Disclaimer: .agnam revossorc eht ro teksaB stiurF nwo ton od I
Chapter 10:
Irony was funny.
That was what Yuki thought as he walked around the town, looking for a nice, quiet place where he could be alone for a while.
Like, perhaps, the most important person to you had forgotten you. How would it feel? Would it sting like crazy? Would it feel as if they piercing you with a thousand sharp needles? Or would it be knives? Or swords? Or perhaps, it might feel numb to you.
Perhaps you had forgotten too.
What would it be like? To have the most important person to you forgot you? What would it be like to be…
Kyo?
Surely, Kyo was having a lot to deal with these past few days. He was still talking – a good sign that he wasn't going insane like some of the other cats – and he still had his mind intact.
Yuki strolled into a small café and went up to the cashier, asking for a cup of mocha. Yes, it was one of his favorites. And he had remembered to bring his cell phone and a small laptop computer.
Thankfully, the small café had free wireless internet as long as you bought something. He had been here once or twice before. Back when it was still before graduation. Whenever Shigure would leave for the main house, leaving the three of them alone, he found the tension much too well, much to handle and excused himself.
He had left them alone, flustering about. He had found this small café then, and entered, looking around. A waitress had greeted him and immediately, asked him what he wanted. He had been really surprised, but he asked what they had here since it was his first time.
Yes, he fell in love with the mocha. No, really, it was a joke. But soon, he came here whenever he felt that same "rough" atmosphere with Kyo and Tohru. He would usually leave and excuse himself, and he always ended up here.
He then started to bring his laptop and found that surfing around the net wasn't so bad. He had found a couple of sites he really liked but that was all.
He walked over to an empty seat and sat down, placing his laptop gently onto the cool, hard surface. He then, lifted up the screen and turned it on. Time to do a little surfing.
While going through his favorite sites and checking his email, his mind began to wonder back to Kyo and Tohru's dilemma.
Tohru was an important person to Kyo Sohma. She was the one who accepted him, and loved him for who he was – not pity.
She was an important person to all the cursed Sohma. She changed their lives and helped us live through it.
Yuki thought, while clicking on his mail icon, if it wasn't for Tohru, he would have never join the student council…
…Would have never met Kakeru…
…Would have never met Naohito or Kimi…
…and most importantly, never would have met Machi…
He never would have smiled and laughed so carefree if it wasn't for her.
Kisa would have never stopped not talking; Hiro wouldn't have become her knight in shining armor; Momiji would have kept all those secrets locked up tightly, yearning for a leaning shoulder; Hatori would have never smiled; Rin would have been still independent – without Haru; Haru would have still been alone; Kagura would have never realized that she truly loved Kyo, and Ayame…
He and Ayame would have never been true brothers…
Yuki wanted to laugh, but he felt he couldn't. There was no way he would laugh in public where everyone would stare at you –
OH.
This was what Tohru wouldn't have wanted him to do. She wouldn't have wanted him to mentally debate whether or not to laugh in front of these strangers. Just go ahead and laugh, it was okay…
So he laughed.
Surprisingly, no one stared at him like he was crazy – all thought he had read something funny on his laptop. He reached for a sip of his mocha.
Funny how life was. How one girl could do so much when not even several could?
He set down his cup of mocha and this time, reached for his cell phone. He flipped open the lid and dialed the familiar number.
Such a familiar number…
--
Hm… Warmth, comforting, and happiness was what she felt as she hugged her warm blankets closer to her body. It was warm, yes, the thick blankets wrapping around her like a mother holding a child. Those several moments of happiness were interrupted by a soft ringing.
Ringing?
Kuragi Machi sleepily rolled over from laying on her stomach to her side, one arm groping her table that resided next to her bed for her now-ringing cell phone. Once she grasped the annoying object, she was about to press the snooze button when she realized that it was a vacation term and that she has no school at all.
She held up the cell phone while staring at it, her sleepy mind trying to process what was happening. The phone kept ringing as she stared at it when all of a sudden, everything seemed to click into her mind and she looked at the display screen to see who was calling at… She glanced at her clock. At… NOON!
She turned away from the clock, horrified that she had slept in so late. Then she realized that the phone was still ringing, and quickly (clumsily) accepted the call. "Moshi-Moshi?" she stammered out, voice hoarse as she had been sleeping.
"Ah! M-Machi!" a familiar male's voice rang through the small machine, "I-I was wondering if you'd like to meet in town somewhere," he asked, inviting her to an obvious date. "A-Ano, you don't have to, but—"
She interrupted him before he could go any further, "I'll go," she replied, "I'd love to." Inside, she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling as she answered her crush's invite. "Where do we meet?" she asked, trying not to sound excited.
Yuki laughed on the other end, obviously she didn't hide her excitement well enough. "Ah, you know that café pretty close the school? The one that allows you to bring laptops and such?" he asked. Machi could imagine him smiling on the other end.
He was such a nice guy, so kind yet weak as a deer until… Kakeru came. Realizing that she had been spacing out, Machi nodded and then almost purposely hit herself on her head because he couldn't see what she was doing so she quietly replied a small "yes".
"Good, is it alright if we meet there?" he asked as Machi heard a few clicks over on the other end. She wondered what he was doing…
"Yes," she answered, "It'd be fine." She heard him chuckling and then both hung up. But she stared at the phone long after she hung up, realizing that they were actually going to meet somewhere…
…Just the two of them…
In other words, a date. She felt an immediate rush of blood to her cheeks. Well, they did like each other, she thought to herself as she remembered the incident at the end of his graduation. He disappeared so quickly afterwards.
She then realized that today would be the first day she met him outside school and after graduation.
What a dream…
--
The wheels of the cart rolled as the two people pushing it pulled to a stop at the end of the darkened hallway and started to dump its contents out. It was late at night now and Momiji was helping Tohru out at her job.
"Thank you Momiji-kun!" Tohru thanked the Sohma happily as she raised an arm to wipe the sweat forming on her forehead. The blond only smiled and nodded.
"It's not a problem at all!" he answered cheerfully. The only problem is that you lost your memories or us… He thought to himself quietly as a solemn expression overtook him. He lowered his head.
"Eh… Momiji-kun?" Tohru asked Momiji, tilting her head a bit, wondering what was wrong. "Is there something wrong?"
Momiji looked up with a bright smile and cheerfully, once again, smiled and answered, "Nope! I'm just fine!" He shook his head and then he was hit by sudden inspiration.
"Oh! Tohru! Why don't you take a day off tomorrow so we can go somewhere?" he asked cheerfully, tugging at the tight collar. He had switched to the boy's uniform for some time now…
Tohru's smile faltered for a minute before she replaced it. She shook her head, "I'm sorry Momiji-kun, but I'm afraid not…" she replied softly, disappointing the poor cursed-bunny.
Why?
Why can't you remember? Why? You were the only ones to accept us – accept Kyo's true form and even love him. Why did everything turn out this way? Why?
Momiji's eyes saddened before they began to continue to work in silence. "Tohru…" he whispered to himself, "Why?"
"Hm?" Tohru asked, hearing that Momiji had muttered something. She looked up from what she was doing. "What's wrong?" she asked concerned. Momiji shook his head and this time, he couldn't stop it.
He started to cry again.
Tohru seemed to melt for a second before, without realizing it, she lunged at him, hugging him close to her. She didn't even realize what she was doing.
Momiji could only wait for the transformation. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and waited. Was it being delayed? What was happening?
Then he felt it.
He wasn't certain how to describe the strange yet incredible feeling. It was like everything on his shoulders was being lifted – as if he had been freed of something…
Freed…
…of the curse.
Shaking, Momiji reached for Tohru and hugged her tightly. So it was true. His curse…
…Had been broken.
Momiji wanted to yell, to cry out for happiness. He wanted to do something, he smiled. He was finally free. And yet…
He felt lonely.
He no longer had the same burden as the rest of the zodiac, no longer belonged, no longer was the cursed rabbit of the zodiac. He was a human.
Smiling to himself, he felt Tohru let him go and he looked at her. "Thanks for…comforting me," he smiled and thanked her. He then got and said, "Well, I have to go or Papa will be mad at me," he explained. He smiled, wiped his tears away and gave Tohru a last hug.
"Thank you."
He had whispered that last sentence in hope that maybe Tohru knew what he meant. But somehow, he had doubt it. After all… Her memories were erased.
--
Tohru stared at her hands. She was shaking all over and crying. When she had hugged Momiji, she half-expected something to happen.
For him to transform.
She brought her hands up to her face, covering eyes from the dark.
Yes…
She still remembered. She had never forgotten. Hatori never erased her memories.
She brought her hands down, Hatori never erased her memories.
The floor was wet with tears.
But…
How did Momiji break the curse!
Author's Note: Not the longest chapter and I know everyone here, hates me. You want an update? Review then. Thank you.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed!