After I finish this fic, I am announcing my indefinite leave from Furuba fandom. It had been days since that Kyoru incident, and up to now, I still am deeply bothered by it. I can't think of fanfic ideas properly, because I don't see the point of writing about a couple that I know would not end together.
E+T fandom is different from Yukiru in a way that the former couple is not really an official couple. Yukiru, on the other hand, was hinted in the start of the series and the manga, so I really had my hopes high on that couple. Even if in the end of the series, it swung to semi-Kyoru, I did not care, because Tohru didn't really say whom she loves. I still have the license to dream. But now…
*sigh* enough rants. On to the chapter.
Kagura watched as Uo smiled lively at Kyo the next morning. The neko, in turn, gave her a quick grin too. She inhaled shakily. After talking to Tohru last night, the onigiri advised her to befriend Uo too.
"She is never the type to hurt people the way you think," said Tohru that night.
"I will take your word for it then," she said.
"Besides, Kyo-kun likes her because she acts like one of the boys. He treats her like a chum, because he had never have a male buddy and a woman confidante. Uo is both of those, so I can understand why Kyo-kun is close to her."
She sighed, then smiled sweetly at the driver. "Good morning, Uotani."
The driver blinked.
"Your fiancée's gone nuts," said Uo as she and Kyo ate snacks together in the car a few hours later. It was break time, but Hatori had asked Kagura to linger with him in the office to clarify more things with her regarding the bookkeeping.
"It is a little out of character for her to do that, but who am I to complain?" he asked. "I mean, at least we got rid of the uneasy tension in the car."
"That's what you think," she shot back. She felt as if ice blades were sticking down on her back when Kagura's eyes were on her, penetrating the driver's seat. "She's really scary."
"At least she doesn't inflict much physical damage anymore," he said wryly. He used to remember how he trembled whenever Kagura gets into a foul mood. Good thing his bones were pretty strong, or he would need a wheelchair right now.
"Forgive me for saying this, Boss, but I just can't imagine you proposing an engagement to her," she said carefully. "Even to anyone. Was it a fixed marriage thing?"
"No." He felt his face turn slightly warm as he found himself narrating to her how Kagura blackmailed him into being her fiancé.
At the end of his narration, she was laughing and crying at the same time. "Wahahahahahahahah!!! You really are a moron! You let her do that to you??"
"Hey, I was young back then!" he said defensively.
"Hah! Once a moron, always a moron!"
"Shut up!" He whacked her with the car pillow.
"Ssh! Your fiancée might catch us playing again," she said, laughing.
He found himself laughing along too. Her twinkling eyes and her infectious laughter was enough to jumpstart him into laughing again whenever he was trying to stop himself from doing so.
"By the way," he said when they had both settled down
already. "Yuki wants me to give you something."
"Another raise?" she asked hopefully.
"Dream on," he said as he handed her a pale cream envelope.
"Is it my birthday?" she asked.
"No. It's an invitation for Tohru's birthday." He took out his own invitation. "It's going to be a formal ball, really elegant."
"Your type of parties," she smirked.
"Exactly," he smirked back. "That's why I dragged you into this. You'll be my date."
She blinked then laughed heartily. "Me? Your date? You're killing me!"
He rolled his eyes. "Do you realize that you're the first woman whom I asked out as my date that laughed on my face in reply?"
She blinked again. "Y-You're serious?"
"Of course I am! Does the invitation look like a joke?" he snapped.
She read the invitation and gasped. "But it says here that the dress code is formal! I haven't worn a gown since I became a flower girl fourteen years ago!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why don't you take your fiancée instead?"
"Unfortunately, she said 'no'."
"She did?"
Kyo grinned, genuinely this time. "A blessing in disguise, because now I can see what you look like when you are dressed up like a Barbie doll."
"Don't ever compare me to that plastic bitch," she said vehemently.
"You don't like Barbie? Every little girl liked Barbie at one point of her life," he said curiously.
"Well not me," she said. "I hate her. My first and last doll ended up with multiple broken limbs."
He couldn't help but laugh again. "Whoa, you're a violent one. Why did you mutilate her?"
She smiled grimly. "She's too perfect."
"You understand that thought at your tender age then?" he asked, wondering how a five-year-old could think that way.
"I was fourteen when I got my first doll," she said, eyes hardening. "At that time, I was really insecure of my appearance. I was tall and lanky, and my body was too thin. I looked like one of the boys. I'm not like my other girl classmates who have perfectly shaped body. At that time, I realized that my Barbie doll was much more beautiful than me."
"So you killed her?" he asked.
"Something like that." She sighed. "You know how teenage angst is."
"That is the first type of angst that I encountered from a teen that involves Barbie," he said.
She looked at the invitation again. "I don't have a dress."
"Don't worry. I'll take care of your dress, Cinderella," he said sarcastically.
"Don't get me started on those fairy tales," she said.
"You have issues with those Disney toons?" he asked, shocked. She still never fails to astound him every time.
"I hate those prince and princess fairy tales," she said. "It's too fantastic to be real. Storytellers weave those tales just to tease girls whose skin is not as white as snow as Snow White's, or a voice like Sleeping Beauty."
"It's Princess Aurora," he corrected.
"Whatever!" She ticked her fingers off. "Belle, Snow White, Jasmine…they're perfect princesses. They lead perfect lives. It's so unfair. They have everything already."
"Huh?" His face drew a blank.
"The prince always goes for pretty princesses, but what about the peasant farm girl? The shoemaker's daughter?" she asked.
He was beginning to see her point. "Yes, but fairy tales are not meant to be taken in literal seriousness. It's for children who believe in magic and love and happiness."
"They're weaning children on the fantasy stuff," she said quietly. "But when the time comes for the child to differentiate the difference between reality and fairy tales, she wouldn't know. She would continue to believe that in real life, princes fall in love with ordinary women too."
He fell silent and then he laughed.
"What's so funny?" she demanded.
"Princes don't always don capes and crowns and swords. Sometimes, you meet princes in life who loathe royalty, and these princes would fall for simple women too, but you just don't notice them," he said, shrugging. "You know, I finally understand why you took up Psychology. You've got a lot of issues."
She stuck her tongue out at him.
"You told me I'm bitter about my cousin," he said. "You're just as bitter in life as I am. You tend to overlook life's simple magic. For instance, look at the damn mouse and Tohru."
"Tohru is a perfect princess," she said softly. "Not as rough as me. Who would fall in love with someone like me?"
He paused. It was the first time that he saw her defenses crumble. Beneath her tough façade lies a little girl that was never given the chance to blossom. He could see a girl who matured too early, who grew up too fast. A lass who never felt the magic of the fantasy world viewed without the spectacles of harsh reality that merely zoomed the usually forgivable inconsistencies and flaws of the fairy tale fantasy world.
And after so many years, everything just broke out of her. The weakness that she struggled to hide – the desire to be loved – surfaced.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked gently. "Any guy can fall in love with you. You're funny, witty, intelligent, and a lot of fun to be with," He suddenly felt thirsty. As he was reciting the traits that he had secretly adored about her, he felt his heartbeat quickening. "Y-You're sweet, kind, patient, and pretty. You are lovable, Uo."
Uo, on the other hand, was staring at him, astounded. She had no idea that he thought those things about her. But her mind reminded her that he might just be saying those things to comfort her.
And awhile ago, I was vulnerable. He has a soft spot for those kind of women.
She shook her head. "Thanks. You can stop now. I might believe you already."
Kyo was relieved to see her smile normally again. He opened the car door. "Kagura and I will be out in an hour. Don't worry, I'll take us to a less formal restaurant this time."
"You better, or another waiter will go home with a black eye."
"Uo."
"Hmm?"
He smiled shyly, in such a boyishly manner that made her heart race. "I meant everything I said awhile ago. Be patient. Your prince will come. I know he will, because only a fool can let you go."
She felt something touch her heart, and she suddenly wanted to cry. It was the first encouragement she received about her dreams she secretly cherished, and from an unexpected person at that.
Instead she drove back to her condo unit.
Inside her room, she found a box on the table. "A package?" she wondered. "I wonder who sent me this," she said as she opened the gift excitedly.
Finally, she opened the box.
Her face turned white as sheet.
A dead cat was lying in the box , a note taped on its unmoving body.
You will be mine, or you will be this.
tsuzuku