You woke as the sun was rising to your obnoxious alarm. Sure there were prettier melodies to choose from, but if you were going to actually wake up, your alarm had to be assertive. You shut it off and looked around you. Surrounded by boxes, you realized you had more stuff than you thought, and the task of unpacking seemed monumental. You decided to keep everything packed for now. After all, who's to say this job was really for you?
Slipping on a simple black blouse and capri khakis, you kept your outwards appearance professional, but relaxed. Hatori's assistant. Does that mean fetching him coffee, handing out Band-Aids, or helping with real wounds?
You never wanted to be that kind of doctor. Despite your parents persistent guidance, therapy had always been your true interest. So many of the people you saw come in to your family's clinic had wounds on the inside that were so easy to see, yet overlooked. In secret you began to speak to these patients, and really listen, and they would come back for you until your father discovered what you were doing. Your internship was finished, and your family slowly shut you out.
You remember when you started to pack your bags. You spread it out over a few days. You didn't try to hide it, and it didn't make your parents any less cold to you. You remember your sister coming home from the clinic one day before your parents and trying to convince you to stay. "We're all just so stubborn, (Y/n). You can't let them get to you like that--" "They're not getting to me!" You argued.
"You know what the last thing dad said to me was? 'That's just not how we do things, (Y/n).' They're not trying to get to me, Hana, they don't care anymore. I don't understand how you can let them decide your life for you."
"They're my parents! They know whats best for me."
"Exactly. They're your parents. They know what's best for you. Honestly, it's not just because of the clinic, it's not because their silent treatment is getting to me... I was gonna do this eventually... You knew it, right?"
Hana hugged you. Hana had always been kind to you; it was well known among everyone in your life that she was the better sister, the better daughter. She was never spiteful towards you, she just naturally succeeded in your parents eyes. And, true, you had been packing bags since you were 6. Everyone had known.
The next time you saw your sister it was on a photograph of a wedding invitation 2 years later. In all that time in between, neither of you had contacted each other. You contemplated tearing it up, but thought better of it. You booked your flight home and set up in your hotel. Your sister had arranged a meeting at the family home for you to meet your new brother in law. And you were planning on delivering the apology your been creating for years. When you finally made it down that dirt road, though, you saw the smoke through the trees. Next you saw the firetruck and the silent ambulance.
Your car stopped but you couldn't seem to get out. Your hands locked tighter on the wheel and time moved like molasses. Tears made your vision blurry, but you watched as your sister fell apart in her fiancés arms. When she saw you, and cried your name, you wanted to drive away. Go back to your hotel, back to Ohio, and forget you ever had a family. But you were frozen.
She ran to your car and cried and kissed your face through the open window.
"(Y/n) they're.."
"I know." You said. You felt your tears drip down your chin but could only stare ahead.
"How?" You dared to ask.
"The firemen are saying daddy left his cigarette burning."
You furrowed your brows and finally were able to look at her red face.
"Dad doesn't smoke."
She bit her lower lip hard and sobbed, leaning the upper half of her body through the window to embrace you tighter. Your hands were still glued to the steering wheel.
"He started up 2 years ago."
You watched the white smoke float hypnotically from Hatori's cigarette.
You had been here nearly an hour, and hadn't done a single thing.
"Hatori.." You began, knowing where you wanted to go with the conversation, but not entirely sure how to get there.
"The seahorse isn't a zodiac animal.."
You heard how stupid you sounded, but there was no taking it back now. Hatori turned in his swivel chair and leaned back in it to see you.
"Indeed it isn't."
You looked at him with a clueless smile and shrugged your shoulders. "So why do you turn into one? I thought the curse was--"
"The curse is very old, Miss (L/n). Age weakens things overtime. Even curses."
Raising a brow, you asked, "So that means the curse could disappear completely one day?"
Hatori smiled small, and straightened his posture, going back to his computer.
"Some have more hope than others."
Just then, you heard a young boy's voice calling for 'Hari'. "Is she here, is she?"
He called excitedly, rounding the corner and finally coming into view. It was Momiji, you recognized the photo. The beautiful boy gasped and raced over to you, taking your hand and shaking it vigorously, resulting in a sincere laugh from you.
"She is! Haru was right! She is pretty! Hatori, you're just trying to keep her all to yourself, aren't you?" The young man scolded Hatori with his index finger and you blushed. Your boss ignored the boy.
"I'm Momiji Sohma!" He directed his attention back to you, bowing slightly.
"I know! I remember your photo." You smiled down at him when he looked back up. "Well you're not going to get any work done staying in Hari's stuffy office, you've gotta come out and meet people." He began to pull your arm but your feet remained planted on Hatori's linoleum floor. "Oh, I don't know, Momi-"
"Aw, c'mon Hari, everyone's dying to meet her. We can do house calls!" He suggested proudly and you looked to Hatori for guidance on what to do. The man surprised you with a simple, "That's fine, Momiji, just don't go bothering Akito."
With that, you were led house to house by the exuberant boy, who thankfully did most of the talking at the houses that actually opened their doors. Walking past one of the closed doors, Momiji said,
"You know, I bet a lot of people won't be opening their doors today."
"Why is that?"
"They're scared of you." He twisted slowly around a post as he spoke, looking down.
"Yeah, I'm pretty intimidating." You smiled, flipping your hair in exaggeration. Momiji smiled.
"No, silly... It's because you're an outsider."
Your slow stepping came entirely to a halt and you listened to the suddenly calm boy.
"You know, in all the time I've been here, and even Papa too, the Sohmas have never let an outsider live here."
Hatori must have known more than he'd let on about your living situation. Maybe he was doing this to help you just as much as you were meant to help him. You smiled softly at the thought.
"But everyone that's met you seems to really like you! So I think the others just need a little more time." He said, banging a fist against his open palm in determination.
"Say, do you want something to drink?"
"Oh, thank you Momiji, but I really should be getting back to Hatori. I think I'm technically on the clock."
"Okay, (Y/n), I'll come with you! You go back and wait and I'll bring the drinks for us super quick. Time me!" He giggled, throwing a wink and skipping off around a corner.
You turned around. Shit. This place was so big and you had gone to nearly every home here! You weren't going to say you were lost just yet, but you knew you were. You walked aimlessly for a bit until you saw that same window you'd seen Akito in yesterday.
If you were asked to explain why you walked in, the best answer you could give was that you were drawn to it. Like a moth to the ever dangerous flame, you walked through the paper door of the home.
A woman dressed all in gray shocked you when she spoke up behind you.
"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing here?"
"Oh, I uh um, I'm sorry, I'm a member of the (L/n) family," you tried to remember how Momiji introduced you and not ramble. "Hatori-- Mr Hatroi Sohma asked me here to be his assistant, and I got a little lost and--" you were watching yourself ramble. Dissociation was your most common scapegoat. Thankfully she interrupted you, raising a hand to silence you before speaking herself.
"That's all fine, but I'm afraid I can't help you Miss." She spoke in a rather hushed tone and took you by the wrist to lead you out of the house.
"O-ren!" A voice sounded from behind you, and you felt the pressure on your wrist intensify. You even felt yourself tense.
"Send in our guest."