Fruits Basket

Amongst the Sakuras

Chapter 2

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Tohru had all of her things packed and ready to go. Today she would be leaving the Sohma's house to start a new life in college. While she was still looking for anything she missed, the others were downstairs, waiting for her.

"I don't think she'll be safe living by herself. Remember how much of a ditz she is," Kyou remarked.

"Well, it's Honda-san's choice whether she wants to go or not," Yuki replied.

"Who asked you, baka nezumi!"

Kyou was in an even more irritable mood this morning, for obvious reasons. It would be the first time that Tohru left their house since her grandfather's house was remodeled a couple years back.

"Now now, settle down, Kyou," Shigure said cheerfully, "Tohru-kun will come back to visit once in a while. No need to get flustered."

"I am not flustered!" Kyou yelled, blushing furiously.

Yuki was getting really annoyed by now.

"You're going to make my ears bleed, kuso neko."

"You-"

But before Kyou could finish his sentence, Tohru came down the stair, carrying her bags with her usual cheerful smile.

"Uo's here! I have to go!"

Uo and Hana came riding up in Uo's brand new car. It was a gift she got for graduation from her dad.

"I'll come back to visit as often as I can, to make sure that everyone's all right and getting along well. Okay?"

"All right then," Shigure said, "Remember, if you ever feel homesick, we'll be here to welcome you, okay? This will always be your home."

"Hai! Thank you so much, for everything."

She bowed and ran over to Uo's car, placing her things in the trunk. As she opened the backseat door, she waved a final goodbye to the family she had come to know and got in. Uo drove them off on the beaten forest road, disappearing within the trees.

The guys looked on silently for a few minutes, an emptiness creeping into their hearts.

"She's really gone now," Shigure said quietly.

It was now just the three of them, as it had been before Tohru came into their lives.

Kyou walked into the house, though it was pretty obvious that he was going to the roof to sulk.

Yuki was just standing there, looking at the road sadly.

Depressed by the both of them, Shigure went inside to read his newspaper.

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Kyou climbed on the roof of their house, the tiles making small clicking sounds with every step he took. But instead of lying down like he usually did, he stood there, trying to see as far as he could, to try to even catch a glimpse of Tohru again. It was a futile effort though, as Uo's car had driven off too far for him to see.

He sat down and sighed.

"What am I gonna do without her?" he thought.

Tohru was the only thing that kept Kyou reasonably cheerful, and pretty happy compared to before. And now that she was gone...well, he didn't want to think about it. All he knew was that it was going to be lonely from now on without sweet, little, clumsy Tohru.

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Yuki walked up to his room to lie down on his bed, when he saw Tohru's room was open. He walked into her room, which was completely empty, except for the bed and desk that Shigure had given to her as a gift. Of course, she couldn't bring those with her to college.

Yuki sighed sadly and was about to leave her room, but he spotted something half-hidden by the closet door. He picked it up and realized that it was a photograph of everyone together: Tohru, himself, Kyou, Shigure, Kagura (hugging and choking Kyou) Haru, Momiji, Kisa, Hiro, Ayame (who was hanging onto Yuki's shoulder, which caused a loathing look on his face), and Ritsu, at a festival. Apparently, Tohru had accidentally left this behind. Yuki looked nostalgic as he stared at the picture, everyone happy as they could be, mainly, and Tohru having the most radiant smile of all.

He stuffed it into his pocket and closed the door behind him. How he would miss her wonderful smile, like the one in the photograph.

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Shigure was reading his newspaper, glasses on, cigarette in hand, when he looked out of the door into the yard. He remembered how Tohru would hang laundry outside in that exact spot, sheets and shirts waving in the breeze, and there was her, as cheerful as she always was. Now it was bare, devoid of laundry, and the warmth Tohru emanated from her presence in the house.

It hadn't even been a day, and already it seemed like she had been gone for years. But then again, to Tohru's friends, Shigure, Yuki, and Kyou, a minute seemed like a lifetime, and a life without Tohru would be hard to live.

Their little flower was gone.

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Tohru looked wistfully out the windows of Uo's car, into the trees beside the road, which were passing by in a blur.

Hana could feel irregular electric waves coming from her, and knew something was wrong.

"You're going to miss the Sohmas, aren't you Tohru?" she said, breaking the silence of their trip.

Uo looked over at Hana, just now realizing what was going through their friend's mind.

"Huh? Oh, uh...yes. I will miss them. But, I promised that I would come back to visit, so it's okay. Besides, I'm sure that they can get along without me," Tohru answered with her usual carefree smile, one that hid more pain than anyone realized.

Uo went back to steering, but Hana continued to observe Tohru, for the irregular waves hadn't ceased.

Tohru sat quietly in the backseat of the car, fidgeting with her hands. Her sky blue dress contrasted with the black seats she sat on. Even she was wondering what was wrong.

"There's this...strange emptiness that I feel, though I don't know why," she thought to herself.

She knew she missed the Sohmas already, but that wasn't it.

There was...something else.

A/N: Ack, I finally get this uploaded... I've been really busy lately so this is a miracle that I've actually gotten time to type this out.

Ok, I gotta tell u ppl. I have seen the WHOLE anime series, yes, but I've only got a few of the mangas, I think up to book 7 or so, so there'll be stuff from the manga and stuff from the anime mixed into the story, but if anything is left out, don't blame me ;;; I don't know enough information from the manga to really put a lot of stuff from there, so this'll mainly be based on the anime, w/ a lil bit of the manga thrown in. ok? So yea. Bai bai for now.

Ok, this was revised because I COMPLETELY forgot about the Sohma family curse. ARGH!!! I'm really REALLY stoopid!!! ok ok, I'm gonna calm down now. Well, here ya go...again.