One Step Closer [Fruits Basket]

Chapter 20: Summer & Anticipation

Natsu's POV

"Thank you very much, both of you." Kazuma stated.

Right now Kazuma, Tohru, and I were standing on a bridge, far away from our house.

"Wouldn't you bade your farewell to Kyo?" I asked.

Kazuma softly smiled at me.

"I don't know that..." he responded. "I originally took Kyo in an atonement."

Then he started to tell the story of his grandfather who was cursed by the spirit of the Cat.

Kazuma was allowed to live on the "inside" because of his late grandfather. He had never met his grandfather, but he knew that he was estranged from his immediate family and treated terribly by the rest of the Sohmas; Kazuma himself included. When he met his grandfather for the first time by the Cat's Room, his grandfather offered him candy, but Kazuma rejected it, saying it was "cursed". However, his grandfather simply smiled and forgave him.

On his grandfather's deathbed, Kazuma overheard how his grandmother admitted that she had only stayed with the Cat, her husband, out of pity. This left a long-lasting impression on Kazuma.

Years later, when Kyo was born and became the next Cat, Kazuma witnessed for the first time the kind of environment that surrounded him; it was no different from how his grandfather had been treated. This made Kazuma realize how cruel he had been towards his grandfather before. This is why, after Kyo's mother passed away and he was rejected by his father, Kazuma took Kyo in as an act of atonement and to erase his guilty conscience.

The pair began living together, and Kyo was well taken care of by Kazuma. Even when other members of the Sohma family shunned Kazuma for taking in the Cat, Kazuma never once was excessively overprotective or rejecting of Kyo, and showered him in love and care regardless of what others might have thought.

At some point, Kyo began calling Kazuma "Shishou" since none of his students referred to him as much. Kazuma also began training Kyo in martial arts to teach him discipline, and to help Kyo become stronger in his life knowing it will be so difficult being cursed by the cat.

As they continued living together, Kazuma came to genuinely love Kyo and felt like he had become the boy's father. However, he put a slight distance between them, afraid that his feelings were a burden for Kyo, especially considering how Kazuma had witnessed Kyo exclaim several times that he didn't view Kazuma as his father.

"That's why I don't know what to say to him during this farewell of mine." Kazuma stated. "It would be arrogant of me to say 'good for you' after selfishly putting my feelings before his after I pulled his bracelet out of his wrist even though he kept on requesting me not to do that."

Kazuma took a deep breath and continued, smiling at me and Tohru.

"All I did was create the opportunity. You two are the ones who saved Kyo."

"Kazuma-san." I spoke up. "To you, what you did yesterday, was selfish. You pulled Kyo's bracelet away from him, even though he cried to you not to do that. Yes, it reassured your feelings towards Kyo, your grandfather, the Cat spirit, and all, but it also helped Kyo to get stronger. Now that he knows that there are two more people out there who will always support him besides his Shishou, he'll eventually grow up and become a strong person, mentally and emotionally. So do you really think what you did was selfish? If you ask me, I would say no. And I don't think Kyo is mad at you."

Tohru nodded in agreement.

"Nee-chan is right, Shisou-san. I don't what you think, but in my eyes, you really seem like a father." Tohru smiled.