𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 | Fruits Basket FF

(50)

unrevised.
/ chapter 50 /

[Authors Note: This chapter's events took place before the previous chapter.]

Hatori was lost in his own thoughts as he walked the halls he dreads so much. His legs extended one after the other in a rhythmic pattern as he kept a safe hand on breast pocket of his coat as to reassure himself the precious item he discovered with Ayame was still there.

"When were you going to tell me the truth?" The dark-haired man asked the man sitting across from him, his face remaining stoic.

"About?" The host of the Dog Spirit asked, lifting his brows as he looked up from his book. "I have a lot of secrets, Haa-san. You're going to have to be more specific." Shigure joked before turning back to his book.

Hatori's purple eyes sharpened. He could usually tolerate his friend's humour but he couldn't at the moment, not when it involved someone he cares for. He needed answers and he needed them now.

He tucked his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a familiar looking object. Placing it down, he slid it across the table. Shigure's grey eyes shifted from his novel once again and he followed the movement of photograph. He stared down silently at the picture.

After what felt like moments later, he finally lifted his eyes away from the photograph and looked directly at Hatori with his face devoid of any humour or joy. Shigure had rather a calm expression, one Hatori was already expecting.

"Ah, so you've discovered." Shigure nonchalantly said.

Hatori looked at him in disbelief as Shigure sighed and closed his novel shut, placing it to the side of him.

How could he act so nonchalant about this? Almost as if he didn't care that he knew about her all along, that she wasn't worth mentioning... let alone saving.

Hatori couldn't deny the guilt eating away at him ever since he saw the photograph of the four of them. They had long forgotten about her and left her to suffer all alone.

"Why can't I remember anything?" Hatori continued to quiz.

Shigure let out another sigh. "I can't tell you much because I don't know the answer. All I do know is that my memories have been coming back a lot more than they have recently."

"'A lot more than they have'? What do you mean by that?"

"I.. had my first memory of the four of us for a while now from back when we were young. I didn't say anything because I thought my mind was playing tricks. But since then, I started remembering bits and pieces so vividly that it started to become too much for me to regard it as nothing. You know what this means right?"

Both Hatori and Shigure glanced at each other in silence.

Hatori couldn't deny the fact that he already an inkling suspicion. The curse that caused so much grief and pain throughout each generation was somehow weakening now, and as a result of that, he, too, had begun to dream of things that he could now call his forgotten memories.

Shigure adjusted the sleeves of his yukata and tucked his hands inside as Hatori conjured another question he'd been meaning to ask.

"You knew exactly where Ichika lived when I asked you that one time, why is that?"

Shigure contemplated on answering, but Hatori, who sensed his hesitance, glowered at him. The bearer of the Dog Spirit sweatdropped.

"You learn a lot of deep, dark secrets when you're around Akito. I knew of Ichika even before Akito did the big reveal of her existence, of course I'd know where she lived." Shigure sighed defeatedly. "I told you, haven't I? I'm the dirtiest one out of all of us. I'm selfish and calculative and use people as a means to get my way, even it meant hiding Ichika."