Oneshots | Fruits Basket | 1192131999

Thirteen Strings | The Rat: Yuki Sohma

It was in the heat of summer when you decided to take that serendipitous seat by the large waterway, basking in the breeze that cooled your skin from your run. It was close to graduation at your high school, and a quick run after being let out was what you felt you needed. The stress was immense, and you wanted to empty your head of all the meaningless things being drilled into your head. Well, you were learning these things for a purpose, you thought, despite it turning into a constant drone. But the pressure from friends and family was astonishingly cumbersome.

You laid in the cool grass while you stared at the clouds passing by, drifting slowly by the breeze that caught your hair every once in a while, until a shadow appeared above.

"You're in my spot," spoke a voice coming from the silhouette of a young man. You peeked to see if you could spot the features on his face, adjusting to the pink hues that painted the evening sky.

"There's plenty to choose from," you jested with a show of hands.

"Yeah, but this is my spot," reiterated the silhouette, now smiling down at you.

"Don't you start, I got here first, fair and square," you teased with a pout. "If you weren't canoodling with your girlfriend often after Student Council meetings, then maybe you could've taken it."

The young man chuckled brightly, his short silver hair catching in the breeze that framed his beautiful face. Yuki Sohma was a strange person, at least when you first met him, you thought, lounging about here by the riverside alone, collecting his thoughts. It became some sort of a tradition after school hours, only ever adjusting to the after school activities either of you had to make on certain days of the week. You recalled talking for what felt like hours with him, at first a little apprehensive on Yuki's part, but soon noticing him opening up over the course of the school year.

It was inspiring.

"Don't make threats you can't follow through."

And terrifying.

You irked at his remark, only to hear his laughter ring in your ear, seating himself next to you. You joined him, sitting up from the grass and staring ahead at the calm waters. It was another school day, at least you tried to keep that thought in your head while the looming notion of graduation filled your mind.

"Are you excited?" asked Yuki.

"Huh?"

"Graduation. Yours should be coming up in time with ours."

An exasperated sigh escaped from your throat, recalling the fact that you were from the sister school of Kaibara Municipal. Same curriculums, but wildly different schooling practices, as described between yours and Yuki's conversations over the school year.

"Yeah," you exasperatedly answered.

"What's the matter?" Yuki asked with genuine concern.

"Well, it's just that it feels so... what's the word? Um..."

"Artificial?"

"My first thought was fake but we'll go with that."

Yuki turned to you with curiosity, watching your dull eyes stare ahead at the riverside. To him, you looked lifeless in this moment, filled with anxiety and yet fueled by emotion. You felt dimmer, wracked in a bundle of nerves. He could feel that, knowing the end of the year was close.

"There's so much in the world that's going on. So much to see and do, to experience, to pursue, and I'm sitting at a desk learning meaningless numbers and discussing the ancient mariner's sad life," you explained, continuing your rant while Yuki stared at your aloofness. "What happens after this?"

Yuki watched while you lowered your head onto your arms, still staring ahead and not being mindful of his presence anymore. There was so much going through your mind, worries and concerns that felt so immense it pressed against you like the weight of the world was literally on your shoulders.

"It's what we make it," Yuki simply replied, spotting your eye glance towards him. "I agree, the schooling system can feel redundant, but you should make good use of what happens now before you decide to venture off into the unknown. You don't know if you'll ever remember the memories you make here and now."

Your eyes brightened, if only for a glimmer upon hearing Yuki's words. It only made him smile genially, seeing that little ray of light from you. He laid a hand atop your knee with a hardy shake, reassuring in its sway.

"But what do I know? I'm just a quiet little mouse, aren't I?"

You irked again at his comment, swatting his hand away from your knee in exasperation.

"Don't remind me of that," you sighed in defeat. "I'm not good with names sometimes."

"And yet that was the most ironic thing you could've said when we first met."

You sighed again, grumbling under your breath. It was no secret about this family curse of his. You've heard of wilder things before. You recalled that one moment when you were considered a risk to his family.

Now that was terrifying.

Despite the very dramatic way being introduced to the situation, in a crash course capacity within the year, you felt privileged to be a part of this man's life. He had divulged most things on his mind, learning about his family and his friends (in confidence of course), and now it was the end of the road.

"You've been good to me," spoke Yuki, bringing you out of your memories. "You've been a good ear. You listened, and I know whatever happens, I'll always remember these times."

Your smile matched his, warm and genuine, something that you had slowly found on his face more often now than before. These moments outside of the regimen, the curriculums and the subjects made it worthwhile, you thought.

"You're making it sound like we won't see each other again. It's just college."

"Maybe we won't," he continued with a shrug. "But I'll feel lucky if we ever bump into each other, wherever that may be."

"Heh, same," you deduced before you nudged your shoulder into his. "Thanks Yuki."

"Thank you, Firefly."