Tohru stared at picture closely and carefully. Oh God, he looks like Yuki-kun… of course, he is Yuki-kun, stupid!!! It's just me who is playing silly. But… how come he never told me? If he's a Sohma, he should head back to the mansion… but why is he still here???

Kami-sama, this is so confusing!!!

"Tohru-kunnnnn~!" Ayame cheered behind the door. "DO you need any help in there???"

"Ah! No, I'm fine! I'm done actually." She looked at the picture again before she arranged herself. "I'm coming out!"

There must be a misunderstanding. Must not panic. Do not panic, Honda Tohru. This is all a misunderstanding.

Or is it???

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Uo asked Yuki, one more time. He leaned against the door, breathless and speechless.

"She's not here???" Yuki asked quickly.

"MY GOD! If she was here, I won't be wasting my voice in yelling at you, dummy!" Uo growled. "I don't know who you are or what do you know about her. All I know is that Tohru left this morning and never returned since! Now get the hell out of here or I'll call---"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Yuki left the house.

"Dammit, why are people nowadays are such in a hurry?" she whispered. "Can you believe this guy? He didn't even mention his name!"

"… he had the same… wavelength… the presence as that Sohma… I fear… something…" Hanajima whispered in a low voice.

"For the first time, I agree with you." Uo grinned. Who is that guy anyway?

"PERFECT!!!" Ayame cheered loudly as he guided her in front of a tall mirror. "You are truly the best model I ever hired. Look at you! Praise yourself! You are very unique! Such undefined beauty---"

"Ayame-san, I think I had enough praises for one day." She smiled weakly.

"Are you ok? Is something wrong?" Ayame placed his hand over her small forehead to check her temperature.

"You shouted at her too much, Aya-san." Kisa scolded him.

"I did not!" he disagreed. "I just… just praised her, that's all! Right, my little princess?" he looked at her for any sign of affirmation.

Unknowingly, she slowly collapsed on his arms and… (You know what happens)…

POOF!

"Yuki is alive!" Kagura asked her cousin.

"Yes, he is." Kyou replied blankly as he sat on the couch and relaxed for a while.

"I can't believe it." She sighed. "I though that we'll lose a cousin."

"Yuki?" he laughed. "You got to kidding me. Nezumi always survives at any obstacle. Sensei trained him to be the best."

"Really?" she eyed him mysteriously. "SO that means, you accepted him as someone better than you?"

"WHAT? NEZUMI?! YOU got to be kidding me?!" he laughed again, this time, in a more lower voice. "We haven't finished the other fight yet. There's plenty of time to beat him."

"Kyou-kun, why won't you relax for a while and let Yuki have some peace?"

"We were destined to fight, not welcome each other with open arms and saying, I love you, I miss you, I would do anything for you, and all the other mushy stuff you see on TV." He growled.

"Well, let's see if you could punch him when Hatori is around." Kagura smiled as she left him alone to sleep.

"Where is he?" Hatori barged inside the Momiji's house.

"He left…a few minutes ago." Haru replied.

"Damn, he's so fast." The doctor hissed at himself. "Any idea where he is going?"

"He never told us anything… except that he mention sensei."

"Kazuma…" he eventually left the house and went back to the carriage.

"Why is everyone leaving me?" Haru whispered.

Yuki silently walked across the alley, alone once more. Honda-san… where are you?

"Yuki?"

The nezumi looked up and saw a very unusual person to see.

"Hiro-san…" he replied.

"You're alive."

"You're here… not in the mansion…" But why?

"Tohru-chan? My little angel, please wake up."

Tohru opened her eyes and saw Ayame kneeling beside her. He had his shirt hanging loosely on one side and he had only his underclothes on. Even so, her eyes caught his worried ones the most.

"Are you alright? Do you feel something wrong?" he asked her.

"N-No, this is nothing, Ayame-san." She smiled. "I'm fine… I'm sorry, I must have worried you too much."

"Yes, you did." He grinned. "Get up. You'll catch cold if you'll lie on the cold for too long." He held out his hand and she grabbed on to it. Just as she felt herself standing, Kisa came in.

"Are you alright, ne-san?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, I think so." I must have been worrying too much… about Yuki-kun, my career and Sohmas.

Ayame stared at her worriedly. "You must have been really tired. Why don't you rest for a while? I'll show you to your room."

"No! I'm fine! If you still need me then---"

"Tohru-chan, I already got your measurements. It's ok. You can rest." He said it as smoothly as possible. "Kisa will guide you instead if you want."

"C'mon, Ne-san…" Kisa held her hand and guided her towards the room at the end of the hall.

"Oh before that." Ayame called out. "Did you remember anything before you collapsed?"

"What do you mean?" Tohru looked at him curiously.

"No… I mean, did you noticed something unsual before you passed out like… an animal came out or something?" Ayame asked worriedly.

"Um… all I remembered was… I felt dizzy and I collapsed on your arms and… the next thing I knew is that you're already looking down on me on the floor." She explained. "Did I miss something?"

"N-No, it's perfectly fine." Ayame shook his head. "Please rest Honda-san."

"Hai." She smiled before she went out of the room, leaving Ayame alone. With that, he let out a sigh of relief.

"That was close." He hissed.

Yuki stood in front of a huge house in front of him. He finally reached his destination.

"You're not coming back?!" Hiro yelled at him.

"You're concerned?"

"Of course I am! Everybody is worried sick about you! Yuki, you need to understand!!!"

"I know, but I need to meet Sensei before I set a foot at that mansion again." Yuki explained.

"Sensei? He's still here?" Hiro stared at him. "I thought he left the village years ago, since Akito already bought it."

"Really? Do you know where he lives?"

"Sure---"

"Before anything, Hiro," Yuki looked at him firmly and sternly. "Don't mention to anyone that I'm still alive, ok?"

"Why?"

"No time for questions. JUST PROMISE ME!"

"Alright." Hiro mumbled. "But I'll tell you, everyone will do anything just to make you come back."

"Just tell me where to find Sensei and I'll be back in no time."

"Are you sure?" Hiro asked again.

"Yes, I'll be back."

He stared at the house again. Am I going to keep my promise? I still have to meet Honda-san… I still need to see her…just to make sure that I would even say goodbye and thank you once more.

Where are you, Honda-san?

"I'm right all along." A voice came. "You decided to go here for answers."

Yuki spun around and stared at the person behind him. "Hatori-san…"

Hatori chuckled. "You've grown, Yuki."

"It's been three days only"

"Yes I know. But your eyes," the doctor gazed at him. "It's like you've seen a lot."

"How can you tell?"

"I'm a doctor, Yuki." He replied coolly.

Yuki stared at the ground, or at anything besides Hatori's eyes. What is he doing here?

"Kazuma left a few days ago." Hatori whispered.

"Why?"

"Akito's orders."

"I see." Yuki breathed out.

"Why do you want to meet him?"

"It's none of your business." He said quickly.

"I understand that you have your own private thoughts, but now, as you can see, I already read your mind that you wanted to meet Kazuma." Hatori said firmly. "If you try to run away again, I swear I won't find you again."

"That's perfectly alright for me." Yuki replied blankly. Both men didn't say anything for a few minutes. But as soon as Yuki moved an inch, Hatori looked up to him.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to run away again."

"Please don't." Hatori whispered. "Please come back to the mansion."

"No." Yuki said finally. "I won't be going back to the mansion until I hear answers."

"Answers to what?"

"To that phone call from Akito." He eyed the doctor. "He's planning something and I overheard it. As the next successor, I won't allow anyone to do such thing---"

"But you are still an ordinary Sohma, Yuki. I understand what you said but Akito is plainly unstoppable. Even I can't handle him and… I think he's wrong… for now." Hatori explained.

Yuki chuckled lightly. "Are you saying that you're on my side?"

"I'm not saying anything."

"Fine, then I'm leaving."

"You won't find Kazuma anywhere… and you have no other place to go." The doctor pressed those words clearly to his cousin. "Where are you going?"

"You'll find me in Momiji's house." Yuki replied.

"Why do you have to stay there?"

"I don't want to see Akito yet. I'm planning something first." The nezumi looked at the doctor. "Just promise me not to tell him where I am."

"As long as you remain safe with Momiji, I won't say a word to him. But remember, his eyes are everywhere and you don't know who are his informants."

"I know. I'll be careful." Yuki nodded. "Besides, I need to find Honda-san."

Hatori felt his head twitch when he heard the name. "What did you say?"

"Oh nothing. I'm looking for someone that I promise to meet." He smiled. "It was nice meeting you again Hatori-san." After that he left the doctor on the middle of the road.

Hatori never moved an inch since Yuki left him. I know that I'm a bit tired… and old. But I heard perfectly that he mentioned about meeting this… Honda-san.

Honda… Tohru-san.

Could it be the same peasant that I met days ago?