Her Otherworldly Smile (Kyo⨯OC; Yuki⨯OC)

「Chapter 20」

"Um, hello. Are you okay, ma'am?" Tohru tries, clearly worried.

"AHHH! PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME!" the woman shouts, latching onto Tohru's hands.

"YES, MA'AM!" Tohru shrieks.

The woman immediately collapses again, leaving everyone stunned.

"Are you okay?" Tohru asks for the second time when she manages to get over her shock.

"Yes, I'm fine," she says. "Allow me to show you to your room."

"If you're sure..." Tohru responds, worried again.

The concierge nods mistily, standing up with ease despite how many times she's collapsed already. With a look back at us, she says, "Follow me."

I look at Kyo, but he's dutifully not looking at me, staring at the concierge with an eye-roll.

Momiji follows her without questioning it, grabbing Tohru's hand and pulling her along with him. Aly smiles a little and goes along, so I follow behind her.

Unlike the outside, the inside is completely different from Shigure's place. Old oil paintings are hanging on the walls—some of cherry blossom trees, others of Emperors, a few of koi and plants—and add color to the rooms along with the plants decorating certain spaces of the hallways. We pass an enclosed garden that has a pond of koi fish in the center of lavenders, tulips, and sunflowers, greatly outshining the garden out front.

I take it back: this place is pretty.

"The hot spring lady is a Sohma too, but she gets sick a lot, so she stays here for the health benefits. She owns this place," Momiji explains, pulling me from the gorgeous decorating.

"Yes, I'm sorry for frightening you earlier. I'm Okami Sohma." She turns to look at us, smiling, and I can't tell if it looks like a pained smile because she doesn't feel good or if it's because she's forcing it. I guess it could be both, but...

"My name is Tohru. Nice to meet you," Tohru returns. "And please don't worry about me; your health is the most important thing."

"What a kind girl. Thank you," she says genuinely. "I had hoped that Master Shigure would come too, but I suppose his work would be time consuming..."

"Yes. He has to finish the manuscripts for two more books," Yuki explains.

She sighs. "I see. I was hoping we could catch up."

"We'll send him your regards," Aly pipes in.

"I appreciate it," she says, sliding open a door to our left. "Here are your rooms."

The room is big, even bigger than our room at Shigure's. A table is set in the center with chairs on either side of it, an activity book on top. Futons and pillows are stacked in a corner, right next to a side table with more interesting artwork on it.

"Looks so comfy!" Momiji cheers.

"And the girls' room is right next door," Okami continues.

"Hey," Kyo interrupts. "You wouldn't put me and that damn Yuki in the same room, right?"

She laughs breathlessly. "Are you two still fighting? Well then, please relax: you can separate the room with a screen."

"That's not the problem here!" he hisses. "In a big place like this, I should've have to—"

"You're just saying that because you actually want to stay in the same room as Skylar, right?" Momiji says innocently—too innocently.

"Pervert," Yuki mutters.