༄ Let's meet again...༄

༄ 40. Chikafuji Risa Aria

Currently, people were running for cover outside and umbrellas were opened as the clouds spat out their beads of water. Puddles began plinking as the rainfall became heavier. The roofs of the cars danced with spray and our white haired main protagonist — Chikafuji Risa Aria — could hear the murmuring of the rain through the window. It sounded like the buzzing bees.

"You who has been lost for an eternity," an elder lady spoke up, while putting two porcelain cups that consisted of enchanting smelling Rooibos tea on the table. "For what occasion I'm asking, do I, a humble old woman in her late sixties, have the honor to receive your presence?"

"You may already know the answer to that, Mirai Ena-san," The Fox girl calmly responded.

"Oh?" The elder chuckled. "And for what reason could that be, Arist- No, Aria-sama?"

Suddenly, lightning flashed around them and thunder rumbled through the whole area.

"So you knew," The Fox girl muttered with clenching eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I wasn't asked," Ena told the girl, while sipping her warm cup of tea.

Aria deeply sighed before grabbing the seemly fragile porcelain cup. She first took a sip before asking the major question that had been dancing in her mind the whole time.

"Who am I, Ena-san?" the Fox girl asked.

For a moment, it became silent between the two of them after the question fell out of her mouth. The two held a little staring contest. After a couple of seconds, the elder pulled away.

"You are Chikafuji Risa Aria," Ena began. "Daughter of the former successor — Sohma Asami — who happened to be the older sister of the father of the current Sohma Head,"

"What more is there to tell than you, a poor wandering soul, being cursed by the Fox spirit of the Chinese Zodiac?"

"How do you know that?" Aria asked who now became suspicious.

"All Sohma's know the secrets of our clan, little one," The elder exclaimed, which took the white haired girl to surprise.

"W-Wait, so you're a-,"

"My real name is Sohma Ena," The woman interrupted her.

"Then..." Aria began to talk. "What was your relationship with my mother...., my parents?"

"Hm..." The elder deeply thought. "People would say I used to be your mother's caretaker, but only the closest would say I was Asami-sama's second mother," Ena chuckled.

"Are you curious about your mother, little one?" the woman asked, in which Aria nodded her head.

"Your mother was a beauty among the Sohma's," The elder exclaimed. "Well, I can actually see some parts of her in you," she chuckled.

"How so?"

"She was a rebel, someone who didn't want to follow the rules," The elder exclaimed.

"But one could say she was a person who left a reputation, as a swallow left it a call," the woman said, while unknowingly smiling at the fond memories.

"Hm, what about her family?" The Sohma girl asked. "Were they also as rebellious as she was?"

"No, they were not," Ena exclaimed. "In fact, they were really conservative,"

"Asami-sama's parents tried to raise her as a perfect woman, with no flaws," The elder added. "However, even though they tried every method to educate her properly, all efforts were eventually in vain,"

"How come?" The Fox girl asked.

"Your mother was actually the successor of the previous Sohma Head instead of her sick little brother — Sohma Akira," The elder said. "But then..."