Chapter 31: Day One

Princess Sango

"Dad I'm home!" called Kyoko who had just kicked off her shoes and then entered the living room. A note stood there, hanging from the wall but in a corner that wasn't meant to seen by others. Grabbing it, she read it to herself:

Dear Kyoko,

We know this is really sudden, but your father and I have to go away for awhile. We've taken Kazuki with us since we know you don't like his room. It's more of the "Sohma family secret" business so you might want to say we're on vacation. Be a good girl and please try to keep the house clean.

Love ya,

Mom and Dad

Kyoko sighed as she sat there and crumpled up the paper and tucked it in her pocket. Keiichiro started coming inside the living room, "Um, Kyoko where do I keep my stuff?"

Kyoko turned around, "Um, I'm trying to decide that, since Uncle Yuki lives with us and he's still here I think…" Wrong yet again, as she saw another note and snatched it off the wall.

Dear Kyoko,

Going away for awhile too, this guy can use my room. Just please don't let him in my closet or drawers. I'm going to go with my brother, and he's dragging me out the door right now!

Gotta go,

Uncle Yuki

Kyokoturned to Keiichiro, "Guess you're in Uncle Yuki's room this time. Okay, follow me."

Keiichiro followed her and when she stopped he looked confused, but then she went to the next room over and opened it, "This is now your room, just don't start going through his stuff. Uncle Yuki likes his privacy, many people inside the Sohma family like privacy."

"Is that a warning?" Keiichiro asked.

"Most of the time, yes," Kyoko replied, smiling. She turned around and entered her room which was right across from her, "This is my room, if you need anything, please feel free to ask."

"Okay then," Keiichiro's voice came and he watched her close his door.

Kyoko's POV

I sighed as the door closed behind me, "Now just to get through this week. I know, let me call someone." Picking up the phone she dialed her mom's best friend, Arisa. She knows how to cheer people up and knows how to calm them down. Someone answered and she smiled, "Hi Arisa-san?"

"Oh hi there Kyoko-chan, what's going on?" asked Arisa's punk voice.

"Nothing, just bored," answered Kyoko, "What are you up to?"

"I'm going to your estate to see if Kureno is there. Do you know if he is?" asked Arisa.

"No, I don't know if he is. Kureno didn't know the zodiac, so he mostly stays away from us. Are you going to still come?" I asked her.

"Yes, but not to see Kureno, since I probably would get lost trying to look for him. Can I come over there?"

"Mom's not here, but sure, if you don't mind hanging out with a fourteen-year-old," I joked and I could here her laughing in the background.

"Haha, I'll be over there soon kid, get the snacks ready!" Arisa answered, hanging up the phone to leave.

Laughing I went into the kitchen and started grabbing the food that Arisa liked, chips, soda, anything that was fried or sweet. Walking out she placed it on the table and laid out some movies and games. Someone knocked on the door and opened it, "Hi Arisa-san!"

Arisa smiled as she came inside, "Hi there Kyoko-chan, so it's just you here?"

"Well, there is a boy here but he's only here because of Hatori-jisan. Pay no mind."

"You're just like your mother; hanging out with boy's your own age. I swore some of that would rub off on one of the family members. Well what are we doing?"

"Movies, cards, snacks, anything you want," I answered the thirty-one year old question.

"Okay then let's play Dai him min, I used to beat your father so bad in that game. He'd get so mad, and then he'd have to clean the whole classroom by himself. Being in high school with your family is the best!" she laughed as she followed me into the living room where she flopped down on the couch and looked at the snacks, "Who'd think you'd have that much junk food?"

"My dad went shopping, and he bought some of these items. I don't know why, since mom and dad aren't big snack fans, but who knows? I just happened to find the jackpot," I answered and threw some Pocky to her, "Yet I have to say, these are the best."

Arisa nodded in agreement before taking a packet and throwing the rest to me again. Then in came Keiichiro, "I didn't know you were having company over."

I stopped and smiled, "Um, Keiichiro-san, this is Arisa-san, she's my mom's friend and she decided to come over."

Keiichiro just nodded as he sat down on the floor, and Arisa turned to me, "Is he your age?"

"Yes he's my age Arisa-san," I answered, biting my inner cheek.

"Whatever, so want to play that game?" Arisa asked me and I nodded, looking around the table and spotted the cards. Handing them to her she started to shuffle them and then handed cards over to me. "Is he playing too? Yo kid, are you playing?"

Keiichiro looked up and blinked, "Sure…"

Arisa nodded to him and then we started playing.

Half and hour later…

Regular POV

"Ha, I beat you!" came Arisa's voice while the other two slumped down in their seats.

"Mou Arisa-san, you are good," Kyoko admitted, throwing down her cards onto the table, "No wonder dad kept losing, but it seems Keiichiro-san lost more than I did."

Keiichiro did indeed become the 'poor man' in this game and no one felt bad for him. "That's what he gets for trying to play with the Sohmas and the Uotanis. We're masters at this; even Hana-chan can play this game rather well!"

"Hana-san, really, how's she doing?" Kyoko asked, looking at the blonde.

"Hana-chan's going out with a Sohma too, but it seemed like she went for the younger men instead," Arisa answered, placing a finger on her lip, looking around the room suspiciously.

"Who, who is Hana-san going out with?" Kyoko asked, grabbing onto the older woman's arm and shaking it slightly.

"Oh where's the fun in that? It's Momiji-kun," Arisa answered, shrugging her shoulder, "I haven't seen Hana happier though, she told me Momiji-kun reminded me of Tohru, him being so happy all the time."

Kyoko looked up, "Momiji-kun reminded Hana-san of mom?"

"Yeah, I saw the same thing in Kureno; basically we both like your mother's attitude. Your mother helped us a lot when we met, and she never asked for anything in return, even your grandmother helped us."

"My-my grandmother, the one on my mom's side?" Kyoko asked eyes wide. Since no one has ever told her about either of her grandparents.

"Really, hasn't Tohru told you about your grandma?" Arisa asked confused.

"What, oh, she's said very little. I just know I'm named after her," Kyoko answered and then added, "Mom, I think she was too worried about us to talk about anything."

Arisa smiled, "Then let me tell ya! Kyoko-san was the greatest; she was a real yankee, Kyoko the Red Butterfly. Then she ended up getting married and her yankee blood kind of diminished but what was left, she helped me through. I was in a gang and I ended up looking for Kyoko's daughter, and to find it out to be Tohru, I was kind of upset. Then I met Kyoko, and it got me even more upset. I was upset for so long, yet Tohru still insisted on being my friend, and she decided it so quickly. Then I started to change, I got out of my gang, with help from Kyoko and became friends with Tohru, about a year later we met Hana-chan and the rest is history."

Kyoko processed the information and smiled, "So, you were very close I take it?"

Arisa smiled, "Yeah, we are close. Hey, why don't we go play outside?"

Kyoko's face dropped, "We can't leave the estate for a week, and it's under Hatori-jisan's orders."

"Oh, so you're locked up for a week? Okay then, let's go play somewhere in here. No any good places?" Arisa asked, poking Kyoko's shoulder.

"Well, there was a small park that the estate put in for me when I was five. I haven't been there but I heard they put in a small pool to go with it," Kyoko answered, as if that was the best resolve.

"Okay then, to the pool, um wait, can I borrow a bathing suit?" Arisa asked. Kyoko broke out into a fit of giggles before grabbing a pillow from behind her and flinging at her. "What the hell was that for? Kyoko-chan you're so going to get it!" Arisa grabbed her own pillow and threw it across the room to where Kyoko sat, holding her sides in laughter.

"Hey!" she managed to giggle out, before grabbing another pillow and threw it at Arisa, but she blocked it and it bounced off of Arisa's pillow only to hit Keiichiro. Keiichiro stood up and picked up the pillow and threw it at Kyoko. Soon, like after ten minutes of giggles and tackles, three bodies were collapsed on the floor.

"T-that was so much fun!" Arisa yelled out.

"Yeah, Arisa-san it was fun!" Kyoko shouted and then heard Keiichiro's small whisper of 'yeah.' "You want to go to that pool now?"

"Sure, as long as you have a bathing suit for me to borrow," Arisa answered.

"Okay then, I guess you'll fit in mom's she's about as tall as you," Kyoko answered, standing up and running into her mother's room. Opening the closer Kyoko picked out the bikini that usually stayed in the closet and came back and handed it to Arisa, "This should be fine." Arisa nodded, running into the bathroom before anything else could be said. "Hey Keiichiro-san are you coming too?"

Keiichiro looked up from his spot, "Sure I will! I didn't think you'd have a pool though…"

Kyoko grinned, "Guess you need to borrow too?"

"If you have anything for a guy my age."

"Okay then, I think dad still has his, even though he's not that fond of swimming. Maybe…" Getting up she walked back into her parent's room and went through her father's drawers and found a pair of his swimming trunks. Picking it out she made her way back to Keiichiro, "Go try this, I'll be right back."

Running into her room Kyoko happily threw on her bikini which held a fire theme of red and orange. Walking back out her saw Arisa in her mother's red, pink, and orange bathing suit while Keiichiro walked out in the fire themed trunks. "Oh, that's so cute! I want a picture of that definitely!"

Keiichiro looked over at Kyoko and blushed but quickly looked away when she was about to look, "Why is ours orange themed anyway?"

Kyoko turned to Keiichiro, "Well, dad's favorite color was orange, and the fact that everyone in my family soon decided to take over the color. It's been growing on me lately, matches my hair along with my dad's."

"Oh…" Keiichiro answered, shrugging his shoulders as Kyoko ran to go get towels. Coming out with towels, water bottles, and some food, they headed out to the pool. The day was clear and even though the pool was deserted, it was perfect.

"I didn't know they installed a water slide too, and even a diving board!" Kyoko yelled, "I'm going down the slide first!"

Keiichiro watched the girl as she ran towards the slide, but he decided to cut her off, "No, I'm going first!"

Kyoko tried running faster but he had beaten her to the slide and had already gone down. Arisa looked at the two and laughed before jumping off the diving board herself. Soon they were all in the pool and were thinking of fun ideas. "We could play volleyball but it's an uneven number."

"It's okay, I say teens versus adult!" Arisa answered.

"Really, you don't mind?" Kyoko asked, "Come on Keiichiro!" She dragged him to the semi-shallow area and then she jumped out of the pool and grabbed the net and the ball. Throwing the ball into the pool on Arisa's side she hooked the net to one side before throwing the other side to Keiichiro, "Connect it over there!" Pointing Keiichiro did so and she jumped back into the water, "Are you ready Arisa-san?"

"Yes, I'm ready!" she called back, hitting the ball into the air.

Hour later…

Arisa said she would return the bathing suit and towel later as she made her way out the of the Sohma estate while Kyoko and Keiichiro made their way back to the house. Opening the door, Kyoko smiled at Keiichiro, "So what do you want for dinner?"

"Um…I want ramen?" Keiichiro asked unsurely.

"Are you kidding me, you like ramen too? Come on then, we'll fix that in two minutes!" Kyoko answered, pulling him inside the kitchen, "Do you like chicken or beef?"

"Beef?" Keiichiro asked unsurely.

"Good, because that's the only flavor we have!" Kyoko answered, pulling out the ramen and opening the caps. Placing water inside the microwave, and then pulled it back out and poured some water into the two ramen cups and picking out chopsticks, "Here you go!"

Keiichiro and Kyoko started mixing the two cups and then began eating the ramen. When they were done they placed the cups into the garbage and the chopsticks in the sink. Both immediately went to go take a shower but blushed when they noticed there was only one open to the public for use of a shower. "I'll go take one in my parents."

Kyoko ran into her parent's room and walked into the bathroom where she preceded to take a shower.

Hour later…

Both came out, dry and tired, and both were caught going to bed. "Goodnight then Kyoko-san?"

"Good night Keiichiro-san," Kyoko answered in a whisper.

Both closed their doors, letting sleep claim the tired souls.

TBC…