A/N: Yay! Chapter Three!! Thanks to reviewers: Evil-author1224, rath lover, yi wen1776 and miyu-chan! I appreciate it! I should mention, Yuki is 21, he's a bit older than the other four. (He was born in the same year, but earlier.) It's kind of important later in the story. (wink!) Anyway, please enjoy!
Chapter Three – Pure Irony
"Thanks for the ride, Kyou!" Tohru hugged him tightly before opening the door of the red sports car and getting out.
"Don't mention it. Give me a call when you're done." He answered, holding up a cell phone and winking.
"Alright, thanks again!" Tohru waved goodbye and ran toward the entrance. 'I'm so cold…' she thought, clutching her change of clothes to her chest, chestnut hair flying elegantly in the strong winds of the darkening sky. 'That's weird… I've forgotten something…" She stepped inside the building and shivered. Clearing her mind, she made her way to the elevator in the back of the charming lobby. Pressing the up button, the woman then leaned foolishly against the elevator doors, which opened within seconds. "WHOA!" she squealed, falling backward and into someone's arms. The sound of a dropped briefcase hitting the floor echoed through the room.
"Miss Honda!" came a stunned voice from behind her. Tohru jumped at the sound.
"Yuki! Wha-what are you doing here?"
"I work here." Yuki answered, his arms again around Tohru like previously that day. He dropped his head over hers so she could see his face, hair dropping delicately around his face, creating a wreath around Tohru's. The girl looked up, shining eyes wide as he smiled kindly. They were very close.
"M-me too…" Torhu blinked, still bewildered. "I thought maybe you did… Kyou told me that you worked for Sohma Corp…" Yuki's smile faltered for a second, but he covered up his cessation quickly, smiling once again. He nodded slightly, blinking slowly. The two separated and stood, now facing each other outside of the closing elevator.
"So… you work here, what do you do?" Yuki asked, breaking the silence and eyeing the cleaning uniform she was wearing, interested.
"Oh, yeah." Tohru replied, coming to her senses. She had been staring at his handsome face for some time now. "A bit of cleaning; just part time, so I can pay my way through Tokyo U."
"Tokyo U?" Yuki asked, clearly impressed. "What are you taking?"
"Medicine." Tohru answered, looking proud.
"You're studying MED at Tokyo U? I tried to get into that... I had to settle for IT instead…" Yuki replied in awe. There were a few more moments of silence in which both parties stared at each other in engrossment until Yuki broke it once again. "Uhh, do you want to go for coffee when you're done?" he asked her, his normal kind smile returning to his previously awe stricken face. "I'll be around for a few more hours… so…"
"I'd love to! I think I owe at least that to someone who's caught me twice today and probably saved my life at the train station." Tohru winked back, blushing a little. 'Good thing I worked all week on that paper…' she thought. "I'm done at 11, lets meet back here then" The brunette finished, grinning and walking into the elevator which had once again opened. Yuki beamed at her.
"Alright, see you then!" He relied just as the elevator doors came to a close.
'That was awkward!' Tohru laughed to herself as the elevator took her to the 12th floor of the Sohma building. There was something familiar about him that made her feel at home; something that made her smile. 'Where do I know him from?'
'That was awkward…' Yuki thought to himself, biting his lip as he walked to the front desk in the lobby. 'She reminds me of someone, I can't put my finger on it… She doesn't seem like a stranger, but someone I've known my whole life…' He was really confused, but at the same time, elated that Tohru had agreed to go out for coffee with him. 'Maybe I'll find out then.'
Back at the apartment:
"Judging by Yuki's reaction to Kyou's name on the train and Kyou's reaction to his at dinner, their feelings of dislike are mutual…" Uo commented, reading an overlarge textbook and more notes on a pad of lined paper. Her and Hana carried the subject for a few hours, and it wasn't until the phone rang that they realized how little they had gotten done in the time they had been talking about it.
"Hana, is that you?" Came the voice from the phone as Hana lifted the receiver to her ear. "I met Yuki Sohma again, he works in the same building that I do. Anyway, he asked me to join him for a coffee after work, so I'll be home late." Tohru told her.
"Alright Tohru, I understand. Be careful…" Hana said wearily.
"Thanks, Hana. Um, could you call Kyou and tell him? He offered to pick me up, but since I'll be so late, I don't want to be a burden… Plus I'm not really supposed to be using the phone right now…" Tohru finished, sweatdropping.
"Sure, Tohru. Call us when you're done, we'll pick you up."
"Oh, Hana, you don't have to do that, I'll take the train again-" Tohru was cut off, Uo had picked up the other phone.
"Don't take the train unless the hero is there to catch you, okay?" she said, laughing. "But seriously, call us when you're done. We'll come get you if you need us to."
"Alright, I promise." Tohru said, now laughing as well. "Thank you so much. I'll be careful. Bye!"
The three girls hung up the phones in unison, Hana and Uo still slightly worried. They idea of a guy that their friend had only just met asking Tohru out on what sounded to them like a date at 11:00 at night didn't sit well with them. But Tohru deserved to be trusted. Her friends just hoped she didn't do anything foolish. Breathing heavily once, Hana returned from the kitchen back to the table and began to work once more, talking to Uo now about the phone call.
"We really should have more faith in Tohru, she can take care of herself." Uo muttered softly; trying to convince herself as much as she was Hana. "I mean, she's 20, and we're fussing. The guy saved her life."
"You're right, I'm sure she's fine with him." Hana answered definitely. "I'll know if something goes wrong…" She finished, her hair blowing in a nonexistent breeze as she began working on her essay once more. Uo shook her head, smirking as she did the same.
A/N: Yuki doesn't really have much of a life, it all revolves around work for him. (I.e.: He's still in his building at 11:00 PM working… You can tell he's single, ne?) What is it that Tohru has forgotten? (laughs) You'll find out in the next chapter! R&R Please! Arigatou!
