MARRIED TO A KITSUNE

CHAPTER XII

Honoree clenched her fist on what she felt like an insult to her. She looked away, hurt.

"I don't expect someone like you can understand." she murmured. She starts heading back to the mansion instead. She had no interest in any shouting games with Yuuji.

"You grew up in two cultures and you learned to navigate both, isn't that suppose to make you proud?"

Honoree stopped walking. For a moment, she felt like it was not the normal Yuuji that is talking to her but his deity side, someone that fits kitsune's description of possesing high intelligence. She reminded herself that Yuuji had live longer than she could ever be and maybe he will listened to her when she try to talk to him about the things that concerns her. She slowly faced him and she took a seat again under the tree. Yuuji stood in front of her, his arms folded in his chest.

"My mother is a french and I have lived in France until I was twelve. Then she got pregnant with another man and they sent me to my grandfather here in Japan. My father, the japanese one, marries again too and both my parents lived their own happily ever after." Honoree began. A sakura tree leaf fall on her hair and she play with it with her fingers. "I was left in the care of my grandfather. A product of short romance. I like Ishikawa, really. I met Ayame-chan, Naoki-chan and Akira-kun. But, I don't know. Its like even if I spend my entire life learning this culture, I will not be allowed to be one of them." She surprise herself by letting out a soft laugh. "Even if I go back in France, nothing will change. I will always be the japanese girl at our church service during Christmas Eve and the foreigner at hina-matsuri*."

Its true. Honoree never experience any discrimination but its the differentiation that annoys her. She doesn't have any painful memories because if there was anything, hafus like her gets special treatment in Japan. Being born with a foreign appearance makes her the center of attention. Honoree remembers the first time she goes to a private middle school in town and everyone was staring at her, observing and commenting every movements she made like she was an exotic animal released from the cage and allowed to roam around. She still gets those kinds of looks after four years of staying with Takao and it doesn't fail to make her uncomfortable. The looks that she later learned from Ayame that views her as someone that can speak fluent unaccented nihonggo and understands japanese customs but doesn't look japanese and yet not completely foreign. She had always been single out just because she have a mixed blood.

You don't know because you're only half japanese.

What is your half?

Your japanese is quite good for a foreigner.

Yuuji remains silent after Honoree speak her mind. He's thinking what words could comfort Honoree. She sounds as if its her first time to talk such things to a living soul and he felt responsible for provoking her.

"Listen to me human, they're all right. You don't belong here and you don't belong anywhere. You belong to yourself and when you belong to yourself, you will know that its the only thing you were seeking after all." he whispered.

Honoree looked into his glowing eyes. She holds his gaze without blinking. After a while, she stood up and face him.

Honoree feel like saying thanks to him for those words. She had come all the way from the other side of the world to hear the things she wished she heard from anyone during those lonely years.

Yuuji was the first one to looked away. "You have my pearl of life human, and I wouldn't allow you to be weak while everyone knows your my wife."

Honoree can only smile as an answer.

----

It was exactly ten days since Honoree came to the kingdom and today, she woke up in a high spirit, expecting that she can finally go home. She took a warm bath and change her outfit back on the checkered skirt and plain white shirt she wore when Yuuji and Kenta found her. Yuuji's couch was empty and she assumed that he's working on opening the portal that connects her world to the kingdom so that she can go home.

Honoree meets Matsuko and Hiro at the stairs.

"Ohayo Ojou-sama." Hiro greeted. "Yuuji-sama and the others are at the dining hall."

"Thanks!" Honoree answered, smiling from ear to ear.

"You sounds great today Ojou-sama." Matsuko said.

"I know. Im going home today Matsuko-chan, you better take care of yourself while Im gone."

Honoree run for the dining hall after she took a leap at the last step of the stairs.

Hiro and Matsuko's face darkens as they watched her behind.

Staying at the kingdom for ten days was enough for Honoree to missed her grandfather. Maybe the time lapsed on her world don't mean much to Takao but ten days of not seeing him at all made Honoree feel worried. She remembered that her grandfather goes back to the house to change his slippers but something took him long. Well, she doesn't have to think what is it that took him long because she's going home today.

Honoree opened the dining hall door and found Toshi, Yuuji and Kenta sitting around the table.

"Ohayo mina-san!* Im going home today!" she greeted, throwing her hands up in the air.

Their reaction was different from what Honoree expect it to be. She thought that Yuuji will tease her and said things like "Okay, let's get over it" but instead, they look at her without smiling. None of them wanting to say a word.

"What?" Honoree asked. "Is there something wrong?"

It was Toshi who did the explanation for their side. "Hono-chan, what are your plans when you get back to your world?"

"Hmm.. Let's see. Can I stay for the week? I have class and exams. Ayame-chan invites me----"

"A week, Ojou-sama." Kenta interrupted.

"Yes, why?"

Silence.

"Im sorry to say this, but a week in your world will be seven months in ours Hono-chan." Toshi continues. "Yuuji will accompany you and we decided to let you spend only a day in your world."

"A day? But Yuuji-san doesn't need to accompany me, I'll return. I promise."

Yuuji shrugged. "I do remember telling you that we couldn't be separated from each other right? That means, wherever I go, you should be there too."

Honoree's heart sank and the smile on her lips fade.

"That's what human wives do too isn't it Ojou-sama. They should be where their husbands are." Kenta said.

A day. Its impossible. Its too short and Honoree have to wait for another ten days to go back. The sad truth is now sinking to her and it made her stomach ache. "Yes, a day will be fine." she murmured.

"Good. Yuuji will accompany you and we will expect that you're back after a month."

A month in here is a day in Honoree's world.

Honoree nods in understanding.

"Ugghh! Stop making that face human, you're going to see your grandfather." Yuuji said. He stood up and took her hand. It was their first physical interaction aside from Honoree's punching tendencies. Honoree took it and felt Yuuji's warm soft hand on her.

"Take care of her brother." Toshi reminded him.

Kenta utters a chant and a group of white cloud smoke appears from every direction, forming into a swirling large circle. Yuuji pulled Honoree to step on it and in just a blink of an eye, Honoree was back at the shrine's honden*.