Chapter 7- I do not own Fruits Basket. If I did, I would have a more interesting and fulfilling career. I feel like this story is rapidly becoming the Ren-Kurosawa show. I may soon have to wrap up the Ren/Kurosawa sub-plot that is developing so I can focus again on Akito.


Akito sat drawing pictures at her desk, vaguely aware of a sense of agitation. It had been at least three months since her mother had taken the whip to her and beat her bloody, and to put it mildly, she had not felt quite right since. The things that used to bring her joy and comfort somehow seemed to lack the charge that they had once held for her. She found herself cringing and feeling nervous anytime she began to have fun, as though she were waiting for Ren to creep up behind her and attack her for being happy. Because in spite of being a child, Akito knew without a doubt that her mother's attacks were provoked by seeing her happy; so long as she remained miserable, Ren would continue to ignore her and not punish her.

Yuki sat just to the right of her, coloring in a picture in his Mogeta coloring book. He coughed slightly. Akito shuddered as his cough sent little ripples of irritation up her back, but she chose to ignore it. Every sudden movement or sound seemed to make her wince or jump fearfully as she waited for Ren to materialize behind her whip in hand. Focusing, she moved her hand very slowly and carefully, trying to keep the line she was tracing with her pencil perfectly straight. Yuki coughed again, but harder. Her hand jerked slightly as she twitched in response to his cough, spoiling the symmetry of her sketch. She sat staring at her marred drawing, feeling a queer, shuddering rage slowly building, creeping up from the pit of her stomach, rising like the mercury in a thermometer. The pressure of her fury felt as though it were too much to contain, and she turned on him wrathfully and slapped him hard across his face, feeling the energy of her rage dissipating in the wake of her violent act.

"Can't you stop coughing? What is wrong with you? Why are you always so sick?" she yelled, her eyes dilated and filled with anger. Yuki looked surprised and hurt by Akito's unprovoked attack, but having learned from his mother's temper that passivity prevents further abuse, he didn't say anything and he made an effort to choke down his cough. Akito turned back to her drawing, carefully erasing the uneven line and starting to trace it all over again, still feeling edgy and irritable. She thought back to what her mother had told her: that Yuki only stayed with her because his mother had given him to her. She felt a sense of desperation and loneliness wash over her, and with effort, she pushed the thought out of her mind and focused on her drawing.


Kurosawa looked up to see Ren walking toward his clinic and he stifled an exasperated sigh. God, what does this woman want now, he thought to himself with some degree of irritation. Ren had taken to dropping in his office and pestering him on a regular basis. She opened the door and smiled devilishly when she saw him sitting at the desk.

"Just who I wanted to see this afternoon," she purred as she walked up and sat on the edge of his desk, crossing her legs so as to show them off to their full advantage. Kurosawa didn't bother to look; he just tugged some papers she had sat upon out from under her and placed them on the other side of his desk.

"What is it I can do for you today Ren?" he asked in a bored voice. He had learned that a lack of response on his part made her lose interest and leave sooner. She smiled at him, taking in his broad shoulders and his handsome face and finding them to her approval.

"Actually Kurosawa, I was hoping you could do a favor for me," she said lightly. "I am supposed to attend a banquet being sponsored by the Sohma Corporation and I need an escort." He felt a sinking sensation in his stomach at her words.

"Surely there is someone else from the family whom you can bring. As you know, I often have appointments until seven in the evening. That would not provide me the necessary time to ready myself to escort you to a formal function," he spoke slowly and with a detached manner, hoping to disguise the discomfort he felt even thinking of having to attend a social event as her escort. Ren smiled, watching the emotions flicker across his face before he managed to erect his calm façade. She knew just how unappetizing her request was to him, and that only increased her pleasure in tormenting him.

"Oh Kurosawa, I'm so sorry," she said with exaggerated regret. "Both Keitaro and Komei are unavailable that night, and Yamoto has told me that he must stay home as his wife is due to deliver soon and he wants to be there if she needs assistance. I'm afraid that leaves you, Kurosawa." She paused dramatically, "or maybe your son could escort me instead? He's looks as though he's about seventeen years old. That's old enough to serve as an escort." She smiled smugly, knowing full well how much Kurosawa would dislike the idea of her being anywhere near his son.

Predictably, Kurosawa saw no merit in her suggestion whatsoever. Every aspect of his being recoiled with revulsion at the idea of Ren accompanying his son anywhere, and he struggled to maintain his appearance of calm detachment.

"Ren, my son Hatori is just turned fifteen years old, and certainly not an appropriate choice of escort for the widow of the head of the Sohma family, particularly since he is one of the juuneshi and prone to transforming into his cursed form when he is exhausted, ill or experiences full body contact with a woman, three likely potentialities that could occur in a social setting," he said calmly, while inwardly seething that she would stoop so low as to try to manipulate him into accompanying her by threatening to bring Hatori in his stead. Ren merely smiled lazily at him.

"Hmm…as tall and handsome as your son appears, I was certain he was older," she said lightly, deliberately baiting him. "I'll have to keep an eye out for him when he comes of age." Her smile broadened as she saw the muscle in Kurosawa's jaw begin to twitch.

"But for this event, I am afraid you will have to be my escort as there are no other suitable escorts and not attending is not an option. We don't want the Sohma family to lose face now do we?" She smiled, knowing he would not risk embarrassing the clan publicly in spite of his personal aversion to her. "I will expect you to pick me up next Thursday at 7:30pm." Kurosawa's eyes darkened with undisguised anger as he realized he was trapped. She drank in the sheer hatred that he directed towards her, reveling in her ability to force Kurosawa to do her bidding, feeling herself becoming aroused by the power she held over him. She scooted off the edge of his desk and began to walk, hips swaying slightly, towards the door. Before she exited, she paused thoughtfully.

"Oh, and Kurosawa, be sure you wear your finest kimono, haori and hakama. This is a very formal event and I don't care to be embarrassed by having my escort show up in a lab coat." Smiling wickedly, she turned heel and strutted out the door, clearly pleased at having maneuvered him into such an onerous and awkward situation.

Kurosawa felt the beginnings of a migraine throbbing at his temple, and he again wondered to himself exactly what he had done to deserve the dubious honor of being the Sohma elder Ren enjoyed harassing the most. He had found himself on the receiving end of her negative attention more and more over the last several months, often being put in the ridiculous position of having to fend off her unwelcome and obvious attempts to seduce him. He didn't even think the woman actually had feelings for him; he strongly suspected it was his ill concealed contempt for her that made him such a desirable target.

He sighed and brought his attention back to the medical report he was trying to complete for one of his patients. It looked as though he had best get caught up in his paperwork because Thursday was going to be a stressful and busy day.


AN: Ren is truly a wicked, messed up lady (if one can call her a lady!) She is quite out of control. I don't even feel like I am writing her; she's writing herself! She's managed to take over Akito's story quite against my will!

As most of you probably know from reading the sidebars in the manga, Hatori's father dies when Hatori is fifteen. The dilemma I find myself in is that this means I am going to have to kill off Kurosawa at some point in the near future and I don't want to! What do you guys think I should do? Follow the manga to the letter and kill Kurosawa? Or break free and get a little AU and let him live? Let me know what you think! Magpie