CHAPTER 15
Tohru woke up with a start. Her hands are being tied with a string and the string is attached to the ceiling. Her feet are weak and then she realized that she had fallen asleep while standing. Her feet were not bound but somehow it feels as though she have no energy.
'It's still dark outside...' Tohru mumbled to herself. There's a window opposite her but she can't reach it. It's closed with a thin purple curtain hanging over it.
She was still in a blur condition when Kaoru opened the wooden door slowly. Kaoru sneaked in quietly and on her left hand, is a bowl of hot porridge.
"Tohru-chan, are you alright?" Kaoru whispered while shaking Tohru a little.
"Hm... daijoubu... Kaoru-san, what are you doing here? Master says that no one is allowed to see me. You better hurry up and leave. If he finds out, you'll be in trouble."
"I brought you some porridge. I made them a little watery so you can swallow them easier. Here. Drink them." and she pushed the bowl to Tohru's mouth.
"Thank you. They are delicious." Tohru smiled gratefully.
"Oh my! Your hands and legs!" Kaoru gasped in horror. Tohru's hands and legs are covered in bruises and her right leg is bleeding a little.
"Young mas... master beats you! Why did he do this to you!?"
"Don't worry. This is nothing..." but her body aches as she spoke.
"But... it's been two days since you were tied up! I am only allowed to bring you food in the afternoon!!! One meal a day! How can you survive!?" Kaoru's tears start pouring down.
"Why did master do this to you???"
"Em... I am not sure either. Maybe I did something I shouldn't. I made him angry."
"Kaoru-san, thank you for your porridge. But I think you better leave now. If anyone else sees you here, you will be in trouble. Please do not risk yourself for me." Tohru was really happy that someone cared for her but now is not the suitable time to talk. Plus, her throat felt so dry that it cuts her throat every time she utters a word.
Kaoru nodded and whispered "take care" before leaving. If only there's something she could do to help that poor girl... Kaoru couldn't understand what Tohru did to deserve such punishment. She never did anything wrong. Moreover, she is not even a Sohma! Kaoru just shakes her head in disbelieve as she walked down the stairs and slip to the kitchen quietly to wash the bowl.
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"Ha? Are you sure?"
"Ahaha~ Mochiron desu~ It was Hatori who sent Tohru there. Ne, Ha- san?" Shigure nudge Hatori's coat and gave him a just-say-yes-smile.
"Yes." Hatori looked away. He's not good at lying.
"Well, she will at least give me a call wouldn't she?"
"Ahaha~ you see, it was an emergency and she has no choice but to hurry. And you know how her relatives treat her... they are a bit, um, stingy. Therefore Tohru is not allowed to use their phone."
"Then how come when I called you up the other day you said you have no idea where she went?" Arisa gave Shigure an angry look.
"Oh, THAT. Um, well, it was Tohru's suggestion. She doesn't want you to worry. She thought that she might be gone for just one day and return the next day. I have sworn to secrecy by her. But seems like her grandfather's condition is not so well and she will have to stay there for sometime."
Arisa eyed Shigure and Hatori in a suspicious manner. Can she trust them? Well there's no other reasonable explanation except for that. She might as well believe them since Tohru trusts them.
"Maa... I need to hand the university a letter to inform them about Tohru-kun. Can you please show us the office?"
"This way." and Arisa walked ahead of them.
Shigure had prepared a letter, addressed to the university, informing that Tohru had went back to her grandfather's place and will be staying there for sometime. He also stated that Tohru's grandfather is ill and need someone to take care of him. Shigure signed as Tohru's guardian. It's rather obvious everything is a big lie but that's the best they can do to keep her from being involved with police or any other sources. Perhaps it was mean to do this but to them, they are the reason she get involved and they will get her out of it.
Once out of the university...
"Sigh. At least this is done... what should we do next?"
"You are the one who plans everything. Why are you asking me?"
"I don't see that we have any other choice. Haseda-mama said there's a new maid in the main house. And that she's a cute girl with long hair. Plus, it was too obvious when mama said she's not a Sohma either (Haseda- mama forgot Tohru's name)."
"Then? Didn't we expect her to be there from the beginning?"
"Of course we do. But to make sure. Now that we have confirmed Tohru's location, we have to keep things away from the police. I believe her friend will make a police report if she's not back by today. Therefore we have to act fast and inform her that Tohru went to her relative's place. At least we can use that excuse to explain why Tohru-kun is not around for these few days."
"Do you think she buys what you said?"
"Ah... I hope she does. If she doesn't, it's going to be troublesome." And Shigure shakes his head.
"Ah, by the way, how long will Yuki have to stay in the hospital?"
"Maybe a week or so. He needs more rest."
"Thank god we have Ayame to take care of him..."
"What about his shop?"
"Closed for sure! What could be more important than his ototo (younger brother)?"
There was silence for a few minutes when Shigure proceed...
"Hatori, when will you be going to the main house to see Akito?"
"This Wednesday. He's still weak as usual."
"Sou... Maybe you can try to search for Tohru-kun."
"I don't think so. Haseda-mama usually leads the way to Akito's room and she will walk me out to the front door after that. There's no way I can walk about freely in his house. You should know better."
"This is going to be a headache..."
yuii-chan: Right, after 15 chapters anyone want to guess why is the title of this story is named 'Attached'? Will be revealed in later chapters! By the way, I also wrote a fanfic on Hikaru no Go... check it out!
Tohru woke up with a start. Her hands are being tied with a string and the string is attached to the ceiling. Her feet are weak and then she realized that she had fallen asleep while standing. Her feet were not bound but somehow it feels as though she have no energy.
'It's still dark outside...' Tohru mumbled to herself. There's a window opposite her but she can't reach it. It's closed with a thin purple curtain hanging over it.
She was still in a blur condition when Kaoru opened the wooden door slowly. Kaoru sneaked in quietly and on her left hand, is a bowl of hot porridge.
"Tohru-chan, are you alright?" Kaoru whispered while shaking Tohru a little.
"Hm... daijoubu... Kaoru-san, what are you doing here? Master says that no one is allowed to see me. You better hurry up and leave. If he finds out, you'll be in trouble."
"I brought you some porridge. I made them a little watery so you can swallow them easier. Here. Drink them." and she pushed the bowl to Tohru's mouth.
"Thank you. They are delicious." Tohru smiled gratefully.
"Oh my! Your hands and legs!" Kaoru gasped in horror. Tohru's hands and legs are covered in bruises and her right leg is bleeding a little.
"Young mas... master beats you! Why did he do this to you!?"
"Don't worry. This is nothing..." but her body aches as she spoke.
"But... it's been two days since you were tied up! I am only allowed to bring you food in the afternoon!!! One meal a day! How can you survive!?" Kaoru's tears start pouring down.
"Why did master do this to you???"
"Em... I am not sure either. Maybe I did something I shouldn't. I made him angry."
"Kaoru-san, thank you for your porridge. But I think you better leave now. If anyone else sees you here, you will be in trouble. Please do not risk yourself for me." Tohru was really happy that someone cared for her but now is not the suitable time to talk. Plus, her throat felt so dry that it cuts her throat every time she utters a word.
Kaoru nodded and whispered "take care" before leaving. If only there's something she could do to help that poor girl... Kaoru couldn't understand what Tohru did to deserve such punishment. She never did anything wrong. Moreover, she is not even a Sohma! Kaoru just shakes her head in disbelieve as she walked down the stairs and slip to the kitchen quietly to wash the bowl.
*******************************
"Ha? Are you sure?"
"Ahaha~ Mochiron desu~ It was Hatori who sent Tohru there. Ne, Ha- san?" Shigure nudge Hatori's coat and gave him a just-say-yes-smile.
"Yes." Hatori looked away. He's not good at lying.
"Well, she will at least give me a call wouldn't she?"
"Ahaha~ you see, it was an emergency and she has no choice but to hurry. And you know how her relatives treat her... they are a bit, um, stingy. Therefore Tohru is not allowed to use their phone."
"Then how come when I called you up the other day you said you have no idea where she went?" Arisa gave Shigure an angry look.
"Oh, THAT. Um, well, it was Tohru's suggestion. She doesn't want you to worry. She thought that she might be gone for just one day and return the next day. I have sworn to secrecy by her. But seems like her grandfather's condition is not so well and she will have to stay there for sometime."
Arisa eyed Shigure and Hatori in a suspicious manner. Can she trust them? Well there's no other reasonable explanation except for that. She might as well believe them since Tohru trusts them.
"Maa... I need to hand the university a letter to inform them about Tohru-kun. Can you please show us the office?"
"This way." and Arisa walked ahead of them.
Shigure had prepared a letter, addressed to the university, informing that Tohru had went back to her grandfather's place and will be staying there for sometime. He also stated that Tohru's grandfather is ill and need someone to take care of him. Shigure signed as Tohru's guardian. It's rather obvious everything is a big lie but that's the best they can do to keep her from being involved with police or any other sources. Perhaps it was mean to do this but to them, they are the reason she get involved and they will get her out of it.
Once out of the university...
"Sigh. At least this is done... what should we do next?"
"You are the one who plans everything. Why are you asking me?"
"I don't see that we have any other choice. Haseda-mama said there's a new maid in the main house. And that she's a cute girl with long hair. Plus, it was too obvious when mama said she's not a Sohma either (Haseda- mama forgot Tohru's name)."
"Then? Didn't we expect her to be there from the beginning?"
"Of course we do. But to make sure. Now that we have confirmed Tohru's location, we have to keep things away from the police. I believe her friend will make a police report if she's not back by today. Therefore we have to act fast and inform her that Tohru went to her relative's place. At least we can use that excuse to explain why Tohru-kun is not around for these few days."
"Do you think she buys what you said?"
"Ah... I hope she does. If she doesn't, it's going to be troublesome." And Shigure shakes his head.
"Ah, by the way, how long will Yuki have to stay in the hospital?"
"Maybe a week or so. He needs more rest."
"Thank god we have Ayame to take care of him..."
"What about his shop?"
"Closed for sure! What could be more important than his ototo (younger brother)?"
There was silence for a few minutes when Shigure proceed...
"Hatori, when will you be going to the main house to see Akito?"
"This Wednesday. He's still weak as usual."
"Sou... Maybe you can try to search for Tohru-kun."
"I don't think so. Haseda-mama usually leads the way to Akito's room and she will walk me out to the front door after that. There's no way I can walk about freely in his house. You should know better."
"This is going to be a headache..."
yuii-chan: Right, after 15 chapters anyone want to guess why is the title of this story is named 'Attached'? Will be revealed in later chapters! By the way, I also wrote a fanfic on Hikaru no Go... check it out!