CHAPTER 18
"Em..." Tohru groaned as she felt something watery being splashed to her face.
"Hn you still can sleep in this condition?"
"Akito-san..."
"Don't call me by my name!!!"
Tohru's body was aching. Her hands hurt a lot. The strings are really cutting her wrist and she felt as though she could barely stand.
"You are really brave... after what I did to Yuki, you still dare to come here and ask for help."
"I want to help him..."
"Help? What can you do? You are an OUTSIDER."
"I don't know... I don't know how I can... help him... but I... but I will do my... best..." she's nearly out of breath.
"This is what you can do."
Akito move towards her and kicked her stomach. Then he gave her a slap on the cheek.
"Ah" Tohru groaned in pain.
"This is the price you will pay for meddling into our family business. We don't welcome busy-body like you. It's best you mind your own business."
Then he continued,
"I thought you leave the family when you decided to move out. But you still have to come back, don't you? You still have to butt-in in Yuki's affairs."
"He's... he's my friend..."
"Friend? Is this still considered a friendship? He's back home, safe and happy while you suffer here. Why didn't he come and safe you?" He looks at her straight in the face.
"ANSWER ME!!!"
"It doesn't... matter... as long... as long as he is safe now..."
"Really?" and he bit his lower lip.
"So... you are saying that you are willing to sacrifice for him? You think it's worth it?"
"He's one of the... best friends I ever... had. I can't stand... to watch him in trouble... and... and not help him... even if... if it's out of my control... I will still think of a way... to safe him... My mother often tells me... friendship is something precious... never leave you friends... especially when they... when they are in trouble..."
"Trouble? What makes you think he is in trouble? Didn't you know he belongs here?" he purred a little
"Yuki-kun... Yuki-kun wants to be... free... he... he wanted freedom..."
"Freedom! Hahahahahaha!" Akito broke into laughter.
"What is freedom? YOU TELL ME!!!" and he proceed to pull Tohru's long hair and look at her with his eyes wide in anger.
"Ugh..."
"Staying here in this place is freedom! Living alone in this place is freedom! Do what I want here is freedom! Having everyone else wished you were dead is their freedom! Is that what you mean!?"
"No... freedom is something... abstract... there is no... no particular feeling... any anger... any sadness... does not... ugh...they do not exist... you will just feel... feel free and light... do what you... wanted to do... without anyone stopping you... without anyone... monitoring you..."
Akito let go of his grip and turned his back on her.
"You don't understand anything."
"But I will... I will try to understand..."
"YOU WON'T!!! You will NEVER understand!!! Sohmas don't deserve any freedom!!! They have NO FREEDOM!!!" he was panting at the end of his sentence. Why is he feeling so much anger than before? Things are different when Yuki was the one here.
Tohru knew she had touched a sensitive point of their 'conversation'... yes; freedom is something they wanted all along but was never granted. Everything they do have to go through the permission of the head clan. Akito was never easy to handle. If he goes against it, he will do whatever it takes to stop it.
BANG!
The head clan left the room. Tohru is alone. Darkness falls and she wondered how long more she will have to stay here. Will he release her after a month as promised? Then she flashback to the night she went down the bus...
"It's cold..." she got down on impulse. She didn't know what she's doing now is right or wrong. It doesn't matter anymore. She had got down the bus and had made her decision. Though her heart felt heavy and scared, her legs carry her forward.
After about ten minutes walk, she finally reached the huge front door of the Sohma family. The main house.
'Yuki-kun is inside...' and she knocked on it bravely.
After several knockings, an old lady with an old traditional lamp opened the door and peeped out.
"Yes? How can I help you?"
"Ah... sorry to disturb you. But... I want to meet Akito-san. Is he convenient?"
"Your name please?"
"Honda Tohru"
"Honda-san, please wait for a moment." And she disappeared behind the door.
Few minutes passed and finally the old woman came out, opening the door wide enough for her to come in.
"Please come in. Young master says he will attend to you."
"Thank you." Tohru finds herself in the familiar surrounding of the main house. She had been there on previous occasions but now seeing Akito without telling the others... she felt she's doing something behind their back. Will they be angry when they found out?
She was lead to a room upstairs. The door opened to reveal a young man in his yutaka. He was sitting and then turned his attention to her. He ordered her to sit in front of him.
"So... what are you here for?"
"...................."
"Are you going to remain silence?"
"I... I need your help."
The lips of the black hair youth curved into a smile. Help? Why not?
"Are you asking for a favour from me?"
"Em..." Tohru groaned as she felt something watery being splashed to her face.
"Hn you still can sleep in this condition?"
"Akito-san..."
"Don't call me by my name!!!"
Tohru's body was aching. Her hands hurt a lot. The strings are really cutting her wrist and she felt as though she could barely stand.
"You are really brave... after what I did to Yuki, you still dare to come here and ask for help."
"I want to help him..."
"Help? What can you do? You are an OUTSIDER."
"I don't know... I don't know how I can... help him... but I... but I will do my... best..." she's nearly out of breath.
"This is what you can do."
Akito move towards her and kicked her stomach. Then he gave her a slap on the cheek.
"Ah" Tohru groaned in pain.
"This is the price you will pay for meddling into our family business. We don't welcome busy-body like you. It's best you mind your own business."
Then he continued,
"I thought you leave the family when you decided to move out. But you still have to come back, don't you? You still have to butt-in in Yuki's affairs."
"He's... he's my friend..."
"Friend? Is this still considered a friendship? He's back home, safe and happy while you suffer here. Why didn't he come and safe you?" He looks at her straight in the face.
"ANSWER ME!!!"
"It doesn't... matter... as long... as long as he is safe now..."
"Really?" and he bit his lower lip.
"So... you are saying that you are willing to sacrifice for him? You think it's worth it?"
"He's one of the... best friends I ever... had. I can't stand... to watch him in trouble... and... and not help him... even if... if it's out of my control... I will still think of a way... to safe him... My mother often tells me... friendship is something precious... never leave you friends... especially when they... when they are in trouble..."
"Trouble? What makes you think he is in trouble? Didn't you know he belongs here?" he purred a little
"Yuki-kun... Yuki-kun wants to be... free... he... he wanted freedom..."
"Freedom! Hahahahahaha!" Akito broke into laughter.
"What is freedom? YOU TELL ME!!!" and he proceed to pull Tohru's long hair and look at her with his eyes wide in anger.
"Ugh..."
"Staying here in this place is freedom! Living alone in this place is freedom! Do what I want here is freedom! Having everyone else wished you were dead is their freedom! Is that what you mean!?"
"No... freedom is something... abstract... there is no... no particular feeling... any anger... any sadness... does not... ugh...they do not exist... you will just feel... feel free and light... do what you... wanted to do... without anyone stopping you... without anyone... monitoring you..."
Akito let go of his grip and turned his back on her.
"You don't understand anything."
"But I will... I will try to understand..."
"YOU WON'T!!! You will NEVER understand!!! Sohmas don't deserve any freedom!!! They have NO FREEDOM!!!" he was panting at the end of his sentence. Why is he feeling so much anger than before? Things are different when Yuki was the one here.
Tohru knew she had touched a sensitive point of their 'conversation'... yes; freedom is something they wanted all along but was never granted. Everything they do have to go through the permission of the head clan. Akito was never easy to handle. If he goes against it, he will do whatever it takes to stop it.
BANG!
The head clan left the room. Tohru is alone. Darkness falls and she wondered how long more she will have to stay here. Will he release her after a month as promised? Then she flashback to the night she went down the bus...
"It's cold..." she got down on impulse. She didn't know what she's doing now is right or wrong. It doesn't matter anymore. She had got down the bus and had made her decision. Though her heart felt heavy and scared, her legs carry her forward.
After about ten minutes walk, she finally reached the huge front door of the Sohma family. The main house.
'Yuki-kun is inside...' and she knocked on it bravely.
After several knockings, an old lady with an old traditional lamp opened the door and peeped out.
"Yes? How can I help you?"
"Ah... sorry to disturb you. But... I want to meet Akito-san. Is he convenient?"
"Your name please?"
"Honda Tohru"
"Honda-san, please wait for a moment." And she disappeared behind the door.
Few minutes passed and finally the old woman came out, opening the door wide enough for her to come in.
"Please come in. Young master says he will attend to you."
"Thank you." Tohru finds herself in the familiar surrounding of the main house. She had been there on previous occasions but now seeing Akito without telling the others... she felt she's doing something behind their back. Will they be angry when they found out?
She was lead to a room upstairs. The door opened to reveal a young man in his yutaka. He was sitting and then turned his attention to her. He ordered her to sit in front of him.
"So... what are you here for?"
"...................."
"Are you going to remain silence?"
"I... I need your help."
The lips of the black hair youth curved into a smile. Help? Why not?
"Are you asking for a favour from me?"