Panacea [A Fruits Basket Fanfiction]

緣分 (1)

緣分 /yuán fèn/ - fate or chance that brings people together

Sohma Momiji: From the moment Momiji was born, Mayumi loved him. Even if he was the rabbit zodiac and their mother rejected him, he was her brother and she had decided that she would not abandon him. When their mother went into one of her less hysterical episodes, Mayumi was there to comfort Momiji. Momiji wished to learn how to play the violin after listening to her play for him. They even had the same violin teacher, up until Mayumi quit a few years later after he started, courtesy to Akito's demand.

Sohma Momo: Mayumi adores her little sister just as much as she loves Momiji. Momo has a habit of clinging onto either Mayumi or their mother and she is often mistaken for Mayumi's daughter whenever they go out.

Their mother: Mayumi was born very early, when her parents were still in college, but her mother still loved her very much. She has a very close relationship with her daughter as her firstborn child and coddled her very much when she was young. When Momiji was born, her rejection hurt Mayumi. Because of how much Momiji looked like Mayumi when she was still a child, she needed something to distinguish between her two children and in the end, Mayumi would let down her hair because her's was straight while Momiji had curly hair. After her breakdowns worsened, Mayumi would go to their mother and witnessing her go down that spiral had implanted a seed of fear inside of her. When their mother had tried to take her life that particular night, she had been present and witnessing that scene had given her trauma. But because she had chosen to get rid of her memories of Momiji, Mayumi always felt relieved and guilty whenever she would spend time with their mother. Relieved because she was back to normal, but guilty because she knew Momiji would never be able to experience something like this.

Sohma Akito: Because of her innate nurturing nature, Akito becomes very close to her in the absence of any other motherly love. Mayumi is the only female that Akito doesn't hate, in fact, Akito develops almost an obsessive attachment to her, especially after the incident with Kureno. Akito just wants her to keep on giving her unconditional love to Akito, even at the expense of Mayumi's bonds with others. When Akito was conceived, for some reason, Mayumi reacted in the same way as the four zodiac members, even though she wasn't one herself.

Sohma Shigure: The two of them have a very deep bond that traces back to their origins as childhood friends. But because of how deeply affected she was from when Shigure used her in his scheme, their friendship was compromised and now she can't even look him in the eye. He does regret what happened whenever they see each other, but he's also jealous of how Akito goes to her for comfort first. Of course, these things don't stop her from checking in on him and Yuki at their house, for she still values the friendship and is hoping that she can move past it someday.

Sohma Hatori: As the two have their history of being friends since early childhood, they are very close. Mayumi treats him like a brother and he treats her like a sister, she always thought he was very cool and collected, which was how Mayumi imagined an older brother to be like. When they were still in school and in the student council, she and Hatori were usually the ones cleaning up after Ayame. Mayumi still feels guilty because she was the one who had encouraged the advancement of Hatori and Kana's relationship, even though he doesn't blame her for it.

Sohma Ayame: While his flamboyant nature contrasts Mayumi's tranquil disposition, the two get along great. Sometimes, she adds some of her ideas and gives Ayame tips for his clothing store(he always appreciates this as they sell very well to his customers.) In high school, Mayumi was very close to having mental breakdowns with Hatori as she was the secretary and he was the vice president of the student council, because of Ayame's impulsive behavior and tendencies. When Mayumi found out about how he treated Yuki, they had an argument and they ended up not speaking for a year. But in the end, she played a monumental role in letting him have a second chance with Yuki. He sees her in a similar light as Hatori, admiring the traits that she has that he lacks.

Sohma Kureno: When they were children, since they were closer in age, the two of them had a closer bond with each other. Both Kureno and Mayumi reciprocate romantic feelings for the other, but the status of their relationship is not explicit. Since their relationship is a bit complicated, they say that they're lovers in simple terms. Even though Akito is aware of this, it doesn't seem like a problem because Akito knows that they will come back, it's practically a guarantee due to their character.

Honda Tohru: Mayumi treats Tohru like a little sister and worries about her since she lives in a house full of males by herself. Tohru looks forward to whenever she would meet with the older woman. Mayumi was happy and relieved when she found out that Akito allowed Tohru to stay with Shigure and the others, but also apprehensive about the decision.

Sohma Yuki: When Akito would spend time with Yuki, Mayumi was often almost always present. Yuki was both amazed and in fear of her when he stayed inside the compound because of how she was able to deal with Akito. Mayumi found out about what happened between him and Ayame, and Yuki heard about their fight unintentionally in secret. Yuki sank deeper into his depression because he thought he was the sole reason that the two close friends split up in conflict. Mayumi was the reason that Yuki never went into total despondency and she saved him when he was subjected to the psychological torture by Akito.

Sohma Kyo: Mayumi would visit Kyo when she would go to Kazuma's dojo and she treated him with kindness. As a child, he clung onto Mayumi whenever they would see each other. He was the one who started calling her "Yumi-nee" and this carried on even into the future. After the death of his mother and the public denunciation by his father, Mayumi had asked Kazuma to take him in.