Chapter 18: Perfect

Yuki sighed for the umpteenth time that long hot Monday afternoon. He seemed to have been doing that a lot ever since that fateful Saturday night. He had been keeping himself as far away as possible from both Hatori and Hanajima. It was just too much for him to see either one of them. He felt so angry at both of them; but the sadness had overridden that anger and he found he could blame no one else but himself.

Why was he so angry anyway? He wasn't her boyfriend or anything. They didn't have a relationship either. He was practically nothing to her. He didn't have the right to be angry and he finally figured it out. How could he have been so foolish?

Tohru looked up at Yuki who sat sadly under a tree, staring into nothingness with empty eyes. He looked so sad ever since that Saturday night. She couldn't understand what happened that made Yuki feel bad but she was starting to worry that maybe she had caused it in some way. A frown marred her innocent face as she walked slowly towards him.

"Souma-kun?" As if snapping out of a stupor, Yuki blinked and looked up at her, recognition showing in his eyes.

"Ah—H-Honda-san." He acknowledged, managing a fake smile. "Is there something you need?"

"Um—" she smiled unsurely and took out from behind her a pair of rackets and a shuttlecock. "I was thinking maybe Souma-kun would like to play a game with me?"

Yuki blinked twice, a bit surprised to hear that from Tohru. "Badminton?"

"Hai!" Tohru said, smiling more confidently and brightly now.

Yuki's eyebrows knitted together with confusion, "What about Kyou and the others?"

Tohru's eyes widened and she blushed, the smile disappearing from her face. Quickly she bowed her apologies. "Oh, I'm sorry, Souma-kun! I didn't think you wouldn't want to play with me. I mean—who am I anyway—I—I'm sorry! I'm sure you're simply too busy to be playing with me…doing school things and stuff—I'm really sorry—I—"

As Tohru continued to ramble on a small smile crept onto Yuki's face. Tohru was still the same old Tohru. It was a little refreshing, he had to admit. He'd been through such emotional turmoil nowadays; it was a breath of fresh air to find someone he could truly depend on to stay the same. Yes, maybe a good game of badminton with a good friend would be good for him.

"I'd love to, Honda-san…" Tohru stopped at that and looked up at him with those wide brown eyes.

"Eh?" she asked dimly.

Yuki took a racket and the shuttlecock from her hand and smiled a little wider, "I'd love to play badminton with you, Honda-san."

Slowly, a wide smile grew upon her lips and she giggled happily as Yuki led the way to the quadrangle.

As Hana walked down the stairs to the first floor, she was stopped upon the feeling of the familiar waves of a certain doctor. She looked up at him, walking the halls across from her and walking towards her. Their eyes locked for a moment, but she then bowed in respect.

"Shouldn't the doctor be up in his clinic in case of someone getting sick?" she asked with that impeccable neutral façade.

"A doctor can get impatient when the patient's only sickness is stupidity."

Hana spared him an amused smirk.

It was Hatori's turn to ask now, "Should a student really be walking aimlessly down the halls?"

"I'm not walking aimlessly." She answered blankly. "Miss Secretary wanted me to deliver the Cafeteria Lady a message."

"Well then, would you mind if a wandering doctor walked you to the cafeteria?"

"No." she simply answered before stepping out. Hatori and she walked side by side along the first floor in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Yet the root of both their thoughts centered upon one mouse—er—person…

Why had he reacted that way? They both asked in their minds. Why was the ever kind prince Yuki angry about seeing two people—who had absolutely nothing to do with him, having dinner?

Perhaps there was something between them, Hatori thought. Should he tell Akito of his suspicions? What would be the result of doing such? Would it affect him? He turned his one good eye to the girl—no, woman beside him. At some point, would it affect her? Perhaps telling Akito would not be such a good idea. Not now, at least. He needed concrete proof first instead of jumping to conclusions. But in any case, it didn't matter for now since he was the one Hanajima strode along with, not Yuki.

Tohru and Yuki looked for a space in the quadrangle where they could play badminton since apparently the volleyball team decided to play in the quadrangle as well. They found a nice little spot near the school's building and soon they were having fun playing. Tohru was obviously doing her best while Yuki decided to just lay back and let her win a few rounds. After all, it was the gentlemanly way. It was the Princely way. It was Yuki's way.

He blinked when Tohru actually got hit on the top of her head with the shuttlecock. He suppressed a giggle and looked away only to have his mouth fall open when he caught sight of Hatori and Hanajima walking alongside each other in comfortable silence. Instantly he could feel the green venom of jealousy grow within him. Hs grip tightened on the racket and his eyes darkened, following them with his heated gaze.

Hana seemed to have noticed him then because she had turned to look at him straight in the eyes. Until then she was so beautiful…

"Souma-sempai! Abunai!" he was too late to turn when he heard his name being called. Without warning the volleyball had hit him on the head, bouncing off of his pretty little head and landing in the bushes a few feet away. For a moment his brain became splattered all over the floor but he blinked and gathered his wits.

"S-Souma-kun!" Tohru said, coming forward with complete worry etched on her face. A few players from the volleyball team came forward and quickly apologized, practically crying in despair.

Yuki put up his hand and put up a smile, "No, it's okay. I'm okay." He reassured.

"Are you sure, Souma-sempai?" the player asked with worry.

Yuki smiled again and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just gonna…wash my face. Excuse me, Honda-san." He said with that ever present fake smile. He turned to leave but didn't miss the look on Hana's face.

When the prince got hit by the ball, Hatori and Hana had turned to him fully, watching with blank expressions. And yet in Hana's eyes, there was something that shone. What could it be? Perhaps…genuine concern…?

When Yuki was out of sight, the player sighed of relief but suddenly stiffened when he heard his name being called in a haunting manner. He turned around with a shiver and his blood ran cold when he saw that the Prince Yuki fan club members who had witnessed the incident earlier were all gathered and glaring daggers at him.

"You hurt our beloved Prince Yuki!"

"We will never forgive you!"

"GET HIM!"

"Somebody SAVE ME!"

Yuki turned the faucet on and cupped running water into his hands, splashing it unto his face with a sigh. How embarrassing. And right in front of Hana-chan too. How could he have been so stupid ad careless? As water dripped from his peerless face, he opened his eyes to stare blankly down at the sink. He had felt it again. The jealousy. The jealousy that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

He had no right. Absolutely none.

He looked up at the mirror to wipe his face but faltered with wide eyes when he saw a dark figure standing a few feet away. He blinked twice, thinking it might be a hallucination. But it didn't disappear. It came closer.

He turned around to see her come so close, enough for him to reach her. "Hana-chan…" he acknowledged.

She looked up at him with those blank amethyst eyes. And yet he was surprised to see that worry was in there as well. Wordlessly, she reached up to touch the part of his head which was hit by the ball earlier. He blushed furiously at the feel of her skin to his.

"Does it still hurt…?" she asked tonelessly.

He struggled for an answer, "U-Uhm—n-no—not anymore."

She nodded in understanding and slowly withdrew her hand, he quickly missed her touch. She turned to leave but Yuki quickly thought how to keep her in his presence for a few more moments.

"Ah—H-Hana-chan!" Hana turned to him expectantly. Yuki looked down in shame, "I—I'm sorry about last Saturday. I didn't mean to be rude—"

"You weren't." he looked up at her, silenced. She looked at him with those same emotionless eyes and yet in them he could see that the worry was no longer existent. "You didn't feel well, so you excused yourself. There was nothing rude about your conduct."

"Ah—but—"

"Yuki." He stopped and stared at her, blushing wildly at the thoughts of her calling him by his first name. She gave him a long hard look before giving him a small smile. "You had no faults." She turned to leave, "You still don't."

"Yes." She turned to him again with a questioning brow. "I do. I do have faults. I'm chalk full of faults, Hana-chan. It's just that—people just don't see it. And I—"

But he was silenced when Hana came closer to him and took his hand in hers. She entwined her fingers with his, their wedding bands glimmering before both of them, and said softly, "Everyone is full of faults. But you are almost perfect. That is more than enough."

He looked down at those amethyst orbs, reveling in the tenderness she held. He smiled softly, "I believe you're perfect, Hana-chan." He whispered.

Faintly, he could see her eyes widen a fraction, her lips part a little, a blush appearing on her cheeks and she quickly withdrew her hand from his. She turned away and said blankly, "Do not fool yourself, Souma, Yuki…I will see you in class." She gave him one last fleeting glance before leaving.

Yuki smiled wildly, feeling everything in him fluttering. He was practically flying in midair! He was on top of the world! He was ecstatic!

Yet unknown to him, around the corner behind a lone oak tree hid a very confused Tohru. Her eyebrows were drawn together in confusion with her hands to her heart. So Hana and Yuki were…but why? How come? How did this happen? But the soul mate bottle said—should she even believe it? Was it even true?