Fruits Basket Prompts

46. It Wasn't Meaningless Part 2

A/N: I was second-guessing to write a part 2, but then you guys wanted it... and ta-da! I'm happy and excited to serve! Love you all! Enjoy!

It's been sixty-five days since Kyo's confinement.

Each day Tohru's patience runs thin. She wants to see Kyo so bad. Staring at his photos till she falls asleep isn't enough anymore.

Technically, she can go see him. By sneaking in. No one would notice. No one is guarding the door to the Cat's room. Even Kyo could run away if he wants to. But why he won't is a mystery to Tohru. Maybe it's the power Akito has over him.

It's her birthday today. Her nineteenth birthday. Without Mom. Without Kyo. She misses them both so much.

Just her two friends come over to her small rundown apartment to wish her with a birthday cake and Yuki wishes her through the phone. That's it.

None of the other zodiacs contact her anymore, and she doesn't either because she isn't supposed to know them anymore. Her memory alteration lets her remember Kyo and Yuki because she has enough photo evidences and they were in the same class and almost everyone at school knew about her dating Kyo and being good friends with Yuki. Therefore, she rolls with that information, pretending according to that.

Yuki lives in the main estate now and goes to a university chosen by the Sohmas. The same goes for the others. Tied by the tight bond of the curse.

Except for Momiji and Hiro. Of course, Kureno, but he still stays with Akito. Their curses are broken. And recently, while sneaking around the main estate, she heard whispers that Ayame's curse broke as well.

Tohru thinks it's slightly unfair. It's not that she's not happy for them. But Kyo's curse is the one that really needed to be broken before spring. Why is everything always so unfair for Kyo?

Even now, why won't it break? Even if did break, will Akito let Kyo go? No, she doesn't have to. Kyo can defy Akito then, he doesn't have to listen to her. That's why she needs to focus on breaking the curse for now.

No matter how much Tohru looks through the old Sohma documents related to the curse, there's nothing she can find about breaking the curse. She just wants—

"Okay, Tohru! Make a wish!" Arisa grins, holding the birthday cake in front of Tohru, while Saki smiles.

Tohru manages to smile and blows the candles, closing her eyes and clasping her hands.

I wish Kyo-kun would be free...

She has made the same wish three times now—on two new years eve and her last birthday. She wants to add another one this time.

And I want to see him.

Tohru opens her eyes and displays a bright smile for her friends.

While she hates any form of celebration at the moment, she can't disrespect her friends' hard work to arrange all these for her. So she cuts the cake and eats the takeout they brought for lunch, all the while never dropping her cheerful demeanor.

Since it's a weekend, Arisa and Saki had wanted to stay the night, but Tohru politely turned them down with the excuse of a headache. She can't keep her mask on for that long, and there's something she wants to do today...

So after they leave, Tohru stares at the leftover cake.

Taking a determined breath, she cuts a slice of it and sets it in a small box, putting it along with a fork in a small bag. She puts her hair in a high ponytail and sets out in the clothes she was already wearing.

She walks the six blocks distance at a brisk pace and reaches the small hole in the wall. Putting her lips in a thin line, she crawls inside.

She carefully goes through the path she regularly uses, passing by the back of the traditional houses into the bamboo forest which leads to a small cottage.