AN: This chapter is Haru's viewpoint during that scene from volume three, when he met Tohru. Most of the lines came from Toykopop's translation. I would acknoledge them in advance. Arigato, Tokyopop! Please read and review and enjoy!

CHAPTER 8

Winter 1998 - 1999

The light at the end of the tunnel...

It was time for another new year celebration.

"Hey Haru! What do you think? It's cool, ne?" Momiji showed me his costume for the juunishi dance. It was his and Kisa's turn to go.

"Very cool," I said in a subdued tone. It was boring standing around the entranceway, waiting for Sensei, Yuki and Kyo to arrive. She was already inside probably sitting with Kagura- neechan and Kisa. I was told by Hatori-ni to wait for Sensei and the guys. Momiji was running up and down exicitely the hallway, showoff his costume to everyone. I was looking forward to an end-of-the-year fight with Kyo, until Sensei arrived...alone.

"You're late." I said bluntly. "You are the last one here."

Sensei waved and grinned, "Hey Ha-kun, Thanks for coming to greet me. Long time no see."

I asked about the absent duo, "Where's Yuki and Kyo?"

"Umm...how shall I put this?" He smiled his goofiest smile, "Well, to be blunt...they ditched."

I was surprised that both of them didn't come, especially Yuki. In a way I am glad he didn't come...he'd be stuck with Akito if he did...and Kyo for once knows how to stay out of Kagura's reach...not that I was against her excessive love. "Oh, I can imagine Kagura raging like fire...and Akito quietly steaming...What are you going to do, Sensei?"

"I'll take care of Akito," he sweat dropped. We started to walk towards the banquet hall, although, Sensei had to see Akito first. I was thinking why the two skipped out. Are they running away? I was really pissed that Kyo ran away from our ancipated fight.

"Man...and here I was planning to challenge him to one last fight for the year. I guess I'll have to take it to him in the new year."

"Ha-kun, don't destroy my house..." Sensei responded nervously.

"But I do understand why they'd want to skip out. Even I have things I can't stand and sometimes even I want to run away..."

"No, no, this year I don't think...it's because they're trying to run away..." Sensei stated. I didn't understand what he meant during that time, not until I met Honda-san myself.

Momiji ran down the hall to tell us the banquet was starting. As me and Sensei parted different directions I told him I wonder how Akito would handle the news. Afterwards, I went to the banquet hall and sat next to Hatori-ni and watched the dance between Kisa and Momiji.

Soon after it was over, the two dancers left to change. I immediately went to her. She was sitting beside Sensei and his two friends.

"Rin..." Her name just slipped between my lips.

"Haru? What is it?" She looked up at me. Sensei was eyeing me from the corner of his eye. That was not a good time to ask Rin to come and spend the new years with me.

"I just want to say...Happy New Year...that's all." I glanced at Sensei and walked off. How strange for him to look at me that way...it was like he knew...about us. We agreed not to tell anyone of our relationship. However, somebody was bound to know. Did she tell him?

"Hey Haruu!" greeted Momiji as he waved from the area he was sitting. Next to him was Hiro, Kisa and Kagura, whose not in the best mood. She looked so sad that a certain someone did not show up. She was not the only one whose feeling moody! I couldn't get to my girlfriend because someone's eyes are upon us.

I sat with the group, feeling crappy...even if I don't show it on my face like Kyo. That baka neko was suppose to be here! Someone needed to feel the wrath of my frustration. Kyo was the perfect person. I'll confront him... alright.

After the celebration was over, I met her outside of my house. I didn't tell her about my frustrations with our hidden secret. She doesn't need to know. Since my folks were out for that night, she stayed with me throught the night.

"I am going look for him, starting tomorrow." I told her as we laid down along side another.

"Are you serious? Just for a fight?" she laughed a little. "Are you prepared?"

"I am always prepared," I said as I took her in my arms.

The next day, I set out in the morning to look for my opponent. However, before I knew it three days passed by and I couldn't find my bike. I was exhausted so I laid in the grass along the roadway, until someone came my way.

"Gomen! Ahh...y-your hair is so white...I thought you were an old man...and maybe you were in trouble. It was my mistake! Gomen!"

It was her. Honda Tohru. She knew about the Sohma family when I asked her for directions. She was just an ordinary high school girl. As she was trying to introduce herself to me, I could hear my opponent from miles away. I took out my material to catch the cat: a piece of string. Honda-san was behind me, probably wondering what I was doing. I tied the string to one of the road railings and tugged on it.

BAM! (Kyo crashed head first into the concrete).

"Got him."

"A-Are you okay Kyo-kun?!" Honda-san ran up to the fallen neko.

"Eh?...Honda-san?" Yuki was catching his breath from the race he and Kyo had earlier.

"What in the hell did you do that for?!" Kyo snapped at Honda-san. "Right when I finish past Yuki-" He hesitated when I interrupted.

"I had no choice. You wouldn't have stopped any other way."

"Haru...?"

Kyo had a bloody mess on his forehead. Well, that was what he deserved after ditching new years! Yuki gave a formal introduction of Honda-san to me. After that, I immediately impelled Kyo to start fighting. He kept on refusing me like he always had done in the past! The koneko-chan's damn whining was really pissing me off!

"Look I said I won't and I won't! Just go home-" I shut him up with a head butt. Heh.

"Blady, blah blah! Enough with your damn yapping! A REAL man answers any challenge. But, then YOU'RE just a koneko-chan. TIME TO DIE! MUWA! HYA! HYA!" That baka neko should of just fought me while I was more mellow and white. I tend to lose all train of thought every time I go black. I got the fight I asked for and also got my ass kicked, until Yuki had a minor asthma attack.

We took him back to Sensei's house on my back. Yes, on my back. I transformed into my junnishi form so we could take Yuki back home. He wanted to stray away from the Sohma house. After we got to Sensei's house, I called Hatori-ni about Yuki's conditon. Kyo was insulted of my warning (not to fight Yuki in his sleep) and went back to school and Sensei left to go get Honda-san and Yuki's things.

I was alone with Honda-san. I noticed that Yuki and Kyo gotten along ever since she came into their lives. I told her my past story with Yuki and why he was my first love. I also told her to call Yuki by name because he would be very happy. When I watched her calling him by name, Yuki blushed and transformed. It was very cute.

In the evening, Shi-chan and Kyo came home sick and Hatori-ni had to take care of them, plus Yuki. I said my farewell to everyone and a thank you to Honda-san. I left, feeling like something good was coming our way.

"Did you fight?" Rin called out as I walked out of Sensei's property. She was waiting for me. I continued walking and she followed behind.

"Yeah. I need to train more."

"Heh. He did again didn't he?"

"Mmhm." I winced a little of that reminder.

"What about her? What was she like?"

I thought about Honda-san and turned back smiled at her. "She was everything everyone said her to be. Kind. Patient. Considerate. Rin too...would like her."

She gave me another one of her innocent looks. I was thinking Honda-san would be a good friend for Rin. As a female friend. Rin doesn't have any. I stopped and reached out for her hand and squeezed it tight.

"Someday...Rin too will meet her. Like a light at the end of the tunnel."

"I like to stay with you...my only light." she said looking down, holding my hand. I looked at her and lightly smiled.

"Alright. I was just hoping someday..."

"Haru, you're being too kind."

"I know."

I took her home and we stood in our usual place by the tree at Kagura-neechan's house. In her quietness, I supposed she was thinking about Honda-san or something else I might not know about. We sat at the base of the tree and stared at the nightly sky above us.

"Haru..." She finally broke the silence.

"Hmm...?"

"I love you...only you."

I took her in my arms, held and kissed her. "Rin, I love you too."

I wondered what was she thinking about...

AN: If you read the current chapters, Rin and Tohru are closer than before and Tohru currently knows about her and Haru. Haru was right, Tohru was somebody Rin needed. That was the point of me writing this chapter and this is the last lighthearted chapter (just to inform you ahead of time). The next two chapters are the most angsty as it dwindles down to that "day". So be prepared! Till then, see ya!