Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Lost My Sister in San Francisco ❯ Reunited ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

And on tonight’s menu...For the appetizer we have an Interesting Conversation with Kasumi’s Counselor with a dash of Anger de Kyou. The main course includes the author’s choice of Trouble for Kasumi or Kasumi Gets Off Easy. Also, it includes a side dish of Kasumi Comeback a la Mode. Please enjoy your meal.

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Standing behind Elise was a Japanese woman. Tall, slender, young, much the opposite of the headmistress. She had wire-frame glasses in front of her brown eyes, looking straight at Kyou in a piercing “so-you’re-that-one-guy” kind of look. Her black hair was in a bun at the back of her head with two strands laying by each side of her face. She was wearing a grey suit, holding her own clipboard in one hand.

“Oh, Satsu.” Elise smiled lightly. “Satsu, this is Sachiko, a friend of Kasumi’s family. That’s Kyou, her brother and...I don’t know the rest. I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine.” Satsu smiled. “I’m Satsu Hoshiyama, Kasumi’s counselor.”

“Hello, Misses Hoshiyama.” Sachiko smiled.

“Miss Hoshiyama.” Satsu looked to Sachiko. “I’m not married.”

“Really now?” Shigure smirked. “A beautiful woman like you? I find that hard to believe.”

“There he goes again.” Yuki sighed.

“That sick bastard.” Kyou growled.

“Wait, Kassie has her own counselor?” Kokoro tilted her head.

“Well I’m not just Kasumi’s counselor, I’m her class’s counselor.” Satsu explained. She turned to Elise and smiled kindly. “Miss Cambridge, you should continue doing your checks. I’ve been wanting a chance to talk to Kasumi’s family.”

“Of course, Satsu. If you can, please make sure Kasumi gets in before one o’ clock. She’ll miss her next class if she doesn’t.” Elise sighed, continuing on her way down the halls.

“Somehow I don’t think she’ll mind.” Satsu said quietly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kyou immediately asked.

Satsu blinked and looked to Kyou. “What does it mean? It means your sister wouldn’t mind missing classes.”

“Why wouldn’t she? She’s supposed to be working hard in her classes.” Kyou dug his hands into his pockets.

“That’s what I tell her, but she doesn’t listen to me.” Satsu remarked. “Which is why I’ve been wanting to speak to you, Kyou. Is there anything that could’ve happened to Kasumi that could’ve made her...I dunno...upset?”

'Upset' triggered all of their minds to go back to the goodbye at the airport before Kasumi left. The tearful cries as Kasumi begged Kyou not to make her leave. It hurt both of them; Kyou and Kasumi. Which sibling it hurt more, it was hard to tell. Kyou had become even easier to anger after Kasumi left and Kasumi had become less attentive in school ever since.

“No, I don’t know.” Kyou lied.

“I see.” Satsu sighed. “I’m really worried about her. Her grades have dropped, she rarely does homework anymore, she skips classes. She even refuses the extra credit work we give her to help keep her grades at an acceptable average.”

“Do you know where she is now?” Kippei asked.

“Right now?” Satsu looked to her watch. “Let’s see...they never stay at the arcade too long, which is where I know Dawn and Anita took her. After they bring her back, the sisters usually go hit the pool while Kasumi hits the track. So I imagine she’s running the track outside.”

“In this weather? It’s cold outside.” Kokoro shivered from the thought of running in the cold outside.

“Kasumi enjoys it.” Satsu shrugged. “Says it keeps her endurance up for the track meets.”

“So you think something upset Kassie and that’s why she’s not doing well in school anymore?” Sachiko asked.

“That’s what I believe.” Satsu nodded. “Ever since she got back from Japan she hasn’t been herself.”

Kyou clenched his fist. He told her. He told her to work hard so they could see each other again and the whole time she was back in California she was blowing everything off. Why? Why did Kasumi do that? Did she not want to see Kyou anymore? Or was it just that she was angry and sad because she hated to be apart from him that she could no longer concentrate on school work?

Coming out of the elevator, Kasumi wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel that was wrapped around her shoulders. Her light brown ponytail was a mess as some strands fell loose and stuck to her face. She sighed heavily as she continued down the hall to her room. She still had about another hour or so left to take a shower and decide whether or not she wanted to go to her next class this time.

“That isn’t like Kasumi at all.” Yuki said. “She’s not one to quit for no reason.”

Kasumi’s head popped up as she heard the familiar voice of her cousin. Was she hearing things? Or was Yuki really there? If Yuki was there, then maybe Shigure was there. If Shigure was there, then maybe...just maybe...

“I wonder what could’ve made her upset?” Kokoro blinked. She really knew what made Kasumi upset. They all did.

Kasumi blinked as she heard Kokoro’s voice. If Kokoro was there, then Kippei had to be there. She hoped she wasn’t just hearing things and they really were all there. Quickly, she ran down the hall. She was so glad as she recognized the familiar orange hair that belonged to Kyou. As if she were in another track meet, she raced down the hallway, tears of hope forming in her eyes. “Kyou!” She called out, hugging him tightly from behind.

Kyou was nearly tackled over. He looked over his shoulder at the sweaty brown-haired girl that was crying into the back of his shirt. Wait a minute...why was she crying?

“Ah, there she is.” Satsu looked at Kasumi. So that’s all it was...she missed him.
Kyou pulled away from Kasumi and turned around to face her. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around his younger sister and held her to him. He let Kasumi soak his shirt with her tears, not caring that she was sweaty from running. Then he felt a look from Kokoro.

Kokoro loved Kasumi. She loved her like she was her own sister. She was glad that Kasumi was finally reunited with Kyou, but that was no excuse. Kasumi’s anger and sadness was no excuse to let her work slip, and they all knew that. Kokoro looked to Kyou with a look that said “Don’t you dare let her get off that easy; you’re the older sibling, you’re the one that’s supposed to keep her in line”. Basically, she was telling him to get mad at her for slacking off.

Kyou, as an inexperienced older brother, didn’t really know what to do. Should he really get mad at Kasumi or should he let it slide this once? No, he couldn’t let it slide. He wouldn’t let it slide. He took Kasumi’s shoulders and pulled away from her once more. He looked at her, his face serious.

Kasumi just stared up at him, her crimson eyes mirroring Kyou’s. Her eyes were glassy from tears and her face was stained by them.

“Kasumi...” Kyou started. After a silenced moment, Kyou hit Kasumi on the head, very Kokoro-Kippei style. “What’s this I hear about you slacking off?!” He yelled.

“Ow!” Kasumi yelped as she rubbed her head. “What the hell was that for?!” She yelled back.

“For you slacking off!” Kyou roared. “I told you to work hard, didn’t I?!”

“Well I’m sorry if I didn’t feel like working!” Kasumi screamed.

“Hasn’t it gotten through your thick head yet?! If you don’t work hard then you can’t see me!”

“I’m seeing you right now, aren’t I?!”

Kyou stopped. She had a point. There they both were. Kasumi hadn’t been working hard at all and yet there they both were. Together. An older brother and younger sister. He sighed. “Why’d you do it, Kasumi?”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you.” Kasumi looked away. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“She’s been like this ever since she got back.” Satsu sighed.

“Shut up, Satsu.” Kasumi growled. She tapped her fingers against her arm as she looked to the wall of the hallway. There she had been, so excited to see her brother that she cried and what did she get? A hit on the head! Not even a ‘Hey Kasumi, I missed you.’ first! Then again...she did get a hug. A very caring hug...

“Kasumi.” Kyou sighed.

“I missed you.” Kasumi finally admitted. “That’s why. I was mad that I wouldn’t be able to see you again for a long time so I started to slack off. Eventually it got to this...” She sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s no excuse!” Kyou yelled again.

“How would you feel?!” Kasumi looked to him. “How did you feel?”

“I...” Kyou started.

“Let me guess. You didn’t.” Kasumi’s eyes refilled with tears again. “I shoulda known.”
“I was angry.” Kyou said. “I was angry too, Kasumi, just like you were. But I didn’t change anything.”

“Actually, you were moodier than usual.” Shigure said quietly.

“No one asked you!” Kyou yelled.

“See what I mean?” Shigure sighed.

“You missed it again.” Kasumi looked to the floor. “For the eleventh time in a row, you missed it.”

“Missed...it?” Kyou blinked, slightly confused. “What did I miss?”

“My birthday, you idiot!” Kasumi yelled. “You missed it for the eleventh time in a row this past November! What else did you forget about me?!” She didn’t give him time to answer. She ran past him and the others, running to her room. She opened it and slammed it shut.

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Wow. Kassie’s angry. Though, I get angry too when my brother hits me on my head. The next chapter’s menu...well...that hasn’t been completely planned out yet. Yeah, I know, I said I had the entire fic planned out. Well when I say that, I mean that I know the outcome and the more important events and whatnot. Yeah. Keep reading!