Tanabata:

Fruits Basket

Story by Knight Basilisk

Chapter One

Tohru Honda, age 25, was sleepily rubbing the remnants of jet-lag off her eyes. Traveling was fun, but they always took their toll. A stretch here and there, she finally flopped out of bed and padded towards the bathroom in big, cat-head slippers. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and managed to find her toothbrush for the first time. 'I wonder what,' she yawned, 'is going to happen today?' In 30 minutes, she was ready to start some sight-seeing.

Before she could begin, her phone rang beside the picture frame of her mother who died in a fatal accident when she was just a teenager. Tohru gently stroked the picture before answering.

"Hello?" she asked energetically.

"Ms. Honda, this is your favorite boss speaking." Tohru giggled at his little joke. "To get to the point, do you mind if you come down to the office today?"

Tohru stopped laughing. "B-but it's my day off! I already made arrangements!"

"I know, I know, Tohru, but we need your help as well. Please, Tohru, I'm begging you."

The young woman sighed in defeat. It wasn't really her style to let anyone down. "Well—I...yes, sir." She dropped her head in disappointment, her boss's praise falling on deaf ears. "Goodbye, sir. I'll see you there in ten minutes."

*=~=~=~=*

Tohru sighed as she stepped in the commerce building. Work was definitely not on her mind, today. Neither was looking out for moving objects.

"Watch out!"

It was too late. Tohru looked up at the last minute and collided with someone's arm. "Aah! I'm so sorry!" she apologized. "Are you hurt? I—"

"Next time, look where you're going, you idiot!" a masculine voice growled.

Tohru stopped bowing like a seesaw and looked up at him which took him back a little. But he coughed and walked on, leaving her rooted to her spot. 'What...what a strange color for hair!' She blinked a few times in disbelief. But it only confirmed what she saw: orange. Not red like some natural hair color on some people, but an orangey-orange color that only seemed to exist in cartoons.

Tohru shook her head to clear out those silly thoughts and stepped in the elevator to her destination. She got out on the 16th floor and tried to locate a few of her friends. Not a soul she recognized. Oh well, she thought. She might as well go and see what her boss had in mind.


"SURPRISE!!"

Tohru fell backwards from shock. When she came to, she smiled in seeing all of her friends. "What's all this? What's going on here?" she asked nervously.

"Ms. Honda, since you have been faithfully serving this establishment nonstop for a year, we've decided to give you an anniversary get-away present!" He turned around and gestured a co-worker towards Tohru.

"Ms. Honda, we present to you a ticket to an uncharted island that hopefully will be the fulfillment of your dreams."

She glanced at the ticket. ' Tokyo , Japan ...' Wait...wasn't she already in Japan ? They're so...oh, to put it nicely, cheap. But on the other hand, they did think about her, she thought. "Thank you! This is such a wonderful surprise!" She smiled.

"And also, TAKE THE WHOLE MONTH OFF! I insist!"

Tohru's eyes swirled at the thought. "Just kidding," she heard. "I was thinking more like one and a half...maybe two weeks." Well, that certainly is a surprise. He never did such things that could harm the corporation like this. Business, after all, was number one in his agenda.

*=~=~=~=*

Life was just...such a constant rollercoaster ride, she thought. One day, you might be down, but maybe the next, you'll be up on your feet again. She smiled at the thought of not having to think about anything for two weeks—she tripped—okay, maybe she might have to be alert when walking, but other than that, she was going to take it easy. No more stress! No more bad days! This is going to be the trip that will change the person she was! Out with the old self, in with the new self! Out with the old self, in with the new self! Out with the—

"Ouch!" She rubbed her head with her free hand. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Once again, she found herself bowing like a seesaw.

"Look, I—" the stranger stopped himself when he realized who it was. "You, again?!"

"Huh? Eehh?!" It was him, again! Here he was, only at the train station. She was about to say something as well as he when the speaker announced that her train was now boarding. She apologized quickly and hurriedly entered the train.

It was an elegantly-furnished train that she had never had the pleasure to see until now. She felt like a princess...being pushed inside. Ignoring the fact that she was being shoved around, she felt like nothing could ruin her day. She mumbled her seat number to herself as she read the numbers posted above the seats. "Ah, hah!" She victoriously spotted hers and carefully made her way through.

Such a pretty train, she wondered as she stuffed her bag inside the compartment. 'Even these pushy people seem friendly.' Such a friendly atmosphere...so pleasant...so wonderful—

She stopped when she saw who sat in the window seat right next to her aisle seat.

The shock apparently mirrored on his face, he snapped out of it and turned his head. "You should sit down before they shove you out of the train."

Tohru pulled herself from her statuesque position and moved out of the turbulent aisles. Well, it looks like she'll be seeing orange during this train ride. She shook her head. It won't be that bad even if he is a conceited jerk...?