Yuki's Room

It was quite unusual to see all the young ones, Kyo included, gathered in Yuki's room. Even more surprising was that they had gathered to talk about Akito.

They were discussing, sitting on the futon or on cushions.

Rin and Haru had decided to spend the night at Shigure's, claiming it was too late to return to Kazuma's.

Momiji had simply decided to stay and would sleep in Kyo's room. Kyo wasn't shy about showing his displeasure at that decision.

But for the moment, the discussion centered around Akito, Kureno, and strangely, Shigure as well.

"He's strange," Yuki said.

"He's always been strange, completely irresponsible and moody," Kyo added.

"No, that's not true," Yuki replied. "You were surprised by his reaction this morning too, and his anger tonight. I've known it for a while—Shigure wears a mask in front of us. And that mask is starting to crack. Why? I don't know. But deep down, I don't trust him; I've never been able to figure out what he's thinking, and few people can. There's… only his face that smiles."

"How can you say that?" Kyo snapped. "From what I've heard, it's Shigure who insisted you be allowed to live here. You'd still be with Akito if it weren't for him."

"He agreed because Haru asked him," Rin interjected.

"So what? The result is the same," Kyo said, irritated.

"Not really," Yuki said calmly, lost in thought. "I don't know if he would have helped me if it hadn't served him in some way."

"Served him? What do you mean?" Haru asked. "He did it because I begged him."

"No, there was something else," Yuki insisted. "I know it's partly thanks to you that I'm here, but there's something more. I hadn't thought of it before. But now that I know Akito… is a woman… I no longer know how to interpret Shigure's actions and feelings."

"Shigure's feelings toward whom?" Momiji asked. "Toward us or toward Akito? I heard Hatori tell Shigure he was being cruel to Akito, as if he… hated her. Watching how he acts with her, you might think he hates her… maybe even more than we do."

"He's indifferent and unafraid of her," Rin agreed. "He's the only one…"

"Yes, exactly! That's it!" Yuki exclaimed in exasperation. The others didn't understand the reason for his irritation. "Do you remember a little, what it was like before?"

"Before what, Yuki?" Haru asked, visibly lost.

"Before! When we were children! What was Akito like? What was Shigure like? How did things go when we were all together at the manor?"

Meeting the others' incomprehension once again, he continued:

"I was often alone, with Akito or completely isolated. And I remember… before Akito completely broke down and started talking to me about the darkness in my life, she cried a lot. She sought refuge in Shigure's arms. He was always with her, always by her side, always gentle, caring, and kind. Looking back, I realize he only had eyes for Akito. And now, he's totally indifferent. Or at least, he pretends to be. I think that if he brought me to his house, it was to distance me from Akito. He asked that Tohru stay here, which made Akito furious and hurt her. He provokes her. We know he despises Kureno, who remains loyal to Akito and never leaves her. There's something I'm missing. What happened to make him change like that?"

"You think he's using us?" Rin asked, troubled. "Using us to hurt Akito?"

No one spoke. The idea of being manipulated by Shigure was very likely. But none of them wanted to imagine it.

"You know," Momiji said, "it was Shigure who asked Akito to come with us to the beach. The summer when Tohru was hurt. He's the one who told Akito that Hiro had feelings for Kisa. And I think he's the one who influenced Rin to confide in Ren… I like Shigure a lot. But I don't understand him. I hope he knows what he's doing and that, deep down, he's doing it for our good. Otherwise… I don't know what I'd do."

"The best way to find out would still be to ask him, wouldn't it?" Haru suggested.

"Ask Shigure…" Kyo said. "I'd rather talk directly to Hatori. At least I'd get a clear answer. But wait, does that mean Hatori, Shigure, and Kureno have always known Akito was a girl?"

"And Ayame, too," Tohru said softly.

Everyone turned to her, visibly shocked.

"Before you say anything, the answer is yes, I knew Akito was a girl. Kureno told me, shortly after the winter holidays, when he returned the DVD Momiji had given him at New Year's—the one with the Cinderella play where you can see Arisa. Arisa met Kureno, and I think she has sincere feelings for him. Kureno thinks of her too. But he told me he couldn't see her again because he had to stay by Akito's side. He told me that, when Akito was conceived, he, Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame had a dream where God announced that they would meet soon. It was a very intense dream that made them cry. Ritsu was too young to remember it. They went to see Ren, Akito's mother, who threatened to abort if her daughter wasn't raised as a boy. I also know that Ren and Akito hate each other intensely."

Don't mention the curse; that's not your secret. Soon, very soon, Kureno will tell them, I'm sure of it…

"Ren…" Rin repeated. "She's the one who told me to go look for the box in Akito's room. She said she would explain how to lift the curse… but she needed the box." She trembled at the memory. Haru wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"The box?" he asked gently. "What box?"

"There's a box in Akito's room that supposedly can lift the curse. That's what Ren told me. But it's a lie. There's nothing like that in the box. I don't know what's in it, but it has nothing to do with us. I found myself caught in a battle I didn't understand."

"That's why we have to go to the Manor tomorrow," Yuki said. "To understand. And then, maybe, we'll be free."

"Or at least we'll know what's really happening and what game we're pawns in," Kyo grumbled.

The front door slammed. Everyone fell silent. Yuki and Kyo stood and looked out the window. They saw Shigure leaving the house, dressed in jeans and a black jacket.

"Where is he going like that in the middle of the night?" Yuki wondered aloud, half to himself.

"Who?" Momiji asked.

"Shigure," Kyo replied. "He just left. It's almost midnight." He turned to Yuki. "Do you think we should follow him?"

Yuki grimaced. "That wouldn't be very wise. Imagine if he saw us. Besides, he's an adult. He can go out whenever he wants."

"Let's hope he doesn't do anything stupid," Kyo sighed, moving away from the window.

Yuki gave a sad smile and watched Shigure's silhouette disappear into the darkness.

"He might do something stupid. But it will all be calculated."

End of Chapter 4

Author's Note : The next chapter will focus on Shigure and his nocturnal destination—or rather, his destinations.

A darker Shigure…