IT BLOSSOMS, hatori sohma [Fruits Basket]

Chapter Thirty Five

Kyo exhaled a frustrated sigh as he ended the phone call. The conversation with Ryu had nearly left him deaf, and he had been filled in about the situation by Hatsuharu. Though he found himself wanting to pummel Yuki for frightening Himawari, he realized he needed to maintain his composure for the time being. After all, there were already two kids in the house, and the last thing he needed was to add a fight with Yuki to the mix.

Luckily, Kyo was able to explain to Ryu that she didn't need to cut her trip short, given the original plan was for Himawari to stay over at the house for a few days because Ryu and Kazuma had a meeting in another town.

Earlier in the day, Yuki and Tohru had met up with Ryu, which was why Himawari was with them in the first place.

Kyo made his way back upstairs to his room, sighing as he glanced at the single futon where Himawari was currently sleeping. Tohru had informed him that Himawari had eaten dinner and had even spent time with their other guest, Kisa. Kisa had initially been reluctant but couldn't help warming up to Himawari. She had intended to sleep in Tohru's room alongside them, but Yuki's entry had frightened her and prompted her to seek refuge in his room once again.

Kyo had mixed feelings about Himawari not being on good terms with Yuki: on one hand, he found some solace in it, yet on the other, he wasn't comfortable with the idea of her being afraid of Yuki. He pondered for a moment whether he should speak to Yuki and demand an apology, but he wasn't sure how to do so without igniting a heated argument. Thus, he simply chose to hope the situation would resolve on its own by the next day.

Kyo seated himself on the floor and retrieved one of his jackets, shaping it into a makeshift pillow. He then turned away from the futon and leaned back, reaching for a spare blanket near his desk and draping it over himself. With one final sigh, he closed his eyes, surrendering to sleep.

...

Over the course of the next few days, the house was brimming with energy, thanks to the presence of both Kisa and Himawari. Kisa remained closely attached to Tohru, whereas Himawari found herself flitting between Kyo, Shigure, and Hatsuharu whenever the latter stopped by. She staunchly avoided any proximity to Yuki, and whenever they sat down for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, she deliberately chose to sit as far away from him as possible.

Despite Yuki's attempts to apologize, Himawari was adamant in not giving him a chance. Kyo let out a frustrated sigh when this occurred, but then he recalled the stubbornness that Ryu—Himawari's mother—possessed. Recognizing that Himawari had inherited the same trait, Kyo held back, realizing he had no real role to play here. He recognized that any attempted intervention on his part could potentially worsen the already delicate situation.

Shigure proved to be no assistance, acting more like a child himself with his penchant for snacking, napping, and entertaining the two girls.

At the moment, Himawari was engrossed in watching television alongside Shigure, with both Kyo and Shigure peering outside to where Kisa and Tohru were. The preteen, true to form, remained glued to Tohru's side, and their interaction took an unexpected turn when Tohru embraced Kisa and proclaimed her love for her aloud.

"Quite the touching sight, isn't it?" Shigure mused, his voice low.

Kyo grumbled, his irritation bubbling to the surface. "That's damn annoying," he muttered, before raising his voice towards the girls. "We're over here and we're starving!"

Tohru's voice carried back to them, responding, "Yes, it's coming!" She then turned her attention to Kisa, inquiring, "Hey, Kisa, what do you want for dinner?"

Kisa fidgeted nervously, her gaze fixed on her hands, finding herself unable to answer.

Tohru let out a soft murmur of realization.

Kyo, on the other hand, was growing more and more frustrated, letting out a deep sigh and grumbling, "Can't you even express what you want for dinner on your own, Kisa?"

Himawari, on the other hand, huffed in annoyance and directed a stern glare at Kyo. "Uncle Kyo!" she scolded him.

Kyo turned towards his niece, his tone oblivious to the impact of his words, as he casually asked, "What?"

Shigure leaned closer to Kyo, supporting himself on the table before affectionately rubbing Kisa's head. Shaking his head, he exclaimed, "Oh, Kyo, oh, Kyo..."

He then chuckled, adding, "Ah, you can depend on the ever-stupid, pushover Kyo to say something foolish. What will be, will be, Satchan!"

Kyo's eye twitched in annoyance as he protested, "Oi! Get off me, you annoying buffoon!"

Shigure continued to ignore him, gleefully declaring, "He's blushing! Look, Hima! Look at your Uncle Kyo, all red and—"

Kyo's face turned even redder as he interrupted with a yell, "Shut up, you moronic idiot!!"

Himawari couldn't help but chuckle, thoroughly entertained by the exchange unfolding before her.

Tohru had briefly left the room during the commotion and returned a few minutes later, her voice carrying a cheerful tone as she sang out. She then held up a paper, announcing, "Amidakuji!"

Shigure observed the paper in Tohru's hand and nodded, commenting, "Ah, it seems you've chosen the ladder game."

He snapped his fingers, expressing recognition at her choice.

Tohru nodded and turned her attention to Kisa, gently instructing, "Kisa, pick wherever you like."

Kisa obligingly pointed to one of the three flowers at the top, and Tohru nodded in response. She placed the paper on the floor and declared, "Alright, here we go!"

As Tohru moved her finger while singing, Kyo couldn't help but give her an amused look. He questioned, "What are you singing?"

Tohru continued tracing the lines, her cheerful demeanor unwavering. Eventually, she let out an ecstatic "Ha!" followed by an enthusiastic announcement: "Okay, it's decided – tonight we're having...Niratama!"

Kyo's face turned pale at the revelation, knowing all too well that leeks were a food he disliked intensely. He mumbled in disbelief, "Leeks...she might as well have just come out and said it. Of all things..."

Himawari couldn't help but chuckle at Kyo's visible distaste, and even the usually timid and subdued Kisa allowed a subtle laugh to escape her lips.

Tohru, realizing the nature of the dish, panicked and tried to apologize, but Kyo simply urged her to give it her best shot.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though Kyo's face went slightly green, the thought of the upcoming meal clearly not sitting well with him.