Reign watched her mom set down the tea set and her dad brought out some snacks. The two seemed to be overjoyed to finally see the person they've heard so much about; the only outsider to know the family secret and not have their memory wiped. Reign let out a sigh and watched the door anxiously. Her parents were also excited to see Rin since she used to be stuck to Reign like glue when she was a kid. It was like welcoming back home their second daughter.
"Do you think we prepared too much dear?" her mom asked her father.
"No. I think it's a good amount. We haven't had visitors in so long since Reign and Hatori last visited."
Reign's heart clenched and she fidgeted with her hands as her father said his name, unaware of their current situation.
"Speaking of Hatori," her mother spoke. "He came by and dropped off some fruit. We were surprised you weren't with him."
Reign turned to them and smiled, lowering her head as she did so. "I wasn't feeling too well when he came to visit. I told him it was fine to give them to you himself."
Reign's father sat down. "How has things been going between you two?"
"It's been well." she lied. "We've been seeing each other less because of work but it's still good."
"I'm glad. You two are still young so you'll be fine." her mom said, her tone calm and soothing.
Reign couldn't wait till Tohru and Rin got here so they could get off the subject of her and Hatori. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang and her mom got up to open the door. It was, in fact, Tohru and Rin. Reign and her dad stood and waited for her mom to bring them into the living room. Rin covered herself up more than she usually would since she was visiting Reign's parents and Tohru looked the same as always.
"Isuzu!" Reign's father exclaimed as he rushed towards her to give her a side hug.
"Haven't you grown up! Your hair is as long as Reign's now!"
Rin blushed and smiled. "Nice to see you too Mr. Yuto."
Reign's dad let go of Rin and greeted Tohru with a bow that she returned back instantly.
"Nice to finally meet you. I'm Yuto Soma and that's my dear wife Haeyeon Soma."he introduced.
Tohru came up slowly and had a confused expression on her face. "Haeyeon?"
Reign's mom stood beside her father and smiled sweetly at Tohru. "I'm from South Korea. We moved here after having Reign and finding out that she's a zodiac."
"So you're half Korean and half Japanese, Reign?" Tohru questioned.
Reign nodded. "Surprising isn't it? Most can't believe it until they see my mom."
"No wonder you look different compared to the others!"
Reign's father laughed. "Oh Reign you should've introduced us sooner. She's a delight."
"Anyways," Reign dragged out. "Mom prepared some fruit and drinks for everyone. Shall we sit down and eat?"
Everyone agreed and they all sat down. Reign didn't talk much as her parents talked to Tohru and Rin. She didn't exactly need to since everyone could have the conversation flow without her input. She didn't say much until Tohru brought up how she's seen all the zodiacs in their animal form except her. Reign set down the apple slice she was about to eat and looked around the table.
"You still haven't shown her?" her mom asked, a giggle in her voice.
"No. That's why I brought her here today. Dad can you hug me?"
He chuckled before hugging her. The instant he did, red smoke filled the space and once it cleared, a white fox with red eyes appeared in her fathers arms. Reign got comfortable in his arms and ultimately let out one bark after transforming.
"That's our little white fox." her dad said proudly as he rubbed her head softly.
"Has she always been in your arms like that when transformed?" Tohru asked curiously.
Her dad nodded. "When she was just a few minutes old and I went to hold her, she transformed and was just a little baby fox in my arms sleeping soundly. She's still that same baby fox."
"Wasn't it surprising though when she first transformed?"
Reign's mom lightly tapped Reign's nose as she responded to Tohru. "Of course it was. My little baby transformed into a fox when her father held her. We were alarmed but never repulsed. We have an expression in Korean that's used often when we see something surprising or unexpected, 헐. I said that the moment she transformed back into our baby when her father handed her to me."
"Then if I may ask, how did you two come back here?"
Reign wriggled in dads arms and opened her eyes as she stood up in his arms. She looked at Tohru and tilted her head.
"I'll tell you the last bit." she said. "My parents called the family head to tell him of the incident and they were told to immediately come back to Japan. Luckily, there were three other Soma's who were born the same year as me and they were also part of the zodiac. The transition was easy but I had a hard time learning Japanese since my parents only spoke Korean when it was just us."
Reign's father rubbed her head and chuckled. "I'm sorry Reign. We're part of the reason you got scolded so much when you were younger. It was easier on your mom to speak Korean."
"All is forgiven that's forgotten." Reign said. "So don't remind me."
Everyone laughed at her and she herself smiled. Reign's mom gathered her clothes and took Reign into the bathroom so she could transform back. Reign could here their conversations from where she was and she was happy everyone was getting along so well. It was a breath of fresh air to her, especially at this current moment in time.
She transformed back into a human and got dressed, checking over her hair once before joining them. She didn't want to be gone for too long so her parents could gossip about her as a child and tell embarrassing stories. When she did go back out there, Tohru invited her to the schools festival where her class would be doing a play. Reign accepted and said she'd show. The play title intrigued her; Cinderella-ish.
*
A few days had passed and Hikaru had finally went into labor. Hikaru wanted a home birth and Reign had no problem doing so. She tied her hair up, wore her scrubs, gloves, and closed toed shoes. Reign brought more than just her doctors bag to Hikaru's this time around and was thoroughly prepared for a home birth. The couple had a pool in the house that Hikaru would lay in as she was giving birth.
When Reign checked on Hikaru the instant she got there, she was already dilated at five centimeters. She would need to start pushing at ten and from the looks of it, it wouldn't take long to get there. Despite having painful contractions Hikaru didn't scream out in pain and only made a pained face. The only thing Reign could do was reassure her nothing was wrong down below as her husband gave her all the support she needed.
"When should I get in the pool?" Hikaru asked, breathing through a contraction.
"At nine centimeters." Reign replied, checking the baby's heartbeat with her stethoscope. "That way you won't be wet for too long nor feel more discomfortable than you do right now."
Her husband sighed. "Thank you Reign, genuinely."
Reign smiled. "It's my job. But you guys should be happy, you finally found out what you're having!"
Hikaru smiled weakly. "I know. I've been thinking about that all day. I'm excited."
"I'm sure Rei is just as excited. She's been saying wanted a little brother for a while." her husband said, rubbing her temple.
"I thought she wanted a sister." Reign said, taking her gloves off.
He shrugged. "She goes back and forth. The last thing she said before leaving this morning was that she wanted a baby brother."
"Cute." Reign said smiling.
After two hours of contractions, Hikaru finally started pushing after dilating to ten. She was pushing for an hour before finally Reign delivered their baby boy. There wasn't any complications with the birth, baby, nor mother. The baby cried instantly after getting pushed out, lungs were healthy, and umbilical cord not tangled anywhere. Reign let the dad cut the cord after she marked it.
Reign left their house late that day and planned to return back early in the morning to give instructions on recovery and when to call her in case they were worried about something. She expected to be called for the first week which was normal but they're second time parents so she was probably being overly cautious. After nearly three days, Reign gave the clear for Hikaru to finally start recovering on her own without the help of her as a doctor unless she needed it.
Though it wasn't their first time as parents to a newborn, they were quite nervous which Reign tried to ease. She told them to call her immediately if anything was wrong with Hikaru or the baby. When Reign returned home that day, she collapsed onto her bed. She was beyond tired and didn't want to get up to do anything else for at least a week. She had been so busy that she didn't even have time to wrap her head around the fact that her and Hatori were still on a break.
She couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The only thing she knew was that she wanted to go to bed and not have anyone wake her up.
*
"Do you know what class is doing the play called Cinderella-ish?" Reign asked some people standing outside the gate of the kids school.
Many of the people she asked she stared at her with no intention of giving a response which made the task even harder but some answered her question with a sorrowful expression since they couldn't help. Reign didn't ask again until she was actually inside the school gate and on school grounds. She saw a group of kids and asked them when they finally told her. She thanked them and turned around to enter the building.
As she went further and further in the more stares she received. Reign was used to it but it did feel unsettling since there was a possibility she could transform if someone accidentally bumped into her. She saw a familiar figure but only sped up to see if it was actually who she thought it was. When she confirmed who it was, she tapped them.
"What are you doing here?" Reign asked, moving her hair behind her ear.
"I could ask you the same thing." Kazuma replied, smiling softly.
Reign smiled. "I'm here to see the kids play."
"What a coincidence, I am too."
"Then shall we find good spots?" Reign asked him as they continued to walk.
He nodded and led the way. He seemed familiar with the school which put Reign at ease. The two decided on seats not too far but not too close to the stage since Kazuma didn't want Kyo to know that he was there. The curtains on the stage were closed and looked like they had no intention of opening just yet. Reign took a deep breath which made Kazuma suddenly look at her as if something was wrong.
"I heard you delivered a baby the other day. Congratulations." he said, attempting to get her mind of off whatever made her sigh so deeply.
Reign smiled and closed her eyes. "Thank you. I've been quite tired these last few days since it happened but I had already told Tohru I'd come here so I'm fulfilling my promise."
Kazuma chuckled softly. "I commend you. Our family doctor does her job well."
"Ha ha," Reign said mockingly. "But thank you. It's been taxing but it was my first delivery in a while."
"I hope you rest well after such a taxing experience. I'm glad you got it though. The birth of a child is special for everyone involved." he said softly.
Reign smiled and nodded. "I agree." she said as the curtains on the stage beginning to open.
*
"Shall we go greet them backstage?" Kazuma asked as the both of the stood up.
"I have no problem with that. Let's go." Reign replied.
The two walked backstage and ran into several of the kids classmates. They bowed their heads a bit in acknowledgment to not be rude but continued walking nonetheless. Once they reached the actual stage itself, Reign appeared first, shocking many on stage.
"Nice play. It was really Cinderella-ish." Reign said as she walked towards Yuki.
"Reign?" Yuki questioned. "You're here?"
Tohru chuckled awkwardly. "I invited her the other day. I'm surprised you came."
"I wouldn't dare miss it." Reign replied to Tohru.
"I agree." Kazuma said calmly, walking towards Kyo. "You all did a good job."
Kyo's eyes widened and he stiffened. "What are you doing here?!" he screamed.
Kazuma chuckled softly and patted his head. "I'm here to see you in a play. I think you did great."
Kyo yelled some more at Kazuma while Reign became acquainted to Tohru's two other friends, Hanajima and Uotani.
"Who's this?" Uotani asked Tohru.
"Indeed who is this?" Hanajima chimes in. "She gives off the same waves as the other Soma's. Is she one as well?"
Reign bowed her head and moved her hair out of her face. "I am a Soma. I think you've seen me before at the culture festival. I'm Reign Soma; a family doctor."
Hanajima's eyes widened for a second before going back to normal. "Your waves are much softer compared to everyone else's. Strange."
"Forget about the waves," said Uotani. "Your hair and eyes are amazing. You look like a total foreigner."
Reign eyed Uotani. "I'm not a foreigner but I am half Japanese and half Korean."
Uotani grinned widely. "Really? You Soma's are interesting."
"Should I take that as a compliment?" Reign asked with a laugh.
She nodded. "Of course."
Reign turned to Yuki and saw that he was eyeing her as if something was wrong.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked.
Yuki squinted. "You seem, how do I put it? Sad? Upset? Something of those two natures."
Reign's smile dropped. "I'll be honest, I haven't been in the best mood as of late but nothing for anyone to be concerned about." she reassured quickly. "Also, tell your brother I said thank you. I haven't seen him in a few days but he'll know what I'm talking about."
Yuki gave her a confused look but Reign chuckled at it before saying her goodbyes. She was exhausted and wanted some time to herself now. When Reign got home she immediately got into the shower and got into pajamas. She walked downstairs and fixed herself some tea that would help her to fall asleep and sat in the kitchen, looking out the window.
There wasn't anything special about looking outside at nighttime but she couldn't help but zone out as she did so. The fact that it was nothing special had something special within it. It was a moment of peace that she hadn't had lately. It was soothing for her since the last week had been hectic. She rejoiced in the fact that it was just simply dark outside with nothing to complicate it.
The was broken out of her zoning out time when there was a sudden knock at her door. Reign got up and looked to see who it was through her camera and it eas Hatori. She felt stressed the moment she saw him and didn't want to open the door but his knocking didn't seize. Reign opened the door with a sigh and lowered her head, not wanting to make eye contact with him.
"Do you need something?" she asked coldly.
He was quiet for a moment before speaking. "May I come in? This shouldn't be said for everyone to hear nor see."
Reign contemplated but let him in anyway. She opened the door wider and he walked in. Reign shut the and locked the door behind him and walked into the kitchen where her tea sat on the island.
"What is you needed to talk to me about?" asked Reign, turning her back to him.
He didn't say anything, rather he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to the point that she couldn't breathe. Reign struggled in his grip and tried to remove his hands but he wouldn't budge.
"Hatori Soma!" she said through gritted teeth. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Let me stay like this." he said softly. "Just for a little bit."
Reign turned around in his grip and saw his face. Though she tried to avoid looking at his eyes, she looked anyway. His eyes were soft and were covered with sadness. It made her heart hurt but she couldn't be swayed. Reign made herself snap out of it and slapped him. He let her go and Reign stared at her hand. It was stinging but there wasn't a bruise. Hatori backed away from her but his eyes didn't once leave hers.
"What gives you the right," she said shakily, her breathing uneven. "To come and hug me? Absolutely nothing!"
"Reign," he cooed. "It's been a week. We need to talk."
Reign chuckled dryly. "Talk? What do we have to talk about? There's nothing for us to talk about until you tell me that you want to tell Akito about our relationship. Until that time comes, I'll act independently and you can do the same."
Hatori felt his cheek and winced at the pain before removing his hand. "I can't."
"Oh, you can. You can go and find someone to waste time with if you want because then maybe, just maybe, you'll be more open to them than you are with me." Reign spat.
"You don't mean that." he denied as he approached her. "I know you don't."
"Then what do I mean?!" she screamed.
Hatori didn't speak and only left Reign in silence. He continued to walk towards her before pulling her into another tight hug. Reign fought it but couldn't get out of it. Hatori put one hand on the back of her head and the other around her waist. The hand on the back of her head was to put her head into his chest while the other was to pull her into him.
"Why do you never answer me?!" she cried. "You always leave me in silence, confusion, and in the dark. When will you finally be on the same page as me?"
Hatori still didn't answer her but held her all the same. Reign hit his chest with her fists until she felt it wasn't doing any good anymore before crying. She gripped onto his shirt tightly and cried.
"The last time I cried it wasn't you that held me. Do you know who it was?" she asked tearfully.
"Who?" Hatori responded softly.
She sniffled. "Ayame, because you left. Because you want to stay in the past. Because you don't want to move forward with me."
Hatori sighed and loosened the hold he had on her slightly. "I never said I didn't want to move forward. Just not right now."
"Isn't that the same as not wanting to move forward?!" she yelled.
"It's not the same." he said calmly, no sense of anger in his voice.
"Then let me ask you just one question." she asked, bringing her head up to look at him with a tear-stained face. "Throughout these months of us dating, have you ever considered the possibility of marrying me and starting a family?"
He didn't answer right away and that made Reign sick to her stomach. The lack of urgency with his reply made her lower her head and tears stream down her face.
"You can go." she said so quietly he almost missed it. "I'll leave you alone now so I'll expect you to do the same."
"I don't want to bring a child into this family because of our curse. Our child would be treated poorly by the inner family. If it's a boy, he won't be able to hug you, if it's a girl, she won't be able to me."
Reign shoved him away and tried to stop her tears before speaking. "I'm a zodiac and I hug both of my parents!"
"You transform every time you hug your father! I don't want that!" he said, his voice rising with authority.
"Well, it's not like it matters anymore if we have kids or get married. You've given me your answer a long while ago. We won't tell the family head about our relationship, we won't get married, we won't have kids, and you dislike the idea of us having kids because we would transform if they hugged one of us." she summed up, wiping the tears off her face. "Since the lines have been drawn like this, how about we end it here, for good?"
Hatori sighed and rubbed his temple. "I don't agree. Lines have been drawn but that doesn't mean those lines are permanent. You're just impatient and trying to rush me into something that I'm not ready for."
Reign gripped her hair tightly and crouched onto the floor. "I can't keep doing this. Every time we meet we argue and I end up crying! What good is a relationship like this?"
"When you grow up and finally realize why I have these concerns, then come find me. I won't bother, visit, nor speak of you, alright?" Hatori said taking a deep breath and running his hands throughout his hair. "I didn't mean to make you cry but I don't regret anything I've said today."
Reign stood up and wiped her eyes, glaring at him fiercely. "I don't either. I stand by everything that I've said."
Hatori smirked. "Then we'll leave it at that. Sorry for disrupting your night, I'll be taking my leave now."
Reign didn't say anything and watched him leave. She wanted to scream but restrained it. She wanted to break everything in her house but stopped herself. This simple situation took a turn for the worst by a mere few words she had spoken due to her immaturity and stubbornness. Everything was her fault. With the guilt rising in her throat, she cried again. She sat on the floor with her back against the island before crying so hard that she fell asleep.