"Where have you been?" a friend called after Uo hanged up her phone.
"Somewhere with our old friend Tohru." She answered honestly.
"I fear something about her. Bad omen… weeping and disease all over her."
Uo laughed. "Hana-san, you never change."
Hatori closed the thick medical book he was reading for a week now. His secretary almost jumped after she heard a thud. "Hatori-san, do you need anything?"
The doctor wiped his forehead and groaned. "No… I guess. You can leave now."
She stood up and asked again. "Is there anything I can--"
"Thank you." Hatori replied firmly. With that, his secretary left.
After that, he heard a phone rang. There was no direct line to his office. He had his technician take the phone and place it to his secretary's desk. He didn't want to be disturbed. He knew he was a doctor, and he was wasting time reading those books. At least, for a week, he only concentrated on finding a cure. He didn't care if there was a pile of paperwork that was needed to be submitted soon.
All he cared right now was to find Tohru's cure.
The phone rang again. That was the only problem when he was left alone.
"This is Sohma Hatori's clinic." He mimicked his voice that should be recorded in the answering machine. "He is busy for today. Please leave your message--"
"I know it's you." Yuki gnarled.
Hatori almost smiled but he was too tired to even grin. "What do you want?"
"Hey, that line is supposed to be for Shigure and Aya-san!" he pouted. "At least try to sound jolly for me."
"You don't sound jolly for me."
"Ok, I just wanted to ask if Akito left a will or something?"
"Will? He's not even our father." Hatori sounded like crap. Actually, he felt like crap. Crap but frank.
"Odd, isn't it? I can't even imagine him making a will for us! But Tohru found a paperwork about it."
"I think someone is trying to tell Tohru something." Hatori concluded. "With all the red papers and everything."
Yuki nodded. That's what I said earlier. "Do you think it's about the past?"
"I'm not sure." If that would be possible, then there's a double-crosser in the family. "Is she home yet?"
Yuki this time sounded worried. "It's getting late. I hope she's ok."
Hatori stood up from his chair. "You let her out?!"
"Hey, she can't be inside the house for a long--"
"You got to be kidding me!" Great, just great. "I tried to find a cure for her but once I find her dead on the street, I swear I will kill you!"
The cab stopped at the entrance of the forest. The driver glanced at Tohru. "This is the farthest place I can go."
"Where is the house?"
"That address you had on your paper, ma'am, is an isolated house. Nobody knew why it was there in the first place." He grunted. "And I don't have the guts to take you there. Sorry."
Tohru got out of the cab after paying him. "Thanks anyway."
"Be careful, ma'am. The forest is active when night."
She nodded back. She forgot it was getting dark.
Slowly, she entered the deep dark forest. She didn't understand why, but Tohru firmly believed that this forest is somewhat familiar to her.
"Now where are you going?" Shigure asked as Yuki got his coat.
"Out."
"You're leaving me?"
"Shigure." The nezumi grumbled. "You're nearly forty years old. Don't be such a baby."
"I'm not a baby!" He crossed his arms and pouted. "You're leaving me without my mumu."
"Mumu?" Yuki raised a brow.
"Food."
"Go buy your own." He grumbled again before stepping out the house.
"Why are we leaving again?"
"Silly. We're not leaving. We're just moving."
"DO you think this is such a great idea?"
"Yeah, I mean living with him."
While walking, Tohru heard voices inside her head. She thought she was just hallucinating because of hunger and cold. But it seems like the voices were getting louder.
"Tohru, why are we doing this?" a familiar voice asked her. "He hurt you once. Are you willing to feel pain because of him?"
"I don't care, Kyou-kun…"
She stopped. Suddenly, her head began to feel hurt and her knees were aching. She clasped her hands near her chest. She was cold. But Tohru felt another thing. She knew she felt happy. She felt she was safe.
She looked up and saw a familiar sight of small house in the middle of the woods. It looks old and shabby, but this made Tohru adore the house more. A house of memories. A house of the past.
She felt herself gasped and said, "The house of Shigure." She clasped her mouth and her eyes widened.
House of Shigure? What was I saying?
Her feet started moving involuntarily, which lead her inside the house.
The sun was shining brightly.
All of them, the five of them, stared at Tohru. Kyou and Yuki both wore shocked faces. Hatori face remained blank but obviously he was also surprised. Shigure was the first one who broke the silence.
He chuckled lightly, which sounded more like a cough. "T-Tohru. Are you suggesting that we, all of the Sohmas, should live with.. Akito?"
She felt herself melting when all of them were staring at her. But, again, she remained confident and smiled back. "Hai."
"Why?" was the only think Hatori could say.
"Tori-san, you said so yourself. He's misunderstood. That's why he needs company, which is us. Isn't it great?"
"Tohru, during New Year, I don't have any plans to stay inside that house for even a minute. But MOVING THERE?!" Kyou almost yelled.
"Calm down, everyone." Yuki murmured. All of them then stared at him. "It's just a suggestion. Let's try it out. How can it be?" he smiled back at Tohru.
She felt her hopes rise. At least she was not misunderstood.
0000
"Remind me again why we are leaving?" Kyou asked as he entered Tohru's room.
She chuckled lightly. "I suppose you hated it when I remind you that we are leaving."
"Why can't we just stay here?" She felt him standing directly behind her. "I mean, we can stay here if you want."
"I'm trying to fix your clan. At least, this is just a suggestion." She replied softly.
"Now," Kyou asked again, "Why are we leaving again?"
"Silly. We're not leaving. We're just moving."
"DO you think this is such a great idea?"
"Yeah, I mean living with him."
Suddenly, she felt his hands grabbing her shoulder and turned her around for her to look at him. She was surprised but he was dead serious.
"Tohru, why are we doing this?" He asked her. "He hurt you once. Are you willing to feel pain because of him?"
"I don't care, Kyou-kun…" She shrugged. "I always wanted to live a happy life with you, with Yuki, and with everyone in your clan. If one is against me, then this is not a happy life."
All Kyou could do was to stare back at her.
"Ok, if you don't want to go, then tell the others, Kyou-kun." Tohru smiled. "But I would be very happy if you were there."
Kyou sighed heavily and grinned. "I guess I can make a deal with you."
"Sure." She grinned back.
"I'll go with you… if you will go with me."
She felt her head twitch. "To where?"
"To the ball." He widened his grin. She almost laughed at him but all she could do was to nod back at him.
000
"Have you drank vodka before, Tohru?" Kyou asked suddenly that night at the ball. First he refused to dance with her. Next, he decided to take her outside for a walk with no reason. Then out of nowhere, he asked her a question that is somewhat prohibited in school.
"No, Kyou-kun." She shook her head. "I haven't."
"DO you want to?"
"I don't know…"
"I won't tell the nezumi…" he grinned. Tohru again had nothing to do but to nod.
Then everything was quick.
First she drank two wine glasses of vodka. Sooner or later, she was dancing around with Kyou, who also drank with her. Her head was flying and she felt all jumpy. She laughed even though there was nothing to laugh about. She didn't care if everybody else were laughing at them. For the first time, she felt so happy and drunk.
"Kyou-kun!" she sang at the top of her lungs and he also was laughing. For a moment, she felt herself being lifted and placed in a large table. Everybody was howling when she felt someone climbing on top of her. She was still laughing and the vodka was soaring in her veins. Kyou smiled at her and his face radiated from the spotlights above them. He was so handsome and charming.
"Kyou… kun?" she asked while smiling.
Kyou didn't say anything. Instead, he pinned her hands and legs to the table and gently he dipped his head and kissed her passionately, devouring every piece of her. She felt herself kissing back, not letting go of him, giving up to every resistance she felt inside her body. She knew at that time that she had loved him more than everyone else.
Then she heard someone yell.
Yuki's voice.
Anger and hatred filled the room. Her head was aching, like it hit somewhere hard.
She cried out a name.
Nothing came back. Instead she again felt herself being lifted.
She opened her eyes… and saw Kyou above her.
Kyou was meditating by the mountains when he heard someone laugh. He doubted it because the closest house from his place was Shigure's isolated home, which was empty. But the laughing was continuous. So he climbed down and checked it out.
He has been there. He has seen enough. Like a maniac, she was dancing in the middle of the house like there was music. She was happy and laughing, until she stopped and dropped to her knees.
For the second time in his life, he saw her crying because of that damn rat.
Then she cried out a name. "KYOU!" She called before she passed out. He quickly went towards her and held her in his arms. He didn't care if he was too close. This was the right time for him to say something.
Tohru's eyes fluttered open and she saw Kyou above her, just like the flashback she saw inside her head. "Kyou.. kun?"
Kyou didn't say anything. He has to say something. He should, because this was the only time he was this close to her. But instead he kissed her lightly.
Tohru didn't feel surprised. Instead, she kissed him back.
It's ok. The voice came back on her head. It was the voice of Kyou comforting her. I'm here.
Oooh, this sounded like a kyoru. I'm so sorry. But this is how my story went. Don't worry, Yukiru will come soon. I hope I haven't angered Yukiru fans…