//Subd!v!s!0n 3#// ~Elucidation~
//(Listening to: "I Am" [Inuyasha 3rd opening] *A-N: usually the song I'm listening to reflects the mood the chapter is in, but this one doesn't quite match ^^; Oh well, I still love this song.)//
~/*/~
"Damn, I'm hungry," Kyo sat, head resting against his arm, at the dining room table. An unfilled bowl sat on the table beside him, and he vaguely wondered if that's what his stomach looked like--dry and empty.
"Well, Tohru should be back soon," Shigure said, looking up from his writings. "Although I *do* wonder what is taking them so long..."
"Shigure, Kyo! We're back!"
"Finally," Kyo muttered.
"Speak of the devil!" Shigure said as Tohru came through the door. "We were starting to think--"
Just then, Hikari stepped through the door. Upon seeing Shigure, she gave a happy cry, and tackled him to the ground, much to the surprise of Tohru,
"'Gure-san!" Hikari said delightedly, squeezing him snugly.
"Ahh...'Kari-chan..." Shigure said, eyes swirling, "You've...returned..."
*That's odd...he didn't transform!* Tohru thought, perplexed. *Wait! Does that mean...?*
"What?!" Kyo stood suddenly, looking around and ready to run, a tic mark appearing. "That means... Damn it, where's Kagura?!"
"Kagura's not here, silly," Hikari said, getting off of Shigure. "Today I'm just here with Chohko."
"Oh, great, even better," Kyo said with a heavy sigh. "I'm leaving."
"But...what about lunch?" Tohru asked.
"I'll get something out." He slammed the screen door behind him.
Yuki shifted with the supermarket bags in his arms. "If you don't mind, Miss Honda, I'll go put the groceries away, and then I'm going out, too."
"Oh--okay! Thanks!"
He exited as well, leaving Tohru, Chohko, Hikari, and a trampled-looking Shigure. Shigure finally sat up, heaving an almost comical sigh.
"Is 'Gure-san alright?" Hikari asked brightly.
"I do believe you've broken my back," he said, it as he spoke. "It was much easier on my health when you did it in high school."
"When she *was* in high school?" Tohru said. "So, you aren't anymore? Are you going to college next year, then?"
"Oh, no," Hikari said, laughing. "I just graduated from my senior year of college this month."
"But...that means you're..."
"Twenty-two," Shigure supplied.
Tohru blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you or anything by saying you looked really young, I only mean that you, um, it's just that I--"
"No need to worry, Tohru," Shigure said brightly, "Kari *always* acts immature."
WHACK!
"Kari...you know that hurt, right?" Shigure said in a pained way, Kyo's empty bowl now resting on a large lump on his head. Hikari nodded, smiling playfully. Shigure sighed, and spoke once again to Tohru. "Hikari is the only one of us of her age: five years behind Hatori, Ayame, and I, but at least five years ahead of the rest. Though, as you can tell, she doesn't act her age at all." He took cover behind Tohru Hikari went after him again.
"Heh," Tohru sweat-dropped and gave a weak laugh. *She really DOES act young... But I wonder...how old is Chohko?* She voiced the last part.
"I am twelve," Chohko said, "and in my initial year of academia." At a blank look from Tohru and the others, she rolled her eyes and gave a sigh for the lack of aptitude among her peers. "I'm in my first year of high school."
"But...how is that...?" Tohru found herself very confused about this small girl who possessed such a large vocabulary. *She's more than a year younger than Momiji and Hatsuharu, but she's in the same grade as them...?*
"Chohko skipped a grade," said Shigure, when it was apparent that the young girl would not say anything else. "She goes to a private high school--not to mention she is usually very shy--so we don't see much of her. Which reminds me--" He looked at Hikari sternly. "Is there a particular reason you've come? It's been over a year since we've last seen you here."
"Oh--no reason," Hikari's smile faded, but was back again in an instant; it seemed to Tohru, however, that it was strained. "I just needed a place to stay now that I'm out of college. And I had to take Chohko somewhere where we know people, so I thought that here was as good a place as any."
"Oh, so will you be staying long?" Tohru asked.
"Yep! For the whole summer!" Hikari smiled as Shigure sweat-dropped. "But Chohko will have to go to her cram school meetings every other day, though."
"It's not cram school, it is an exceptionally difficult extra-curricular educational group," Chohko said, looking up past her glasses in such a way that she seemed to belong in a scholar's robe rather than her school uniform. "I didn't get to high school a year early by attending cram school. I get extra credit for next year if I my marks for the summer program are better than last school year's." She sighed sadly. "But I only missed three points on my final test last year, so I can miss just two to get my credit this time."
Hikari rolled her eyes and Shigure chuckled at her tone, but Tohru was genuinely impressed.
"That's amazing!" she said, smiling wondrously. "It's really great that you work so hard just to get good grades." She smiled. "I try to work hard in school, but I still don't get very good marks. It's really wonderful that you can do that."
"Wel, it's not...I mean... Thank you," the young girl muttered. She blushed, suddenly shy again. "My class starts in two days, but the days are only half as long as usual."
"Oh, good!" Tohru said. "That means there's more time for you to be here with us, or out having fun."
Chohko kept her eyes down shyly. Hikari, however, grew enthusiastic.
"Oh, that's right!" She grasped Tohru's hand happily. "We have to do lots of fun things together! Like shopping, going to the mall, eating out, watching movies, playing games..." She was soon lost in her own world, stars in her eyes.
Tohru gave a small smile. "Well, this summer should prove to be very...interesting."
~/*/~
//(A-N: Yay, I actually got reviews! And they're *good* ^^!! Thanks everyone who reviewed: virtual Pocky and Meron Souda to everyone out there! Oh, and anyone who reviews this chapter gets free digital sake'!
\\Review Responses:\\
Sakura & Serpent Rayo: Thanks for the comments ^^! So, they're Kureno and Rin Sohma, eh? And, yeah, I -knew- that the anime left out some things, but I didn't think they'd leave out two whole characters -.-; I'm only up to the 2nd FB manga, so I'm completely ignorant to the rest ^^;
Ookami Aya: Yep, I've heard ^^! But how much of the storyline are they involved in? I mean, they don't just randomly show up, say "hi", and are never seen again, do they? I don't think Takaya-san would do something like that, but you never know. -_-;; I've gotta get my hands on those Japanese mangas!!!
Thanks! I pride myself in spell- & grammar-checking a zillion times a day--I can't stand not getting everything perfect ^^.
About Hikari's name: True, the normal "hikari" means simply a general "light", but I used a different kanji than the usual hachigashira, nabebuta, and ninnyoh radicals (looks kinda like a floorless house with a chimney and two clouds if you're not familiar with kanji--and excuse the stupid metaphors if you are familiar ^^; ). For her name, I used a different kanji with the same pronunciation of "hikari", but this kanji consists of the hi (sun), wakanmuri, and kuruma (vehicle/wheel) radicals; it is used mostly for names, and means, all in all, "sunlight". Sorry for the long explanation ^^;; (God, how I wish I could combine Japanese & English on my computer T.T)
Oh, and I decided that even though the Rooster and Horse characters already exist in the manga, I'm going to continue this 'fic, just to see what happens with it (not to mention, I've grown quite attached to my characters, and the idea is just too happy to pass up ^^). In fact, I'm really amazed that this 'fic came out the way it did! Most of my 'fics are either really angsty, or my main character dies at the end -.-; I'm glad I didn't decide to kill off these characters, though - I think Tohru would be sad if I did that ^^; So, just think of Hikari and Chohko as the anime equivalents to the manga Horse & Rooster!)//
//(Listening to: "I Am" [Inuyasha 3rd opening] *A-N: usually the song I'm listening to reflects the mood the chapter is in, but this one doesn't quite match ^^; Oh well, I still love this song.)//
~/*/~
"Damn, I'm hungry," Kyo sat, head resting against his arm, at the dining room table. An unfilled bowl sat on the table beside him, and he vaguely wondered if that's what his stomach looked like--dry and empty.
"Well, Tohru should be back soon," Shigure said, looking up from his writings. "Although I *do* wonder what is taking them so long..."
"Shigure, Kyo! We're back!"
"Finally," Kyo muttered.
"Speak of the devil!" Shigure said as Tohru came through the door. "We were starting to think--"
Just then, Hikari stepped through the door. Upon seeing Shigure, she gave a happy cry, and tackled him to the ground, much to the surprise of Tohru,
"'Gure-san!" Hikari said delightedly, squeezing him snugly.
"Ahh...'Kari-chan..." Shigure said, eyes swirling, "You've...returned..."
*That's odd...he didn't transform!* Tohru thought, perplexed. *Wait! Does that mean...?*
"What?!" Kyo stood suddenly, looking around and ready to run, a tic mark appearing. "That means... Damn it, where's Kagura?!"
"Kagura's not here, silly," Hikari said, getting off of Shigure. "Today I'm just here with Chohko."
"Oh, great, even better," Kyo said with a heavy sigh. "I'm leaving."
"But...what about lunch?" Tohru asked.
"I'll get something out." He slammed the screen door behind him.
Yuki shifted with the supermarket bags in his arms. "If you don't mind, Miss Honda, I'll go put the groceries away, and then I'm going out, too."
"Oh--okay! Thanks!"
He exited as well, leaving Tohru, Chohko, Hikari, and a trampled-looking Shigure. Shigure finally sat up, heaving an almost comical sigh.
"Is 'Gure-san alright?" Hikari asked brightly.
"I do believe you've broken my back," he said, it as he spoke. "It was much easier on my health when you did it in high school."
"When she *was* in high school?" Tohru said. "So, you aren't anymore? Are you going to college next year, then?"
"Oh, no," Hikari said, laughing. "I just graduated from my senior year of college this month."
"But...that means you're..."
"Twenty-two," Shigure supplied.
Tohru blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you or anything by saying you looked really young, I only mean that you, um, it's just that I--"
"No need to worry, Tohru," Shigure said brightly, "Kari *always* acts immature."
WHACK!
"Kari...you know that hurt, right?" Shigure said in a pained way, Kyo's empty bowl now resting on a large lump on his head. Hikari nodded, smiling playfully. Shigure sighed, and spoke once again to Tohru. "Hikari is the only one of us of her age: five years behind Hatori, Ayame, and I, but at least five years ahead of the rest. Though, as you can tell, she doesn't act her age at all." He took cover behind Tohru Hikari went after him again.
"Heh," Tohru sweat-dropped and gave a weak laugh. *She really DOES act young... But I wonder...how old is Chohko?* She voiced the last part.
"I am twelve," Chohko said, "and in my initial year of academia." At a blank look from Tohru and the others, she rolled her eyes and gave a sigh for the lack of aptitude among her peers. "I'm in my first year of high school."
"But...how is that...?" Tohru found herself very confused about this small girl who possessed such a large vocabulary. *She's more than a year younger than Momiji and Hatsuharu, but she's in the same grade as them...?*
"Chohko skipped a grade," said Shigure, when it was apparent that the young girl would not say anything else. "She goes to a private high school--not to mention she is usually very shy--so we don't see much of her. Which reminds me--" He looked at Hikari sternly. "Is there a particular reason you've come? It's been over a year since we've last seen you here."
"Oh--no reason," Hikari's smile faded, but was back again in an instant; it seemed to Tohru, however, that it was strained. "I just needed a place to stay now that I'm out of college. And I had to take Chohko somewhere where we know people, so I thought that here was as good a place as any."
"Oh, so will you be staying long?" Tohru asked.
"Yep! For the whole summer!" Hikari smiled as Shigure sweat-dropped. "But Chohko will have to go to her cram school meetings every other day, though."
"It's not cram school, it is an exceptionally difficult extra-curricular educational group," Chohko said, looking up past her glasses in such a way that she seemed to belong in a scholar's robe rather than her school uniform. "I didn't get to high school a year early by attending cram school. I get extra credit for next year if I my marks for the summer program are better than last school year's." She sighed sadly. "But I only missed three points on my final test last year, so I can miss just two to get my credit this time."
Hikari rolled her eyes and Shigure chuckled at her tone, but Tohru was genuinely impressed.
"That's amazing!" she said, smiling wondrously. "It's really great that you work so hard just to get good grades." She smiled. "I try to work hard in school, but I still don't get very good marks. It's really wonderful that you can do that."
"Wel, it's not...I mean... Thank you," the young girl muttered. She blushed, suddenly shy again. "My class starts in two days, but the days are only half as long as usual."
"Oh, good!" Tohru said. "That means there's more time for you to be here with us, or out having fun."
Chohko kept her eyes down shyly. Hikari, however, grew enthusiastic.
"Oh, that's right!" She grasped Tohru's hand happily. "We have to do lots of fun things together! Like shopping, going to the mall, eating out, watching movies, playing games..." She was soon lost in her own world, stars in her eyes.
Tohru gave a small smile. "Well, this summer should prove to be very...interesting."
~/*/~
//(A-N: Yay, I actually got reviews! And they're *good* ^^!! Thanks everyone who reviewed: virtual Pocky and Meron Souda to everyone out there! Oh, and anyone who reviews this chapter gets free digital sake'!
\\Review Responses:\\
Sakura & Serpent Rayo: Thanks for the comments ^^! So, they're Kureno and Rin Sohma, eh? And, yeah, I -knew- that the anime left out some things, but I didn't think they'd leave out two whole characters -.-; I'm only up to the 2nd FB manga, so I'm completely ignorant to the rest ^^;
Ookami Aya: Yep, I've heard ^^! But how much of the storyline are they involved in? I mean, they don't just randomly show up, say "hi", and are never seen again, do they? I don't think Takaya-san would do something like that, but you never know. -_-;; I've gotta get my hands on those Japanese mangas!!!
Thanks! I pride myself in spell- & grammar-checking a zillion times a day--I can't stand not getting everything perfect ^^.
About Hikari's name: True, the normal "hikari" means simply a general "light", but I used a different kanji than the usual hachigashira, nabebuta, and ninnyoh radicals (looks kinda like a floorless house with a chimney and two clouds if you're not familiar with kanji--and excuse the stupid metaphors if you are familiar ^^; ). For her name, I used a different kanji with the same pronunciation of "hikari", but this kanji consists of the hi (sun), wakanmuri, and kuruma (vehicle/wheel) radicals; it is used mostly for names, and means, all in all, "sunlight". Sorry for the long explanation ^^;; (God, how I wish I could combine Japanese & English on my computer T.T)
Oh, and I decided that even though the Rooster and Horse characters already exist in the manga, I'm going to continue this 'fic, just to see what happens with it (not to mention, I've grown quite attached to my characters, and the idea is just too happy to pass up ^^). In fact, I'm really amazed that this 'fic came out the way it did! Most of my 'fics are either really angsty, or my main character dies at the end -.-; I'm glad I didn't decide to kill off these characters, though - I think Tohru would be sad if I did that ^^; So, just think of Hikari and Chohko as the anime equivalents to the manga Horse & Rooster!)//