Birdcrazy: I love you all reviewers! Muwahhh! AraelMoonChild—Huwahhahahaha… maybe Kyo will find out… although right now it's not really an issue… Thanks for reviewing! Hmmm… I'm going to add Black Haru for your pleasure! THANKS!

P.U.:sigh: you can see how desperate things can get…

Bird: Anyways, today we'll focus more on Yuta. But something important happens in the bookshop too!

Yuta surveyed his new environment. It was empty, which was only natural, but it had a dark and ominous feeling. He tried to muster up the happy energy to throw himself on the bed and bounce on it, but his feeble attempt made it in a shuffle to the bed and a weak plop. The cold darkness in the room made him wince and shudder. The darkness and evil… at the time, Yuta could see only one thing: stay here and die. He slung his small luggage bag over his shoulder and looked for a possible escape through a window. But no, there were no windows, as Yuta just noticed. No wonder. Was it day or night? Yuta could only hope it was still day. Crawling away into the unknown did not sound very smart in the dark. Obiysashi was still standing outside, addressing Akito.

"That was Yuki's old room… asdriem asngeikk kadvnne, he will serve the same purpose as Yuki, asnekhk vbeiladkfj shieuhlk," Akitp's muffled voice muttered to himself. He talked to himself like a crazy old man. It was followed by a bone-chilling laughter, maniacal and vicious. Yuta nearly fainted, everything in his mind telling him staying was not right. His very, most barbaric instincts kicked in and he stowed away, gripping the suitcase tightly. He stealthily ran through the mansion. Finally, a small, stain-glass window was there. Brilliant light shone in. Light! Yuta had almost forgotten light in the fifteen minutes he had spent in there. He imagined a day, a week, a month, a year! He shuddered and thanked the Lord he was getting out. Not thinking right, lusting for the light, he nearly bumped into one of the black suits. His black hair, which was whooshing from the breeze of running in the house, came to a dead stop, shorting-up it's flight of freedom in the air. His pointed, quivering nose shook.

"You… hey, what's a little brat like you doing here? Punk! Trying to listen in on stock secrets, eh? Well, we can do something about that!" the Man-In-Black said. Shocked, Yuta stumbled back. He mentally kicked himself in the rear. How had he been so stupid? With a moment of hesitation, Yuta jetted for the entrance the bulking Man-In-Black blocked.

"Hey KID! STOP RIGHT THERE!" he roared. The black-suited man lunged for Yuta, using the classic alligator snap. But as he dove, Yuta stumbled out of the way ran sprinted towards the exit. Once he was temporarily hidden behind a pink rose bush, he collapsed. Then, he gave a few good coughs a sneeze. Oh, Jeez… Yuta thought. Allergies. Curse you, pink blossoms of doom! More men and women, suited formally and stiffly in black, were scouting around. Apparently the original ape had given some sort of silent signal. Yuta would have to be very cautious. He sneaked around and dashed to and fro, stubbing his toe a lot because he wasn't looking where he was going. Wouldn't you be looking more at the people who were trying to kill you than the dirt between your toes?

break

He wandered into a forest, but he believed it still wasn't safe yet. He wandered, and wandered, not noticing his dirty-but-otherwise-in-good-condition suitcase still clutched in his hand. Yuta clutched it like it was his lifeline to the world. The funny thing is, being in the middle of a dead-end forest, it was. The forest itself wasn't scary. Akito's room must've been sixty times scarier. Yuta crooned over his possession that his mom hadn't thrown away; Yuta had hidden it safely in his pocket. It was his a gift from his friend. His most revered, best friend in the world. His cousin who wasn't a Sohma. Lucky him, Yuta thought. His cousin was currently graduating college, but treated a shrimp like Yuta like any old person. There was no age gap between them as far as his friend was concerned.

"Enclosed in this special package is a gift for an uber guy. It's only for the most uber-est, coolest, funnest guy ever. And I mean ever." It was all on a card for Yuta's birthday. Yuta had been flattered and tried to open the card. Inside, it said,

"You tried to open it? What a joke! But there's still a special delivery, just for you…" and inside was his keychain. It had blue fire designs, with a most adorable pig connected with perfect circlets of silver metal. On the center of the pig was a small, perfect, glowing chunk of opal. The opal gleamed, perhaps angelically? It was always, always warm to the touch, no matter where Yuta had kept it the cold night before. The swirls of soft colors molded in the pearly white, with pure white swirling in there too. It was priceless. Where did he get it? And most importantly, to never forget where it came from, the giver had written his name: "With happiness from…

"And so! We will hold the annual Cherry Blossom Festival Banquet tomorrow lunch! Keep in mind Akito himself will be there! We are sorry to inform the others who have only been with us a short while. Only long-time employers are permitted to come. And, to be blunt, only the Sohmas who work here in the bookshop. The others will get a holiday, though," Ayame announced melodramatically.

"Awww…I wanted to meet the all powerful manager Akito…" Will whined.

"Eh. I'm neutral. We've gotten behind in the studies of Amitabu and Miroku," Tina said, shrugging. (A/N: Miroku is actually a real monk. Not just a character in Inuyasha… Ahem… There's more the world then just manga and anime. Miroku is the next predicted big-time monk of our age. Ahem. "our" age.)

"Ah… well, I have some business about some lost brother. I think his name is Kenshii or something… I was going to take a vacation anyways," Tohru sighed. A heavenly sigh, in Will's point of view. Will nearly tripped from staring at Tohru's petite face, those smooth strands of brown hair somehow always getting on her face as Tohru would try to brush it out in vain. Thankfully Kyo wasn't there. It wasn't his shift. Yuki said he was taking some sort of nap.

"Pfff. Only kids and cats take naps," Haru sneered. That day, as Hatori was watching the place as security guard, he was also emergency doctor aid. Haru had gone into a runny nose and pink eyes phase ever since spring started, and especially when the annoying cherry blossoms decided to release their pollen and drift off everywhere. That particular day, Since it was cherry blossom festival, people where collecting cherry blossom petals and throwing them recklessly into the mall where Crazy and Urino's Bookshop was. Also, an entrance faced the outside where a beautiful array of sakura trees stood in pink bloom. Their elegant, oriental branches curved gracefully and naturally, not pruned or snipped at like some plants. It was true beauty, but a nightmare for allergies. So you could see why Haru was having a bad case of sniffles, teary eyes, and grumpies.

"Retarded cherry blossoms. They're everywhere! Why does Japan take so much pride in their stupid sakuras?" he grunted, reaching for his fifth tissue in two minutes.

"Yeah, yeah, but what you should be worrying about is the banquet with Akito…" Yuki hissed, glaring into the invisible space where he pretended was Akito. He used his shaking hands and strangled the air. But Haru was too caught up in his snuffles to notice his love strangle the air like a prisoner convict with nothing to do. Hatsuharu gripped his hardcover book and snapped it in his anger. CRACK! Haru threw the book aside.

"I… REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT SOME SILLY BANQUET! (sniff)" he slammed his hands on the maple-wood table. "Kyo should be here suffering along with me!" As if on cue, Kyo rushed in, gracefully sliding in, but looking grumpy and out of breath.

"Let's take it on again, Kyo! Cry-baby, wimp, stupid kitty! Time to play with the big boys!" Haru grunted cracking his knuckles.

"WHAT! Look, we're not doing that here—" Kyo protested.

"Ooooh, is the crybaby scared? Then that's TOO BAD, KITTENS!" He snarled, and lunged.

"So you wanna fight? Fine! I'm better than you and you know it!" Kyo raged. They fought, tearing at each other and kicking or punching.

Tohru had taken off early. She was with Hana and Uo because they worried this long-lost "brother" was too good to be true, and were looking our for their clumsy and gullible Tohru. Tohru, with a smile, ringed and old-fashioned door bell. The majestic door had rippled glass that shone like crystal gleamed on a pattern of intricate design on a dark, finely polished wood. The house itself wasn't too grand, but it was quite moderate and roomy-looking. A young man who looked like he was graduating college sometime soon , with brownish hair that was only a shade darker than Tohru's, and a bit ruffled as if he had just gotten up opened the door. His bright hazel eyes shone, and reflected the image of Tohru and her friends. His slender chin and body structure made him quite good-looking, perhaps just as Tohru was pretty.

"Are you… Tohru? Long lost sister? Got a phone call from an adoption company?" the boy asked.

"Well, gee, aren't you to the point… could've at least said 'hi'," Uo muttered.

"Oh! Sorry, where were my manners? I was just a bit eager, sorry, really. It's nice to meet you, please come on in for coffee or tea?" he said, bowing politely.

"Oh! Arigatou!" Tohru said happily. They reached a nice-looking, broad living room, and sat in comfortable plushy seats. But it was a bit empty. Just a bit. Not enough to bother them about anything. But… no, the tiny emptiness in the corner bothered them. It was furnished and nicely decorated until that point, where everything vanished and it was bare.

"Now that we're comfortable, are you really the Tohru Honda? I'm… Kenshii Honda. Our mom got pregnant and had me before she was ready, so I was adopted by the Taguchi family, because it was our aunt's family. And I've finally found you! Just as I imagined you!" Kenshii smiled happily. But Tohru was lost when Kenshii mentioned "adopted by the Taguchi family."

Ta…gu…chi? As in… Yuta Taguchi? Tohru thought. Yuta's family?

Bird: DUN-DUN-DUN! What a small world it is in this fanfic. I LOVE REVIEWS! I WOULD APPRECIATE THEM! Besides, this is my longest chapter yet! (which isn't actually very long… oopss..)