Chapter 1- A Realization

Tohru silently walked home from school with a heavy heart. She knew something was wrong with her, but she didn't know what. She had never had this feeling before, but some how welcomed it with open arms. She looked into the sky and sighed.

"Kya! Hah!" Voices rang through the dojo(1) as Kazuma taught the many students. As eager as he was to learn new ways to beat Yuki, Kyo wasn't very interested in today's lesson. He had a strange image in his mind that he couldn't chase away. He recognized the long brown hair from somewhere, but he couldn't put his finger on it because the figure wasn't facing him. He took a drink of water and shook his long orange hair out of his face.

When the lesson was over, he stood silently behind Kazuma. "Oh, Kyo. What is it? You always stand like that when you need to tell me something." Kazuma said. "Huh? Um… nevermind." Kyo hurriedly turned around and started to run home.

Tohru was cooking dinner when Yuki suddenly burst into the room. "Miss Honda! Hurry! Kyo's collapsed outside the house!" Yuki said, out of breath. "Oh, no! Kyo-kun!" Tohru dashed out the house, without even pausing to ask Yuki where he was. She just knew she had to find him.

She found him laying on the ground, about a quarter of a mile from the house. Tohru was out of breath, and dropped down on the ground on her knees. "Oh, Kyo-kun. He must have over exerted himself at Kazuma-san's dojo. Yuki-kun, hurry. Go call Hatori." Yuki ran off to the house. Why is she this worried over that stupid cat? Yuki thought to himself.

Tohru sat, and thought. She remembered all the times she and Kyo had spent together. She remembered the Culture Fest at her school and making ongiri (2) with him. Yuki-kun is wonderful. Kyo-kun is wonderful too. You have a umeboshi (3) on your back. I can see it. She remembered going to the lake house with him and Yuki. She remembered the horrid transformation of him into the cat's other form. How it smelled, how disgusting he looked. Yet, she took him in her arms and carried him back to the house. She accepted him. Tohru sat silently next to Kyo, stroking his bright orange hair with her fingers.

Suddenly, Kyo started to stir. Tohru gasped. Kyo opened his eyes and stared at Tohru. "Huh? What happened? Did I pass out? I….." Kyo started to get up but Tohru kept him down. "Kyo-kun, you passed out on the way home from Kazuma-san's dojo. But it's ok, I'm here now. Just relax." She gently lifted his head onto her lap. And he drifted off to sleep.

While Kyo was dreaming, the girl finally turned around. The person he saw……… was Tohru.

Hey guys. Here's little notes for the numbers if ya don't know

(1)- dojo a place where students are taught karate.

(2)- onigiri riceball

(3)- umeboshi a little plum on the back of an onigiri (see Fruits Basket vol. 2)