Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Remains ❯ Chapter 7

 

 

 

 

After the stressful experiance, Fumito had stayed with them for a few days while trying to find somewhere else to live. Both he and Sumi new that living at the main house wasn't an option. So, together they looked for places that Fumito could move into. Over the days, he and Sumi had become excidenly close, looking for small houses or apartments together. They seemed to understand eachother. Even though Sumi was completely comfortable around Fumito, she could tell he wasn't with her.

 

 

He seemed to be keeping something tucked away. Sumi had asked him countless times how Tadashi could look older that 37 but be younger than a 20 year old. Every time, Fumito waved her questioin aside and changed the subject. Eventually Sumi gave up and an unspoken gap formed between the two that they both tried to aviod and pretend wasn't there.

 

 

They finally found a small apartment a couple streets away from the Sohma Estate. Fumito was said to move in few days. Sumi was, of course, sad when she heard the news. As long they both ignored the gap between them, everything would be fine and Sumi would be happy. Even if she did feel bad about ignoring something like that.

 

 

When the day came for Fumito to move out of Kenjis' house, Sumi was by his side the whole day. And right before Fumito had left he pulled Sumi aside and asked her if they could meet up somewhere. Just the two of them.

 

 

Sumi of course excepted his offer. They would meet on Saturday, at the same park they met for the first time. And as a last goodbye, Fumito had given her a soft, small kiss. It was a sweet kiss, not ment to be anything but a goodbye, but the instant the contact came, Sumi felt her heart flutter in a way she hadn't felt before. Sumi, though, knew that she was slowly falling for the maroon haired man the instant their lips touched.

 

 

She awaited the Saturday were they would spend the day at the quiet little park.

 

 

~~~~~~~

 

 

It was the end of the week, Friday. It was a hot day, proving that summer was just around the corner.

 

 

Sumi was thick with excitement for the day ahead. It would be her first date. Sumi didn't know if it was technically a date, but . . . . after the kiss, what else could it be?

 

 

Everyone noticed the bounce in Sumis' step. Even now, as Sumi walked down the school hall way with her friends, she was still giddy with excitement.

 

 

No one knew about the date. Sumi was much to embarrassed to actually tell anyone. Plus they might say that she barley knew him. And this bothered Sumi, because she knew that she barley knew Fumito, and the fact that other people might think bad of her, scared her enough to keep her mouth tightly shut.

 

 

Now, coming back to reality, Sumi listened as Bin told the story of when he had managed to get his finger caught in a door. Bin always licked to tell crazy stories like that. Youki was listening intently at Bins discusting story. Takana looked ready to barf and Yuiri was looking away with a hateful glare.

 

 

Sumi looked at Yuiri thoughtfuly. Ever sense that one day, Yuiri had been so quiet and cold toward her. She acted normal to everyone else but never seemed to give Sumi any smiles or friendly glances like she used to. It seemed as though Yuiri was trying to ignore her. And it had been going on for several days.

 

 

Sumi sighed as another person, who seemed to be ignoring her, came into her mind. Just like Yuiri, Ryou seemed to ignore her intirely at school. But when the met up to walk home and go get Kaya, he acted like they were old friends. It was just so confusing.Of course he was better than Yuiri. They still shared glances and smiles in the halls and at lunch. But they always met up somewere to walk home together. She never once saw him or made contact with him when he was with his friends.

 

 

Unknown to Sumi though, Ryou was going to go up to Sumi infront of her friends. He had seen how that lowly first year looked at her, and it made him sick. Ryou knew what he was feeling. And it bothered him. But his frustration would help him today, when he would show that first year, Youki, a peice of his mind.

 

 

“So, Sumi, were do you live?” Bin asked when his story was finished.

 

 

“Oh, over near here. All the Sohma's live on a huge estate.” Sumi said.

 

 

“Sure, just go bragging about how rich you are.” Youki muttered.

 

 

“Guys don't fight!” Takana whinned. “We just got the ketchup out of Sumi's hair.” Sumi saw Youki snigger and she glared at him. He had pored a whole packet on her head at lunch.

 

 

Footsteps were heard and Sumi turned to see Ryou running toward them.

 

 

“Sumi!” Ryou yelled as he came up behind them. Youki and Takana glared at him. Bin just looked annoyed and Yuiri looked like she was going to faint.

 

 

“Oh, uh hey! Ready to go already?” Sumi asked.

 

 

“Ready to go where?” Youki asked angrily.

 

 

“Oh, well. Sumi and I need to pick up our little cousin. Then go home.” Ryou said, trying to keep thefake smile on his face.

 

 

“We'll come with you.” Youki said, staring Ryou in the eye. He had a feeling that something was going on. Youki still didn't believe that these two where related. They looked to different.

 

 

“What?!” Takana shouted. “Oh no. I'm not going anywhere with the snob.”

 

 

“Takana, be nice.” Sumi said sweetly. She then looked at Youki. “I'm sure you could come.” Youki blushed and looked away at her smile, Ryou glared at the first year.

 

 

“I'd like to come too.” Bin said.

 

 

“Oh no! I can't go!” Yuiri said. “I have retake a test in History!”

 

 

“It's okay Yuiri. You can come over some other time.” Sumi said, desperatly trying to get Yuiru to look at her.

 

 

“Uh . . . Sumi, I don't think . . .” Ryou began.

 

 

"I guess I'll have to go to Ryou's house some other time . . ." Yuiri whinned sweatly.

 

 

"Ya! Are you free tomarrow?" Sumi was trying so hard to get Yuiri to answer her.

 

 

"Yuiri, just go. You're getting on my nearves." Takana said annoyed. Yuiri looked hurt for a minute and then smiled sweetly. Sumi could see a tear whelling in her eye, she felt so sorry for her.

 

"Oh, uh . . . sure, Takana," Yuiri nodded and put on a sad smile. "Bye guys!" She turned and ran down the hall. Sumi watched as her steps became harder and Yuiri began to run even faster. It remeinded her almost exactly of herself when she ran away from home.

 

 

~~~~~~

 

Yuiri ran. Ran as fast as she could. Why was she running? She had no idea. Why had Takana's words hurt her so much? She didnt know. What she did know was that she wanted to get as far away as possible.

 

 

Away from the cause of these welling feelings that were seeping inside her. She just needed to get away from everyone!

 

 

Especialy Sumi.

 

 

She didnt want to hate Sumi. She just did. Yuiri hated her guts. She wished Sumi was dead. Wish that she would stop stealing everything from her! She stole Ryou. She stole her brother, Bin. And now she stole Takana.

 

 

'I HATE HER!' Yuiri thought. The stress of the situation was taking a tole on her body.

 

 

Suddenly, a weird sensation welled within her. She felt like she was about to sneeze, only it was around her entire body. Yuiri looked left and right, seeing everyone around the hall looking at her. She franticaly looked around for a spot to hide, she was in the middle of the school hall, infront of everyone.

 

 

Yuiri quickley dove into the girls bathroom a few steps ahead. She managed to get inside the empty room, get in the closest stall, before the poping noise came and smoke engulfed her.

 

 

'What am I?' Yuiri thought as she looked down at the ground and saw her small paws. 'Why does this always happen!'

 

 

~~~~~~

 

 

 

“Sumi, I don't know if Tadashi will be okay with everyone coming there.” Ryou whispered to her worriedly.

 

 

“Oh, it will be fine!” She reassuringly. Then she face Takana. “You sure you don't want to come?”

 

 

Takana sighed. “Fine. But only because I want to look after you.” Takana grinned.

 

 

“Thanks. I really want you to meet Kenji!” Sumi said.

 

 

“Kenji?” Bin asked. "Isn't he the guy with the blonde hair?" Bin tried to remember the face of the man he barley ment when they were searching for Sumi.

 

 

“Ya, he kinda takes care of us.” Sumi answered as they went out the doors of the school

 

 

“How old is he?” Takana asked curiously. Takana hadn't met him yet.

 

 

“Um, I think he said 18.” Sumi said. “He has blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. He's just starting college.”

 

 

“Oh, a college kid.” Takana grinned. “Sounds hot.” Sumi and Bin laughed at her. While Youki and Ryou looked worriedly at the ground.

 

 

“Look! There's Kaya!” Sumi said, smiling as the reached Kayas school. She pointed at Kaya, who was sitting in the grass with two other girls her age. “Kaya!”

 

 

“Kitty Sumi!” Kaya shouted as she bounded over. She stopped dead as she saw the three visitors. “Who are you?”

 

 

“Oh, Kaya, these are my friends Takana," Sumi explained. "And you remember Bin, and Youki.” Sumi said smiling.

 

 

Kaya nodded and motioned for Sumi to bend down. Sumi then crouched down infront of Kaya, so they were eye to eye. Kaya whispered in Sumi's ear. “Do they know about the curse?”

 

 

Sumi giggled, stod up and shook her head. "Not the faintest idea." She answered. Kaya nodded at the older girl.

 

 

“What'd you say?” Youki asked curiously.

 

 

“Stupid Boy should mind his own biusness,” Kaya said.

 

 

“What the . . . you little brat!” Youki said angrly. “You act just like Sumi!”

 

 

“Really?!” Kaya looked like she was gouing to burst. “Yay! I'm just like Kitty!” Kaya danced around them happily. The others looked amused at her, all but Youki who wanted to strangle her. Takana turned to Sumi.

 

 

“Why does she call you Kitty?” Takana asked.

 

 

“Well . . . uh.” Sumi despertly tried to think of an excuse

 

 

“Never mind.” Takana sighed. “The less I know about this girl, the less my head will hurt.” Sumi smiled at her friend and all six of them walked together to the Sohma Estate.

 

 

~~~~~~~

 

 

Kenji sat at the table, studing his notes from class that mornig.

 

 

He looked boredly at the clock, 'They should be back any minute'. He sighed things were alot less stressful with Sumi around, she tried so hard to please everyone. She was always ready for school, always did her homework, and always was an excellent student.

 

 

'Maybe she'll go to the same college as me'. Kenji hoped so.

 

 

He heard the front door open. Kenji glanced up from his papre. What he saw almost made him scream.

 

 

There in the doorway was Sumi, Kaya, and Ryou showing in three strangers. Kenji hastily got up and walk over to them. Sumi turned and saw him. “Hey Kenji!” she said smiling. Kenji stopped and stared disbelieving at her.

 

 

“Sumi, Ryou,” he said as calmly as he could. “What are strangers doing in the house?”

 

 

"Oh, uh. . . Kenji these are some of my friends you met from . . ." Sumi struggled with the explation.

 

 

Takana glanced at Sumi. She looked nervous and Takana decided to step in and help her friend. “Hi, we're Sumi's friends from school. I'm Takana.” Takana smirked at the attractive older boy. Usually she wasn't attracted to blonde's but this one actually looked mature. Plus there was a certain coolness in his eyes that made Takana want to know more about him. And Sumi talked about him so much, there must be something special.

 

 

“That's wonderful, but I would like to speak with Sumi and Ryou.” Kenji said, completely ignoring the girl. “Kaya, keep them busy we'll be right back.”

 

 

Takana looked stunned as Kenji lead the other two into the kitchen.

 

 

~~~~~~

 

 

Kenji stared at them, frustrated. “What were you two thinking?” He asked, trying not to shout. "Bringing strangers into the house! What on Earth could you have been thinking?"

 

 

Sumi looked at him angrily, he was making to much of a deal out of this. “I just wanted to invite my friends over.” Sumi was trying not to over react.

 

 

“You shouldn't even be friends with boys! Do you know what could happen if they found out!”

 

 

Sumi looked at him stunned. “Excuse me. I'm not going to let this stupid curse keep me from making friends. You have no right to tell who I can and can't be friends with, Kenji!” Sumi screamed those words at his face. Kenjis eyes were wide as Sumi then turned and stormed out of the room.

 

Kenji looked at her retreating back, stunned. His eye's swelled up in anger. 'I'm trying to help her and she treats me like that! '

 

 

“Kenji . . . ” Ryou said quietly. Kenji stormed out of the room.

 

 

~~~~~

 

 

Outside the kitchen, Kaya was spinning around and around infront of the three teens.

“And if you spin long enough, you can't even tell were anything is.” She said, while keeping her balance.

 

 

Youki was board, watching a little brat spin around like a maniac wasn't very amusing. He was so worried about Sumi. He didn't like her being there with those two. It some how made him nervous.

 

 

He heard shouting in the other room, but couldn't make out the words. Kaya had slowed her spinning and everyone else was looking at the kitchen. Then he saw Sumi storming out of the kitchen. She came to the door, walked out of the house, leaving the screen door wide open.

 

 

Everyone was dead quiet and even Kaya was completely still. Youki then stood up, wanting to go after her.

 

 

They then saw Kenji storm out of the room. Youki changed his thought of going after her to beating the crap out of the older boy.

 

 

“Hey, you!” Youki shouted. Kenji ignored it and kept walking toward his room. “Blondie! Get your butt over here!” His efforts were in vain as Youki started walking up the stairs.

 

 

Youki followed him, determined on beating this guy. He was sure that he did something that made Sumi cry. Youki knew he didn't like this guy, he could tell by his cold eyes. He reached the top of the stairs and followed Kenji's foot steps to his room. He rushed toward the closing door at the end of the hall. The door just closed as Youki reached it. He started pounding on the closed door.

 

 

“You bastard!” Youki was shouting at the top of his lungs. “What did you do to her?!”

 

 

Youki was panting heavily.

 

 

He so was occupied and didn't realise the person behind him. “Youki,” said a chilling voice. He turned and saw Takana standing behind him. “I don't think this will help.” Takan put a hand on his sholder. Youki tensed. “Leave, I'll talk to this Kenji person. You go find Sumi with the others.”

 

 

Youki didn't look back as he headed down the stairs toward the others.

 

 

~~~~~~

 

 

Kenji was sitting in his room, trying to zone out everything that was going on. 'Why did I lash out at her like that? Why was she so angry that I wanted to protect her.'

 

 

He felt the girl who had just sent that screaming boy away, sit down. He slowly could hear her steady heart beat. It was so different from Sumi's, her's was fast and jumbly. This new girl's was steady and deap. Yet some how, they were friends.

 

 

“What happened?” he heard her ask. Takana, was that what she said her name was?

 

 

“I don't know.” That was a lie. Kenji did know what hapened. He lashed out, lost control. That hadn't happened in a while and it was not something the spirit of the rabbit would normaly do.

 

 

“Yes you do. You just don't want to say it.” Takana was smirking, he could tell by her voice that she was.

 

 

“I couldn't control my temper.” Kenji sighed, he would be an adult about this. He would admit what and why he did what he did to this mysterious girl. “I'm still getting ajusted to having Sumi around. I just needed to vent this feeling that was tearing at me. I guess that it was just bad luck that it happened to be Sumi, innocent Sumi who got the blow.”

 

 

“That was very interesting,” Takana said through the door. “But I was wondering, what do you mean by: `Still getting ajusted to having Sumi around.' Do you mean that Sumi didn't always live here?”

 

 

'Idiot! Did I really say that? It's a relief I didn't blow the secret.' “ Yes, Sumi just recently moved in with us.”

 

 

“Sumi . . . she's not really related to you. Is she.” It wasn't a question. It was a statement and Kenji knew he couldn't squeze his way out.

 

 

“No. . . no she's not.”

 

 

“And another thing, Sumi isn't innocent.” She almost hissed it. Kenji looked over at her shadow under the door. “Don't get me wrong. I adore her, really I do. But you can see it in her eye's. She isn't as innnocent as she wants to be. She acts niave, clueless, sweet. But inside, she suffers. Sumi knows exactly what life is like, what hard life is like. She knows why people actlike they do and she knows that she really can't trust anyone. She trusted you, and now look.”

 

 

Takana sighed. Kenji almost felt like crying. He never thought of Sumi like that. She was always cheerful, but strong and she stod up for herself.

 

“I'm not blaming you,” Takana said. “I know that this isn't intirely your falt. Sumi is also to blame. To say that she did the right thing by shouting at you, that would be wrong.” Kenji looked down at the floor. “Yes, I could hear you two screaming.” Takana paused. "I'm going to go look for her. Don't come, let her calm down, then make sure that you apologise. After you do that, I'm sure she'll apologise too.”

 

 

Kenji saw her shadow go past the door and heard her light footsteps travel down the hall.

 

 

~~~~~~

 

 

Sumi was slowly walking around the Sohma property. Head down, eyes unfocused. She was in deep though about what happened with Kenji. He had never raised his voice at her before. It had scared her.

 

 

She came across some shade and looked at her surroundings. She was right next to the tree Kenji had first found her by. It was still right there, slowly its flowers were surrendering to the summer heat, and were falling to the ground. It looked much more peaceful when it wasn't raining. She slowly settled her back against the tree, her head facing away from the place she had just come from.

 

 

Sumi looked at the other houses that surrounded her spot. She wondered if some other zodiac members were inside them right now. Kenji, Ryou, Kaya, and Fumito were the only Zodiac members she had met.

 

 

Ryou was the dragon, Kenji was the rabbit, Kaya was the ox, and Fumito was the rooster. There was still, the rat, the dog, the snake, the horse, the boar, the monkey, the ram, and the tiger. Sumi wondered what the others were like. She was still looking around, deep in thought. She didn't hear the footsteps behind her, or the shouting of familiar voices.

 

 

Sumi slowly came up from behind the tree. A sudden force hit her dead on and she plumited to the ground. Sumi looked up and just before the tigling sensation came, she saw Youki's face with his green eyes closed.

 

 

Her body was now an orange cat. She slowly looked up at Youki, he was slowly getting up, holding his head.

 

 

“Sorry Sumi,” he said, eyes still closed. “I was going full speed and I . . .” He opened his eyes and stared down at the cat. “What the . . .”

 

 

 

 

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