"What?" Ayame repeated for the fifth time. "She wanted to see me?"
"Would you deny the lady's request?" Shigure asked.
The snake quickly shook his head. "No! Of course not!" he quickly said. "Sure. Ill be right there."
Tohru took a deep breath after she noticed her hands were shaking as she held the tray near her. It was her first time to serve a person formally. Okaa-san, I can't believe I'll be serving Yuki-kun!
She looked down on the tea and leek soup she made. "Please don't make me mess up."
She knocked three times to show respect and, once she didn't hear a reply, she knocked once more. "Yuki-kun…" she whispered.
There was no reply.
So she slowly twisted the doorknob and went inside. She found all of his things: books, papers of companies and factories scattered, some of his old clothes stacked up in the corner and crumpled papers everywhere. But he was not there.
"Eh… Did I enter the right room?" she wondered. She placed the tray on the table near his bed and had the instinct to do something for him. Maybe…
"Thank you." He answered blankly as he returned the phone to Hatori.
"So?"
"I hate that company… so I rejected it." Yuki said.
The doctor banged his fists on the table. "For god's sake, Yuki! Are you planning to reject everything!?" Hatori asked him angrily. "Will you please think of Akito? He has high expectations for you! Will you just try to impress him for once?!"
"Impress?" Yuki laughed. "I've already known 4 foreign languages, studied under 7 defense sensei, been through 2 masterals and negotiated with 14 different companies around the world. Also, women are crazy about me and people who are civilized know me."
"Tell me Hatori, have I done enough to impress him?" Yuki stormed out of the room while Hatori sat back on his chair.
To tell you the truth, you've already done so much and you've also impressed him so much… Hatori wondered. That's why Akito kept on depending on you.
It's your birthday next week. And you don't know what Akito is planning for you…But that doesn't mean that I know about that.
Ayame quickly opened the door and went inside Shigure's office. "AM I late?"
"Yes you are." Shigure grinned. "It seems like 5 minutes ago, Yuki went to his room."
"So what?"
"Our little angel was there 30 minutes ago."
"NANI?!"
Yuki stopped by the doorway and stared at his room. All was in order. His usual books that piled up on his desk were arranged in the bookshelf. His papers were piled up accordingly next to it. All his clothes were placed in the cabinets and his old clothes were stacked up on a basket. The floor was neat and well polished.
"Uh… is this my room?" he wondered.
Just as he closed the door, his bathroom door opened and Tohru came out with a basket full of clothes on her side. "Ah! Yuki-kun!" she smiled.
"Honda-san… what…" he tried to maintain his tone and gave her the usual-Hatori-Sohma stern look. "What are you doing here?"
"Ah, well… I came with some tea and… so I looked around and you're not here and… um, I decided to…" she searched some words to say but after a long pause, she bowed as lowly as she could.
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to barge in and bother…! I just wanted to…!"
Okaa-san, I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have fixed his room, just like what Kagura-san said. I should only serve him tea and walk away. But what I did was not approved by him.I shouldn't have done it!!! She felt her eyes getting wet. I haven't been scolded by somebody before!
Yuki stared at the young woman bowing and apologizing in front of him. What am I doing? He wondered. This is not me and… she is Honda-san. I… why did I have to give her that look?
He went towards her and held her shoulders. "I like it."
She looked up. "Eh?"
"I've been trying to clean up my room but…" he smiled. "I had a lot of things to do and… I would like to thank Honda-san for fixing for me. To tell you the truth, I'm…happy to see my room in order."
"Ah…" she whispered. "…I don't know if missed anything---"
He stared at her eyes and quickly said, "Did I scare you earlier?"
"Um…" she giggled. "Yes, a little bit."
"I'm sorry. I was…um, a bit tired today." He shrugged. "Hatori forced me to do his chores after I left him."
"Really?" That sounds normal to me. He's a Sohma. He should be doing a lot of things.
"Oh." Tohru glanced at the watch on the corner. "I had to go. Hatori-san must be waiting for me."
Yuki felt a sudden twitch on the back of his head. "What makes you think that he needs you?"
"Well… that's what a maid used to do, right? They just keep on doing things that could satisfy the master." She explained meekly.
Satisfy? Yuki wondered for that word for a while.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Yuki-kun." She smiled. Before she would even open the door, Yuki stood up.
"Honda-san," he called.
She turned around. "Yes?"
Don't strive too hard. Don't push yourself. Go on Yuki. SAY IT!!! "G-Goodnight." He said.
Dammit, I can't say those words.
To his surprise, she smiled sweetly at him. "Please sleep tight Yuki-kun. Don't strive too hard. We are also meant to have fun, right?" She opened the door and left the room.
Yuki sat on his bed wordlessly. While I was out there, she was the one who's serving me. Now… she's still the one who's serving me.
He banged his fist. I HAD to do something for her.
"PRINCESS~!" Shigure called out from his office. "Please come over."
Tohru sighed and followed Shigure. I need to see Hatori but…Gure-san is almost like him… so maybe I should attend to him first. "Yes?"
"How did it go?" a voice came. Her eyes found a man at the corner of the room.
"Ayame-san!" she called out and went towards him.
"Careful~!" Ayame giggled as his hands reached out to grab her shoulders before she could even hug him. "I can transform, remember?"
"Ah!" she whispered. "I'm so happy you came."
"Why are you looking for me?" he asked cheerfully.
"Well… you see…"
"Yes… I understand." Hatori said as he hung up the phone. He glanced at his watch. 11:00 in the evening. He thought. A few more hours left and he's home. I better start rearranging my things.
Just as he stood up, Shigure came in. "Hatori-san~!"
"Out. Busy." The doctor replied quickly and blankly.
Shigure let out a crazy laugh. "I wasn't saying anything!"
"Yes, I know. But I think I'll be hearing a lot from you if I let you say something." Hatori mumbled. "I'm busy. Get out of my room."
"5 minutes." The inu begged.
"1."
"2!"
After a long pause, Hatori sighed and sat down on his chair. "Ok, what's on your mind?"
"Honda-san will be Akito's personal maid, right?"
"Yeah, so?"
Shigure grinned evilly. "Why don't we just forget about that?"
"…eh?"
"Instead, Tohru-chan will be Yuki's personal maid!" Shigure clapped his hands happily. "That would be so much fun!"
"…out." Hatori said firmly.
"Listen, Yuki's in his right age now and he needs to do something relaxing, don't you think?" Shigure explained. "So, Aya and I were thinking that maybe Yuki needs to cool down and relax a bit, make him explore things he hasn't done before."
"What you're suggesting is something officially for perverts like you."
"He's a man, Tori-san! He needs to experience… that!"
Hatori stood up and stared at his cousin seriously. "She is, might be and should be a hindrance to him. She could tear the whole Sohma clan apart. As far as I'm concerned, I think it is best if we leave her under Akito's case." He pointed towards the door. "Your time is up."
Shigure went towards the door with a long face. Before he left, he sighed and turned towards the doctor. "He needs someone to cheer him up."
"He has everything to keep his chin up. That's enough for him to make him happy."
Shigure once more sighed and said, "There are some things that cannot be bought by money. And also," he continued. "I remembered those times when Kana was your personal maid and… those were the only times that I've seen you happy. If you have time, you should stare yourself at the mirror, will you?" Then he left.
Tohru tucked herself under the thin sheets of her bed.
"Why are you looking for me?" Ayame asked cheerfully.
"Well…you see… I was wondering what I should do for Yuki-kun."
"Kiss him." Shigure said quickly.
"GURE!" Ayame shouted. "Not that fast!"
"Sorry."
Tohru looked at them. "I was wondering to do something normal."
"Kissing is normal---"
"Well," Ayame eyed his cousin. "Yuki's been very busy that he rarely had fun for his life."
"Yeah." Shigure nodded. "That's why you should give him a kiss." He winked. "You're a very good kisser, you know."
"I can still remember when he was younger, he was used to gardening." Ayame wondered. "But Akito came and his whole garden were burned to ashes and, of course, he was brainwashed and he forgot the whole thing about being a gardener."
"So you should act like the savior of sleeping beauty." Shigure suggested. "One kiss could make him remember everything! But you should make it very good---"
"SHUT UP! Our little angel shouldn't be forced to do something she doesn't want!"
"Um, can you do me a favor, Ayame-san?" Tohru whispered.
"Yes, of course!"
Tohru grabbed a small piece of paper, scribbled something down and handed it to Ayame. "A person named Uotani Arisa lives in this address. She's a vendor… and a gardener as well. Could you ask her about the bonsai she has for me? Tell her I asked for it."
"Yes, of course. When will you need it?" Ayame asked.
"Tomorrow." She begged. "Can you?"
"I already said yes, my little princess." He smiled handsomely.
"Like brothers." Tohru whispered. Okaa-san, Yuki-kun and Ayame-san are totally alike when it comes to smiles. But I think Yuki is an introvert unlike his brother. Looking at them seems to be so relaxing.
I wish Yuki-kun will be happy with my gift tomorrow.
