IT BLOSSOMS, hatori sohma [Fruits Basket]

Chapter Sixty Three

Each day, Hatori navigated the intricate web of the Sohma family. Performing his duties as the family doctor, he was the one everyone turned to for medical advice and treatment. Yet beneath his calm exterior, the burden of responsibility weighed heavily on him.

He was an expert at hiding his troubles, a skill inherited from his father. However, the toll was beginning to show in small ways - a slight tired look in his eyes, a more tense set to his shoulders. But he continued to put on a mask of strength and resilience, hiding the depth of his worries.

The memory replayed in his mind - the closeness, the warmth of their proximity, the way their lips had almost touched. Then his voice, insisting it was a mistake, his own action separating them.

Hatori's usually calm expression now mirrored regret. He knew he had hurt Ryu with his sudden rejection, but at the time, he had truly believed it to be a mistake. After all, he was cursed to cause the harm of anyone he fell in love with. He had done it to protect her, not to hurt her.

His vow was clear in his mind: never again. The pain he had inflicted on Kana still haunted him to this day, the guilt eating away at his heart. From that day on, he decided he would never allow himself to experience love again. It was a way to protect not just himself, but those around him from Akito.

Hatori's usual composed exterior now carried a tinge of melancholy, the burden of his promise weighing heavily on him.

Despite his determination, memories of his moments with Ryu stubbornly lingered in his thoughts. His feelings for her continued to smoulder beneath the surface of his resolve, like embers refusing to go out.

Each day saw Hatori growing more and more restless. He found himself frequently recalling his near-kiss with Ryu, the memory bringing both regret and bittersweet longing.

Hatori's thoughts slowly untangled the web of his emotions, each thread leading him back to a truth he was only now beginning to see. As he reflected on his behavior towards Ryu, he realised that his feelings for her had taken root much earlier—perhaps even before their reunion.

The more he mulled over his interactions with her, the more he saw glimpses of these concealed emotions. The way he had naturally gravitated towards her, the way he unconsciously sought her company.

A sigh escaped him as the realisation settled within him. He had been blind to his own emotions, so focused on pushing everyone away that he hadn't noticed the slow growth of affection towards Ryu. Now, with the truth laid bare, he found himself grappling with a few problems.

His promise, the one he had made to himself, to never experience love again, was now at odds with the feelings he realised he had for Ryu.

Hatori's thoughts spiralled. The realization that Ryu's status as a mother meant that she might develop a closer relationship with Ayame added another complication to the already tangled mix of his emotions.