Yuki headed toward his secret base, hoping to find some peace in the garden's familiar quiet. The soft rustling of leaves and the scent of blooming flowers always brought him a sense of calm. But as he approached, he noticed someone else there.
It was Mana.
She moved gracefully through the garden, her fingers trailing over the plants. Yuki froze, surprised to see her there. The normally reserved eldest Hikawa sister seemed different in this moment, her usually sharp gaze softened as she admired the greenery. She crouched beside a flower bed, gently brushing her fingertips against a wilted bloom. To his amazement, the flower seemed to stand taller, as if revitalized by her presence.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Yuki said, stepping into view.
Mana turned her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "I could say the same about you. Is this your sanctuary?"
Yuki hesitated, but nodded. "It's where I go when I need to think. How did you find it?"
"I follow where the energy pulls me," Mana replied, rising to her feet. Her movements were fluid, purposeful. "This place feels… untouched, pure. You don't see that often."
Yuki tilted his head, studying her. Mana was often distant, her words calculated, but here, she seemed almost vulnerable. "You're different when you're not in front of your father or Akito," he observed quietly.
Mana's lips curved into a faint smile, though her eyes remained serious. "And you're perceptive when you're not busy being Akito's shield."
Yuki stiffened at her words. "That's not what I am."
"Isn't it?" she said, her voice soft but pointed. She turned to face him fully, her sharp blue eyes locking with his. "You follow his orders, no matter how cruel. You think protecting the others from his wrath makes it worth it, don't you?"
"I—" Yuki began, but she cut him off with a small shake of her head.
"I'm not blaming you," Mana said, her tone gentler now. "I understand. You do what you must to survive. So do I."
Yuki frowned, unsure how to respond. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because if we're going to work together, I need you to understand something," Mana said. "I'm not your enemy, Yuki. My father and Akito may think they can control me, but I make my own decisions."
"And what are those decisions?" Yuki asked cautiously.
She hesitated, glancing down at the flower bed. "To find a way out. For all of us."
Yuki's eyes widened, surprise flickering across his face. "You mean breaking both our curses?"
Mana didn't answer immediately. Instead, she reached out and plucked a blooming flower, holding it between her fingers. "Breaking curses requires sacrifices," she said finally, her voice quiet. "You of all people should understand that."
"Mana," Yuki said, stepping closer. "If you need help—if you're trying to free your family—I want to help. But I need to know I can trust you."
She looked at him for a long moment, her mask slipping just enough to reveal the vulnerability beneath. "I've never trusted anyone," she admitted. "But maybe… you're the exception."
Their eyes met, and for the first time, Yuki saw not the calculating Mana Hikawa but someone who, like him, had been shaped by duty and pain.
XXX
Later that evening, Kuri wandered into the Sohma house library, drawn by the quiet hum of the space. The walls were lined with books, their spines glinting in the warm light of the single lamp left on. She ran her fingers along the shelves, stopping when a familiar title caught her eye: a young adult paranormal novel she had read years ago, back when life still allowed small indulgences.
"You like those kinds of books?" a voice asked from the doorway.
Kuri turned, startled, to see Haru leaning against the frame. His dark and light hair fell loosely over his face, and his relaxed posture belied the sharp attention in his gaze.
She nodded shyly, holding up the book.
Haru walked in, settling into a nearby armchair. "Never would've guessed. I thought you'd be into something… I don't know, heavier."
Kuri opened the book, flipping through the pages as a small smile tugged at her lips. "They're…escapes," she said softly, her voice tentative but steady. "A world… where curses don't exist."
Haru tilted his head, studying her. "Makes sense. I've never read one, though. Are they any good?"
Kuri hesitated, then walked over to him, holding the book out. He took it from her carefully, his fingers brushing against hers. For a moment, their eyes met, and Haru felt a pang of warmth in his chest.
"I'll give it a shot," he said, smiling faintly. "If you like them, they've got to be decent."
Kuri nodded, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She sat down across from him, picking up another book from the table. The two of them read in silence, the quiet comfort of the library wrapping around them like a shared secret. For the first time in a long while, Kuri felt at ease, as though the weight of her family's expectations had been left outside the door.
And Haru, watching her from the corner of his eye, felt something he couldn't quite name. But whatever it was, he knew he wanted to hold onto it.