Mitzuki: Wahh!! It's been two whole months since the last time I updated!! (Cries) I'm sorry!!! (Points at editor) She went on vacation so she wouldn't look over my stories!! Wahh!!

Momiji: Mitzuki? Mitzuki-chan?!!

Mitzuki: (Crying floods) Ah…ah…(Flees the room) RITSU!!!

Momiji: But…but… (Looks uncertain) What was my line again??

Hatori: (Comes into room) Enjoy the story.

Momiji: (Eyes light up) Ooh! Thank you!! (Turns to readers and smiles) Enjoy the chapter!!

Ai-chan (my editor): (Pops in) By the way, she doesn't own Fruits Basket…

Mitzuki: YOU! It's you again!! (Throws brownie)

Ai-chan: (Ducks flying brownie) What?

Chapter 4

"Hey! Can you pass the duct tape?"

"I'm going to 7-Eleven, anyone want anything?"

"No, you moron! The DUCT TAPE, not the scotch tape!"

"Coffee for me!"

"Ice tea."

"Ack! The sign is falling!!"

"Oh my god!!"

Tohru looked up from her decorations and watched anxiously as the large group of boys struggled to push the heavy sign back up as it threatened to topple over and squish someone. She knew she had to finish the paper flowers for the dance, and she still had a lot to go, but she really wanted to jump up and give them a hand. They sure looked like they could use it…

She turned away and sighed, staring down at the coloured paper and sparkles. Across from her, Uotani was busy trying to figure out how to stick flowers onto a board without flattening them, judging from the stream of curses she was muttering under her breath, she doesn't seem to have made much progress. Beside her, calmly ignoring the ruckus and her blonde friend, who was now turning quite red in the face as the paper flowers refused to cooperate, was Hanajima, quietly making black flowers and decorating them with black glitter glue.

Tohru sighed again, the pink flower in her hands drooping as she proceeded to stare off into space. Yuki's words still echoed in her mind, the image of his stern gaze burned into her memory.

'Kyo will not turn you down.'

Her eyes drifted over to the calendar hanging on the wall, on which many have scribbled cryptic little notes all over, and her heart sank. The dance was in three days, if she didn't make up her mind to ask him today, she would soon lose the courage to even face him. They were seniors for this last week, but as soon as the month ended, they would be on their own to face the world. This would be the last chance for Tohru to get her feelings across to him, if she didn't do so soon, he would leave before she could raise a hand to stop him.

Suddenly remembering their discussion the night before, her lips curved into a slight smile as her mind drifted back…

Flashback

"Kyo-kun, what will you do when you finish school?"

Kyo looked up from across the kotatsu, meeting Tohru's curious gaze, then hastily lowered his head to stare at his textbook as he thought.

"I…really don't know," he said finally, his amber eyes troubled as he remembered his answer to her question a month ago. He had already made up his mind to accept his fate as the cat of the Zodiac back then, when a feeling suddenly swept over him, and a heavy burden seemed to be lifted. Even now, he could still recall the sensation of the curse breaking, like glass shattering, the sharp pieces melting away like ice in the sun. The feeling was something he would never forget, something he would keep all his life, that glorious moment of freedom, of chains falling away after long years of imprisonment.

Soft brown eyes contemplated him, wide and alert, shining affectionately as she watched him fidget with his pencil. A comfortable silence filled the room, stretching and curling up like a friendly cat, as both of them wandered in their own thoughts. Suddenly, Kyo's pencil tripped on its way around his finger, flying across the table, and narrowly avoided hitting an unsuspecting Tohru. Kyo swore quietly, breaking the tranquil atmosphere in the room, and got up to retrieve his pencil. But Tohru was there a step ahead of him and laughing, handed him the pencil. "Maybe you could be a writer, like Shigure-san," she suggested innocently. The look that Kyo shot her had her in giggles, along with the thought of him with glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, as he typed on the computer.

Kyo shot back, "And you can be a secretary."

This made Tohru laugh even harder, she shook her head helplessly and said between giggles, "I would be too scatter-brained for a job like that!"

This time, Kyo joined in the laughter, and the two traded weird jobs and laughed the entire afternoon.

End of Flashback

Tohru giggled quietly to herself, shaking her head as she recalled various jokes they had shared that day. With a sigh, she went back to working on her neglected pink flower. Beside her, having finally gotten the stupid flowers to stick on the board without looking like they had been run over, Uotani watched her friend carefully out of the corner of her eye. Trading a look with Hanajima, who had also sensed that something was off, she put a hand on Tohru's arm. "You ok?"

The brunette looked up at her, startled, "Ah, yes! I'm fine, Uo-chan."

Uotani looked at her dubiously, but backed off all the same, "Ok then…" Tohru flashed her a smile, and dipped her head to work on her flower. She sighed again, inwardly this time; she would have to reach out her hand and grab hold of her dream, before it slowly and gently slipped from her grasp and never came back.