𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 | Fruits Basket FF

(12)

She watched as the doctor took her now empty plate and placed it into the sink. He then grabbed two mugs and a pair of tea bags before plopping them into the mugs before pouring hot water into them.

"Hatori-san?" She begun.

He placed one mug in front of her and hummed a sound.

She was silent for a moment and this caused Hatori to glance at her curiously in her delay.

"What's Shigure-san's main goal?"

The doctor looked at her surprised.

She stared at her mug and watched the steam come out of it. The truth is, she was too afraid to look at him. She felt like she dropped a bomb from the silence and tension that was emitting from him, and she wondered if he would accuse her for eavesdropping.

"Were we too loud?" He questioned.

"I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop. There was a lot of noise coming from the other side of the door a-and I thought something was wrong, b-but you don't have to answer—" She tried to explain herself before she was cut short.

"He wants to break the curse." Hatori answered, quicker than she'd expected.

Then she finally met his purple eyes as his words repeated in her head.

"I don't understand.." She trailed off.

Hatori sighed inwardly. "The reasoning behind his desire to break the curse is almost selfish. And he doesn't care who he involves or hurts as long as he gets what he wants."

"So you mean.. with me.."

"Yes. One of the main reasons why Akito had called for you yesterday was... partially his doing. I am at fault as well, as I couldn't stop it or protect you, and for that I'm deeply sorry."

Ichika pondered for a moment as the pieces of the puzzle begun to fit in her head and came to the conclusion that she could not fully trust Shigure after hearing this new information.

After all, she was starting to see Shigure in a different light. One that was that was dim and hard to see.

Rather than being angry that he had somewhat used her according to Hatori, she was more so scared of Shigure. It was if he was hard to predict. Cunning.

"Breaking the curse.. sounds almost impossible. I don't understand Shigure-san at all," Ichika stated.

Her eyes dropped to the floor.

If there was really a way to break the curse, why now? Why not generations ago? Why were they cursed in the first place? Why them?

"Are you alright, Ichika?" Hatori's voice snapped her from her somber thoughts for the second time today. "You're starting to look pale."

She smiled weakly. "I-It's just a lot to take in."

She suddenly felt a large cold hand resting on her forehead and she could feel the skip of her heartbeat. She watched Hatori check over her body temperature to conclude afterwards that she wasn't growing a fever.

"You're right though," The dark-haired man started, returning back to the topic. He sighed and leant back against the bench, crossing his arms and the expression on his face seemed distant. "Even I find it hard to understand Shigure sometimes."

Ichika silently observed him and noticed a speck of sadness is his eyes. It seems that Shigure was more of a complex character than she thought, and Hatori having already noticed this made her sympathetic.

She could tell how much he cared for Shigure even though he liked to brush him off or got irritated quickly from his silly antics. Even though he didn't like to show that he cared.. or maybe that he found it hard to.

This reminded her a little herself and how she was towards her little brother. In the past nineteen years, there was always a tug of war in her head where she either kept pushing him away or accepted him. It was a cycle. She found it hard to return his affections and put some distance between them. But there was also times where she let him in.

She wasn't a very good sister to him.

But unlike her, Hatori was different. He shows his care for others in his own little ways, something that Ichika couldn't do herself. It's evident from the countless things he's already done for her.

He was a deeply kind and gentle person than what he portrays himself to be.