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Chapter 2: Kyo

I stand, expectantly watching the door, deeply curious as to the direction of our impending conversation.  Lingering moments pass and I find myself listening to the sounds of the lessons to distract myself from my anxious state.  At long last, the door slides open in a single, precise motion.   He stands in the doorway, appearing startled for a moment before his face contorts to the usual scowl seen in my presence.

Unable to suppress my surprise at his reaction, I say, "I see you weren't expecting to see me here."

He looks away angrily but says nothing.  He steps in slightly and closes the door behind him. 

"Shishou told me I had a visitor, I had expected it was the annoying brat, even though he just came last week."

He moves again so that he is leaning up against one of the walls in the room.  I shift my position so that I am facing him.

He crosses his arms resolutely and looks to me as he says, "Now that I know that it's you that's shown up, it's easy to tell why you're here."

Wanting to be clear, I say, "It's something we need to talk about, now that circumstances have changed."

He cringes slightly, I assume from resentment that I was the one who allowed his freedom.  Not wanting to focus on this point, I decide to quickly proceed.

"You must think so, too."

He turns his face away from me, but, as it moves, I see a pained expression cross his face.

His arms tense and, his voice sounding angry, he replies, "Why does it even matter?  It's stupid even to have a conversation like this.  You know just as well as I do, I'm a complete stranger to her.  It was just like in the beginning, her only seeing me as the cat her mother told her about.  When she looked at me at that moment with the smile upon her face meant for a story rather than for me…"

Having trouble suppressing my own sadness, I say, "Her memories of her time with all of us are gone.  She only remembers me as a classmate and the class president, a distant figure whom she didn't dare think she was equal to."

His eyes narrowed, his glace immediately returns to me as he says, "What the hell are you talking about?  I saw, no, it wasn't just me, everyone saw that day, how she walked in holding your hand for support, as if you were the only one she could trust."

He snickers as he continues,  "If you knew that day that the curse was broken, that must mean she even let you embrace her.  What a bunch of crap, are you being arrogant or are you just stupid?"

Shocked at his revelation, I see that what he says cannot be denied, but even so, is it really that certain, the meaning behind her actions?  Indeed, it seems plausible that the embrace was that of a family member, and her holding my hand was because of her anxiety in the situation, rather than any personal attachment.

Having convinced myself that this is the likely case, I respond, "What you say about her actions is undeniable, but, Kyo, how can you know what Tohru-san meant by them?"

He smiles sadly, and says, "I – can't.  I haven't had any contact with her since the reunion."

Shocked, I say, "You haven't?"

His expression becomes angry as he answers, "What, do you think I'm lying!?"

Embarrassed, I say, "No, I don't think so, I just thought – that you would have wanted to."

He looks down at the floor and says quietly, "Of course I have, I hadn't heard her voice in five years, I never…"

He lifts his head slightly but continues to look away from me as he continues, "The brat told me there was a time that you saw her again."

Not sure what I should say, I answer simply, "Yes, I did."

"And that it changed you, as if it gave you hope."

"It's true, seeing her again lifted me from my despair."

He straightens and starts to walk towards the door.

Surprised, I say, "Kyo, we're not done talking yet."

He turns his head so that he is looking back at me and says, "We are.  The day of the reunion, I made my decision – to stay at Shishou's dojo and to try my best to meet his expectations to be the master of it someday.  That hasn't changed."

Before I can respond, he opens the door and steps out towards the direction of one of the training rooms, leaving the door open behind him.

Not convinced that he had made the best choice, but knowing that he is the one who needs to make it, I follow his path out the door, but walk towards the exit.