"What do you want?" Kyo
"Nothing." Yuki
"You were staring at me." Kyo
"No just looking." Yuki
"Well I guess there's a first time for everything." Kyo
"Do you like it?" Tohru
"No I don't!" Kyo
Right after he said that he realized exactly what it was he was answering, and didn't know what to do or say next.
At school Tohru holds up a deck of cards, and says.
"Hey why don't we play Rich Man, Poor Man." Tohru
"Ah play it with that damn Yuki I don't wanna." Kyo
"Running away from a challenge. What are you some kind of sissy?" Uo
"Fine I'll play you're stupid game. Just don't cry when you lose Yankee." Kyo
"How about this? The loser cleans the entire classroom by himself." Uo
"Ah, aren't those the most wonderful signals." Hana
Sakuya is to busy trying not to chuckle to comment, and Tohru says.
"Let's ask Yuki if he wants to play too? Yuki want to play Rich Man-Poor Ma... You're not here." Tohru
Meanwhile Yuki is talking to a girl in private, and the conversation goes like this.
"I'm sorry I'm just not ready to be in a relationship right now. So I think it would be best if we co..." Yuki
"No don't say it Yuki." girl
She tries to hug him, Yuki stops her, and says.
"Uh I'm sorry." Yuki
"It's just that You were always so nice I...You really don't want to get close to anyone do you Yuki? You shut everyone out like you think you're better than them. You think you're better than they are. So what I guess a normal girl like me isn't good enough for you is that it?" girl
Back in the classroom Kyo, Hana, Tohru, and Uo are playing cards, and Kyo says.
"Revolution." Kyo
"You cheater. What kind of cheap ass tricks are you trying to pull?" Uo
"What do you mean tricks? Those are the rules." Kyo
"Lets see revolution makes all high cards low right." Tohru
"Wait reverse-revolution." Hana
"Now you've had it Kyo. Go for it Hana." classmates
"Ah skip it come on let's play again." Kyo
After classes are over Kyo is covering the bet by cleaning the classroom by himself, and Tohru is talking to Yuki saying.
"Rich Man-Poor Man. I know the rules, but I can't say I've ever actually played the game." Yuki
"Uo just taught me how to play not to long ago. It really is a lot of fun. You should play with us next time." Tohru
Yuki smiles a nervous smile, and says.
"So it looks like Kyo was the loser today." Yuki
"Yes, but I'll still help him clean up." Tohru
"No a loss is a loss." Kyo
"You sure?" Tohru
"Don't worry about it? I'll win next time just like I'll win against you." Yuki
"Wait, wait I think I've heard this one before." Yuki
"No joke asshole I am going to beat you, and that's a promise." Kyo
"I wish you'd stop making your inferiority complex my problem." Yuki
"I swear every time you open your mouth it pisses me off." Kyo
"Every time you open yours you sound like an idiot." Yuki
'They're fighting again. They can't even be in the same room together can they. I guess cats and rats aren't supposed to get along really, but the way they fight there's got to be a better explanation.'And then I'm going to take my place as a true member of this family.' Do you think maybe what he meant by that was he's trying to beat Yuki, because then he thinks he'll be accepted into the Zodiac. If that's true then that means the cat will be included with the other twelve animals. That would be wonderful, but I don't think fighting is the best way to go about it.' Tohru
"Um you guys." Tohru
"That's it lets go." Kyo
Yuki lays out Kyo, and says.
"Ugh I can't even stand to look at you." Yuki
"Yuki." Tohru
"Dammit. Why can't I ever kick him in the head for a change? Ah but he really did try to lay me out today. He must be in a bad mood or something." Kyo
After Kyo says this Tohru steps out of the classroom to fetch Kuro from her locker. When he is securely in her bag Tohru receives a text from Licht asking her to meet him at the concert hall where the ambush happened. Tohru texts him back saying that she'll be there, but that she also has work. Licht texts her back saying that it's fine.
Tohru arrives at the concert hall with Kuro on her head, and sees Licht discussing something with his manager. As soon as he sees her Licht waves her over, and continues with his conversation. When she gets there she hears that Licht is planning to put on a concert as soon as Tohru tells her new family everything. Licht looks at her, and says.
"Tohru how do you view the people you are living with now?" Licht
"They are like a family to me." Tohru
"Then why haven't you told them about Kuro, and you being an Eve?" Licht
"Well I don't know what my legal guardian is going to do after the remodelling is finished, and when ever I try to tell them I get flashbacks." Tohru
"What kind of flashbacks?" Licht
"At the beginning of the War Belkia attacked, and nearly killed Uo." Tohru
Licht and Kranz look at Tohru, and are amazed that something like that happened to Tohru. They know that people died in the war, but were unaware that Tohru was so directly affected.
What they didn't know was that Old Child had informed Tetsu that something important was going on in the concert hall. Hugh told Tetsu that him and Lilac should check it out. By the time they got there they saw Tohru go inside the building. They followed after her, and heard her entire conversation with Licht. Tetsu and Lilac were angry about Tohru being badly traumatized. The very next thing that happened was that Licht and even Kranz tried to comfort and help Tohru recover from her pain. Tetsu and Lilac could tell that they weren't very successful in their endeavour. Lilac made a decision that he will tell Who's Coming about this the next time he comes to Hot Spring. Lilac cares about Tohru like she was his big sister, and he can tell that Tetsu feels the exact same way. The two of them watch as Licht and a now cheerful Tohru leave the concert hall. Once they are certain they won't be noticed the two of them return to the Hot Spring to tell Hugh what they found out. They are certain that Hugh will be just as unhappy as they are by this news. They know that Hugh has grown more willing to care about the humans he knows personally than he was in years past.
It's night time, and Tohru is finishing up her work for the day. She is putting away her work cloths while thinking.
'I don't know I guess it's because Yuki's so polite you would of never thought he had a bad day, but if what Kyo said was true he might just be keeping his real feeling locked up inside.' Tohru
Tohru takes her bag out of her locker making sure that Kuro is sleeping peacefully on her head. She hears some of her colleges say.
"Hey go check it out there's a real looker standing out front. I don't remember the last time I saw such a pretty face like that on a boy. Oh listen to you. You just don't know when to quite do you." co-workers
"I wonder if that's? Yuki." Tohru
"Hi there. So are you all finished?" Yuki
"Yes, but don't tell me you came all the way down here just to pick me up?" Tohru
"Sure I did. It's not to safe for you to be walking alone at night." Yuki
"An escort two nights in a row. I have to say you and Kyo sure know how to make a girl feel special. Not to mention all the times Licht has come to pick me up." Tohru
When he hears this he is annoyed at the mention of Kyo, but extremely puzzled by the mention of this Licht person. In the end he decides not to mention it, and says.
"Well we should go." Yuki
Yuki turns to leave, and Tohru says.
"Wait Yuki. Um I hope I'm not prying, but if there's something that's bothering you; You know you can talk to me about it if you want." Tohru
"Huh?" Yuki
"I'm sorry it's just that anytime I ever had anything on my mind that was bothering me it always made me feel better to talk about it with someone." Tohru
While Tohru is saying this a drunk idiot pushes Tohru into Yuki, and says.
"Hey lovebirds go home it's to late for you kids to be on the street." drunk idiot
Out of nowhere a black boot causes the idiot to fall painfully on his face. The idiots friend picks him up, and says.
"Sounds like it's past your bedtime too." idiot friend
"What are you kidding? It's still early." idiot
"But then again you don't have to. I wouldn't want to talk to me either if I kept turning me into a rat." Tohru
"No, it's not your fault. I'm the one with the curse." Yuki
They are walking down the street, and Yuki says.
"For years living at Soma house felt like living in a cage. Akito always liked to keep me as far away from well everyone as he could, but what I wanted was to live a normal life with normal people. I wanted to move in with Shigurae; Enrol in this school. I wondered why he let me go at first. I soon found out I could leave the house, but leaving the cage that wasn't so easy. No I'm still a Soma, and no matter how much I might want to that's something I can never change. I'll always be different I know that, and what scares me is if I get to close to someone they might realize that too. Not like Kyo he's shy when he first meets people, but after he gets to know them a little he can open up to them. Be himself, because of what he is Kyo can never be excepted into the Zodiac. But isn't it better that he can be accepted by normal people for who he is. That is exactly what I've always wanted. I guess that's why I get so angry with him, because he can't even see what he has. He's blinded by that foolish desire to join the very same family I've spent my entire life trying to run away from." Yuki
"Yuki people do accept you a lot more than you know. I mean just think of all the girls at school who like you. They always talk about how nice you are." Tohru
"But that isn't me. You say they accept me, because I'm nice. Well I only act nice, because I want them to accept me. Not because it's how I really feel. I'm not a good person I'm just selfish." Yuki
"The weather didn't say a thing about rain. What's a day without surprises I guess." Tohru
"This is bad." Yuki
"Huh." Tohru
Yuki and Tohru take a different path than they normally do through the woods. She is walking up the hill with Yuki, and says.
"Yuki what is it? Where are we going?" Tohru
"A field?" Tohru
"No just a little vegetable garden I take care of." Yuki
"Then did you do all this?" Tohru
"U-huh. This is my secret base." Yuki
"Wow it's even better than I pictured. So you came here to try and protect it from the storm right? I'll help if I can just show me what to do." Tohru
They spread a tarp over the garden, and Yuki says.
"Miss Honda you are a good person."Yuki
"Who me? You really think so not very many people have ever told that to me before thank you so much, but maybe I'm being nice only so you'll like me. Maybe I'm just being selfish?" Tohru
"I don't think you could if you wanted to." Yuki
Kuro scoffs at this, and says.
"He's right Tohru. You don't know the first thing about being selfish" Kuro
"I don't know about that. Mom said everyone can be selfish sometimes, but then again she also said it's better to give them the benefit of the doubt. No one really starts out kind. All we know how to do at first is want. We want food, we want attention it's just basic survival instinct I guess, but kindness is something we all have to learn as we go. It's something that grows and develops slowly over time the same way our bodies do. So kindness can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.'True kindness isn't something we're born with. It's something we have to work at. We have to mold it and shape it within ourselves. Not everyone has it, but I think everyone has the potential. Sometimes you just have to look really close before you can tell it's there.' Ever since mom told me that I've always tried to look for the good in everyone. It's hard sometimes, but it's worth it because I get to see all the different shapes kindness can take. For example I think yours is sorta like a candle. When ever you're around you always seem to bring a little bit more light into the room. Everything's brighter, and it just makes me want to smile. Oh but now you're looking at me like I'm crazy." Tohru
"Uh no I'm sorry it's just I'm not used to talking like this." Yuki
"But I'm glad that we are. When you're comfortable enough with someone that you can share your feelings I'd say that's a pretty good sign you're becoming closer friends." Tohru
The tarp flies up, and covers Tohru, and she says.
"Whoops it got away from me. I guess that's a good sign that I should stop talking, and protect the base.'It's not always easy to see the good in people Tohru, and in some people you might even doubt it's there at all, but if you can somehow find a way to believe sometimes it's all it takes to help someone. To give them the strength to find the good in themselves.' Hooray we saved the base." Tohru
"Yes, but we are a little worse for ware. Aren't we?" Yuki
"Maybe we should pick something while we're here you think?" Tohru
"Um I guess the leeks are ready." Yuki
Tohru looks to the side, and thinks.
'Leeks ugh.' Tohru
"Miss Honda I've been thinking. Next time you play that game could I play too?" Yuki
"Sure of course you can. You just didn't seem to interested before." Tohru
"Well I...When I saw everyone together like that I guess I let my shyness get the best of me, but next time I'd like to join you." Yuki
Tohru giggles, and Yuki goes on to say.
"I'll keep trying. Maybe I can still learn to open up more." Yuki
"That's wonderful I'll introduce you Hana, Uo, and Sakuya. They're really great, and I'm sure they'll be really excited to meet you. I mean I think Uo is always looking for another victim to beat at Rich Man-Poor Man." Tohru
"Uh m thanks for the warning." Yuki