I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day! I finally have the second chapter up! I'm so sorry to everyone who has anxiously waited for me to post! I had tests to study for, and I read a lot during the course of writing this! Thank you, all of my reviewers, who reviewed the prologue! You all are so great! I would like to acknowledge all of you:
Animefreaks13: Thank you so much! I love your stories also! Diseased is turning out really well! Now that I have explained what confused you, I hope you understand!
snarg: I'm so glad, thank you! I never thought I would actually get a Yukiru supporter to cheer for Kyoru! Wow! My main goal for this story was to make it poetic and lyrical sounding, so I'm very happy that you acknowledge it!
machoupitchounette: Your pen name is really cool! I'm glad you like my story, and I'm glad you liked the way I started!
vashfan59: It's nice to know you were anxious for this chapter! I will definitely keep going!
tehluver: I know, I felt like crying a little bit when I was writing it! The doctors couldn't help him, only because what he came down with was something the doctors couldn't cure! It happened to my grandfather!
LilyEvansPotter4456: Thank you so much! I enjoy reading your X-Men stories, even though I really don't know what's going on! You're such a great friend, and I'm so happy that you took the time in reading my story!
To all of you: thank you for your wonderful, beautiful reviews!
Now, may the second chapter, and the actual story, begin! But before that, I would like to apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes that I didn't catch!
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and all characters used in this story are property of Natsuki Takaya. The song 'Painters' was sung and written by Jewel.
Chapter Two: Humble Beginnings
With the soft breeze tickling her face, Tohru Honda gaily hung up clothing on the line outside of the cottage she and her grandfather lived in. She hummed to herself as she listened to the brook of running water nearby her house, and how the light waves crashed against the large rocks nestled in the middle of its path. The blades of forest green grass tickled the bottoms of her small bare feet as she walked along side of the clothesline, pinning up crisp white sheets and damp blouses with clothespins. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, the sun just creeping up behind the trees, and the birds singing their morning songs. The clouds were tinted with pinks and oranges, Mother Nature's sweet morning gift of beauty. Tohru began to whistle aloud with the birds, pretending she was one of their kinds, a friend to them.
She was sixteen, Tohru, with long, smooth brown hair that was tied back with two ribbons everyday. She was a graceful, stunning girl, with a milky white complexion and deep brown eyes that saw nothing but the inner-beauty of others, and the gorgeous world that surrounded her. Tohru always dressed herself with a smile everyday, for she was optimistic when it came to almost anything. She lived with her grandfather, just them two. Her father had passed on when she was just a little child and her mother just but around four months prior to this Sunday morning. Sweet Tohru was the only daughter of her parents, therefore she had no one to turn to but her two best friends once they were both gone. Arisa Uotani, who was a tall, beautiful girl with glossy blonde hair and a reputation of being known as a 'Yankee', and Saki Hanajima; a mysterious being whose hair was as black the Raven's feathers. She had the ability to sense 'denpa waves', the electrical signals humans give off. Tohru loved them both dearly with all of her heart. They all would do anything for one another. Their friendship was stronger than the mightiest creature of all, for it could withstand any default or difficulty in its way. Tohru hadn't made too many friends when she was a little girl, but she felt as though having Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima for friends made up for everything.
Tohru had a head filled with dreams. She would often dream about the sweet simplicity of life, why the sky was blue, why animals couldn't talk. When her household chores were finished and her schoolwork done, she would sit by the narrow brook behind her grandfather's house and watch the crystal blue water run all afternoon. She would imagine herself as a bird, or a flower, or even a little animal, and she would watch the currents flow, and she listened to the soothing, refreshing sound it gave off. It would sometimes take forever for her grandfather to tear her eyes away from it. She would be out there until late evening, unaware that she didn't eat the dinner she had made for her and her grandfather. Tohru often fell asleep in the grass, due to the sound of the water, and she enjoyed the time to herself. But oh, how she sometimes needed the company! The trees never responded to her comments or questions, nor did the butterflies, animals, and other plants. There was one time, during the early spring when Tohru was just continuing her daily visit after the end of winter, that she desperately needed someone with her. Tohru was singing along with a new friend, a small, lovely bird, and she was standing on her tiptoes, attempting to stretch out a slender finger and let the bird sit itself on it. She stumbled a bit, but regained her balance once the bird clung itself to her finger. Tohru was just about to stroke the bird on the head, when she plummeted right into the brook! The bird flew away just in time, but poor Tohru was being carried away with the flow of the brook. Down the forest she went, trying to grab onto land, only to be ripped off by the water. It wasn't until she reached a small farm, where a man plowing the fields went out of his way to help her out. Nambo Karasuma, and friend of Tohru's grandfather, was his name. He helped her out of the brook, gave her a towel to dry herself off, let her pet the animals on his farm, and she headed off home, thanking him a countless number of times for helping her out. Thankfully, Tohru hadn't caught cold from the water.
Now Tohru hung up the last bit of laundry, a red and white gingham table cloth, and dug her face into the soft, fluffy material before clipping it on the clothesline with three clothespins. She stood back and looked at all of the apparel that blew with the wind, making sure she had everything hung up. She sighed, a smile tinting her face, and she picked up the straw-made laundry basket and headed inside. The cottage she and her grandfather lived in was simple and small, which was perfect for the two of them. The front porch was covered with pots of different colored flowers, flowers that Tohru found on her magical adventures throughout the wood and by the brook. Inside the house, when one first entered, there was a little sitting room that also was filled with flowers. In a little corner of the room was a window, the window that Tohru sat by whenever she couldn't go outside. She would sit there, staring out the window with her elbow rested on the windowpane, her chin in her hand, sighing at the barrier that separated her from the wilderness.
There was the eating area, where she had her grandfather would eat their meals together. It was a small, cozy room, with a traditional eating table, surrounded by pillows. The room was always lit up with sunshine leaking in from the large windows, and flowers sat in front of them, peeking into the house. The kitchen was white, just white. The floors were polished so that one could see their own reflection, the cabinets were pearly white, and the marble countertop was white as well. Upstairs consisted of Tohru's bedroom, her grandfather's, and a little room filled with books. Tohru's room was simple, with light pink walls, a large bed covered in pink bed sheets, and a wooden oak desk. On the desk was a large ceramic vase, filled with flowers. Any type of flower that Tohru would find would have a home in her bedroom. The flowers were her friends, and Tohru thought they were the most beautiful creations in this world. The flowers brightened up her room, along with the large window, where the blinds were never shut, so the sunlight and moonlight were always welcome into the chamber of hers. If Tohru wasn't outside enjoying nature or sitting by the brook, she would be here, dreaming and creating poems in her small, yet imaginative head.
Tohru found her way to a linen closet adjacent to the kitchen, and gently set the laundry basket on a shelf on top a stack of terrycloth bathroom towels. She quietly closed the closet door, trying not to disturb her grandfather's slumber. It was still early in the morning, for Tohru got an early start everyday. She went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her and her grandfather, the traditional bowl of white rice and a cup of green tea. Quietly and with grace, she hurried about the kitchen to prepare the meal. Whistling while she worked around the house always made these small chores more enjoyable for Tohru, so she whistled a pleasant little tune, one that her mother would sing to her before she was set down to sleep. Reminiscing about her mother always made Tohru happier than she always was. In her eyes, her mother was the most beautiful person in the world. No one could replace the dear love that she had for her, for she would always hold the biggest part of Tohru's heart.
Making breakfast never took long for Tohru, and she finished in no time at all. The meal was set on the table, along with the tiny cups of tea, and the chopsticks to eat them with. Tohru took off her apron and folded it neatly before she put it back in its rightful place in the bottom right drawer of the kitchen counter. Smoothening out her dress, she walked over to the window and looked at the breathtaking sunrise before her eyes. The sky, along with the sun, was painted shades of light orange, dark yellow, and powder pinks. Tints of purple were scattered throughout the sky, and it couldn't look any more romantic to Tohru than it already was. Tohru sighed amorously, and walked away from the window to begin the rest of her morning routine. Sweeping the floors and dusting places around the house were what Tohru did for the remainder of the hour before her grandfather came downstairs, dressed and ready to eat the meal with his granddaughter.
"Good morning grandpa!" Tohru said as her grandfather entered the dining area with a smile. "Good morning Kyoko-san," said he. Tohru gave him a peck on is soft, wrinkled cheek, and helped him kneel down at his place before the table. She leaned over to the table's center, spooned a cup of rice into a bowl, placed it in front of her grandfather, and then she handed him a pair of chopsticks. Tohru sat herself down beside him and made sure he enjoyed his meal. "Do you like it grandpa?" asked Tohru. While inserting the small white grains into his mouth, he nodded to her and went on with eating. Tohru smiled as she watched him eat, and at that moment she wondered to herself how it would feel to be an elder. How would it feel to be one of the most respected people in this big world? How would it feel to know more than anyone else? "Grandpa," Tohru began. "How does it feel to be old?" She smiled slightly at his inquiring look. "It must be wonderful sometimes, right?" Her grandfather placed down his chopsticks and dabbed his mouth with a cloth napkin, something he was keen to doing whenever he spoke during a meal. "It has its ups and downs," he told her. "Just cherish the time you have being as young as you are. There isn't anything more precious than the gift of youth and life. You remember that, Kyoko-san." Tohru smiled at her grandfather's wisdom as he finished his breakfast, the sun beginning to leak into the room. When he was finished, Tohru helped him up and led him out of the dining area and out onto the porch where he sat in his rocker and watched the grass. The short green grass and all of its beauty and mystery.
Without taking a look at the time, Tohru set her breakfast in a bowl and took it outside to sit with her grandfather. She had left her apron on, a little habit of hers. She sat on the edge of the porch, her slender legs just dangling above the ground. Tohru overlooked the beautiful valleys and trees before her, unconsciously eating and unaware that she wasn't the only essence of life that sat on the porch. Her grandfather laughed quietly to himself, admiring his granddaughter's love for nature and the outdoors.
It could have been an hour, maybe even more, before Tohru ate the last bit of rice from her bowl. Gently placing the chopsticks inside the dish, she put it down at her side and stared into the open area of green fields and almost endless plains. She watched as the birds flew over the trees, and at that instant, Tohru wanted to be a bird. She sighed as the bird flew off into the distance, into the sun and beyond the clouds. "Oh," she said to herself. "It would be so wonderful to be a bird! I could fly all day long! It would be so nice…The wind against my wings, the breeze in my face, and I could see things ahead of me too! Why, I would be able to fly to Uo-chan's and Hana-chan's houses—not that I don't enjoy walking!—and I could fly to school! How would the other students react if they saw me off in the distance, with wings as white as a Dove's, flying towards school?" Hearing the creak of her grandfather's wooden rocker chimed Tohru back into reality and out of her little world of dreams. She could hear her grandfather's laughter as she turned around and smiled, he covering his face. "I'd say they would think it was silly for a girl like you to fly," said he. Tohru scooped up the bowl that was next to her, and walked to her grandfather's rocker, kneeling down beside it, while caressing the head of a flower that was in a vase nearby. "Why would it be silly for a girl like me to fly?" Tohru questioned him with pure innocence. "You don't think it's silly, do you grandpa?"
"Ah, Kyoko-san," he began as her gave her brunette head a light pat. "I don't think any of your dreams are silly. In fact, I think if you dream hard enough, your wish will come true one day. And knowing you, you'll dream even more than enough." Tohru grinned and giggled, regarding what her grandfather was addressing Tohru the whole morning. "Grandpa!" she said, trying to speak over her uncontrolled laughter. "My name is Tohru! You've been calling me by Mom's name this whole morning! Oh, not that I mind! I take it as a big compliment, in fact." Her grandfather ruffled her hair and reminded her that there was more cleaning to do, so Tohru rested a kiss on the top of his head and started off the porch, politely taking the flower she was caressing and slipping it behind her right ear before opening the door to go inside.
Tohru caught a glimpse of the old timber clock that sat on the mantle over the fireplace in the sitting room. It read nine thirty, just enough time before her and her grandfather's weekly visit to the temple down the brook. Every Sunday, they would visit the nearby temple, where her parents and other relatives rested peacefully. Every now and then, they would be accompanied by Arisa and Saki, who would bring flowers to rest of Kyoko's grave. Tohru and her grandfather would pray so that the resting souls had a sweet and enjoyable after life, and they would also pray for the wellbeing of others. Sometimes even for people they weren't even introduced to yet, or even knew existed.
Sighing, Tohru made her way into the dimly lighted hallway which led to the stairs. She climbed each step, one by one, until she reached the top, then she went to her room. It was small, the smaller it was, the more Tohru loved it. Small rooms were always comfortable and cozy to her.
The quilts and blankets that sat on her bed were askew, for Tohru hadn't made her bed yet that morning. She then made it, gently tucking the ends of the sheets under her mattress while fluffing up her pillows. Then she laid the comforter over the bed and smoothed it out so it would look just right.
It felt so warm and reassuring to be inside her bedroom once more. Tohru found security and tranquility in being in this room where she dreamt and thought up of things that went beyond reality.
Since the chores were now all finished, and there was plenty of time until she went to the temple, Tohru sat down on her bed and swung her legs over and lay on her back, her shoulders sinking into the soft mattress. She sighed as her eyes fluttered, and she began to fall into a light slumber, the breeze flowing through the window and cascading her cheek. She thought of the outdoors, the flowers, the birds…And the laundry! "Oh," Tohru chimed to no one in particular, "I think I can take the laundry down now!" With such refinement, Tohru got up and off of her bed, heading out of her room and to the front door downstairs. She picked up the straw made laundry basket that sat on the floor by the door and went outside on the porch. "I'm going to take down the laundry!" she said to her grandfather as she walked off the porch and into the open toward the clothesline.
The clothesline was hung from one Sakura tree to another. The cherry blossoms slowly fell off each tree, adding more beauty to the ground. Tohru inhaled the sweet air as she came closer to the trees. She began to take down each flowing blouse, one by one, and then the sheets. The blow of the wind grew more strong and fierce, and handling the large sheets became harder for Tohru. She tightened her grip on the sheet, her pale knuckles turning whiter than a ghost. "I can't hold on much longer!" With one large gust, the roaring wind pried the sheet from Tohru's delicate hands, carrying it down the brook and out of Tohru's sight.
"Ah, no! Please come back!" cried Tohru to the sheet as she ran down the side of the brook, weaving through trees and evergreen hedges. The large, flowing piece of cloth drifted farther from Tohru's grasp, and she slowly began to breathe heavy as a result from running more than she was capable of. The wind had brought the sheet, and Tohru, to the little area where she was when the brook had carried her down here, and the man helped her. Tohru searched high and low for any traces of the sheet, and then saw it hanging from a rather large tree. The branch had ripped part of the sheet's material, and leaves were clinging to it. Tohru didn't want to leave the sheet there, all alone and abandoned, so she wanted to find a way to retrieve it and bring it back home, where she could wash it and aid to its rip. Putting one foot on the tree's trunk, trying to grab the lowest branch, Tohru was determined to climb up the tree to get the sheet. And determined she was!
Climbing up trees wasn't one of Tohru's expertises, but she could climb them! Many of times Tohru would find a small little tree to sit up in and read a book while having a nice, crisp apple. The tree would be small, just low enough for her to safely climb in and sit on. Plenty of times she slipped, or fell out while reading, but it would amuse Tohru sometimes, and she would always get right back to what she was doing.
As her foot slipped, Tohru let out a tiny, high-pitched squeak. She set her foot on the ground, regaining the courage to try again. That was until she heard the shouting of a boy coming from a home nearby.
Tohru turned her head and saw through the orchard full of trees, a little dojo. The dojo had a roof the color of ebony, the surface was a deep ruby. Tohru liked the small dojo, but her attention to it was cut off when she saw someone emerged from around the corner. It was a boy about her age, and Tohru couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. His looks seemed to take her breath away.
The boy was tall, tall with a well-built frame. He was slender, with hair the color of fire, more powerful than any flame one would see. The look in his fierce amber eyes sent chills don't Tohru's spine, causing her to shudder. The white shirt he was wearing brought out the color of his charmingly beautiful tanned skin.
Tohru's eyes were now fixed on this boy, rather than the white sheet that dangled on the tree branch above her head. She watched as he stuffed his rough looking hands into the pockets of his pants and walked away from the dojo, in the direction of the brook. For a moment, his gaze had met with Tohru, and she felt the world begin to spin, and the ground beneath her feet to feel as if it were moving. A blush crept across her face, and her hangs began to tremble. How did such a male, whom she never did acquaint herself with, have this miraculous power over her?
The boy walked in a different direction to reach the brook, as if trying to avoid Tohru. Tohru could no longer see him, for his figure had disappeared behinds the trees, but she could hear the clatter and clang of the bucket he had picked up near the dojo from which he came from. This boy was just a passerby, someone whom Tohru did not have to worry about, but her curiosity overcame her, and she found her self looking, watching, and seeking this boy as he retrieved water from the brook. As she stared, Tohru unconsciously reached for the hanging sheet. As she wrapped her rather minute hand around the air (for she thought that it was wrapped around the sheet), she pulled with such force that she plummeted to the ground, shrieking, while the birds that sat perched in the trees flew away, the loud sound of their flapping wings echoing throughout the wood. Tohru sat there and stared up at the sheet and then jumped onto her feet, brushing away the dirt that was now on the back of her skirt.
As Tohru picked up her head, she saw the boy leaning on the tree, his arms crossed over his chest. He stared at Tohru with such vengeance, as if she had done something to harm him. Tohru swallowed nervously as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She tried not to make eye contact with the boy, that is, until he said something to her.
Without a word, he picked up his right foot and began to climb the tree. In no time did he reach the lowest branch, grab the sheet, and jump down, landing gracefully on his two feet. He shoved the sheet in Tohru's direction, making her scurry to catch it before it landed on the ground. The boy then stood there, as if expecting her to speak to him. His broad arms were once again crossed over his chest, and he stared at the ground.
"T-thank you very much!" Tohru said to him as she bowed, holding the now folded white sheet to her chest. Tohru was very shocked at how comfortable she felt talking to him, for she did not talk to boys at school. The boy kicked at the dirt and shrugged. "If you needed help, you coulda asked," he told her. "It's not like I was doing anything important."
"But I saw you getting water from the brook," Tohru answered. "I-I didn't want to interrupt you." The boy shrugged again, "I wouldn't care."
Both stood in silence, Tohru secretly admiring the little flowers that were sprouting against the root of the tree. The only sound to be heard was the soothing hum of the water, the whistling of the birds that returned to their spots up in the trees, and the singing of the wind chimes coming from the dojo nearby. Maybe if Tohru could talk ore with this boy, they could become friends. But before Tohru could find words to bring about a conversation, the boy turned around and headed back to the brook. Tohru watched his back as he walked, then she found her self walking right behind him. The boy clearly had sensed her presence, for he turned around, his fist balled. "Why are you following me?" he yelled. His face then softened as Tohru squeaked and dropped her head down. "I'm sorry!" she said. "I just thought you might need help!" Her eyes were now squeezed shut, as if she was scared of him.
Slapping his forehead, the boy sighed in frustration. He dragged his hand down his face and looked at her in between two of his fingers. He said, "Whatever," and turned around and started for the brook again. His vice sounded muffled underneath his hand, but Tohru understood him. She picked up her head and beamed, nodding. Tohru followed the boy and kneeled down beside him at the edge of the brook. She placed the folded sheet next to her, and then set her hands on her knees. The boy scooped up the water into the bucket, repeating that until the whole bucket was almost filled with the sparkling blue liquid. He then got up, scratching the back of his head. "I don't see why you had to follow me," he said to Tohru coldly. "I didn't need your help, so I guess you just wasted your time." He picked up the bucket and began his way back to the dojo. Tohru got up and followed him, politely asking for him to stop. The boy did stop, and turned around, his gaze making her shiver. "I-I never got to ask you your name," she said quietly, shyly looking at her feet. She heard the boy sigh with a mix of annoyance, slight integrity, and a masked bashfulness. "If you really wanna know," he began, looking up at the sky in between the leaves and branches that were overhead. "It's Kyo…Kyo Sohma. I really don't know why you need to know, but whatever. I'm going back to the dojo." He turned around and walked back to the dojo one final time. Tohru felt a knot tied in her stomach, and she felt a diminutive amount of uncomfortable feelings mixed inside. "I don't think he liked me that much," she said with a melancholy tone. Picking up the sheet, Tohru made her way down the dusty brown path and back to the cottage, unaware that the boy, who called himself Kyo Sohma, was watching her from a corner of the dojo, wondering if he would ever see her again.
"Such a mysterious boy," Tohru said to the bundle that she held in her arms. "I've never met anyone like him before. I never thought boys would act that way towards girls, but I guess he might not talk to them as much, just like I don't talk to the boys at school." She looked down at the sheet, "What do you think?" Tohru giggled as she looks at the wrapped up sheet. It looked as if she was looking at an elderly woman's face, the wrinkles in the material making out the creases of wisdom and experience one would find on an elderly woman's face. "Do you think he goes to my school? If he does, I've never seen him before! You think that someone with a hair color as wonderful as that would be easy to remember!" She laughed gaily, her laughter being carried by the wind and down the path.
Kyo Sohma trailed through Tohru's mind many times for the nest two days. She hadn't spoken of him to Arisa or Saki, nor her grandfather, but she did think about him. She wondered if he was a martial artist since he lived in a dojo. By his broad shoulders and masculine arms, Tohru knew one could tell that he was. It wasn't until Wednesday evening at the brook that Tohru and Kyo crossed one another's path again, both secretly happy that they did. Tohru was sitting by the brook, eating an apple and admiring the way the water flowed gracefully, and how the sun painted beautiful pictures during sunsets. She didn't hear Kyo approaching her from behind, but she was caught off guard when he sat down two feet away from her. She jumped, her half eaten apple slipping out of her hand and into the brook. "Oh, hello Kyo-san!" she greeted. "It's so nice to see you again!"
Kyo nodded in return, ruffling his hair and clearing his throat. "Uh, sorry about the apple," he mumbled. Tohru laughed and picked at the grass by her feet. "Oh, no, please don't be sorry! It was actually my fault…I should have been more careful!" She turned to Kyo and saw him looking at the other side of the brook, a place that was foreign to Tohru. Never before had she ever crossed the brook. One day she planned on to, with a friend. They would hold hands and cross to the other side, exploring the wood there.
"Do you come here often?" Tohru asked Kyo solicitously. He nodded as his response, as he scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting everywhere around the wood, everywhere but Tohru. "I usually come here during the day, when no one's around. Then again, no one's really ever round here."
"Do you go to school?"
"No," was Kyo's forthright reply. "I get home taught so I have more time for my own life." Tohru laughed wholeheartedly and began to slowly sway herself to and fro. "No wonder why I've never seen you around school before! I've been wondering since I met you, if you went to my high school or not. I knew I wouldn't be able to miss you, so I came to the conclusion that maybe you didn't!" Kyo nodded. "Do you have any siblings that you get home taught with?" she asked him. Kyo shook his head. Tohru's face dulled down a bit, for she felt bad that he didn't have the chance to make friends at a school. "Does it get lonely sometimes?"
"No…I don't really care whether or not I have people around me. Shishou is enough company for me."
Tohru smiled at Kyo's nobility and honesty. She knew that it wasn't that often one would find someone who didn't mind being lonely, and she deeply admired him for that. "Sometimes just having one person who's important to you in the world by your side makes up for everyone else, doesn't it?" she asked him without thinking. Kyo raised an eyebrow and eyed her from the corner of his eye. "You know, you're filled with too many questions," he affirmed. Tohru let out a light chuckle. She felt so free at the moment, as if her cheerful spirit was being carried away with the wind. Tohru drew the vivid picture in her mind: she was sitting down before the brook like she was at that very minute with Kyo and a huge gust of wind came and picked her up off of the ground, carrying her away from Kyo and the running water and into the black night filled with mystery and beauty.
"You never told me your name," said Kyo, drawing Tohru's attention away from her thoughts. She saw that he was still looking ahead of him. "Oh, right! My name is Tohru Honda! It was very nice to meet you on Sunday!" Kyo's face was expressionless as he turned to face Tohru. "How can meeting someone who you barely know be such a thrill?" he asked her. Tohru brought her knees to her chest and sighed, now staring at the brook. "I love meeting new people! It opens up so many doors, filled with opportunities to make new friends! Do you like meeting new people, Kyo-san?" Kyo shrugged. Tohru could tell that this conversation wasn't interesting him at all. "I was wondering," she said, this time talking about something that might interest him. "Since you live in a dojo, does that mean you study martial arts?" Kyo turned to Tohru again with a quizzical look, the bangs above his forehead blowing with the wind, a sight that couldn't be anything else but beautiful. "How do you know I live in a dojo?" asked Kyo. "Are you some sort of stalker or something?"
Tohru frantically waved her hands in front of her face. Indeed, she was not a stalker! She had seen him come from the dojo on the day they first met, so she assumed he must live there. "Oh, n-no! I-I saw you at that dojo that time we first met, so I thought that you lived there! I'm sorry that—"
"No, you're right," Kyo interrupted. He ran a hand through his flaming orange hair, scowling as he turned away from Tohru.
The grasshoppers chattered in the midst of the night. The shining sun was slowly moving away, the milky white moon now replacing its spot. Stars emerged once the sky turned a deep midnight blue, and they winked and twinkled at the two young adults who sat before the shimmering brook of running water. The wind was now quiet, so quiet that even if it moved, one would not be able to even know it ever did. Small little critters began to scurry back to their burrows. It was now the time where everyone gathered with their families, but Tohru and Kyo still sat. They both sat as if they were stuck to the ground, but secretly, each one enjoyed sitting there. They both enjoyed the other's company, even if they were scarcely acquainted at all. Tohru sensed that Kyo Sohma was a kindred spirit, one who was kind and sweet, whether they expressed their generosity or not.
Kyo breathed heavily, as if a heavy weight sat on his broad shoulders. He then sighed, inhaling in the sweet evening air that darted sharply through his lungs. "Yeah, I study martial arts," he finally answered. "My dad runs the dojo, and he teaches me." Tohru gasped happily and clasped her hands together, bringing them underneath her chin. "Really? That sounds wonderful! I've never met someone who's a martial artist before! I don't know much about it, but I do know a few moves! I've watched some martial arts tournaments on television with my grandpa, and he always explained to me what was going on, but I never really seemed to get it! I'm so happy to finally know a real martial artist now! Do you think it would be okay if I watched you practice one day?" Kyo leaned back on the ground, perched up on his elbows, and secretly grimaced to himself. He waved his hand at Tohru, as if to throw away the idea of him actually knowing her. "Stop talking as if we're friends! I don't know what's going on in that head of yours but…You've better not be getting any ideas that we're suddenly friends or something, 'cause we're not! I don't even know why I came here tonight…"
Tohru felt her heart shatter. No one, not even the boys at school, had ever spoken to her that way before. Tohru wasn't used to be talked to like that either, so she began to feel a hurt mix of emotions sprout in the pit of her stomach. Tears formed in her eyes, but she blinked them away so Kyo wouldn't see her crying. Without her noticing, he got up and brushed himself off. "I-I have to go," said he, briskly. He felt terrible for what he had said, but he was simply a human being who was not made for interacting with other people! He forced himself to ignore the faint goodbye Tohru had bade him, and the droop of her face when he scolded her, and how the light in her hazel eyes had dimmed.
Kyo stomped off back to the dojo, cussing at himself for acting ever so cruel to her.
The world seemed to crash down before Tohru's eyes. She had just lost a chance at becoming friends with such a wonderful person. She had it in her grasp, but let it slip away with the wrong choice of words. Dipping her head in between her knees, she sighed and smoothened out her hair. Tohru stayed there at the brook until the moon hid behind the trees and not even the brightest light could be seen amongst the pitched black darkness.
The next morning, Tohru awakened to bright rays of sun spilling into her bedroom. Her window was opened just a crack, welcoming in all sounds from the outdoors. A light breeze blew in as well, seeping through Tohru's cherry pink comforter and tickling her bare feet. This made her draw the covers over to the edge of the bed and climb out. She made her way over to the window and peered outside. Her bedroom window overlooked the bright green valleys and hills that were just beyond the other side of the brook. The never ending curving hills, and the small mountains just behind them. Tohru yearned to explore them all one day.
School was just but three hours away from commencing. It was now the end of March, which meant the third year students would be graduating around this time. Tohru, she was currently a first year, would be entering her second year after taking her finals, which took place next week. Today was Thursday, and every Thursday night she, Arisa, and Saki would gather together on Tohru's front porch, textbooks, notebooks, and handouts scattered about the wooden portico, and they would study and quiz each other until nightfall. The three girls prepared for every test this way, but they were going to take a little more time and effort being that these were one of the most important tests of the school year.
Tohru searched through her closet for her school uniform and gently took it out, laying it on her bed, still hanging from its hanger. She searched the skirt and blouse for any wrinkles, creases, smudges, or stains, and thankfully found none of each. Tohru slipped on her uniform , then sat down before her cream colored vanity, smoothened by a clear silk eggshell coating which Tohru loved running her finger down, and she did her hair. She brushed the glistening straight tassels of hair before tying them back with two silky white ribbons to math her spring school uniform.
The morning chores waited to be started, and Tohru finished them within the following hour and a half. She whistled a little tune while she swept the wooden floorboards and while she dusted the shelves and tabletops around the house. Her grandfather still hadn't rose from his slumber just yet, but the little wooden clock that sat over the fireplace in the sitting room's hand were just by the six, indicating that it was almost six-thirty in the morning. How the mornings seemed to just fly by for Tohru, as she enjoyed them very much.
Breakfast was made of rice, smiles, and laughs. Tohru and her grandfather talked about many casual matters such as spring and flowers. The sunlight danced on the walls of the dining area, along with their faces as they both ate. The silence was made of the soft noise of the chopsticks clanking together, almost like a rhythm of some sort, a song. The song from the chopsticks continued until Tohru's grandfather finished his breakfast and rose from his designated spot at the breakfast table, patting his granddaughter on the head and thanking her for a wonderful morning meal yet again.
Tohru's favorite part of the morning was about to begin. The walk to school, along the dusty brown path that went through the orchard, was the most enjoyable time of the break of day for Tohru. She would walk along the path and look up at the trees, sunbeams shining in the wood from the cracks through the trees that crouched their branches overhead. The path would be lined with small little wildflowers, and though they were a nuisance to some people, Tohru found them just as beautiful as any other flower in the world. Some of the little yellow flowers even had a home in the vase that sat on the desk in her bedroom. Tohru would pick them and tuck some into the messenger bag she carried, letting them peek their heads out so they could enjoy the sun, rather than the darkness inside her bag.
Tohru grew hesitant as the roof of the dojo where Kyo Soma lived began to come into view. How she had wanted to become friends with him! He was such a wonderful person, with such a kindred spirit. Tohru was able to sense kindred spirits, for all she had to do was look into one's eyes and she would see it. She saw it in everyone, and she definitely had seen it in Kyo Sohma's deep amber colored eyes. Had he seen her kindred spirit, too?
A squirrel scurried past Tohru's feet, its puffy tail brushing across her ankles, causing her giggle. Tohru's laugh was a beautiful, childlike laugh. When she laughed, the sun would smile and the flowers would begin to dance, as if her laugh was beckoning them.
The wind blew and cascaded down Tohru's face, causing a sweet sensation to rise up about her body. She sighed a romantic sigh, a sigh that she was keen of doing, for she did it all the time whenever she saw a Sakura tree or a pair of lovers holding hands. She often wished for a lover of her own, one person who thought of her as someone else other than that sweet girl named Tohru Honda. One person she could hold hands with, kiss in the rain, someone she could open up to, someone who would save her and sweep her off her feet. Someone like…
Kyo Sohma's brightly orange color hair could be seen in the midst of branches and new leaves on the trees. He stood at the back of the dojo, his hands dug into his pockets, his eyes on the ground he stood on. He looked as if he was waiting for something. Tohru stopped walking and rubbed the back of her head. She pondered whether she should pass Kyo Sohma's house or not. If she passed by, what would he say if she greeting him? Would he turn away, or would he grace her with a greeting of his own?
She continued walking and saw Kyo shift back and forth on his feet. Once she emerged from behind the hedges, he brought a balled fist up to his mouth, and Tohru could hear him coughing. He stepped up to the side of the path and looked up at Tohru. His face was yet again expressionless, and his eyes were as amber as ever. Tohru gave him a tiny, nervous smile, yet it was warm and inviting. She quickly glanced up at the bright yellow sun, inhaling a deep breath. Before he was even four feet away from Kyo, he closed the gap and walked her way until they were a mere foot and a half away from each other. Tohru tightened her grip on the handle of her messenger bag. "H-Hello Kyo-san!" said Tohru nervously. "It's…Very nice to see you this morning!"
Kyo ducked his head down so that his wispy bangs shaded his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said flatly. "I didn't mean to talk to you the way I did a few days ago. I guess…I guess it's not that easy for me to talk to other people, so I'm sorry for the way I acted. I know you probably think I'm an idiot now—" Tohru shook her head inevitably while taking a step forward. "N-no! Please don't think that! I don't think of you that way at all! I think you're a very nice person, and I was hoping we could become friends! But I understand if you don't want to be friends! We could be acquaintances instead, maybe! Oh, but only if you want to! I don't want to force you into doing anything you don't want to do!"
In surprise, Kyo listened and watched as Tohru chatted happily. Had he heard her right? Did she really want to become friends with him? No one had ever wanted to be his friend to before. Could this girl be an angel from heaven?
"Are you serious?" asked Kyo without realizing he had just interrupted Tohru. "Are you serious about wanting to be my friend?" Tohru nodded and flashed him a smile, a smile that made Kyo bubble up inside. "Of course I am!" she chimed cheerfully. She pushed a few strands of hair away from her creamy white forehead, her eye glistening in the sunlight.
"You must be insane or something," Kyo mumbled loud enough for Tohru to hear as he faced his back toward her. "Why would you want to be friend with me after I told you off that way? Normally a girl would slap a guy in the face for that. I knew there was something different about you when you didn't stick up for yourself—"
"D-Different?"
"—I guess I could give you a chance or something. It's not like I've got anything to lose, right? You seem like a pretty decent person."
Tohru's eyes widened as she clasped her hands together, unaware that her messenger bag was now on the ground. She suddenly grew excited that he was giving her a chance as a friend, almost ecstatic she felt. "Oh, thank you Kyo-san! I promise you, I won't make you disappointed! I'll make sure I won't bug you and I'll help you when you need me to!" Kyo crossed his arms over his chest and looked the other way. He almost felt happy. Happy that he could make someone smile like that just by telling them he would be their friend. Happy that he now had someone to call a friend. Happy that someone in this world—other than his father—seemed to want to be around him. It felt like a great feeling.
"Don't you have school or something?" Kyo said as he turned around to see Tohru kneeling on the ground, collecting her messenger bag. She sprang back onto her feet and nodded. Kyo suggested that she should leave then, so she wouldn't be late to school. She bade him goodbye, now feeling more confident around him, and waved as she walked away, telling him that she would be with her friends that night if he wanted to join them. But before she was ten feet away from him, Kyo ran her way. "Don't call me 'san'," he told her. "It makes me sick."
She turned around to see Kyo a few feet away from her, his hands on his hips with a stern look on his face. Tohru nodded and laughed, giving him one last wave before she started off for school again.
A moment when a new friendship blooms can be the most beautiful time in one's life.
How was that? I hope you all enjoyed it! Once again, I'm really sorry for taking so long to update! I will try to be quicker with chapter three! I'm looking forward to seeing you then!
-September Whisper