CHAPTER 2
Yuki walked as he passed by the houses Souma has occupied, like Tohru had once said... this whole place is just like a village...Yuki made a detour so that he could go out without passing by Akito's house. He looked back and sighed softly as he pushed the big entrance door. As soon as he lift his head, he gasped as he took in the figure that was standing in front of him.
"Honda...-san?" He asked. How he wanted to scream and laugh out loud, how he wanted to pinch himself just then to make sure he wasn't dreaming... 3 years... 3 years of agonizing days went by without a letter nor a phone call from her, 3 years of returning back to the Souma house and living under the mental torture that Akito has put him through, 3... years...
Tohru had cut her hair short and left her fringe as long as her hair, she had a side parting now. She... had grown more matured. Even her smile...Yuki looked at Tohru, does not seem as cheerful as it used to be... She was wearing a white office, polo top and a blue denim skirt which reaches to her knees. She was wearing white slippers and was holding a white handbag. Just like an office woman. She's grown a bit taller. Yuki chuckled a bit and blushed slightly, she has grown, indeed, much prettier.
"3 years," she spoke, he was taken aback and looked up, there was a short pause and he nodded slightly, "Mm... 3 years indeed."
"What makes you come here out of the blue...Honda-san?" Yuki asked. Tohru waved her hands a bit and placed her hand on her chest, "Please, call me Tohru..." Tohru laughed softly and smiled at him, she stepped forward, "I... just thought I'd paid a visit to you... it has been 3 years after all...I...I missed you all..." Even though I know I should not be here, even though I should try to forget ever being with you guys... why can't I resist this temptation to never ever see you guys again? Why...Tohru thought as her heart pounded excitedly to see Souma Yuki.
He had a confident streak now, Tohru could see, 3 years after graduation and he had begun to look so much like his brother, perhaps Ayame had influenced him a little? He's grown so much taller now, Tohru realized, as he stood a head and a half well above her.
"Honda-san, don't say that –"
"Please, spare the formalities... I told you to call me by my name, Yuki- kun..." Tohru smiled at him. Yuki paused and blushed. It was the very first time he ever heard her call his name. But it was strange, however, to call Tohru by her name after so long, "Mm... I've gotten used to calling you Honda- san, that's all..." There was an awkward pause. "Ah, I almost forget, please, come in and have a seat, Shigure and the rest of them would be very happy to see you here," Yuki said and opened the door for her.
"Mm... would they..." Tohru looked down helplessly. "Eh?" Yuki looked up at her, "Ah, nothing, I would love to come in..." Tohru said and went in. "Ahh... nothing's changed here at all..."
Indeed... nothing's changed...Tohru thought and sighed. The very first person whom she thought of seeing was Kyou, he was the reason why she was here. The first few months are graduation, she couldn't sit still for one moment. Even her grandpa could sensed that something was wrong, if it wasn't cleaning the house again and again, it was spending most of her time in the kitchen, sometimes dazing off and wondering how Kyou is doing and whether he is coping. She felt so terrible having to think that Kyou would be kept in a cage.
"Over here, Honda-san, ano... Tohru-kun!" Yuki waved, she turned and followed him. She smiled at him, "Hai!"
"We could avoid getting caught by Akito if we go this route..." Yuki said and led the way to his house, where Shigure was there. He looked up and was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Tohru, he regarded her for a while and pinched himself really hard. He let out a howl, "TOHRU-KUN you really ARE here!!!!" He came over to Tohru and folded his arms, "Ha-ha" He said as though he has caught Tohru doing something really bad, "You seem to have changed..." Tohru smiled.
Sure enough, Shigure was still goofy, and he still wears his kimonos. There was a short pause where they heard the answering machine came on and Shigure's editor screamed and wailed. Shigure gave an amused smile. Tohru smiled again, "And you haven't changed a bit!"
"Ano sa... what have you been doing after graduation?" Shigure asked. Tohru smiled widely, "I went to work of course, I'm now a senior executive of a small company..."
"Ah?..." Shigure stared in utter shock, Yuki glared at him, "What?" Tohru blinked. "Ah, sorry, but it is not like Tohru-kun to get a job in the office, I used to think you would do something like a nurse," Yuki gave a wry smile, "...nurse?"
"But Tohru-kun, you do look so much differently from the past," Shigure smiled cheekily at Tohru, looking at her from top to bottom. Yuki glared at Shigure again.
"Ah? Does it not suit me?" Tohru said, waving her hands to make an attempt to cover her face. "Ah, that's not what I meant," Shigure said, "You look better and much prettier than before," Shigure nodded bemusedly. "But aren't you supposed to be at work now?"
Tohru looked at Shigure, "Ah, I applied leave for the day, but my boss said I deserved a week, I don't know why he would say that," Tohru said and recalled the incident:
"Hmm... I see...Since you have a week of leave, would you like to see the rest of the Souma?"
"Ah... I don't expect much, I don't want to give Shigure-san too much trouble,"
"No trouble at all, after all, you came from so far to visit us," Shigure said and stood up, "I should make plans, would you like to stay overnight for the week?"
"Eh?" Tohru looked up.
"Ano, sensei, I want to apply a day's leave...becau—"
"NO NO YOU DESERVED A WEEK OF LEAVE I INSIST!" Her boss exclaimed happily, "Ano..." Sensei pat her on the back, "I know you've been working hard for the past 3 years, you have never applied any leave even if you are sick,"
"Ah?! You..." Her boss nodded complacently as Tohru blushed, "It must be very important to you, yah? Don't worry, leave all matters to me!"
"SENSEI" Tohru exclaimed happily in happy tears, "thank you!!"
"Mm... Akito would want to see any of us at anytime... it would be rather dangerous if everyone came to visit you, it would be too suspicious," Shigure said.
Shigure seemed to have become more serious than in the past...Tohru noticed but dismissed it, "Ano!"
"Eh?" Shigure paused when he picked up the phone call. After a short pause, Tohru regarded him, "Arigatou..." That was all she could say as Shigure smiled at her and patted her head as if she was his child.
It has been 3 years. I've never written any letter, never give any phone calls, never even visited them... I... had been so cold to them, yet...yet Yuki and Shigure has been showing me so much care and concern... Tohru buried her face with both her hands as tears flowed down her eyes.
"Honda-san!"
"Tohru-kun?!"
"I'm so sorry...! I left so quickly... and I was so irresponsible as to not send you a word of my well-being throughout the past 3 years I was gone... yet... yet you guys are here... showing me such care and concern... I'm so sorry," Tohru said in between sobs.
"Honda-san..." Yuki said, "We have not forgotten how you've treated us throughout the times you've been with us, you've been so nice and caring towards us, you helped us through our darkest times... this is... nothing compared to how you've been caring for us..." Tohru fell silent.
"Besides..." Yuki said as he approached Tohru, she looked up and saw him smiling softly at her, "you must have your reasons... that's why you left so quickly and didn't keep in touch after that... We understand..." Yuki said. Tohru looked at Yuki as he reaches out to help her.
Thank you... Tohru said softly in her heart. Thank you for being so kind and understanding... Yuki-kun...Indeed, she did have reasons for being so cold after leaving suddenly.
It all started when... ...
[OOC: As requested, here's some of the translations for the Japanese language used in the story: I'll try my best to explain them.
Ano – 'that;those' but in the anime, they used it to call people politely like 'ano... Shigure-san...'
Sensei – a teacher, a master, something you used to call your seniors.
Arigatou – Thank You
Hai - Yes
The suffixes you see right from the start, are terms you use to call people with.
Shigure-san: Mr. Shigure (this applies to both girls and boys)
Yuki-kun: A suffix you use to address good friends.]