AN: It's already here! My newest long-fic! Haaah...it took long to write. It's only the first chapter too! I put all my energy in this because I always wanted to. Since it is long, it might have a few mistakes here and there...so I apologize ahead (bows to readers)! I take this story day by day, so it's definately longer than my other long fic. That means it'll take me longer to get my chapters done! Haahh...chapter 2 won't be here until God knows when! So, forgive me for future hold-ups! In return, I'll give you a beautifully descriptive story about two young teens who lived a "caged" life controlled by their family until they enter a period of freedom only to discover themselves in each other. I hope you'll read it for the story, than just the pairing. The leading man, Yuki Sohma, is currently a third year student and the leading girl, Machi Kuragi, is currently a second-year. Please enjoy reading...as much as I enjoyed writing.
Summer's End
By Pocochichi
Disclaimer: Fruits Baskets and its characters are owned by Natsuki Tayaka (Hana to Yume comics). I own this fic though. So... don't steal it!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shall I compare thee to a summers day?
Thou art more lovely and temperate…
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date…
But thy eternal summer shall not fade…
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long live this, and this give life to thee.
-William Shakespeare, Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A soft wind lifted the blossoming pedals of summer as they danced in the midair, high above the sky blue and over the pavement of sidewalks and roads. One of them floated slowly downward in to a palm. A palm of a hand. Its owner lifted the petal to him and feel its silkiness between his fingers. He put it to his lips and gave it a tender kiss. He blew the petal and watched it float into the space in front of it. He gave light sigh. "Time for another summer's end".
Nearby, by was a brown-haired girl in a white school uniform with dark blue lining and an orange-haired boy in a white uniform following the same pattern as the girl, except for the dark blue pants. The girl waved at the gray-haired boy, the one who gave his tender kiss to the petal, to come over to walk to school.
The stickiness of the humidity of the day effected the orange-haired boy. He stopped by a local food stand to cool himself down with bottled water. The gray haired boy was annoyed at the unnecessary stop and became anxious to get to school due to his duties as student council president. "I am sorry, I must go, Honda-san," he said to the girl.
"If you must go... go on ahead, Yuki-kun. I'll see you in class!" the girl said in a cheerful tone. The boy, Yuki, left the girl and the orange-haired boy behind as he walked in the direction of the school.
On the way to school, he felt the warm presence of summer enveloped around him.
This day is so beautiful...unlike any other day. Why did I notice this now? Summer never felt like this to me. I only get sick and suffer its sultry atmosphere. However, today...this is not the case. Why now?
At the school, Kaibara Prefecture Senior High, Yuki went to switch his shoes. From classrooms, lockers, and hallways, were the admirers of the gray-haired boy. They watched as their fair "prince" starts his day at the shoe storage facility. He noticed their gazes, but executed obliviousness of his idolatry. As he walked down the hallway of the school, he greeted some of the teachers and students. Most of them stared at him with glistening eyes filled with awe, please that their day's made with an simple eye contact with their fair prince.
However, the "fair" Yuki was miserable with his princely status. It made him feel out of place; his abnormality extended even further from his hidden secret as the rat of his family curse of the zodiac; and most of all lonely. There were days when he watched others happily enjoying their time with one another...from the distance.
He unlocked the door to the student council office. He put his school books down on his desk, ready for his first class, Calculus. He sat in his chair and looked out the window. He watched the petals from the Sakuras showered the streets with their tenderness. The same tenderness that touched his lips. He touched his lips.
"Yun-Yun!" shouted a dark-haired young man. He was carrying stacks of papers and placed them on Yuki's desk. Yuki was not too pleased with his outburst early in the morning.
"Don't do that, Manabe!" he said as he throttled the boy's neck. The boy, Manabe, grabbed his neck too.
"What were you doing? Thinking of something perverted?" he sarcastically assumed.
"Why is it always that? Don't you ever think about something else besides that?!" The boys continued to wring each other necks and bicker, until the girls came in.
"What are you doing to Yun-Yun, Manabe!" said a dark-haired girl. Behind her is a dark brown haired-girl. She put down a clipboard and took a note from it. She waved the note in the air in between the two guys. "Kimi has news! It looks like Nao-chan won't be joining us today. He left early to summer vacation with his family!"
"Shorty has abandoned us?" Manabe stopped his wrangling and read the note the girl, Kimi, had. "And here I thought he's all about work. How ironic! He's the one running away now!"
Kimi frowned a little, "One of his relatives passed on." Yuki took the note from Manabe and frowned also.
"I think we should send him our sympathy. Kimi, could you send him a letter of condolence? We will all sign it to show respect for one of our members."
"I'll work on it right away!" she enthused."Machi, that means you must take over my duties, 'kay?"
The other girl nodded and sat at a desk. Manabe was sitting across from Yuki at the president's desk. He turned to Machi, "Have you decided yet?" he asked her.
"No," she solemnly replied. Manabe responded by closing his eyes and crossing his arms. She took a pen out and the clipboard Kimi brought in earlier. "The agenda, Kaichou."
Yuki gave her a short glance and held a piece of paper with the days agenda.
"Today's agenda is to relax because we got work done yesterday and summer vacation is starting after today," he announced.
"For once I agree with you, Yun-Yun!" Manabe said while stretching. He yawned and fell asleep.
"I didn't mean it that way! We have to go to class in five minutes! Wake up!" Yuki snapped. While Yuki tried to wake his associate, Kimi started thinking how she should write the condolence letter. Machi was sitting across from her, silent as usual. "Kimi's excited about vacation at Manabe's place! Ne, Machi aren't you coming?"
"I don't know." She had a blank look across her face.
"It'll be fun! Kimi knows Kimi have fun!"
Manabe woke up and stretched again. "That was a good nap!"
"You only slept for one minute," Yuki said in annoyance. He walked up to where the girls were sitting. "We are meeting once more, along with the student representatives, to set the office in order for the fall."
"Alright!" Kimi said. "Kimi will be done with the letter by the end of the day!"
"Good," Yuki said. "See you all at the end of the day." He smiled at Machi and walked out of the office.
After the brief meeting, Yuki walked to his class. While walking, He thought about what Manabe asked Machi earlier.
"Have you decided yet?"
Was he asking her about the trip? If that's so, then I think she should go...it would be good for her. Machi...always so reluctant, just like a certain president.
"Konnichiwa, Yuki-kun!" greeted the same brown-haired girl Yuki walked with earlier.
"Konnichiwa, Honda-san. I am glad you got here on time." Yuki smiled.
"We weren't late at all. Kyo-kun just needed to cool off a little bit. It's hot outside!"
"I heard its only going to get hotter. It is one of the hottest days of the year."
"Mmhmm."
"Oy, Oji-sama!" called a tall, blond girl who was beside behind Honda-san. "You're going to the resort trip thing, ne?"
"Ah...no..."
"Huh? But I thought..."
"I am just not going, Uotani-san."
"Tohru? Why isn't he?" she questioned.
Tohru smiled and clasped her hands. "Yuki-kun has another arrangement. It sounded like fun!"
"Yeah, I am going on another trip," As he was saying this, he walked up to the girls and whispered, "Let's end it there." He grinned.
"Huh?" Uotani puzzled until she could see Puri Yuki fan girls lurking about. "Oh...gomen."
When the teacher steps in every took their seats. She started to call attendance. Yuki sat and stared at the view of the window. As memories of a past conversation came to his consciousness.
"It's finally coming isn't, Yuki-kun?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Just wait and see. It'll come...summer's end"
Summer's end...another name for our summer vacation...it's like a period of freedom...I think that's what he meant. Or did he meant something more?
"Souma Yuki."
"Present."
The day went by slowly as it always had when it's close to vacation time. During lunch hour, Yuki walked in the hallways. The students were ranting about their summer plans. He smiled lightly when he watched the excitement on their faces.
A period to be free...
He smiled to himself. Then, he saw Machi looking out of one of the windows.
"Machi, how are you? Did you eat? I was about to go..."
"No."
"Eh? No...meaning you didn't eat or you didn't want..."
"Figure out yourself."
Yuki thought of what she said, "Then, let's go eat!" He lead her as she tagged along. Lurking in the shadows are three pairs of very jealous eyes.
"That's Kuragi Machi from class 2-B. She's been hanging around Sohma-kun like she owns him!"
"We have to confront her! Move out!"
Yuki and Machi sat at the outdoor pavilion after getting lunch from the cafeteria. They ate quietly together. Yuki was curious if she's going on the trip to Manabe's father's lake house with everyone in the council.
"Are you coming? To the lake house, I meant."
Machi sternly looked at her food and then at Yuki. "It's not certain."
"Meaning...you'll go, right?" Yuki beamed. The girl turned her head away, hiding the slight redness of her face.
"What does it matter?!" she scowled. Yuki looked at her from the corner of his eye.
"It matters to me."
Machi gave him a astonished look with her face still reddened. "Wh-what are you saying?"
"It'd be nice, if you go. Everyone will be there. So..."
"Kuragi Machi!" called out a girl with blond pigtails. She only saw Machi from one side from where she was at, but when she walked a little closer and spotted Yuki she almost fell over. "A...ahh...Y-Yuki-kun...!?"
"Kinoshinta-san? What is it? Are you looking for Machi?" Yuki puzzled over her sudden loud outburst at Machi.
"Um...yeah...her classmate's looking for her..."said Kinoshita Minami, the president of the Puri Yuki fan club. She was irked a little when she heard Yuki referred to Machi by her first name.
Machi gave her a look of pity. That's the most stupidest lie I ever heard. All that just to see him...how pitiful...
(Pong-pong) - school bells
"I must go, Kaichou-san." Machi bowed. "See you at the meeting."
"Ah, okay...see you."
As Machi left, Minami bowed to Yuki in departure and followed Machi. As Machi headed for her classroom, she was confronted by two other girls. Not again. Don't they have anything better to do?
"Kuragi Machi!" Minami yelled from behind. "You do know what your crimes are!"
"Crimes?" Machi questioned.
"Don't play stupid! You are frolicking with Sohma-kun, ne?"
"I wouldn't called it "frolicking". He's my associate."
"Is eating a private lunch with his presence...association? Where's your professionalism? You're the treasurer, ne?"
"Whatever." She started to walk away, but Minami grabbed her by her shoulder and shoved her against the wall.
"Running away? Don't think you are so cool because you are in the student cabinet with him!"
Machi stood and looked away. Why go through all this?
"You don't understand do you?" she mumbled.
"Huh?! Say that again?!"
"Never mind."
Minami almost hit her, until a tall figure stood behind the two girls. "Are you done bullying? Our class is starting." Minami have the feeling she heard that voice before. She turned around a faced a tall, black and white haired boy with a beauty almost equaled to Yuki's.
"A-a-h! Class! Have to run!" She dashed off with her minions following.
Machi and the boy exchanged glances and walked inside their classroom.
Sohma Hatsuharu. He's a relative of his. I seen them talking to each other now and them. They seemed pretty close.
After class is over, Machi placed her books in her locker. When she closed her locker, she saw that boy again. She silently gazed at him.
"Please watch over Yuki during the vacation. If you get to know him, he's very sincere," the boy said. He bowed and walked away. Machi stared in the direction he walked.
He must of meant a lot to him.
Machi walked to the student council office and sat at the desk. She was the only one there. We have a closing meeting with the student representatives. She looked at the list of things to discuss on the clipboard.
"Hey Machi," greeted Kimi. She took out an piece of paper from her folder with a certain letter typed on it. "It's all ready to be send out. Do you want to sign it?" She handed over to Machi and the girl signed it. While she was signing, the two boys walked in.
"It's almost time, Yun-Yun! It's so close!" Manabe said with an joyous look on his face. Kimi cheered along with him, while Machi remained her silent self. Yuki smiled lightly as his colleague enthused about the vacation to come.
The meeting of the council and the reps was a drag for everyone, but the end made up for all the boredom. Manabe spoke about the "opening" party at his lake house. He gave everyone information of the party and they applauded him on. Afterwards, everyone went home, beaming about the party to come.
"P-Party?" Yuki knew that everyone's getting together...but a party?
"Yep, not only us and them, but other people too!" Manabe was retrieving his stuff from the office. Yuki and the other two were also.
Yeesh... I hope he did not invite any fan girls. "Who else did you invite?"
"Just my girlfriend and her friends, that's all." Manabe smiled. "Yun-Yun's finally going to meet my kawaii girl. Don't worry about fangirls, it's only the council, the reps, my girlfriend and her friends."
"Eheh." Yuki sweated and smiled back. I hope her friends have boyfriends too...
But I hope she comes.
Everyone head for home to get prepared. As Yuki was leaving the school, he caught up with Machi, whose already far ahead, out of the school gate.
"Machi," he called.
Great. What does he want now? She stopped and turned.
"Machi...good you're not gone...Have you... made your... decision yet? " Yuki asked. He seemed to be out of breath from running after her.
"I don't know." She started walking. I really don't know.
"Then...if you're not going...what would you be doing?" he asked sternly, as he followed.
"Like I said...I don't know. You'll have to see...goodbye." She walked away, leaving him behind.
"I hope you do come, Machi," Yuki said to himself. I'd be happy.
Machi walked and looked back. He's gone. Why did I do that? Am I running away?
Since when he started caring so much?