Chapter Ten
Hiro Sohma knocked firmly on Isuzu's bedroom door. As he waited for his cousin's voice to greet him on the other side, the Sohma boy stood with his arms crossed. When a full minute had passed and still he could hear nothing but the sound of Kagura's parents talking in the other room, he released a low growl.
"Hello?" he said, not even bothering to mask his annoyance. "Rin?" He knocked on the door again, this time much louder. "Are you even in there?"
Still there was no answer.
Sighing, Hiro turned the knob and flung the door wide open. "You know," he said as he strode casually into the room, "I'm not really one to invade people's privacy like this, but…"
He trailed off as he flicked on one of the bedroom lamps, his eyes widening when he saw that Isuzu wasn't even out of bed yet. She was lying curled in a ball, her long dark hair splayed across the sheets. Both of hers arms were clasped protectively around her body. She was shivering. From cold or from crying, Hiro couldn't tell, though in the end he supposed it didn't really make much difference. Either way, she was clearly in need of comfort. While consoling was admittedly not one of Hiro's strong suits, he decided to give it his best shot. He walked toward his cousin, picked up an extra blanket that had fallen on the floor near the end of the bed and threw it over her. Isuzu didn't even so much as stir as he awkwardly patted one of her shoulders.
"Damn. I didn't know you were this depressed," he said at last. "If I had, I would've come sooner. Don't you think it's time you at least started going back to school, though? I talked to Kagura's mom. She said you haven't left the house in days-"
"No." She pulled the blanket he had just given her even more tightly around herself. "No," she said again, her voice only just above a whisper. "I'm not...I'm not going back to school. Not ever again."
Hiro's brown eyes narrowed. "Why not?" he demanded. "Are the kids in your class giving you trouble again? You know, you really shouldn't care what they think of you. They're nobodies; they won't matter ten or even five years from now. That's what I told Kisa when she was having problems at her school-"
"It's not that." Rin's voice was even quieter than before, to a point where Hiro almost had to strain to hear her. "I mean, the girls at school aren't nice to me, but...that I can handle."
"Then what's wrong?" Hiro snapped. He knew he shouldn't speak so harshly to her, especially when she was clearly not in the best of mental states, but it was in the goat's nature to be brash. It was usually in Rin's nature, too, which was one reason why the pair had always gotten along so well. But Rin had another, softer side to her. She acted tough, but deep down Hiro knew that that wasn't the person she truly was. She exuded stubbornness, yes, and to call her strong-willed would have been a massive understatement, but beneath her armor she had a kind and sensitive heart, and when something upset her—really upset her—it broke her. And that, Hiro knew, was precisely what was going on now. Something had happened that had caused her to shut down almost completely.
"Ugh. Sorry." Hiro gave his head a rough shake. "I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but don't you think it's time for an intervention or somethin'? Kagura's been worried sick about you, and I can tell her parents are too. I'm surprised Haru hasn't come by and tried to drag you out of bed-"
She stifled a sob at the mention of Haru's name, and Hiro immediately jerked his head toward her.
Haru hasn't come to see her, then, he thought, frowning. But why? Could it be because something's happened between them?
For a moment Hiro could only stare at Isuzu as she cried quietly into the pillow that he now noticed she was clutching to herself. No, he thought. There's no way she and Haru broke up. They care about each other too much to let anything tear them apart.
But what could it be, then? Did Haru not know she was depressed? Yes, he decided. Yes, that must be why he hadn't come to see her. He just didn't know. Well, Hiro could easily fix that problem for her.
"All right. If you wanna skip school again today, fine," he told her in a flat tone. "In fact, I think I might skip, too. I've got a few things I need to take care of."
He started to walk away, but before he could even reach the door he heard her shift. "Why?" she said, her voice slightly muffled by the pillow she was still partially buried in. "Where...where are you going?"
"Where do you think? I'm gonna go to Haru's school and tell him that you're-"
"No." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut before continuing. "No, please don't tell Haru about this. I don't...I don't want to burden him with my problems anymore."
So he'd been right, then. Haru didn't know. Of course. If Rin had given Haru even so much as the smallest reason to believe that she was distressed, the ox would've been at her side in an instant, ready to take on whatever or whoever it was that had upset her. Same went for Haru. Rin was always ready to fight for him, no matter what, and Hiro had always admired the couple not only for their strength, but for the way that they loved each other so absolutely. Their love was the kind that Hiro wanted to have someday, preferably with Kisa. When they were old enough to start a real relationship, of course.
"Burden him?" Hiro scowled. "What do you mean burden him? Something's obviously made you upset, and you know as well as I do that Haru'll kill me if I let this go on without telling him."
"He doesn't have to know," Rin said. "I mean, I would rather he didn't. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've decided…"
"You've decided what?"
She sighed heavily, not answering him for several moments. "I've decided to break up with Haru."
At that, Hiro went still. "What?" he exclaimed, his shock instantly replaced with fury. "You can't be serious."
But Rin nodded sadly, sniffing. "I am. Like I said, I've been thinking about it, and I realized that Haru...well, he doesn't need someone like me in his life. I only drag him down."
Hiro held her gaze, as if to show her just what he thought of that ridiculous statement. "So that's it, then?" he said when it became clear that she had nothing more to add. "You're just gonna decide this all on your own without even talking to him about it first? No offense, but that's kind of a crappy thing to do to someone. Haru loves you, and he doesn't think you're a burden. Sure, you get depressed sometimes, but-"
"It's more than that," Rin said. "I was rejected by my parents."
"So? What does that have to do with-"
"They pretended to love me for the longest time," she continued, and Haru wanted to scream. Why was she talking about this? He already knew the story of what had happened with her parents. But he let her go on, if only just so she could get out whatever it was she felt she needed to. "But eventually they reached a point where they just couldn't take it anymore. They told me how they really felt about having a child cursed by the Chinese zodiac, and Haru..." She bit her lower lip, probably, Hiro figured, in order to prevent herself from crying again. "Haru was there with me on a day where they were being especially cruel, and he defended me. He stood up to my parents. He demanded that they apologize to me, and I've loved him ever since then."
"Yeah," Hiro said, nodding. "I know. I'm pretty sure he loved you even before all that happened."
There was the tiniest hint of a smile on her face. "Yes," she agreed. "I think he did."
"So what's the problem, then? Why the heck do you wanna break up with him? Seems like it'd be a pretty stupid thing to do."
Rin's smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. "It's too much," she murmured. "I'm too much. Ever since that day...I turned my back on my parents completely, and Haru became my everything. He is everything to me, Hiro, and that kind of love...it would be a burden on anyone, and I-"
"No." Hiro took a step back from her, shaking his head. "You're wrong, Rin. Haru doesn't see you as a burden."
"I know. But it's only a matter of time before someday-"
"No. You're upset, and your mind is going to crazy places it shouldn't."
He took another step toward the door. I have to find Haru and tell him what's going on. He'll come talk to her. He'll set things right.
"Look, I'm really sorry, but I've gotta get to school," he lied. "You rest up, and I'll stop by and see you again after school. Okay?"
He turned on his heel and stormed out, not even bothering to wait for a response. Because if Rin knew that he planned on sending Haru over to see her, she might very well try to leave the house in order to evade him, and Hiro wasn't about to let that happen.
I'll fix this, he thought, determined.
It was certainly rare for the goat to voluntarily play the role of knight in shining armor. But he cared about Rin, and he wasn't about to let her screw her life up because of some dumb insecurity that, for some reason, she still just couldn't seem to let go of.
Isuzu waited until Hiro had left the house before getting out of bed and closing the door. She didn't want to give him or Kagura's parents even the slightest indication that she was planning on going out. Hiro would've insisted on skipping school and accompanying her, and Kagura's parents...well, they'd done so much for her already, taking her in and raising her as their second daughter. Isuzu couldn't bear the thought of causing them any further grief or worry. No, her problems were hers and hers alone, and she wouldn't burden Kagura's family or Haru with them any longer.
I have to do this, she thought as she began rifling through her closet, searching for something to wear. It's the only way to make things right. It's the only way...
She pulled a long, silky black dress off its hanger, the same dress she had worn last week, when she'd gone to Sohma House to confront Akito. She held the dress in front of her, running her fingers across the smooth fabric. It was truly a beautiful piece of clothing, so much so that even Akito had commented on it. He'd been anything but complimentary, of course, but Rin knew he wouldn't have brought it up if it hadn't grabbed his attention. And that was precisely what she wanted to do today, to draw attention to herself. Or, more specifically, Shigure's attention.
Rin tried to ignore the sickening feeling in her stomach as she pulled the dress over her head. She hated that she felt she had to go this far in order to get Shigure to talk, but she knew for a fact that, where the dog was concerned, even the smallest bit of enticement could go a long way. She frowned as she stood in front of the oval-shaped mirror on her wall, rapidly running a comb through her waist-length hair before stepping back to more carefully scrutinize her reflection. She'd been told all her life that she was a beautiful girl, and though she knew that it was true whenever she looked at herself, she found that in her heart she could never bring herself to fully believe it. Because whenever she looked into her dark, tired eyes, all she saw was a lowly, unworthy creature, a girl who was both a horse and a human simultaneously. A freak. She knew that most of the other zodiac members hated themselves deep down, too, even Haru, and that was why...
That's why I have to do this. Not just for herself. Not for herself at all, really, but for him. One way or another. I will find a way to break the zodiac curse. Whatever it takes.
She waited quietly in her room until Kagura's parents had left for work before slipping out the front door and setting off down the sidewalk. Shigure's house was a long way away, roughly ten miles or so, but Rin wasn't about to let that fact stop her. Because Shigure knew something. Rin was convinced that he did, and she wasn't going to rest until he'd told her all the secrets of the zodiac curse.
Tohru gazed out at the school courtyard, the morning breeze gently blowing her long brown hair so that it tickled the sides of her face. She had a school textbook resting open on her lap, though in the last few minutes she had scarcely even glanced at it, too deep in thought to pay her studies the attention they deserved.
Sitting next to her on another bench were Kyo and Hatsuharu. They were both engrossed in books of their own. Haru was reading a novel, something that Tohru knew likely wasn't even the least bit school related, and Kyo also had a textbook resting against his knees. He read with his chin propped on his fist, as he normally did, though Tohru did not miss how, every few minutes or so, he would glance up from the book in order to look at her. Whenever he did this she would immediately avert her eyes back down to her own book. She wasn't sure what it meant, him staring at her like that all the time, but she wasn't about to give herself the opportunity to hope. Kyo had been distancing himself from her even more in recent days—or at least, that was certainly how it felt—and though Tohru realized that there was no way for her to know what he was truly thinking unless she asked, she took his withdrawal from her as a sign that he likely wasn't interested. At least, not in the way she wanted him to be.
"You are a n average girl who possesses no extraordinary talent, influence or beauty...your very presence exudes mediocrity."
Tohru willed her expression to remain neutral as she remembered the cutting words Akito had spoken to her last week. At the time she had refused to believe they were true. She'd told herself that Akito was only saying those things in order to upset her, but now...
Could he be right, Mom? Am I...am I truly nothing special? You always told me that I was, but...
She fought the urge to slam her book shut and abandon her spot on the bench so that she might better sort her thoughts out in private. Why is it that I find myself haunted by nearly every conversation I've ever had with Akito? Ever since that day in the rain...
Kyo's transformation. That was when her eyes had been opened, the day that the truth about the zodiac curse had finally come crashing down on her.
The zodiac curse wasn't just a phenomenon that caused the Sohmas to turn into animals, a fun and cutesy inconvenience for them at the worst. No, it was precisely what it proclaimed itself to be: a curse. The Sohma family truly was shrouded by a cloud of darkness, though this reality had not fully hit Tohru until she'd seen Kyo in his true form. He'd run from her, terrified of facing what he believed to be her inevitable rejection, and Tohru had chased after him, though not without stumbling along the way. There had been a point in her pursuit where she'd collapsed at the foot of a tree, unsure if she could bring herself to stomach everything she'd come to realize about Kyo and the Sohmas, and then...
And then, the embodiment of the curse's darkness had arrived before her. He'd crouched with her near the tree and whispered in her ear, telling her that it served her right, that she deserved to suffer for involving herself with the Sohmas. Part of Tohru had agreed with him in that moment. She'd been warned by the others, after all, of what she was getting herself into, but she'd chosen not to listen.
The rain had been coming down in buckets by that point, and when Akito had brought himself even closer to her, speaking so softly it had been a miracle she could hear him over the cacophony, he'd told her exactly what his role in the zodiac was. Of all of the Sohmas, he was the one who suffered the most. The weight of the curse, he'd said, was his to bear and his alone. It was why he was ill all the time, and it was why he was destined to rule over the zodiac until the time of his death. To them, Akito wasn't just family. He was the living representation of the zodiac god in the old Chinese folktale. At first this realization had stunned Tohru, as it had never occurred to her that such a person might exist. The more she thought about it, though, the more sense it made. Because if each of the animal spirits had lived on, then clearly god's had, too. Which was why...
It's why they always seek his approval for everything. It's why they listen to him, even when they don't want to. He is their god, and they have to do what he says, no matter what. Could that be...
She frowned over at Kyo as suddenly a new possibility occurred to her. Could that be why Kyo is choosing to distance himself from me? Because he knows that Akito wouldn't like it if we were together?
But no, it was more than that. It had to be. Maybe it was the curse itself that was drawing Kyo away from her. Tohru knew that he still felt a deep sense of shame for being what he was, even though he couldn't help it. Maybe, she considered, he feels that he isn't good enough for me. It seemed so very like Kyo to draw such a conclusion.
Tohru shook her head. She couldn't allow herself to get too hopeful. Because maybe she was wrong. Maybe that wasn't the way things were at all. Maybe Kyo really just wasn't interested in her.
Whatever the truth is, it doesn't matter. I still love him, and right now I have to concentrate on doing what I can to help him. To help all of them, even Akito.
Last week, Momiji had pulled her aside and told her that he believed Akito was planning on hurting her again. The rabbit claimed to have overheard a conversation between Akito and Hatori at Sohma House, a conversation that had mostly been centered around her. Even now, Tohru wasn't entirely sure what to make of this information. It was possible that the zodiac god did still hold a grudge against her and wished to harm her. Yet, somehow, she doubted this was the case. After all, he'd made absolutely no attempts to do so the last time they met, and they'd been alone for quite a while.
"Hey," the cat spoke, immediately drawing Tohru out of her reverie. "You doin' okay over there?"
Tohru blinked rapidly, turning to him in alarm. "Who, me? Oh! Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"I dunno. You were just...making really weird faces."
"Faces?"
He chuckled. "Yeah. It was almost like you were having a conversation with yourself in your head or somethin'."
Haru lowered his novel and glanced between them with a questioning look, and Tohru could feel her cheeks starting to grow hot. "Oh, um. W-well. You see, the thing is-"
"A way with words I see, as usual," a snide, boyish sounding voice spoke.
Tohru, Kyo, and Haru all turned, only to find Hiro Sohma sauntering toward them. He stopped when he had reached the bench that Tohru was sitting on, his arms folded loosely across his chest as he glared up at her.
"Seriously," he continued, "don't you ever stop stuttering? I'm really starting to wonder if you suffer from permanent brain damage or somethin'. I know you're always goin' on about how great your mom was and all that junk, but don't you think it's possible she may have dropped you on your head at some point?"
Haru sighed heavily. "Nice to see you too, Hiro," he mumbled as he cast a glance over at Kyo. But the cat was leaning back into the bench, his head tilted up toward the sky as he groaned loudly.
"Aw hell, here we go again," he muttered. "Seems like it's just one asshole after another these days... "
But Tohru was too excited to pay either of them much mind. She hadn't seen Hiro in weeks! She knew that the goat didn't care for her all that much, but even so, she was happy to have the opportunity to catch up with him. Besides, she knew Hiro had his reasons for not liking her, reasons mainly revolving around her friendship with Kisa. But Tohru made it a point to be as sympathetic as possible toward Hiro's feelings—even if those feelings were rooted in unfounded jealousy.
"Oh! Hiro, hello!" she said, beaming. "It's so good to see you again! How have you been? Oh my goodness." She began to bounce up and down on the balls of her feet. "I'm so excited that I just could hug you-"
"Whoa," Hiro held up a hand. "Sit down, would you? Jeez, have a little self control. We can't have me transforming in public, for crying out loud. And I don't know what you're gettin' all worked up for. I just saw your dorky face last month-"
"Hiro," Kyo snapped, his amber eyes flashing with fury. "Don't you dare talk to her like that!"
"What?" the goat said, his expression one of what even Tohru knew was feigned innocence. "I'm telling the truth. I saw her last month when Kisa and I were over visiting Shigure. We were watching that stupid anime. You know, the one about boxing."
"That's not what I meant!" Kyo shouted. "You know damn well that you're being rude to Tohru! If you can't say anything nice, then just don't say anything at all!"
Hiro sneered up at him. "That's rich, especially coming from you, the guy who couldn't say anything nice if his life depended on it."
"You know what?" Kyo leaped from his seat on the bench. Tohru's eyes were wide, and Haru watched on with a look of mild interest as the cat bellowed, "You obviously wanna say something to me! Because I know you, you little brat, and there's no way in hell that you'd come all this way if you didn't have a good reason! So why don't you just do us all a favor and tell us what it is already?"
Hiro didn't look to be the least bit put-off by Kyo's sudden outburst. "It's not you I came to see, actually," he said as he shifted his gaze toward Haru, his expression softening as he focused on the cow's lazily reclining figure. "It's you."
To Tohru it had appeared as though Hatsuharu had almost completely zoned out of the conversation. It quickly became apparent, however, that he'd been listening after all. His dark eyes darted over the top of his book right after the goat had addressed him. "Me?" He placed the novel down on the seat of the bench, sitting up straighter as he regarded Hiro with a serious look. "What is it? What's happened?"
"It's Rin. I...I think she may be in trouble."
Shigure had only just booted up his computer when the doorbell rang. The dog sighed at the unwelcome interruption, quietly lamenting the fact that his writing, as usual, was just going to have to wait. He lifted himself out of his chair by the computer and padded from the room. A pity how this always seemed to happen right when he was starting to get into a creative mood.
"Perhaps it's a sign from above that I should just give up the craft," he said, then chuckled heartily to himself. Because it was a ludicrous thought; giving up on writing was out of the question. Mi, his editor, would likely have a heart attack if he were to even suggest doing such a thing. And his readers...well, what ever would they do if he didn't continue to provide them with tantalizing tales of suspense, intrigue, and romance? With an emphasis on the romance, of course. And perhaps with a dash of eroticism here and there. But really, who was complaining? No one that he knew of. If anything, the majority of the novels he'd published had been well-received.
It's my calling in life to entertain the masses, he thought, smiling smugly as opened the door in order to receive his guest. His smile faltered, however, when he realized just who was standing on his front porch.
"Rin?"
The horse returned his greeting with a scowl, though Shigure found he was far too shocked to take much note. Rin normally wore a fierce expression, after all, and Shigure supposed that he'd grown accustomed to seeing her this way. What he hadn't grown accustomed to, however, was how stunning she looked whenever her long dark hair billowed in the wind like that. It was captivating, almost hypnotizing, and he found that he had to force himself to keep his attention on her face as he regarded her. Goodness, that dress...
"My," he said finally, "I must say this is a most...unexpected surprise. But please, do come in. I'll put on some tea-"
"Don't bother."
Shigure froze at her biting words, hesitating only a brief moment before moving aside and gesturing for her to step over the threshold, which she did, but not without casting him another particularly unfriendly look.
What could possibly be the purpose of this visit? he wondered as he turned and began leading her toward the living room. I wonder...has she come to ask me for a place to stay?
Had Kagura's parents kicked her out of their home already? Shigure supposed there was room enough to spare for one more guest in his own house, if that happened to be the case. Rin would have to share a bedroom with Tohru, of course, though somehow he doubted that Tohru would mind such an arrangement. As for Rin...Shigure wasn't sure what she thought of Tohru. Had they even met? Hatori had mentioned them briefly crossing paths at Sohma House last week. Perhaps it would do Rin some good to have a friend. Heaven only knew that the horse had suffered greatly in the last few years, and Shigure wouldn't hesitate to say that it would please him to see her have a little happiness in her life.
He directed Rin to sit on the floor, at a small table that had been constructed to raise just a few inches above the ground.
"I won't waste time with pleasantries," she said once they were both seated. "I came here for a purpose, and I'm not leaving until you've told me everything that you know."
"Oh?" Shigure lifted a discarded teacup from the table and sipped it, even though he knew it would be cold. "And what, pray tell, can I help you with?" he asked, grimacing at the vile taste that the old tea left in his mouth.
Rin didn't seem to notice or care that he appeared to have just drank the equivalent of mud water. "I came here because I think you know how to break the zodiac curse," she said, and Shigure nearly choked, though again, she didn't appear to notice. Probably because, for whatever reason, she didn't seem to want to look at him directly.
"I know it's a lot to ask. I imagine it will probably be a difficult thing to accomplish," she murmured, still refusing to meet his gaze. "Because if it weren't, there isn't a doubt in my mind that you would've done it by now. But I want to help. Whatever I have to do, I'm...I'm willing."
Having recovered, Shigure gently placed the teacup back down on the table. "That is a most ambitious goal. However, I'm afraid that you're quite mistaken. There's nothing for me to tell. I, like you, have long sought a way to lift the zodiac curse and put an end to this family's misery once and for all. Sadly, though, my years of research up to this point have led me to nothing but dead ends. I do wish that I could be of more help, but-"
"Up to this point?" she interrupted, finally raising her eyes toward him. "You mean...you've uncovered something recently?"
He cast her a sly look. "Hm. I see nothing escapes your notice, Rin, as usual."
Her hands curled into fists on the table. "You lying bastard," she hissed, and Shigure's eyes widened at her sudden shift in demeanor. "You are hiding something from us! I knew it. I knew it-"
"Now, now." Shigure raised both of his hands in the air. "Let's not lose our heads. Besides, you're really only partially right. It's true that I'm withholding information from you, but it's not because I'm trying to hide it. It's because I'm not even sure it's relevant. Or rather, I'm not sure it will make any difference."
"I don't care," she snapped. "I'll take anything you've got, even if it's just a theory."
Shigure pretended to study the empty teapot sitting near the end of the table. "Goodness. You do appear to be rather desperate. Are you sure you don't want some tea? All right, all right," he relented, not wishing to agitate her further. "I'll tell you. But again, I must warn you that I'm not even sure if I'm right."
"Again," she said, "I don't care. Now will you just out with it already? I hate the way you always try to dance around things. It may work on other people, but it won't work on me."
At that, the dog sighed in resignation. "All right. I suppose you leave me with no other choice. When it comes to the art of conversation you truly are a worthy opponent, Isuzu."
He paused in order to watch her glare daggers at him from across the table. "My first thought pertains to Kureno. Don't you think it's odd, what happened to him two years ago?" He lowered his voice, as if he were about to divulge some deep, dark secret. "I most certainly do. In fact, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. So I did a little research, and what I discovered was most interesting.
"There is not a single instance on record of a zodiac curse breaking on its own like that. In the past, members of the zodiac would die, and their curses would then be passed on to another member of the Sohma family. Often it would take years, even decades for a specific animal to be reborn, but it always happened eventually. With that in mind..."
He trailed off, and she leaned forward eagerly. For once, there appeared to be something other than anger in her eyes. "Do you know what is particularly strange about the zodiac curse this time around?" he whispered, and she shook her head. "All the animals exist simultaneously."
Rin blinked, her face warming visibly, and Shigure bit back a grin. Was it his imagination, or did being this close to him seem to affect her?
"That's...different from normal?" she breathed, and he gave a single nod.
"Yes. Quite. In the past, there would typically be only a handful of them around at one time. For example, in one record I found that there was a period of about 100 years in which there were only four zodiac members living: the dog, the boar, the rat, and the dragon. And god, of course. But none of the others existed during that window of time."
"So it was typical for the zodiac members to be more spread out?"
"Yes. But look at us now. We're all here. Or, well, we were when Kureno was still one of us. But don't you find our circumstances to be intriguing? I know I most certainly do."
There was still the faintest tint of pink to her cheeks, and for some reason that he wasn't entirely able to explain, Shigure found he wanted to take her face in his hands and kiss her.
"I do, too," she said before he could even begin to seriously consider making any such advances. "But what does it all mean?"
Shigure pulled back from her, resisting the temptation to test whether or not she loved Hatsuharu enough to remain true to him. "Well, that's just the question, isn't it?" he said, and her face fell.
"You don't know what it means."
"No," he answered honestly. "I don't."
Rin closed her eyes, as if collecting herself. "All right. Then let me ask you this: What do you think it means?"
"What do I think?" The dog shrugged. "I think it means that all of our curses will break. Eventually."
"Eventually?" Her brow furrowed. "When is that?"
"Who knows? Could be next month. Could be a few years from now. Could be never. Again, this is all just speculation. But I think that the pace in which these events unfold is entirely dependent on one person."
"Akito."
He nodded. "Naturally."
"So...what are you saying, then?" she demanded. "That you think Akito has to die in order for our curses to break?"
He shook his head quickly back and forth. "No. The opposite, actually. You see, if Akito dies then his curse will simply fall on another person later down the line. Nothing will have changed. But if his curse is broken rather than passed on..."
He looked to Rin, waiting for her to finish the thought, which she promptly did. "Then there won't be a zodiac curse. Not ever again."
"Yes. Or at least, that is my great hope."
Rin stood then and walked over to the window. She remained silent for several minutes, not moving, not speaking. Shigure was about to ask her if she was all right when long at last she sucked in a deep breath. "So how do we do it?"
Shigure frowned at her back. "Do what?"
"Break Akito's curse."
"Ah. Again, I'm not sure. This is the part that has me stumped. Hari and I have had several conversations about it, but-"
She whirled on him, her eyes narrowing. "Hatori knows about all this?"
"Yes. He and I are very good friends, you know."
She ignored his cheeky remark. "You mean to tell me that I could've gone to him rather than you for this information?"
He raised an eyebrow at that. "You could have, though I doubt he would've told you even half as much as I did. The good doctor would've been afraid of getting your hopes up."
She averted her gaze again, biting down hard on her lower lip. "I...I heard Kureno's back. Is that true?"
Shigure regarded her with surprise. Interesting. I guess word travels fast. "It is. He's currently staying in a guest room at Sohma House. Is that what prompted this little visit?"
"Partially. Do...do you think maybe I can talk to him?"
"I don't see why not. But that's up for him to decide, not me."
She dipped her head in agreement. "One more thing. I have to ask..."
"Yes?" he said softly.
"What's the deal with that Honda girl? You never did explain why-"
"Tohru?" Shigure squeaked, all-innocence. "Why, she's my house guest! Surely you've heard-"
"Cut the crap. You would never let a stranger into your house if you didn't think that they could be of some use to you. You rarely do anything out of the sheer goodness of your heart, Shigure. I think you and Akito are a lot alike in that way."
Now it was his turn to frown. "Careful," he said, though she seemed to take his warning as a challenge.
"Why? It's true and you know it."
"No, it isn't. Or at least, not in this case. Initially, I did take Tohru in out of the goodness of my heart. I pitied her. Here was this young, pretty orphan girl with no home and very little money..."
At Rin's disapproving glare, he heaved a sigh. "No, it wasn't like that either. She was a friend of Yuki's—a sweet girl through and through. Honesty, I just wanted to help her out. Well, time went on and eventually she ended up discovering our family secret. I suppose it was inevitable, but even so, I was saddened by the idea of having to erase her memories. Because, of course, I assumed that that was what would happen."
Rin directed her attention back toward the window. "Why did Akito allow it?" she wondered, seemingly more to herself than to him. "I still don't understand."
"I don't understand it either," he confessed. "Not fully, anyway. But something tells me that he was curious. Akito hasn't met all too many people in his life who don't belong to the Sohma family. I think that the idea of involving an outsider in our affairs intrigued him. So he let it be."
For once Rin did not comment on his musings. "He invited her to Sohma House last week," she said. "She came while I was there. He summoned her to his room."
"Yes," Shigure said. "I heard all about it."
"He was tormenting her, messing with her head, like he does with all of us."
Shigure turned to her with a startled expression. "What? Do you have proof of this?"
"No," she admitted. "But he had to have been. I can't think of any other reason why he would invite her."
"I can. Now, bear in mind that this is the second part of my theory, as you like to call it. That said, I believe it still has merit. Would you like me to share it with you?"
She nodded without any hesitation.
"Very well. I think that Tohru may be starting to melt Akito's ice cold heart. A little," he added when he saw the incredulous look Rin was giving him. "Just a tad-"
"The hell convinces you of that?" she nearly yelled. "I'm not sure Akito even has a heart. You should've heard the way he was talking to me the last time I was at Sohma House. It was awful. He lost his temper twice, and I know he wasn't the least bit sorry for it."
Shigure's heart plummeted at this news. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I know how difficult it can be to try and reason with Akito, what with his spiteful and rather...domineering nature. But have you ever stopped to wonder how much of that is actually him? He's possessed by the spirit of an angry and vengeful god, after all-"
"Seriously? You're going to make excuses for him, after everything he's done to us?" Rin shook her head. "I expected better of you, Gure."
"Not making excuses," he defended. "Just some food for thought."
"Well, I think you're wrong. I think he's every bit as bad as he seems. Anyway," she pressed on, "enlighten me: What is it that's led you to believe that Akito's starting to warm to this girl?"
"Mostly his recent fascination with her. He never showed much of an interest before, and that's why I find this development to be so noteworthy."
"Noteworthy?" Rin scoffed. "Yeah. He's trying to scare her off. Obviously."
"But that's just it," he countered. "I don't think he is. In fact, I get the distinct impression that Akito enjoys her company now, though he would never admit as much, perhaps not even to himself."
Rin released a sigh that was almost a groan. "Suppose you're right," she said, clearly frustrated with him. "Suppose Akito really is starting to like her. So what? You don't honestly believe that this...this girl is somehow going to change things for us? Do you?"
Shigure lifted a shoulder. "As I said, I don't know anything for sure. But I can hope, can't I?"
Rin shook her head, though Shigure couldn't tell whether it was out of disgust or disbelief. "You've more or less thrown her to the wolves by allowing her to continue living among us. You know that, right?"
"Who?" he said sheepishly. "Tohru?"
The glower she gave him was more than enough of a reply.
"Mm. I suppose. But I wouldn't worry too much. I sincerely doubt Akito will harm her. Not now, anyway. According to Hari, he appears to be past that point. Which is why I'm thinking that maybe..." He left the thought there as abruptly he stood and wandered off toward his writing room. His best ideas truly did seem to come at the most inconvenient of moments.
"Maybe what?" Rin said, following him.
Once he had reached his study Shigure grabbed a pad of notepaper from his desk. "Maybe it's time we attempted to speed things up a bit," he told her, already scribbling away.
"Speed things up?" she questioned, impatient. "Like how?"
Shigure looked up. The grin he gave her was nothing short of conspiratorial. "Oh, you'll see. All in due time, my dear cousin. All in due time."