(Chapter Six: Musical Hearts)
On Monday morning Kawaii High was a bustle with the many girls trying to give chocolates once more to Yuki at the Student Council office, among them The Prince Yuki Fan Club. It was Valentines Day once more on the next day but since school wouldn't be in session the next day, the girls were eager to give their chocolates. Kakeru marveled at all the chocolate that Yuki received. He himself had gotten quite a few chocolates from his own fans. Even Nao had received one from his special girl.
"Hey Shorty" Kakeru replied wrapping his arm around the frowning boy, "Even you got one."
"Don't call me that" Nao seethed as he removed the annoying boy, who was still laughing.
"Here you go Mr. President!" Kimi said as she bounced over with his chocolate.
"Oh" Yuki smiled politely sitting at his desk, "Uh thank you Kimi."
"Your welcome" she smiled, "Go ahead Machi" she urged the girl forward, "You have chocolate for the president too don't you?"
"Uh" Machi replied a bit embarrassed, "Well I."
"Um" Yuki said just as nervous.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door. Kakeru walked over to open it.
"Probably some more girls to give you chocolate Yun Yun" he replied happily opening the door, "Then again. Maybe not" he said as Momiji entered the room.
"Momiji? What are you doing here?" Yuki asked surprised.
"I have a favor to ask you Yuki" Momiji replied politely.
"What is it?"
"I was supposed to come over to Shigure's house tomorrow, but I have to cancel. Something came up."
"Uh. What would you like me to do?"
"Could you tell Tohru for me?"
"Why can't you tell her?"
"I can't find her anywhere. Will you?"
"All right. I'll tell her."
"Thanks. See you later Yuki. Happy Valentines Day" he replied excitedly closing the door behind him.
"Hmm?" Kakeru smiled as he munched on some of his chocolate, "Maybe it's just me, but I would bet the kid has a date."
"What?" Yuki said astonished, "Momiji? No way."
"I'm telling you Yuki. The only way you put off normal plans like that is if a pretty girl is involved."
"You think?"
"Mhm" Kakeru nodded as Nao and Kimi departed the room, "Speaking of pretty girls" he indicated to Machi, "I'm gonna leave you two alone."
"Thanks" Yuki replied a bit irritated.
"See ya!" Kakeru winked as he left the office.
"Did Kakeru just leave?" Machi asked as she came out of the backroom.
"Uh yea" Yuki nodded, "We need to get to afternoon classes anyway."
"Oh wait. Before you go Yuki. I have something for you."
"Oh Machi you didn't have to get me anything."
"I know" she nodded, "I wanted to. Here" she handed him a small bag tied with white ribbon, "Happy Valentines Day Yuki."
"Okay" he smiled as he undid the ribbon and opened the bag.
He pulled out an oddly shaped piece of chocolate. But as he got a closer look he saw that it was in the shape of a cute little rat.
"This is different," he said not knowing really what to say.
"Yea" she nodded, "I have a family member who makes all sorts of chocolate animals and every once awhile he asks me or Kakeru if there is any kind of special animal we want. And this year I asked if he could make me a rat. So I could give it to you."
"Machi. This is incredible. I think this is my most favorite piece of chocolate that I have ever received. I'm afraid to eat it."
"I hoped you like it."
"I do. I love it" he kissed her cheek, "Thank you."
"Your welcome."
"Why don't you get your bag and I'll walk you back to class?" he replied placing the rat back into the bag carefully.
"Okay" she nodded picking up her bag.
Then he opened the door and took her hand gently and the two of them walked down the hall, undisturbed for the time being.
(Next Scene)
Kakeru couldn't have known of course for certain that he was right. But it turned out that Momiji had put off his plans to be with Andie on Valentines Day. He had been invited by her father to have lunch with them that afternoon. So he whistled as he got off the train and headed for the brick house that he had been to so many times before today. When he arrived Angelica answered the door and escorted him once more to the drawing room. Andie stood up at once as he came over.
"Happy Valentines Day Momiji" she replied with a smile.
"Happy Valentines Day" he smiled back as he sat down, "I'm sorry I don't have a present for you. I know over in England that they give gifts on both sides but here in Japan only the girls give gifts here."
"I know that."
"You do?"
"Mhm. Which is why I am not disappointed. And I got you something" she handed him a box.
"You didn't have to do this" he shook his head with a grin.
"I know. I just wanted to. Go ahead and open it."
"Okay. Wow. There are a lot of chocolates in here."
"Mhm. I didn't know what kind you liked so I got a variety."
"Well this is great thanks" he smiled.
"Your welcome" she nodded holding out her arms.
"What?"
"Well we're friends aren't we?"
"Yea. Well I was kind of hoping a little more than that."
"Well so do I. And that's why people like that usually, you know."
"Oh? Embrace right. Um I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
"It kind of makes me feel uncomfortable. You know because I don't know what it feels like?"
"Oh?" she nodded, "Of course. I understand. That makes sense. I'm sorry I pressured you."
"No that's okay" he shook his head rigorously, "No big deal. That was a close one" he though to himself.
"Well shall we eat lunch? I'm afraid my father is going to be running late again."
"That's all right" Momiji nodded standing up, "Well now that you gave me such a nice gift I'm gonna have to get you something for White Day."
"What's White Day?" she asked as they walked into the dining room.
"It's the opposite of Valentines Day. Instead of the girls giving presents, it's the day the guys give a gift in return."
"What an interesting custom. I like it" she sat down.
"Yea. We like it too" he nodded as he sat down and picked up his fork, which he finally knew how to use properly.
As they ate their meal Andie noticed that Momiji became suddenly very somber and less talkative. She wondered what was bothering him and soon it became very apparent as they drank their tea in the drawing room that something was on his mind.
"Momiji" she said putting her teacup down.
"Hmm?"
"Is there something wrong?"
"No why."
"I think I upset you earlier."
"How would you do that?"
"By bringing up painful memories. When I asked you for a hug."
"Oh no. I was just being silly."
"Well obviously it was very important to you because you're still thinking about it."
"It's not that. It's just, I wasn't exactly telling you the truth."
"I don't understand. What do you mean?" she asked with a bit of a frown.
"Oh boy" Momiji stood up and began to pace, "Andie we like each other right?"
"Why yes Momiji" she nodded.
"I mean. We care about each other. This is more than a friendship for both of us isn't it?"
"I'd like to think so."
"So would I. But I have to be honest with you."
"Okay."
"Mind you it's not going to be an easy thing for me to say. I've never said it aloud before and I'm certainly not supposed to say anything but I feel like I can trust you. I can can't I?"
"Um of course, but Momiji. What are you talking about?"
"There's a really certain reason why I can't hug you" he knelt before her and took her hand, "And it's a secret. A secret in my family. In fact it is the reason that I really am no longer with my parents."
She nodded and held his hand as he continued. He sighed and stood back up.
"In my family there is a well kept secret that even members outside of the secret don't know about it, even if they are members of the family."
"Momiji you're talking in circles" she almost laughed.
"What I am trying to say is. But I'm afraidyou aregoing to laugh at me."
"Laugh at you? It can't be that bad."
"Do you believe in things such as oh for the sake of the argument let's say curses?"
"Curses? Well in England people believe in a lot of things. In magic, and spells. Is that what you're talking about?"
"Sort of. Why is this so hard?"
"Momiji whatever it is just tell me" she reassured him, "I'll listen to every word you say."
"Okay" he nodded, "Here it goes. Um. For many generations my family. The Sohma family. Has been under a curse. The Zodiac curse."
"Zodiac curse?" she replied with a bit of confusion.
"Right. At any given time twelve people in my family are cursed with the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. No wait there are thirteen of us. Fourteen. Whatever. Any way. If we are hugged or embraced by a member of the opposite gender we transform into those animals. Also if we're under a lot of stress."
"Uh huh. And you're telling me, that you're one of them?"
"Yes. I am."
"Really?"
"I understand if you don't believe me" he began to pace again.
"Oh no. No. It's not that. But a curse. Momiji it's a bit."
"Weird. Not possible."
"Farfetched."
"I know" he sighed again with a shrug of his shoulders.
"But it's true?"
"Yea. What?" he noticed her grin.
"Just a little thing. Could you show me?"
"Huh?"
"Well. If you can prove it. Then I might actually be able to believe a little more. Right now I'm not sure."
"You want me to hug you?"
"No not me. There must be someone else" she gazed around and then smiled, "Oh Angelica."
"What?"
"Just run into her. Real quickly."
"Won't she notice me?"
"No not really. She doesn't really notice much. Go ahead."
"Are you sure?"
"Mhm" Andie nodded, "Prove it to me."
"Okay" Momiji nodded and walked over fast to Angelica as she came in.
Just as he ran into hera loud POOF sound filled the room. Angelica gazed around her as she scooped the towels that she had been carrying back up, and as Andie rushed over to help.
"Goodness" Angelica straightened up as she was handed the last towel, "What was that wind? Where's Mr. Momiji?"
"Oh he ran to the bathroom. He'll be back soon. You got to be more careful Angelica" Andie said as she scooted Momiji's clothes behind her.
"Yes" Angelica said with a bit of a puzzled frown on her face, "Yes I must. I could have sworn that. Oh never mind. It's my old age" she shook her head and left the room.
Andie looked around her.
"Momiji? Momiji where are you?"
"Over here" a small voice came from behind the couch.
Andie walked over and saw the small yellow and brown rabbit staring up at her with his brown eyes.
"Momiji?" she smiled.
"Hi."
"You're a rabbit?" she said excitedly.
"Yea."
"A yellow and brown rabbit. I get it now."
"Um. Could you by any chance get my clothes and hand them to me. I'm gonna be transforming very soon."
"All right" she nodded walking over and scooping them up.
She handed them to him and then hurried back to the couches they had been sitting on. A few seconds later another POOF sound was heard. Momiji came out of from behind the sofa. His hair was a little messed up but he was still smiling.
"Now do you believe me?"
"Oh I believed you before" Andie replied pouring herself another tea.
"What?"
"I just wanted to see it. The animal you were."
"You" he shook his head, "You tricked me."
"Yes" she smiled as he grinned slyly at her, "Do you want some more tea."
"Sure" he sat down.
"So is there more to the story?"
"Hmm?"
"Your parents."
"Oh yea. Well when I was born. You see you have to understand this about Zodiac parents. I told this to Tohru too."
"Tohru. She's the one you used to have a crush on."
"Yea. When a Zodiac member is born there are two ways a mother reacts. One they are very protective of the child and two they want nothing to do with them. They basically reject them. Mama rejected me. It got so bad that she became ill and the only thing they could do was erase her memory of me."
"How could they do that?"
"There's a member of the Zodiac who is the dragon. Hatori is the dragon. He has this ability kind of like hypnotism that makes a person forget what they see or know. It comes in handy in the times where people weren't supposed to find out, that sort of thing."
"Like me?"
"Oh no you're different. I told you. Any way. Papa asked me if I could allow this to happen to make Mama happy again and he promised that he would love me more than he could to make up for her love."
"That's an awful thing to ask a child," she said with a sad look in her eyes.
"But in the end it turned out for the best. Mama forgot me and she got better. She's much more happier now."
"And are you happy Momiji?"
"I'm okay" he nodded, "I can't be selfish. Papa needs her and so does her other child."
"Her other child?" she saidconfused at firstbut then looked up when she realized, "Momo. Momo is your sister isn't she Momiji?"
"Mhm."
"Oh you poor bunny."
"Literally" he laughed, "But she can never know. I have to keep my distance."
"It all makes sense. Still I feel so sorry for you."
"Hey I'm okay. I decided a long time ago that I'd rather see Mama happy then her knowing about me. That's what I want. If I can watch her and Momo from afar, that's enough for me."
"Oh Momiji that's really sweet."
"Yea. But enough of that. Now I have to think of a really cool thing to give you for White Day."
"You don't have to give me anything."
"It's not just for that. It's for other things."
"Such as?"
"I think I know why I wanted to tell you."
"You do? Why?"
"It's a secret," he said whispering in her ear.
"A secret you can't tell me?"
"Not yet. I want to wait for the perfect moment."
"I'll right. I'll wait. But I do expect to hear the secret by the time White Day gets here."
"Deal" he smiled and they clinked their teacups together with a laugh.
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: Four more to go!!! See you all on Monday!!!
Next Time on Rice-Balls in a Fruits Basket:
Chapter Seven: The Defense
Kyo confronts the Elders Council and his father with the letter written by his mom. What will their decision be? How will Rei react to this action? Find out next time!!!
And
Chapter Eight: Admitting the Secret
Tohru comes to terms with Shigure about her worries about Kyo. Along the way though she comes to a decision on her own. One that could cost her, her memories of the Sohmas.