Things were fairly quiet over the next few months. Fall turned into winter. The New Year came and went. Soon it was early spring. The wedding date was set for a month after high school graduation- May 12th. It was drawing closer, as was Yuki and Tohru to each other. Up to that point, they believed their engagement was still secret, but suspicions were mounting daily all around them. Then one day in home-ec class, the students were making gyoza, and the dough had to be kneaded. Tohru took off her ring, not wanting to dirty it, and laid it on the counter near her. The girls worked and chatted, enjoying themselves, as the pot stickers sizzled in the hot fat. After class most of the girls had hurried out, but Tohru always stayed to help clean up so Hana and Uo usually did as well. Hana discovered Tohru's ring in the process of wiping the counters. She picked it up thinking to call it to Tohru's attention, but stopped. A thin line of scrolled writing which lined the inside of the band glinted in the light and caught Hana's attention. She read the inscription, and then stood motionless contemplating the discovery she had made. Uo, who was washing dishes only a few feet away, noticed her friend's expression. "What is it?" she questioned half-heartedly. Saki turned and handed the ring to Arisa. "Read it", she instructed. As she did so, Tohru, who had just finished sweeping the floor, approached. "What the…", Uo bellowed. Both the girls turned to look at Tohru. Her face had gone white. "No, don't say it!" Tohru pleaded. "Please, please don't say anything!" She glanced around the classroom nervously. There were still a handful of girls there. She was obviously terrified.
"But Tohru, I still don't understand why it has to be a secret", Hana said. The girls had adjourned to sit under the blossoming trees at the far end of the school ground in order to discuss this newly uncovered piece of information. "She just doesn't want those fan club girls all over her case, right Tohru?" Uo interjected. Tohru sat looking down at her lap. She was wringing a napkin from the home-ec room nervously. "It's hard to explain", she began quietly. "You see, Yuki acted without permission". She looked up at her friends. Her eyes begged them to understand. "He knew his parents would never agree to our marriage, and then there is Akito". "Wait, who's Akito?" Uo stopped her. "She's the head of the Sohma family. Her word is law to them", Tohru continued. Uo made a face at this. She had only heard of such things in movie scripts. Hana listened patiently. "Akito wouldn't let Hatori, that's Yuki's cousin, remember?" They vaguely did. "Well, he wasn't allowed to marry. He fell in love, but Akito wouldn't allow it, and Hatori had to give her up". The two girl's expressions became incredulous as Tohru continued. "Yuki didn't ask for permission because he knew he wouldn't get it. He wants to marry me, but if Akito finds out about the engagement, it would be very bad. Yuki would be in so much trouble". "That's why I couldn't tell you". Tohru's eyes grew moist. "Please don't tell anyone, please!" She begged. "It's alright, Tohru", Hana soothed. "We understand". Uo was quiet. She was realizing she had misjudged Yuki altogether. He really did care about Tohru, more than she had surmised. "It's kind of cool!" Uo blurted out. "Like Romeo and Juliet a little, ya know?" The romantic part of her was fascinated with Tohru's story. Tohru sniffed, and managed a weak smile.
Shigure had never satisfied his suspicions about the engagement as well, and finally invited Hatori over for dinner one Sunday so that he could observe first hand, and offer his opinion of the situation. Tohru had served the two of them tea, and was in the kitchen working on the dinner, when Yuki came in from the secret base. "Hatori, hi", Yuki called. He was mildly surprised to see his cousin. "What brings you here?" Yuki asked smiling. He seemed more genial than Hatori had ever seen him. "I was invited for dinner", Hatori replied in his rich, basso voice. "Great", Yuki said. They watched him carry a small arm load of vegetables into the kitchen. "Here you go", he said to Tohru who was standing at the sink, and he kissed her on the back of the neck. "Thank you, Yuki", she smiled at him. Shigure and Hatori exchanged looks. "Can I help?" Yuki offered, and stuck his hands under the faucet to wash them.
Hatori and Shigure continued to watch the pair all evening in an effort to surmise what was going on; to validate their suspicions. At dinner Hatori couldn't help but notice the change in the way the two interacted together. Sometimes they exchanged knowing glances. Sometimes they completed each other's sentences. There was a definite aura of unity about Yuki and Tohru when they were together- the special energy that couples in love throw off. They were a matched set, like a pair of bookends that were made for each other; that complimented each other. It was really impossible to miss.
Later, Hatori and Shigure shared a cigarette. "You see why I called you here, don't you?" Shigure queried quietly. They looked on as Yuki and Tohru lay side by side on their stomachs on the living room floor pouring over the newspaper. Hatori said nothing, but just kept observing. "Here's one that sounds nice", Yuki pointed to a column of print. Toru leaned across and read the print. "Ah, uh-huh", she agreed. "I'll get something to write with". Yuki got up from the floor and began searching for a pen and paper. His search led him into Shigure's study. "What are you two looking at?" Shigure took the opportunity to ask Tohru this while Yuki was out of the room. "Apartments", she answered. Hatori and Shigure gave her a look of surprise. Yuki walked back into the room in time to catch their faces. He turned to Tohru, wondering what she had said. "Well, Yuki will be going off to college in a few months", Tohru continued. "He wanted to find an apartment near the campus, and he asked me to help him". She had become more adept at fibbing over the last few months, but what she offered was partly true. Yuki had been accepted at the university of his choice, and they did want to find an apartment- for the two of them- close to campus. Yuki became wary of the scrutinization the two of them were receiving from the elders. He was particularly distrustful of Hatori who virtually lived in Akito's back pocket. He quickly wrote down the phone number from the ad, but suggested they make the call from the other room. He and Tohru exited with the newspaper in hand.
"Scared them off, I think", Shigure said, and took another drag on his cigarette. Hatori still hadn't said anything. "You know, an interesting thing happened the other day too" Shigure offered. "It seems Kyo asked Tohru to go out with him, you know, just a friend thing". "And Yuki got all upset", Hatori interrupted. "How is that so surprising?" "That wasn't the interesting part", Shigure continued. "It was the conversation I overheard between them". Hatori looked at him. "Well, Tohru was explaining to Yuki that she had already accepted Kyo's invitation, and Yuki forbade her to go anywhere with Kyo. Then Tohru said something like she had to accept or Kyo might suspect something because she had been spending so much time with Yuki". Hatori raised an eyebrow. "What was the outcome?" he asked. "Well, Tohru did go out with Kyo, and Yuki sat in the front room steaming all evening with his arms folded until they returned." Shigure smiled as he remembered the scene. "No fight? No battle ensued?" Hatori questioned. "No. Yuki fumed, but he didn't attack Kyo before or after the date. In fact, he seemed to be trying to convince Kyo that it didn't matter to him". "That's odd", Hatori said simply.
A giggle sounded from the front porch area, and they could see the silhouettes of Yuki and Tohru in the moonlight. They were talking quietly and holding hands facing each other. A moment later the two shadows converged in an embrace of sorts, and then they were kissing. "Doesn't act much like a guy who is going to lose his lady love in a matter of weeks, does he?" Shigure pointed out. "No", Hatori had to concede. "So, if you're thinking what I'm thinking", Shigure gave him a shrewd look, "what do we do about it?" Hatori watched the lovers for a moment longer before responding. They reminded him of another happy couple from years gone by. "We pretend we know nothing, and we keep our mouths shut", Hatori said firmly.
Graduation day came. It was an exciting and emotional day in itself; the graduates contemplating their new life ahead, and the ties of daily companionship that would now be strained as they went their separate ways to pursue their life's goals. The ceremony ended early in the day leaving plenty of time for festivities and fun. Tohru, Hana, Uo, Yuki, Kyo, Haru, and Momichi had planned to go out to lunch together, then that evening the girls were going to have a slumber party at Hana's house. Hana and Uo thought it could double as a sort of bachelorette party for Tohru as well since the wedding was only a month away now. But upon returning back to the house to change, they found Hatori there with the car, and a summons of sorts. Akito had requested Yuki's presence it seemed. "Just let me change first", was all Yuki said to his cousin. He knew better than to protest. For Tohru and Yuki it was a frightening turn of events. Why would Akito suddenly want to see him? Did she know? After changing, Yuki came down the stairs with a resolute kind of expression on his face. Tohru met him at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh, Yuki", she exclaimed in a hush. She looked terrified. "It's alright", he reassured her. "You go enjoy yourself with your friends. I'm sure I'll be back soon". He actually wasn't sure, but he didn't want to burden Tohru with what he feared. Yuki's eyes tried to take in the whole of her face at once and commit it to memory for all time. He wasn't sure he would see her again. Then he turned to go and climbed in the car with Hatori who was characteristically expressionless and seemed indifferent about the whole thing.