Fruits Ripe

Episode 3c

Yuki seeing how everyone was getting along and having fun, recalled the girl's words making him even more upset. He went to open the classroom door but changed his mind and just walked away. After school just Yuki, Tohru, and Kyo were in the classroom, as Kyo was cleaning up because he lost the card game in the background.

"Rich Man-Poor Man? I know the rules. I've never played it, though." Yuki asked Tohru after school as they watched Kyo clean up the classroom.

Tohru reassured Yuki, "Uo-chan just taught me, so I don't know too much about it, either. Lily's the best though she beats everyone. You should play with us next time!"

"So, it looks like he ended up the poor man this time around." Yuki seemed unsure but couldn't give up an opportunity to poke fun at Kyo losing at something else.

Tohru approached Kyo as he was mopping timidly, "Um. I really don't mind helping."

Kyo momentarily stopped mopping and faced away from them, "No, I've got it. A loss is a loss. I'm gonna win the next game, though! And that includes beating you!" By the end he was facing Yuki to emphasize his point.

Yuki deadpanned at Kyo replying, "Don't you ever get tired of your empty threats?"

Kyo quickly fired back at him, "No, because winning against you is my ultimate goal in life!"

Yuki not easing with the same expression didn't waver. "Hearing that over and over's my ultimate annoyance in life."

Kyo seeing Yuki didn't even move from his spot nor did his expression change temper raised, "your condescending, high-and-mighty attitude really pisses me off!"

Yuki still didn't budge only looking at Kyo with his gaze unchanging, "your inability to comprehend complex thoughts pisses me off."

The boys continue verbal abusing each other as Tohru zones out; Tohru was stick in the middle of the boys wanting to stop them from fighting, 'And they're fighting again Sure, they're the cat and the rat, but I don't think that's enough to explain why they're always at each other's throats. Now that I think about it... Kyo saying "I'm gonna win. I'll beat you and become a full-fledged member of the Soma clan." I didn't realize it at the time, but was Kyo saying that if he could beat Soma, he'd finally be included in the zodiac? If he was... the cat would join the other animals and they'd become 13! That would be wonderful! Still, the fighting's no good.' um, Kyo..." Coming out of her thoughts, she gasped seeing it escalated and the boys were closer than before.

Suddenly Kyo drops the mop and lunges for Yuki with a, "I'm coming for you! Get ready, rodent!"

[It was at this point he knew he f****d up]

Kyo could see Yuki's gaze zeroed onto him and was faster than Kyo able to land a kick and finished him off not holding back.

Yuki's back was facing Kyo and Tohru and his tone was dark, "Just looking at you... makes me sick."

Tohru gasped as Yuki walked away, "Soma, wait." But he kept walking and Tohru decided to check up on Kyo who was still on the ground.

Kyo was rubbing his head while grumbling, "Dammit. Why can't I ever win?"

Tohru worriedly asked him, "Are you all, right? You didn't bite your tongue--" but Kyo cut her off indignantly, "it's not my first fight! Get out of here already." He paused realizing how that could have sounded and changes his tone a bit. "Uh. I mean... it's just that... I keep losing to him, and I hate it."

"Huh?" Tohru didn't know what to think or say, usually Lily would but she wasn't here.

Kyo blushed a bit as he spoke, "Never mind, okay? You should head home. You've got work today, right?" He stood up with a grunt and started cleaning again occasionally rubbing his chin, "He was a lot rougher on me than usual. Guess he's in a bad mood."

Time Skip Night at Tohru's job

Tohru just finished her shift wished the others well, "Bye! Have a good night!" As she walked through hallway and towards steps deep in thought 'Soma's so polite. And he's always considerate of other people. but maybe he can only be that way if he bottles up all of his own feelings. Until...' Not paying attention as she was walking down the stairs she trips with a yelp and screams when she strips over own feet and tumbles down rest of stairs.

When Tohru finally stops tumbling, she sits up blushing, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. Guess I shouldn't think so hard when I'm going downstairs."

Out of nowhere a stranger starts laughing. Tohru looks up and sees a blonde boy with black sunglasses and a pink fuzzy hat sitting on the lounge.

Tohru not sure how to react just politely says, "Oh, hello there."

He hops off the lounge to walk towards Tohru, who's in a daze, 'It's so late in the day. I'm surprised someone's here.' The boy sees Tohru's name on books that spilled from her bag and asked in a curious voice, "Oh? Tohru?" a bit of an accent spilled through his words.

[Translation for Foreign Language]

Tohru looks at him in confusion, "Huh?"

The strange boy gets closer to her, "You're Tohru Honda?"

Tohru looks surprised and a bit nervous as she responds, "yes, that's me, but how do you know--?"

The strange boy takes off the glasses revealing greenish golden eyes cutting Tohru off as he starts speaking German, "Sieh da! Welch ein gluck!" [Look there! How fortunate!]

Tohru internally panics not knowing what he said, 'Huh? What language is that?'

The strange boy not noticing her dilemma in all his excitement continues, "Schon dich- kennenzulernen." [Nice to meet you.]

Tohru finally decides to outwardly respond and express her confusion, "I'm sorry, but I don't understand."

The strange boy suddenly kissed Tohru's cheek and Tohru gasps not knowing how to react, and he further says, "Sehr Hubsch!" Before Tohru decides to make her escape. [Very Pretty!]

She blushed and told him, "Uh. Okay! I mean, that was... Sorry, but I've gotta go now!" Before she hurriedly grabs her bag and runs away flustered but dropped the school festival flyer that was in her bag.

"Hm?" the boy picked it up examining it. "What's this?"

Meanwhile, Tohru runs out of the building and holds on to the railing trying to catch her breath not noticing Yuki approaching her.

Yuki noticing Tohru out of breath and blushing asked her, "Miss Honda, you seem flustered."

Tohru panics from suddenly hearing a voice behind her and spins around to explain, "Huh?! oh, there was just a stranger, and I, um..." [finally realizing who she's talking to]

Upon seeing that the person who approached her was Yuki she trailed off. Yuki smiled and asked her, "stranger?"

Tohru looks a bit confused but also a bit relieved, "Soma?"

Yuki continued to smile at her but didn't approach more knowing he surprised her, "Scare you? I'm sorry."

Tohru finally is able to rein in her flush and asked him, "I wasn't expecting to see you. Are you here to walk me home?"

Yuki reassured her, "Mhm. You shouldn't be out this late on your own."

Tohru smiled brightly feeling warm at their thoughtfulness, "Thank you for thinking about me. You and Kyo are always so kind."

Yuki gasped quietly and looked away a bit at her statement turning around he began to walk, "Well then, shall we?"

"Please! Wait just second!" Tohru jogged to catch up with Yuki as he stopped to wait for her, "I wanted... Well, I wanted to tell you that if there's anything that's been bothering you, I'm happy to listen, Lily feels the same way too. It's like how telling somebody your bad dreams make them not so scary. I thought, if you felt comfortable sharing your burdens with us, then maybe they wouldn't..."

Tohru was cut off by a random man, "All right, kiddos, it's gettin' late. Quit flirtin' and go home already." While the man was talking his shoulder bumped Tohru knocking her into Yuki causing him to transform but the men don't notice and keep walking.

Tohru on her knees felt ashamed not meaning to make him transform, "I meant it about wanting to help. Only now it looks like I've gone and made everything worse, like I always do."

Tohru collects Yuki's clothes, and they walked towards home. As they walked in a comfortable silence, Yuki thought more about what Tohru said and decided to tell her about some of his struggles. They were now walking across a bridge as they walked next to each other waiting for Yuki to transform back.

"Back when I lived at home, it felt like I was in a cage, with the main family and Akito always watching. I longed to have a normal life. To be surrounded by normal people. That's why I applied to a co-ed high school and left home. But I was deluding myself. I haven't really managed to leave the cage. I'm still living in a Soma house, and I still have no idea how to interact with normal people. I think I'm subconsciously keeping my distance so nobody will get too close. But... Kyo is different.

People are drawn to him. And he may be anxious at first, but once he's used to them, he relaxes. He's always been like that." Yuki stopped walking but kept talking, "Even if he can't be one of the 12, he knows how to get along with regular people. That's better, if you ask me. I wish I could be like that, more than anything. It's why he gets on my nerves. When I see him trying so desperately to join the same Somas I wanna escape, I can't help but think, 'What's wrong with me?'" Yuki had a faraway look in his eyes as he confided in her a bit about his past and feelings.

Tohru said softly, "Nothing's wrong with you." Tohru squat down to get closer to rat Yuki, "Plenty of people out there are drawn to you, too. Girls at (our)school really like you. they think you're a kind person."

Yuki shook his head and started walking again while Tohru stayed where she was listening, "I'm only being kind because I want them to like me. Same as a child handing out candy because he wants the other kids to play with him. I'm nice for my own benefit. Maybe I'm a phony." He stopped walking again at his own admission and looked up towards the night sky.

Tohru looked after Yuki and thought about what she had heard from Kyo and Yuki both, 'I think I'm starting to understand what the problem is. Kyo is jealous of Soma and Soma is jealous of Kyo. That's why they resent each other so much. I guess it makes sense. But as far as I'm concerned, they're both really great in their own way. So Why?...' " I wish you and Kyo could--" Her thoughts and words were cut off by a sudden strike of lightning and thunder causing Tohru to gasp and a sudden down pour follows. To make things worse Yuki transformed back with a blue puff of smoke naked outside.

Yuki exasperatedly sighs, "Just wonderful."

Tohru peeks at him bright as a strawberry and hurriedly turned her back after handing him his clothes. They jog back to the house, neither having an umbrella or jacket, back to the house the down pour gets worse steadily. Inside the house Shigure is sitting in the living room watching the news about the weather and having a snack with some alcohol. Newscaster Alison starts her report as Tohru and Yuki walk inside, "An unexpected typhoon will bring high winds and heavy rain through tomorrow morning..." She keeps going on but to the others it becomes background noise.

Yuki acknowledges Shigure, "We're home. Is that the weather?"

Shigure nods "It's getting ugly out there. They're saying it's an unexpected typhoon. Lily's flight is delayed as well."

Tohru looks over too as she uses a towel to dry and dry her hair, "It is really coming down." Yuki fast walks across living room towards backyard at their statements to get a better look outside.

Shigure points out "Uh! You're dripping everywhere!"