𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝 -𝘼 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘-

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓

Sounds of bird song fill my ears as I push down on Dr. Sohma's doorbell. For the most part, one feels anxious on the first day of work. I don't. It's most likely because I'm just so relieved to be out of that horrid house.

"You're early." He tells me, sliding the door open. I look down at my watch and then back up at him.

"Oops." I giggle quickly and then clear my throat. "I didn't realize I was so early."

It makes sense as to why his tie isn't tied yet. "Come in."

Following him through his house, we stop in the room, one before his own office. "This will be your office. My old assistant used to work here, so it only seems fit to put you in here as well."

Who was his old assistant, I wonder. What happened to them? "I'm sure this will work for your accommodation?"

"This will do just fine. Thank you." I say, trying not to fangirl over the large room I get to use.

"That panel there slides open, so that way you can easily access me. Also, the kitchen is just back up the hall on the right you can use it whenever you want." He explains.

If I knew him better, I would ramble on about how lovely all of this is, but I don't. "Thank you once again, Dr. Sohma."

"Please, Yuihiso, refer to me as Hatori. There's no need for such formalities."

"Oh, no! I couldn't just call you Hatori. I am your assistant, not you're equal. At least let me call you Dr. Hatori." I insist.

He shakes his head at my foolishness but agrees and sets me to work. All of my body still feels light as I get to work. Still working here doesn't feel real to me. Not having to be surrounded by Hanako and his family, even if it means working, is a hundred times better than what it had been.

My father has never been the warmest to me, but here at the funeral, he's like the Arctic Circle today. We've spoken but ten words to each other, for the most part, silence. It may be because yesterday at the Will Reading, we became aware that mother gave everything she could to me. Or maybe because yesterday at the Wake, everyone came to me to for their condolences instead of Father.

"You know it isn't my fault that she left everything to me." I quietly hiss, placing a candle on Mother's alter.

"Isn't it?" Another one from him.

"Maybe if the two of you hadn't had such an awful marriage, she would have left more to you." Next, a white lily. The flowers of death were easy enough to choose. Lilies, being her favorite flowers.

"Yuihiso, it is the funeral, don't be so harsh." After placing the candles and flowers down, we move to the side for others to put theirs down.

Deciding to quiet down, I become shocked to see my employer here at the funeral. Dr. Hatori wasn't at the Wake, but that was, after all, a smaller ceremony. The funeral invitations were open to everyone in the Sohma family, but I didn't expect him to come.

Father gives off a humph, watching as Dr. Hatori places a lily down. From what I remember, he and the last family doctor got into some big argument over Mother's health, so it must still get on his nerves. "And you had to work for him."

"He was the only person offering me a position, Father. I had to take what I could get." I distract myself by fumbling with my obi strings.

"You should have just not taken a job."

"What was that about not being uncivil?" I cut back. My eyes sting because once again, they are telling shouldn't work. I hate that they keep telling me this. Just let me work! It's what I want to do. They act like that by me working that I am killing them.

I notice Dr. Hatori staring at us, and I quickly bow my head to tell him, "I'm sorry you have to witness this."

"People are staring at us, Father. We must put on a good facade, even if we don't want to." I speak to him, trying to control my emotions.

"I'm not a child." Yet, you have the temper of one.