Chapter 6

"It's a good thing you're not left handed, huh, Kyou-kun?" Tohru said with a chuckle, setting down a bowl of rice, fish, and a cup of milk in front of Kyou.

"Yeah, I guess now…" He glanced at his hand briefly before grabbing the milk and downing it. With a satisfied purr, he started into the rest of his breakfast.

"Um…do you think Yuki will be hungry?" Tohru clutched at her apron as she glanced in the direction of the living room curiously.

"Hn? I dunno…probly, he is a guy. At least…I think so." Kyou joked, letting out a short laugh before taking a bite of food.

"Yuki-kun's not a guy!" Tohru about freaked out and Kyou waved her off, saying nervously, "I was kidding! Gosh, you take people too seriously sometimes…you're almost as bad as Ritsu."

"Really?"

"Well…not as bad…" Kyou looked away, the thought of Tohru overreacting to everything and apologizing for even breathing his air made his eye twitch.

"Thank goodness! I mean, I'm not saying that Ritchan is annoying or anything, um…uh…"

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Why don't you go get some breakfast for Yuki."

"Okay!" Tohru smiled and got up, running off to the kitchen again. As Kyou finished up his meal, a door opened and shut somewhere in the house and he was on his feet in minutes, ears perked to every sound he could hear. Tohru came back in with a tray of food and said, "Kyou-kun? What's wrong?" He put a hand up to her and she froze, a look of fear crossing her face. Just when Kyou started inching toward the door, Shigure came strolling in yawning sleepily.

"Kyou-kun, you're home! Where's Yuki-kun?" Shigure said in his usual cheerful tone.

"He's here…" Kyou said, relaxing and cracking his neck.

"I see…and the girl?" Shigure eyed him and he responded, "How the hell should I know, I just got that dumb rat back."

"You didn't punish her?"

"What?" Kyou stared at him like he was crazy and saw that he looked quite serious about what he said.

"She hasn't been a good girl lately, I called her mother last night and she gave us full permission to punish her for her actions."

"Wait, you know who she is!" Kyou yelled in shock.

"Tomorrow, Hatori will go to your school, find the girl, and erase her memory. A suitable punishment, I suppose, but I would have done worse." Shigure sat down at the table, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"Who IS she, Shigure!"

"That's none of your concern now, she'll be out of your hair soon enough and we can go on with our lives." Shigure replied carelessly.

"I'll just take this food to Yuki and get yours for you, Shigure-san!" Tohru said, hurrying out of the room. Kyou followed her and stopped her in the hallway, taking the tray from her.

"Go back and distract Shigure." Kyou whispered.

"What?" Kyou hushed Tohru and said, "Just do it, alright?"

"Okay." She whispered, turning and going back to the dining room. Kyou went to Yuki's room and went in, setting the tray down on the desk by his bed and saying, "Yuki, wake up." Yuki stirred and slowly opened his eyes, looking up and blinking at him.

"Kyou?" He breathed weakly.

"Look, there's something going on around here and I want to know what it is. Who is this girl that's been attacking you?" Kyou hissed, being careful to keep his voice down.

"How should…I know?" He said, sounding irritated.

"Cause Shigure seems to know and I figured it was some Sohma thing that I was left out of again!"

"What?"

"So you don't know?"

"No…" Yuki look worried, trying to sit up. Kyou helped him to rest against the wall and put the tray on Yuki's lap, saying, "Then how come he knew all along and didn't say anything? Why did he let her attack you?"

"Maybe he didn't know…at least until…last night." Yuki said, slowly taking a bite of rice.

"When we all saw her…that's right! And that's why Hatori was here, he wasn't so much here for you but for her…" Kyou began to figure out what was going on behind the scenes.

"What?"

"Shigure just told me that tomorrow Hatori will pay her a visit at school and wipe her mind!"

"Oh…" Yuki looked down at his food and took another bite.

"You don't care? Don't you want to find out what's going on here?"

"Not really..."

"Fine, then I'll just have to find out for myself then!" Kyou said, getting up and walking toward the door. As he opened the door, Yuki said, "Be careful."

"Yeah, whatever." Kyou muttered before leaving.

((((((((( /- )))))))))

"Where's Kyou at?" Uotani asked Tohru as she walked up to her locker at school.

"Oh, he said he had some stuff to take care of, he'll be back for class." Tohru responded, trying to smile like nothing was amiss.

"Hmm…" Uotani eyed her but decided it was none of her business anyway. She threw her arms up in a stretch and said, "Lately he's always running around doing things in secret, you'd think he was a spy or something!"

"A double agent maybe, pretending to be a student but really weeding out the moles in our education system." Hanajima mused mildly.

"You guys are so silly…" Tohru laughed, shutting her locker and walking with them to class.

((((((((( oo )))))))))

Kyou entered the men's bathroom, taking a brief pit stop before setting out to find this mysterious girl that the Sohmas know so well. Taking his place in front of the urinal, he started to unzip his fly when a pair of arms wrapped around his body, hands groping at his chest. He let out a scream and whirled around to find himself face to face with-

"Well well, taking care of business?" She grinned, looking down. Kyou quickly zipped up his pants and said, "I was hoping to find you."

"Oh really? I'm flattered."

"Don't be, I have some information for you that you might find interesting." He was about to continue when he noticed the ever so carefully covered up shine of a black eye. Frowning, he said, "Did Yuki do that?" She touched her eye and backed away, saying, "No, I doubt he could have even if he tried."

"Then…"

"What does it matter, just say your piece!" She said resentfully, turning her face away. Trying to put aside that issue, he collected himself and said, "Shigure's setting up some punishment for you tomorrow."

"Big surprise, I figured that was why-" She stopped in mid-sentence and said, "Go on."

"Hatori's coming."

"Ah…he's going to erase the Sohmas from my memory, is he? Might as well just kill me then." She scoffed, tossing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Why! Are you that attached to torturing Yuki?" Kyou cocked an eyebrow and the girl laughed ironically.

"You have no idea, do you? He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what!" The bathroom door opened and a boy entered, taking one look at the girl and screaming. She shot a glance to Kyou before pushing past the boy and running out into the hallway.

"HEY!" Kyou yelled after her, trying to chase her but not seeing any signs of her in the semi crowded hall. Cursing under his breath, he thought, Why won't anyone tell me what's going on!

Later that night, Kyou stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and clean. It was raining again, the atmosphere bringing him down a bit as he lumbered over to the open porch where he took up the trimming of his toenails. The soft murmuring of the television filled the house along with the drum of the rain on the roof; it would be soothing for the household if the tension wasn't so high. With a sigh, Kyou gazed out into the rainy night and watched the drops bounce off the rock pathway leading into the forest.

I can't get that girl off my mind, I mean, who is she? Why do I get the feeling there's something going on that no one wants to talk about? Kyou thought to himself, cocking his head to the side and moaning. A branch cracking caught his attention and he squinted into the darkness, catching the vague silhouette of a person standing half behind a tree. He heard his name hissed and he got up, walking to the edge of the porch and straining to see who was calling him.

"Who's there?" He called back. But the figure didn't respond, only the slight motion of an arm waving answered his question.

I hate rain…Kyou grumbled and jogged over to the person beckoning to him. To his surprise, it was the girl.

"You!" He exclaimed but as soon as he spoke, she grabbed hold of his hand and dragged him into the cover of the trees, forcing him against one and covering his mouth. Peeking around the trunk, she watched as Shigure walked past the porch and glanced out momentarily before continuing on into the living room. Letting out a held breath, she pulled her hand down as she said, "We don't have much time, I need to ask you a favor."

"What! Are you-" Kyou started to yell but she muffled him, saying, "Quiet, or that dog will hear you!"

"Dog? Wait, that means-"

"Yes, I know everything about your messed up little family, considering what they've done to my own."

"So, you hate the Sohmas?"

"For the most part, yes…"

"And so you took it out on Yuki."

"No! Would you listen!" The girl sighed and said, "Look, I need you to stop Hatori from erasing my memory."

"Why should I?" Kyou looked less than amused as he continued to get soaked by the rain.

"Because, if he does, then my life is over!"

"How's that?"

"My entire life has revolved around the Sohma family, everything I've learned and done was all for their pleasure and if I forget…"

"Then your life will be a mess of blankness and unexplained situations." Kyou finished.

"Exactly. You can't let him find me tomorrow!"

"Why not just skip school?"

"Are you kidding me? Since when has anyone ever gotten away from Hatori? And besides, my parents would just help him find me…"

"That's loving…"

"Yeah well, they don't know any better. They're afraid if they try to protect me, then Akito will punish them too."

"That sucks."

"Will you help me?" Kyou stared at her quietly and didn't see the same crazed look in her eyes, saying, "Why the act?"

"Act?" She blinked curiously.

"Yeah, pretending to be all nice and non-sadistic." He cocked an eyebrow.

"I…it's not an act…look, it's a long story and I don't have time to explain-"

"If you want my help you better start explaining." He said coldly, his stare even colder than the rain pouring over their bodies in the darkening night.