Chapter 2 – Toyoko meets Akito

(In Akito's room)

"Welcome. May you please introduce yourselves? I'm Akito Sohma, the head of the family," Akito said with a cold smile on his face.

"My name is Toyoko Timika. This is Ritza Timika," Toyoko said pointing to Ritza. "And this is Mingzashi Timika," pointing to Mingzashi (of course).

"Do you wish to have Hatori beside you while we talk?" Toyoko asked.

"Yes. I heard that you know about the Zodiac curse. Hatori here knows about it too. So he can stay. In fact, he's the dragon." Akito replied pleasantly.

"I see. To break it out to you easier, Ritza here is also the dragon," Toyoko said.

It was as if the moment after Toyoko said that passed slowly. Toyoko could see their faces turn surprised. Then shocked. Lastly, turned pale.

"You…you mean, that Ritza here, when hugged by the opposite gender, will also transform into a seahorse?" Hatori asked.

"Yes, that's what I meant," Toyoko replied with a nod.

"So, your family is also cursed?" Akito asked, still with a surprised look.

"And then, there's another part to the story. We, the Timika family, are not cursed. To us, it's a blessing. Though it is still kept a secret," Ritza answered Akito's question.

"I think, Akito, that because you are the head of the cursed family, you naturally will have a extremely bad temper and loves to destroy other people's life in anyway you can, especially the Zodiac members'. Whereas I am just the opposite of you, and so is the curse, which is a blessing to us," Toyoko added.

Akito was much taken aback. So was Hatori.

"How can there be two cursed families? Weren't we the one and only? And why didn't you come earlier?" Akito said, getting a bit of anger rising in him.

"Don't get too worked up. We are a blessed family, not cursed. You are the one and only cursed family. I did not come earlier was because I did not finish reading the history book till recently. And I had started reading it since I could read," Toyoko said in a calm voice.

"What book?" Akito asked.

"You, with no patience nor a good temper, of course had not read the history book that has been passed down for generations. I stumbled across the book when I was younger and took an interest to it. Then I was told I didn't stumble on the book accidentally. It was all arranged for me to find the book," Toyoko explained.

"I see… Why do you keep criticizing me?" Akito asked, tired of hearing her saying out all his bad points.

"First, I'm not afraid of you. Second, I simply don't care if you get angry. I, like you, is a god to the Zodiac members," Toyoko replied simply.

"You have some nerve. I respect people like that. Please, do stay for the night, and we'll talk again tomorrow. I'm tired," Akito decided.

"Pleasure to stay. Luckily, I felt it, so I came prepared with my own clothes. So did Ritza and Mingzashi. Thank you for the offer. Room, please?" Toyoko replied readily.

She understood a lot about Akito and how his mind worked. She could easily predict him. "Akito would too, if he had read the history book. I don't think he even knows there's one somewhere in his house too," Toyoko marveled.

(Toyoko, Ritza and Mingzashi shared a big room not far from Akito's)

(In the room)

"What a great 'performance' you've put on, Toyoko!" Mingzashi praised.

"Tomorrow, I'll talk to him alone. But I want you two to be somewhere around, in case he gets crazy. He's going to think a lot about what I said tonight," Toyoko replied.

"You know something? You sound like you know Akito the most in the world… it's as if you were his girlfriend or something," Mingzashi joked.

Toyoko laughed heartily. "Guess I'm just interested in him," she said.

"Oh Mingzashi! What are we to do to stop her from getting closer to Akito?" Ritza exclaimed with a mocking face.

Toyoko threw a pillow at Ritza. "Haha! Missed!" Ritza teased. "That's enough for now… Let's get some sleep," Toyoko replied.

(Akito's room, getting ready for bed)

"How did that happen? What was it about the history book? Do I have one too? She's also a god to the members of the Zodiac… Will my Zodiac members dump me for her? After all, she's also a god, same rank as me… What'll happen to me if my Zodiacs go to her side? She's so kind, so sweet, so beautiful too… Argh!"

Akito threw a vase onto the floor, which smashed into a million pieces. A maid came in and saw the mess. "Akito sir? Are you alright? What happened?" "The vase fell down and smashed," Akito lied. "Clear up the mess now!" "Yes sir."

"I'll not think about it for now. But I'll show them… I'll show them!" With that thought, he fell asleep.