IT BLOSSOMS, hatori sohma [Fruits Basket]

Chapter Two

Ryu found herself stealing glances towards the direction of Himawari and Kazuma, who had been engaged in their conversation. A few days had passed since her initial defiance against the idea of returning. Her body's weakening state meant that she could no longer maintain her stubbornness. If she truly wanted to protect Himawari, she knew that she needed to do so while she still had the strength to do it. Taking a deep breath for a moment to compose herself, she suppressed the reopened wounds that would surely follow her return.

Himawari, brimming with energy, asked her mother excitedly from her seat beside Kazuma.

"Mama, can I please start lessons at Sensei's dojo?"

Ryu looked over at her daughter, a mix of emotions coursing through her. The thought of her young child training at Kazuma's traditional dojo stirred up a whirlwind of feelings within her.

Ryu glanced over at Kazuma, who returned a smile, as if silently suggesting that it was pointless to deny Himawari's request. And in truth, it was true that Himawari had a strong constitution, making a refusal rather nonsensical. As a parent, the thought of her daughter learning self-defence seemed reasonable, a matter most parents would embrace without hesitation.

"We'll wait until you're in school and settled first" Ryu responded with a firm tone, her arms crossed in a resolute gesture.

Himawari, who had been eagerly bouncing in her seat, momentarily pouted at her mother's response. However, her expression quickly shifted back to excitement at the prospect of attending school and eventually starting lessons at Kazuma's dojo. Meanwhile, Kazuma chuckled softly at the interaction, amused by Himawari's enthusiasm and Ryu's somewhat strict demeanor.

Himawari grinned widely, her eyes sparkling with joy and anticipation. "That means yes!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

Kazuma chuckled and patted Himawari's head affectionately. "That's good then," he replied, a soft smile playing on his lips, "but don't think I'll go easy on you just because I know your mother."

"What kind of Sensei would do that?!" Himawari exclaimed, her hands on her hips as if standing her ground. "That wouldn't be fair and would completely defeat the purpose of teaching!"

Ryu couldn't help but snort at her daughter's words, finding a strange sense of familiarity in them. Kazuma, meanwhile, stared at Himawari in surprise, his mind temporarily transported to memories of Ryu, many years ago, expressing the same sentiment.

"Like mother, like daughter," Kazuma remarked with a slightly surrendering tone, leaning back in his seat. "And just as an early warning, if you even think about trying to dye my hair, consider yourself a spitting image of your mother."

Himawari's eyes widened as she turned towards her mother, who was shaking with suppressed laughter. "Mama did that?!" she exclaimed, her curiosity piqued.

Kazuma nodded in response to Himawari's astonished question, but the color drained from his face as he recognized the familiar glint in her eyes.

"Oh...oh no," he muttered, a sense of impending trouble dawning on him.

Himawari's smile widened, showcasing her gleaming teeth, as the idea took root in her imaginative mind. "Tsk tsk, Sensei," she chided, grinning mischievously, "you should know better than to reveal such tantalizing information."

Kazuma turned to Ryu and leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is she really only seven years old?" he asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Ryu chuckled softly and shrugged, nonchalantly leaning on her palm. "As you said, like mother, like daughter," she replied with a playful wink.

Kazuma felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, as if he had suddenly aged a few years. Despite his exaggerated reaction, he was profoundly glad to have Ryu back home.

Kazuma had long suspected that this was not the outcome Ryu desired, and he knew that Himawari's reaching out to him last year had only heightened his concern. Hearing about each instance of her illness had made him worry even more. He was unsure of what her mother had shared with Himawari, but he had witnessed the young child's unflinching calm and composed demeanor, despite the reality of the situation.

Kazuma couldn't help but ponder over the possibility of something about Himawari that he had yet to discover. But for now, his main priority was to ensure that Ryu regained her health. This led him to theorize that her health issues were merely due to her absence. However, before he could come to a conclusion, he was left in a state of uncertainty. Yet, as they got closer to their destination, he noticed a visible improvement in Ryu's skin color, slowly returning to a more vibrant tone.

Kazuma's heart sank as he took in the sight of Ryu's pale complexion. He had almost expected the worst when he first saw her.

Later, when Himawari was fast asleep, Ryu spoke up, her voice a little more thoughtful. "Returning will not be as welcoming as I wish," she shared, her words implying a hidden weight to them.

"What makes you think that?" Kazuma inquired, curiosity lacing his tone.

Ryu remained silent for a moment before rummaging through her bag and extracting a wrinkled envelope. She held it in her hand as she replied, a hint of resignation in her voice. "Because, even though I thought I left no traces behind, he found me – even if I didn't expect him to care," she admitted.

Kazuma leaned forward, reaching over to take the envelope, his heart racing as he read the sender's name.

"I swear, even if I knew your whereabouts, I didn't tell him," Kazuma swore fervently.

Ryu gnawed on her lip, her gaze drifting to the window as she spoke, her voice tinged with a mixture of resignation and regret. "Somehow, I have a feeling that even if he tortured you, you wouldn't have told him. I suspect... I was foolish to ever believe otherwise."

"You are not bound by any obligation to go," Kazuma declared, his voice steady.

Ryu mustered a smile, her gaze meeting his. "If I don't comply, not only will Himawari be in danger, but so will Kyo, since Akito is aware of how deeply I care about him," she explained, her voice laced with determination.

Kazuma couldn't refute her statement, as he knew it was unfortunately true. Anyone who held affection for the twelve zodiac members was automatically a target of Akito. With recent changes and a new object of interest, Akito was likely thriving with renewed vigor.

"Before we reach our destination, I believe it would be prudent if I inform you about some recent developments," Kazuma remarked firmly, his voice laced with concern.

Ryu offered a resolute nod, signaling her readiness to listen intently to the information Kazuma was about to share with her.

"To start with, there is a teenager that I believe you will find captivating," Kazuma began.

Ryu interrupted him with a question, "A member of the Sohma family?"

Kazuma shook his head in denial, "No, she is not related to the Sohma family at all."

Ryu's expression was skeptical when she heard that the girl was a stranger. "A stranger?" she repeated, her brows furrowed in thought. "Does she know about the Sohma family's true nature?"

Kazuma responded with a nod, "Yes, she knows, and Akito has allowed it," he confirmed.

Ryu pondered for a moment before clasping her hands together and turning to face Kazuma with a direct gaze. "Tell me more about this girl, Kazuma," she implored.