𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 | Fruits Basket FF

(36)

unrevised.
/ chapter 36 /

"Ne, Kureno. I recently heard some strange news." The God lazily said as she sat comfortably with her legs stretched out and her clothes are dishevelled. Her dark gaze hadn't once moved from sight of the beautiful garden before the porch.

"What kind of news?" The 26-year-old man questioned from behind him with a hint of curiosity, though he knew not to make the subtle interest obvious.

The God slowly outstretched her hand towards a butterfly that had left its garden and fluttered towards him. Safely landing on her index finger, the God brought it closer to her, observing its wings.

"Our little butterfly has fallen in love." She answered, the corner of her lips hooking up into a smirk.

"In love?" Kureno repeated questioningly. He didn't need to ask to know exactly who Akito was talking about.

"That's right. With Hatori." Akito rolled her head back and laughed out loud. "With Hatori! Can you believe it? Her, of all people, fell in love."

Kureno stayed quiet, unsure of what to say, as Akito continued to bellow with laughter. The maniacal sounds bounced off the walls and he was sure the servants down the hall could hear her. Although Akito was laughing, Kureno could tell that it had no joy in it.

When the Akito's laughter died down and she became scarily quiet. Her gaze drifted towards the butterfly that still remained in her finger. Kureno watched in horror as Akito reached forward and roughly plucked its wings from its body before crushing it in her hands.

"How could she?" Her grip tightened around the now crushed bug. Her fingernails started to dig into her skin. "How could she betray me like this?"

"Akito," Kureno called, being quick on his feet, he was immediately by Akito's side, trying to get her to unclench her hand so that her fingernails wouldn't dig deep enough to bleed.

"How could she, Kureno!" Akito roared in anger, trying to yank her hands away from the brown-haired man. "I can't let them be together! I won't have it! I own the both of them! They can't be together!"

Kureno knew that no matter what he would try to say, Akito would never listen to him. So instead, all he could do was helplessly stay quiet. He didn't know what to do. Akito was his family, but he also believed Hatori and Ichika were his family too, despite the little interaction he had with them.

"W-What should I do? I even heard that Hatori has already formed some sort of bond with her. At this rate, they'll both leave me. She'll take him and he'll take her!"

"Hatori-nii, please don't be angry with Akito. He's just—"

"Lonely? This is a cycle that reoccurs when we excuse his behaviour, Kureno."

Kureno squeezed his eyes shut as he recalled the day of the disaster. He knew he couldn't physically think to leave Akito. The image of her being left all alone could never leave his head. However, since that day, Kureno no longer had it in him to overlook Akito's behaviour.

Since that day, he couldn't forget the image of a blood-drenched Ichika. He had never seen so much blood, and half of the poor girl's face was covered in it.

Akito never physically abused the bluenette in front of him as it always seemed to occur outside of the Main House (where he couldn't leave), but it was so surreal and traumatising that day to witness it with his own eyes that he even had nightmares of it.

Kureno regretted just standing by. He regretted every ounce of his actions by letting any of this happen to her. Akito had Kureno to 'love' and support, but Ichika had no one. And it had come to his realisation that the girl that he purposely overlooked, had been dragging another in and out of hell as a result.

Kureno wanted to be Akito's saviour, the person who would be there to support her even if the others left her forever. He still viewed her as a sobbing little girl who outreached her hand to him in hopes he would take it and never leave her. But that being said, he made a huge mistake and by the time he realised that mistake it had already cost Ichika years of her life that she could never recover from.

He couldn't even think of a way to apologise to her. Akito did quite a lot of damage to her inside and out, but Kureno believed he did just as much to her by turning a blind eye from Akito's cruelty.

All Kureno could think of was to beg on knees and ask for forgiveness, and he would understand it even if she didn't give it to him. He had planned to, but could never find the chance to.

The guilt was eating him up.. and he deserved every bit of it.

She was just slowly deteriorating in her empty shell.

That was, until Ichika found Hatori.

Kureno knew the older brotherly figure he looked up to all these years was never the same after the incident with his former lover, Kana.

Hatori, too, could not recover from his own trauma after that. But since that day, Kureno noticed one thing: the way Hatori looked when it became clear to him that the blue-haired Sohma was badly injured.

He had never seen such an expression on the Doctor's stoic face before.

He looked like he wanted to murder Akito.

Even thinking about it now sent shivers down his spine. That's when Kureno knew Hatori cared for Ichika more than he thought he did.

The Hatori that they all knew could never think of murder. He was always kind in his own ways even though he liked to show it unusually. He did as he was told, always obliging to Akito's commands no matter how reckless or crazy they were. No matter how much he endured while under Akito's authority.

He endured—

Until he couldn't anymore.

Hurting Ichika was the last straw for him. He became distant from Akito after that.

"Akito," Kureno squeezed her fisted hands and slowly opened his eyes to look at the girl sitting haggardly before him.

"Let them be happy."

Akito froze in her spot with wide eyes.

"What..?" She gritted her teeth. She couldn't believe what Kureno had just said. "Are you betraying me too, Kureno?"

"No, of course not, Akito. You know I would never do that." Kureno tried to explain, but Akito was not having it.

"Then why aren't you siding with me! You want me to let them be happy?!" The God scoffed and roughly pushed him away. "That isn't fair, Kureno. If I can't be happy, then so can't they."

"That's not right, Akito. You shouldn't think like that."

"So what. Ichika has betrayed me. How dare she love someone without my permission."

A worried look plastered all over Kureno's face.

A dark calculative glint, similar to one of the Dog Spirit's, cast itself in her eyes. She scoffed to herself. "Why are you looking like that? What, are you viewing me as some sort of villain now? You think I'm planning something?" Akito glared.

Kureno's eyes widened. "No, Akito, I—"

"Then stop that. I'm not planning anything." She spat, before turning her away. "Get out. I don't want to see you right now."

The bearer of the Rooster Spirit sighed softly before pushing himself up onto his feet and did as he was told, disappearing from Akito's sight.

Akito made sure she heard the door slide shut and the distant movement from outside of the room to indicate that Kureno was long gone before she decided to make her first move.

"Sawa!" She bellowed. Almost instantly a pair of footsteps drew near and the paper doors slid open.

"Yes, Akito-sama?" The older Head Maid appeared in the room and bowed.

"Get me the phone. It looks like I need to make a few phone calls." Akito commanded.

"Right away, Akito-sama."