Chapter 15
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Hi! Sorry if I updated so slow. I just need to finish some. "things" here at home. On with the story.
--------------------------
"What do you mean?" Kyo asked the nezumi, which is somewhat awkward. Yuki stared at his cousin.
The next day, all of the Sohmas, except the three elides (gure, aya and tori), were called by Yuki that night to meet him at the main house. They all went but didn't know what he's up to. When it was nearly dawn, Yuki told them about what he suspected and they don't believe him.
"You just heard me. I believe Akito's hunting her." he concluded. "In her dreams, perhaps."
"But what's your proof, Yuki?" Kagura asked.
"Follow me." He walked out the door and the others followed. They silently went to Akito's room, which was now Tohru's sleeping chambers. "Don't make a noise. She might wake up."
He opened the door slowly and they saw Tohru in Akito's futon. She was stirring in her sleep, breathing huskily, and sweat covered her from head to toe. Her body suddenly became stiff and her hands were numb. They approached her cautiously and knelt beside her.
"How long was she like this?"
"I don't know but it seems like this was her problem." Yuki said.
"Damn that Akito! What did he do to her?!" Kyo hissed.
"Keep your voice down." Haru warned. "She's waking up."
Tohru opened her eyes a bit and saw the Sohmas looking back at her. She was near panicking because they might notice her from her sleep. Yuki smiled at her.
"Don't worry, Tohru. We're here for you." He said. Tohru sat up and stared at them. Did they really know?
"Onee-chan." Kisa whispered. "You'll be okay." She crawled towards the onigiri and embraced her tightly.
"So you knew." Tohru murmured.
"But still, we'll do anything to help." Haru grinned. "Remember, you're part of the family now."
"But this is something different from the past things about Akito." She frowned. "I'm the only one who can see him in my dreams."
"And we're here to support." Yuki held her hand and grasped it tightly. "We'll never leave your side, Tohru. We're always here for you."
"Hai, count on us, Tohru-chan!" Momiji beamed.
"We might not see him but we can see you." Kyo gave a thumbs up. "It'll work out soon."
"Arigato..but what about Hatori? He's still against me, right?" Tohru asked.
"Well, he is but. Ayame and Shigure can handle him." Haru said. "But for now, I think we need to get you something to eat."
"Hai, I am a bit hungry.." Tohru smiled innocently to her relatives.
-----------------------------
After they ate at a fancy restaurant, all of them decided to have a hot bath. Momiji suggested to go to the place where they usually spent White Day last time.
Of course, someone was there to welcome them.
"Ritsu???" they gasped as they saw Ritsu, to their surprise, in a modern guy's suit. His hair was cut short like Shigure's and with his outfit, he looked so mature like Hatori that even Tohru couldn't recognize him!
"That's. Ritsu?" She asked.
"Tohru-chan, welcome! I was hoping that you'll be spending your birthday here so I dressed up to please you!" the monkey bowed low. "I'm changed because of the words you told me back at Gure's house before death came to me."
"Ano, Ritsu-san---"
"Please call me Ritsu, anyway, we're already cousins right?"
"Knock it off, Ristu!" Momiji yelled. "What is this all about?"
"And what's with the funny clothes---" Haru commented
"And the funny accent?" Hiro asked annoyingly. All of them sweatdropped as Ritsu's face became all worried.
"I dressed like this to impress.. Tohru-chan." He turned to Tohru. "Did I miss something?"
"Ano, it's because---" Tohru began but he held up his hand and showed a face of "despair and sorrow", just like the old Ritsu does.
"I knew it. I tried everything but I couldn't impress Tohru that much. I'm a failure, no good pathetic dimwit who couldn't do anything but to put his fellow friends and relatives in shame and embarrassment. Even though I tried everything, even changed my appearance, the mark of failure is still there and it will appear and disappear like grains of sand that were blown away by the wind." Ritsu cried. All of them sweatdropped and Tohru was totally confused.
"It's not that Ritsu---"
"No, I shouldn't blame yourself, like everybody does." He smiled at her weakly. "People tried to cheer me up with that expression but now.. I should..apologize."
"No, Ritsu, you---" everyone tried to stop him but---
"GOMENASAI! GOMENASAI, TOHRU-CHAN! PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I AM JUST A SINNER LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" He cried out as he grabbed Tohru on the shoulders and shook her unvoluntarily. "PLEASE LET ME MAKE UP FROM MY WRETCH ATTITUDE!!!"
"Rit-su-chan~~" she sweatdropped.
"PLEASE DON'T LOOK AT ME WITH YOUR EYES OF PITY. I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT ME LIKE AN ENEMY, BECAUSE WHAT I DID WAS WORSE THAN WHAT AKITO DID TO YOU"
Tohru stopped from her silly work as she stared at Ritsu. He knew also, she thought. She looked down on the floor with her sad face while Kyo smacked Ritsu at the back of his head. "You stupid fool! We went here so that we would cheer her up from that 'incident'!" the cat barked. (what?!)
Ritsu looked at them. "oh my. I'm sorry, Tohru-chan, I didn't know---"
"Here we go again." Hiro sighed. "Kisa, do you want to go to your room? You looked sleepy."
"Hai, Hiro." she nodded as both of them left.
"GOMENASAI, TOHRU-CHAN!!!!" he knelt in front of her and bowed lowly like a disciple in front of a raging God. "PLEASE FORGIVE ME, TOHRU-CHAN!!!!"
"Ne, you don't have to apologize." Tohru smiled weakly. Yuki's face became worried. He knew that Tohru remembered again about Akito, which made her look scared and worried for a moment.
"But, Tohru-chan---"
"It's okay. I'm happy that you found the right path to manhood, ritsu- chan." She smiled. "Oh yes, it's not my birthday today."
"What?! Then..I just failed again.. TOHRU---" Before he could say anything, Kyo covered his mouth roughly with a pillow.
"I hate it when you apologize." He muttered.
"I hate it when I remembered that you are my cousin." Haru muttered also to Ritsu. "If you aren't, I would have killed you years ago, stupid monkey."
Ritsu again became very worried. "What? Then that means...I have to---"
"DON'T APOLOGIZE!!!" they screamed.
------------------------------
It was nearly midnight when Yuki heard noises outside. "Must be baka neko," he muttered. But still, he got up and went outside to see.
To his surprise, he saw Tohru kneeling in the middle of the hall, weeping. He quickly went towards her and calmed her down. "Tohru, what happened? Is something wrong?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she leaned against him and cried even more. Yuki patted her back gently and continued to say comforting word like "I'm here, don't worry" and "it's okay." After a few moments, Tohru's cries faded away. "I saw him."
"Akito?" he asked and she nodded. "What is he doing?"
"Cursing. and warning me." she whispered. "Not to get carried away."
"Carried away from what?" he asked. She didn't answer his question. She just muttered "he's going to kill me" over and over again.
"Tohru, tell me. How is he going to kill you when he's already dead?" he smiled at her. "Let his soul rest, Tohru. It's the best way to escape from his reappearances to you---"
"But his soul won't rest until..I finish the job.."
"What job?" he asked. She didn't answer. "Why won't you tell me?"
"I..I just can't..." she wiped a small tear from her eye. "Are you going to tell the others?"
"Maybe not."
"Why?"
"Because it might reach to Ritsu." He smiled. "And you know what will happen when it does." Tohru laughed at Yuki's joke and he laughed also. "That's the Tohru, I would like to see everyday."
"Huh?" she wondered.
"Don't let Akito take away that smile, okay?" he asked and she nodded slowly. "Ne, I haven't really done this before but..I think this might help you sleep better."
"What is it?" she asked. He reached out to hug her and he whispered silently in her ear.
"You can sleep beside me tonight."
"But---"
"Don't worry." He grinned. "Baka neko won't mind when you do."
"Yuki." she smiled slowly. "Thank you."
"Just tell me one thing." He said.
"What?"
"Remember that time when we found you sleeping in Akito's room? Did he do 'something' to you?" he asked. Tohru stared at him. He won't understand. Even though he acted more mature than her, he won't understand.
"Ano. nothing." she whispered.
"Okay. Let's go to sleep." He smiled as he guided her to his room. She held his hand tightly, knowing that someday, Yuki might know.
"Gomenasai, Yuki-kun" she said to herself.
---------------------------
Hi! Sorry if I updated so slow. I just need to finish some. "things" here at home. On with the story.
--------------------------
"What do you mean?" Kyo asked the nezumi, which is somewhat awkward. Yuki stared at his cousin.
The next day, all of the Sohmas, except the three elides (gure, aya and tori), were called by Yuki that night to meet him at the main house. They all went but didn't know what he's up to. When it was nearly dawn, Yuki told them about what he suspected and they don't believe him.
"You just heard me. I believe Akito's hunting her." he concluded. "In her dreams, perhaps."
"But what's your proof, Yuki?" Kagura asked.
"Follow me." He walked out the door and the others followed. They silently went to Akito's room, which was now Tohru's sleeping chambers. "Don't make a noise. She might wake up."
He opened the door slowly and they saw Tohru in Akito's futon. She was stirring in her sleep, breathing huskily, and sweat covered her from head to toe. Her body suddenly became stiff and her hands were numb. They approached her cautiously and knelt beside her.
"How long was she like this?"
"I don't know but it seems like this was her problem." Yuki said.
"Damn that Akito! What did he do to her?!" Kyo hissed.
"Keep your voice down." Haru warned. "She's waking up."
Tohru opened her eyes a bit and saw the Sohmas looking back at her. She was near panicking because they might notice her from her sleep. Yuki smiled at her.
"Don't worry, Tohru. We're here for you." He said. Tohru sat up and stared at them. Did they really know?
"Onee-chan." Kisa whispered. "You'll be okay." She crawled towards the onigiri and embraced her tightly.
"So you knew." Tohru murmured.
"But still, we'll do anything to help." Haru grinned. "Remember, you're part of the family now."
"But this is something different from the past things about Akito." She frowned. "I'm the only one who can see him in my dreams."
"And we're here to support." Yuki held her hand and grasped it tightly. "We'll never leave your side, Tohru. We're always here for you."
"Hai, count on us, Tohru-chan!" Momiji beamed.
"We might not see him but we can see you." Kyo gave a thumbs up. "It'll work out soon."
"Arigato..but what about Hatori? He's still against me, right?" Tohru asked.
"Well, he is but. Ayame and Shigure can handle him." Haru said. "But for now, I think we need to get you something to eat."
"Hai, I am a bit hungry.." Tohru smiled innocently to her relatives.
-----------------------------
After they ate at a fancy restaurant, all of them decided to have a hot bath. Momiji suggested to go to the place where they usually spent White Day last time.
Of course, someone was there to welcome them.
"Ritsu???" they gasped as they saw Ritsu, to their surprise, in a modern guy's suit. His hair was cut short like Shigure's and with his outfit, he looked so mature like Hatori that even Tohru couldn't recognize him!
"That's. Ritsu?" She asked.
"Tohru-chan, welcome! I was hoping that you'll be spending your birthday here so I dressed up to please you!" the monkey bowed low. "I'm changed because of the words you told me back at Gure's house before death came to me."
"Ano, Ritsu-san---"
"Please call me Ritsu, anyway, we're already cousins right?"
"Knock it off, Ristu!" Momiji yelled. "What is this all about?"
"And what's with the funny clothes---" Haru commented
"And the funny accent?" Hiro asked annoyingly. All of them sweatdropped as Ritsu's face became all worried.
"I dressed like this to impress.. Tohru-chan." He turned to Tohru. "Did I miss something?"
"Ano, it's because---" Tohru began but he held up his hand and showed a face of "despair and sorrow", just like the old Ritsu does.
"I knew it. I tried everything but I couldn't impress Tohru that much. I'm a failure, no good pathetic dimwit who couldn't do anything but to put his fellow friends and relatives in shame and embarrassment. Even though I tried everything, even changed my appearance, the mark of failure is still there and it will appear and disappear like grains of sand that were blown away by the wind." Ritsu cried. All of them sweatdropped and Tohru was totally confused.
"It's not that Ritsu---"
"No, I shouldn't blame yourself, like everybody does." He smiled at her weakly. "People tried to cheer me up with that expression but now.. I should..apologize."
"No, Ritsu, you---" everyone tried to stop him but---
"GOMENASAI! GOMENASAI, TOHRU-CHAN! PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I AM JUST A SINNER LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" He cried out as he grabbed Tohru on the shoulders and shook her unvoluntarily. "PLEASE LET ME MAKE UP FROM MY WRETCH ATTITUDE!!!"
"Rit-su-chan~~" she sweatdropped.
"PLEASE DON'T LOOK AT ME WITH YOUR EYES OF PITY. I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT ME LIKE AN ENEMY, BECAUSE WHAT I DID WAS WORSE THAN WHAT AKITO DID TO YOU"
Tohru stopped from her silly work as she stared at Ritsu. He knew also, she thought. She looked down on the floor with her sad face while Kyo smacked Ritsu at the back of his head. "You stupid fool! We went here so that we would cheer her up from that 'incident'!" the cat barked. (what?!)
Ritsu looked at them. "oh my. I'm sorry, Tohru-chan, I didn't know---"
"Here we go again." Hiro sighed. "Kisa, do you want to go to your room? You looked sleepy."
"Hai, Hiro." she nodded as both of them left.
"GOMENASAI, TOHRU-CHAN!!!!" he knelt in front of her and bowed lowly like a disciple in front of a raging God. "PLEASE FORGIVE ME, TOHRU-CHAN!!!!"
"Ne, you don't have to apologize." Tohru smiled weakly. Yuki's face became worried. He knew that Tohru remembered again about Akito, which made her look scared and worried for a moment.
"But, Tohru-chan---"
"It's okay. I'm happy that you found the right path to manhood, ritsu- chan." She smiled. "Oh yes, it's not my birthday today."
"What?! Then..I just failed again.. TOHRU---" Before he could say anything, Kyo covered his mouth roughly with a pillow.
"I hate it when you apologize." He muttered.
"I hate it when I remembered that you are my cousin." Haru muttered also to Ritsu. "If you aren't, I would have killed you years ago, stupid monkey."
Ritsu again became very worried. "What? Then that means...I have to---"
"DON'T APOLOGIZE!!!" they screamed.
------------------------------
It was nearly midnight when Yuki heard noises outside. "Must be baka neko," he muttered. But still, he got up and went outside to see.
To his surprise, he saw Tohru kneeling in the middle of the hall, weeping. He quickly went towards her and calmed her down. "Tohru, what happened? Is something wrong?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she leaned against him and cried even more. Yuki patted her back gently and continued to say comforting word like "I'm here, don't worry" and "it's okay." After a few moments, Tohru's cries faded away. "I saw him."
"Akito?" he asked and she nodded. "What is he doing?"
"Cursing. and warning me." she whispered. "Not to get carried away."
"Carried away from what?" he asked. She didn't answer his question. She just muttered "he's going to kill me" over and over again.
"Tohru, tell me. How is he going to kill you when he's already dead?" he smiled at her. "Let his soul rest, Tohru. It's the best way to escape from his reappearances to you---"
"But his soul won't rest until..I finish the job.."
"What job?" he asked. She didn't answer. "Why won't you tell me?"
"I..I just can't..." she wiped a small tear from her eye. "Are you going to tell the others?"
"Maybe not."
"Why?"
"Because it might reach to Ritsu." He smiled. "And you know what will happen when it does." Tohru laughed at Yuki's joke and he laughed also. "That's the Tohru, I would like to see everyday."
"Huh?" she wondered.
"Don't let Akito take away that smile, okay?" he asked and she nodded slowly. "Ne, I haven't really done this before but..I think this might help you sleep better."
"What is it?" she asked. He reached out to hug her and he whispered silently in her ear.
"You can sleep beside me tonight."
"But---"
"Don't worry." He grinned. "Baka neko won't mind when you do."
"Yuki." she smiled slowly. "Thank you."
"Just tell me one thing." He said.
"What?"
"Remember that time when we found you sleeping in Akito's room? Did he do 'something' to you?" he asked. Tohru stared at him. He won't understand. Even though he acted more mature than her, he won't understand.
"Ano. nothing." she whispered.
"Okay. Let's go to sleep." He smiled as he guided her to his room. She held his hand tightly, knowing that someday, Yuki might know.
"Gomenasai, Yuki-kun" she said to herself.