One Step Closer [Fruits Basket]

Chapter 41: Machi's Pain

Natsu's POV

Graduation was coming soon and so was spring. Today since morning it was snowing lightly. Right now at this moment, Yuki, Kakeru, Nao, and I were in the student council's storeroom as Kakeru and I was trying to fix the heater of our student council's meeting room.

"Not much time left until graduation, huh..." Nao sighed as he stared out through the window, watching the snowfall.

"Huh?" Yuki blinked at Nao in confusion. "You're not graduating though, Nao."

Nao simply grunted in response. At that moment, Kimi skipped and entered the storeroom.

"Honestly, what a pain!" Kimi whined.

"You're late!" Nao yelled at the brunette girl.

"Only because another senior asked me out!" Kimi pouted, puffing her cheeks. "Don't you think it's selfish to confess love to someone you know you have no chance with? I'm sure they get closure from it or whatever and a pity party but still! I bet you have had lots of trouble with that lately too, right, Yun-Yun?"

"All I can do is hurt them." Yuki sighed, looking away.

"Your guilt sounds karmically appropriate to me." Nao grumbled as he closed the window shut. "You hurt people after all."

"Aw, shorty, are you jealous of Yuki for being more popular?" Kakeru teased with a smirk on his face. "Eh, shorty?"

"Enough with the shorty!" Nao yelled as he got into Yuki's face. "I know I'm a shorty okay?! Yeah, I'm still shorter than my sister! Is that so wrong? Do shorties have no right to live?!"

"But I didn't say anything..." Yuki responded, sweat-dropping.

"Are you implying that height is what makes a man attractive?!" Nao added.

"Not at all, Nao-chan!" Kimi chimed in making us look at her. "It's not his height or his face. What makes a man attractive... is his bank account."

Kimi's words shot right through the hearts of Yuki and Kakeru while I deadpanned at the girl.

"True facts." Kakeru noted.

"Seriously?" I mumbled.

"Fine, I know I'm a commoner guy with commoner parents!" Nao yelled out in frustration. "I will never have a Sohma-level bank account!"

"Listen that's Sohma money, not my personal money, okay?" Yuki stated, trying to calm down Nao.

"Yuki, you're still a Sohma and you get a deposit for that." I deadpanned. "You're still that trust-fund kid."

"I get it!" Kimi said as her face lit up in realization. "You have a crush on someone, don't you? And that person is pining after Yun-Yun, so you're jealous!"

"Oh, hey, Nao, didn't you call Yun-Yun your rival once?" Kakeru asked.

"I remember that..." Yuki trailed off.

"I'm right aren't I, Nao-chan?!" Kimi asked in anticipation.

"Is she right, Nao-chan?" Kakeru teased.

"And I think the person you have a crush on is a third-year student who's graduating within the next few weeks." I smiled at Nao. "Isn't that why you're so bummed out about this whole graduation ceremony, Nao?"

Nao's face immediately went red.

"Your face is red. So, I'm right, huh." I chuckled. "Nao, if I'm not wrong, is your crush... Motoko Minagawa senpai? She's a third-year who's graduating and also the president of the Prince Yuki fan club."