Author's Notes:

It's been awhile, hasn't it? Really sorry about that... --;;

Anyway, here's another post. Hope you guys like it. (",) Thank you in advance for reading it. Oh, and I would like to dedicate this to Numbah Wierdo-san and to Reiko-san. Thank you for reading and reviewing this story. (",) I'm glad you guys liked it. (",)

They went up the stairs in silence. Hatsuharu looked at her and saw that she was doing her habit of counting the number of steps again. He chuckled.

I guess she hasn't really changed much.

She looked at him and realized that he knew what she was doing. She suddenly stopped and missed a half-step, making her trip. He was quick and caught her arm before she fell onto the stairs face first.

"Daijoubu?" He asked earnestly.

"E-eh…" She said.

He saw her cheeks go red.

She's getting embarrassed again.

He sighed. He let her go and they continued up the stairs.

FLASHBACK

The next day, Hatsuharu tried to look for the mysterious girl in school, but he couldn't find her. He didn't see a sign of her during the succeeding two days either. He wondered if what she told him about no longer being able to go to school became true. That thought only made him worry some more, and he felt an uncontrollable urge to find her.

Something... Something's wrong...

After school, he went back to the park where they first met. But it took him until the next day before he found it. He missed school, but he didn't care.

Once inside, he searched for her. Fortunately, she was there. He found her not on her usual bench, but on a nearby swing. She had her gaze down on the ground, her face slightly slanted downward. As he neared her, he noticed that she looked paler than the last time he saw her, but she wasn't crying.

When she looked up and saw him, she abruptly stood up and looked like she was going to run away, but he was quick to get behind her.

He grabbed her arms to stop her while still not near enough for him to transform.

"Sohma-san, please let me go." She said as she struggled to be free of his grasp.

But his grip was strong. He didn't hurt her, but he kept her from freeing herself.

"I told you it's 'Haru'."

She finally stopped struggling and let her hands limp to her sides. "...Haru-san, please let me go. I can't face you..."

"Why not?"

"You know, don't you?" She replied quietly.

"Know what?"

"...You...don't...?" She slowly turned her head towards him. He let her go so she can face him.

He shook his head. "No... But I can tell that something bad must have happened, if you were willing to run away from me like that."

She bowed her head. "Gomen nasai... Haru-san... But I just can't face you. You shouldn't talk to me anymore."

"Why?"

Silence.

"You don't want to tell me?"

Silence.

"...Alright then..." He let her go. "But you said it yourself, it might be good to let out your feelings to a 'stranger'. You might consider me as one, since I didn't know what happened to you, and therefore I am just a stranger. A stranger to your circumstances."

Before she could reply, he added.

"I was really worried about you."

She looked up at him and frowned. "...You were...? You don't even know who I am..."

"What do you mean I don't know you? We spent a whole afternoon together." He replied and smiled at her.

It was contagious. She smiled a little too.

After a moment of silence, he asked again. "Well? Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

She hung her head before she replied. "...My parents...They are dead."

He blinked. "Huh...?"

She turned her head to the side and shrugged. "My mother killed my father. Then she killed herself."

Silence.

"...But...Why?"

"She was trying to protect me. Father was going to beat me up because I didn't want to use my abilities for him... Because I didn't want to anymore..."

He couldn't reply. He didn't know what to say.

"It... It probably would have been easier if I had just done what he told me to do... And maybe... maybe they would still be alive today... Demo... Demo... I... didn't want to anymore..." Her voice trailed off. He noticed that her hands were trembling. He wanted to try to comfort her, but as he was about to hold her hand, he remembered the curse.

If I get too close, I might transform...

She suddenly looked at him, and, with a frown, asked, "'Transform'...? What does that mean, Haru-san...? Do you transform...?"

He took a step back and stared at her. What? How-?

He saw her eyes widen, probably realizing that she had sensed his thoughts. She immediately shook her head and placed her hands on her ears, as if trying to block unwanted sounds. "G-gomen nasai! Gomen nasai, Haru-san! I didn't mean to! Gomen nasai!"

"No... It-it's alright..." I think...

She shook her head harder. "No...! It's not! Gomen nasai, Haru-san!" She buried her face in her hands and kept apologizing, her apologies muffled by her hands. He could only watch helplessly as he saw her apologize continuously.

"Gomen nasai... Haru-san...!" She said. "I didn't mean to... It just came to me... Gomen-!"

POOF!

"H-Haru...san...?"

He didn't reply. He wasn't sure how she would react. As the air cleared from the smoke, which temporarily obstructed her view of him, he warily watched her...

How would she react to this...?

"W-Why...?" Was all she was able to stammer. It wasn't the immediate reaction he would have normally expected from anybody.

It took him awhile before he replied. "I wanted to comfort you... to tell you it's okay... even for the briefest of seconds."

And it was the truth.

For what seemed a long time to him, she didn't speak nor move. She just stared at him, with her mouth slightly open. He sighed inwardly and, although dreading the answer, he asked,

"Are you scared of me? Do you find me disgusting...? That I change into an animal?"

She didn't reply. He saw her extend her hand to touch the side of his head. "Real..." He heard her whisper.

What he saw next was completely unexpected.

A smile.

He didn't expect her to smile, but it was an excited smile.

She suddenly wrapped her arms around him and shouted, "Kawaiiiii…! Haru-san is so cute!" She gave a burst of giggles.

I feel like a stuffed toy. He thought with a sweat drop.

"D-daijoubu, Haru-san... Your secret is safe with me." She whispered.

She let him go and was about to pat his head when he transformed back. He saw her turn red and wave her arms in alarm, knocking her own glasses off of her face.

"G-gomen nasai! I didn't know that you'll be naked!" She cried as she turned and looked the opposite way, burying her face in her hands. Her reaction almost made him laugh while he put his clothes back on.

He picked up her glasses and tapped her on her shoulder. "I'm dressed now."

She slowly brought her face up to look at him. That was when he noticed a scar just below her right eye. Funny, he didn't notice that when they first met.

Seeing that he is indeed fully clothed, he saw her give a sigh of relief. As she took her glasses from him, he noticed that the scar became hidden when she put her glasses back on.

I guess that explains it.

She smiled at him before speaking. "Haru-san... Arigatou... For doing that... I feel much better now..."

He liked her smile like that. It made him feel like smiling too. He wanted to protect that smile.

"You're welcome."

Japanese corner:

Daijoubu - Don't worry/It's alright/Are you alright? (depending on the sentence and context)

Kawaii - Cute