Chapter Text
After school, Yuki stayed late for basketball, and Arisa left for work. Kyo, Saki, and Haru headed off to the dojo together; Haru and Kyo for class, and Saki for work.
“What’s on the menu tonight, Hanajima?” Haru wondered.
“I need to check the fridge and see what’s at the store. I purchase any necessary groceries while you and Kyo-kun are in class. If all goes according to plan, we’ll have unagi. If they’re out of eel, I’ll make ginger pork.”
“Mm, my favorite. Mind if I join?” Haru asked.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Saki replied. “I suppose that means Rin will join us, too?”
Haru nodded.
“And maybe Kagura,” Kyo thought. “That okay? I know you were planning for just four.”
“It’s no problem, Kyo-kun,” she responded. “As long as I know before I go to the store.”
They continued walking for a while before Haru spoke again. “I thought you could predict the future.”
“If I had all the abilities people seem to attribute to me, I would be an unreasonably powerful woman.”
Haru waited for Saki to elaborate. When she didn’t, he shrugged. “Mystery.”
“She can’t predict the future or talk to ghosts or anything,” Kyo explained, shaking his head as he chuckled at the interaction. “It’s more like... sensing people’s thoughts and feelings. Right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Oh. That makes sense,” Haru replied mildly.
Saki glanced at Haru before smiling to herself. “I suppose it wouldn’t seem that strange to you.”
Haru studied Saki through narrowed eyes. “Oh. You know, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know,” Saki answered.
“Makes sense. Honda tell you?”
“No, Kyo-kun told me this summer.”
“Not like I coulda kept it from you anyway...” Kyo muttered. He turned to Haru. “Arisa knows now, too, ‘cause of Kureno. And Machi heard it from Yuki. He said he’d probably tell Kakeru, too, and that his brother’s fiancée knows. I think that’s everyone outside the family who knows now, unless Hatori told Mayu-sensei.” He wondered what she would think, having two cursed Sohmas in her class.
“Not yet,” Saki stated. Kyo chuckled. Even after all this time, it still surprised him how much Saki could tell.
After another couple of blocks, Haru paused. “Honda really kept our secret that whole time...” he said. “She was something else.”
They walked in silence the rest of the way there.
After class, Kyo, Haru, Kagura, and Kazuma showered in the locker rooms and made their way over to the house, excited for dinner.
Kyo’s mouth was watering before they reached the chabudai. Saki had been able to get eel at the market, which she had just placed under the broiler. Everyone began serving themselves miso soup, rice, pickled daikon, edamame, hiyayakko, and tea or water. By the time everyone was seated, the unagi was ready, and Saki placed a filet over everyone’s rice, except Rin, who stuck to the rice, soup, and jelly cups.
“Itadakimasu!” Kagura said, bowing cheerfully.
“Itadakimasu,” echoed round the table.
“Saki-san, what a treat!” Kunimitsu exclaimed.
“Eel always makes it feel like a special occasion,” Kagura added.
“And you remembered no chives,” Kyo remarked gratefully, taking another bite of his tofu, topped with thinly sliced cucumbers, grated ginger, and bonito flakes.
“Haru, perhaps I can make ginger pork later this week,” Saki suggested.
“What days d’you cook?” he queried; mouth full of daikon.
“Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and I may work weekends as well,” she answered.
“Sensei, you mind if I stay for dinner after class from now on?” Haru asked.
“You’re welcome to stay any time, Haru,” Kazuma smiled. “You as well, Kagura.”
Kyo nudged Saki with his elbow, grinning. “I think they like your cooking.”
Saki nodded. “They do.”
Kyo laughed and shook his head. Of course she would already know exactly how much everyone was enjoying her meal.
“Rin, I think you would like this,” Haru said, grabbing a plate of the silken tofu and topping it with cucumbers and ginger before drizzling some soy sauce over the top. “The texture is kinda like jelly, and the taste is very mild.”
Rin took a cautious bite, then another. “This is good,” she said to Saki, who smiled.
Haru carefully put a couple pieces of daikon and edamame on her plate as well, encouraging her to try them.
“What do you plan to make on Thursday, Kyo-kun?” Saki asked.
“Oh, I hadn’t really thought about it,” Kyo responded, finishing off his tofu.
“What’s Thursday?” Kagura inquired.
“Oh yeah, we’re having a big group dinner here. You should come, Kagura,” Kyo answered.
“Ooooh, that must be what Momiji meant!”
Haru and Rin started laughing. “What are you talking about?” Kyo demanded.
“You really should get a phone, Kyo,” Haru said, producing his and showing the messages he’d received from Momiji.
Momiji: Keep your Thursdays open because you’re invited!!!
Kagura: Invited to what?
Ritsu: Oh no! Is it every Thursday?
Momiji: Ja! Every Thursday!!!
Kagura: What’s every Thursday?
Ritsu: I have classes! Should I withdraw?
Yuki: Don’t withdraw from your classes Ritsu.
Yuki: Momiji, you have to actually tell them what we’re doing.
Hiro: Please remove me from this thread.
Kagura: Is anyone gonna spill?
Ritsu: I’m at the registrar now. What should I tell them? Is everyone okay?
Yuki: Ritsu, DON’T WITHDRAW FROM YOUR CLASSES. We’re all fine and you should continue your studies as normal.
Haru: ritsu listen to yuki
Haru: kagura remind me in class tonight i can tell you then
Hiro: Why not just tell us now?
Haru: more fun this way
Ritsu: I’m terribly sorry for panicking!
Ritsu: Please excuse my inappropriate overreaction and continue to invite me to family gatherings.
Ritsu: And I apologize for sending separate texts instead of one longer text! I’m so, so sorry!!!
Hiro: Look what you did now, stupid rabbit.
Momiji: That’s FORMER rabbit to you, Hiro-chan!
Hiro: 🙄
Hatori: Shouldn’t you all be in class?
Momiji: Ha’ri! You should come, too!
Hatori: We’ll talk at home.
The thread stopped after that.
“He doesn’t even say what we’re doing!” Kyo slapped a hand to his forehead in exasperation, chuckling at the utter chaos of his family.
“It’s okay, Kyo-kun! Now that I know, I’ll send a proper invite,” Kagura pulled out her phone and returned to the thread.
Kagura: Group dinners Thursdays at the Sohma dojo. We're all invited, come whenever you’re free on a Thursday evening. No worries if you’re busy. Ritsu, just come when you’re home on break!
Kagura showed the message to Kyo for approval before hitting send. “So, what do you want to make, Kyo-kun? Could be a lot of people.”
“Yeah, but probably no more than when we were at the house this summer, right?”
“I guess not,” Kagura replied, looking glum as she remembered the days immediately following Tohru’s death.
“You’re really good at feeding a crowd," Kyo said. "Wanna cook together?”
Kagura brightened immediately. “Okay! But why not Saki?”
“Kyo-kun has forbidden me from cooking if I’m not working,” Saki answered.
“You shouldn’t have to work on your time off!” Kyo argued.
“Master Kazuma offered to pay me on Thursdays, too,” Saki reminded him.
“But you shouldn’t be on the clock when you should be enjoying dinner with everyone,” Kyo scowled.
“Fair enough,” Saki responded, smiling to herself.
"Maybe we should do a rotation,” Kagura suggested. “We see who all is coming and knows how to cook. That way, no one has to miss out on time with friends twice in a row.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Kyo.
“And those who can’t cook will be added to a rotation for cleaning,” Kagura added. “That way, everyone pitches in.”
“So the question is, who else knows how to cook?” Kyo wondered. “Definitely not Yuki.”
“Arisa does,” Saki said. “Although she would find it overwhelming to cook for everyone without a partner.”
“Maybe you can cook with her when it’s your turn in the rotation,” Kyo suggested.
“I can cook, too,” Haru offered. “Not as good as you two,” he gestured to Saki and Kagura, “but I cook for myself at home when my mom’s out.”
“What should we do about groceries?” Saki asked.
“Leave those to me,” Kazuma said warmly. “If there are any requests, the chefs can let me know ahead of time.”
Kyo suddenly looked worried. “Sorry I never thought to ask, but are you sure you’re okay paying for all the extra groceries, Dad?”
“Am I okay providing meals so my son can have his friends over?” Kazuma asked. “Of course I am, Kyo. Plus, we get to enjoy the food, too, right?” He gestured at himself and Kunimitsu.
Kyo grinned. “As long as you don’t embarrass me too much!”
“No promises,” Kunimitsu teased.
They ate and talked for a while longer, settling into a friendly conversational rhythm. As they finished their food, Haru and Rin offered to handle clean up.
Suddenly, Saki stood up from the chabudai. “My mother has arrived,” she announced, exiting the room.
“Kyo, you should go welcome our guest,” Kunimitsu suggested.
He shrugged and followed Saki out to the entryway.
“Hello, mother,” Saki greeted.
“Saki-chan! How was your first day of term?” Her mom pulled her into a hug.
“It was uneventful,” Saki intoned.
“Hi, kaa-san,” Kyo bowed, shyly making his presence known.
“Sohma-kun! It’s so nice to see you. Thank you for taking care of our Saki-chan.”
Kyo nodded, blushing.
“Ah, hello, Hanajima-san,” Kazuma said, stepping into the entryway, followed by Kunimitsu. "I’m Kyo’s father, Kazuma Sohma. This is my assistant, Kunimitsu Tomoda. Welcome to our dojo.”
“Thank you, Sohma-san. These are for you,” she handed him a box of taiyaki. “And please, call me Mika.”
“My pleasure, Mika. And you may call me Kazuma,” he smiled warmly. “May we give you a tour?”
“Absolutely!”
Kazuma and Kunimitsu led Mika into the main classroom, while Kyo and Saki waited for them in the entry.
“My mother is quite happy to see you again,” Saki commented.
“Oh yeah?” Kyo replied. “Why’s that?”
“She knows you helped me this summer, and I believe she wanted to thank you,” Saki answered. “I’ve never had many close friends, and she was worried I’d be even lonelier after we lost our dear Tohru.”
Kyo frowned. “Do you have people you can talk to about stuff?”
“What do you mean?”
“I just mean... if it gets bad again, make sure you talk to someone, okay?”
Just then, the three adults returned from the dojo. “And if we continue this way, you’ll see where Saki works,”
Kyo and Saki followed them into the house where Kunimitsu gave a quick tour of the kitchen and gathering room before heading back to his suite off the main classroom.
“Rin, Haru, this is Saki’s mom," Kyo explained.
“Hello Isuzu-chan! It’s so good to see you again!” Rin nodded, wide-eyed, before going back to washing dishes. “And Haru-san, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she continued.
“Pleasure’s all mine, kaasan,” Haru replied, bowing politely.
“Kaasan!” Kagura ran up to Saki’s mom and gave her a big hug. “I’m so happy to see you!”
“Hello Kagura-chan!” Mika was totally unfazed by Kagura’s overbearing greeting or Rin’s lukewarm one.
“Would it be any trouble to see where Saki-chan stayed last night?” Mika asked Kazuma.
“Not at all,” Kazuma replied, extending a hand in the direction of the private rooms. “My room is down here, and Kunimitsu has a private suite over by the classroom, which you saw. Upstairs are Rin’s, Yuki’s, and Kyo’s rooms, and there’s a spare room on each floor. Saki, which room did you use last night?”
“Arisa and I stayed upstairs,” she answered.
Kyo and Saki watched their parents disappear up the stairs.
“You should ask him tonight,” Saki said to Kyo, once their parents were out of earshot.
“Huh?”
“You said you wanted to start teaching. You should ask Master Kazuma tonight. I believe he would be most receptive.”
Kyo pondered this. “Okay, maybe I will.” He grinned, imagining himself leading a karate class.
“Hey Kagura,” Haru called from the sink. “We're done here. Wanna head back together?”
“Sure!” she replied. "See you Wednesday,” she waved to Kyo and Saki as Haru gave Rin a goodbye kiss, then the two of them exited together.
Kazuma and Mika came downstairs, and Rin slipped away to her room quietly behind them.
“Thank you so much for the tour, Kazuma,” Mika bowed.
“Please, thank you for allowing Saki to cook for us, Mika. Our bellies have never been happier,” Kazuma smiled. “Kyo, why don’t you walk them out,” he suggested.
“Okay,” Kyo agreed, and led Saki and her mother toward the exit.
Just inside the gate, Saki’s mother spoke. “Sohma-kun, we would love to have you over for dinner. Are you available tomorrow?”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks,” Kyo blushed.
“Your brother is also welcome to join,” she added.
“My... brother?”
“The young man with the silver hair. I was hoping to see him tonight,” she clarified.
“Mother, Kyo and Yuki are distant cousins,” Saki explained.
“Well, please invite him when you see him next. We appreciate everything you’ve done for our Saki-chan,” she placed a friendly hand on his head.
“Saki’s done a lot for us, too,” Kyo said, scratching the back of his head.
Mika smiled at him. “I suppose calling you Sohma-kun might be confusing now that I’ve met so many Sohmas. Is it all right if I call you Kyo-kun?”
Kyo nodded, blushing.
“Well, we’ll see you tomorrow, Kyo-kun!”
“See you, kaasan. Bye, Saki.”
He watched as they exited out the gate.
Returning inside, he found Kazuma waiting for him at the chabudai.
“How did it go?”
“Saki’s mom invited me to dinner tomorrow. Will you and Kunimitsu be okay on your own for dinner?”
“I promise not to cook, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Kazuma grinned. “We can always get takeout.”
“She also called Yuki my brother...” Kyo mumbled.
“I suppose our family structure can be a bit confusing at first,” Kazuma smiled. “I’m glad you suggested he live here.”
Kyo nodded, thinking of how to approach the subject of teaching.
“I wanted to ask you something,” he began tentatively. “I’ve been thinking about what I wanna do after school, like, for my future, and I think I wanna teach karate like you.” Kyo blushed as he finished his sentence and saw Kazuma beaming at him.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Kyo,” he said. “The first step would be for you to shadow me and Kunimitsu in some of our weekly classes. Do you feel ready to add that to your schedule?”
Kyo nodded. “I really wanna do this.”
Kazuma’s smile grew. "I’m really happy to hear you thinking about your future, Kyo. Let me talk with Kunimitsu tomorrow to make sure we're on the same page. We can discuss your schedule tomorrow after your dinner, okay?”
Kyo nodded. Feeling braver, he went on. “There was something else.”
Kazuma waited for him to continue.
“Can you actually come with me?” Kyo asked. Kazuma followed him to the altar.
“I was wondering, who are these people? I know these are your parents, and obviously I know Tohru and Kyoko,” he gulped, feeling a pang of grief. “I never asked you about them before.”
Kazuma smiled. “These pictures belong to Kunimitsu. This man was his grandfather. This woman was his other grandmother. And this young woman was his sister. I’m afraid you’ll have to ask him if you’d like any more information than that.”
Kyo frowned. “Dad... have you ever been in love?”
Kazuma studied Kyo. He sounded so young when he asked that question. “I have not,” Kazuma answered truthfully.
“Is it because of me?” Kyo asked, slightly panicked. “You don’t need to hold off dating on my account. Just... please not any of my classmates,” he finished, bringing a hand to his flushed face.
Kazuma laughed. “Kyo, I promise, it’s not because of you. Fatherhood has been the greatest part of my life, and I am so lucky to have a son who cares about my happiness as much as I care about his.”
Kyo blushed. “So, are you gonna start dating?”
“No,” replied Kazuma. “I’ve never particularly been interested in relationships. I don’t think dating or marriage or romantic love are things I’ve ever wanted for myself.”
“So you don’t ever wanna date or get married or fall in love?”
“I’ll always be open to the possibility,” Kazuma explained, “but it has never particularly called to me. I’m very happy being a father and sensei. Those are the roles I felt called to fill. I never felt that calling to be someone’s husband or boyfriend.”
Kyo looked at his father, considering what he was saying. “I was so worried you were gonna marry Saki.”
Kazuma laughed. “Why were you worried about that?”
“She kept saying how handsome you were, and you seemed to get along well.”
“We do get along well, but she’s also still a child. Even if I were interested in dating, it would be rather inappropriate to date someone so much younger than me, don’t you think?”
“You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that,” Kyo threw an arm over his face.
“So this is why you told me not to get married at your play?”
Kyo was completely crimson now. “Maybe.”
Kazuma grinned.
“Tohru used to talk like you two were already together!”
Kazuma chuckled at this. “She did tend to take everything quite literally. So do you, you know.”
Kyo sighed, exasperated.
“You are too easy to tease, Kyo,” Kazuma laughed. “Saki is a very nice girl. I’m very glad you’re friends. I consider her a friend as well. It’s been nice to get to know her recently. And she’s an excellent cook.”
“Just say you got tired of the four things I know how to make,” Kyo grumbled, grinning
“Little column A, little column B,” Kazuma teased. Kyo launched a fist at him which Kazuma caught, pulling Kyo in for a hug.