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The First Step

Chapter 2: Conflict

In the days after Uncle's ultimatum, Tohru resolved to speak with the elder Chans about Jade's behavior. He didn't want to, and he stalled as much as he could, waiting for the issue to crop up again instead of taking the initiative. But he couldn't let Jade take the blame. He needed to tell them the truth. Even if it meant facing the consequences.

For better or for worse, that conversation never happened. Jade's behavior gradually changed. By the following week, whether it was Jackie's lecture or the overheard possibility of being sent home, she no longer neglected helping Uncle just to avoid Tohru. No matter what the task, she did it with the utmost diligence, a smile painted on her face and polite words directed towards the antique seller. She crossed paths with Tohru much more frequently, but she never said a word to him, not even in front of Uncle.

He assumed that Jackie and Uncle chalked her former insolence up to a bad week, since they never discussed it again. But Tohru knew her mood was only getting worse. After several days, Jade no longer settled for a furtive glare. Instead, she abandoned discretion and caught his eyes for many seconds at a time, staring at him with more ire and distrust than any child should feel towards someone. She still kept her distance, too. He tried to hold on to the hope that Jade would warm up to him, even despite all of this, but one final sign dashed that hope to pieces.

It was the Friday of the fourth full week since her return. Tohru came into the kitchen to empty the drying rack and found Jade preparing tea for Uncle. While Jade waited for the water to boil, she kept herself as far away as she could.

"Hello, Jade." She said nothing. "How was school?" She gave him not the barest hint of acknowledgment. She wasn't even looking at him this time. Realizing that she would likely ignore any attempt at conversation, he returned his attention to organizing and putting away the dishes. A whistle arose from the kettle and was followed by the clang of a tea cup placed on a tray. From the corner of his eyes, Tohru watched as Jade quickly poured the tea, nearly spilling it in the process. It was only when she lifted the tray and made to leave that he noticed.

Clenched in her palm, almost hidden underneath the tray, was a knife. Not a kitchen knife pulled from a nearby drawer, but a pocket knife she'd taken from who-knows-where. What little he could see of the surface was black and matted, but its shape curved in such a way to hint at the silver edge within, ready to be flipped outwards in a moment's notice.

That was when he finally admitted to himself that the situation had gotten out of hand. He needed to fix this.

Jade spent the entire weekend at Section Thirteen with Jackie, so Tohru didn't see her again until Monday. When he did, he noticed that she still carried the weapon, never failing to hide it from her guardians when they were around. Presumably trying to hide it from him as well. To the young girl, the blade must have been defiance and safeguard all in one.

When Uncle was conducting research, Tohru found Jade sweeping the foyer. "Jade, can we talk?"

Her reaction was immediate and dismissive. "There's nothing to talk about, Tohru. Leave me alone." She placed the broom and dustpan against the nearest wall and marched to the stairs.

If he wanted her to listen, he knew he would have to admit his mistakes upfront. "I'm sorry."

She kept walking, passing him with a wide berth. "No you're not."

"I am," he said, turning as she neared the staircase. "Jade—"

He didn't realize that he'd stepped forward until Jade spun to face him and backed away. "Get away from me!" Not watching where she was going, she bumped into an antique on display—a ceramic pot from the Tang Dynasty—accidentally sending it toppling to the floor where it shattered into pieces. She looked behind her, then back at Tohru, panicked. Then she ran and climbed the stairs without looking back. The drum of Uncle's footsteps preceded his arrival at the scene, but by then Jade had disappeared into one of the upstairs rooms.

"Aiyaaah! My vase of the Li nobles!"

His first attempt had been a disaster. Tohru lied and took full responsibility for the broken antique, and Uncle sighed and let him off with a warning to be more careful. But for Jade, an apology on its own just wasn't going to work.

It took a few days, but soon he thought of another way to reach out to her. Acting upon it required approval, however, so Tohru confided fully in Captain Black, letting him know the problem and his proposal. Through Captain Black as his intermediary, he received permission from Jackie as well.

And so, that Saturday, Tohru found himself standing outside the gates of Melvin World. He'd arrived early and waited around twenty minutes in the heat, but eventually the navy blue van he awaited pulled into the parking lot, right on schedule. After the van parked, two people exited the vehicle and made for the entrance, the smaller one wearing a blindfold.

"I already know where we're going, Captain Black. You did the same thing back when we found the sheep talisman and Shendu possessed my body. Besides, I can hear the roller coasters from here."

The captain chuckled. "Well, forgive me for playing up the anticipation." They stopped just yards away from the ticket booth and turnstiles. "All right, Jade. Go ahead."

She eagerly did as instructed. Grabbing the black cloth, she shouted, "Hello, Melvin—" and promptly stopped. With the blindfold pulled away, her eyes landed on Tohru. Her ecstatic grin turned one-eighty in no time at all. "What's he doing here?"

"Now, Jade," said Captain Black, "Tohru's going to be your chaperon."

"You said you were taking me to have fun today. You didn't say anything about him."

"I know what I said, but—"

"This was all his idea, wasn't it?" Captain Black apparently didn't know how to answer that, and Tohru could see the girl's anger mounting. She was probably moments away from yelling at both of them. "Well you can forget it," she said, turning and starting towards the van. "I'm not going anywhere with him."

Jade didn't get far. Captain Black quickly followed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Jade, listen." His words were soft, but Tohru could still hear them from where he stood. The agent's tone was apologetic, as if realizing that this might have been a mistake.

True to form, Jade wasn't keen on listening. "I can't believe you're taking his side! Am I the only one who remembers that Tohru worked for the Dark Hand?!" Tohru could hear the feeling of betrayal in her voice. Captain Black, one of the few people Jade Chan could trust, had lied to her. All because of him.

At this point, Black knelt down to her level and lowered his voice. Tohru couldn't hear what he was saying, but her expression showed stubborn displeasure and only changed near the end of their private talk. The young girl averted her eyes, something akin to guilt emerging, then receding seconds later. The captain turned and started again towards Tohru. Jade just looked at the ground and followed.

"All right, Tohru," he began as they reached the sidewalk. "You guys are all set." He reached in his pocket and produced four stubs, split them in half, and offered them to him and Jade. "Two admission tickets and two express passes onto all of the rides. You have my card for food, drinks, souvenirs, and anything else you might need. I'll be back to pick you both up at five."

"Thank you," Tohru said.

As he made to leave, the man put his hand on Jade's shoulder. "Have fun." Jade responded with a resigned nod, and the captain walked off. She then turned, crossed her arms, and glared at her chaperon. And so they were left alone, standing at the entrance to Melvin World.