42 kg... (93 lbs)
That's enough!
Hatori threw his pen to the ground and picked up the phone.
Shigure's House – 3 p.m.
"Hello, everyone!"
Shigure emerged from his room, still groggy, his kimono loosely draped.
"Shigure, I've told you to pay more attention to your schedule," Yuki said, leaning on the table and reading a university magazine.
"Calm down, Yuki," Shigure replied, grabbing an apple from the kitchen counter. "It's not even dark yet."
"Yes, but it's already 3 p.m.!" Yuki replied, flipping through his magazine, visibly annoyed by his elder's behavior.
Shigure knelt at the table and opened his newspaper. He read for a few minutes but was surprised by the unusual quiet in the house.
It's usually noisier than this.
"Where's Kyo?"
"At his training."
"Tohru?"
"Out shopping."
"Haru and Rin?..."
"Moving Haru."
"And where will they go?"
"I think Master Kazuma will host them until they find a place to live. They can't stay at the estate. Akito won't allow it, although I don't think he'll try to separate them again."
Shigure's face suddenly darkened, and he murmured, "Shedoesn't have the strength for that right now, anyway."
"What?" Yuki asked.
"Nothing, just talking to myself."
Shigure's voice had lost its usual playful tone. It was dry, tinged with bitterness, and a shadow crossed his face. Yuki was taken aback by this unusual coldness, but he finally saw an authentic emotion, the real face behind the mask. He was about to ask why Shigure was less cheerful than usual when the door burst open.
"You're as graceful as ever, Kyo," Shigure remarked upon seeing the new arrival. "Why don't you make even more noise?"
"Shut up, Shigure. I'm hungry, so I'm in a bad mood," replied the Cat as he sat down at the table.
Shigure shot him a cold look, got up, and went to his study, slamming the sliding door behind him, leaving the two teenagers looking dejected.
"What's up with him?" Kyo asked.
"I don't know; he hasn't been well for a while."
"He'll get over it."
"No, I don't think it's that simple," Yuki finally said, standing up. "I'm going to my room."
"Don't feel obligated to tell me where you're going. I'm not planning to come see you, you filthy rat."
"Kyo!"
"What?"
"Shut up."
Shigure's House, 7 p.m.
A real family dinner!
Tohru had filled the table with a variety of dishes, making sure to prepare ginger beef for Haru and shallot meatballs for Kisa.
Rin and Haru had come to dinner after settling in at Kazuma's.
The atmosphere was lively and joyful.
Momiji was teasing Kyo, who was grumbling about the shallot meatballs.
Yuki watched the scene with a smile, occasionally glancing at the door to Shigure's study, which hadn't opened since he left.
No one heard the front door open.
"Hello."
Everyone turned towards the hallway.
"Hatori! What a nice surprise!" Tohru exclaimed, standing to greet him.
"Great, like we weren't crowded enough," Kyo grumbled. "I assume the door was open, so you just let yourself in…"
"I didn't come alone," Hatori replied, pulling in… Kureno.
Everyone stood frozen in shock.
"Good evening," murmured Kureno, uncomfortable in the presence of so many Juunishi members. But he was met with silence.
"Hey! When you're polite, you don't leave a guest feeling awkward," Hatori chided gently.
Haru was the first to break out of his stupor. He approached Kureno and extended his hand. Confused, Kureno hesitated, then took it.
"Thank you, truly. For everything. For Rin and me. You're welcome here," Haru said, moved to see the man who had saved the woman he loved, despite his loyalty to Akito.
"You shouldn't speak for everyone, Hatsuharu," came a cold voice. Shigure appeared in the living room. "This is my home. Only I decide who is welcome or not." He lifted his eyes to Kureno, casting him a hard, hateful look. "And you're not."
Visibly uncomfortable, the young man couldn't meet the Dog's gaze and lowered his eyes.
"I didn't mean to intrude," he said quietly. "I just came to check on Rin, and Hatori offered to bring me here..."
"Of course, you wanted to see if your good deed had paid off," Shigure replied, his tone dripping with bitterness and cynicism. He advanced towards the young man, straight and menacing. "I'd forgotten how generous you are with those who suffer. But not everyone sees you as a hero."
"Shigure, you're wrong..." Kureno tried to interrupt, wounded by his words, feeling the urge to step back.
"What did you imagine coming here?" Shigure asked, increasingly irritated. "That I'd welcome you with open arms? You saved Rin? Good for you! But that's not what I expect from you. And it doesn't open the door to my house!"
No one had ever seen Shigure speak to anyone this way, and everyone stood frozen, staring at the man filled with contempt—a stranger. Most of the younger ones were confused by their cousin's attitude. Haru didn't move. Kyo kept his eyes on his plate, not wanting to face or get angry with a "Shigure" he didn't recognize and somewhat feared. Glancing at Rin, he noticed she was doing the same. Tohru didn't know what to do. She tried to show support for Kureno with her looks, but couldn't disrespect Shigure, who had taken her in. Yuki's face betrayed no emotion, but he murmured softly, "only his face smiles," Tohru's words, as if Shigure's reaction had provided him with a secret answer.
Hatori positioned himself between the two men and raised his hands toward his friend in a calming gesture.
"Shigure, please, you need to listen to us. Kureno also came to talk to you about something more serious. It would be good to set your grudge aside for tonight."
"My grudge…" Shigure repeated bitterly. But he stepped back, nodding. "Very well then, what do you wish to talk about, Kureno?"
"About Akito," Kureno said, uncertain.
Shigure gave a dry, joyless laugh.
"You can't say you're choosing the best topic to call a truce…" he grumbled. "Sit down, both of you, you look ridiculous standing like statues. You too, Haru."
Hatori and Kureno took their places at the table, with Haru beside Rin.
"What can I serve you?" Tohru asked, trying to soften the atmosphere. "Beef? I can make something else too! Chicken curry maybe? Oh no, maybe poultry bothers you? I could make rice with seaweed or gyoza?"
"I like ginger beef, thank you," Kureno said, chuckling softly, amused by the girl's liveliness.
"Oh great, less for me!" exclaimed Haru.
"What are you complaining about? We have it every time you show up here!" Kyo retorted.
At least Tohru managed to ease the atmosphere a bit, Yuki thought.
The rest of the meal was more cheerful, almost a family-like atmosphere, something Kureno was experiencing for the first time. He spoke a lot with Momiji and Kyo, something he had never done, and noticed the gentle smile Rin gave him, like a silent and sincere "thank you," which he accepted with a small nod…
This atmosphere would have been perfect if… Akito hadn't been excluded from it.
He looked at Shigure. He, too, suffered from her absence; Kureno was sure of it—he suffered more than anyone. He began to admire him again as he had when they were children. His ability to mask such suffering so skillfully surprised him. No one could suspect that, at this very moment, as he laughed with Hatori, he was terrified of losing the one he loved.
"You didn't have any trouble with Akito for helping us?" Haru asked suddenly, eager to know if Kureno had suffered their God's wrath.
"And for coming here?" added young Tohru.
The two questions brought Kureno back to reality.
His goddess… It was for her that he had come.
"No," he said, suddenly serious, "Akito is in shock. I have nothing to fear. The only person who might reprimand me is the old servant constantly by her side, but I don't care about her."
Everyone at the table fell silent.
"In shock?" repeated Tohru.
"Akito isn't speaking and has lost a lot of weight," Hatori explained. "Her health is poor and is only getting worse."
"She stays in bed all day without moving or speaking," added Kureno.
"Kureno…" murmured Hatori.
The room fell silent. Shigure clenched his jaw.
"Why did you say 'she' when talking about Akito?" Yuki asked.
Kureno wanted to reply, but Hatori cut him off:
"It's just a slip of the tongue, Yuki."
"A simple slip that Shigure also made earlier today!" Yuki retorted, aware he was being lied to. "You're messing with us!"
"Akito is a woman," Kureno said curtly, tired of the lies.
The room became silent again, the information slowly sinking in, and then voices erupted.
"You're kidding!" Kyo exclaimed.
"That's unbelievable," murmured Rin.
"I can't believe it. Akito hates girls!" said Momiji, staring into space.
"Are you sure?" asked Hatsuharu in a hard voice.
"If you want photos, I can show you some," Shigure replied, visibly amused by the teenagers' reaction.
"Shigure!" exclaimed Hatori.
"I'm joking!"… His face darkened again. "If I had any, I'd keep them to myself. I already share enough with the 'twelve'…"
Hatori ignored the comment and took a deep breath:
"The important thing is that we can't leave Akito like this."
"I have nothing to do with him anymore!" Hatsuharu exclaimed.
"Her," corrected Yuki.
"I don't care!" He stood up, his cheeks flushed with anger. "Being a girl changes nothing about her actions. Akito is cruel and dangerous. What? I almost hit a girl, I threatened a girl? So what! It changes nothing, nothing at all. She threw Rin out the window! And now she's a girl? What's Akito going to find next to ruin our lives?"
He fell silent, realizing the incoherence of his words.
The truth was that he didn't understand. Once again, he didn't understand what was happening around him. Like when he was made to believe he was stupid and began hating the rat, or when he didn't realize Rin was trying to protect him. Once again, he'd been deceived…
He sat back down and said nothing more.
Kureno spoke, his voice gentle.
"We're not asking you to forgive her, but to understand her and not abandon her. I know what she did to you, that's why I want to give you time to think it over. We could organize a sort of meeting at the manor to decide how to handle the situation…"
"There's nothing to handle; we're free!" Rin said.
"Free from what?" Kureno exclaimed. "You belong to the Sohma family, to Akito! Not coming to the manor for New Year's or pulling a little stunt doesn't change the fact that your parents work for Sohma family businesses, that this family provides you with money for your studies, for your home. Nothing truly belongs to you. Whatever you buy, it's the family that pays. Where's your freedom? If you want independence, you need to aim higher, and the solution also lies with Akito. Hurting her won't get us anywhere. What we need…" His voice trailed off, overcome with emotion. "What I want... is for all of us to get through this, together."
Yes, all together, with Akito.
No one spoke; everyone was lost in their own thoughts, their own pain and memories.
Momiji nodded softly.
"Kureno, you don't speak often, but when you do… you're very convincing. I, too, want us to get through this… even Akito. I think she… no, I'm sure she suffers greatly as well," Momiji said.
"So it's decided…" Haru said, though he seemed disappointed.
"We lose nothing by going to this meeting, Haru," Yuki said, trying to reassure his cousin and friend.
"You're the one saying that?" Haru exclaimed. "I thought going to the manor to decide how best to help Akito would be more nauseating to you than anyone!"
"I haven't forgotten the past, Haru!" Yuki replied, angry and hurt. "I know what Akito has done, both to me and to others! I suffered for years because of him—because of her! I've lost count of the times I cried because of her when I was a child! The times she was cruel! But…"
"But what?" Haru pressed.
Yuki hesitated, then added:
"I've also lost count of the times I've seen her cry…" He turned to Kureno. "I'll come."
"So will I," Momiji said, "and I'll inform Kisa and Hiro. It won't be easy, but they'll follow us if we all go."
"Haru and I will come too," said Rin. She took Haru's hand and looked into his eyes, where he could read everything she left unsaid. For our future together, for our freedom, for the life I want us to have… Let's go.
He ran his hand through Rin's now-short, soft hair.
"Alright," he said. What a joy it was to see her smile…
"Then let's do it as soon as possible," Hatori said. "Tomorrow evening, around 8 p.m."
"I'll arrange everything," Kureno said, relieved.
"Will it just be us?" Kyo asked.
Kureno hesitated before answering:
"Actually, I'd like others to be there—Tohru, among others."
The young girl looked startled.
"Me? But why?"
"Because you could help us," Kureno replied. "It's pointless to keep you apart since what happens in this family concerns you, in a way."
Tohru didn't know how to respond.
"You'll come, won't you?" Momiji said. "It's important to us that you're there, you know."
"Yes, I want to come. But I hope I won't cause more harm than good…"
"No, I don't think so," Kureno said. "Then it's settled."
Kureno turned gently toward Shigure, who had yet to show any sign of approval. Shigure ignored him.
"Shigure, you're silent," Hatori said. "You'll come, won't you? If only to make sure we don't overstep on your territory."
This last remark unsettled the younger ones. Yuki narrowed his eyes.
Shigure seemed lost in thought, indifferent.
"I'm not quite sure what you're planning," he finally said, "so I'll come out of curiosity."
"That's precisely why we're organizing this meeting, because we don't know what to do!" Kureno said, feeling his anger rise at Shigure's casual tone, as if none of this concerned him. "You could make an effort. We're trying to help Akito!"
"I know," Shigure replied calmly. "We'll see the outcome. Akito's reaction should be very interesting…"
I'm going to strangle him,Kureno thought.
Hatori, wanting to prevent a fight, interrupted:
"It's late; we should head back. We're counting on you tomorrow."
After saying their goodbyes, the two men left.
The younger ones quickly went to bed, exhausted from the day. Or so they said, as murmurs could be heard late into the night.
Shigure sat at his desk, typing on his computer. His latest novel was nearly finished, and he was already thinking of the mischievous trick he could play on Mitchan before handing her the final pages of his manuscript.
The ending was almost done when he suddenly stopped, as if paralyzed. His hands clenched as his eyes scanned the lines on the screen.
Another sappy romance like women love to read, where the two heroic lovers are separated, go through countless trials to reunite, and in the end, end up together, spending the rest of their lives in love, as always.
No, not as always!
It doesn't end that way.
Shigure deleted the last lines and resumed typing energetically.
Satisfied, he leaned back in his chair and casually pressed the printer button.
As the machine printed the pages with the text engraved upon them, Shigure opened his desk drawer, took out a worn book, and opened it to where the bookmark was placed. He looked at it for a moment with soft eyes, then read the verses he already knew by heart.
"I love you without knowing how,
Or even from where, since when?
I love you with all my heart,
With a modest and pure love.
Thus I love you, as I know only to love you.
We are like your hands
extended from my fingers.
So close that when you close your eyes
sleep comes over me."
Shigure gently closed the book, carefully replacing the small bookmark—a little photo of Akito, eyes closed, asleep.
He lay down on his futon, placed the book on his chest, and closed his eyes.
So close that when you close your eyes, sleep comes over me…
Akito…
End of Chapter 3
Author's Notes : The last poem is an adaptation of the translated poem by Pablo Neruda.
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