The second chapter is here! And I managed to write it in less than a week! I hope everyone is happy about me updating so soon! I also think this chapter is a little shorter, but the lengths of all of these chapters will vary. I would like to thank all of the people who read and reviewed. Taking time out of your day to read my story makes me very happy! Please enjoy this chapter!
Title: Unexpected
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms
Chapter: A Pleasant, Yet Surprising, Evening
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.
Just stay right where I can see you
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When you go away I get so low
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Like temperatures when they're at their coldest
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When you go away I get so lonely
- Stay Where I Can See You by the Starting Line
It was the day after Tohru had been at the dojo and she now stood before the stove in her kitchen, preparing breakfast for her and Kyoko. The dojo had seldom crossed her mind overnight but now, as she fumbled through one of the cabinets for bowls, plates, and cups, the events at the dojo seemed to flash through her mind. That is, until Tohru heard footsteps hurrying to the kitchen. Kyoko then ran in and pounced on her daughter. "Tohru-chaaaaaaan!" she sang happily. "Guess what! My friend is coming over tonight for dinner! Haven't seen him in years! He called while you were out yesterday and we talked for a while, just catching up on things, y'know? Anyway, do you think you would be able to cook a nice big dinner tonight? I would, but you know how my cooking is sometimes." Kyoko chuckled to herself and rubbed the back of her head.
"That's wonderful, Mom!" Tohru replied happily. "I'd love to cook dinner for you and your friend! What would you like me to cook?"
"First of all," Kyoko started as she pointed a finger at Tohru, moving it around as she spoke. "You're going to be eating with us too, along with his son. His son's about your age, so after dinner maybe you two could take a walk or something and get to know each other." Kyoko winked at Tohru, laughing as she patted her blushing daughter on the back. "Oh, um, Mom!" Tohru squeaked. "I-I don't want to be in the way, that is—"
"Of course you won't be in the way!" Kyoko interrupted, placing her hands on her hips. "If you're going to be in the way, I wouldn't have asked you to join us! Besides, do you think his son would want to sit at the table for the whole entire evening with two old people? No, no … I'm sure he would much rather be sitting across from a cute girl." Kyoko sniggered as Tohru's face grew more crimson by the second. "Eh, Mom! W-What would you like me to make for d-dinner?"
"Oh!" Kyoko now placed her chin in her hands and seemed to be thinking quite hard. "Sukiyaki!" she finally said. "He and I always used to eat it whenever we had the chance. I'm sure he'll enjoy it because you make the best sukiyaki I ever tasted!" Tohru smiled and nodded. "Okay! I'll start making it this afternoon."
The mother and daughter then sat down happily for breakfast once it was ready. Tohru was very glad that Kyoko's ankle had healed over the night, for she was able to go around the neighborhood with Tohru and sell more tickets to the play. Tohru had five costumers the previous day out of fifteen homes she had stopped at, including the dojo. Tohru would have had made six sales, but she understood Kyo's reasons for not wanting to attend the play.
At around four o'clock Tohru began the preparations for dinner. She and Kyoko stopped at the grocery store after selling tickets to buy the needed ingredients to make the sukiyaki. Their ticket sales weren't very successful that day, as they only had two costumers out of the many houses they visited. Kyoko's friend and his son were to arrive at seven o'clock, and Tohru suggested that they could have dinner right when they came and then have tea and dessert afterwards. Tohru bought ingredients to make a cake for the dessert.
Before the guests arrived, Kyoko suggested to Tohru that she dressed in something different to make a good impression on her friend's son. Of course, she had only been kidding but Tohru blushed and went upstairs to change into a skirt, a blouse, and a cardigan. Kyoko thought it was perfect for the occasion and as Tohru was setting up the table downstairs in the dining room, there was a knock at the front door. The house that Tohru and her mother lived in was a western-style house, lacking the traditional Japanese sliding paper doors.
"Oh, that's him! That's him!" Kyoko exclaimed excitedly, jumping off the counter and running out of the kitchen to the front door. Tohru smiled to herself, happy to see her mother excited. She knew that reuniting with an old friend must be wonderful for Kyoko. From the dining room, Tohru could hear her mother greet her friend and his son, for she was talking loudly due to her happiness. "Kazuma-chan!" she cried. "Why, you've cut off your hair! Why the hell'd you do that! And is this your son? He's got my hair color! That's awesome! Anyway, my daughter Tohru's somewhere in the dining room or the kitchen. And guess what she made! Sukiyaki! Kazuma-chan, she makes the best! I know you'll love it! And what's your son's name anyway? I don't think you told me on the phone last night."
Tohru dropped the dishtowel she was using to clean off the kitchen counter (she had gone into the kitchen to retrieve the platter of sukiyaki). Could Kyoko's friend and his son possibly be the people she met at the dojo yesterday? The man's name was Kazuma, and his son's hair was orange like Kyoko's, but could it possibly be? Tohru knew that the only way to find out was to bring the sukiyaki platter into the dining room and meet the two men. When Tohru walked into the dining room, platter in hand, she saw that the two men that were sitting at the table were, in fact, the two men she met at the dojo the previous day. Kazuma was straight ahead of her, smiling when he saw her walk in. Kyo was onTohru's left, his armsfoldedover his chest, looking at her from the corner of his eye once she had walked in, and Kyoko was on her right. Tohru walked to the table and set down the platter. She bowed to Kazuma and then to Kyo.
"Kazuma-san, Kyo-san, it's so very nice to see you two again!" Kazuma smiled and nodded, returning her greeting. Kyo muttered a "Pft" as Kyoko turned from Tohru to Kazuma, her eyes filled with confusion. "Wait a minute!" she said, beginning to laugh. "You know them Tohru?" Tohru nodded and sat down Native American-style at the table.
"She came to the door of my dojo yesterday, selling me tickets to her school play," Kazuma said. "It began raining so I let her come inside and she told me about it, but unfortunately, something came up so we're not able to attend it—" he eyed Kyo for a moment before continuing "—but if we were free, I certainly would have bought tickets. It sounds like it will be a wonderful production." Kazuma smiled.
"Some coincidence!" Kyoko laughed. "To think, my daughter knocked on your door and you didn't even know it! But what made you call all of the sudden? I forgot to ask you yesterday on the phone." Kazuma cleared his throat. "Well, Tohru-san had dropped a piece of paper with her name on it. When I saw the name Honda I instantly thought of you and dug up your number out of my address book." Kazuma broadened his smile. "Which reminds me …" Kazuma slipped a folded piece of paper from his belt and handed it to Kyo to give to Tohru. Tohru unfolded the paper and saw that it was her ticket selling form. Everyone at school who was participating in ticket sales had to fill out a form at the end of the sales indicating how many tickets were sold, etc. Tohru's name had been written on it, which explains how Kazuma knew that she was Kyoko's daughter.
"Oh, thank you very much Kazuma-san!" Tohru exclaimed when she took the piece of paper from Kazuma. "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this form! Thank you!" Kazuma smiled and nodded in response and Kyoko grinned and patted Tohru's shoulder.
After the explanations, the four settled down and began eating. Kazuma found the sukiyaki absolutely wonderful, stating that it must have been the best he ever tasted. Kyo scarcely said anything, only quickly responding to questions asked by Kyoko and Tohru. Tohru could sense that Kyo was uncomfortable all throughout dinner and remained the same when they had dessert. When dessert was finished and Tohru began to clean the table, Kazuma suggested to Kyo that he should help her. Kyo had shot him a look as if to say, "Are you kidding me!" but Kazuma insisted and Kyo helped Tohru with a hard look on his face. When Kazuma and Kyoko headed off into the sitting room, Tohru and Kyo went in the kitchen to wash and dry the dishes.
During the process of washing and drying, neither Tohru nor Kyo spoke. Tohru was brewing up a conversation in her mind while she washed, and Kyo was doing his best not to say anything while he dried the dishes Tohru handed to him. The silence went on for a few minutes before Tohru finally thought of something to say to Kyo.
"H-How old are you, Kyo-san?" Tohru blurted out. Kyo did look the same age as her but since he was a little taller, he could have been older. Kyo didn't turn to Tohru when he responded, "Seventeen." Tohru grinned. "Me too! That's kind of coincidence, isn't it?" Kyo shrugged. "I don't really think it is."
And so, the silence continued. Tohru thought that maybe Kyo just didn't want to have anything to do with her, but she couldn't bear the idea of someone hating her. Yet, Tohru's guess was right. Kyo didn't want to have anything to do with her but knew that since she was his father's best friend's daughter, he would be seeing a lot of her. But there was something about this Tohru that drew you to her, in Kyo's opinion. He found himself apologizing whenever his hand lightly brushed against hers when she handed him a plate to dry and he mentally cursed himself whenever he responded coldly to one of her questions or comments.
When Tohru and Kyo went to the sitting room to join Kyoko and Kazuma, they found the two adults laughing happily while sitting together on the couch, looking through a photo album. They didn't notice Tohru and Kyo standing in the doorway, so Tohru bashfully asked Kyo if he would like to take a walk outside, letting the adults spend some time alone together so they could catch up. Kyo scratched his head, rolling his eyes and shrugging. "I don't care," he said with a sigh. Tohru nodded hesitantly and retrieved her coat off of the rack by the front door before she and Kyo stepped outside, started down the walkway, and walked onto the sidewalk. The streetlights above them added a golden glow to the dark sky, and there were a few stars that peeked out from under the midnight blue blankets of clouds.
"How long have you lived here in Tokyo, Kyo-san?" Tohru asked suddenly. She thought that maybe it hadn't been a while, for Kazuma might have called sooner. "Uh, a few weeks," Kyo responded, rubbing the back of his orange head. "Shishou bought a dojo here, along with a new house, and Kunimitsu came with us."
"You don't live at the dojo?"
"No, what kind of idiot would?"
"Oh, um, I thought—"
"Ugh, never mind," Kyo interrupted, stopping as he covered his eyes with his hand, holding up the other one. "Why would you wanna know anyway?" Tohru blushed and looked away. "Eh, um, that is—" how was she going to explain that she wanted to learn more about him in hopes of becoming friends? "—I-I was just curious. I'm sorry if I was being rude by asking you." Kyo shook his head, laying a hand on his forehead. "Nah, you weren't being rude, I just wanted to know why you were so interested." Tohru fiddled with her fingers, staring at her feet as they began to walk again. Two girls had passed them, giggling as they passed Kyo. Kyo seemed to not notice, not even when the girls had stopped and stared at his back, one girl saying to the other how cute he was. Tohru blushed at this comment, thinking of how lucky those girls must have thought she was, being able to walk with him.
The walk turned out to be a rather pleasant one, although Tohru and Kyo hadn't talked after their first conversation. They walked around the block, for Tohru lived on one that formed a square so that when they turned around four blocks, they were back on Tohru's street. It seemed to be getting late, so Tohru and Kyo went back to Tohru's house to find that Kyoko and Kazuma were still talking, laughing as they drank tea. Tohru and Kyo now joined them, Tohru sitting next to Kyoko, Kyo sitting next to Kazuma, and they all engaged in a happy conversation with the exception of Kyo just staring at the walls.
The evening was a very enjoyable one. Even though Tohru didn't know if Kyo had a good time or not, she knew she did. She hoped that Kyoko would invite him and Kazuma over again soon, or that Kazuma would invite them over to his home one night. Tohru wanted to learn more about Kyo, and hopefully become friends with him because she seemed to sense that he was a lonely person, for he didn't smile or laugh all night. Tohru wanted to rid that loneliness for him, but little did she know … she would do a lot more than that.
Reviews are always greatly appreciated! The more you review, the more I'm encouraged to write! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll hopefully update for everyone before I go on vacation (I'll be away from August 11th to August 19th). If I don't, I'll make sure chapter three is longer!
xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms
