Chapter 3: One Truth

AN: Thanks for the review…

Meanwhile, Tohru was still stuck in her ongoing battle of fear and curiosity. Kazuma looked up from his cup of tea as she entered the room. Tohru was met with kind smiles, and suddenly feeling shy, felt the urge to sit down. Masuda passed a fresh cup of tea to her niece. "You've never heard much of your family except through your mother, am I right?" she studied Tohru closely, who nodded.

"Yes, well," Masuda sighed, and reached into her handbag, "Have you seen this?" It was a photograph, in a photo frame. The glass in the frame had cracked, intentionally. Thrown perhaps, in anger and fury. It was split right down the middle, but the photo itself was still quite intact. An honest, intelligent face yet capable of humour stared out at Tohru.

"Your father," Masuda told her, "was quite a sombre man, delving into books and his study instead of messing around. He had never once brought a girl home, although he was the best-looking boy at school, and was kind and gentle. He told us he just hadn't found anyone right yet. When he graduated from school, Katsuya went on to train as a student teacher in a high school. Then one day, he came home with dried blood on his arm and scratches on his face. He told us he had been slightly bashed up by a girl gang when another girl, different from the others, found them and told them to stop. The girl then gave him a lift home on her motorbike. Later on, when he'd finished telling us his tale, he mentioned something about being eternally grateful to The Red Butterfly." Masuda smiled at the shock on Tohru's face.

"Kunimitsu?" Master Kazuma called out, and his apprentice entered the room, balancing more snacks on a tray. He winked at Tohru, who smiled back. She leaned forward eagerly in her armchair, wanting to hear more.

"Then after that fateful day," Masuda continued, "Something odd happened. My older brother changed. He seemed more out-going and cheerful than before. None of us knew what had happened, but we were sure that something or someone had brought out this miraculous change in him. Then one day, Katsuya brought her home. Kyoko Katsunuma, we were introduced to. 'The Red Butterfly,' he announced. My parents were delighted, of course. Their only son, with a girlfriend at last! Oh, your father had dates before, during his school years. But nothing steady. Nothing to ignite such a change in him. And certainly nothing special to bring someone home, for our parents' approval. We sisters took a liking to Kyoko at once. Funny, clever, once a saviour to dear Katsuya, we adored her almost as much as our brother. Kyoko-chan became another older sister to me. But then… one day, Yasaka, our older sister, decided to take a look at your mother's background. She was so protective of our brother… well, she discovered quite a lot. That Kyoko had only been a high school student from Katsuya's school, where he had been a student teacher. Whom he had been teaching. Well, my parents decided to overlook that, but when it became known that Kyoko was in a gang, they couldn't stand for that. What if she lead their precious son astray? My sister and parents' affections for Kyoko turned. Only Katsuya and I felt no difference when looking at Kyoko than before. Oh Yasaka… she was so quick to judge…" a hint of sadness crept into Masuda's voice, "Of course, when Katsuya announced to them their plans of marriage, they were furious. No, worse than furious. They were angry beyond fury. They threatened to disown him… Already angry that he had refused when they had expressly forbade him from seeing Kyoko, our parents just would not accept Kyoko into the family. Thus, Katsuya really was disowned by our parents." Masuda's eyes misted, then clouded over…

# Flashback

It was late. Then, voices could be heard outside the front door. Small laughter, something that was uncommon in their household these days. A muffled goodbye, then keys jangled in the lock and the door opened. Katsuya stepped inside as a dark figure departed quickly. Masuda hovered near the doorway, hoping to get a glance of Kyoko-chan. She hadn't seen her for so long… but their parents had forbade her from being seen in the company of That Girl. Masuda was now a first year at the high school Kyoko had graduated from. (First year Year 10 Australian standards)

Tonight, their brother seemed happier than he had for a long time. Seeing as they disagreed on one matter of concern, Katsuya and his parents now avoided touching on topics of intimacy. Since Katsuya had moved out, he only dropped by every week or so for a family dinner, and made small talk with his parents, keeping polite distance. Even to Yasaka, who adored her little brother, Katsuya seemed more and more distant, swept away by the outside world.

"Was that That Girl?" their mother inquired, and Masuda winced at her sharp tone.

"If you mean Kyoko, then yes," Katsuya replied, in the same manner. He brushed past Masuda and laid down his coat on a chair.

"Mother, father," he addressed his parents. Their father merely grunted, looking up briefly from his daily newspaper. Since they did not see eye-to-eye on a number of things, father and son chose to avoid each other where possible.

"I have chosen," Katsuya said, looking them square in the eye, "what to do with my life."

"Yes?" they asked quickly. Ever since becoming a med. student after the student teacher history, they had pressed upon their son the option of becoming a doctor and working at a renowned hospital.

"I am… going to marry Miss Kyoko," he looked around at them, not expecting congratulations or happiness, his face totally calm, merely announcing something he was going to do, with or without their approval and blessings.

"Just to let you know," he summed up the statement. He turned to leave, when-

"NO! No you don't!" his father leapt up.

Katsuya turned, his face still calm.

"I will not let you marry That Girl! I just won't!"

"We brought you up, Katsuya! We're your parents! We did not raise you to watch you exchange vows with that… that biker girl!"

"Just what do you hate so much about her, Mother?"

Their mother hesitated, and then chose to ignore her son's question. Her lower lip trembled.

"Even if… even if you will not yield to persuasion… we will NOT let you dishonour the family name by associating yourself with her."

"If you must really make that foolish decision to marry her… and I warn you- nothing good will come out of that relationship, nothing but trouble!- do not expect to see us at your wedding… in fact, do not expect to see us again." His father spoke quietly.

Katsuya took a last look around the room, took his coat, and then reached for the door.

"Oh, and Mother," he turned around again, "Just so you know, Kyoko has quit the gang."

His mother gave a sniff in response. The door closed.

Their father's face was set in stone. Their mother was in tears. "It's not his fault," Yasaka spoke quietly from behind Masuda's shoulder. She had been there the whole time. "It's the vixen that stole him away from us." Her voice was soft, yet so, so bitter.

But what Masuda didn't understand… was why she never even considered blaming their parents for driving Katsuya away.

For a whole month, the family did not hear from Katsuya. Then one day, the local librarian approached Masuda. "This is for you," she said, holding out an envelope. She thanked her and turned over the envelope. Masuda Honda was written in familiar handwriting. Her heart leapt. Tearing open the plain white envelope, a card was revealed. A wedding invitation. Masuda lifted it to her eyes warily, as a note fluttered out.

It read:

My dear sister Masuda,

Although I realise I am putting you at risk of the unforgiving wrath of our parents through being in contact with you, and however much I do not wish to cause more conflict in our family, I simply must get to you. I can't expect our parents' forgiveness, and I am indeed saddened that for reasons they choose still to bear at heart, they are not willing to attend the wedding of Kyoko and I. You, being the last understanding member of our family, I have decided to invite. It will be a private wedding, nothing fancy or huge. Please meet us outside The Courtyard at 8pm, Monday 12th April. Please, as the last thing I as your brother ask of you, be there.

Be safe, now and always,

Katsuya Honda

Masuda hugged the note to the chest. She simply must attend the wedding. Think of it- what could be her last chance to see her brother and freely speak to him… And how did he know she always hung out at the library these days? But of course, he was her big brother… she thought with a smile.

When Masuda got home, she discovered her mother bent over a newspaper, open to the Weddings & Ceremonies page, silently weeping, eyes ever scanning the page for her dear son's name.