I sunk into the water of the open air bath and let the feeling of warmth envelop me like a blanket. "Ahh~" I sighed in content and let myself sink deeper. "This is so nice."
Tohru smiled. "You're right," she agreed as she slipped gently into the water beside me. "I'm glad we came here. I'm sure mom is happy too." As she spoke, she glanced down at the photo she held in her hands. It was mom's photo, protected from water damage by a plastic bag. "Right, mom?" She asked.
I wasn't surprised that Tohru took the photo with her on this trip, but taking it into the bath too? Was that really necessary? I frowned, but I wasn't going to criticize Tohru for her choices.
Tohru gasped suddenly. "The proprietress is here."
I looked to see that Tohru was correct. The proprietress approached the edge of the bath and gave us a gentle smile. "The hot springs are healthy for the body, so I go a few times each day." She explained as she carefully stepped into the bath. She noticed the photo Tohru was holding. "Oh, is that a photo?" She asked.
"Yes. This is a photo of our mother who passed away last year," Tohru said. "I wanted her to enjoy the hot springs too."
"How sweet," the woman smiled. There was a soft silence before the proprietress spoke again. "To be honest, I was uneasy when I first heard about you. I was afraid of people outside the Sohma family knowing about the zodiac curse. I was worried it might hurt my son or the other young masters. But I would like to apologize for feeling that way without even knowing you."
"It's alright," Tohru said. "If I was in your position, I'm sure I'd feel the same way."
"I agree," I added. "But how do you know about the curse? I thought only a few people knew."
The woman smiled softly. "That's right, I should have told you before. I have a son who is the same age as Yuki and the others. He is possessed by the zodiac spirit of the monkey."
"Wow! Really!?" Tohru asked in excitement and surprise.
"Yes . . ." The woman said. "When you meet him, could you please befriend him?"
"Of course!" Tohru beamed. "What's he like?"
The proprietress froze. For a heartbeat, there was silence. And then . . ."I'M SORRY!" She screamed. "THE WORLD SEES HIM AS A STRANGE CHILD, BUT HE'S MY ONLY SON! HE IS KINDHEARTED AND PRECIOUS TO ME. IF I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO THE WORLD FOR HIM, I WILL! I'M SORRY!!"
"N-no!" Tohru exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I won't ask any more questions!"
The proprietress calmed down after that. "I apologize for my outburst," she said. "I'm sure you will be kind to my son if you meet him, but I can't help worrying. But if it's you two, I know everything will be alright. Thank you for keeping our secret."
The two continued conversation, but I decided to get out of the bath a little early. I claimed I was feeling a little fatigued from sitting in the bath for so long, which was true. The heat and the water were dehydrating me for real, but most of my problems stemmed from the photo in Tohru's hands. It was because of the proprietress's love for her son made me think of how Kyoko always doted on me and Tohru. It made me miss mom . . .
"I'm sorry!" The proprietress exclaimed. "I told you the water was good for your health, but it's making you feel bad! I will apologi—!"
I quickly reassured the woman. "Don't worry, the water was really relaxing. I feel refreshed. I think it's just that the heat is getting to me."
I thanked the woman for letting us use the hot springs before I got out of the water. I changed into a yukata before exiting the bath altogether. I really was feeling dehydrated, so I walked to the kitchen to get some water. Someone else had the same idea as me. It was easy to tell who it was just by his hair color.
"Oh, you're out of the bath too?" I asked.
Kyo glanced over his shoulder at me as he filled a water glass. "Yeah," he grumbled. "The little brat Momiji kept swimming in the bath and splashing me. He acts like he's a little kid!"
"Well, he is a little kid, isn't he?" I asked.
Kyo paused and gave me a strange look. "He's the same age as you and Haru."
"HE'S WHAT?!"
Kyo snorted, clearly amused by my reaction. "You really didn't know?" He asked. "He'll be going to school with us next year. Haru too."
"Wow, so we'll have four Sohmas at our school . . ." I smirked. "That means there will be two more people who can bother you!"
Kyo and Haru seemed like an explosive combination who would fight a lot. I mean, Haru visited our school just to fight Kyo on the day of the marathon. Momiji and Kyo together was also explosive, but it was more like matches and gasoline with that duo. Momiji seemed to know just how to push Kyo's buttons without meaning to. And then there was Yuki who could push all Kyo's buttons simply by existing. With all those personalities in the same school, it was sure to be interesting.
"Don't remind me," Kyo grumbled.
I shrugged. "You brought it up. But at least you have me there too. I'll only bother you a little," I teased.
Kyo made a noncommittal grunt. We finished getting our water glasses and headed down the hall. Kyo glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything. We headed back to the room in silence and sat at the table. Kyo was still glancing at me. I got the feeling he wanted to say something.
"What is it?"
Kyo dismissed my question instantly. "Ah, nothing," he said. I didn't believe that, and he knew it. "Well . . ." Kyo hesitated for a breath. "I was wondering . . . Earlier, did you mean what you said?"
I sipped my water thoughtfully as I waited for Kyo to elaborate. He didn't. I set my water glass down and it clicked against the wood as if accenting my words. "Depends. What did I say?"
Kyo frowned. "You said that you trusted me. And when that brat Momiji kept saying that we l-liked each other, you said you just thought of me as a close friend. Did you really mean those things?"
I chuckled. "Of course I meant it," I said. Kyo's shoulders relaxed and he shrunk back a little for some reason. Was he embarrassed? Relieved?
"What's wrong?" I asked. "Are you disappointed that I only see you as a friend?" I teased.
"No! I . . ." Although he hesitated for a second, his voice was full of certainty as he finished his idea. "I wasn't disappointed," he said.
Wow. Kyo was being rather honest with his feelings. That was new. I wasn't sure what to say in response to his sudden confession of emotion.
"Give me your hand," Kyo said suddenly.
My immediate reaction was to smirk and tease the boy for his sudden outburst. "Huh? You wanna hold hands?" I raised an eyebrow at Kyo.
"NO! Just give me your hand!" He yelled again, blushing this time.
I laughed and obliged his request. Kyo quickly dropped something into my open palm. A thin bracelet made of orange and black strings woven together and tied off with adjustable knots.
My heart sank like a stone in water; I'd made the bracelet for Kyo as a Valentine's gift. I hadn't seen him wear it ever since I gave it to him, so I couldn't say I was surprised that he was giving it back to me. But it stung to have the gift rejected like this.
Kyo saw my expression change and reassured me. "I'm not giving it back," he said quickly. "I did that because . . . I want you to give it to me again. Exactly like you did before."
His eyes were serious. I sighed, feeling a little relieved that he wasn't returning my gift. But what was he doing now? Kyo obediently offered his wrist. I adjusted the bracelet and let it fall beside the red and white beaded bracelet Kyo always wore.
"There. It's a friendship bracelet." I said. "I hope you like it. It means we're officially friends now." I repeated the words I'd said the first time I handed Kyo the bracelet.
Kyo smiled gently. I'd only seen that soft look when he was looking at Tohru. Having it directed at me made my heart flutter a little. "I'm glad," he said simply.
I stared at Kyo in surprise as I put his words into context. When I'd first given him the bracelet, Kyo had said he didn't need some girly trinket to symbolize friendship. I told him to keep it anyways. He could do whatever he wanted with it as long as he accepted it. Kyo had shoved the bracelet into his pocket and walked off. I hadn't seen it again until just now.
So now, when he said he was glad, did that mean he was glad to be my friend? I felt touched by his words and actions. A smile naturally lifted the corners of my mouth. I'm really happy . . .
"I didn't get you a return gift," Kyo explained. "But after today, I thought I should at least accept your Valentine's gift properly. I really am grateful . . . " Kyo trailed off and looked away with pink cheeks, unable to finish the sentence. But I knew what he was trying to say. He was grateful for our friendship. "H-hey, say something. Don't just stare at me like that." Kyo said.
"Sorry," I laughed. "Thank you for accepting my gift."
Kyo seemed relieved at my words.
"But you really had me worried at first," I said. "I thought you were going to give that bracelet back. Give me a little warning next time!" I exclaimed.
"I'm not good with words," Kyo grumbled in complaint. "It's easier just to do stuff than say it."
Kyo's actions certainly showed more than his words. He'd said he didn't need the bracelet when I first gave it to him, but that wasn't true. If the bracelet really didn't mean anything to him, he would have just left it at home instead of bringing it here to the hot springs. The bracelet had always meant something to him, but now he wasn't afraid to wear it proudly.
"Well, I'm glad you told me how you feel." I said. "I feel the same way too. I'm glad we're frie―"
The door slid open suddenly and I turned to see Yuki standing in the entrance with a slight frown on his face.
"Oh, Yuki!" I smiled. The corners of Yuki's mouth lifted almost reflexively in return. "Did you enjoy the bath?"
Yuki nodded. "Yes, it was nice," he said. "What were you two talking about?"
"Oh. Uhh . . ." I wasn't expecting that question. I threw a quick glance at Kyo, who met my eyes with a look that said 'do NOT tell Yuki.'
Momiji burst into the room just in time to save me from having to think up a lie on the spot. "Let's play some games!" He said, eyes shining with excitement. "The properness has a ping pong table! Natsu, let's play together!"
He didn't even wait for anyone to answer before he was tugging at my sleeve. I let him pull me down the hall, wondering how someone my age could easily pass as a child. His cuteness was almost frightening.
Momiji explained the rules as we walked down the hall. Naturally, the first thing Kyo did was challenge Yuki to a duel. Momiji and I settled with watching the game. So far, it was in Yuki's favor because Kyo wasn't bouncing the ball off the table. At first, Yuki had let Kyo play incorrectly, but after dodging another one of Kyo's baseball-swing-like serves, the silver haired boy had decided to give Kyo some pointers. Pointers that went blatantly ignored.
"Umm . . ." A soft voice reached my ears. I smiled at the sight of my sister standing in the entryway with a confused look on her face.
"Oh, there you are, Tohru. I was worried you'd drowned."
Tohru's eyes widened. "D-drowned?! N-no! I'm fine," she assured me. "But what are those two doing?"
"Oh, Kyo wanted to see who's better at ping pong." I explained. "But I think he just wants to see if he can beat Yuki at something . . ."
I watched as Kyo sent the ball flying hard at Yuki. Yuki decided to stop dodging Kyo's dangerous swings. He deflected the projectile easily. Kyo was so bewildered by this action that he let the ball bounce right past him and off the table.
"Out." Yuki called. His eyes were cold as he looked at Kyo.
"H-huh?" Kyo's eyes widened. I snorted at his confusion.
"I told you that the ball is supposed to bounce off the table." Yuki said, sounding mildly annoyed. "It's in the rules."
"RAAHHH!" Kyo roared suddenly. He attempted to flip the table, but it just ended up folding in half harmlessly. I laughed. "THIS GAME SUCKS! REAL MEN FIGHT WITH THEIR FISTS!" Kyo yelled, pointing at Yuki in anger.
"You were the one who challenged me to a match," Yuki sighed.
Tohru, ever the pacifist, tried to quell the growing tension. "Kyo . . . Would you play against me? Please?" She asked, holding the ping pong paddle up with a cute smile.
"That's a great idea!" Momiji exclaimed. "Do it! Do it!"
Kyo sighed. "Fine. But I'm not gonna hold back just because you're a girl."
The two took position with Kyo serving. "Don't forget to let the ball bounce," Yuki and I spoke up in sync to remind Kyo. The orange haired boy told us both to shut up, but he followed the advice when he served.
The ball bounced off the table nicely. It should have been easier to hit than Kyo's previous serves, but as Tohru swung the paddle, she missed completely. The ball didn't waver even slightly from its course. It sailed past her, bounced on the floor, and rolled to a stop beside Momiji, who crouched and followed the ball with his eyes like a cat looking at a laser. We all looked at Tohru.
"BWHAHA TOHRU!!" I burst into laughter.
"I missed!" Tohru exclaimed, frowning as if she had just realized she had made a mistake.
"Well duh," Kyo sweatdropped. "Geez you suck."
"Kyo," I managed as my laughter faded. "You're one to talk."
"HEY!"
Momiji giggled. "She's right. Wasn't that your first point?" He asked.
"Yeah," I agreed. "It looks like you should take Yuki's advice more often, Kyo. You might suck a little less."
Kyo glared at me. "You'd better be damn good at this game if you're talking like that."
I smirked. "Is that a challenge?"
"Yeah, let's go. I'll crush you!" Kyo confidently declared.
"I'd like to see you try."
We got into position and he served first. The ball bounced off the table and I sent it back with speed. Kyo grit his teeth and just barely managed to hit the ball before it went out of bounds. He managed to get it to bounce on my end of the table, but it was a little too close to the edge thanks to his panicked save.
"Careful," I warned as I hit the ball back.
"I know!" Kyo growled. We passed the ball back and forth a few times.
"Hey you're actually pretty good at this when Yuki's not here," I said.
"Shut up!" Kyo exclaimed, hitting back a little too hard. The ball flew straight over the net without a single bounce. It was coming right towards my face. Out of reflex, I hit the ball back to Kyo with more force than I intended. Kyo dodged to the side before the ball could hit him on the nose. He gave me a wild look as if he suddenly understood how Yuki felt when they were playing earlier.
"I win!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms in the air excitedly.
"NO! You didn't let the ball bounce off the table!" Kyo countered, pointing at me. "That's against the rules!"
"But you broke the rules first," Momiji pointed out.
"And since when did you care about the rules anyways?" I added.
Kyo slammed his hands down on the table in anger. "AGHH! THIS GAME SUCKS! Why do I keep losing?!"
"Because you suck," I teased.
"SHUT UP!"
Momiji hummed, putting his index finger to his chin like he was thinking. "I think it's because you don't understand the rules."
"That's not true!" Kyo glared Momiji. "Fight me, you brat. If I can win against anyone, it's you."
Personally, I thought Kyo would have an easier time against Tohru. She couldn't even hit the ball last time. Speaking of Tohru . . . I looked around the room and suddenly realized that Tohru was gone. And so was Yuki. I frowned.
Momiji was eager to play with Kyo. After all, he was the one who had suggested ping pong, but he also hadn't gotten to play a game yet thanks to Kyo's competitive spirit. Sadly I'd have to miss their match. "I'm going to the bathroom," I called. "Go easy on Momiji."
"Like hell!"
I walked out of the room and headed down the hall in search of Tohru and Yuki. I spotted them through a window that looked out to the garden. The two were speaking about something. I noticed that Tohru had taken her hair down from the bun she'd worn earlier. Yuki reached out to Tohru and lightly pulled a strand of her hair towards him.
No, it wasn't her hair, I realized. She was wearing a pink scallop-edged ribbon. It looked new; she certainly wasn't wearing it earlier. Did Yuki give that to her?
I didn't have much time to wonder about it. My train of thought abruptly crashed to a halt as Yuki pressed a light kiss upon the ribbon. The affection in his actions was clear even from my distance. I could see Yuki's smile and I could tell by his posture that he felt comfortable.
Tohru and I both froze in surprise. She lifted her hand to her chest as if she was attempting to still her rapid heartbeat. I mirrored my sister's actions as I clutched at the painful feeling that stabbed at my heart.
Even so, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the window. Yuki continued speaking to Tohru, who nodded in response to whatever he'd said. As Yuki pulled a pouch from his pocket and handed it to Tohru, I had to pull myself away. I couldn't watch any more; the painful feeling that wrenched at my heart was beginning to become too much. It was obvious he cared for her. That was all I needed to see.
Next thing I knew, I was in the bathroom staring at my face in the mirror. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Even though my lungs were working just fine, I was gasping for air. I wasn't sure if I felt so breathless because I'd run down the hall or if it was because I'd seen something I shouldn't have. I regretted leaving Kyo and Momiji. I regretted being so blind to Yuki's feelings for Tohru.
I had thought we were getting closer. After that conversation I'd had with Haru, I wondered why it was so obvious to Haru that I liked Yuki. I started paying more attention to the way I acted towards Yuki, which made me notice the way Yuki acted towards me. I thought he might have liked me back, but was I wrong? Was I just seeing what I wanted to? Had Yuki just been mirroring my kindness with kindness of his own? He was just being nice the whole time . . . Was it because of Tohru . . .
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I was thinking too much, as I always did when I was upset. I couldn't let my thoughts spiral down like that. But somehow, I felt as betrayed as I'd felt when Shinjiro and I broke up. I wanted to talk with Yuki just to let out all my feelings like I had back then. I wanted to, but I knew I couldn't. Not when it came to this.
I wondered how long those two had been so close. I hadn't even noticed it. I wasn't sure anymore if Yuki liked me, but I knew he liked Tohru. Giving her a gift like that for white day was normal, but he'd kissed the ribbon in her hair too. Surely that wasn't something he would do with Tohru if she was just a friend. White day was a good time for guys to let their crushes know they were interested. Surely that was Yuki's intention. And if Tohru returned those feelings . . .
I sighed. It was stupid to stay in the bathroom thinking about these things and sulking. That wouldn't change anything. Thinking about it wasn't going to help either. I forced myself to leave the bathroom and walked down the hall with an ache lingering in my chest.
It felt like I'd stayed in the bathroom forever, but in reality, only a few minutes had gone by. When I passed by that window again, Yuki and Tohru were still talking. Tohru looked happy, smiling at a bashful looking Yuki. I was sure Tohru must have returned Yuki's feelings. I couldn't even be angry. I would have done the same.
I forced myself to look away and hurried back down the hall, refusing to look out any more windows as I headed back towards the sound of Kyo and Momiji's voices. I wasn't sure what had possessed me to look out there again. I shouldn't have even looked the first time, but now that I'd done it again, I just felt worse. I knew I was lucky to have Yuki's friendship, but Tohru was even luckier. She had his heart.