Onigiri-chan

What happens when an old childhood friend of Tohru suddenly came into the scene and messes up the whole love problems between the Sohmas and Tohru?

NOTES: Hi, guys! It's me again:) FIRST OF ALL, thank you for all the reviews! I really appreciated it! SECOND OF ALL, I would like to thank EmilyIsisNephthys for her wonderful ideas for my story! Thank you! And since you're so nice enough to do it, I'll put your ideas in my story one way or another:D This chapter is dedicated to you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket…

BOLD WORDS: I have notes about this after the end of the chapter!

CHAPTER 4: The Date

"Um, OK. I think this will do."

Tohru frowned at herself at her closet mirror as she twirled around to inspect her outfit. She was wearing a short denim skirt, and a pink tank top under her white capelet sweater. Her hair was tied up in a messy knot, and she didn't bother with makeup. She didn't own any, anyways.

She left her room with a cheery tune in her head, thinking ahead to the wonderful day she was going to spend with her old best friend (she wasn't even thinking about it as a date) when suddenly, she bumped into something, hard.

"Uwah!"

"Oy!" Kyo turned around angrily and held her steady. "Watch where you're going!"

Tohru blushed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I was... I wasn't paying attention..." she ended lamely.

The orange-haired boy grinned. "You never do." then his smile disappeared as he notice her appearance. He suddenly remembered about that Ryoki guy they met yesterday. "Oh... uh... you're going out today?" he flushed, as an unidentifiable emotion began to churn in his belly.

Tohru beamed. "Going to meet Ryoki-chan today."

"On a... d-date?" Kyo refused to meet her eyes.

She nodded and then saw his expression. She worriedly asked, "Is something bothering you, Kyo-kun?"

Kyo violently shook his head. "No! Everything's fine." He growled.

Tohru didn't believe him, but she knew he will only get mad if she further pursue the subject. I wonder what's wrong with Kyo-kun? Is he ill?

"Oh... Tohruuu-chaaaannn..." Shigure called out from the kitchen. "I can't find any lunch... where do you think they are... Tohrrruuu chaaannnn?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Shigure-san! I'll be right there immediately!" Tohru flushed in embarrassment. She bowed to Kyo. "I'm sorry, Kyo-kun, but I have to fix lunch for Shigure-san now."

Kyo frowned. "You don't have to, you know. I'll do it. You can go to your date now." he began to walk towards the kitchen.

Tohru, in confusion, followed him. "But... but... it's my job..."

"Oy," he interrupted her. "Don't worry about us, OK? Just go and do whatever you have to do, OK? I said I'll fix lunch for that idiot Shigure, OK?" he empasized his last word.

Why is he so mad...? Tohru asked herself. Wanting not to upset Kyo any longer, she nodded and went to the kitchen, where Shigure was drinking tea and rubbing his stomach in hunger.

"Oh, Tohru-chan!" Shigure exclaimed, with a cheery smile on his face.

"Um... I'm sorry... Shigure-san... I have to go meet up with Ryoki-chan now... I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" Tohru closed her eyes and pleaded with him.

Shigure's face fell a bit with disappoinment, but then cheered up consecutively. "Aw, that's all right, Tohru-chan. I understand that it's your first time in years seeing Ryoki-chan, so I'll let you go. But tonight you better cook up something delicious for me, OK?"

"What is she to you, your maid?" Kyo asked Shigure, as he entered the kitchen with a frown on his face.

His older cousin made the mistake of saying yes, and Kyo clocked him on the head. Shigure cried out in the injustice of it all, while Tohru panicked, looking for a bandaid to put on his bruised head.

"Tohru!" Kyo said. "You're gonna be late! Go already!" he glared at her.

Tohru stared at him, with a little hurt expression in her features. Does he want me to go that bad? He's that mad at me? She managed to give a weak smile to the two, and said, "OK, I'll go now. I'll be back real soon!"

Then she left, her face down, bumping Yuki along the way and apologizing sincerely to him and telling him she's going out, and left the Sohma house.

"Uh-oh. I think you hurt Tohru-chan's feelings." Shigure chortled Kyo.

His orange-haired cousin growled at him. "Shut up, moron." He glanced at the door, where his nemesis, the mouse-boy Yuki, was standing and watching him with narrow eyes. "What?" he demanded.

Yuki shrugged and replied, "Don't even think of messing up our lunch."

Kyo glared as he took a scoop of uncooked grains of rice from a container. "Oh yeah, if you don't want me cookin', then why don't you do it yourself?"

"Why should I?"

This led to another outburst from Kyo. Shigure emptied his tea, and mumbled to himself, "Boy, things get so heated when Tohru-chan is not around."

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I hope Kyo-kun won't stay mad at me...

Tohru sat at the park bench demurely as she watched two kids chasing each other playfully. She smiled as the little girl tried to keep up with the little boy, and then her eyes widened in shock and a sweatdrop appeared on her head as the little girl hit the little boy on his head. She started to get up, when a voice stopped her.

"Don't worry about them, Tohru-chan. They're just playing around." Tohru jumped in fright and spun around.

Ryoki stood behind the bench, grinning widely at her.

"Ryoki-chan... ah ha, you scared me."

He smiled innocently at her and the pulled out some daisies behind his back. "I'm sorry. Please accept this flowers as an apology."

"Uwah... they're so pretty! Thank you so much, Ryoki-chan!" Tohru bowed repeatedly as she accept the flowers.

Ryoki chuckled and stopped her. "It's no trouble at all. Would you like to walk around and show me all the new changes in Tokyo, Tohru-chan?"

She beamed happily at him. "Sure."

As they walked around the park, they started reminiscing their past and laughing over silly moments.

"Ha-ha-ha... Honestly, Tohru-chan. You were so gullible back then. Who would've thought that onigiri was actually part of the game Fruits Basket?" Ryoki sighed with a smile. "Naw, it was Miyatsu's fault. He gave you that name. Geez, what an idiot." he shook his head.

Tohru nervously giggled. "He probably didn't mean to."

Ryoki rolled his eyes. "Tohru-chan. You're always thinking of the person's good side, even though they're always mean to you." he scolded her. "Let me tell you something, Tohru-chan," he looked at her with a serious expression on his face.

Tohru looked at him nervously. Oh my... I think I angered him or something... "Y-yes, Ryoki-chan?"

He suddenly smiled. "That's one of the reasons why I love you. You're one of a kind, you know that?" he whistled a happy tune and he walked away, with Tohru blushing and mumbling nonsense words.

"R-ry-ryo... lo-love... kind...?"

"Tohru-chan! What are you doing? Hurry up!" Ryoki glanced back and beckoned to her.

Tohru regained her composure, barely, and walked hurriedly towards him.

"OK, I'm getting hungry. Let's go to a restaurant." He spoke casually, as if he didn't just said anything that left her speechless and blushing non-stop.

"Uh... uh..." Tohru tried to speak. "This restaurant is quite good." she pointed to a random spot, as she was still blushing and couldn't meet his eyes.

Ryoki grinned at her, took her hand, and then walked inside the restaurant. They sat down on a vacant table, and they started looking at the menus. Tohru's face was still red.

"Tohru-chan... what do you want to eat?"

"Uh... um..." Tohru skimmed the menu. "The Ribbin' Stew Ribs and the Barley Soup Pea?" She finally raised her eyes at his face, whose expression stared back at her with a surprised look.

He chuckled. "You sure you want that?"

"Yes, very much. Thank you." She gave him a small smile and looked down quickly.

"Are your orders ready?" A female waitress appeared.

"Yup. We would like two orders of the Ribbin' Stew Ribs and the Barley Soup Pea, please." Ryoki glanced at Tohru and gave her a wicked smile. She blushed even more. "Oh, and some Coca-cola, please."

The waitress smiled appreciatively at Ryoki, as she noted his charming smile and decided to make his dining experience as comfortable as possible. She didn't fail to notice his other female companion, however. "I'll be right back, sir."

When the waitress left, Ryoki cocked his head at Tohru and said, "Is something wrong, Tohru-chan?"

She flushed. "N-no..."

He leaned back and gave her a serious look. "Tohru-chan... if I made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

She shook her head violently. "N-no! You didn't, Ryoki-kun. I wasn't uncomfortable!" she gave him a smile.

"Good." He grinned at her, and he relaxed. "Tohru-chan, I know this is hard, but I would like to know more about what happen to Kyoko-san. I still can't believe she's dead."

Tohru smiled slightly at him and replied, "Please don't. I know Mom wouldn't want anyone feeling sad because of her. I believe that she's looking down at us right now and she's happy that we finally met again." Then she relayed to him what happened on the day her mother died, and the waitress came to bring them their orders, and Tohru continued her story. As she finished, Ryoki's eyes were suddenly moist with emotion.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Ryoki rubbed his eyes. "A man never cries. It's just... it's just that it's so sad that she's gone, you know? Poor you..."

Tohru smiled sadly. "It's OK to cry sometimes, Ryoki-chan. It doesn't matter who you are. Because I believe that it's healthy for someone to express their emotions once in a while. You are only human, after all. And yes, maybe during first months after Mom's death I felt sorry for myself, but then I was blessed with good friends and I'm now living at Shigure-san's home, filled with wonderful people. So please don't worry about me, Ryoki-chan. Please don't."

Ryoki smiled at her and captured her hand. "Tohru-chan... I love you."

She blushed once again.

"... So that's why I have a surprise for you."

"W-what is it?"

"I'm officially going to your school on Monday."

"REALLY!"

"Yes."

"Uwah! I'm so happy!"

He grinned. "I thought you would be."

Tohru leaned back against her chair as she thought, I'm so lucky. Mom, did you hear? I can't wait to introduce Ryoki-kun to Uo-chan and Hana-chan!

TO BE CONTINUED...

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Tokyo – I replaced this chapter because last time I wrote that they were in Kyoto but they weren't so here you go! EDITED!

YAY! Another chapter is up! It's longer this time! Do you guys liked their date? Hehe... Anyone who has any ideas, email me OK:D My writer's block finally lifted after I watched 8 episodes of Fruits Basket... in Japanese! Now I have 18 more to go:D Please R&R!