"Pass your tests up now!" the teacher demands, trying to sound cool but the gesture is lost on the rest of us. I lazily pass forward the test as asked, slumping forward and banging my head on the desk in the same motion.
"I feel very good!" I hear Tohru exclaim behind me. "Because I got a lot of answers right! It's all because Yuki helped me understand everything at home, even though he had to study too..."
"You give me too much credit," Yuki says. I bet he's pulling the smile-with-your-eyes-closed-so-you-can-show-off-your-long-ass-eyelashes move, effectively swooning all the girls in the room, riling up his fan club, and just making Tohru smile back.
"So, what'd you get, bird-brain?" Yuki leans over my desk. I assume he does since there's a shadow.
"Hey, class rep, shouldn't you be on top of these things? Or did you forget how to read? Don't come at me now, you're going to be one sore lo--" I mock, while Nanami stifles any more insults that could come out of my mouth.
She smiles pleasantly, looking to Yuki who expects an answer for this hostile outburst. "She's the top ofouryear, remember?" She grips me harder, looking down with that sadistic smile of hers. "Why don't you give a blunt answer? Insults in this environment are even worse than bragging."
Her indication means the fan club, which I turn to look at with too much exasperation to fear for my life today. I'm not a rival, and on top of that, I'm a Sohma close to the prince who they aren't allowed to touch by regular means. More and more these days, Yuki and I's deal of staying away seems to be falling apart as our friends all get pushed together.
"Honda!" the teacher calls.
Tohru goes outside suddenly, talking to her for a couple moments before bowing her head in thanks, leaving us to question what just went on. She even looks a little dismayed, raising further questions. It's not like she did bad on her test? No, she just said she did well...
She comes back over in a trance and full of giggles. "I-- Uh, actually, I'm going to take a part-time job!" she says.
Kaito is visiting me at work, resisting the urge to comment on my stupid little work visor and pigtails at the coffee shop kiosk. I work till most of the time, because getting a small girl in a tinier skirt really works the allure on most people.
I bag up deliveries while there's no customers to serve. "Why did you come here? I thought you would have soccer practice, or some other extra-curricular.
"I do! I'm just more interested in seeing you. I hardly get to speak to you at school because we're in different classes, you've picked up managing for the track team during lunch hours too, and you work or train after school, so I decided it's better to catch you at work. Oh-- I hope I'm not distracting you," Kaito says. "At the top of our class, I for sure thought you would be doing more school but you're spread thin like this as is."
"Not really. I pick up these shifts to get out of the house. Track team is temporarily, their old manager is graduating and wanted my help finding girls in our year to take over," I say. "Do you have a job at all? Or are your parents filthy rich, with all the nice clothes you wear outside of school?"
His eyes drift. "You could say that... Not filthy, but I'm also good about spending my money! I'm really good with thrift finds. They work a lot, so usually it's just me and my brothers."
"How many?" It does intrigue me to know how deep the frying pan is.
"Three."
Yikes.
"They all big like you, "small guy"?"
"Yup."
By no means is Kaito small. Whenever he said that, I'm sure he was referring to something more lewd. Bigger Yikes.
"Do you want me to walk you home?"
"Oh, no. It's alright, Yuki is coming to pick me up--well, he's being forced to." I wave my hand. "Our house is out in the woods, it might scare you, since it's one like out of the horror films. Wolves howling and all."
I wave him goodbye at the end of my shift, walking with Yuki off to Tohru's work. There we meet her and Momiji, to my annoyance, and head home.
I wave at Megumi, who looks happy to see Momiji again. I sigh, escaping the huge cutesy-doodle fest they were about to have by heading to my bedroom. I toss my bag onto the futon, taking fresh clothes and a towel before heading to the shower. Where Kyo is just walking out of.
"Why do you look in a bad mood?" he growls, as I push past him into the bathroom.
"Momiji came," I reply, sliding the door shut in his face. I take my quick shower before coming downstairs, sitting at the kotatsu while braiding my wet hair. I pause. "Where's Tohru?"
"She went to bathe first, in the downstairs bathroom."
Momiji bubbly awaits his turn to speak, an innocent play to cover his impatience. My glare is somehow his cue.
"My classmates brought in a joke book today. There was one called "The World's Stupidest Tourist,"" he tells us. "Once upon a time there was this foolish traveler who had gone on a journey. Why was he foolish? Well because he was fooled by everyone he'd met. Everywhere he went people made up all kinds of sad stories to tell him, and the traveler fell for every one of them. Pretty soon his money, his clothes, even his shoes had been cheated away from him, but the foolish traveler was always glad to help and he always told people the same thing; I wish you happiness. But by this point, the traveler was completely naked and nothing left to cover himself he decided to leave the main road and travel through the dense forest where no one can see him. But soon he was discovered by the goblins that lived in the woods. The goblins wanted to eat the traveler's body! So they begged and pleaded and used kind words to try and trick him. Of course, the traveler was fooled. First he let the goblins eat one of his legs, then arm, then more and more. After it was over all the traveler had left was his head. He'd even given his eyes away to the last of the goblins. And as the last goblin was eating the traveler's eyes, he turned and said, "Thank you, traveller. In return, I leave you this present." All the goblin left was this piece of paper with the word fool written on it. The traveler couldn't see it, he didn't know what it was. Even so, tears began to float out of his face. "Thank you," he said, "This is the first present anyone's ever given me, I'm so happy!" Even without his eyes, he cryed with tears of joy. Then, the traveler died, the smile still on his face."
I whistle by the end of it. "That's a pretty long joke. And not very funny."
"Well," Momiji closes his eyes blissfully, "doesn't it remind you of someone?"
"Still not funny. Someone who is giving of themselves isn't a fool."
Apparently, we're also going on vacation to the hot springs tomorrow.
I reluctantly am dragged to a bus that will take us to the hot springs without Nanami for a whole weekend.. My hands get all sweaty and I am fidgeting in my seat, drumming my hands on the window when my face was pressed against it and keep shifting my armrest. I changed seats and take frequent pee breaks.
Then Kyo grabs me, forcing me into my seat. "Chill out! It's one weekend without your best friend, you've lived your whole life without her popping up every second like she does!"
"In the time I've known Kuroi-chan she's never liked it when people poke in and out of her life," Tohru remarks with a smile. "I admire that she's not willing to let people go so easily."
I smile at Tohru, my nerves calming just a little. "I've got you, nee-san. I'll try to calm down. I didn't mean to seem ungrateful without her coming along. I'm very happy to go with you... and by extension Momiji. The rest of you boys... not so much."
We arrive at the Hot Springs resort, stepping to the rice paper doors as a woman with dripping mascara collapses a the door in front of us, wide eyes and spirit looking. "We..We...We... Wel... Come," she says, sending shivers down my spine. "Please En--En.. Enjoy your stay!!"
"Okay!" we cry back as she leans into our faces at the top of our lungs. Hostess Meshyou is as terrifying as I remember when I was a child.
I and Tohru are to share a room with Momiji, quite sketchy, as noted by Kyo.
"I thought it's okay to share with Momiji since he is younger," Tohru remarked and I crane my neck at her like an owl.
"Hoo-hoo! Momiji is my age," I remark.
"Yes, that's clearly visible," Yuki remarks to me.
"Hey!"
Tohru looks blank. "I thought he was in elementary school..."
"Let's go to the hot spring, Tohru-chan! Together for a soak!" Momiji cries in excitement.
"No! That's too much!" I snap at him.
As I drop my stuff in the change room, I notice myself in the mirror and touch the top of my head. "Taller?" I think out loud, running out to the front desk in a towel (considering we own the hot springs anyways, we're the only ones around) leaning over to the hostess. "Do you have a measuring tape?"
A lot of stuttering, a lot of apologies, and a lot of yelling later I step feet against the wall in the change room, pulling a measuring tape and marking on the rice paper wall quickly on my head. I measure it.
I leap for joy. "Five feet! I am still growing!"
In high spirits, I waddle out to the onsen where Tohru is, set up with a photo of her mother and the hostess has already made it in before me.
"Hello!" I chirp. "Tohru, watch out! I'm gonna be as tall as Kyo someday! I grew!"
She claps her hands together in hoorah for me. "Does that mean it's a myth about eating your vegetables and drinking your milk?"
"Of course!"
She laughs slightly at me. "Meshyou-san is telling me about her son, the monkey! Do you know him?"
For a split second, fear covers my face as I'm unsure of what to say with his mother, a threat, lurking. "Ritsu-san? Oh, yes! He was very lively!"
I sink into the water, not caring too much if my hair gets a little wet. At least I can relax for an hour or so. No more stressing over how our track team will do the best, training my pitch, and if I can afford to go to the next away tourney. How to afford tuition for the university of my choice, wondering what will happen after Akito has found out. That is, if our god isn't planning on using Tohru and Nanami, or bidding time to make us pay for the mistake of letting them find out. I'll find out sooner or later, and that's what scares me.
It may be selfish, but I wish there was a way to erase her memory. And I wish I didn't like Tomoya-san. I don't want to reveal myself and be hated more, to face Akito's wrath, for my brother to resent me anymore for his own transgressions. His deal put me in such a difficult position, one that I can't simply get out of as the god holds so much over my head.
"God!" I yell-muttered to myself, bonking my head. I get some concerned looks and stand. "I think I'll go do something that gets my blood pumping." Relaxing isn't for me. I think too hard.
I braid my hair, per usual, dressing and on my way.
I bump into Yuki on the way to the rec lounge, looking a girl as he does in a summer yukata, the same as mine.
"You look especially flattering in that gettup," I tell him.
"Oh, and you had to be fitted for a kids size?" he retorts.
"You know that's not how this works! I just wrap it tighter!" I snap, then go quiet, walking slowly with gangly, playful steps. "Yuki, why don't you think Nanami's memories could be erased? I mean, why doesn't hypnosis work on her?"
He stops in his tracks. "Why do you ask? What are you thinking?"
"Nothing bad. I don't think Akito will do anything, I don't think he can." I sigh, looking around with my hands behind my back. "Not yet anyways. Isn't it better that she just forgets us, and the curse?"
The crack and splinter of the wood sounds as Yuki shoves me against the wall. "How can you say that?! What's wrong with you? Why would you want Nanami-san to forget you and us?" he snaps, gripping my shoulders so tight I wince.
"Because I don't want her to get hurt! It's my fault if Akito tries something! She shouldn't be with us, she's supposed to be with her family. She still has them."
His grip loosens. "Are you seriously still thinking this way? You're a normal person, don't act like your pain is equal to what we as the zodiac have to go through. You can be with normal people without a care, but you want to give them up to be with us? To be like us? What kind of thinking is that?"
I am one of you. No one knows it, for my brother's selfish wish.
"You're accepted, why don't you want it? Why do you loathe it?"
Accepted? By who? "The clan? At school? I want it! I'm always reaching for your back, for Kyo's, for Nanami, for Tohru! I can't get there! I changed myself after I ran away, but it's just not enough for anyone to like the true me! So what do I loathe? I loathe that it's my fault!"
A kick nearly plants itself in Yuki's back, but emphasis on nearly—as with all of Kyo's attacks. Yuki lets go of me and throws Kyo down the hall.
"Let's go, Kitty, I'm sure there's ping pong or something," I say, going down the hall and dragging him to his feet.
In a few moments, I have a bright pink ping pong mark on my forehead, and my hair parted around it. "Kyo... this isn't volleyball! The ball is supposed to bounce first."
"You said you wanted to battle, me, so battle me!" he cries at me. So I serve, he hits it back, and I hit it back with a bounce and score.
"You suck. Yuki, come play with me."
"I don't want to play you, softball freak."
I sigh, knowing that's not even half of what he wants to say to me. "Momiji? Tohru?"
"I'll play!" Tohru says, taking Kyo's outstretched paddle. I serve. She misses the ball completely.
"I completely missed it!" Yes, we know dear.
I cover my mouth, laughing at her with Kyo and Momiji, as Yuki takes a moment to go outside to the garden and bamboo stream. I've no curiosity towards that shady rat anyways, putting the paddles and ping pong away.
Momiji comes dancing around me. "Have you grown, Kuroi? You must enjoy being able to study a year ahead with Tohru! I wish I could be in your place!"
I turn to him with raised brows, a slight tinge in my cheeks at the mention of my height as I fold my arms. "We're the same age, you don't have to talk to me like I'm older."
"I know I annoy you but I like your personality, Kuroi. Ja, and we're both part German," he says, making my face drop.
"I don't dislike you, Momiji," I say with a sigh, burying my face into my arms. "I don't know how to appreciate people that well, is all."
I feel my hair tugged on, which certainly does annoy me to the point of cawing out as it hurts. "Hey!" I snap, realizing it's him as my hair falls loose.
"Tohru is outside with Yuki and he made her look like a princess-- I can do that with girls too, though!"
"No!" we battle, but not quite like I'd fight Yuki or Kyo cause I don't want to deal with his whining, holding tight to my elastic as he tries to pull it out and I resist punching him. "I don't like it, I don't like my hair colour! It's no good in the way of everything!"
"No, I have to! Lass es geschehen!"
"Halt!" I say, in poor germanic accent. "Lass meine... haare? Lass meine haare in ro-- ruh-- rah?" I can't remember the word. "Lass meine haare alone!"
The elastic snaps with our pull, both of us falling back with my long, long hair spilling out.
"Ja!" he says excitedly and I'm about ready to strangle him. I pull off my sandal, getting up and ready to pelt him with it.
"Bakezouri*!" he cries at my sandal and runs to hide behind Tohru outside.
*is a sandal yokai (monster)
The thing about Tohru, was she really did look like a princess with her hair down and a long, pink ribbon tied into it. Gifted from Yuki, of course Momiji is jealous he thought of it, that prince guy.
I slip on my sandal, dusting my hands at the sight of everyone staring in my direction. "It's about time for bed, isn't it everyone?"
"You don't tell me what to do!" Kyo cries.