IT BLOSSOMS, hatori sohma [Fruits Basket]

Chapter Twenty Nine

The moment was brief, yet it stretched infinitely in the peace of the room. Himawari and Yuki blinked at each other in perfect synchronization, their expressions mirroring the same wide-eyed curiosity. Across the floor, Shigure was visibly struggling to contain his amusement, his body shaking slightly as he pressed a fist to his mouth, desperate to suppress his impending laughter.

The entire sequence had unfolded rather unexpectedly. Himawari had come down from the upper rooms just as Yuki entered the living room from the hallway. The little girl, oblivious to the tension her presence had created, had been happily chatting away with Shigure while Yuki stood rooted to the spot, his violet eyes locked onto her with something akin to shock—or perhaps disbelief. He had barely taken a few steps into the room when Ryu, who had just finished draping a blanket over Hatori, turned her attention to him.

She sighed inwardly, already predicting where this was headed.

"Oh, Yuki~!" Shigure suddenly chirped, his sing-song tone laced with explicit mischief. "Come meet your niece!"

Ryu closed her eyes for a brief moment, exhaling sharply through her nose before shooting Shigure a glare that could have cut through steel.

"Ignore this fool," she muttered, stepping forward until she stood beside her daughter. She placed a gentle hand on Himawari's head, feeling the warmth of her child's soft hair beneath her fingertips before meeting Yuki's gaze. "I'll explain things properly."

Yuki paused, his sharp mind likely working through the implications before he finally closed the distance between them. As he knelt onto the tatami mats, Ryu began a carefully measured explanation—just enough truth to be honest, but forgetting the more complex, complicated details regarding the memory dilemma.

"It's complicated," she finalized after summarizing the essentials. "You'll understand more later."

Yuki gave a small nod, not entirely satisfied but willing to accept that further answers would come with time. His attention then shifted to the child before him.

Himawari, undeterred by the weight of the moment, was the first to speak. "Nice to meet you, Uncle Yuki!" she chirped with a bright smile, clasping her hands together in excitement.