Jyunishi Comedy #108

From last chapter to this, the story continues with Tohru wandering away from Kyo and Kunimitsu.

If you call that name --- Everything will fall apart...

Tohru worries that Shigure and Rin may have realised exactly what her feelings were and why she was working so hard to find a way to break the curse. As she wanders, various things flash through her mind

(Rin:) (What's the most important thing to you?)

Tohru: ...That's

{I couldn't automatically answer
That's "Mom"

Instead what came to mind was}

An image of Akito telling Tohru of Kyo's impending imprisonment. Tohru however, can't simply accept her feelings for Kyo despite being aware of how she feels because she'd sworn a promise the day she'd left the apartment she lived in with her mother. She'd sworn so very much and strongly on that day. And she flashbacks to the day she moved out, having finished packed everything up and her grandfather waiting for her. And while at first her grandfather calls her properly by her name, by the time they leave, he no longer calls her Tohru but Kyoko.

Before leaving however, Tohru could feel her mom's presence fading and becoming distant even though she'd been there in that apartment as she'd always been until just a short while earlier.

Tohru: ...That's why

I swore

From here on, always
It doesn't matter when, the most

thought of in my heart would continue to be Mom.

And if I continue thinking that

I believed that things wouldn't fade

Not memories

Nor promises

"Always together"

Tohru feels that if she hadn't done so, that she would've been overcome by everything that had happened and so she kept her mom's memory so very alive inside.

However, before Tohru can think any further about this, Shigure grabs her hand stopping her from continuing telling her that if she kept going that way, she'd end up going to the main house. He then starts to take her home still holding her hand as they walked.

Shigure then explains how he hadn't realised that it wasn't only Rin who'd been trying to find a way to break the curse, but that Tohru too had been doing the same.

When Tohru asks if Shigure knew from the beginning that the curse would end, he scoffs at the idea but does admit that he felt that this was the case.

Shigure: Not at all.

But somehow
I felt that perhaps this was the end.

From what I'd heard, this was the first time that all of the 12shi have been gathered together
And that someone had always not be born or been missing.

That's why the ladies in waiting were so happy that this was an incredible thing but

I thought differently

That perhaps everyone was gathered together because
This is the final banquet

Shigure then goes on to explain how the blood had become thin and weak over the ages and speculates that Kureno being freed from the curse was simply because it dissolved in his case and that Kureno himself hadn't done anything special or forceful to make it break.

He also explains how the animals themselves have pretty much gone too far with respect to the transformation, unlike in the past, and that it's just silly. His example in this case was Hatori turning into a seahorse (tatsu no otoshigo; ed. you mean the dragon is supposed to be a dragon?!?)

Shigure explains how even Kureno says that the end (of the curse) is likely near and that various little things keep happening that signify this. Shigure remembers his conversation earlier with Kureno in which Kureno asks if that was why Shigure involved Tohru in the Sohma family and the curse. In order to create more chances and incidents to further weaken and unravel the curse.

He continues on to say that Kyo will also have to create his own chance otherwise he'd end up being locked away.

Apparently all the 12shi know what will happen to the cat. But they say and do nothing and react to the subject either with silence or by pretending not to think of it.

Shigure explains that the 12shi are monsters and extremely unsightly. The curse itself is an incredible burden especially when it comes to living in the real world; it creates an incredible handicap and is mentally painful. And the only saving grace for the 12shi is that the cat's curse is so much worse than theirs. More unsightly than the 12shi, worse than anything else, it's a given that the cat should be locked up, discriminated again and looked down upon. And for the 12shi, seeing the cat treated in that way, they can feel better about themselves and realise that at least their situation is much better than the cat's.

Shigure suggests Tohru ask the other 12shi about the cat's imprisonment and whether they looked down upon it saying that she'd be surprised by the answer. However, before he could continue much further, Tohru pushes interrupts, pushing him away forcefully.

Tohru remembers Hatori's words when he'd first warned her off of getting involved with the 12shi and realises that she hadn't truly understood exactly what Hatori had meant by those words. She also realises that she can't touch the pain that the 12shi experience; not truly.

Shigure reiterates that the curse will end soon and that he was certain in his own way and not just from what Kureno had told him. But when he asks her about Kyo, the look on Tohru's face...

Tohru continues to anguish over how she'd sworn so much that she'd keep her mother dearest in her heart and that she can't not, otherwise her mother will fade and disappear. In the midst of that however, she suddenly remembers someone telling her that she annoys them. However, she doesn't remember who that person was.

Shigure then says that he hadn't been bullying Tohru and a surprised Tohru finds Kyo standing behind her carrying the things she'd dropped when she ran into him and Kunimitsu at the dojo.

Shigure explains Tohru's tears as being because she'd had a fight with Rin, to which Kyo reacts with mild shock. Shigure then takes the bag from Kyo promising to deliver it to Rin. But before leaving...

Shigure: Well, Tohru-kun, that's all I can tell you right now.

Don't try to hard, take your time
And hang in there.

After Shigure leaves, Kyo still can't get over the idea of Tohru fighting. Tohru however is still distraught over both Kyo and her mother, pleading inside that they not go and starts crying again. Kyo, seeing Tohru crying so much again over what he thinks was a fight with Rin can only ask her if the fight had been so bad that it wouldn't be possible to make up. (And remarks that he sort of wishes that he could've seen that...) But Tohru denies that saying that she doesn't know what she should do.

Kyo: .........
At times like that...

Don't do anything.

When you feel that you've got to do something, then you should do something
...Probably

Otherwise...
Uh----...

That's right...

Kyo: Cry

Kyo telling her that she can cry at those times is so sweet. And Tohru can only apologise inside.