Chapter 23

Anzu hugged herself as she stepped outside of the hospital for some fresh air. Kureno was still currently asleep in his room so she left him a message and stepped out for a bit. Her mind was swirling so much that she didn't know what to focus on first. The one thing she could manage to stand on was that she felt empty.

Leaving the hospital grounds, Anzu aimlessly walked through town to try and clear her head. She couldn't seem to get the dream out of her head, but the last thing she wanted to do was go see Akito. It's funny how that seemed to be the first thing that popped in her head though.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

Anzu quickly turned her head to see an older woman beside her. Her smile was kind and she gestured towards the crimsonette's pants pocket.

"Your phone has been ringing for some time now."

Embarrassed, the younger girl quickly thanked the woman before reaching for her phone and stepping away. An unknown number flashed on the screen and she hesitated to answer it. The phone stopped ringing and she sighed with some relief before it suddenly started ringing again. Whoever was calling her must have really wanted to reach her.

"H-Hello?"

"Anzu? Am I speaking to you right now?"

The crimsonette's eyes widened as she immediately recognized the voice of her mother's housekeeper. Covering her mouth in shock, she stopped walking at a nearby bus stop bench. "Miss Lily?"

"Oh goodness, I'm so glad I was able to reach you. You left the country so suddenly that I wasn't sure how I was going to keep in touch with you. I got in contact with your guardian somehow and now I can hear your voice. How have you been, sweetheart?"

"…Have you been looking for me this whole time?"

"Of course I did. Wouldn't a mother always look for her child?"

Anzu replayed her response in her head and immediately burst into tears. If there was anyone who could remind her of what home used to be, it would be Miss Lily. She'd always doubled as a mother to her and had her custody not been handed to the greedy assistant, she would've stayed in the States with the older woman.

"Ah, my little Anzu. Why are you crying? What's been going on?"

She didn't mean to worry her but the crimsonette didn't know what else to do at the time. She cried and cried until her tears started to dry up; luckily no one had come to the bus stop so she wasn't disturbing anyone. Once she was ready, Anzu confessed everything that had happened since coming to Japan. It all came out like word vomit and she knew the bulk of it wasn't going to make sense to her, but she couldn't stop talking. Finally when she finished, Anzu was met with silence on the line.

"M-Miss Lily?"

"My, my… That's quite the adventure… You've grown in such a short amount of time, Anzu. You've made a lot of friends who care about you and created a life in an unknown place. I know your mother is very proud of you."

"I've been seeing her a lot more lately. I want to only remember the good things but I feel like I've been seeing nightmares."

"You have to keep talking about it, sweetheart. Take it in, process it, and let it dissipate."

Anzu wiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand and sighed. It wasn't good to hold this all in, was it? She felt a blanket of relief wash over her as she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Anzu… I think it would be good for you to come back to the States. I already have a room prepared for you that you're welcome to stay in. We can also visit your mother-"

"Miss Lily… I appreciate your offer, but I can't accept it at this time. There are still things that I have to do here."

Anzu could hear a small sigh on the line, however it didn't sound like disappointment. Chuckling to herself, Miss Lily could only imagine the look on Anzu's face from her reaction. Anzu may not have spoken a lot while they lived together, but her face usually did all the talking for her.

"My door is always open for you to visit, Anzu. You should bring your friends one day as well."

"Yes ma'am."

"And Anzu? It's okay to open the windows of your mind and heart and let the light in. Both your mother and your father are watching over you dearly. Whenever you're ready, I still have what you've asked me to hold onto."

"Thank you, Miss Lily, for taking care of my mom and I."

"It will always be a pleasure."

° ∆ -------- ••• ------- ∆ °

The bright rays of the sun caught her off guard as she stepped out of a convenience store. Clutching the handles of the plastic bag she received, Anzu shielded her face and started heading towards her destination.

It was two days after meeting Kureno in the hospital. The doctors said his condition was starting to improve and he was looking at a couple more days before he could be discharged. In those two days, she'd holed herself in his hospital room, but was able to keep up with her studies due to Machi. She didn't know where Momiji had gone all this time, but she could assume it was probably family things.

"Anzu."

The crimsonette turned her head to see a car parked on the street next to her. Looking through the passenger window, she was met with the sight of Hatori.

"Hatori-san. Long time, no see." She smiled.

"Are you headed far? I can take you there if you'd like."

The car ride was silent, but not uncomfortable. Anzu looked out the passenger window and laid her head against the seatbelt. They were going to reach their destination soon and she wasn't sure if she was prepared or not.

"You've felt the change, haven't you?" Hatori suddenly asked as he drove.

The female snapped out of her thoughts and turned her head to look at the older male. With a frown, she looked down into her lap. "Do you feel empty too?"

"Maybe…" He answered honestly. "But I more so feel relief, like a weight being taken off my shoulders."

"Relief..." She slowly repeated. "I guess I've been feeling that more lately too."

"Were you on your way to see Momiji?"

Anzu shook her head. "I haven't seen him since I first went to see Kureno."

"Are you two fighting again?"

Anzu thought back to the only time Momiji had raised his voice at her. It was sudden, but it also felt like a wake up call for her. Since then, the two of them had worked things out and gotten closer. It took that stress for her to realize what she truly wanted.

"No… This just felt like something I needed to do on my own."

The two arrived at the Hatori's office in the Sohma estate. Bidding him thanks and farewell, Anzu took the rest of her journey solo and finally reached her true destination - Akito's home. With a deep breath, she stepped inside the house and took off her shoes. Walking through the corridor was already enough to make her a little sick to her stomach, but the sound of the rustling convenience store bag in her hand kept her moving.

"Come in."

Anzu didn't even get to knock as she heard Akito's voice. Sliding the paper door open, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. To see Akito in a kimono with a flower in her hair was more than enough of a shock to her. Even though she had known Akito was a woman already, it still felt different to see her like that.

"Anzu…" Akito blinked in surprise, not expecting to see the crimsonette. "I, uh, hi…"

"…I brought snacks." Anzu replied awkwardly.

The two sat across from each other with a couple bags of chips in different flavors and some tea. Akito picked out another chip and ate, trying to figure out what to say first as Anzu sat in silence looking at her lap.

"I didn't expect you to come to me and I don't deserve it." Akito broke the silence as she bowed her head. "I broke the curse to set you free. I've been so selfish and I want to atone for that. I'm truly sorry for everything that I've done to you."

Anzu tried what Kureno asked of her and listened with a sincere heart despite the swirling emotions in her head. She couldn't really concentrate on the words she was saying and she was finding it difficult to process. Fiddling with her fingers, she finally let out a small breath.

"Please sit up, Akito. I really find it hard to accept your apology right now. I'm not sure how everyone else feels and I've experienced the least of your selfishness out of everyone, but that's how I feel. On the other hand, I was wrong to tell you to disappear so I'm sorry for that."

Akito nodded as she placed her hands in her lap. "I understand."

"I didn't come for that though. I need a favor."

"Anything."

° ∆ -------- ••• ------- ∆ °

"I can't swing my legs anymore like I used to."

"No one told you to grow 10 meters."

Anzu sat at the kitchen table in Momiji's home with a bowl of mandarins in front of her. Picking up another whole fruit, she got to work peeling off the skin. Momiji sat across from her happily and waited for her to finish so he could enjoy their snack.

Kureno was now home and resting. The curse was finally broken. Everything had been settled. She had gotten so used to thinking about what was going to happen next that now she didn't really know what to do with herself. As she finished peeling, she looked up and immediately locked eyes with the blond male in front of her.

"What?"

"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't say anything."

"…I'm feeling a little anxious."

Momiji raised an eyebrow as he took the mandarin from her hands and separated it into pieces. "About what?"

"The future. What's next now that the curse is broken? How does everything go back to normal? How do you fix relationships? And what about-"

Before she could finish, Momiji reached over and pushed a mandarin slice into her mouth. Anzu immediately closed her mouth to chew before she would start choking, but the moment she finished, another piece was force fed to her.

"What's next is we live our lives. We go to school, go on dates, laugh, cry, sleep, and repeat. We don't worry about what's too far ahead and focus on what's directly in front of us."

Anzu listened to his words, feeling a sense of calm float across her mind. How was he able to be so mature? It made her feel like she needed to catch up. He was always easing her troubles and she wanted to be there for him too. Taking a piece of the mandarin from his hands, she reached over the table to feed him.

"What if I want to be with you forever? Is that thinking too far ahead?"

Momiji's eyes widened as he chewed on the piece of fruit. He was trying to process her confession, but the tinge of red along his ears was giving him away. Some things never changed, Anzu thought to herself with a cheeky smile.

"Lola-"

"The next one we eat, you have to peel."

"What? That's not fair! The mandarins always taste the best when you peel them!"

"Nope! I'm going on strike."

Momiji immediately jumped up from the table. Knowing his tactics, Anzu stood up as well and proceeded to run away. The two laughed as the male chased her around the table and into the living room. Easily grabbing onto her, Momiji lifted Anzu into the air and spun her around before laying her down on the couch. Hovering his hands over her sides, he quickly ambushed her with a tickle attack causing her to erupt in a fit of giggles.

"Give up now or I won't stop!"

"O-Okay, fine! I surrender, I surrender!"

Anzu wiped at her eyes with a tired laugh before looking up at Momiji who was still over top of her on his hands and knees. Noticing the position they were in, a blush flew across her cheeks but she didn't make any sudden moves.

"To Lola: I want to be with you forever too. I promise to stand by your side and protect you. From Bugs."

"You're so cheesy." Anzu whined, using her hands to shield her face from her ever-growing blush.

"It wouldn't have meant the same if I sent a letter this time, but I do have something better."

Momiji got up from the couch and left the room for a moment. He soon returned with his hands behind his back and sat back down next to her. Pulling out his surprise, Anzu was met with a plush bunny.

"What's this?"

"Give it a hug."

Anzu took the stuffed animal into her hands and cautiously held it to her chest. Suddenly, a voice message came out.

~ Hey Lola, it's me, Bugs. Hold me tight and never let go. I'm right here for you. You'll be okay. ~

"You may not be able to carry it everywhere, but if I'm not here, I hope this could help soothe some of your anxiety until I can be physically by your side." Momiji rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly with a smile.

The crimsonette looked up at the male sweetly, tears welling in her eyes. Hearing his voice come out of the plushie had her somewhat speechless. After gently placing the bunny down, she wrapped her arms around Momiji's frame in a tight hug. Words couldn't explain how loved she felt in this moment. Pulling away slightly, she tilted her head.

"Can I give you a kiss?"

"As many as you want."