NOTE: LuvinAniManga here again! About all the passports and thingamajigs….Akito took care of it all, you'll see. I'll elaborate this chapter. Oh, and yes, the Japanese culture has become a good part of German towns. I remember reading that from a huge world-project I had to do for history last year. Trust me! I wouldn't forget something so important! Anywho, enjoy the chapter!
OH YEAH! And the standings are:
Yuki: 11 - -
Haru (Hatsuharu): 4 -
Momiji: 5 –
The dashes stand for undecided or split votes. We don't really appreciate those. If you wish to vote, please make it definite. AND PLEASE ONLY VOTE ONCE! It makes it fair to everyone. Thanks again!
Disclaimer: We don't own Fruba or "(Now You See Me) Now You Don't" by Lee Ann Womack.
Chapter 3: Reactions
I still can't believe it…I'm POSITIVE that was him…but what would he be doing all the way over here?
Tohru stopped and gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth, Could I have been found out already! But…it's only been a day! …Not even!
Better take a good look before I disappear
Because I'm just about to be your used-to-be
You might catch a glimpse of my taillights in the dust
And if you notice something missin', well it's me
'Cause I tried and you lied
I cried and you stood by
Well, here's a little magic thing I do
Now you see me, now you don't
First you do but then you won't
Watch me vanish right before your eyes
You might think you see me there
In a cafe on a street somewhere
Yeah, that might be me but I'll be gone
Now you see me, now you don't
A clunk behind her startled her out of her thoughts. She jumped and spun around. Her heart calmed when she saw it was only her suitcase that…she had…dropped….
It suddenly hit Tohru full force.
I am SO stupid.
Why didn't I think of it before?
I am SO retarded.
…I'm still carrying around my baggage.
And I still haven't found an apartment!
…And to pay rent, I need money.
And for money, I need a job.
I. Am. Stupid.
Tohru sighed and leaned against the nearest building, dropping her suitcase, and crushing the backpack on her back. She put a hand to her forehead. When would she learn? …What was it with her and homes? She couldn't stay in one worth anything! She lost her original home…she lost a home with her grandfather (that was his fault at first…then her choice) and now…Akito was forcing her out of her second-best home yet!
Life's not fair…. You see I; I shall-
Okay, quit trying to quote the Lion King.
Why had he wanted her out of the country anyway? Couldn't she just have moved out of the house itself? If that wasn't far enough, there was the whole rest of the country! But no…she was destined to go across the Pacific Ocean. …Well, until she had gone across the Asian continent.
She heard the many tongues on the street: mostly a hard-accented German, but other languages as well: some English; a little bit of French…was that Japanese there? Maybe it was Chinese…she could not hear well due to the rest of the roar of the crowd.
"So…how much do I have to do to get myself settled here?" Tohru took out a sheet of paper. She had kept it tucked inside her coat pocket. It was a sheet of paper that Akito had sent along with her, informing her of plane times, her place of stay, rent and everything else important. "Well, I'll follow the necessities on this and match them up around here." She looked up, "So…where was that apartment complex again? I swear I saw it on the way here…."
She stood up and looked both directions, looking for a familiar landmark. After a moment, she hung her head. I'm as hopeless as Haru in this situation….
If you ever get the feelin' that it feels like deja vu
Because some stranger feels like someone that you know
Might be the color of her lipstick or the smell of her perfume
That sends a shiver all the way down to your toes
Don't blink 'cause it ain't yeah what you think
It's just your heart playing tricks on you
Her eyes widened for a moment and then began to water. She struggled not to cry out in public and hastily began wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her coat.
A brisk wind ran thorough the city. She shivered. Funny how she had not noticed the glaring temperature yet…. Well, she had been pretty preoccupied with thoughts and emotions….
She grabbed her suitcase and swung around, catching a glimpse of the building beside her. Oh yeah…I was coming to check this place out…just for the sake of curiosity! She smiled and looked over the great glass windows and peered inside slightly. The bottom floor looked pretty empty except for the secretary up front. It was there, on the desk where she saw a sign.
HELP WANTED.
At least…that's what the sign read in a few different languages. English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese…. Thank goodness for multi-cultural cities.
A smile broke out on Tohru's face. What kind of help were they looking for! Maybe this could be her break! If it was anything besides actual business-like work (one never know…they might need cleaners or something) then she could probably do it!
Tohru opened the door to the skyscraper and immediately blessed the warmth inside. She had only just realized how cold her fingers and toes had become, and how chilly the rest of her body felt. She placed her suitcase down near the door and walked up to the desk. Hesitantly, she cleared her throat to get the secretary's attention.
The tight-lipped woman looked up, looking very serious and slightly annoyed at being disturbed. She regarded Tohru slight dishevelment and travel clothing with a wary eye, "Bitte?"
Tohru jumped slightly. She had forgotten: it's German here. She was going to have to get used to the language change.
"Umm…Braucht Hilfe?"
The secretary raised an eyebrow. Tohru blushed –her accent and conjugation must have been terrible- and pointed to the sign next to them.
The secretary looked and suddenly smiled, "Ah, ja, ja! Hast du Zeit? Ich kann ein Interview aufstellen-"
"Entshuldigung! Umm…Sprechen Sie Japanisch oder…Englisch?"
The woman gave a small smile, "Yes, I speak both Japanese and English," she replied in Japanese. Tohru sighed.
"Thank you. I'm not very fluent in German and I was a bit overwhelmed."
"It was no problem," the secretary's accent was quite thick, but she spoke the language perfectly nonetheless, and she was trying to get down the Asian fluidity. "Now, let's begin again. Do you have time, miss? I can set up an Interview for you now if you'd like."
"Oh, that'd be just fine!" Tohru smiled. "But…might I ask what this job is for?"
"You would be hired to become a maid," the secretary began."
"Oh, that's great! I've done that sort of job before," Tohru reassured herself.
"-At the Meisters Haus," she replied, slipping a word in German.
"E-Excuse me?" Tohru stumbled over her words.
"Sorry," she replied, "At the master's home."
"M-Master?" Tohru panicked.
"Yes," she replied, gathering some papers, "We have enough cleaners here, he made sure of that, but he does need some maids at his home."
"It must be pretty big…" Tohru admitted.
"Ja, ja," she nodded her head. She then pressed a button on the intercom and began to speak quickly in German. Tohru was almost at a loss. She understood a few phrases, such as, "…Someone for the job…What?...He is busy? …Family...I'll take care of it." The secretary sat back and sighed. With her eyes closed for a moment, she asked, "Jetzt, werden Sie mit mir mitkommen?"
Tohru slowly nodded her head and walked with the woman who had asked her to come along. Tohru followed her down a hallway and into a meeting room.
"By the way, my name is Frau Hasserhof."
"I'm Tohru Honda!" Tohru bowed quickly. The woman smiled, holding out her hand. Tohru blushed and shook the outstretched hand. So many new customs…. I just need to remember the things Momiji managed to teach me…and learn as I go. Maybe…I can buy some books on German culture.
She sweated, I just hope they wouldn't be entirely in German…. Hahah…suuuure….
"Please take a seat," she offered a chair and as she sat down, Tohru took it.
"Now, if you could fill out parts of these papers, I will them ask you some questions."
"Of course," Tohru nodded. She took the papers and started writing appropriate information. Name, parents, birth date and place and everything else she needed. But when she reached "Home address" she stopped.
"Umm, Mrs.- er, Frau Hasserhof? I just…moved here…today, and don't have a residence as of yet." The woman regarded her strangely.
"You don't have a place to stay yet you're looking for work?"
Tohru hung her head, "I'm sorry! I know it sounds stupid, but I just got here…and some of my plans have changed, and I just noticed this building and then I noticed the sign, and I was just about to go get an apartment, but-"
"That is no problem, miss," the woman replied, "The master will be providing room and board for his workers if they so desire."
"How much is the rent?" Tohru accidentally blurted out.
"Nothing, miss. All you must do is work with whatever tasks you are given, and you will be paid and given board. Of course, those who choose to lie elsewhere may, but this just makes easy access for the master's workers."
Tohru blinked, Okay, this guy must be REALLY rich! To afford all this?
"Well then," Tohru slid her papers over, "I believe I'm finished with these then."
"Very well. Now then, relax, and I'll ask you some questions myself," she put the papers in order and took out her own sheet. She questioned Tohru on past work experiences, records and all the sort.
Once the last question was concluded, Frau Hasserhof gathered the papers and stood. "Thank you Miss Honda. It was a pleasure to meet you. I suggest getting a hotel for the next couple of days and we'll call you with our answer. Here's our number just so you can call to tell us where you're staying. We'll get back to you as soon as possible."
Tohru smiled happily and took the slip of paper, "Thank you very much!"
"It was no trouble, miss," the secretary held out her hand. Tohru shook it and was led out of the room. When they got back to the front desk, Frau Hasserhof went back behind it, putting Tohru's papers in the respective slots and Tohru grabbed her suitcase, took one lat look at the eye-catching building and headed outside, her hair flapping in the cold wind.
Eventually, Tohru stumbled across a cozy-looking hotel (that didn't seem too expensive) and gathered paid for the next three nights in advance. She was told she could get a refund if she needed to leave before the estimated time.
Tohru got up to her room and threw the suitcase and the backpack she had been carrying all day onto the bed.
There, she collapsed.
Jet lag…an interview…my, this day has been busy. But it's worked. I did it…. Now…I can unpack in the morning…this bed is just really comfy….
The reactions, for the most part, had all been the same. While Kyo had been out informing Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima about Tohru's disappearance (and getting beaten by Arias at the same time) and then heading over to the dojo to inform some of the others there, Shigure had gone to the main house to tell most of the others. Yuki had taken up with the phone and called Kureno and Hatsuharu and Momiji.
Kureno, although he had barely met Tohru, had sounded sympathetic on the phone and replied that he would help in any way they thought was possible. Hatsuharu and Momiji were together when he called (they were outside the main house at the time) and Momiji had flipped out point-blank. Hatsuharu sounded stressed as well, and even more so when he had to comfort Momiji. Although the blonde boy had grown up considerably over the years, he still had fits when it came to Tohru. However, they were more mature fits.
Haru had had to hang up once Momiji had resolved to pounding on things and sobbing…in a manly way and Yuki sighed, feeling the boy's pain.
Maybe even tenfold.
Or more.
Yuki sighed as he looked at the phone. There was one more person to call…and he was not looking forward to it.
Now you see me, now you don't
First you do but then you won't
Watch me vanish right before your eyes
You might think you see me there
In a cafe on a street somewhere
Yeah, that might be me but I'll be gone
Now you see me, now you don't
Kyo approached the dojo in a poor mood. Kagura bounded out happily, running to hug him, "Kyo-kun! You finally came! You're late you know!" she hugged him.
But something was wrong.
She could sense it.
…He hadn't tried to shove her off yet.
"KYO! TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!" her eyes filled with rage as she looked ready to pound the living daylights out of her love.
A hand rested on her wrist, "Don't resort to hurting him, Kagura. Or else, how will he tell you what the matter is?"
Kagura calmed down a little and she looked up at Kazuma, also known to his students as "Shi-shou."
Kyo was still standing there, staring at the ground.
By this time, Hiro had come out to see what the commotion was all about and Kisa tagged along behind him (she was here to watch him practice).
Kazuma saw why Kagura had gotten into one of her caring-rages. "Kyo, what's wrong?"
Kyo did not respond right away. Slowly though, he lifted his head and his saddened eyes regarded them. Kagura gasped softly. She had never seen him look so depressed….
"Tohru…is…gone."
You might think you see me there
In a cafe on a street somewhere
Yeah, that might be me, but I'll be gone
Now you see me, now you don't
"You're kidding."
"Unfortunately, no."
"You've just refused cigarettes AND tea?" Hatori looked at Shigure in disbelief. "What's your purpose for coming here if not to annoy me and mooch that off me?"
Shigure sighed and folded his arms into the sleeves of his kimono, leaning back in the chair, "I cannot accept such things so lightly today. For today, horrible news came about."
"Your novel didn't sell out right away?" Hatori raised an eyebrow, waiting for the usual excuse.
"Will you stop kidding around and be serious for once?" Shigure looked up, frowning.
Hatori blinked.
BIG role change there.
Hatori was at Shigure's side in a second with his stethoscope all over the man, "Where's the problem."
Shigure sighed, "There IS no problem. Well, there is, but it's not me. It's Tohru. She's gone off and disappeared on us. Left without a word."
Hatori froze.
"Well, good riddance," Hiro crossed his arms, "What was so special about her anyway?"
Expressions changed at once.
"WHY YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Kyo jumped on him and began hitting him on the head, rather missing the way Momiji actually reacted with his cries and his "Kyo hit me!" 's. Hiro just took the punches and tried to throw them back. Kisa erupted into tears and Kagura had to calm her while crying herself.
Kazuma just stood there in a slight daze.
She's gone…the key to the Sohmas' hearts…
Is lost.
Now you see me, now you don't
Now you see me, now you don't
Now you see me
"She's really gone then?" Hatori asked from across the table.
"Yes, unfortunately," Shigure sighed, "I just can't imagine why my little housewife would just take off like that."
Hatori was about to comment when another voice came up.
"You're married, Shigure? Did Akito agree? Why did she leave? IT's BeCAuSe of Me Isn'T iT!"
"Ritsu, get off the floor and quit clawing at my doorframe," Hatori sighed, "And no, Shigure is not married –God save any woman whom he does- and it's not your fault Tohru is gone. So get up. She would not want you punishing yourself for nothing."
Ritsu composed himself at once and sat with the other two men. He was wearing normal men's clothes for once.
Shigure regarded this, "Ritsu…where did you get such nice male clothes? They have a nice feminine touch…but are also quite manly."
Ritsu gave a watery smile, "Ayame-san made them for me!"
"I can't believe it."
"Neither can I…."
"MY DARLING BROTHER HAS GRACED ME WITH A CALL!"
Yuki put his hand over his eyes as he heard clicking in the background. "Ayame…don't you dare think to call up Hatori-"
So cliché. He could read his brother's every move….
"TORI-SAN! You won't believe it! Yuki-kun just-"
"AYAME, THIS IS A SERIOUS CALL! TOHRU IS GONE!"
There. He got it out. All he wanted to do was hear the reaction and hang up.
"Ah-…she's…gone?"
"Yes." Yuki's voice lifted a bit. Ayame had reacted in a way that Yuki hadn't expected. He sounded sad alright but something more…. Hesitant? …Guilty?
"That's…terrible, little brother. …After all," he gave a short laugh, "you cared so deeply for her, it's no wonder you called to confide in your brother-!"
Click.
Ayame blinked, "Yuki? …Yuki, are you there? …Yuki?"
Yuki stared at the phone in disgust.
Miserable to cheerful in ten seconds. It's a new record.
And I sound like a car-commercial host.
Hey all! Yeah, not the most exciting chapter in the world, but it had German and humor, and that is what counts! …Well, and the fact that it fast-forwarded the plot…which was what I was aiming for. Notice how this fic is being updated rather quickly. YEAH-two-people-writing:-D Now then, PLEASE REVIEW and don't forget to VOTE! (Hope you liked it!)
PS: We are not perfect. We are only LEARNING German: we are not Meister (Masters) (Haha) So, we're sorry if some of our German is incorrect (of course, it's okay for Tohru's to be incorrect if it is because well…yeah, that's Tohru) but yes. Except for a few words, meanings were generally implied (and it's not too hard to decipher the meanings either…). If you have any questions, consult us (online translators are rather evil, I swear). Thanks!