10-hru C.3

It was Saturday afternoon when Tohru finally had the chance to spend time with Kobayashi. Just like Kioshi stated before, Tohru was allowed two days off from being a maid. Meaning that every weekend, Tohru doesn't have to worry about cleaning the house or serving the food. Kioshi promised to do both.

People would usually feel at ease on their days off, that wasn't the case with Tohru. Something happened yesterday that really affected Kioshi. That was the first topic Tohru came to talk about with Kobayashi.

Tohru rings the doorbell and waits for the door to open. "Hello!" Tohru said.

"I figured that you would swing by. Come on in." Tohru enters before Kobayashi closes the door behind. "Wait in the living room. I'll prepare some tea while you wait." Kobayashi said. Later, she returns with the promised tea. "Here you go."

Tohru receives the tea. "Thank you for the tea." She takes a sip and recognizes the taste. "How I miss your home made tea, Kobayashi."

"You do? My tea isn't all that special you know? It's the same one you and I serve in our free time."

"I know that, it's just that it's...different when you serve it. It has that special hint in it, you know?" Tohru said.

"I guess. Anyways, what brings you here anyways? Anything on your mind? Something wrong between you and Kioshi?" Kobayashi asked.

"Well, something did happen between my master and I." Tohru confessed. Kobayashi gulped down the warm tea already poured in her mouth.

"There is? What did you do wrong this time?" Asked Kobayashi.

"Why do you assume that I'm the one at fault?"

"Aren't you?" Kobayashi asked once again.

Tohru sighs. "Yes." She said

"Well, spill the beans!"

"Yes ma'am. It happened like this."

Flashback...↓

It all started yesterday. I was cleaning the entire house. I cleaned the kitchen and then the bathrooms, which wasn't as much work, just a few smudges on the mirrors. After that, I cleaned everyone's bedrooms including Kioshi's. As usual, Kanna organizes her sheets like always. I fold everyone's clothes once everything was done. Just when I finished everything in mind, I forgot one more chore. It was cleaning Kioshi's work room. The one where he has all his instruments and technology in it. This time, I tried being very cautious of every item in the room.

All I did was dust everything, clean the piano, keyboard and computer mouse with those disinfecting wipes. Right at the end of finishing up, I saw the poster that stuck to the wall. The only poster of the room. It was one of his most prized possessions. This was a signed poster by some composer named Nozawa Kai. This one had a dragon in the middle of the picture which had clouds surrounding it. The title said 2V-ALK. I decided to clean the walls with a wet rag. So I tried taking off the poster, but that was when things went wrong.

The poster ripped. "Ah!" I panicked, but for some reason, I made things worse. I tried taking it off but it managed to rip off a corner of the poster. "Oh no!" So I panicked even more. I immediately went down stairs with the poster and tried taping on the ripped piece to the poster. Because I was so nervous, I misplaced it. I took off the tape and made it even worse with the tape ripping off a layer of the poster. At that rate, I had given up. I would have to face the consequences, I had to confess. So I waited until he came back.

Several hours passed by until Kioshi returned home. I stood by the door when he arrived. The first thing he would ask me was about my day. He asked me if I was fine and what chores I did while he was gone. I told him that I cleaned the whole house one last time before my day off. I was grateful that he was concerned for me at least. Then I had the thought that he wouldn't after what I did.

"Kioshi, there's something I have to tell you."

"Sure, what is it?" He asked me.

I took out the ripped poster and showed it to him. This had to be one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. The face he made was unforgettable. It had the mixture of anger and sadness. He stood up from his seat and stood there for a few seconds, looking down at the poster. "I'm sorry." I said. That was when Kioshi lifted up his arm. I thought that he was going to hit me, so I flinched and waited for the punishment to be over. But then, I instead received a pat on my head. I was confused at first, so I looked at him.

He said to me. "You worked hard this week, it's best if you have your rest. I'll let this one go, so don't worry."

The last thing I saw from him when he left the room was a tear drop from his face.

This morning, I found him cooking breakfast for Kanna and I. His tone of bounced sounded different from the one I'm used to hearing. When I saw him turn around to face me, I could see his depressed expression on his face.

"Good morning." He said to me with a fake smile.

Every time I tried asking him if there was anything I could do to make it up to him, he would tell me that everything is fine. Even though it's clearly not. Then Kanna and I ate our food. Kioshi left the room saying that he wasn't hungry. Kanna asked me what was going on and then I told her. Just like myself, she felt sympathy for him.

Flashback...↑

"That poster must have been really important to him. Masanori did tell me that he has a great passion for music." Kobayashi said.

"I want to make up with him. If I don't, then he might kick me out!" Tohru said.

"I'm sure Kioshi won't kick you out just because of some poster. He isn't like that." Kobayashi looked down. "But if you really want to make up with him. I can help you." She added, catching Tohru's attention.

"What can I do?"

Kobayashi takes out her phone and calls Masanori. He answers the phone.

"Hello?"

"Masanori!" Kobayashi replied.

"Kobayashi! How's my queen doing?" Masanori said, which annoyed Tohru a bit.

"Honey, you're on speaker." Kobayashi said.

"So? Oh wait, is Tohru with you?" Masanori asked.

"I'm right here!" Tohru said aggressively.

"Sorry about that, what's up Kobayashi?"

Kobayashi explains the whole situation about Kioshi's poster to her husband.

"Oh, that's bad."

"I want you to help Tohru figure out how to get an autograph from this guy." Kobayashi commanded.

"I'll try! I'll swing by in a bit after I'm finished with work. Make sure Tohru doesn't leave, I'll pick her up when I return."

"Got it. See you soon." Kobayashi hung up. "Now we wait."

"Thank you Kobayashi!" Tohru said.

A few hours after Tohru and Masanori got things done, Tohru returned home. She walks up stairs and enters Kioshi's bedroom.

"Tohru?" Kioshi stood from his bed. "What are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be with Kobayashi?"

"Kioshi, ever since yesterday, I couldn't stop thinking about the mistake I've done. Even if you say you're okay, I know it isn't true! So because of that, I brought you this." She reveals the two items hidden behind her, changing his expression to a surprised one. The things she brought for him were a signed poster from not just the composer, but with all the vocalists he's worked with! Then the second item she brought was the latest album with the composer's signature! She finally hands Kioshi the gifts.

Kioshi leaves the gifts aside. "Tohru." He crawls out of his bed, approaches Tohru and hugs her. To change things up, he lifts her up and spins her around out of happiness. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" He thanked her while spinning her.

"Okay okay! You're welcome!" She laughed.

Until he decided to stop, he puts her down and thanks her once more.

"You don't know how much this meant to me. So really, thank you so much!"

"Like I said, it's not a problem!" She said.

"Now that I'm in a good mood again, I think we'll go out to eat. Just you, me and Kanna! Sound nice?"

"Whatever you say!" Tohru replied.

"Let's go!" Kioshi said.

Along the way, Kioshi kept on thanking her. He was so happy on receiving those items. Upon eating out, Tohru observed the way he looked whenever he smiles. She blushed a bit from it. That smile, caused her to develop more feelings towards him.