𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭 ❄️

13: The Gift of Friendship

I sunk into the water of the open air bath and let the feeling of warmth envelop me like a blanket. "Ahh~" I sighed in content and let myself sink deeper. "This is so nice."

Tohru smiled. "You're right," she agreed as she slipped gently into the water beside me. "I'm glad we came here. I'm sure mom is happy too." As she spoke, she glanced down at the photo she held in her hands. It was mom's photo, protected from water damage by a plastic bag. "Right, mom?" She asked.

I wasn't surprised that Tohru took the photo with her on this trip, but taking it into the bath too? Was that really necessary? I frowned, but I wasn't going to criticize Tohru for her choices.

Tohru gasped suddenly. "The proprietress is here."

I looked to see that Tohru was correct. The proprietress approached the edge of the bath and gave us a gentle smile. "The hot springs are healthy for the body, so I go a few times each day." She explained as she carefully stepped into the bath. She noticed the photo Tohru was holding. "Oh, is that a photo?" She asked.

"Yes. This is a photo of our mother who passed away last year," Tohru said. "I wanted her to enjoy the hot springs too."

"How sweet," the woman smiled. There was a soft silence before the proprietress spoke again. "To be honest, I was uneasy when I first heard about you. I was afraid of people outside the Sohma family knowing about the zodiac curse. I was worried it might hurt my son or the other young masters. But I would like to apologize for feeling that way without even knowing you."

"It's alright," Tohru said. "If I was in your position, I'm sure I'd feel the same way."

"I agree," I added. "But how do you know about the curse? I thought only a few people knew."

The woman smiled softly. "That's right, I should have told you before. I have a son who is the same age as Yuki and the others. He is possessed by the zodiac spirit of the monkey."

"Wow! Really!?" Tohru asked in excitement and surprise.

"Yes . . ." The woman said. "When you meet him, could you please befriend him?"

"Of course!" Tohru beamed. "What's he like?"

The proprietress froze. For a heartbeat, there was silence. And then . . ."I'M SORRY!" She screamed. "THE WORLD SEES HIM AS A STRANGE CHILD, BUT HE'S MY ONLY SON! HE IS KINDHEARTED AND PRECIOUS TO ME. IF I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO THE WORLD FOR HIM, I WILL! I'M SORRY!!"

"N-no!" Tohru exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I won't ask any more questions!"

The proprietress calmed down after that. "I apologize for my outburst," she said. "I'm sure you will be kind to my son if you meet him, but I can't help worrying. But if it's you two, I know everything will be alright. Thank you for keeping our secret."

The two continued conversation, but I decided to get out of the bath a little early. I claimed I was feeling a little fatigued from sitting in the bath for so long, which was true. The heat and the water were dehydrating me for real, but most of my problems stemmed from the photo in Tohru's hands. It was because of the proprietress's love for her son made me think of how Kyoko always doted on me and Tohru. It made me miss mom . . .

"I'm sorry!" The proprietress exclaimed. "I told you the water was good for your health, but it's making you feel bad! I will apologi—!"

I quickly reassured the woman. "Don't worry, the water was really relaxing. I feel refreshed. I think it's just that the heat is getting to me."

I thanked the woman for letting us use the hot springs before I got out of the water. I changed into a yukata before exiting the bath altogether. I really was feeling dehydrated, so I walked to the kitchen to get some water. Someone else had the same idea as me. It was easy to tell who it was just by his hair color.