The Sohma Institute
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that. I hope. I do own this story, and all the plot twists it contains.
Chapter Four
Old Friends
He had withdrawn from her.
Though Yuki was still sitting in the same spot, still looking in her direction, Tohru knew that he had retreated. The vacant look had reentered his eyes, and there was a sense of aloofness radiating from him that hadn't been there moments before.
Tohru felt her shoulders droop at what she took as a sign of her failure. She had had him for a moment; she knew she had. He had responded to her tears, had watched her as she moved across the room. But something had happened to make him return to the condition he'd been in upon her arrival.
She wracked her brain, trying to figure what she might have said or done that might have caused it. Try as she might, nothing came to mind. The only explanation was that the change in mood must have come from inside his own mind. And in that case, there was nothing she could do to make it better.
Deciding that the best thing she could do at the moment was get some distance, she muttered a farewell and slipped outside. As she turned to pull the door closed, she saw Yuki resuming his former position of staring out the window. Head hanging, she crossed the hall to her shared office. Dropping into the chair, she stared at her mother's picture.
"I don't know if I can do it, Mom. I got my hopes up, and then nothing. What if that was my one chance, and I blew it?" She sighed, fighting a sense of unhappiness. "There has to be something that will keep his attention. I just need to find out what it is." She unconsciously caught her lower lip between her teeth as her brow furrowed in thought. She had an idea that might be exactly what she needed . . .
The sound of knocking on her front door startled Tohru from her rummaging. The unexpected noise made her jump, which resulted in her slamming her head into the shelf she was kneeling under. Wincing, she got to her feet, one hand lifting to check the damage.
The knocking repeated itself, louder and longer this time, as she made her way across the apartment's small living room. She cast a quick, distressed look at the tide of odds and ends that were currently flowing from her closet. Shrugging her shoulders, she accepted that it couldn't be helped and continued to the door. Rising slightly on her toes, she peeked through the peephole to see who her visitor was.
As it turned out, it was visitors. Opening the door with a smile, she ushered her two closest friends inside. Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima had been her best friends since they were all young children. When her mother had died several years ago, it had been their understanding and support that had helped her make it through the loss.
They had also been the ones to encourage her into following her dreams. When she lost faith in herself, they were there to bolster up her courage and make her believe she could succeed. All the little problems that stood in her way fell beneath them. Almost before she knew what was happening, Tohru found herself signed up for the all classes necessary for her chosen career. When she needed a place closer to her college to stay, they had helped her in her search. All three had been delighted when an apartment opened up in the same building where Saki and Arisa roomed together. Since then, it was nothing out of the ordinary to find the trio hanging out in one apartment or the other until late into the night.
"What happened in here?" Arisa asked, arching an eyebrow as she stepped further into the room and motioned to the small mountain of random items that were illuminated in the light from the closet.
Flushing a bit, Tohru hurried to explain. "I was just looking for something I packed away. I can't seem to remember where I put it. Sorry that everything is so messy."
The blonde waved a hand in obvious dismissal of her friend's concerns. A little clutter was not the point of this visit.
"I'm sure whatever it is will turn up sooner or later," came calmly from the black garbed Saki. She unwrapped a shawl from her shoulders, hanging it on the coat rack by the door. Tohru didn't bother to ask why she had put it on for the short trip from one apartment to the other, long since having accustomed herself to her friend's idiosyncrasies.
Still feeling a little off balance from the sudden appearance of the other two girls, Tohru ushered them towards the couch and chairs flanking the low coffee table. If she had been thinking a little more clearly, she knew she would have expected the two to show up. Her new position was all they'd been talking about since her professor had told her and she had passed the good news onto them. They were obviously eager to find out all the details of her first day.
This was confirmed when, as soon as they had taken their usual seats, Arisa spoke up. "I think you know what we came here to talk about. And since you've got to get up early, it's not like we can stay all night. How did it go?"
Tohru smiled at her bluntness. It was an ingrained part of her personality to be straight forward and to the point. "It was . . ." she paused. Trying to figure out exactly how to phrase her answer, she raised a hand to absently rub the lump on her forehead. Her first day had been anything but what she had expected, but that didn't mean it was bad. Aside from her first meeting with Yuki, things had gone smoothly for the rest of the evening. But even through the process of getting more used to the layout, those sad purple eyes had continued to hover on the edge of her mind.
Sensing the impatience coming from her guests, Tohru struggled to finish her thought. "It didn't go quite like I thought it would, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Ms. Almont; remember, I told you about her? Well, she decided to start me off by seeing one patient at a time until I'm comfortable with them. Then I'll move onto the next, and the next, until, eventually, I'm working with them all."
Saki and Arisa nodded in apparent agreement with the other woman's plan of action. When the silence continued to stretch, Arisa leaned forward, bracing her hands on her knees as she asked, "And?"
Smiling apologetically, Tohru quoted one of the sections from the manual she'd received. "'All persons employed by this company will refrain from discussing any matters pertaining to said company. They are to keep firmly in mind that disregarding this regulation is grounds for immediate dismissal.'"
An incredulous look crossed over Arisa's face. "That seems a little harsh, don't you think?"
Tohru shrugged. "I think it's their way of protecting their patients. So, sorry, but I can't talk about them."
"Do you like it there?" Saki asked, the question coming from out of nowhere. It was a moment before Tohru replied.
"At first, was a little uncomfortable. It was a strange place, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do what they wanted me to do. But now, I really think there might be a way for me to help the people there. It's just a feeling, and I can't really explain it, but I think it's going to be a good thing, my being there."
Her friends nodded, used to such statements from her. Arisa frowned suddenly, tilting her head slightly to the side. Motioning with a jerk of her chin, she asked, "Eh, what happened to your head?"
Tohru's eyes widened as she felt her face flush again. "When the knocking started, I was under that shelf in the closet. I banged my head a little . . ." she trailed off self-consciously, wondering why there always had to be evidence left behind when she did something foolish.
She caught a look passing between Saki and Arisa out of the corner of her eye. Knowing what they were thinking, she sighed. They still had trouble believing that she was doing okay on her own. When she had first decided to move, they had even debated giving up their apartment for one all three could share. But there hadn't been any of the right size and location that showed up during their search, so they had to settle for letting her take the single two floors above their own.
"I'm okay. It's just a little bump, that's all. I'll put some ice on it and it'll be gone by tomorrow." When they didn't answer, merely continued regarding her with pensive eyes, she continued exasperatedly. "I can handle a little bump, you know. I'm glad you care, and I couldn't ask for better friends than the two of you, but you don't have to worry so much. I can manage just fine. Besides, I know that you're only a call away if I need you."
This apparently appeased them, and they rose to their feet at almost exactly the same time. "Since you can't talk about your job, and that's what we came to hear about, we'd better be going. You have to be up early tomorrow, don't you?" At her nod, Arisa continued. "Are we still on for this weekend?"
Smiling at the thought of their planned trip to the movies, then out to dinner, Tohru nodded again. They said their goodbyes, and she watched them head for the elevator before closing the door. As she turned the locks, she couldn't help but feel a rush of fondness for them. What had she done to deserve such caring friends? It made her feel so safe, knowing that they were looking out for her. As that thought lingered in her mind, she leaned against the door. That feeling of safety, of belonging; that was what she wanted to give Yuki. Something to help him know that he wasn't alone. It seemed to be what he needed.
Her eyes fell on the pile of things pouring from the closet and she remembered the reason for her earlier searching. Pushing off the door, she hurried over, dropping to her knees beside the largest stack. Filled with a renewed sense of purpose, she quickly sorted it into smaller piles. It wasn't long until this method paid off and she found what she'd been looking for. Eyeing her treasure triumphantly, she smiled, filled with a sense of hope.
Tomorrow, she'd put the first step of her plan into action.
