Spread My Wings (Fruits Basket)

Answers

Hatori's POV

Fujikawa…it all made sense now. That night, Akito had instructed her servant to find him for some reason, but hadn't specified what. Of course it had slipped my mind.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

But this was no time to get mad at myself- I had to think, piece together what was going on. As I saw it, Akito had contacted Fujikawa's father, convinced him to return to his former employer, and bullied him into tailing his own daughter. Somehow, he pieced together that Sukochi had found out about the curse, and followed up by reporting it to his new master.

And because of him, we were all in danger.

Right then and there, it clicked in my mind. Before I was fully conscious of what I was doing, I slipped into my sneakers and out the door. "I know you're there, Fujikawa-san," I said quietly, breathing in the muggy mid-July air. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to talk to you."

No response.

"Why did you do it?" I asked.

There was a rustle in a nearby bush.

"I need to know."

A lanky silhouette approached me. A beam of dim light shone from overhead, illuminating a pair of worn dress shoes.

"Can I trust you?" came a croak from the near darkness.

"Yes."

A hand gripped my shoulder, hot breath fanning across my ear. "Come with me."

I hesitated, but did as he said, still uncertain of whether or not I could trust him. It was risky, true, but if I could get what I needed to know from him, it would all be worth it. His hand never left my shoulder, guiding me towards the front gates, his foots pattering softly against the stone path. Once we had left the confines of the estate, he released me; a half-broken lamp lamppost cast dusty light across his face, giving me my first good look at Fujikawa's father.

Same long, thin nose, high cheekbones, almond eyes- the similarities were startling.

Katashi Fujikawa pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, exhaling a shakily. A wisp of smoke billowed over to me.

"Why did you do it?" I said. "I know you don't care about her anymore, but-"

He laughed humorlessly. It was all too familiar- the sort of laugh my father would let out before sobbing into my shoulder. A derisive snort, a huff of denial. "Do you honestly think I had a choice? You think I was allowed to say 'no'?" Katashi grabbed onto the collar of my shirt and yanked me forward, snarling, "Why did you even bring her here? You know she's not safe here. You know what Akito is planning."

"I'm fully aware of that," I said coolly, but he brushed me off.

"Aren't you her friend? Don't you want to keep her safe?" he demanded.

"You're right, Fujikawa-san," I said calmly, prying his fingers off of my throat. "I brought her here, even while knowing the risks. And I'm sorry about that. But you have to understand, she's set on breaking the curse, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

He chuckled bitterly, turning away from the light. "She's as stubborn as ever, it seems. Some things never change."

We lapsed into silence.

"Well, what are you planning to do now?" I asked, keeping my gaze level with his.

"Keep following her? I don't have a choice, I guess." Katashi closed his eyes. "Promise me you'll take care of her, Hatori. That's all I want."