ."
Tohru crushed down her feelings of desperation, and comforted her mother. "Daijoubu, kaa-san. . . I'm assuming he'll come back in a few days. It'll all be finished by then, ne?"
Tohru stood up, placing the oranges in front of her mother. "Okaa-san. . . Have some oranges. I'm going to take a shower."
Tohru marched into the shabby bathroom, and collapsed onto the cold, hard floor. The previous energy spurt had now vanished. She desperately needed someone to talk to, someone to hold on to, someone to lean on.
Suddenly, thoughts of her brother flooded her mind. No, she thought, not again. . . painful memories of her brother whipped through her mind in the hardest of times. This made her miss him more than ever.
She let tears freely fall. Just imagining herself with that weird old man made her want to die.
"Kyou-kun. . ." she softly whispered.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Two glasses clanged together in mid-air as Sohma Yuki and Kyou celebrated late into the night. The two emptied many bottles of sake as they talked for hours, out on Yuki's balcony, the night air cooling the two alcohol filled men down.
". . . so it's tomorrow." Yuki replied to Kyou's statement. "Congrats, to both of you."
"Yeah, well," Kyou shrugged, as he took another deep slug, "Kagura's cool, I guess, but dammit, she's so clingy."
"Most women are like that." Yuki said, taking a soft sip. "that's why I'll never get married."
"Kuso nezumi, of course you will." Kyou teased. "I heard you got a new maid."
"Yeah," Yuki said, a hint of displeasure in his voice, "she's so. . . happy."
Kyou wandered off into thought. Happy. . . that's what she once was. And then. . .
Yuki peered into Kyou's crimson eyes. "Thinking about Her again?"
Kyou nodded. "I couldn't find her. . ."
Yuki chuckled. "she's here. . . you'll find her soon enough."
Kyou poured more of the sake into his small cup. "Maybe. . . I'm beginning to think It's impossible. . ."
The two stared off into the night, lost in their own thoughts. Yuki was the first to break the silence. "So, your engagement's in Tokyo."
Kyou nodded. "Kuso. . . I have to head back there tonight."
"It's too late now," Yuki smiled sinisterly. "And besides, you're so drunk, you couldn't tell the difference between a garbage can lid and a steering wheel."
Kyou chuckled in to the night, the cold, frosty air biting into his skin. "Fine, have it your way. I'm crashing this place tonight."
"Whatever." Yuki replied.
The night's chill was comforting as Kyou imagined himself on the old roof, gulping the moon's glare in. Everything was serene, peaceful. . .
A perfect evening.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Done!" She cried triumphantly, finishing the bow on her hair. It was the rules that she had to tie her hair up in a bun every day, but she never failed to wear the blue ribbons that she had carried ever since childhood. And her watch.
"Yeesh, Tohru, you should get a new watch," Hasegawa exclaimed, feeling the small girl's wrist. "That thing's totally worn out."
"It means too much to me." Tohru replied.
Hasegawa smiled, and she handed Tohru her mop. "Hai. Here you go. Good luck with that Sohma prince."
Tohru smiled back. "Hai!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!!!" Kyou cursed, trying to get his cellphone to work. "Damn you machine, why are you dead!?"
"Baka neko. Your batteries are out," replied Yuki calmly, marching in with a half-buttoned up shirt.
"Kuso nezumi! I know that much! But man, Kagura will pound me if it doesn't turn on in a while."
Yuki laughed. "You left your charger back in Tokyo? Then you can use the one in this hotel. . . it can charge any cellphone."
Kyou looked up. "Really? Alright then, hang on, femboy, lemme get this to the front desk."
Kyou leaped to his feet, and reached out the door. On the other end, Tohru performed the same action. But Kyou was quicker. Slamming the door into Tohru, he rushed down the hallway, his belt on his cargos flickering behind him. "Sorry!" he yelled, before bolting down the stairs. Kyou was too lazy to wait for the elevator.
Tohru rubbed her forehead as she stared behind the man. "Wow. . . that was. . . rude." She huffed, a very un-Tohru-ish thing to do. Then she smiled again. "Sohma-kun, I'm here for the cleaning. Is it okay?"
Yuki stepped out to greet his maid, then noticed a slight mark on her forehead. "Honda-san, what happened?"
"Eh? Ah, someone just crashed into me, moments ago." She laughed. "It must be your friend, ne?"
"Ah, that crazy fool." Yuki shook his head. "Gomen. Now, I'll be leaving for most of the day. I'll be back around. . . six. I'm going to that friend's engagement."
"Engagement!? Wai, sugoi desu!" Tohru screamed in delight. "Congratulations to your friend, Sohma-kun! I'll make sure your suite is sparkling clean!"
Yuki shrugged. He marched down the hall towards the elevator, like a normal human being.
Tohru watched as the elevator door opened, and Yuki about to step in. He looked back. "Ah, Honda-san. My friend needs to re-charge his cellphone. I'll be giving him my spare, you know the number, right? Call him to that number after his phone is charged. He should be very eager to receive that call."
Tohru bowed deeply. "Hai! Leave it to me!"
Yuki stepped into the elevator and disappeared into its steel depths. Tohru marched into the room and resumed mopping. A small smile flickered to her lips. Engagement, love, marriage. . . she had hoped something like that would come to her one day.
Was it hopeless for her?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What? Your spare phone?" Kyou exclaimed.
"Yes. My maid will call you to this phone after your phone is back." Yuki stated.
Kyou didn't want to admit it, but he was thankful. He brushed it off. "Oi. I've gotta go get a suit in Tokyo. Wanna come?"
Yuki shrugged. "You still don't have a suit? I can't believe I'm talking to such a fool like you."
"Urusei and help me, stupid rat," Kyou spat. "I have to go now. Come if you want to."
"I guess I have no choice," Yuki sighed. "I have some things to take care of in Tokyo anyway."
The two left, bickering, the hotel behind their back.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Tohru-chan! The cellphone for room 276 is all done!" Yelled the head of the maid institute.
"Ah, hai!" Tohru responded, dropping her work and rushing over to the front desk. "Arigato!"
She rushed to make a phonecall to the owner of the cellphone. She looked it over. It was miniscule, white, and timid. It was a very plain cellphone. Her fingers landed on a small metal object. "Ara?" She thought, as she held it between her fingers. A small, orange cat lay dangling from the antenna. She gasped. Could it be. . .
She remembered the day when she placed the charm inside the cookie jar, crying onto the cups. She remembered it so clearly. . . but she couldn't remember the appearance of the charm. She shook her head. It wasn't possible. How could it ever be possible?
She went to the payphone and dialed Yuki's spare cellphone's number. "Moshi moshi?" a gruff voice answered on the other end.
Tohru gulped. "H-hai. . . this. . . this is Osaka hotel, I'm Sohma-kun's maid and, I was instructed to inform you that your cellphone is now charged."
Kyou sighed in relief. "Arigatou. Er. . . right now I'm a little busy. . . my engagement's going to take place in about an hour. Is it okay if I meet up with you around. . . 3 o'clock?"
Tohru gratefully agreed. She placed the phone down, collecting leftover change. Strangely, she was looking forward to this meeting. The voice in the phone sounded ever so familiar, so warm, something touching her. Sohma- kun has great friends, Tohru thought, as she skipped back to work, the cellphone tucked deep inside her pockets.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Kyou~~~~~~~kun~~~~~~~~" Kagura whined as she skipped into the regal room.
"O-oi," Kyou stuttered, seeing Kagura bouncing up and down around the fancy room. "You shouldn't do that, you know. . . you could. . . break something."
Kagura laughed. Kyou was befuddled. She looked exceptionally pretty today, even though pink wasn't exactly the colour for her. A short, sleeveless dress, in baby pink, modest and timid, outlined her skinny figure. Her hair was placed in a bun, a wreath of pink roses holding it together. She stunned Kyou. "Ne, ne, Kyou-kun, I told you you would look cute in a suit!"
Kyou blushed, muttering something like "crazy woman". Kagura was about to change into her mad rage state if she hadn't been called, along with Kyou, for the engagement to start.
Kagura leeched onto Kyou's arm, clinging desperately. "Let's go, Kyou- kun~!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tohru glanced at the clock. Two fifteen. Only fourty-five more minutes until. . .
Tohru didn't know why she was so excited. Something about this meeting made her bubbily and happy, more than she usually was.
"Tohru-chan! Help me out over here!" A fellow maid cried
"Hai!" She screamed, snapping out of her daze, as she rushed to aid her friend.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The cork erupted from the champagne bottle as a small diamond ring was slipped on to Kagura's finger. The whole audience clapped, as Kagura launched to kiss her fiancé, Kyou dodging swiftly. The reception at the end ended fairly quickly, since Kyou wasn't exactly the most sociable person in the world. Kagura ended up dragging Kyou out, still in their formal clothes.
"Ne, ne, Kyou-kun, let's go somewhere to celebrate!" Kagura squeaked.
"Ah. . . umm. . ." Kyou said hesitantly, glancing at his watch. 2:30. . . he was going to be late.
Kagura looked upset. "Kyou-kun. . . even on our engagement day . . . you will still push me away?"
Kyou looked at Kagura. "Ah. . . Kagura. . . I didn't mean to. . ."
Instead of exploding like she was supposed to, Kagura continued to walk, her bag slumped against her miniscule shoulders, which slumped even more. She walked into the middle of the streets, not noticing anything. A car honked. Kyou turned. Kagura screamed.
"KAGURA!!!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Three o'clock. Tohru bolted out the door like a flash of light. She chose a perfect spot, underneath the sunlight, holding the cellphone close to her heart. She peered around the corners, to meet her master's friend. I wonder what he's like, she kept thinking, I wonder if he's nice? Maybe we could be friends.
Minutes crawled by, and still no signs of Yuki's friend showed. Tohru looked at her watch. 3:30. Well, I guess his engagement could have dragged out longer. . .
She chose to sit down on a nearby bench.
More people walked by, sweeping particles into the breeze, making Tohru cough. The sun slowly made its descent, along with leaves from the trees. Tohru grew tired. . . she stared at her watch. 6:02. Was it that late already?
The sun finally set, along with Tohru's heart. She let tears gather at her blue eyes. She looked at her watch one more time. 8:45.
"doushite. . . I was really looking forward to this. . . doushite. . ." she cried.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Will she be alright?" Kyou questioned desperately. The doctor stepped out, along with Yuki.
"Hai. She only has a broken arm. It will heal quickly."
"That's good." Kyou breathed.
Yuki sat down next to Kyou. "Why don't you go see her?"
Kyou shook his head. "I think I should leave her alone for a while. . . I'll see her after a couple of minutes. I'm . . . going outside."
Kyou deserted the hospital, mind racing with guilt. Dammit, why did he have a habit of hurting those close to him? First it was Tohru, and now. . .
Kyou banged his fist into a tree. The pain overtook him and he regained his senses. What time was it?
He realized the darkness surrounding him. It was nowhere near three o'clock by then.
Something began to gnaw at his stomach. He was in no rush to reclaim his cellphone at the moment but. . . he had actually, for a strange, unknown reason, looked forward to seeing Yuki's maid. For some reason. . .
He picked up Yuki's spare phone, and dialed his cellphone number. "Come on, pick up, pick up. . ." Kyou muttered.
A piercing sound echoed in the halls of Osaka Hotel. Tohru looked up from her tears. She wasn't sure if she should pick up or not. . . but after reading Yuki's spare cellphone's number on the caller ID, she quickly picked it up, hoping, wishing. . .
For what? She asked herself, before answering. "Moshi moshi?"
"Ah, hai. It's. . . me. I'm sorry I. . . couldn't . . ."
Tohru felt sadness drift over her. "It's alright."
"You. . . it. . . my fiancé she's. . . hurt. . ." Kyou managed to say.
Tohru suddenly felt concern. "Is she alright? Daijoubu-ka? Sumimasen. . . I was just a burden."
"No. . . really, it's me. My fault." Kyou claimed. "I. . . can I make it up to you?"
"It's okay, really."
"Oi. . .Are you sure?"
Tohru pondered that. No. . . it wasn't okay. She had been looking forward to this meeting. "Actually. . . I. . . I was kind of upset."
Kyou continued to listen.
"I don't know why. . . I was really looking forward to this meeting. And I waited a long time, too. . ."
"I'm. . . not good at making apologies but. . ." Kyou replied sheepishly. "I'm sorry."
"Daijoubu."
"I'll go and pick it up tomorrow."
"Ah. . . no . . . I'm sorry, I'm busy tomorrow." Tohru echoed. "It's. . . a birthday."
Kyou thought. "What day is it tomorrow?"
"September 29th." Tohru answered.
"What coincidence," Kyou muttered, "I also have a birthday tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Yeah. . ."
Kyou continued to think. He felt that he felt more than just a personal contact with this girl. He was curious, an emotion he thought he had left behind. "So. . . erm. . . who's birthday is it for you tomorrow?"
Tohru smiled. "It's my brother's birthday."
Kyou smiled too. "Brother, sister. . . it's a great thing, isn't it?"
Tohru smiled. "Hai. . . a sibling is someone you can hold on to, no matter how far he is, no matter how fast you have to run to catch up with him." Tohru continued. "Who's birthday is it for you?"
"Mine. . ." Kyou replied.
"Ah. I see." Tohru said.
The two sat in silence. Tohru broke the serenity and bid goodbye. "Well, ja- ne. . . I will leave your cellphone with Sohma-kun."
"Un. Alright." Kyou said, before hanging up.
Then he realized the mistake. He hadn't asked her for her name yet!
"O. . . Oi!!"
But. . . he was accompanied by beeps from the other end. Kyou turned the phone off, then held it tightly in his hand. This girl. . . the powers she had so subconsciously cast over him. . .
Who was she?
Tohru hung up, clutching the phone to her heart, fondling over the small charm. Sohma-kun's friend, this man. . . why was he so familiar?
Who was he?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * R&R! Onegaishimasu!
Oh and btw, doushite is Why in Japanese.