Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Chime Child ❯ Of tempers and twits ( Chapter 4 )

Looking out the window of the bathroom, Yukika could see a nice car pulling into the driveway of Shigure's house. Dressed in an overlarge dressing gown that seemed determined to trip her up at every step, Yukika went flying down the stairs to announce, "Shigure-san! There's someone at the door!"

"Eh?" The writer looked up from his newspaper. "Someone at the-"

There was a loud pounding, and a voice that Yukika was sure she had heard at recess today, cried, "Shigure-kun! Yuki-kun! Kyou-kun! Tohru-kun! It's me-e-e-e-e-e! MOMIJI!"

"No one could mistake that kid," muttered Kyou, walking into the room. He had been drinking milk, the carton was still in his hand, and he wiped a milk mustached off. Yuki shot him a disgusted look as he went to open the door. He wrenched it open. "Yuki-kun!" cried Momiji, throwing himself into Yuki's arms.

"To what do we owe this surprise visit, Ha-san?" drawled Shigure, smiling at the tall figure in the doorway. Yukika's eyes widened. Anou… he's very handsome…Hatori stepped in, a frown on his face.

"I think you know as well as I do," he said softly, with menace.

"Oh, Ha-san, you sound so threatening!" Hatori's jaw tightened as he glared at Shigure. The writer looked back with a pout that even Hatori had to admit was cute. Attracted by the noise, and the fact that she couldn't find Yukika anywhere, Tohru wandered down.

"Oh! Hatori-san! Have you come to visit?" At that moment, Momiji caught sight of Yukika, her black hair dripping wet, clinging her face, and a towel wrapped round her neck.

"Let me help you dry your hair!" he announced cheerfully, lunging at Yukika and grabbing the towel. Before the girl knew what was happening, she was being thoroughly manhandled. Momiji seemed intent on pulling every hair on her head out of place. Tohru had to hide a smile behind her hand, as Yukika's head was first here, then there as Momiji went to his task with great enthusiasm.

"Ow-ouch-ow-ow-ouc-ouch-ouch!" When Momiji let go of her, Yukika's hair was perfectly dry, and stuck out in all directions, not like a birds' nest, it was past that, but like a tangled dry spaghetti. She snarled at Momiji, "I-am-going-to-get-you-for-that."

"I'm shaking in my shoes!" he told her brightly.

"You should be!"

Hatori hurriedly pulled Momiji to his side, "Is this the girl?" he asked Shigure. The writer looked up at Hatori and smiled.

"Yup! Cute little bundle of loveliness, isn't she?"

Yukika turned her glare onto Shigure. It was a good glare, but not very effective when you were about two heads smaller, with hair that flew in a wispy cloud around a not very scary face. Shigure just smiled at her patronizingly and told her that in a few years she might improve.

Hatori got the feeling that the matter was getting out of hand. "Are you boarding here, now… miss?" he asked coldly. Yukika looked at him hostilely, but blankly.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are, Minake-san," interjected Shigure pleasantly. "Tohru and I have sorted it all out already!"

Yukika came up with a brilliant retort. "Huh?"

"You see, Minake-san," started Shigure eloquently. "Tohru-kun was worried about you being left all alone, so she arranged for you to board here, so we can keep an eye on you! You'll have the studio room upstairs, and I'll give you a special rent price. Not very expensive, 9000 yen a month?"

"You sound like a real estate agent," muttered Yuki, before the realization hit both him and Kyou at the same time. "She's going to live here?!"

"Do you have a problem?" purred Shigure.

"Yes," snapped Hatori, Kyou and Yuki all at the same time.

Yukika's face was hot and red. It was one thing to be talked about as if she wasn't present. It was quite another thing, and just as bad, to be talked about as if she weren't there and try to get rid of her. "It doesn't matter whether you have a problem or not!" she yelled. "Don't worry. I'm not staying!"

She stormed out of the room, tears gathering in her eyes, angry, embarrassed and hurt all at the same time. Her sudden outburst, coming from such a little girl who had previously been so sulkily quiet, shocked them all into silence. Then Tohru rushed out of the room after her. The silence grew even worse.

"We shouldn't have talked about her like that," said Shigure finally.

"No, we shouldn't have." Hatori seated himself across Shigure.

"I'll go find her," said Momiji, "and Tohru-kun." He ran away, and they heard his feet clattering up the stairs. Yuki and Kyou sat down as well, both looking guilty.

"I suppose," said Kyou gruffly, "I wouldn't like it if people talked about me like that."

"Minake-san can be pleasant when she wants to be, but not like Tohru, because she's only pleasant to people who are pleasant to her," muttered Yuki.

"Not all of us can be like Tohru," sighed Shigure.

"But what possessed you to say that you would let the room to this girl!" asked Hatori. He frowned at Shigure. "And don't you dare say that you wanted another high school girl in your house!"

Yuki and Kyou started to exchange looks, realized that would look chummy, and looked away hurriedly.

"No…" Shigure looked serious. For once. "Tohru said… that Minake-san was a girl… trying to break away from her family."

"Oh `Gure…" Hatori's face made a rapid change.

"Ahem." Yuki coughed politely. "But… what can we do about this then?"

"Well, paying for Tohru-kun's things is quite draining on my finances," pouted Shigure. "Especially since I don't dare get assistance from Akito. So I thought, why not take Minake-san in, earn some money, as well as help out the girl."

Hatori nodded. Shigure looked encouraged and went on, "Like Tohru-kun said, I know it'll be difficult, but couldn't we try?"

Hatori shook his head. "'Gure, I know you're trying to pull a fast one on me. Tohru can pull off sweet and innocent but-" Hatori couldn't continue. Not when Shigure was looking at him like that. Showing him that he could look sweet and innocent. And very appealing as well.