"Meiko?" Hatori repeated. "You're thinking that this Meiko is Akito?"

"That was my guess." Momiji said. "…wait a minute, that wasn't a guess."

"So you think that it's true?"

"Yup, I think he's here." The little one nodded.

The doctor leaned back on his chair and sighed. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Let us just make sure that this Meiko won't meet any Sohma. And also, this case, let us not mention anything to Akito about Tohru. She would be much safer this way." Momiji suggested.

"Are you telling me to do this…suggestion of yours?" Hatori asked firmly. Then he grinned for himself. "I think that's a good idea."

"See you around, Meiko-san!" Uo waved at the young man exiting the room. "Man! He's such a cool guy! I haven't seen one like those in ages!"

"Uo-san, who was the first guy you saw like him?" The onigiri asked curiously.

"Your mom."

"But… she's a woman!"

"Yeah, but she acts tough like a guy! I'm just saying that your mom's cool like that guy… but strange, I haven't met him before." Uo wondered.

"Maybe he's tourist." Tohru guessed.

"Yeah, but whoever he is, he's after the Sohmas." Hana whispered behind them.

"Why do you say that?" Uo looked over her shoulder.

"He kept on asking about the Sohmas and their fate, especially that soon-to-be mayor." Hana replied

Yuki-kun! Tohru thought for herself. Is this guy related to Yuki? Or is this guy *gulp* planning to do something for Yuki?

"Yuki? Well, I've seen girls talking about him and stuff but… not a guy, right?" Uo shrugged.

"There must be something wrong with the Sohmas. That guy actually asked if Yuki's fate is blurry… in a way that I can't look at." Hana whispered.

"You're a seer, my good friend. Of course you see things clearly."

"But I think there's something wrong… really. My vision is blurry and it is quite odd for me to see things unclearly like this. I feel that a catastrophic happening shall arise this year." Hana predicted.

"…ok, so that means something is wrong." Uo stared at the seer. "What do you think, Tohru-san?"

"I…" Okaa-san, these things are too complicated for me. "I think that I should ask him myself."

"Ask him yourself?" Hana stared at her.

"Ah, yes. That's the gossip at the marketplace. Yuki, the dashing soon-to-be mayor and the person behind the black mask, danced with only one woman on the masquerade ball." Uo winked at the onigiri. "Am I right, Tohru?"

"So it is true…" Hana whispered. "The stars were aligned when you were born and you are destined to take the path towards the wilderness causing the greatest mob that will lead to a more unsuccessful turn to the truth of what choice you are going to make."

Hana laughed. "In a short statement, why you?"

"Let us put this this way. Tohru, you are one lucky girl!" Uo shouted. "Make sure you'll tour us on that popular Sohma mansion, will you?"

"But, I'm just a friend---"

"Just a what?! Tohru, have you ever seen or been in a Sohma masquerade ball before?"

Tohru thought for a while. "No, I guess…"

"Yuki has never danced with anyone before! You're the first." Uo replied. " and the last."

"Why the last?"

"Because you're his fiancée." Hana whispered.

"W-What???"

"I didn't make that up. That's part of the gossip." Uo assured her. "Make sure it's true, Tohru, or else I can't brag about having a friend in a wealthy family."

"B-But…"

"I can see it Tohru. Your life depends on them." Hana stared at her mysteriously. "Just do it."

"She's right, you know." Uo nodded.

Tohru stared at her friends confusedly. Okaa-san, this is not going well. I need to talk to Yuki about this. Whenever they talk about "us", I feel so…weird.

There must be something to be fixed.

"Have you seen Kyou?" Kagura asked

"Nope." Haru shook his head. "Ever since the ball."

"Where could he be?" the boar sighed.

Haru wondered. "Have you tried finding at the mountains?"

"Haru, there's quite a problem about that because THIS IS A CITY, REMEMBER?!" Kagura yelled at him. "Have you tried looking for your brain?!"

"Where else could Kyou go?" the cow stared at her.

Hatori got out of his office and stared at his two cousins standing by the stairs. "What's all the commotion?"

"Have you seen Kyou?" Kagura asked again.

"I asked him to do an errand for me." Hatori answered her. "He'll be back for awhile."

"B-But, the cookies are getting cold!!!" the girl panicked. "What am I going to do?"

"Bake another batch." Haru suggested.

"But I have to run all the way to the market for the ingredients!"

"Then do it." Hatori nodded. "Pick up some office papers at Momiji's house also. I need them today." He shrugged. "I need to fix those land complaints."

"But I thought Yuki is in charge of everything. He's the mayor now, right?" Haru asked. "By the way, where's Yuki?"

"He's with Shigure."

"Now, that's odd." The cow wondered. "Whenever's Yuki is with somebody like Shigure, you'll go crazy and you'll order a police search. Now, you felt so calm and collected. Why is that?"

"I think Shigure is the best person to be with right now." The doctor grinned. "I also asked Ayame to be with him."

"What?" Kagura was surprised.

"Very odd…" Haru whispered, "…and weird."

Yuki glanced at the very shiny silver ring beyond the glass window for display. "Are you sure this ring is what girls wanted?" he asked.

"OF COURSE, my naïve little brother!" Ayame said happily. "Girls wanted to feel that they're special, so with this, my sweet little Tohru can feel that she's special."

"This sounds wrong." The nezumi replied. "What if Tohru is not like the other girls? What if she doesn't want to be treated this way?"

"NONESENSE!!!" Shigure declared dramatically. "Never shall a woman be different that anybody else. It is already in our blood since the romance in the medival ages," he stared at the pretty girl at the counter, "am I right?"

The girl nodded quickly. "Yes, s-sir Shigure…"

"Please," he held her hand, "call me Gure. I don't want people to call me formally---"

"And I'm Aya." Ayame quickly held her other hand. "My friend Gure is already taken. Why don't we go out and paint the town red, mon ami?"

The girl blushed in different shades of red. "U-um… I…"

"You… cheater!!!" Shigure yelled. "What happened to… to that Melissa back at your store?!"

"Well, she went to Paris with her ex-boyfriend." Ayame grumbled. "She never mention to me about him. AND what about YOU?! What happened to Clarisse?"

"She had been using me, not to mention she almost bought a hotel with MY money!" Shigure snarled. "Hey, do you remember Sarah?"

"Oh yes we even went to Hawaii, but she got furious once I told her that I have Melissa back at my shop."

"Martha was also nice." Shigure recalled. "But she never appreciated my work."

"It's a good thing you still have your lovely editor with you." Aya smiled. "How's she doing?"

"Still full of things to do. I hardly asked her out." The inu sighed. "Mit-chan sure is lovely when she's angry."

"Gure, you look at people in a different perspective." The snake nodded.

All that time, Yuki was still staring at the ring. He remember how nervous was Tohru back at the ball, and when she was calm and happy when they were at the balcony. He wondered how he can make her happy again.

Tohru, I don't know if this means much to you. But it means to me.

I want to know your answer… before I get trapped behind those walls again… before my father comes back…

It was 3:00 in the afternoon when Kagura rang the doorbell at Momiji's house. She pouted and waited for a few minutes before Momiji got the door.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG? I'VE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR 20 MINUTES? IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT SOMEONE OLDER LIKE ME????"

Momiji yawned. "I just got up from a catnap. What do you want?"

"WHAT DO I WANT??? WHAT DO I WANT??? I WANT RESPECT… no… I DEMAND RESPECT!!!  PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TREATING ME LIKE A FURNITURE! EVEN HATORI MADE A MISTAKE IN REFFERING TO ME AS A MAID?! DO I LOOK LIKE A MAID???!!!!" Kagura yelled endlessly.

Momiji yawned again. "Seriously, no. What do you want?" he said. "I'm not in the mood to entertain visitors."

"You don't need to entertain, MOMIJI. It's just so stupid why a guy like him need to asks somebody to do his job! Hatori is so lazy! Why can't he just go all the way here to your house and asked you for some office papers of some land complaint while I go to the grocery store and buy ingredients for my sweetheart Kyou?" Kagura blurted out.

"Oh… go to my library. The papers are there." Momiji turned around and sat at the couch.

"What?" Kagura asked. "Where?"

"Up the stairs, second hall to the left, fifth door, at the table." Momiji yawned. "Got it?"

"Yup." Kagura dashed towards the stairs while Momiji rested at the couch. After a few moments, the doorbell rang again.

"Why can't I have a maid like Hatori?!" Momiji grumbled as he stood up and went towards the door. He opened it and, half-asleep, he looked at the man at the doorstep. "Can I help you?"

"Momiji Sohma?"

"Yup." Momiji nodded.

"I'm Meiko. It's about the land complaint. Can I come in?"

Absentmindingly, he motioned his hand for the guest to come in. With a grin, the man entered.

"What do you want? I asked Hatori to deal with those papers." Momiji complained.

"Actually, I'm not here for the compaint." The man kneeled in front of Momiji.

With all the strenght he got, Momiji went back to focus and stared at the man in front of him. "W-w…what are you doing here?" he stuttered and was shaking. "Why are you back so soon?"

The man grinned. "I'm here for the land… that my dear son inherited while I was gone."

Can you guess who this man is (Yeah it's Meiko)? See you in the next chappie!

Oh yeah, I'm planning to post a new fic (Yehey *fireworks, applause and BOW*) but I still don't know what anime it is (ok, get the tomatoes ready). I'm still planning to base it in a fairy tale (maybe princess and a pea). See you soon guys. HAPPY NEW YEAR!