Fruits Basket Chapter 52
author: Natsuki Takaya
Publisher: Hakusensha/Hana to Yume magazine
summary done by Kevp

*this chapter will probably be featured in vol 9 which has not yet come out*
The last volume (8) came out Jan 2002
Fruits basket manga is still running in Hana to Yume Magazine *^_^*





Chapter 52


Well, it seems I have skipped the ch 52 summary. I did a bit of 
explaining about Kureno, but that was about it. So here it goes.

It starts with someone's narration.

Narration : 'Already ten days have passed since it happened. In a 
convenience store late at night. There you were.'

A man, carrying a big bundle of snacks, bumps into Arisa, who is 
working a part-time job there. Arisa advises him to use the basket 
to carry his bundle, to which he thanks her by bowing. Of course, in 
the process, he drops everything.

Now, for those of you who didn't read ch 39, this is how Tohru and 
Arisa had met. Tohru bumped into Arisa while carrying a big file of 
note, and dropped all of them when she tried to bow as an apology.

The man starts to panic a bit, unsure what to do. But Arisa, 
remembering her first encounter with Tohru, started to laugh 
heartily, because she didn't think there would be another person who 
would do the exact same thing as Tohru did.

While Arisa, still chuckling a bit, helps the man to put the stuffs 
in a basket, the narration continues.

Narration : 'I... really didn't know what it was about, but you 
seemed to be laughing very joyfully. It made me feel very happy, 
so... I kept watching you.'

The scene changes to present. Arisa is working as a waitress at a 
tea shop, when the door opens.

Arisa : "Welcome... ah."
Tohru : (entering with Saki) "Uo-chan!"
Arisa : "What, I'm sweating like crazy while I work here, but you two 
are enjoying a date?"

? : "No... It's not TWO..."

Arisa : "Ohh, Megumi! It's been a while."
Megumi : "It's been a while..."
Tohru : "He's our bodyguard!"

Megumi : "That, too... but I was also told that I might be able to 
see the rare sight of Arisa-san in a short skirt... It looks good on 
you..."
Arisa : "Seriously, are you really a junior high student?"

Saki is surprised that Arisa is working so many part-time jobs. When 
Tohru says she also wants to work more jobs, but she doesn't have 
time...

Arisa : "You're taking care of that damn house, and on top of that, 
those three damn guys are being a burden on you! If you add one more 
part-time job, you'll die from overworking! No way! Absolutely not!"
Tohru : "N-no, I'm the one who's being a burden on them..."

Then Saki remembers when Arisa talked about meeting a guy who was 
like Tohru. Arisa then tells them it was at her another job, the 
convenience store.

Megumi : "Shall we keep a watch on the convenience store...?"
Arisa : "DON'T. No matter how I look at it, I can only say he 
is "like" Tohru. Somehow he reminded me of Tohru's absentmindness."
Saki : "He was that clumpsy?"
Tohru : O_O;;; "...clumpsy..."

Arisa : "I've been thinking I'd like to meet him again. ...but, if I 
do meet him... I might want to keep seeing him..."

Tohru and Saki : "......"

A waiter calls Arisa to get back to work. Much to his annoyance, 
Arisa just gets excited when Tohru invites her to join them later for 
dinner.

Waiter : "Uotani! ...why not introduce me to either one of them?"
Arisa : "Do you want to get cursed by their bodyguard?"

Later, Arisa is on her lunch break. But on the street, she finds 
something and dashes toward it. She catches a guy, whom turns around 
to face her...

Arisa : 'It's real...'
The man : "Ah..."
Arisa : 'I met him.'

The man recongizes her from the convenience store. When he sees her 
panting from all that running, he asks her if she's okay.

Arisa : "I'm fine. I just ran at my top speed... I saw your back, 
and I didn't want to... lose you. So without thinking, I ran as hard 
as I could. Ahahahah! What brought that on?"

The man : 'Maybe more than myself had thought...'

Arisa's stomach growls. When he learns she hadn't eaten yet, he 
invites her for a lunch.

The man : "I'll buy."
Arisa : @_@ "REALLY?!"
The man : "Really. To pay you back for your help at the store..."
Arisa : "Hurray! Wait for me, tororosoba(sweet yam noodle)!
The man : "Eh?! Just the tororosoba?"

Arisa : "Come on, let's go! The restaurat is near here."
The man : "Ah, yeah..."
Arisa : "Tororosoba is my favorite!! You think what you want to eat 
for yourself, too, okay!?"

At the restaurant, they talk as they wait for their food. Arisa asks 
for his name, and he replies that it's Kureno. Arisa introduces 
herself to him, and asks him what he was doing.

Kureno : "Well, I was just wandering around(not that I had anything 
special to do.). I got a day off after so long, but I didn't have 
much to do. So I just walked to pass the time."
Arisa : "......"
Kureno : "You're working again today?"
Arisa : "Ah... Yeah, at a tea shop. I'm working there on top of the 
convenience store."
Kureno : "...I'm 26 years old, but you only look as a high school 
student."
Arisa : "A 2nd year high school student."
Kureno : "So hard-working at such a young age."
Arisa : "(Not that great, not that great.)" '9 years difference... 
Is this a little too criminal?'

(note : one of the recent problems in Japan is young girls who 
are "going out" with much older men for money, sort of like an escort 
service. It's now being considered as one of the serious crimes in 
Japan.)

Kureno : "Compared to you, it was my first ever to buy stuffs at a 
convenience store... How pathetic. I didn't even know things like 
that so well..."
Arisa : O_O "What are you!? A prince from some kind of a kingdom?!"
Kureno : "Ahahah, of course not."
Arisa : "Then how come you have never bought stuffs at a convenience 
store until then?! You're 26 years old! Not to mention, a man!!"

Kureno : "Because it is a unnecessary task."

Kureno goes on explaining his life, how he is always given a schedule 
for everyday, and how he has no idea what to do when given with some 
free time. He doesn't realize Arisa's face becoming emotionless as 
he speaks.

Arisa : "...are you happy with a life like that...?"
Kureno : "I'm happy. It's not so free, but... I'm satisfied with 
it. I am very certain. ...more than anyone."
Arisa : "Then try to smile more happily..."
Kureno : "Eh..."
Arisa : 'I have felt it from before, too. He smiles very sadly 
sometimes.'

She stands up abruptly.

Arisa : "...I'm sorry it was unnecessary... So you and I have only 
met during that unnecessary time, huh... But I didn't think... it 
was unnecessary! Meeting at the store, and eating noodles, I ...much 
more than I had thought, I was much more... much more... Because I 
could meet you, I was so happy!!"

Arisa angrily leaves, and Kureno is stunned. He understands that she 
is angry, but he doesn't know what made her so angry.

Kureno : 'Was it bad to say the time was unnecessary?! Was it bad to 
treat her to a lunch?! Was it bad not to be able to smile more 
happily?!'

He catches up to her, how by now is trying to wipe away small tears.

Kureno : "...sa. Arisa, wait!"
Arisa : O_O+++ "Don't start calling me with the first name, damnit!"
Kureno : "Eh, but..."
Arisa : "Don't follow me, don't talk to me, I'm really mad right 
now!!"

Kureno : "Please calm down. Please...? Stop crying."
Arisa : "Who's crying?!"

Kureno : "I'm sorry I've said things without thinking. I was really 
happy myself, that you had called me up."
'That you ran so hard that you would be soaked with sweat, just so 
that you can call me up.'
"I also wanted to meet you... Ever since then."
'I thought about it again.

Hearing this, Arisa cheers up, smiling.

Arisa : "......I-I see. Heheh."
Kureno : "...you're not angry any more, are you?"
Arisa : "Shut up!!"
Kureno : (smiling) "So you're not."

Arisa : '......ah. He smiled for real.'

Then slowly, Kureno touches Arisa's chin, and raises her face toward 
his, looking deeply into her eyes. As if he is trying to kiss her, 
he leans in...

...then suddenly he turns around and leaves.

Kureno : 'I guess This is what they call "love."'


Now Arisa is with everyone at the dinner.

Megumi : "So, at the end, do you also like him, Arisa-san...?"
Arisa : "(Dunno.)But he's so mysterious! I can't understand him that 
well!! Just why did he leave without saying anything?! What?! I 
smell like the sweet yam or something?!

Saki : "Maybe he's worried about the age difference...? 9 years are 
pretty big, you know...?"
Tohru : "Father and Mother had 7 years difference, yet they were so 
close! Still... it's a little sad to hear a friend in love with 
someone."

Arisa : "What are you talking about?! Tohru, you're the one who is 
about to be someone's kanojo(a girlfriend)!! Then there is no doubt 
he will try to monopolize you!! When that happens, let's go to mess 
up their first date, Hanajima!!"
Saki : "Of course..."

Megumi turns to his sister.

Megumi : "Are you feeling lonely...?"
Saki : ^_^ "...I'm fine."

Arisa : "Well, I don't care. Whatever happens, I can't meet him 
until he comes out."
Tohru : "Is that so...?"

Saki : "Ah... maybe... He's married...?"
Arisa : O_o "Woah... If that's true, then everything he did would be 
ridiculous."

Tohru : "But it'd be great if you met him again..."
Arisa : "Yeah. Will we... ever meet again...?"

The chapter ends with Kureno's narration.

Kureno's narration : 'If I could only see you. Always with you, 
always at your side, if I could feel your lips.'

Kureno enters a house, apparently his home. He's greeted by someone.

? : "Welcome back, Kureno."

It's Akito.

Akito : "Did something bad happen to you outside...?"

Kureno's narration : 'Even though we might never meet again.'

Kureno smiles meekly, as Akito raises his hand to touch Kureno's face.

Kureno : "...I'm fine, Akito..."