Abekku || A Fruits Basket Fanfiction

Daikoku Nezumi (大黒鼠)

I say my goodbyes to the multicolor-haired household. As I walk further down the steps outside Shigure's house, I look down at the new house number in my cellphone contacts. Shigure told me that he would have to report to the Head of the family. So I needed to be in contact with him. I hope he's not lying to me to have my number.

"I hope this won't be some big issue." I gulp as I reach my apartment.

Sadly, I missed a haircut appointment due to the whole fiasco. I'll reschedule that later. "Oh, Kazuki, you're back," my roommate calls as she walks out from her bedroom, "Your hair doesn't look any different."

"Yes Mai, I ended up not going to the hairstylist today," I say as I pull my shoes off, "Have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet. I'm going out though with a friend. I was just waiting for you to get back." She throws her long dark hair over her shoulder. "So enjoy your evening."

"Uh, right." If only I had a roommate who was willing to take interest in me. Mai just goes about her life, politely telling me things and then nothing else. At least she pays her rent on time.

I sit at the kitchen table, eating some take-out I had left over from the previous night. My mind keeps falling back to the Sohmas. I feel so lonely in the apartment, almost separated.

I'm not that type of person, I'm used to being on my own, it doesn't usually affect me. Well, except for Mai. I live with her. She should care more about me.

I throw away the take-out box. I walk to my bedroom and dig through my closet, trying to find the box of family journals.

Maybe they could tell me more about to Zodiacs and the curse. Maybe it's because of the curse that I felt so excluded.

At the foot of my very small closet was a box labelled "Don't Read Unless if You Have Permission". Grandpa wrote it when I moved out of his house after high school.

He insisted I would need them. I haven't touched them at all since I moved into this apartment.

I heave the cardboard box out of the closet. How heavy are these stupid journals? I don't plan to spend an entire weekend going through all of these.

"Run," something whispers in my ear, "Run while you can."

Golden colors fill my eyes and I'm emerged in a golden field. Nothing else can be seen but the grass and a figure off in the distance.

"Peasant," another voice shouts.

I turn trying to find the voices, and when I turn back, the figure in the field is gone. Instead dark, heavy clouds rush in, I close my eyes and brace for impact. I open my eyes to find myself sitting in a dark and dirty room.

"Did you really think you could surpass me?" I look up in the direction of the voice. I spot a rat in the distance. The small nezumi sits on a zaisu on top of a table. Bales of rice and plenty of wealthy goods surround him. Sunlight shining on him to stand out in this gloomy room."You thought they would put you on a pedestal if you managed to swindle them, right? Well, thanks to you, there was one less animal to walk past! Now I get to be on that pedestal! Oh, you poor peasant, chuu-chuu."

I look up at his throne in disgust. "There's a reason you got left out. No God has a use for a busu like yourself," it tells me.

"And why would God have use for you?" I ask the nezumi.

"Because, I bring luck." The rat disappears, "You bring nothing."

Ringing fills my ears as I am once again in front of my closet, laying on the floor. The morning sun shines into my bedroom from my small window. "Ugh, what a pain," I mutter. I look around to see my phone ringing like crazy. I must have fallen asleep while reading through the journals. I reach for my cellphone. 'Shigure', the contact reads. I answer.

"Hello?"