Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Lost My Sister in San Francisco ❯ Showdown ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A/N - 06/30/06 Tomorrow’s my birthday! n.n Whee! Fun fun! Fun fun! I’m going to the movies with my friends tomorrow. Anyway, let’s concentrate on the fic for a moment. In this chapter...I’m not sure what happens in this chapter just yet. In this one, I’m just making it up as I go along. n.n; Eh heh. Well, I guess you’ll have to read to find out then.

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“Where’s Kasumi?” Kyou asked Kokoro as he spotted her down the hall. He had been wandering around the house for a while searching for his little sister.

Kasumi had jumped off the couch the moment she heard she was healthy enough to walk around again. She was so excited to get back to her practicing that she rushed out of the room before anyone could say anything else.

“She locked herself in her practice room.” Kokoro informed. “Nobody goes in, she doesn’t go out.”

“So it’s top secret until the festival?” Kyou arched a brow. In his mind he had to laugh at the thought. He knew Kasumi was hardly capable of keeping in her own secrets. She practically blurted them out whenever she got the chance.

“Of course it’s top secret, you moron.” Anita’s cold voice said as she exited a room that was a few doors down the hallway. “She likes the element of surprise. Of course, as the unfit older brother you are, you wouldn’t know that.”

“Who asked you, Anita?” Kokoro glared past Kyou, straight at Anita. She was definitely sick of Anita already. If Anita didn’t keep her mouth shut, Kokoro was going to kick her ass. And she would.

“Look,” Anita started. “I’ll walk away right now if you get out of here, go back to wherever it is in Japan you came from, and leave Kassie alone. She doesn’t need some guy coming around and saying he’s her brother when he doesn’t even act like a good one.” She glared at Kyou.

“You’re lucky you’re a girl or I’d kick your ass.” Kyou growled.

“I’m getting Kasumi into this family one way or another. She deserves a real family.” Anita stated.

“But the question is, Anita, does this family deserve her?” Kokoro crossed her arms. She was crossing from Kokoro to her other personality. Over the next few months, her other side had come out a few more times. Sachiko had stated that her other personality reminded her of a cross between Kokoro’s mother Akiko and Akiko’s friend Kandis, whom Kokoro received her middle name from. So they called Kokoro’s second personality Kandis.

“What are you talking about?” Anita asked.

“You know what I think it is, Kyou?” Kokoro looked to Kyou. “I think Anita didn’t believe you existed. I think that she just felt sorry for Kasumi and that she thought Kasumi was making you up just to make herself feel better.” She smirked evilly. “Am I hitting the spot, Anita?”

Anita just glared malevolently at Kokoro. She had been right. Anita didn’t believe Kyou existed at first. She had never seen any pictures from Kassie of him. All the stories Kassie told her about Kyou could’ve really been either made up or just anyone. She had never seen any real proof that Kyou was real. “Tch.” She scoffed, walking past Kokoro and shoving her as she walked by. “Whatever.”

“Don’t touch me!” Kokoro snapped into Kandis, grabbing Anita by the arm and pushing her against the wall. “Don’t you dare touch me, you poor excuse for a human! You don’t know what family is! You call this a family?! You see your parents every other weekend and when you’re here they’re mostly in their damn offices! You think those are the kind of parents Kasumi needs?! You don’t know what she needs!”

“Kokoro!” Kyou tried to pull Kokoro away, but she wouldn’t budge.

“She’s gone years without parents because she knows she has none! But when you know that you’re parents are alive and well and that they love you but go without them for a long time, never having a real conversation with them, you end up like me!” She yelled. “I haven’t seen my damn parents at all in eight years, but they’re alive and kicking! And look where it has me!”

“Kokoro, that’s enough!” Kyou yelled, pulling Kokoro away from Anita. “She gets your point, now back off!”

Kokoro stood there breathing heavily. Her eyes held back angry tears while she glared coldly at Anita. A moment later she stopped. She looked around the room, confused. She was back to normal. “What happened?” She rubbed her eyes were her tears were being held back. “Why was I crying?”

Kyou sighed. It’s almost like another Black Haru. He thought. At least she doesn’t seem as violent. She just yells more. He looked at Kokoro standing there, contemplating what her tears were for.

“I haven’t seen my damn parents at all in eight years, but they’re alive and kicking! And look where it has me!”

Kyou felt kind of bad for her. He understood that once a month Kokoro and Kippei got a phone call from their parents, and every month Kokoro begged them to let her go stay with them for a while. But each time things were too hectic with their parents or other family members that their parents had to deal with. Kyou’s mother was dead and his father hated him. For that reason, Kasumi wanted their father to hate her too.

Kokoro’s parents were both alive and both said they loved her. That’s what every phone call ended with, “I love you.” Sometimes it made Kokoro wonder if they didn’t say that, would it hurt as bad when she was reminded that she hasn’t seen them in years?

Anita had already fled the scene, leaving Kyou and Kokoro standing in the hallway in silence. There was no noise. Not even the music from Kasumi’s practice room could be heard. So they stood in the quiet, neither speaking. Both had things on their mind.

Kyou looked at Kokoro. He interrupted her deep thoughts by grabbing her hand and pulling her with him out of the hall. “Come on.”

“Huh?” Kokoro blinked, realizing she was being pulled. “Where are we going?”

“We’re gonna get the others, drive back to the city, and find something to do.” Kyou informed, pulling her along. He stopped for a second and looked at Kokoro. “What do you think Kasumi meant when she would tell Dawn that she already had a family?”

Kokoro smiled lightly. “She meant that she had you. Together or apart, Kyou, you’re her family.”

“That’s hardly a family.” Kyou shrugged.

“But it’s a family, nonetheless.” Kokoro nodded. “And it’s not just Kasumi. You have Shigure and Yuki. And Tohru! She’s close enough to be considered family.” She smiled, looking up at Kyou. “Blood doesn’t make family, people you trust do.”

“Like hell if I trust that damn Yuki or Shigure!” Kyou yelled. He looked at Kokoro as she began to laugh lightly to herself. He liked it better when she was like that. His expression softened up a bit. “Hey,” He called.

Kokoro stopped laughing and looked to him. She blinked.

“You have a family too. Kippei, Sachiko, the others back home, they’re your family.” Kyou said. “And...if you want, you can be part of mine and Kasumi’s too.”

Kokoro smiled. It made her feel a lot better. She didn’t know why, but knowing that she (even if it was her other personality) was crying, it made her feel a bit sad. Hearing Kyou say what he just did made her feel happy again.

“And don’t read anything into that!” Kyou yelled as he saw Kokoro smile at him. “It’s not how it sounded!”

“I know.” Kokoro nodded. Though, I kinda wish it did.

“Well what’re you just standing around for? Let’s go.” Kyou began to pull her with him again.

Kokoro smiled and followed him. She really wanted to hug him right about now, just to thank him. Damn curses. But, in a way, she began to see Sachiko’s point of view on the curses. Sachiko called their curse a gift. In a way, it was. If it weren’t for the curses, Kokoro may have never met Kyou or any of the Sohmas.



“So what should we do?” Kasumi asked as they arrived back in San Francisco.

“How about you and Kippei go on a little date?” Kokoro suggested, looking to the backseat through the rearview mirror at Kippei. She caught his glance and smiled. It was an apologetic smile for what had happened back at the ranch.

“You sure?” Kippei asked half-coldly.

“We’ll drop you off and pick you up later. Kass, you have your cell phone, right?” Kokoro looked to Kasumi real quick, then back to the road.

“Yeah.” Kasumi nodded. “Is it okay?” Kasumi looked back from the passenger’s seat to Shigure.

Shigure shrugged, smiling lightly. He pointed to Kyou, telling Kasumi to ask him if it was okay.

Kasumi looked to Kyou. “Kyou?” She gave him the begging look.

Kyou looked at Kokoro through the rearview mirror. He gave her the “Am-I-supposed-to?” glance.

Kokoro smiled and slightly nodded. She figured Kippei didn’t tell Kasumi about the incident between the three of them. It was probably best to keep it that way. She could let her baby brother go out once, she supposed.

Kyou looked to Kasumi with a slight smile. He couldn’t protect his own baby sister forever. “I guess you can go.” He smirked. “I want you back at the school by ten though.” He started a little challenge.

“Eleven.” Kasumi accepted the challenge.

“Ten thirty.” Kyou responded.

“Ten forty-five.” She negotiated.

“Ten thirty, going once.” Kyou said firmly, but there was a joking tone in his voice.

“How about we all go?” Kasumi smiled. “Me, you, Yuki, Tohru, Kippei, and Kokoro. Like we did back home.”

“Last time we were just hanging out, Kasumi.” Kokoro reminded. “This is your’s and Kippei’s chance to have a real date.”

“Make it a triple.” Kasumi shrugged. “Come on, it could be fun.”

“Tohru, Yuki, you two up for it?” Kokoro asked.

“How about it, Miss Honda?” Yuki looked to Tohru.

“Yeah, Tohru. Take your pick, Yuki or Kyou. I’ll take the leftovers.” Kokoro joked.

“Oh no! I couldn’t!” Tohru started. “Kasumi and Kippei deserve to have some time to themselves! I’d only be intruding!”

“But I want you all to come.” Kasumi insisted. In truth, she could use some friends around. She’d never been on a date before, so she didn’t really know what to do. “Please, Tohru?”

“Well, if you really want.” Tohru nodded with a smile.

“I’ll tell ya what, you take Yuki and I’ll take Kitty Cat.” Kokoro suggested. Wouldn’t she just love to go on a date with Kyou. Even if it wasn’t a real one. She could pretend, couldn’t she?

“Will you quit calling me that?!” Kyou yelled.

“And I dance, dance, dance, and I dance, dance, dance. Cat. I’m a kitty cat.” Kokoro sang to herself quietly.

Apparently not quiet enough because Kasumi burst out laughing. It was just too funny, she had to laugh. Though it confused the others because they didn’t hear Kokoro.

“Hey Shigure,” Sachiko called, looking to Shigure with a sly smirk. “You know, you can’t trust teenagers these days to be alone in a big city like this. Should we go with them?”

“Maybe we should.” Shigure played along.

“Would you like to be my ‘date’?” Sachiko joked. She had no real love interest in Shigure. He was just a fun guy to joke around with.

“It would be my honor.” Shigure winked playfully. The feelings he felt for Sachiko were mutual. They were just friends, nothing more.

“Oh dear god.” Yuki sighed, overhearing them.

“Yuki dear, if it bothers you, we’ll just sit at another table in the restaurant.” Sachiko fake sighed. “Though you can bet we’ll be close by to keep an eye on you all.”

“So then it’s a quadruple date!” Kasumi giggled. She looked back at Kippei with a smile.

Kippei smiled back. Maybe his sister wasn’t so bad after all. But it’s not like she could’ve stopped him from going out with Kasumi. Yeah right. “Sounds fun.” He nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Great. I know this cool place,” Kasumi started going on and on about some restaurant and other places they could go.

Kyou watched Kasumi as she ranted. He was glad to see her that happy. It made him happy too. It’d hurt when he had to leave back to Japan and leave her behind. But he couldn’t think about that right now, it’d make Kasumi upset. And the next time he saw Anita, he was gonna prove that he was the best brother Kasumi could ever have. Little did he know...Kasumi already thought he was.

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A/N - 07/01/06 Woot! It’s officially July 1st! (It’s 3:16 am right now.) But it’s not officially my birthday until 2:47 pm. ‘Cause that’s when I was born. Says so on my birth certificate. (Points to birth certificate.) n.n Whee! u.u Sadly, two people that I really want here won’t be here today. My cousin that came into town and my best friend/almost sister. n.n But my best friend will be here Tuesday and my cousin’s coming back Sunday. ;>> Anyway, in the next chapter, you’ll get to witness Kasumi and Kippei’s first date. Not to mention Kyou and Kokoro’s first fake date. =P Kokoro must feel so lucky. ;>> And just to make it clear, Shigure and Sachiko don’t, and will probably never, have a thing for each other. Though, I admit that would be a pretty fun pairing. XD Don’tcha think? But my friend might kill me ‘cause she loves Shigure. o.O Yeah. n.n Bai ba~i!