𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 | Fruits Basket FF

(44)

unrevised.
/ chapter 44 /

Her heart skipped a beat as she shyly looked up at the man whom she just shared an unbelievable kiss with. The feel and warmth of his lips could still be felt even just moments after. "When did it start?" Ichika bashfully enquired.

"When did what start?" He replied with an innocent grin that told her he knew exactly what she was asking.

After seeing her pout, Hatori immediately gave in with a sigh and answered her. Only hoping to tease her a little bit, it was unfortunate for him as her sulking was just too adorable to resist and he yearned to tease her more, however he didn't want to upset her.

It seems she was already going to be the death of him, getting whatever she wants just from sulks.

"It started with the little blue letter you gifted along with the cookies."

Her navy eyes widened. "What? But it was just a simple gift. I wrote that letter to thank you."

"It wasn't just a simple gift." Hatori shook his head. "It meant a lot to me."

Ichika looked at him like she didn't understand, and so he continued.

"During that time, I was going through a lot. It was mentally and physically draining for me that I lost sleep.

"I countlessly questioned myself as to why I took on this path. Why did I choose to be a Doctor?

"Even though Akito is often blinded by his own rage, and even though he would attack anything and anyone within his sight if I angered him somehow, I was driving myself mad because I knew that at the end of the day those injuries and harm inflicted by him on those around me were on me.

"So I questioned myself, why be a Doctor when all I do is hurt people? Each time I treated a new person, the hole of abyss in the pit of my body would eat away at me.

"I don't drink that often, rather occasionally, but when I did I would try to drown my sorrows away. One night in a drunken state I stumbled upon something blue from the corner from the corner of my eye. It reminded me of the colour of your hair, and as you've guessed it, it was the little letter you took time out of your day to write for me.

"It may mean not much to you, but such a tiny letter contained such impactful words."

Ichika unconsciously touched the ends of her hair as he mentioned the colour, and the expression on his face was so gentle than she'd ever seen. Having realised he was looking at her— no one else but her— with that sort of expression made her warm on the inside.

"It was your letter, and it brought me a lot of comfort, more than you know. I'd feel lighter every time I'd read it, the weight on my shoulders lifting and giving me temporarily relief. Because whist I struggled to know whether or not I've helped anyone to the best of my abilities, or question if my efforts were really worth anything, your words alone in that letter assured me that I've saved at least one person. " Hatori tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "And that person was you. You gave me encouragement."

"From then on, I started looking at you. Really looking at you. I started noticing everything about you even if they were little things. Like how your nose scrunches up when you get to a good part of a novel you're reading, or when you play with your fingers when your nervous. I would yearn to see you when I couldn't, but I'm the happiest when I'm near you. I would look at you when you weren't looking, or have my eyes drift towards only you even when there were others around us."

"I see only you." He murmured.

Her eyes glistened over with tears of which were joy. She was left speechless, yet heartfelt and emotional after his confession to realise that she wasn't the only one. He, too, felt the same for her as she did for him. She was willing to accept it if it wasn't the same, even willing to let him go. But it was.