Oh, wow! Hi everyone! I'm back much sooner than I thought I would be! This chapter is extremely long though … Think of it as two chapters put into one. In this chapter, I mention Tohru's uncle, who appeared in volume one (he was the man wearing the glasses when Tohru went back to her grandpa's), and I give him a name, since it wasn't mentioned in the manga (or at least I don't think it was). Also, at one point in this chapter, when everyone's having breakfast, they have domburi, somen, and miso soup. I'm sure you all know what somen and miso soup are, since they've been mentioned in the manga several times, but domburi is basically rice with different types of toppings. Thank you all so much for the reviews! I get so excited with the feedback I get, and I guess since it all came so quickly, it motivated me to write this chapter as quickly as I could. I got carried away though, but I just added so much detail to the emotions and everything. I hope I didn't go overboard! I also had no school yesterday (January 24th) and today (January 25th) because testing is being done at all of the high schools this week here in New York, and I didn't have to take any (I take them in June), so I spent my time off by writing this chapter (and going to track practice, too). So, I hope you all like this chapter, and try not to kill me!
Title: Unexpected
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms
Chapter: Is This Really Goodbye?
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.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.
Please don't leave me without saying goodbye
-
Without saying goodbye
-
Please don't leave me without saying goodbye
-
Without saying goodbye
-
Let's travel back in time
- Leaving by the Starting Line
In the morning, Kyo woke to sunlight spilling into the room. He was about to get up before he felt extra weight on him and looked down to see Tohru soundly sleeping with her head on his chest. So it wasn't a dream … Kyo had really fallen asleep with Tohru; he wasn't imagining it. Deciding to stay in bed for a little more, Kyo began to stroke Tohru's hair and stared down at her smiling, sleeping form. Outside he could hear the gentle sound of the late summer wind, which almost seemed to be in sync with Tohru's breathing. Kyo wondered what she could be dreaming of that put that smile on her face that she had, and he couldn't help but hope that it was him. For Kyo, Tohru was the one and only thing he ever dreamt about.
Kyo lifted up his head and looked out the window. The sky was a breathtaking blue with dollops of puffy white clouds. There were birds perched on the branches of the tree adjacent to Tohru's bedroom window, and on the tree were little Sakura blossoms. The world outside was happy and peaceful and to Kyo, the only way it could be like that was if Tohru was with him. Without her, there would be a dark, gloomy grey cloud hanging above his head for the rest of his life.
Tohru stirred against Kyo's chest, causing him to turn his attention to her. "Kyo-kun?" Tohru yawned, rubbing her eyes with one hand as she tried to stifle her yawns with the other. Kyo patted her head, signaling that he was there and that he was awake. "Hey," he whispered. Tohru looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning," she said happily, even though she still didn't seem completely out of sleep just yet. She sat up and let Kyo plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Morning," he replied. Tohru settled herself right by Kyo's side, leaning her head on his shoulder as she tried to rub off the remainder of her sleep. "How did you sleep?" she asked him. Kyo scratched the back of his head. "Pretty good."
"Would you like me to make breakfast?" Tohru inquired as she stretched out her arms. Kyo shrugged. "Only if you're up to it. I'll help."
"Oh, thank you Kyo-kun!" she exclaimed. Kyo's answer seemed to make her really happy, and now she didn't look tired at all. She jumped out of bed and took Kyo's hand, pulling him out of bed as well. Kyo found himself chuckling at her enthusiasm. "All this because I'm helping you make breakfast?" After they night they had, he couldn't help but feel anything but wonderful.
"Oh, I love help in the kitchen!" Tohru replied happily. "It's so much fun!"
As they entered the kitchen, Kyo caught a glimpse of the clock: twelve-fifteen. Normally, he would kick himself in the face for waking up that late, because that would mean that he would have less time training, but he let it go today; it was worth it. If Kyo had the choice of spending every night with Tohru like that, he wouldn't pass up any chance.
"What are we having for breakfast?" Kyo asked, opening up the cabinets, peering inside each one. Tohru was going through the other cabinets, taking out the needed utensils and bowls to prepare the meal. "Grilled fish, if that's okay! I thought that would be good since it's almost lunchtime, too." Kyo closed the cabinet he had opened and went over to the refrigerator to retrieve the fish from the freezer.
Tohru was right: making breakfast was fun. Kyo and Tohru had a lot of laughs, especially when Tohru had dropped the bowl with all of the seasoning and it landed all over her bare feet. It took over an hour to prepare the meal, and it didn't turn out so well, being that Kyo and Tohru fooled around most of the time, but they ate it regardless.
"That was disgusting," Kyo laughed as he helped Tohru clean up the table. Tohru giggled as she wiped her hands with a dishtowel. "Oh … I thought it was … very good!" Tohru stated. Kyo looked at her oddly and they both laughed.
At two o'clock Tohru began doing the laundry and Kyo went outside to train. Kazuma had gone to Kunimitu's early in the morning and left a note on the door for Tohru and Kyo. He arrived back home at three o'clock and came inside with the mail in hand.
"Kyo, Tohru-san! I'm back!" he called. Tohru was folding laundry outside in the back and poked her head through the back door when she heard Kazuma. "Oh, hello Shishou-san!" she greeted him. She gently folded one of Kyo's T-shirts and went inside. "Kyo-kun and I found your note! How was Kunimitu-san's?"
"Hello Tohru-san," Kauzma greeted back in reply. "I had a very good time, thank you. He picked me up this morning and took me to his place and we had lunch and he helped me with therapy. How was your night with Kyo?"
Tohru froze.
"Eh? M-My night!" Kazuma nodded and laughed. "Yes, your night at the carnival … Did you two have fun?" Tohru sighed in relief and managed to smile. "Oh, yes! It was very fun!"
"Good, that's good … Where's Kyo right now?"
"He's outside training. He says that he'd like to start going to the dojo when I go back to school."
"Ah, that's good. I think I'll go outside and see how he's doing, maybe help him out a bit." Kazuma made his way over to the back door, but then stopped and turned around again, fumbling through the mail. He took a small envelope from the pile and held it out to Tohru. "I almost forgot," he said as Tohru hesitantly took the letter from his hand. Tohru stared at the address that was written at the top corner of the envelope as Kazuma stepped outside.
It was from her family.
What could they possibly want?
Tohru went upstairs to her bedroom and sat at her desk, nervous about opening the letter. She knew that her father's family couldn't stand Kyoko, and they didn't really like her, so they obviously weren't writing to see how she was doing.
They hadn't even gone to Kyoko's funeral. They only dropped off Tohru's grandfather and picked him up without even knocking on the door … They just honked the horn.
Holding her breath, Tohru delicately opened the envelope. Inside was a thin piece of paper that was folded three times with a short message on it, written by her uncle. Tohru read it to herself, her eyes widening. She had to read it four times before finally understanding it.
Tohru –
We have come to the conclusion that it would be better off for you to live with us rather than in your current residence. Being that I would like to be a police man, I had a detective look into your history because if I have any relatives with unclean records, that may prevent me from pursuing my job. The detective looked into your status and said that you were living with two unmarried men. When I found out about this I immediately had arrangements made to take you from your current household to ours. If you haven't heard, we've moved to Kumamoto about three months ago, so it's arranged for a cab to go to your house and pick you up to take you to the airport so you can fly out here. The cab is coming Tuesday, August 30th at around 2:00 P.M., and your flight is at 6:00 P.M., so you should arrive here by 9:30 P.M. Grandpa is looking forward to seeing you. If we find out that you decided not to come, we'll come up there and pick you up ourselves. We haven't seen you in a while, so we think it would be better off for you to be with your family rather than two strangers.
See you soon,
Kenji
Tears began to stream down Tohru's face. Move to Kumamoto? That was on the other side of the country! And Kyo and Kazuma weren't strangers … They were her family now. And moving to Kumamoto would mean …
Tohru couldn't think about that part.
Tokyo was her home though! She grew up there. Everyone she loved dearly lived there. But, her uncle did sound certain in his letter. If Tohru refused to go, he would travel up there himself and get her … All of this, just for a job.
Tohru folded up the letter and placed it on her desk. She tried to hold back her tears, knowing that she had to go. Her family was insisting on it, and if she refused to go at all they could possibly stir up trouble, and she didn't want that for Kazuma and Kyo.
Kyo-kun …
But she would have to leave Kyo.
Now sobbing, Tohru folded her arms on her desk and buried her face in them. She began to sob silently, thinking about all of her memories with Kyo. The day they met, the first time they cooked a meal together, all of those nights they would go to the movies and out to dinner with their parents, the trip to Paris, Kyo scaring off those French boys at the restaurant, the time he held her when Kyoko died, their first date, their first kiss … Those wonderful memories could go on forever. But now, seeing as her family was making her leave, she wouldn't be able to create anymore memories with him ever again.
All those days and moments filled with happiness … They wouldn't be able to share that anymore. Things would be different … It would be hard to maintain a long-distance relationship … But what if Kyo fell in love with another girl? That would break Tohru's heart.
Slowly, Tohru got up from her seat at her desk. She took the letter in her head, preparing to tell Kazuma. Kazuma had a right to know, for he was her guardian, but Kyo, on the other hand, would be hard to tell. Tohru didn't know if she would have the heart to tell him that horrible news … His reaction would definitely bring her to tears.
Outside, Kyo threw punches and kicks at the air with Kazuma guiding him verbally. "Ah, that's good that you didn't seem to lose your touch over these two months," Kazuma commented. Kyo stopped his exercises and was panting, due to the hot air. Even though it was the end of August, it was still very hot out. Kazuma handed Kyo a towel to wipe the sweat off his body.
"Yeah, I guess," Kyo replied. "I just feel … Sore, I guess, when I kick."
"Don't worry about that," said Kazuma. "With some stretching and a little more working out, it'll feel better."
Tohru but her lip as she headed over to the back door. Should she really give Kazuma the letter now, or wait until after dinner when she could be alone with him so Kyo wouldn't have to hear the news right away? Yes, that seemed like a good idea … Maybe Kazuma would be able to straighten things out and make it so that she wouldn't have to leave, therefore Kyo wouldn't have to be told anything at all.
All throughout dinner—Tohru prepared large dishes of domburi, somen, and miso soup. Cooking always took her mind off of things, so she took her time making dinner—Tohru was quiet. She picked at her somen with her chopsticks, twirling the noodles around the utensil continuously. Kazuma and Kyo both noticed her lack of talking, and they were both concerned.
"What's wrong?" Kyo asked her. He knew that when Tohru was quiet, something was up, for she was always talking cheerfully at dinner, asking everyone how their day was. Tohru looked up from her meal and shook her head, apologizing. "Oh, nothing's wrong Kyo-kun," she lied. "I was just … Thinking about going back to school. I'm really going to miss summer vacation … I had so much fun! I'm sorry for making you worried." Kyo's cheeks turned pink as he thought about the summer they had together, then he shook his head as well. "Pfft, don't be sorry about that," he said. "You have a right to be … I bet school's real boring, right?"
"Oh, no! School can be quite fun! Uo-chan, Hana-chan, and I always have a lot of fun together in class!"
Uo-chan … Hana-chan … I won't be able to see them anymore, either … I won't be able to go to Kaibara anymore!
Trying to hold back that tears that were filling her eyes, Tohru quickly bowed her head and excused herself from the table. "Oh, um, p-please excuse me!" she said. "I have to … use the bathroom!" She got up and hurried out of the dining area, wiping her eyes.
She felt horrible for keeping this news from them, but she didn't have the heart to tell them.
Tohru quickly went into the bathroom and shut the door. She sat down on the floor in front of the sink and brought her knees to her chest. She buried her face in her knees and let out silent sobs.
Why did this have to happen? Everyone here in Tokyo was so dear to her … She couldn't bear to leave them! After a few minutes of quietly crying it out, Tohru stood up and looked herself in the mirror. Her face was blotchy and red, and there were tears running down her face. She quickly washed her face, feeling a little more refreshed. Then there was then a knock at the door.
"Tohru?" Kyo said quietly. Tohru could hear Kyo press his head against the door. "Are you alright? Something's wrong, I can tell. Just tell me … You know you can tell me your problems."
Kyo-kun …
Tohru took once last glance of herself in the mirror, making sure it didn't look like she was crying, then she dried her face and hands and opened the door. She smiled sweetly at Kyo as she stepped out of the bathroom. "I'm okay, Kyo-kun," she said. She looked up at him and saw the concern that filled his eyes and her stomach began to churn. She knew she would have to tell him sooner or later … She just thought it would be better to tell Kazuma first.
Kyo stared back at her, one eyebrow raised, then sighed. "Okay … I'll take your word for it. But if anything's wrong, tell me, okay? You know I'll help you no matter what."
Thank you, Kyo-kun … I love you so much!
Later on in the evening, after Kyo helped Tohru clean up dinner and everyone was getting settled for bed, Tohru figured it was the best time to talk to Kazuma about the letter she received from her uncle. While Kyo was upstairs in his room, Kazuma was downstairs watching the news on television. Tohru hesitantly entered the sitting room with the letter in hand. Kazuma saw her walk in and smiled. "Hello, Tohru-san," he said. Tohru smiled weakly and bowed. "Hello, Shishou-san."
"What can I do for you?" Tohru walked over to him and held out the letter. "Ah … This is the letter I got today. It's from my uncle … " Kazuma took the letter from Tohru, unfolded it, and read it. His eyes widened and the expression on his face grew serious. When he finished the letter he placed it in his lap and looked down at the floor, exhaling a sharp breath. "Oh, my … Tohru-san, I'm very sorry …" He looked up at Tohru and saw that her head was bowed down, and he could see the tears running down her face. "I … want to stay here … with you and Kyo-kun," she croaked. "I can't do that to Kyo-kun … Or myself. I have to … I have to stay with him. I want him to be happy …"
Kazuma stayed silent. He was at loss for words, only feeling upset about the situation at his feet. The house was a brighter place because of Tohru. She always made everyone happy, and she was so helpful. She was last thing Kazuma had that had to do with Kyoko, other than old photographs and memories. And Kyo … Tohru changed Kyo's life in so many ways. Kazuma can't remember one time he smiled or laughed before he met Tohru. It sure would be hard to live without her … And to even imagine life without her.
Kazuma took a step toward Tohru, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Tohru lifted up her head, her eyes red and puffy. She had a look of distress on her face, something Kazuma hadn't seen from her since February, when Kyoko died. "We'll try to find a way for you to stay," he said softly. "But if it's what your family wishes …"—Kazuma found it hard to say this—"… then I think it's best that you live with them. They are your family …" Tohru's sobs became more frequent at Kazuma's words. Kazuma pulled Tohru into an embrace, resting a hand on her head. During the six months that Tohru had lived in his home, Kazuma grew to love her as a daughter.
"Can you please tell Kyo-kun for me?" Tohru inquired, sniffling. "I … It would hurt me too much to see his reaction …"
"Don't worry, I'll tell him tomorrow morning," Kazuma said. He let Tohru go and handed her the letter. "Go to sleep and get some rest now. It's getting late, and you seem to be very exhausted." Tohru nodded and bade Kazuma goodnight, then went upstairs to say goodnight to Kyo. Kazuma then sat back down and stared at the ground.
Telling this news to Kyo wouldn't be easy, that's for sure.
The next morning, Tohru woke up with a terrible headache. She groggily climbed out of bed and took a quick shower, then she went downstairs to prepare breakfast after she got dressed. She made a mental note of things she had to get done that day, including telling Arisa and Saki the news.
That would be hard, too.
As Tohru was mixing ingredients together, she heard someone coming down the stairs. Figuring it would be Kyo, Tohru got herself together and wiped her eyes free of any tears that might have been forming.
"Good morning, Tohru-san."
Tohru turned around to see Kazuma standing in the doorway. He had a gentle smile on his face and he looked rather tired from waking up at that hour. It was six-thirty in the morning, and Kazuma normally woke up around eleven o'clock. Kyo was usually the one waking up at this hour.
"Oh, good morning Shishou-san!" Tohru greeted him, putting a smile on her face. She turned back to mixing the bowl of ingredients, then thought about asking Kazuma for permission to visit Arisa and Saki to tell them the news. "Shishou-san?"
"Yes?"
"M-May I go visit Uo-chan and Hana-chan today? To tell them the news?"
"Of course you may," Kazuma said. "While you're out, I can tell Kyo. That is, if you'd rather have me tell him while you're here, I can always do that."
"Oh, no Shishou-san! I think it would be better off if you told him while I was out …"
Kyo came downstairs a few minutes after Kazuma and Tohru's discussion. Kazuma left him and Tohru alone, and Kyo helped Tohru make breakfast again.
"You seem better today," he told her as they set the table. Tohru smiled. "You're right Kyo-kun! I feel better, too."
Actually, Tohru felt worse.
After breakfast, Tohru phoned Arisa and Saki and they all agreed on going to Saki's house at noon. Tohru told them she had something important to discuss, and Arisa jumped into conclusions that it had to do with Kyo taking advantage of her. Laughing nervously, Tohru assured her that it wasn't.
At eleven-thirty Kyo walked Tohru to Saki's house. Tohru explained to him that they had invited her over for an end of the summer get together, so Kyo thought he'd work on his training while she was out. When he got back to the house, however, Kazuma was waiting for him in the sitting room.
"Kyo?" Kazuma called loudly when he heard the door open. "Can you come here for a minute? I need to talk to you about something." He closed his eyes and sighed as he heard Kyo's footsteps heading in his direction. Kyo entered the sitting room, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "What's up, Shishou?" he asked as he entered the room. "Is everything okay?" Without saying a word, Kazuma handed Kyo the letter from Tohru's uncle. Bewildered, Kyo took it and began to read it. When he finished, the expression on his face was of pure shock.
"W-What?"
"Kyo, before you get upset—"
"This is bullshit! There's no reason why she should live with them!"
"Kyo, if you'd let me explain—"
"Explain what? There's nothing to explain! They just want custody of her for what … Some guy's stupid job? They probably just want the money her mom left her!"
"I don't think they would stoop that low—"
"How do you know? You don't even know 'em!"
"Kyo, you shouldn't judge people … You don't know them, either."
"Whatever! Fuck this!"
At his last words, Kyo threw down the letter and charged out of the sitting room and towards the front door. There was no way he expected to come home to news like this.
Kazuma didn't even try to stop him; he knew Kyo wouldn't listen. Besides, he understood it was going to be hard for him.
Once outside, Kyo ran hard. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care. He just wanted to run as far away as he could from everything … To get away from it all.
Then Tohru's smiling face appeared in his head.
I won't let them … I won't let them take her away from me.
They can't! She means too much to me … She's everything to me.
I didn't have any reason to be happy before I met her. She gives me a reason to smile … A reason to live. What do I have to live for if she's not with me?
Kyo found himself by the lake where he and Tohru used to sit together every night, just holding each other. He leaned against the trunk of a tree, bringing a hand to his face. He tried to hold back the tears. He tried to not feel weak, but it was no use. He was going to lose Tohru. What if she fell in love with another guy while living in Kumamoto? That would make her entirely forget about him.
No, Kyo didn't want that.
What did he do to deserve this?
Sliding down against the tree's bark, Kyo slumped onto the ground and leaned his head back against the tree. He inhaled sharply and tried to calm down, but the thought of not being with Tohru kept lingering in his mind. He closed his eyes tightly and the tears leaked out helplessly.
Tohru …
"Oh, Tohru …"
At around five o'clock, Tohru returned home from her 'get together' with Arisa and Saki. Arisa and Saki took the news a little better than Tohru expected, but they cried for a long time. Tohru promised that she would write them, and they all agreed upon visiting each other whenever they could. Arisa and Saki were concerned for Kyo, though.
"How's Carrot Top gonna take it?" Arisa had asked after she had a good cry. "By the looks of it, with that temper of his, not too well."
"I can imagine it will be very hard for him," Saki acknowledge, wiping a tear from her eye. "His waves are always so strong around her … I can almost actually feel how much he loves her … And it's a lot."
I guess Shishou-san must have told Kyo-kun already, Tohru thought as she stepped inside the house. Everything was quiet; her footsteps echoed as she walked along the floor to the kitchen. She peeked inside and there was no one there. There weren't any notes around the house either, so Tohru concluded that Kazuma was somewhere. She checked the sitting room but found it to be empty, so then she tried outside in the back.
Sure enough, Kazuma was outside in the back, sitting in a chair that faced a bed of flowers. Tohru had planted those flowers in the springtime, and they seemed to last all throughout the summertime. Tohru's theory with flowers was always to just treat them like people, and they'll last for a long time.
But as she got a closer look at them, they seemed to be withering away.
"Sh-Shishou-san?" Kazuma turned his head at the sound of his name and when he saw Tohru he grinned. "Hello Tohru-san," he said. He turned his back to the direction of the flowerbed. "How did your friends take the news?"
"They took it better than I expected," Tohru said as she walked over to Kazuma. She stood next to the chair he was sitting in. "We agreed on writing to each other and we're going to visit each other every chance we get!" Kazuma grinned and nodded. "That's good."
Tohru and Kazuma both let the silence take over. Tohru knew what she wanted to ask Kazuma, but she was afraid to hear what he would say.
"I told him," Kazuma said in a slightly monotone voice. "He … Didn't take it too well. He ran off and he's been gone ever since." Biting her lip, Tohru turned on her heel and ran in the direction of the house. Kazuma stood suddenly, following her, only not running. "Tohru-san, where are you going?"
"I-I'm going to find him!" she squeaked. "I-I want to apologize … I want to tell him how much I want to stay here … I want to tell him … How much I l-love him!"
Then and there, Tohru broke down in sobs. The scene was heart-wrenching for Kazuma, but all he could seem to do was give her a hug. He tried to calm her down, but her crying seemed to never stop. She shook with every sob she made.
"Tohru-san, I think it's better off you stay here," Kazuma said to her quietly. "Kyo will come around … I think he may just need some time alone. And if you go out looking for him in that state, you may get sick. I think you need rest." Tohru sniffled and began to calm down. Kazuma felt her nod against his bicep and he gently let her go. He led her inside and she slowly walked up the stairs to her room. She didn't come out for the rest of the night.
Kyo never returned home, either.
The next day was gloomy and rainy. Tohru was up early, for she couldn't sleep a wink. Her pillow was wet with tears, and she felt worse than she had the previous day. She was worried about Kyo: about where he was at that very moment, where he was all night, if he was okay, and whether or not he would return to say goodbye to her. Oh, it would've been so horrible if he didn't!
Kyo-kun, please be safe … Please come home from Shishou-san … And for me, too … I don't know what I would do if I left knowing whether you were well or not …
Tohru's things were packed by noon. With every article of clothing she folded, and every item she placed in her suitcase, she shed a tear. She was leaving her home. The place where she had lived in for six months, the people she spent time with and loved, were all going to be left behind.
Kazuma wasn't in bright spirits that day. Each minute that passed meant a minute closer to two o'clock, when the cab was going to arrive to take Tohru to the airport, and it also meant less time to be spent with Tohru. Kazuma ate the last two meals—breakfast and lunch—that were ever going to be cooked in that house by Tohru. Sure, Kyo was a good cook, but there wasn't one person who could beat Tohru's cooking.
At one-forty-five Kazuma helped Tohru bring her bags downstairs to the front door. She would wait inside for the cab to come, since the rain had grown heavier as the day went on.
"Kyo-kun never came home," Tohru whispered. Although it was a whisper, Kazuma picked up her words clearly. He felt ashamed that Kyo would actually do that to her. Still, he hoped that Kyo would return. If Kyo loved Tohru as much as Kazuma guessed, he would definitely come back.
At two o'clock sharp, the cab rolled in front of the house. Both Kazuma and Tohru spotted it through the window next to the front door.
"This is it," Kazuma said softly, only receiving a simple nod from Tohru in response. Kazuma lifted two of Tohru's suitcases while she held the other two, and together they ran outside to the cab to put them in the vehicle, with help from the cabdriver.
After Tohru's bags were placed in the trunk, Kazuma swept her into a tight embrace. "You've done so much for us Tohru-san," he said, his voice beginning to break from upcoming sobs. "I can't thank you enough for all you've given to Kyo and I. I think it was clearly fate that you came to the dojo that day last September."
Tohru closed her eyes tightly and let her tears fall, mingling with the rain that had fallen on her face. "Thank you so much Shishou-san," she said gratefully. "You and Kyo-kun are so special to me … You've both helped me in so many ways. Thank you so much for kindly taking me under your wing after Mom died … I know she would have been so thankful to know what you did. I'm truly blessed …"
"Stay well, Tohru-san."
After letting go, Kazuma opened the cab door for Tohru. As she was about to settle herself in, she saw a drenched, familiar figure standing several feet away from the cab.
It was Kyo.
Tohru hurriedly got out of the cab and ran in Kyo's direction. He began running to her as well, and when they both reached each other, they didn't hesitate to fall into each other's arms. Kyo held Tohru like there was no tomorrow. He buried his face in her hair and silently cried. Tohru let out her sobs, crying muffled apologizes into Kyo's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Kyo-kun! I'm so sorry I have to leave you like this …"
"It's okay, Tohru. Just please … Don't cry like that. Everything's going to be okay. I'm sorry I acted the way I did … I shouldn't have run away like that … I should've taken advantage of the rest of the time I had to spend with you, but I wasted it like an idiot."
"No … Don't say that Kyo-kun, you weren't an idiot …"
"Yeah, I was, but now that doesn't matter." He tilted Tohru's head up to look at him. Both of their eyes were filled with tears. Both of them drank in every part of that moment … Neither of them knew when the next time they would see each other was.
Kyo leaned in and pressed his lips gently against Tohru's. Before Tohru got to kiss him back, Kyo pulled away. He didn't want to get carried away, because then he wouldn't be able to stop. He would want the moment to last forever.
Tohru stared at him, her eyes glassy. "I guess … This is goodbye," she said in a hoarse whisper. Kyo nodded, but didn't say anything. The cab driver then grew impatient and began to honk his horn.
"Goodbye, Kyo-kun."
Kyo tried to find a goodbye, but he couldn't. There were no words to express how painful it was to see Tohru go off like she was, even though she didn't want to.
Tohru backed away to the cab, never taking her eyes off Kyo. When she climbed into the cab, she still looked at him, biting her lip and leaning her head against the rain covered window. As the cab drove off, Kyo saw Tohru mouth the words 'I love you' to him. Kyo did the same.
Then, as Kyo watched the cab drive away with the only girl he had ever loved in the backseat, he fell to his knees and cried like he never cried before.
There's always a dramatic part in every story, right? Well, this story's had quite a few, no doubt about that! I'm sad to say that there are only two more chapters after this, and I think they're both going to be pretty lengthy, like this one. I definitely know that chapter seventeen won't be out until next month, and I'm guessing, since February's short, that the last one will be out in March. Once again, I hope everyone at least enjoyed this chapter a little bit, and are all looking forward to the next one! Reviews are greatly appreciated! I'll see you all soon!
xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms
