The next morning, Hatori woke up to observe that both he and Yukina were tangled up with each other on the bed. He grinned, seeing that Yukina was in a deep sleep, curled up like a kitten and managing to get her legs entangled in his. He reached out a lazy hand and pinched Yukina's cheek softly. Immediately, her eyes flickered open, to see Hatori's face, smiling in front of her. Then, her lips curled up and she closed her eyes again, snuggling deeper into Hatori's arms.
Hatori sighed softly; Yukina was obviously not quite a morning person. He put his mouth very near to Yukina's ear and whispered, "Yukina-chan, you should wake up now. Shigure would be expecting us in a short while."
Slowly, Yukina opened her eyes again. "Oh right, I nearly forgot about that. Okay, I'm awake now," and she leapt down of the bed with surprising agility for one who had just woke up.
Hatori watched her run across the room and back again into the bathroom. He wondered a little whether it was too soon to let Yukina meet those few people. However, he had decided to do this, and the most he could do is to keep a close eye on Yukina while she was interacting with the others, especially Haru.
After a while, Yukina finished bathing and came out of the bathroom in an orange jumper, with a pair of long pants, and still wearing the necklace, which he gave her the day before. Seeing Yukina, Hatori could not help appreciating Ayame's taste in clothes, especially those he chose for Yukina.
"Yukina-chan, please wait for me for a moment while I get ready, then we will be going to Shigure's house," Hatori said to Yukina. She nodded and went to finish packing her small bag, which she would bring to Shigure's place.
In a short moment, Hatori and Yukina were in the car, with Hatori driving to their destination. Hatori smiled at Yukina, who was twisting her hair around her fingers with an air of nervousness.
"Yukina-chan, are you afraid to meet new people?"
She hesitated for an instant before replying, "Umm…to be frank, I'm quite nervous…"
"I see. If you are not feeling very comfortable, just tell me anytime. I'm sure they would be able to understand; all of them are nice, friendly kids," Hatori assured her.
At last, Hatori and Yukina reached Shigure's house, situated quite near to the forest. It was a double-storey country house, wide and spacious, with a large and beautiful garden. Slowly, Yukina got out of the car, carrying her small bag and looking around uncertainly.
Hatori saw her behaviour and hurried over to support her. "Yukina-chan, stay here as I go and get my things. Then, we will go into the house together," he said gently. After that, he took his own belongings from inside the car, and went back to Yukina's side. He took hold of her hand and led her into the country house.
All the youngsters were full of anticipation to meet their new 'guest', who had succeeded in doing the 'impossible' as put by Shigure, which was to put a smile on Hatori's face and make him laugh.
Currently, Kyou was resting on top of the roof together with Tohru while keeping a watch out for Hatori. At the same time, Haru was playing chess with Shigure in the garden, while Yuki was watching them. All of them heard Hatori's car and paused what they were doing, eager to meet the newcomer.
However, what they could see was only Hatori, hands quite full of bags, as he also brought some presents for the few of them. Haru was the first one to speak.
"Where is the girl you were going to bring along, Hatori-kun?"
It was then Hatori noticed that Yukina was not beside him. He smirked as he found out that she was hiding behind him, an easy feat as he was wearing a thick coat and was able to conceal her easily.
He soothingly placed a strong arm around Yukina's shoulders and pushed her forward gently. "Guys, I would like you to meet Yukina-chan."
A sharp intake of breath was heard from the three Soumas, namely Yuki, Kyou and Haru, as they experienced the same feeling Ayame and Shigure had – the startling jolt of recognition, but inability to tell for sure who she was.
On the other hand, Yukina was staring at them apprehensively and nervously, clinging to Hatori tightly as if she was afraid that he would suddenly disappear. All of them were quite astonished at the sight of her, as they had expected a pale, sickly girl. However, the person they saw was not in the least unattractive; in fact, she was cute and adorable, staring at them with timid, unsure eyes.
Yuki, being the sensitive one, noticed her uneasiness and felt sorry for her. He walked forward and extended his hand, "Hello, Yukina-chan, it's a pleasure to get to meet you. I am Yuki Souma."
With some difficulty, Yukina stretched out a trembling hand and shook Yuki's hand. "Nice to meet you too, Yuki-san." she said with a bow.
Kyou observed all this and decided to break the ice between all of them. He leapt down from the roof, surprising everyone and grinned at Yukina. "Hi there, Yukina-chan. There is no need to be formal with us as we are all about the same age. Just call me Kyou, and no more of the 'san', just address us as 'kun' or 'chan', and he gestured towards Tohru, who was beside him, "and this is my girlfriend, Tohru."
Yukina was startled to see the orange-head, who seemed to come down from the skies. However, she regained her composure as she recognised him as the cat, agile and nimble. "Umm…I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Kyou-kun, Tohru-chan."
Then, she saw a lad with white and black hair, and clad thoroughly in black. She deduced that the person is Haru, by the colour of his hair. Yukina noticed that he had pierced his ears, and was sporting two shiny metal earrings on one ear. Haru sauntered over to her lazily, and said with an air of arrogance, "I'm Haru, and no need for you to introduce yourself. I know you are Yukina, but have I seen you anywhere before, for you look a little familiar?"
Haru's brusque manner intimidated Yukina greatly, not to mention the amount of metal he had on his body. She turned to Hatori, who was frowning slightly at Haru, trying to discern whether he was the white or black personality.
Hatori glared at Haru, who was looking nonchalantly at the sky, "Haru, we need to talk," and in a gentle voice, "would you help me to take care of Yukina-chan for a while, Yuki?"
"Certainly, Hatori-kun, I will be glad to," Yuki replied. Then, he smiled warmly at Yukina, who was extremely reluctant to separate from Hatori, and was hanging on him tightly. Hatori gave her a small reassuring pat and nudged her to Yuki's direction.
"Would you please follow me, Yukina-chan? Don't worry, I won't hurt you in any way, I promise," Yuki knew the reason Hatori chose him to take care of Yukina, and was determined to make her feel welcome and at ease.
Yukina's eyes went wide at this; it was exactly what Hatori said before. Little by little, she developed a trust for the young man with silvery grey hair and violet eyes, who was smiling at her, and took his outstretched hand timidly.
Unknown to Yukina, Yuki was secretly appraising her. He was very curious to know where he might have met her before, and her identity. Yuki was certain that she did not come from the same school as his, and he had never knew anyone like her, for he would not forget such a face easily. So, why did he feel that he had known this girl for a long time? Yuki mused over this for a long time, and opted to ask the others whether they had the same feeling before asking Yukina any questions.
Looking at Yukina, Yuki suddenly had an urge to hold her in his arms, console her, and tell her everything he had lived through. He also felt that he would be the one who understood her the most, because they had the same experience. However, Yuki was aware that Yukina was far off worse than he is, as Yuki had his friends and family to support him now, but Yukina was alone, and, he realised with a jolt, not having a single strand of memory of her loved ones to give her courage to live on.
Yuki felt a new, powerful desire growing from deep inside him. He wanted to protect the girl he had just met, and make sure that there would not be tears on her face. Slowly, Yuki had led Yukina to where Shigure, Kyou and Tohru were.
"Ah, Yukina-chan, you finally got here. What took you such a long time?" upon noticing Yukina, Shigure bellowed, almost deafening all the teenagers present.
Yukina opened her mouth to answer, but Yuki was quicker to do it.
"It's nothing, Shigure-kun. I just took her for a stroll around the garden," he said softly.
Kyou was observing both of them with unconcealed interest. "So, rat, you have obviously taken an interest in our new friend, right?"
"Shut up, stupid cat," Yuki glowered and retorted.
"Now, now, don't fight in front of Yukina-chan. You might give her a scare," Shigure pretended to scold them with a hand on his side.
Not quite aware of what was happening, Yukina bowed towards Shigure and said, "Shigure-kun, thanks for inviting Hatori and me over."
"You are very welcome, Yukina-chan. This is my way of saying thanks for the wonderful dinner you cooked for us before. Even now, I still drool when I think of the food I ate," Shigure chuckled.
Embarrassed, Yukina blushed brightly, "Umm…you are just flattering me, Shigure-kun. My cooking is not that skilled yet…"
Shigure stood up suddenly and went to Yukina, "You are just being humble, Yukina-chan. Now, why don't you sit down together with us, and make friends with my dear cousins here?" and he gestured towards the youngsters.
Obediently, Yukina joined them at the small table, where Shigure was previously playing chess with Haru. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the Chinese chessboard, which Shigure noticed.
"Would you like to play Chinese chess with me, Yukina-chan? I am afraid Haru is going to get a long lecture from Hatori on his behaviour. However, you must be prepared, as I am the best player in the Soumas," Shigure said with a hint of challenge.
Shigure was delighted to see Yukina loosen up a little with them. Yuki, Kyou and Tohru were watching her intently; interested to know whether she would accept the challenge.
"I would be glad to be your opponent, Shigure-kun. But please be more lenient as I'm not quite a skilful player," Yukina said shyly.
Now, everybody's attention was attracted to the chessboard, where both Shigure and Yukina were arranging their pieces one by one. The atmosphere was filled with electric as the two players made their moves cautiously, unwilling to sacrifice even a piece of soldier.
All the while, Yuki was observing the progress of the chess game. Although Shigure was indeed the finest player in the family, Yukina was not losing either. So far, both players were showing equal talent, silently trying to checkmate the opponent.
All of a sudden, Yukina moved one of her soldiers and murmured, "Checkmate." Everyone at the table was taken aback, especially Shigure, as he had not foreseen nor imagined such a move. However, after confirming that every move is impossible, Shigure had to admit defeat.
"Yukina-chan, you are such a wizard at Chinese chess," Shigure complimented her, admiration evident in his voice.
"Yeah, I could not beat Shigure-kun even after years of trying," Kyou chipped in approvingly.
Yukina flushed, embarrassed. "I guess…I'm just lucky, Shigure-kun," she said softly.
Determined to make Yukina open up more, Shigure clapped his hands around her shoulders.
"Come on, Yukina-chan. There is no need to be shy around us. Every person here is thrilled to meet you, see?" he said jovially.
Yukina's face went even redder, and she nodded bashfully. She looked timidly around her, and saw Yuki, Kyou and Tohru smiling pleasantly at her.
"Why not come and chat with us, Yukina-chan? We are eager to know more about you and your past," Tohru invited with a big smile on her face. She was the only one who did not have the feeling that she recognises Yukina, and was attracted to the younger girl because of her adorable cuteness and revealed intelligence.
Yuki and Shigure drew their breath sharply, trying to stop Tohru from finishing her sentence, but they were too late. Yukina's eyes regained their wistful look, and the soft smile, which she previously had on her face, disappeared. They could not explain in words the expression on her face, but it was so poignant that it was breaking all their hearts.
"Tohru-san, I'm sorry that…I do not have anything worth knowing about," Yukina whispered, tears forming in her eyes in spite of herself.
Tohru realised that she had said the wrong thing, and she rebuked herself silently but severely.
"I'm very sorry, Yukina-chan. I did not mean to…" Tohru faltered, very regretful that she had opened her mouth before thinking twice.
Yuki could not bear to see her cry, and he stood up abruptly, surprising everyone and even himself. He took both of Yukina's hands in one of his, and sat down on the stone chair again, forcing her to do the same.
"Yukina-chan, I understand that you have a distressing past, but I hope that you can let go of it and enjoy your new life, together with Hatori-kun and us. Please remember, we are always here to support and encourage you. If you are willing, I wish to tell you a story of myself, which you might find quite similar to yours, but I had undergone less suffering than you…" Yuki said in a soft voice.
Shigure, Tohru, Kyou and Yuki himself was astonished at his behaviour. Before this, Yuki was an introvert, afraid of expressing his own feelings, but in front of Yukina, he was even willing to narrate his painful past, which he normally was disinclined from mentioning. However, Shigure stopped Yuki from continuing by laying a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Yuki-kun, I think you should wait until Hatori comes before deciding whether it is wise to tell your story to Yukina-chan. I know you are concerned about her, but the plan might backfire and make her more upset than she is now," Shigure said into his ear.
On the other hand, Yukina was busy with consoling Tohru, who was overly apologetic and remorseful.
"Don't worry, Tohru-san. It is nothing, really. I just overreacted, and I'm fine now, see?" and Yukina pasted a smile on her face.
Just then, Hatori approached the table with Haru tailing from behind. His eyes narrowed slightly, instantly detecting that something was amiss. A while ago, he was talking to Haru gravely after having ascertained that he was the black personality. Finally, Haru changed back to his normal kind self and Hatori allowed him to go and interact with Yukina.
However, Hatori noticed that Yukina's eyes were slightly watery, and the others were quite flustered. He strode over to Yukina, and held both her hands from her back gently.
"Did something happen while I was not here, Yukina-chan?"
Yukina was delighted to see Hatori again, even if they had only separated for a short while. She leaned against Hatori's strong form, enjoying his warmth.
"Nothing happened, Hatori. I had just finished playing chess with Shigure-kun," and she smiled radiantly at him, this time for real.
Everybody except Hatori, Yukina and Haru who had just arrived, dropped their jaws. There were two reasons for this. First, Yukina who seemed emotionally distant just a while ago suddenly turned cheerful and smiling.
Next, none of them had ever seen Hatori allowing anyone to be so close to him before, but Yukina was now cuddling up to him, and he was reciprocating by pulling her closer to him, in front of everybody. They were the very picture of a loving couple, showing their affection to each without worrying that anybody else might notice.
Shigure was the first one to regain his senses, as he had previously experienced Hatori and Yukina together.
"Ah, Hatori-kun, you are here at last. Welcome to my humble home, and I hope that you enjoy your stay here," he pretended to be formal, resulting in a hilarious effect on everyone.
The magic moment disappeared as Hatori and Yukina hurriedly pulled away from each other, embarrassed as everyone was staring at them.
"Yukina-chan, this is my last cousin living here, Hatsuharu, or Haru for short," Hatori pointed towards Haru, who was observing them interestedly.
Then, he came forward and gave Yukina a warm friendly smile.
"Hi, Yukina-chan. It's a pleasure to meet you. Sorry that I was rude just now, maybe I was in my black mood."
Yukina was gradually feeling relaxed and at ease now, as Hatori was present. She smiled back pleasantly at Haru.
"It's nice to meet you too, Haru-kun. There is no need to worry about me, as I am just not used to meeting new people. I hope I will get along well with all of you after a short while," she said cheerfully with an air of lovability and sweetness that charmed everybody instantly.
Yuki was amazed at the way Yukina's mood could change in such a short instant. However, he rejoiced, as Yukina was now her cheerful self, and the dark shadows that previously haunted her eyes had disappeared.
Hatori did not actually believe that nothing had happened as Yukina said, but he decided not to pursue the subject now. He grinned as he observed that Yukina had charmed every single one of his cousins and Tohru too, just like how she had charmed him, Shigure and Ayame earlier.
"Yukina-chan, let's go and unpack our things. I have some things to give to them too," and he gestured towards the youngsters.
Compliantly, Yukina nodded happily and bounced lightly to join Hatori. Both of them made their way into the house, leaving the rest to look at their backs.
"Yukina-chan is…amazing…" Yuki spoke this softly as if he was talking to himself. Nevertheless, Shigure heard his words and chuckled.
"You are absolutely correct there, Yuki-kun. Yukina-chan is amazing, especially in the way she transforms when Hatori-kun arrived just now," Shigure grinned as he recalled the moment. He looked around at the few teenagers living with him, wondering if they had the feeling that they knew Yukina.
Haru was still looking at the direction of Yukina when he heard Shigure's words. He whipped his head around and joined in the conversation.
"I think so too. I had never seen Hatori-kun treating anyone so nicely before, not even his ex-girl. It seems like they have a positive effect on each other. Besides, Yukina-chan's smile is so radiant and charming…" Haru mused with a soft smile.
Shigure raised his eyebrows and gave Haru a poke.
"Are you beginning to fall in love with Yukina-chan, Haru-kun?" he asked offhandedly, but slightly worrying inside.
"What will happen if I say yes, Shigure-kun?" Haru challenged.
"Ah…" and Shigure scratched his head, "I'm not sure about that, but are you going to fight with Hatori-kun over Yukina-chan?"
"WHAT?" it was an outburst from the table, mainly from Tohru, Kyou and Haru. Yuki was the only one to remain silent, his heart had plummeted down to the deepest abyss, as he considered the possibility of Hatori and Yukina being together, also meaning that he had no chance…to be with her.
Kyou recovered first and he asked curiously, "Are Hatori-kun and Yukina-chan really a couple, Shigure-kun?"
Shigure smiled mysteriously and replied, "Actually…I'm not quite sure about that. You do know that Hatori-kun is rather shy and will not admit his feelings for anyone unless you force him with a gun."
Yuki could not bear to listen to the conversation anymore. However, he had to make sure of a particular matter before he left the table.
"Please stop talking about that topic, Shigure-kun. I have wanted to ask this for long – is Yukina-chan one of our family, or maybe a distant relative?" he asked softly.
Shigure rested his head on his hands, knowing what would come next but still wanting to ensure it.
"Yuki, why did you ask that? We have known every Souma there is to know, and there are no new members added to the family, as I remember clearly," he said in a more serious tone, instantly hinting that this was a serious matter.
Yuki sensed his change of behaviour, and continued, "I felt that…I had known Yukina-chan for a long time, but I could not identify her for sure. It's like the feeling you get when you meet another Souma…"
Suddenly, Haru chipped in too. "It's not only Yuki-kun; I also had that feeling. However, I cannot remember where or when I have seen her before."
Shigure heard it and looked at Kyou and Tohru, who were listening to the conversation with the utmost attention.
"How about the two of you?" he inquired.
"I…had that feeling too," Kyou replied and looked at his girlfriend, anxious to know her answer.
Tohru shook her head. "I guess I'm the only one who did not felt that I recognised Yukina-chan. I just thought that she is a very sweet and charming girl."
Shigure nodded thoughtfully. "So, this means that Yukina-chan is somehow connected to us, the Soumas, as only we had that kind of feeling, and not Tohru-chan. In fact, Hatori, Ayame and I sensed that Yukina-chan is not just another ordinary girl, but I wanted to hear it from all of you."
Here, Haru interrupted. "But you said it just now, that Yukina-chan is not one of the Soumas. Then, how could she be related to us?"
"I cannot say for sure, but it is one of my doggy intuitions. I guess we just have to wait and see, and hope that Yukina-chan can remember her own past. In the meantime, please help Yukina-chan to adapt to her new life, okay?" and he glanced at all the teenagers, who were looking at him intently.
"Sure we will, Shigure-kun," was the unanimous reply, and he beamed happily. Then, all of them left the table to do their own things, leaving Shigure alone in the garden.
Being the observant novelist, Shigure was reflecting back on the conversations he had, and the incidents that happened. Firstly, Yukina had beaten him in chess, which might mean that she had received good education, or that she is extremely intelligent.
Then, he thought about the way Yukina brightened up upon seeing Hatori. Besides, Hatori was equally happy to see Yukina too. Shigure wondered if they are really in love; one thing was for sure, those two had feelings for each other, just how deep were they was the problem.
Another issue was Yukina's relationship with the other teenagers. Thankfully, Kyou and Tohru is a couple now, and they seemed to be charmed by Yukina, but there was not anything romantic involved. Next, Haru gave the impression that he was interested in Yukina, but maybe that was just a crush, and would die off eventually.
The real hitch is with none other than Yuki. Shigure had been secretly observing Yuki's interaction with Yukina. Shigure had guessed that Yuki would be the one closest to Yukina among the four teenagers, because he had the same experience and knew how it felt to be abused. However, Shigure had not expected that Yuki would fall in love with Yukina, until he saw that Yuki was prepared to tell his sorrowful past to her had not Shigure stopped him, whom he had just met. Shigure also saw the slight change in Yuki's expression when he had joked about Hatori and Yukina being a couple.
It was quite a dilemma. Yuki's feelings did not look as if it was merely a crush like Haru's. Instead, it seemed to be deep and intense as they both shared the same kind of past. Both Yuki and Hatori were his cousins, and he did not wish for any one of them to get hurt. Shigure felt sorry for both of them, as only one of them would get to be with Yukina. Hatori had been hurt in love once, a long time ago, and it was a miracle that he would allow anyone to be this close to him like Yukina. On the other hand, Yuki had also been hurt, when Tohru chose Kyou over him. Compared to Hatori, Yuki was more shy and reserved, but he had not been that way with Yukina. Shigure was thankful that Yukina was not someone who would take advantage of how both of them felt for her, or else the matter would be even difficult. He was sure that if Yukina chose one of them, the other would not have the courage to love for the third time.
Shigure was mooning over this problem when a familiar voice startled him out of his thoughts.
"What's the matter, Shigure-kun? You were looking almost like Hatori-kun when he is moping, did you know that?" Ayame appeared in front of him.
Shigure smiled slightly; now that Ayame was here, maybe he would find a solution for the problem.
"Why did you come here all of a sudden, Ayame-kun?" he asked.
"Oh, I knew that Hatori-kun and Yukina-chan are coming here, so I thought that I would join in the fun too," Ayame replied and grinned, "So, are you going to tell me what happened?"
Shigure drew a deep breath, and told Ayame everything that happened, including his personal thoughts on the incidents. Ayame listened attentively, and turned serious.
"So, you mean that not only Hatori-kun, but my little brother is also in love with Yukina-chan?" he asked, but he had already expected something like this to happen, for Yukina is considerably adorable and charming.
"Actually, Haru-kun is also attracted to Yukina-chan, but I think it is just a crush and can be dissolved easily," came the reply.
Ayame gave his friend and cousin a pat on the back and assured him, "Shigure-kun, it is too early to worry about their relationships right now. I think all of us should just wait and observe. Besides, there is still the matter of Yukina-chan's master, and her mysterious bond with us. So, let's just leave it at that, okay?"
Shigure nodded and smiled, grateful that Ayame showed up at the perfect time to listen to his worries. He got up and walked into the house, with Ayame following behind.
As Shigure reached his doorstep, he could hear laughter and happy exclamations coming from inside of the house. Interested to know what was happening, he quickened his pace and got into his living room.
What he saw was Hatori, Yukina and the others sitting on the floor, with Hatori unpacking some of his bags with the help of Yukina. Out came tons of presents, wrapped in colourful papers. Hatori handed them over one by one to the four of the kids, who were excited to have received presents.
Not wanting to miss the fun, Shigure and Ayame both sprang across the room and leapt on Hatori, giving everyone a fright.
"Ah, Hatori-kun, where are our presents?" both of them said at the same time.
Hatori smiled and said, "I won't dare to have forgotten both of your presents," and he removed two big ones from his bag and gave them to Shigure and Ayame, "Here you go."
"Thanks, Hatori-kun!" both of them said and grinned widely.
Hatori sighed and shook his head, smiling at Yukina, who was watching him with a perplexed expression.
"What's the matter, Yukina-chan?" he asked.
Yukina hesitated a while before answering, "Umm…why are you giving presents now, Hatori? Is it that their birthdays are at the same time?"
Everyone had quietened down, watching Yukina curiously, but not unkindly.
Hatori smiled warmly at Yukina and placed one of his hands on top of hers.
"It's not that, Yukina-chan. It has always been a tradition in our family to give presents to each other during Christmas and the New Year," he explained.
Oddly, Yukina still had a puzzled face, and everyone was now observing her intently, wanting to know what would happen next.
"Umm…Christmas…and New Year?" poor Yukina was thoroughly confused now, as it was the first time she heard these words that seemed foreign to her.
Except the three grownups, the rest in the room was quite startled – Yukina does not know what is Christmas? However, they did not look down on her because of that, as her lack of knowledge of these things was rather understandable.
Then, all four of them spoke at the same time, eager to explain everything that Yukina does not understand to her. At last, they managed to get Yukina to realize the meaning of celebrations, festivals and so on. Hatori observed all this with a slight smile on his face. It seems that it was really a good idea to let Yukina live here for a while, and she can learn many new things, not the intellect kind, but how to adapt to society and make friends with others.
Shigure then grinned as he thought of something.
"Yukina-chan, to repay all of them for trying so hard to let you know what Christmas is, why not cook your fabulous dinner for us tonight?" he said.
Yukina faltered, "If the things I cook are not to everyone's taste…" but she was interrupted by Yuki, who said, "Please do cook for us, Yukina-chan. Since Shigure-kun ate your dinner last time, he could not stop ranting about how delicious it was," and smiled at her.
Yukina could not think of anything to say, and had to consent amidst everyone's cheering and clapping. At that time, it was already four in the afternoon, and Yukina thought long and hard about the kind of dishes that would suit the tastes of everybody. At last, she decided to cook a combination of Western, Chinese and Japanese food after seeing what was inside Shigure's fridge.
Hatori looked at Yukina for a short while and smiled at her.
"Yukina-chan, let's go to our room to unpack our bags. Besides, you can also take a short rest, as you have just recovered and should not over-exert yourself."
She nodded and followed Hatori upstairs, leaving behind a group of teenagers staring with a mystified expression.
"Shigure-kun, are Hatori-san and Yukina-chan going to sleep in the same room? But, we have many spare rooms left, should I go and tell them?" Tohru asked innocently.
Shigure gave a big chuckle and replied, "Tohru-chan, you don't need to worry about that, as they have been sleeping together since Yukina-chan appeared."
"WHAT!?" came the outburst from all the four teenagers.
From the second floor, both Hatori and Yukina heard the loud sound produced, and Hatori raised his eyebrows. Yukina cocked her head and asked worriedly, "Has somebody been hurt, Hatori?"
Hatori placed a hand on her shoulder and answered, amused, "I'm sure everything is fine down there, Yukina-chan. Maybe Shigure is telling one of his perverted stories again," then he turned her around to face him, staring straight into her brown orbs. "Would you be willing to tell me what happened in the garden just now, Yukina-chan?"
His eyes told Yukina that he will not accept 'no' for an answer, and judging by his perceptiveness, he would sense immediately if Yukina lied to him.
"Actually, it's nothing much…I just overreacted, and got upset over something that Tohru-san said," she replied softly.
"What did Tohru say?"
"Umm…she asked me to go over and chat with them, saying that she was interested to know more about my past…" her voice trailed off as she noticed that Hatori had stopped smiling, and his face was grim.
"Please don't blame Tohru-san, Hatori. It wasn't her fault in the first place," afraid that Hatori might get angry, Yukina reassured him hastily.
She was startled as Hatori placed a long finger on her lips and looked at her with earnest and intense eyes.
"Do you really want to know about your past that much, Yukina-chan?" he asked softly.
Yukina had not expected such a question, and she became silent, trying to find the answer she never knew.
"I…I'm not sure. A part of me wants to know because I want to have a sense of belonging, but the other part doesn't because…" here she gazed at him, "maybe knowing the past would be painful, and I might be forced to separate with you…"
Hatori was happy and sad at the same time. Happy because Yukina wanted to stay with him, and sad because he felt that he could not possibly be with her forever, however much he wanted to.
He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him gently, leaning against the wall outside their room. For once, he did not know how to console her, and both of them just remained silent there, contemplating their obscure future.
Just then, Tohru came upstairs, intending to do a bit of housekeeping for the guests and make their stay comfortable. However, she stopped at the sight of Yukina in Hatori's arms. They seemed to be in their own world, and did not notice Tohru, who was at the staircase. She grinned knowingly and left the two alone, not wanting to disturb them.
After being lost in thought for a while, Hatori looked at Yukina, who was gazing at him with wondering eyes. He could not bear the thought of her leaving him, but he was unsure whether he was able to keep her with him forever.
"Yukina-chan, I wish to look after you as long as I can. But, if your past catches up with you, then…we would just decide what to do next, okay?" he said softly and stroked her hair tenderly.
She nodded silently and both of them made their way into the room. Their bags were on the floor, and they sat down together to unpack their things. Hatori looked around the room, noticed there was no bed, and began to lay down a big futon for two.
At that time, Yuki was just about to go upstairs to fetch something from his room when Tohru stopped him.
"Umm…Yuki-kun, I think you should not go upstairs for you might disturb Yukina-chan and Hatori-san," she said with a grin and ran off.
Yuki was left there alone and puzzled, wondering why Tohru was acting so strangely. Suddenly, he started as he was struck with a possibility. Could Hatori-kun and Yukina-chan be making…?
Immediately, his heart filled with a mysterious burning rage, as he thought, "How could Hatori take advantage of Yukina-chan, an untainted, innocent girl in that way?" Yuki clenched his fists and sprinted upstairs, not knowing what he was going to do, but determined to stop them both from…
