"Hug-Day"
Chapter 4

Yuki quickly hung up on Shigure before the perverted dog could start rambling on about high school girls and/or beg to come to school. In his hand he carefully clutched the piece of paper with Hatori's cell phone number on it.

Outside the office the voices of the crowd grew louder and louder. The door, which an office worker had shut for privacy, was starting to bulge inward due to the stress of people outside pressing inward. The door shuddered once… twice…

Yuki and Kyo licked their lips nervously, Haru was still staring out the window, Tohru was chatting politely to a secretary, and Momiji was bouncing up and down offering interjections to the conversation.

The door shuddered for a third time, and just before it would surely have given out… the bell rang. The noise in the hall turned from excited whispers to heavy groans of failure.

"Awwwww!"

Slowly the noise died down and eventually ceased altogether. The Sohma's let out heavy breaths they hadn't realized they'd been holding. Tohru looked up from where she was absorbed in her conversation.

"Was that the bell I heard?"

Yuki sighed and unclenched his hand hanging by his side. "Yes Honda-san, that was the bell. You should probably head to class now. I can make the phone call myself, and I don't want you to be late."

"Oh! Um, hai! I don't think being late would be a good idea in the first week!"

Kyo crossed his arms defiantly across his chest. "Well I'm staying! I don't trust you to not screw it up!"

"K-Kyo-kun! That isn't very nice!" Tohru cried.

"Well, I'm still staying!"

"A-Ano, all right. But are you sure Yuki-kun? I don't want to abandon you here!" She looked to Yuki with slightly watery eyes, her posture radiating sincere worry.

"Honda-san," said Yuki, gently as always, "You need to help Haru, Momiji, and Kyo get to class." He dropped his voice, "You need to make sure that no one finds out our Family Secret!"

"I'M NOT GOING!"

Everyone ignored the baka neko's rebellious outburst. When no one responded to his angry shout, he turned his back to the group, muttering insolently to himself.

"A-a-alright! Alright! I will do it!" Tohru exclaimed determinedly. "I will not fail the Sohma's!" She pumped her fist in the air and turned toward the door.

"Tohru! Not that way, that's the—"

CRASH

"—closet door," Momiji finished weakly.

Yuki sighed and helped her up. He gently turned her towards the right door. He all but shoved everyone out the door, thinking that he was very glad that the one and only staff member had left mere moments before. Once they were gone he shut the door forcefully and started to clean up the mess Tohru had caused. She had accidentally knocked a stack of papers on the floor. Once that was done he went back towards the phone, dialled the number on the small scrap of paper, and waited for Hatori to pick up.

"Hello?"

Giving up a silent prayer of thanks Yuki answered, "Hello, Hatori. We have a bit of an emergency."

(Meanwhile)

;;Insert Mission Impossible theme music;;

Tohru slowly edged along the wall and peaked around the corner. She pulled back quickly and motioned the others to flatten themselves to the wall. They followed her orders (Kyo with a great air of reluctance) just in time. A group of ignorant second year girls passed by, chattering, into the washroom.

Haru slapped a hand over Momiji's mouth as the young boy tried to call out to them. "No. Noise," he hissed to the blond. Momiji gulped, easily recognizing Haru's 'black' side that had mysteriously crept out of his dull demeanour.

"Alright guys!" Tohru whispered softly, but brightly. "We're almost to Hatsuharu-san and Momiji-kun's class!"

"Good," Kyo grunted, "he makes the most noise."

"WHA—" Momiji started to cry out in protest. A door nearby opened. Haru, Tohru, and Kyo all slapped a hand over Momiji's mouth. Thinking fast Haru dragged the quartet into the nearest door.

Tohru looked around the room in confusion. "Where are we? I've never been here before."

Haru, Kyo, and little Momiji looked around. Their faces grew pale. They knew where they were, even if Tohru didn't.

The boy's bathroom…

(In the Office)

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T COME AND GET US?"

A secretary in the next room looked up and frowned, entering into the office that Yuki was in and giving him a hard look that told him to keep the conversation down. Yuki lowered his voice.

"We need you to get us out of here! One hug in the hall and the entire family's secret is out!"

"Look, Yuki-kun, I'm sorry. I can't come and get you. First of all, I don't have a free moment all day; you know that there's a flue bug going around! Secondly," Hatori paused here, reluctant to go on, "Akito said that I wasn't allowed to sign you or any of our other Sohma boys out of school. Neither is Shigure."

"Why?" Yuki demanded.

"His exact words were, 'If they want to go to a co-ed school that badly they can take the consequences'."

Silence reigned on both sided of the phone for a few moments.

"I'm sorry, Yuki-kun, you'll just have to do your best. All of you. I need to go now though; I have an appointment."

The line went dead with a 'click' and Yuki stared at it in horror.

Akito was up to something…


Kuroneko-Tyger: Dun dun dunnnnnn! What will Tohru do in the boy's washroom!
What will Yuki tell the others? What is Akito up to? Tune in next time to find out!