SECRET ADMIRER
A Fruits Basket Fanfic
Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Because people have been asking for it...a YukiRu, that is. Again, no
lemon...but I'm working on it. ^.~ Just how does Yuki say "I love you"
to Tohru? This part told from Tohru's POV. ^^
Part Two - Heart on a String
"Tohru?"
"Huh?"
"What is that?"
"I...don't know, Uo-chan."
"Why don't you open it?"
"Ah! Wonderful idea, Hana-chan."
"What is this...the second this week?"
"I believe it's the third. Today is Friday."
"Darn it. *sigh* I have to work tonight."
"Uo-chan, Hana-chan, look at this. Isn't it pretty?"
I held up the gift that had been sitting in my locker, oblivious to what my friends had been talking about. This was the third gift this week. One each day since the middle of the week! They just magically appeared in my locker every morning.
Wednesday I received my first gift: a small box of those butterscotch hard candies I love so much. They were gone before the day was over. I kept snacking on them in class. So bad of me, I know.
Yesterday there was an envelope in my locker. Inside was a beautifully designed card. I'm not sure if it was store bought or not. Still, the message inside was very heartwarming. Even made me blush. "For the most Special Person in my life."
It was signed, in typed font..."from your secret admirer."
Today's gift was a little different from the previous two.
"A ribbon?" Uo-chan asked.
"It's smooth as silk," Hana-chan commented, taking the scrap of red from the box in my hand. "Probably expensive."
"I think it's pretty," I told them, carefully taking the gift from Hana-chan. Sitting the box back in my locker, I tied the ribbon around my head, the bow sitting neatly on top. Then I smiled at my friends.
"You're happiest with the tiniest thing," Uo-chan commented with a chuckle. "Did the box say who it was from?"
"Eh?" I took the box out of my locker and looked it over. There didn't appear to be a note of any kind attached to it.
"From your secret admirer," Hana-chan stated. When I looked up, she only smiled at me.
"I wonder who this guy is," Uo-chan said thoughtfully. "He's pretty crafty if he can place these in her locker every morning."
"Someone in our class perhaps?"
"Maybe."
And so this practice followed day after day. By the end of the first week, other students in our class started to speculate. Who could my secret admirer possibly be? I really didn't care...although I'd like to thank him for all of his kind thoughts and gifts.
But what if it was a she?
"Don't even think such a thing," Uo-chan told me on day. "And don't worry. We'll find him."
Things continued into the following week. Soon two weeks had passed. Now even Kyo-kun was starting to get edgy. He would walk around mumbling, threatening to tear this person limb from limb. I think he's just being protective. Kyo-kun's just like that.
Souma-kun, however, thought it was a very interesting tactic. A tactic? For what?
"Well, this person obviously doesn't have the courage to tell you how he feels," he said with a smile. "Probably doesn't want to be too embarrassed. Or beat up by Kyo...." The smile disappeared. "If the baka neko could manage it."
"HEY!"
The school was beginning to talk about it too. Classmates would come up to me and ask what present I received that day. Many of them tried to speculate on who the "culprit" might be.
"I bet it's Toshi, from Class C. He's such a romantic."
"I think it's someone from a lower class. Probably someone in Year Two who's got a crush."
"Tsuki's pretty cute. The quiet one in Year Two Class A."
"Or Year One!"
"That Kimura's gonna be the next Prince of Kaiwaia."
"It's totally probable."
Uo-chan and Hana-chan ignored all of the rumors and discussion, even though their own investigation wasn't proving fruitful. I had hoped they'd find...something. Some clue. But all the gifts had been neatly - if not professionally - wrapped. All the letters were typed and could've come from ANY home or school computer.
Even the latest letter I received held no clue as to who my secret admirer could be. It said "For the prettiest flower" and it held scented rose petals. Half of them fell onto the floor when I opened the card, though. The letters were cut from what appeared to be magazines and placed in such a way to spell out the message.
I thought it was imaginative. Hana-chan thought it was cute. Momiji-kun cooed and sighed. Hatsuharu-san remained silent. Kyo-kun just grunted and crossed his arms over his chest like he'd been doing a lot lately. Souma-kun only smiled. Uo-chan...well, she thought it was funny.
"Watch out, Tohru," she said as we headed to class. "Your secret admirer may sweep you off your feet and we'll be receiving ransom notes like that one."
But I was already swept off my feet. The red ribbon. The beaded bracelet. The tiny stuffed cat. The brown teddy bear. The boxes of butterscotch candies (I got two). The beautiful silk change purse. The flower petals and all the letters. Everything was so sweet and very thoughtful.
Honestly I didn't care who was sending them. Well, all right, I did KIND OF care. I didn't want it to be a wondering letch or a deranged pervert. But I didn't care what he looked like. He seemed to have the soul of an angel. And he already knew so much about me.
I wanted to know more about him!
What did he like to do in his spare time? What were his interests? Did he play sports? Was he sincere, as well as gentle and kind? Yes, I even wondered what he looked like. The questions kept coming. Why was he so interested in me? What was it about me he liked?
And why was he too nervous to tell me as Souma-kun had said? Was he afraid of being beaten by either Kyo-kun or Souma-kun? The more I thought about it, the more I thought it possible.
Was the person who had my heart on a string scared to tell me his feelings? Did he think I would reject him?
Well that was a good possibility. The only person I really cared about was Souma-kun. For a while, I even imagined him as my secret admirer. But he's been so supportive in this, of my feelings and those of my admirer. It was impossible.
And graduation was so close.
I knew Souma-kun planned on going to a good university after high school. He had his course of study picked out, his classes scheduled and everything! And here was little old me. Attending a culinary school for two years to learn to be a chef. Souma-kun told me I'd do great, but it saddened me to know that he wouldn't be there to share the experience. He'd be away from the Souma household, or so I thought. At the very least, he'd be away from me.
And we'd spent so little time together in the past few weeks. I'd hoped to talk some more...about the present...about the past...and about the future. I wanted to tell him I was sorry I was not able to break the curse. At least I haven't been able to yet. I wanted...to tell him how I felt about him. Even if he didn't return my affection...he should at least know.
Would I be able to tell him?
Was I as frightened as my admirer?
At least I didn't have to worry about Kyo-kun beating me up. OUCH!
My thoughts only served to send me into a small depression that seemed to grow deeper and deeper the more I hid it from the others.
The gifts I had been given no longer mattered and the third week moved by in slow motion. Just one more week until graduation! Oh, I still received wonderful notes and things every morning. The snow globe with the rabbit was especially cute. I smiled in appreciation and surprise. But for some reason, my heart just wasn't in it anymore.
"Honda-san? Honda-san? Tohru...kun...?"
I jumped, dropping my fourth gift that week, a box of chocolate kisses from America. I'd heard they were very tasty but I'd never had one. Thankfully, the person calling my name caught the box before it hit the floor.
"Ah, Souma-kun!" I didn't even realize he'd used my first name. I smiled at him as he handed the box back to me. "I thought you had a Student Council meeting."
"I do," he replied. "That's why I came in early." He looked at me seriously, tilting his head to one side. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," I told him. I turned back to my locker and placed the box of chocolates inside.
"Is that today's present?"
"Hai."
"You don't like it?"
I shook my head. "Of course I like it. It's very thoughtful. I've never has chocolates from America."
"If you don't like it, you can say so."
I looked at him then, a bit surprised. "No," I insisted, even though part of what he'd said was true. "I love chocolate almost as much as I love butterscotch." Almost as much as I love you, I almost blurted out unthoughtfully. "I'm...just saving it for lunch is all."
"Ah."
"Will you be joining us for lunch?" I asked hopefully. He'd managed to eat with us only once in the past three days. I really did miss him. Just his presence made me happy.
Not to mention the fact that I'd made special lunches for that day.
"I think so," he replied with a smile.
"Great!"
"I'll see you in homeroom," he said, waving as he passed me to head to his meeting.
I watched him leave until he vanished down the corridor and into another. My heart lurched and the depression I'd been feeling settled in once more. Forcing myself to smile, I made my way to class. At least I'd have lunch to look forward to.
Lunch came and went. All of us, including Souma-kun, settled into our seats in the classroom. The conversation was just getting started when the door slammed open and two students walked in...apparently upset.
"Ah! Souma-kun, we found you."
"There's been some trouble with the stage decorations."
"Someone's stolen the ribbons!"
"I was getting to that Taki-kun."
"We're sorry to interrupt your lunch...."
"...But this is really important."
Souma-kun sighed and stood. He smiled sadly down to me and excused himself, apologizing several times before the other two Student Council members managed to drag him out of the room. Lunch continued as normal and the rest of the day dragged on.
I was surprised, however, to find another card in my locker after the final bell. I put on my shoes, said my farewells to my friends, then sat on the bench and opened the card. It had a picture of two kittens on the front, their noses touching. Kind of like an Eskimo kiss...although I'd never seen an Eskimo before. On the inside was a handwritten message.
"Please meet me behind the school at the old shed after school tomorrow. I'd like to give you one final gift."
It was signed, "your Secret Admirer."
My heart lurched as it had earlier that day, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself down any further than I already was. Perhaps it would be good to meet this person. I was curious. Maybe Hana-chan's brother, Megumi, could analyze the handwriting. He had a knack for those kinds of curious things.
Still my thoughts turned to Souma-kun as I walked home alone for the second time that week. I got lectured from Kyo-kun when I made it home, but I reassured him that everything was all right. I made a big dinner. It was just the three of us again. Souma-kun arrived home as I was cleaning up. I offered him some leftovers and he thanked me with a smile.
Have I ever mentioned how cute a smile he has?
My homework seemed impossible and the tests I had yet to take felt grueling. I bathed to relax and curled up with a book Uo-chan had lent me. I whispered goodnight to Mother and turned my light out just as the clock struck ten. Despite all the thoughts that should've been running rampant from my studying, I found there was really only one thought on my mind that night.
Just who was my Secret Admirer? The secret would be revealed tomorrow. I just
couldn't wait!
~TO BE CONTINUED~