"Look at what happened to her!"
"I thought it was becau—"
Shigure laughed aloud, "Ha! Hatori didn't know, but I was there, I was there… when Kana entered that room, determined to do just that after Hatori had been warded to the hospital for his eye treatment… Akito, he… he just pushed her down and started beating her. I tried to hold him back, I tried… but Akito just kept thrashing her, yelling to me to stay away unless I wanted to get beaten up too," Shigure closed his eyes while he cupped his chin with his hand. Tohru stopped. That was why Kana was hospitalized… perhaps that was what made Akito had the upper-hand to manipulate Hatori to erase her memories…
"Yes, I do have selfish wishes of my own… who doesn't?!" Shigure continued, "I wanted to continue to control Akito to get whatever I wanted, but on the other hand… I thought that if I did, I could change his mind… I…"
Tohru regarded Shigure for a while, "Tell me how to break the curse, tell me what your grandfather said that day,"
"You!" Shigure said, startled, "You still want to break the curse?! After how Kana had ended up into!? Aren't you afraid?!"
Tohru heated up the wok and poured oil into it, "I am afraid. But I made a promise to myself, and to the Souma," and to Kyou, as well, "That I won't ever leave this place, until the curse is broken… And I won't give up until I do."
Shigure swallowed hard as his adrenaline pumped, shocked to see Tohru this determined. "It is… like this," Shigure paused.
That day, the sky was dark and threatening to rain, everybody was gathered outside the Main House, where Shigure's grandfather had lived all his life. At that time, Shigure, Hatori and Ayame were not cursed by the Jyunishi There were whispers, "what is happening? Why are we sent here?" Ayame and Hatori rushed into the Main House, only to find Shigure on his knees, shaking terribly, his eyes brimming with tears. "He's dying…"
"Gyojin-sama calls for you, Shigure," Shigure looked up to see his mother looking sinisterly down at him, "Get in," she said. Shigure remained on the ground, "Get up, GET UP," His mother kicked him. Ayame gasped and rushed over to Shigure's aid and helped him up, Shigure's mother looked at Ayame coldly, "Only Shigure is allowed to go in," As his mother made another dash to kick Shigure, Hatori lunged forward and held her back, she transformed, instead, into a dog. With a grunt, Shigure's mother ran off. Yes, Shigure's mother was the dog in the jyunishi, and his father was the tiger.
Shigure looked at Ayame and smiled helplessly, "Sumimasen…" Ayame smiled back understandingly, "Daijobu…"
Shigure entered a large, sterile room, the walls were painted grey and the smell of incense was heavily strong in the room. Lavender… Shigure noticed the smell. "Shigure…" He heard his grandfather spoke in a low and mysterious tone, his grandfather coughed softly, "Come to my side," Shigure nervously went over.