Immaterialism
"Happy birthday, Honda Tohru," Tohru whispered softly to herself.
The soft autumn breeze tugged gently at her hair as she walked down the forest path that led to her home.
Home. When had she started thinking of the Souma's house as her home?
The quiet rustling of dried leaves was her only answer.
It was uncharacteristically quiet. Normally, she would have walked home with Yuki and Kyou, would be surrounded by their constant bickering and friendly jokes.
Today, Yuki had to stay back because there was an important student council meeting.
As for Kyou…Tohru had to laugh at that. It appeared that a teacher had witnessed Kyou's spectacular jump from the second story.
He had been called into the staff-room for the expected reprimands and punishments, but instead of getting the longest detention of his life…
He got enlisted into the school team for the high-jump event.
Naturally, Kyou wasn't very happy about it. "Why should I go jumping around like a fool?" he had asked, his voice near to a screech.
"Because that is exactly what stupid cats do," Yuki had answered dryly.
Kyou had almost exploded at that comment. "Well, it's certainly better than what you do, baka nezumi! Looking as if you couldn't decide if you were a girl or boy! Don't know what all those crazed female see in you, rat!"
Yuki, with all his normal calm and composure, had merely shrug and said, "Whatever, you'd better join if you know what's good for you." Still acting as if Kyou was a nuisance that didn't even deserve to be swatted away, he continued, "The teacher might just find it in him to remember that you did jump down from the second floor."
Yuki then shook his head distastefully. "Exactly what an idiotic cat would do. Trust me, you would look more intelligent high-jumping."
Let's just say that that was the end of any civil conversation. The house was totally destroyed by the time Yuki and Kyou were done. Shigure was yelling at Tohru to quickly hug them so that they would transform into their Juunishi forms, furniture was being wrecked apart, the door was smashed down for the umpteenth time…
The cat and mouse continued fighting even after they were in their animal forms.
So much for the idea of hugging them.
Tohru smiled in remembrance of that particular fight.
Now Kyou had to stay back for the practice that no amount of sulking and screaming had been able to rescue him from.
He would never admit it, but Tohru knew that he rather enjoyed it. He liked being able to fool around with other people, and he took pride in being able to do something that no one else could do as well.
Especially since he knew that this was one of the few things in which he could beat Yuki.
The fact that Yuki and Kyou fought almost every second of their lives used to distress her. A family should live in harmony, not in quarrels and disagreements.
But the longer she lived with the Soumas, the more she found out about this peculiar family.
They cared for each other the way a family would, even Yuki and Kyou. Sometimes, the mild concern showed, however unwilling those two were to display it.
Would she ever be part of this family?
Shigure said that she was. Shigure said that she was as much a part of their family as any other bearing the surname of Souma was.
For now, however, the walk home was very lonely without Yuki and Kyou's presence. She had gotten used to having the two boys walk her home.
Kyou said that it was a man's duty to protect a girl. Yuki said that he would never let her come to any harm.
They were just like the elder brothers she had always wished for.
Normally, her two best friends would be with her if Yuki and Kyou weren't around, but Hana-chan and Uo-chan couldn't make it due to family matters.
"Does anybody remember that it's my birthday today?" Tohru thought wistfully.
Hana-chan and Uo-chan had already given her birthday cards and presents, but it just wasn't the same as being able to celebrate it with them.
She had always celebrated her birthdays with them and her mother.
"Now that Okaa-san's no longer with me, I wish…"
No, she wouldn't allow herself to ask it of people. Hana-chan and Uo-chan already cared for her so much, always standing up for her if she was bullied by others girls in school.
As for Yuki and Kyou, they had already given her a family when she had lost the most important person in her life.
She couldn't ask for anything more.
Besides, they wouldn't know that it was her birthday, since she had never told them.
The soft lights of the house that she was sharing with Yuki, Kyou and Shigure finally came into view.
Home. This was home.
Tohru felt the familiar feelings of warmth and comfort rising within her at the sight of the Souma's residence.
"Okaeri!" she called, kicking off her shoes and running into the house.
Silence greeted her.
Tohru's happiness faded. Where was Shigure? Where was the smiling face that would always peer out of the office where Shigure spent most of his time in?
Where was the familiar voice that would say, "Tohru-chan, you're back!"?
It was only then that she noticed a small note on the refrigerator.
Out for meeting with editor.
Won't be back for dinner.
Shigure.
Tohru's face fell. Even without Hana-chan, Uo-chan, Yuki and Kyou, she had been looking forward to having dinner with Shigure. She had always liked listening to the older man's jokes, the way he would praise her cooking endlessly, and she had always enjoyed listening to him talk about his plans for his latest novel.
Shigure had always had a way of cheering her up with his antics, no matter how bad her day was.
The house didn't seem like home anymore. She felt as if she didn't belong here, as if she were intruding on someone else's property.
It seemed cold and empty. It looked as if it were saying, "Get out! You don't belong here."
"Honda Tohru," Tohru scolded herself, "You've promised yourself that you will keep your spirits up no matter what happens. Why are you letting yourself act like this just because there's no one to celebrate your birthday with you? They're already treating you so nicely; it isn't polite to demand this of them!"
That said, Tohru turned off the lights before walking up the stairs to her room.
Somehow, she just didn't have the appetite for dinner anymore.
"Shut up, baka neko, you'll making a huge racket!" a voice hissed from the bushes.
"You say that because you're not the one who's doing the carrying, stinking rat!"
"If you keep this up, Honda-san will hear everything!"
"What? It was you who started this first!"
"Just shut up before you ruin everything!"
"Please, Yuki-kun, Kyou-kun," another voice cut in, "Just for this once, can't you keep the fighting down?"
The first two voices shut up, even though the tension in the air was still discernable.
The quiet rustling among the bushes, however, continued as soft footsteps crept up to the house.
Tohru looked up from her homework when she heard a faint tinkle coming from downstairs.
"Did I forget to switch off something?" she mused, perplexed.
Fumbling in the dark for the switches, she blinked when the lights were finally turned on.
Multi-coloured ribbons and streamers were strung from one end of the room to the other while balloons and paper dolls filled every niche that was available.
Brown eyes widened in surprise when Tohru was suddenly showered with paper confetti.
If that wasn't all, she almost got the shock of her life when she was bombarded with cries of "Happy Birthday, Tohru!"
A somewhat heavy bundle flung itself into her arms.
"Happy birthday!"
"Mo-momiji?" Tohru was still somewhat dazed.
"Happy birthday, Honda-san," a soft voice said from the corner of the room.
"Happy birthday," a much gruffer, yet no less sincere voice said.
"Souma-san, Kyou-kun," Tohru whispered softly. Comprehension was finally dawning.
"Happy birthday!" A cheerful voice lilted happily, accompanied by its solemn and playful counterparts.
"Shigure-san, Hatori-san, Ayame-san…"
A small hand tugged at her dress tentatively. Tohru looked down to see a pair of melting golden eyes.
"Happy birthday, nee-san."
Tohru could feel her eyes tearing.
"Kisa…"
The little girl looked at her hopefully. She placed a small box into Tohru's hands.
"Kisa made this in school specially for nee-san."
Tohru carefully untied the ribbon that held the wrapping paper together. Opening the box, she took out a tiny clay doll.
It was roughly crafted, as expected of the work by a young child's unsteady fingers, but Tohru could see every feature of the doll perfectly.
It had big brown eyes, matching brown hair with a pink ribbon on it, a blue dress that slightly resembled a school dress…
Kisa had made her a doll of herself.
Kisa was still waiting expectantly for her answer.
Tohru hugged her tightly. "It's beautiful; I love it."
Kisa's large golden eyes brightened with joy at the praise as her mouth curved with that rare smile that she reserved only for Tohru.
Tohru turned to face everybody else in the room, trying desperately to hold back the tears. She felt like an idiot for crying at a time like this.
"Thank you…thank you so much."
Everybody was smiling at her.
Family. They were family.
"Thank you."
Tohru sat alone in her room, looking at the tons and piles of presents and gifts that had been showered on her. The room was already littered with every colour of wrapping paper imaginable, and she still hadn't finished unwrapping everything yet.
Kisa's clay doll stood proudly on the dressing table. There was a beautiful Victorian dress that she had spread out on her bed—a gift from Ayame. Cream from Hatori, who said that it was more effective in pimple-control than the stuff that they sold in the supermarkets. A romance novel from Shigure--he wrote it himself, and he said that this was a unique copy that no one else owned.
Momiji had given her a stuffed bunny, saying that everyone needed something to hug at night or they would get lonely. There were Hana-chan and Uo-chan's presents—a stationary set and a necklace respectively.
There was Kyou's—a ship in a bottle. This was special, because like Kisa, it was something that he made by himself. Tohru remembered stepping on wood splinters when she cleaned up his room. Tohru wondered how many nights he had lost for this; she noticed the blue rims around his amber eyes. Kyou might seem short-tempered and irritable, but Tohru knew that no one could be as determined and caring inwardly as Kyou was.
The revision book was Yuki's. It was filled with little notes by him, all very detailed yet managing to be precise at the same time. Yuki knew that she had problems in her schoolwork sometimes, and this was his way of helping her besides studying with her as much as he could. There was even a small booklet that he had written himself, something that she could flip through if she couldn't study the actual chapter. It was just like Yuki—sensitive and thoughtful.
There was the last piece of her birthday cake.
"Make a wish, Tohru!"
"Yes, make a wish, nee-san!" Kisa said eagerly.
Tohru closed her eyes for a silent moment before blowing out the candles, all sixteen of them.
Everybody was beside themselves with curiosity.
"What did you wish for?"
"Yeah, what did you wish for?"
"Tohru, Tohru, tell me!" Momiji squealed.
Tohru smiled. "It has to be a secret, or it wouldn't come true."
She had never felt this happy in her life.
I wish that I'll forever be a part of this family.
Tohru picked up the piece of cake and bit into it.
A soft knock sounded on her door.
Tohru put down the cake and went over to open it.
"Souma-san."
Yuki smiled in his usual quiet way. His smile was never more than a slight curve at the edges of his lips, but it did everything a smile could. It made Tohru happy, and that was all smiles were for—to show that you were happy and to make others happy as well.
Before she could say anything more, another knock came. This time, she opened the door to see Kyou, looking rather embarrassed, as he always was when he thought he was facing her alone.
The awkwardness was lost when Kyou's eyes fell on Yuki. Both of them glared daggers at each other, until they realized that Tohru was in the room as well. In a split second, the glares were gone and they turned to face Tohru.
I'm touched…they would do anything for me. With me here, maybe they won't quarrel that much.
"I thought…I thought that…" Kyou began self-consciously.
"…maybe we could go onto the roof?" he asked.
Tohru nodded. "Come along, please?" she asked Yuki. Yuki nodded.
Tohru smiled.
To be able to spend time with both of them…It was something that she liked very much.
"Did you enjoy yourself, Honda-san?" Yuki asked her.
Tohru nodded.
Yuki looked relieved. "I thought that you would be angry. We didn't tell you that we were preparing a party…"
Tohru smiled at him. "It was the most wonderful surprise I've ever had."
She looked at both of them suspiciously. "How did you know that today was my birthday?"
Kyou shrugged. "Those two crazy friends of yours told us."
Tohru looked out into the night sky.
Hana-chan, Uo-chan, thank you.
"Tohru…" Kyou said gruffly, avoiding her gaze.
"Yes?"
"I'mgladthatyouenjoyedyourself," he said, the words coming out in a rush.
It took Tohru a moment to register the meaning of his words. When she did, she could feel a thousand feelings of gratitude and warmth surging within her.
It was what friendship did. This was the feeling she shared with Kyou, Yuki, Shigure, Hatori, Kisa, Momiji…Hana-chan, Uo-chan…everybody that had cared for her and loved her.
"Me too," Yuki said quietly, placing an arm around her shoulders.
Tohru could feel Kyou's arm encircling her from the other side. Quietly, the three of them watched the clusters of stars flicker like undying flames in the night sky.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Did they hear it? They must have.
They sat there in silence for a long time, three young people linked with each other, with Tohru enjoying the peaceful security and assurance that the two boys offered.
Okaa-san, don't worry. I'm happy now.
Yes, she was happy now.
Having a family was the most wonderful thing that had happened to her in her life.
Without knowing, Yuki and Kyou had given her the best present she had ever received.
A family.