Author's Note: I finally got Chapter 3 up. It's been about a week and one day since my last update, but I've been pretty busy. I hope that you like this chapter. It's not as long as my other ones, but it really sets the stage for Tohru and Tae's friendship. They are fairly similiar but Tae happens to be able to throw a really good punch. You might even get to see her in action in future chapters.
Important Note: So, I bet you saw how I ended this chapter. I ended it with a bit of a suprising cliffhanger. It is because Ihaven't decided who it is that is going to be the person that she's very familiar with. It am positive it is going to be a closer relative of hers, someone that is a Sohma but is more included in her immediate family. If you have any ideas, message me. I'll credit if I decide to use someone's idea. This means a lot. Thanks.
Another Note: Also, I only have gotten three wonderful reviews. Please, just review. I really want to know your opinions, but you know, I can't really talk. I find it a pain to review sometimes, too. But, please, I'd love you forever.
There were clothes everywhere. Some scattered across her twin-sized bed and some folded and stacked on the floor. Her bags and other accessories were piled on the vanity. Tae didn't know what to do with them yet. The closet was a good size, but she knew that it wasn't big enough to hold everything that needed to be hanged up. Tae knew that she shouldn't have brought all these clothes but she just couldn't part with them for a year or however long she was staying in Japan.
Tae sighed to herself, trying to think of way of getting everything she owned in a nice orderly fashion. She didn't want her clothes to line her walls because of lack of storage, but she didn't want to ask Shigure to buy any extra storage for her. She was just going to have to devise a plan herself. But, she knew that she wouldn't get everything completely unpacked and put away today. It would at least take a few more days. She was actually quite thirsty and a bit exhausted. She was also anxious to get to know the people she was going to be living with for a while. She thought it would be best to start soon, unless they were busy.
Tae left her new, cluttered room and closed the door behind her. As she walked down the stairs, she could smell something that seemed like it was coming from the kitchen. It smelled foreign, something that she wasn't used to. It seemed good though, but strong. As her sock-clad feet met the slippery tatami, she almost feel herself trip, but fortunately she regained her balance quickly. When Tae was younger, she was one of the clumsiest people she knew. Her father told Tae that she really did take after her mom, Ayaka, who always seemed to be dropping dishes and tripping over things.
When she got older her balance became better because her father trained her in the martial arts. He told her that it was a bit of a tradition for several of the members of the extensive Sohma family to be trained in the martial arts. He never told her why but he just said that it was something a lot of the family members did. Over the years, Tae became quite good. She could never beat her father in a sparring match. He was too good. She still kept training though, believing that her training could come in handy someday.
She looked around the dining area. No one was there, but the table had been set. There was also something different. There was a fifth place added, which Tae assumed to be the place for her. She looked towards the kitchen and there she saw Tohru who was bustling around, stirring things, and checking things on the stove. Out of curiosity, Tae walked into the kitchen. She cleared her throat a bit, not wanting to scare the concentrated Tohru.
Tohru spun around, still almost spilling the hot pot of steaming soup on herself. Instead, some of it just spilled on the floor. "Ahhh!" Tohru shouted in fairly good English, "Oh no! I spilled some of the soup! I'm so clumsy," Tohru was panicking again. Tae chuckled a bit, and shook her head. Tae looked around for a towel to help clean up the mess that she indeed helped cause. She reached for a light purple towel that was sitting on the counter, and she unfolded it. As she was about to kneel down to clean it up, Tohru's words stopped her.
"No! You're a guest! You don't have to. I'll do it!" she said, attempting to lean down and do in herself. Tae stopped her. "No. It's okay. I got it and I don't mind. I mean I am going to be living here for a year or so. I'm going to be doing chores and things in no time," she said, smiling at the panic-struck Tohru. Tohru calmed down a bit and looked at Tae. "Are you sure?" she asked Tae in a worried voice and Tae replied with an eager nod and a smile. Tohru returned the smile and got up to continue making dinner.
Tae started to clean up the thin, clear, brownish liquid that seemed to have mushrooms, small, cut grass onions, and something that she couldn't name inside it. As she cleaned up the mess and picked up the pieces in the towel, she looked over at Tohru. "Tohru, what are these small white chunks? If you don't mind me asking," she said, hoping that she didn't sound stupid. "Oh! That is tofu. Do you not like it? Should I put something else in?" she asked in a worried tone as she was turning some of the knobs on the stove.
Tae shook her head. "No. I just didn't know. I'm just not very familiar with true Japanese cuisine, that's all. I grew up in the States so the closet I got to Japanese cuisine is when we took my dad to a restaurant where they cooked at our table. See, my mom isn't Japanese, so she never learned to love it like my father does," Tae explained to Tohru. Tohru smiled at her and continued working.
Tae decided that as they were talking, maybe she could be of some help to Tohru. Tae looked around and saw a shallow, rectangular pan of raw fish. She looked over at Tohru and said, "Tohru, is there anything I could help you with?" Tae smiled over at Tohru. Then, Tohru turned around and said, "You don't have to if you don't want to. I mean, I'm sure I can manage on my own." Tae shook her head slightly and walked over to her. "I insist," she said, sporting a bright smile on her face.
Tohru's face lighted up in happiness. "Could you possibly put that fish in the oven and set it at twenty-five minutes. It's already at the right temperature. Oh, and the oven-mittens are next to the fish," she said, as she turned around to finish up the soup. A moment later, Tae went over to the counter, collected the oven-mittens, and put them on. Then she slowly walked over to the oven and opened it, feeling the heat radiating out of it. She walked over and picked up the pan of fish and carefully placed it inside the oven. And with that she closed it, entering the time for twenty-five minutes.
She looked over at Tohru who seemed to putting the final touches on the soup. "I finished. Is there anything else that you could use help with?" she asked, being happy to help. Tohru turned around with a smile once again. "Actually, I think that about does it. Thanks so much," she said. Tae smiled in return and spoke. "Anytime, I'm happy to help," she said. Suddenly, Tae heard a knock at the door. She stopped and said, "I'll get it!" She didn't want Tohru to have to stop what she was doing. She made her way over to the door, and slid it open. Tae's eyes grew wide. There, standing in front of her in the flesh, was someone so familiar but that she only knew from pictures.
--- Yes a cliffhanger. There is a note about this at the top. Please read it and message me if you have ideas. Thanks. Read and Review! ---