I'm very S-L-O-W today! I don't know why!!! Gomen, gomen… I just don't know why!!!
Oh yeah, we're still very far from the ending… I think…
Hatori stirred at his sleep. He clasped the sheets that covered him. I'm in a bed… but which bed?
He looked up and a pair of large brown eyes stared back at him.
"Hatori-san?"
He sat up quickly. "Honda Tohru!"
Tohru faced him calmly. She was wearing a white dress and held her braided hair with a white ribbon. She blushed slightly. "Ano… please don't take those sheets off."
"What?"
"Um, you're undressed…" she whispered.
Hatori looked down and…he was undressed. The white bedsheet was the only thing that covered his…*thing*. "Why---"
"You collapsed." She answered quickly. "I tried to reach out but… I landed on top of you…" she bowed lowly. "I'm sorry."
"…you…didn't panic?" he asked.
"Iie, this was the…um… not my first time to make a Sohma transform." She giggled. "Believe me, when I first learned that a mouse was talking to me, I almost dropped dead at that time… wait, I did dropped dead!" she laughed happily.
Yuki… Hatori slightly giggled. "So… Yuki was the first…"
"Hai!"
"You're just like her…" he whispered.
She twitched her head. "Who?"
"…Kana…" he breathed out and stared at her. He face expression changed quickly and lowered her head a little.
"I'm… sorry." He whispered. "…I didn't mean to---"
"It's ok." She replied. "I got used to this."
"Used to what?"
"Being abused…"
He suddenly went furious. "Has any of my servants---"
"No, it's not from the mansion." She shook her head. "It's from … my own home… from my own step brothers…"
"Really?" he asked. "Haven't you told anyone? The police?"
"I tried but I ended up being blackmailed." She answered.
"But… does your parents even care?"
She looked up. "My mother died when I was young… and my father… he was the reason why I don't tell anybody." She replied. "He was sick and… they can harm him…"
"I see…" She grew up in a lonely life… and this was the only chance when she can live up her life happily. And I was there to ruin it… Hatori thought. I timed this badly.
"Um… Hatori-san?" she whispered. "Since we're not in the mansion anymore, can I now ask a question?"
Hatori chuckled at her innocent look. "Yes, you may."
She smiled slightly. "Ano… I was just curious and… it maybe a bit odd but…"
"Just ask it." He said firmly.
"Did you kill…Kana-san?" Tohru asked with her eyes closed and her hands clasped on her lap.
Hatori stared at her curiously. "Is that the rumor that spreads in your place?"
She looked at him. "For many years, yes."
"I see…" He slowly approached her. He was aware that she was backing out so he reached her hand pulled her towards him.
"Hatori-san!"
"I'm not going to hurt you." He said quickly. "I just wanted to whisper this to you."
He gently brushed her hair and gazed at her eyes. "Tohru-san, I didn't kill my wife."
"Really?" she asked as if she doesn't believe him.
"Before the eyes of god, we were married and we loved each other." He explained. "I loved her with all my life and I would give everything to her to be happy. It's very impossible for me to kill her."
Tohru felt relieved but a sense of confusion arose on her mind. "But why did we hear a different side of the story? And why didn't the Sohmas reacted to it?"
"…I believe somebody is planning to ruin my life… and until now, he rages enough to keep me hanging loosely against the Sohma clan so that---"
"Yuki would be the center of attention." She finished his sentence.
"Yes, that's true." He nodded.
"But that must mean somebody who is as powerful as you wanted to keep you away from Yuki!" Tohru wondered. "Do you know this somebody, Hatori-san?"
He smiled at her. "Yes I do… I think…" He grinned as he saw her begging eyes. "But I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because… I believe that once I tell you, you will be at the same state with Kana soon." He explained.
"But… Kana is dead…" she blurted out.
"You get the idea?" he asked. "Besides, you still have a lot to know---"
"Did Kana knew everything?" she asked hesitantly.
Hatori nodded slowly. "And I wasn't there to warn her about… that somebody we're talking about."
"I see…" she nodded.
"Again… I'm really sorry about what I did." He said. "I… got carried away."
"It's ok, Hatori-san. I'm fine. See?" she stood up and swayed her arms. "I don't feel any---"
There was rush of pain on her ribs and she winced. Hatori quickly grabbed her arm.
"I believe I should check your wounds, ok?"
"Hai… but first…" she slightly blushed. "Wear some clothes, ok?"
Yuki sat at the balcony and stared at the vast land before him. On my birthday tonight, I will officially win everything that I see right now… and I would be the most powerful Sohma…
But still, I don't know how to win her heart.
Honda-san… I'm worried about you…
I want to know why… why I always think about you… what am I to you…
I just couldn't figure out…
Hatori closed the door behind him and smiled. Glad that's over.
"Tori!" Ayame called. "Finally, you came out. So, how is my little angel?"
"She's fine… and she forgave me." He replied.
"Yes! That's how it should go!" the snake cheered.
"Ayame," Hatori stared at his cousin. "She reminded me very much of somebody."
"Aah, sweet goddess Athena---"
"No." he glared. "Kana…"
"Oh…" Ayame smiled. "Why did you say that?"
Hatori calmly on a chair. "Both were peasants. Both found an animal that talks---"
"But Kana found you---"
"Both became maids in the Sohma mansion… both were hurt," Hatori continued. "and left the mansion---"
"But Akito hurt Kana---"
"And both went to the same person after leaving the mansion." Hatori glared at his cousin. "To you, to be exact."
Ayame nodded. "I see your point. Both of them are alike and…ahh!" he gasped. "Both happened on the same day!"
"What do you mean?"
"It's Yuki's birthday today…" Ayame cheered. "and the party will be tonight!"
"Kana… she left on my birthday and…" Hatori wondered. "…attended the party that night!"
"Tohru should attend the party tonight!" the snake yelled happily. "Tori-san! Kana and Tohru are very much alike---"
"Except one…" Hatori stared at him. "This is a masquerade ball. A formal ball. Back at my time, it was semi-formal."
"Don't worry." Ayame winked. "I'll help Tohru to be the best… and I'll give the best clothes… so that Yuki will have his eyes on her… like you did on Kana."
"Remember… masquerade ball. How would Yuki know that the woman in front of him is Tohru?" Hatori asked.
"You'll just have to know."
