𝒮𝑒𝓉 𝑀𝑒 𝐹𝓇𝑒𝑒 (𝒴𝓊𝓀𝒾 𝓍 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇)

🍙Chapter 1~See You After School🥟

"I'll hold another banquet, and another. I'll hold banquet after banquet. An eternal series of gatherings, forever unchanging. I may feel lonely, but I won't despair. Because everyone is waiting for me...on the other side of that promise." Words spoken in the long-distant past, lost in the years that followed. The original memory, forgotten by everyone. The original promise.

╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

"Wow!" Tohru said while looking up at the sky and blocking the sun with her hand, "Usually the days start to cool off in mid-September, but it looks like we're in for another hot one!"

"Tohru, we have to go. Say goodbye to Mom." Tohru's adopted sister, [Y/n], said as she left the tent. "Oh, right." Tohru said and walked over to the tent.

"All right, you look after our things while we're gone. 'Kay, Mom?" Tohru said to the picture of their mother. [Y/n] smile a little while putting her long [h/c] hair in a ponytail to let her neck breathe. Tohru zipped up their tent and grabbed [Y/n]'s hand. "Goodbye! We'll see you after school!" Tohru said to their mom, and her and [Y/n] began their journey to school.

"Do you really have to hold my hand, Tohru?" [Y/n] asked as they walked through the forest, "I'm not blind, y'know."

"I wouldn't want you to trip and fall again." Tohru said and [Y/n] sighed. "Don't remind me." She muttered with sheer embarrassment. Tohru giggled, looking at her watch, "We still have plenty of time before we need to get to class. Should we explore the area a little bit?" She asked for her sister's input. [Y/n] shrugged, not really caring. As long as she was with Tohru, [Y/n] would be fine doing anything.

Soon, they came to the top of a cliff, panting. A breeze blew by, and the sisters sighed. "The breeze feels so good!" Tohru said, and [Y/n] nodded. Even though, [Y/n] had to squint to enjoy the view, it was pretty, nonetheless. Suddenly, they heard bells chiming.

The sisters went to explore the house they found in the middle of the forest. "A new discovery." Tohru said as they continued to explore, "I didn't know there was a house here."

[Y/n] and Tohru walked around in the garden. It took [Y/n] a moment to realize...'We're trespassing...' She thought and noticed the zodiac figurines that were sitting out. [Y/n]'s eyes sparkled with excitement.

"How cute!" Tohru cooed, noticing the figurines.

"Hello." Tohru and [Y/n] took at a man dressed in a yukata holding a newspaper, "This is a surprise. We don't get a lot of young girls wandering around here."

"Uh, good morning, sir! We're so sorry!" Tohru said, flustered, as she bowed. [Y/n] bowed as well. "We shouldn't have been looking around without permission."

"It's fine." The man said as he walked closer to the sisters, "I just wouldn't imagine that teenagers like yourselves would find this place interesting."

"It's a nicely decorated place, and the zodiac figurines you have are cute." [Y/n] said taking a closer look at them. "Yes. They're a favorite of mine, too, actually." The man said, and Tohru gave a sad look.

"Except, it looks like another set without the Cat." Tohru said, and [Y/n] sadly nodded.

"The Cat?" The man questioned, "Oh, right. I see. You're thinking about the old folktale, aren't you?"

Tohru smiled. "Uh-huh!" She said, "Our mom would tell it to us over and over when we were little."

"Once upon a time," Kyoko began while laying with her two daughters, "God made an invitation to the animals. God said, 'I'm having a banquet tomorrow and all of you are invited to come.' But the Rat was mischievous and loved to play pranks. He lied to his neighbor, the Cat, telling him the banquet was actually the day after tomorrow. On the day of the banquet, the Rat rode on the Ox's back then leapt easily down to arrive first at their destination. After him came the Ox, the Tiger and the rest of the animals, and they all feasted merrily until dawn. All of them, that is, except the Cat."