IT BLOSSOMS, hatori sohma [Fruits Basket]

Chapter Twenty Eight

Throughout his young yet mindful life, Kyo had never prepared himself to be startled awake from a peaceful slumber. It happened for the first time a few weeks ago when Yuki's unbearable older brother, Ayame, invaded his small bed. Opening his eyes and finding himself enveloped in an embrace by the irritable adult had almost given him a heart attack at his tender age.

Kyo rubbed his sleepy eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of his dream. But as his vision cleared, his eyes widened in surprise. There, hovering just inches above his own face, was the head of a small child.

Kyo had to rub his eyes a few more times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Kyo took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to scream and react with hostility. Luckily, he managed to control himself, realizing that a sudden jerk could have led to a disastrous result.

The child's cheerful greeting caught his attention. "Good morning, Uncle Kyo," the child said, flashing a toothy grin. Kyo couldn't help but be taken aback by the unexpected situation unfolding before him.

Kyo's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the soft, familiar voice of his niece. The child moved away just as he abruptly sat up, causing him to panic and frantically look around. For a brief moment, he questioned whether he had somehow lost his memory and forgotten the last few days.

However, as his bewildered gaze darted around the room, he realized it was indeed the same room he had been staying in at the cottage.

Kyo's mind was swarmed with questions, but the most pressing one remained: why was his niece, Himawari, there at the cottage?

"Himawari... what are you doing here?" he asked slowly, his voice betraying a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

The child tilted her head in thought, her expression conveying a hint of innocence, before responding, "I don't know. Mama just told me to wake you up, and when we head downstairs, she'll explain everything."

"When did you even arrive—" Kyo paused mid-sentence, realizing the futility of asking questions that would soon be answered. He let out a few resigned sighs, contemplating how much change this newfound knowledge of Ryu's secrets had brought about.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, then. Let's go and get some answers," he said, patting Himawari's head affectionately.

Kyo's mind ran through the list of people waiting downstairs. Shigure, Yuki, even Tohru—he had no doubt they were all present. He knew Tohru would likely be blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation, but somehow, her innocent nature always shone through. Kyo trusted that her genuine acceptance and kind heart would guide her even without knowing all the details.

Kyo's thoughts turned to Shigure, and a sense of unease came over him. The man's cunning and mischievous tendencies made Kyo uncomfortable, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Shigure was already scheming something.