Anyone missed me? I sure missed everyone:P
Chapter 25 - Guilt
Toyoko sighed deeply after reading Kasumu's letter and took out her diary. The date. It was near. Soon.
There was a knock on the door. Without even thinking, Toyoko knew it would be Akito. He had been making so many trips to her room lately.
"Come in."
Indeed, Akito stepped in. He looked at Toyoko and gave an awkward smile. There was a silence between them. A very uncomfortable silence, in Toyoko's opinion. Probably because she felt guilty.
"What's that?" Akito asked, pointing to the diary in her hands.
"My diary," Toyoko said, getting nervous.
"Mind if I sit beside you?" Akito asked.
Toyoko patted the space on the bed beside her in reply. But she opened the bedside table drawer and slid the book back in.
She felt the bed slump lower as Akito sat down beside her on the bed. "The letter?"
"Oh!" Toyoko gasped and quickly slipped Kasumu's letter into the drawer. "Thanks."
Toyoko turned to look at Akito. He had gone through a great personality change, from a cold person to such a warm one. He had become kind and caring, even though he exhibited it only to her, and forced her to keep the secret.
"Why? Wouldn't they be happy to know you've changed to such a nice person?" Toyoko had asked.
"Let them worry a bit. I still like watching people suffer," He had grinned and ended it there.
"How are you feeling? You look quite pale. Are you alright?" Akito asked, concerned.
"I'm okay… Akito, there's something I need to tell you," Toyoko managed to somehow keep her voice straight, but she was trembling.
"What?" Akito took hold of her hand and tried to calm her down. "You can tell me anything. I'm not a bad man."
"You were a bad boy," Toyoko tried to laugh but ended up squeaking. Oh no. Will my work go down the drain after I tell him? Maybe I should never tell him… But…
"You know I like you a lot, right?" Toyoko decided to say in the end.
"Yeah. Of course I do. And I like you a lot too," Was Akito's gentle voice. It was so different from the first time that she talked to him, not cold anymore, but very warming and inviting.
Toyoko smiled, and leaned her head on Akito's shoulders. She was comfortable all right, and was glad that she had made her confession. But the guilt had not yet vanished. In fact, it seemed to have grown heavier.
"That was wonderful!" Shimaya exclaimed. "Absolutely marvelous!"
"It was good? Hang on…are you even good in music? Or you're just like it because you don't really know what it is?" Momiji replied, grinning from ear to ear.
"I know music! And though it was wonderful, why did you choose to play such a lonely and sad song?" Shimaya asked.
Momiji shrugged and said, "I only have a father. Who wouldn't feel lonely?"
Shimaya remembered what Momiji had briefly told her before about his father. She gave a small smile but said, "Hey, at least you've got a father. I've got no parents!"
Momiji was surprised at this. "But…you're blessed! How can you have no parents?"
Shimaya smirked, "Blessing doesn't always come just blessings. It comes with a package, filled with consequences."
"What, you're parents hate you?"
"Correction: Rose, my mother, hates me. My father loves her too much and well, I'm left alone."
"Are you close with your father?"
"Nope. We're strangers."
"Who brought you up? Toyoko?"
"Wrong! Guess. Someone from the Zodiac too."
"Hint?"
"Come on! There are only 12 of them!"
"Okay…Okay…Hmmm…let's see…Kasumu? He looks responsible enough."
"Yeah, he's super independent. But, no."
"Who else can there be? The others look too young."
"Momiji!"
"All right… How about, Ritza?"
"Wrong: Ritza and Himisu."
"Cool! Double guardians!"
"Yep, I love them like my own parents." Shimaya said proudly.
"What do you think of Tohru?" Momiji asked, changing the subject.
"She's a born angel. She can't be human. Her kindness, her caring, I feel as if she's god. She's so forgiving; you're lucky to have met her, Momiji. She's a blessing," Shimaya replied, giving him a thumbs-up. "She knows about the curse too, right?"
Momiji nodded.
"So lucky." Shimaya said absently, feeling guilty. She had made her father sound so terrible, when he was just okay. But she wasn't in a good state that moment either.
Review replies…
Ffchick: Rat might not always be the favorite one to the Head! For my story, I'm not sure. The story just goes on and on and on by itself… Oh, and thanks for reviewing again!
AraelMoonchild: Please do keep reviewing! Why Kimiko and Tamasha are friends…you'll find out soon enough! Keep reviewing and I'll try to keep updating!
Purejoy: I'll definitely keep writing! It's my hobby, after all… And thanks for reviewing! Continue to review!
Daydreamer: Kimiko's chapter was sad too, yeah. Don't worry if you don't review on time! (I sound so domineering…Don't mean the way it came out)… Thanks for always reviewing! Thanks!
Annie: Yep, Kimiko has a kind heart. Similar to Tohru's? Not sure yet…