2It's hard being strange. I mean, I always have been. Before my fifth birthday, people stared at me because I was born with orange hair and reddish-orange eyes. After my birthday, people stared at me because of the long, jagged cute that stretched from my right temple to my chin. I received the cut at the hands of my father, after I spilled his dinner onto the floor when I turned five. The cut left me half blind in my right eye.
When I turned twelve, after I started going through puberty, people's attention shifted. As my body changed and matured, people stared at my body more than my face and hair. People still looked at my face, of course, but only after they stared at my body. I always felt unclean after they finally stopped staring. The one person I really hated staring at me was my father. There was this glint in his eyes that left me feeling uneasy. I always did my best to hide myself from him and my siblings.
I was good at that, at hiding. When I was little, I hid my scar behind my hair. But when I was fourteen, I decided I didn't want to hide anymore. I still had to keep my hair down when I was around my father and siblings but whenever I was out of the house, I wore it plaited back. Though I still got in trouble from my siblings whenever they caught me.
They hated me as much as our father did. They all blamed me for my mother's death. She died giving birth to me. When I was little, I had to ask my mother's old friends what she was like. They said she was the kindest person anyone could want for a friend. Strong and stubborn, but never unkind or cruel. They also said my father was very different with her. He was never aggressive or uncontrollably angry. I suppose that's what happens when you love someone and when you lose them.
One night, when my father was very drunk, he told me about my mother. According to him, she was the perfect mix of sweet and spunky. He said she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. But eventually talking about her made him angry. I had to run away before he hurt me again. I had to go back, of course, I knew one day I would have to leave for good. One day he would hurt me too much for me to stay.
It happened a month after I turned sixteen. I had burnt his food and mad him angry. He was drunk and his anger is so much stronger after drinking. As a result, he nearly took my eye. I lost all sight in my right eye. I ran. I had hidden money from him and my siblings. I used that to get to Fujinomiya, where my great-great-grandparents once lived. My family originated in Fujinomiya and I guess I'm hoping that perhaps some of the Sohma family still live here. Perhaps I would also get some answers.
I mean, obviously not everyone changed into a cat when a boy hugged them. In fact, I seemed to be the only one. I learned early on that I was never to let anyone touch me, ever. Father actually kept me locked in the house until I was meant to start school. He only let me go to school because the lady next door threatened to call the police if he didn't.
I'm not sure if she liked me or not. I think perhaps it was just that she pitied me and she really didn't like him. Whatever the reason, I owed that lady. Without her, I wouldn't have been allowed to go to school. I tried to pay her back by working for her but she wouldn't let me. So I just studied hard and did the best I could at school.
But now I'm in Fujinomiya. I've applied for several jobs and I was accepted by a company as a cleaner. It might not be the best but I'll be able to pay my school tuition. And cleaning is something I'm good at. I just have to stay out of sight. I'm currently staying at a hostel but I only had enough to pay for one month so hopefully I'll have found somewhere to rent by the end of the month.
Tomorrow is my first day at my new school. I just hope I can find my relatives. Maybe they will be able to tell me why I change into a cat. I just have to be careful and not let a boy hug me. That would be very bad. It was bad enough going to school in Tokyo. I always had to keep my guard up. It was exhausting. I suppose I'll just have to be extra careful here.
It's time for school. The uniforms are nice and the school faculty didn't say anything about my hair. I'm glad I don't have to bleach it or anything. My last school made me dye it black twice. But it never stayed in long. So they left it alone after the second try. I was glad, I didn't like having my hair dyed. Though I do hope that the stares won't last as long this time.
It's already started. I was stared at just walking into the school. I tried to ignore it. It wouldn't do any good trying to complain. People can't really be told not to stare at someone. I just made my way straight to my classroom to wait for school to start. While I waited, a boy with dark silver hair and purple eyes approached me. It was strange, I had never seen anyone with hair that colour. Though I'm definitely not one to judge. I think it suited him.
"Hello, I'm Yuki Sohma. I'm a member of the student council and I was told a new student would be starting here today. I guessed you were the new student and I thought I would come say hello."
Sohma? That's odd. I came here looking for the Sohmas and here I am, standing right in front of a boy called Yuki Sohma. I wonder if he's from the same family as me. But Sohma is a fairly common name. It could just be a coincidence. Smiling slightly, I bow to him.
"Thank you, that was nice of you. I'm Kira Sohma. It's nice to meet you."
His eyes went wide with surprise. It was obvious he expected me to say Sohma about as much as I expected him to. Recovering himself, he smiled politely and bowed as well.
"The pleasure is all mine. I'm surprised, I've never met someone who's named Sohma but isn't a cousin before."
"I took the name to honour my great-great-grandparents, Isamu and Kiyomi Sohma. They lived here a long time ago but they moved to Tokyo after their first child died in an accident. When I learnt that they lived here, I decided to look for any extended relatives. I changed my name to Kira Sohma and came here."
His eyes went from surprised to thoughtful. They were very expressive. It seemed like you could tell what his mood was just by looking at his eyes.
"I see. Well, would you like to come by my family's main house this afternoon and go through our family records? Perhaps you will find your grandparents names in them."
This time, it was my eyes that went wide with surprise. I had never met someone who would suggest that so soon after meeting someone. And with such genuine kindness. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. I could have hugged him. I actually started to, forgetting my own rule about not touching a boy, before I stopped myself and quickly dropped my arms, blushing slightly.
"I'm sorry, I just got very excited just then. It's really nice of you to offer to let me look through your family records, thank you so much."
I bowed to him again, I really couldn't believe my luck. He was so nice. He just smiled back at me. This smile was a little less polite, a little more genuine, if slightly uncomfortable. Though I suppose that made sense, considering we just met and I've already tried to hug him.
"It's nothing, I'm happy to help. How about we meet each other at the front gate this afternoon?"
"Thank you, I'll meet you there."
"Good. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I see someone I need to speak to."
He smiled and bowed again then moved past me to the door. I headed after him, intending on going to my locker to lighten my bag. Rounding, the corner, I pause as I see Yuki pinning a small brown-haired girl to the wall with his hands braced against the wall on either side of her head. She looked uncomfortable.
Without thinking, I rushed forward and threw my arms around him, knocking him away from the girl. I closed my eyes, waiting for the small explosion that always happened when I changed. It never came. Instead, I heard a gasp then a loud feminine voice screeching,
"Look, that scarred girl is hugging Prince Yuki! Get off him, you scarred freak!"
I felt small hands grab the back of my shirt and pull me backwards, off Yuki. Without thinking, again, I swung around and grabbed the girl's hair. I distantly note that I'm holding a dirty-blonde girl's pigtail as I drew my arm back to punch her. I'm stopped by Yuki shouting at me.
"Miss Kira, no! Do not hit her!"
I looked back at him, considering. I looked between him and the girl, who was shaking in my hold, and lowered my fist, pulling her close so I could whisper in her ear.
"If you ever put your hands on me or call me a scarred freak again, I will not even consider holding back. Or think twice about breaking your nose for you."
I let her go, stepping back and patting her hair down. I'd messed it up when I grabbed her.
"You'll need to fix your hair. Sorry. And don't forget to thank Yuki for stopping me from hurting you."
Smiling, I bow to her and turn my back on her shaking form, looking at Yuki. He stared back at me. Both he and the other girl, the small brunette he had pinned, looked very shocked.
"Yuki Sohma, you are very different. I would like to know why."
He didn't say anything, he just stared at me silently then he grabbed my hand and started walking, pulling me behind him. I let him pull me along, though I could have easily pulled away. The brunette girl started following us, though she still looked very confused. Pulling my hand out of Yuki's grasp, I stopped and bowed to the other quickly.
"Hello. I'm Kira Sohma. I'm sorry about that little scene back there."
The poor girl looked like she didn't know what to do but she still smiled at me hesitantly and bowed back. She was obviously very polite.
"My name is Tohru Honda. Are you related to Yuki, like Kyo is? You look like Kyo. Are you his sister?"
I shook my head, looking at Yuki's back as we followed him out of the school yard. I wondered where we were going and if we would get in trouble for leaving early.
"I don't know who Kyo is and I'm not sure if Yuki and I are related or not. We only just met today. Do you know where we're going? I'm a little bit lost. I'm not used to this area. I lived in Tokyo before I came here."
She looked around, taking in her surroundings. I've never before met someone who didn't keep track of where they were going.
"Oh, we're going to Shigure's house."
"And who is Shigure?"
"Shigure Sohma is our cousin, Kira."
Tohru and I both looked at Yuki. He had stopped walking and had turned back to face us. He looked… confused. And annoyed. So, of course, I had to question him.
"Our cousin? Does that mean you think we are related?"
"We must be. No other girl would be able to hug me like you did. Not without me changing."
"Changing? Like changing your clothes? Why would you change clothes when you get hugged by a girl?"
"No, I change like this."
With that said, he grabbed Tohru and hugged her. There was a small explosion and a puff of white cloud billowed out around them. When the cloud disappeared, Tohru was just standing there. Yuki was nowhere to be seen. His clothes were there, though. And there was a small, white rat wriggling out of his shirt.