The rain should stop soon.
Let's wait a little longer.
Okay!
Say, it's almost time for final exams.
We have student council elections before that, though.
Yeah...
--President Takei-san insists that you be his successor, but...
--You alone are capable!
--It must be you! Rather, I want it to be you!
...I suppose it's not something you want to do, is it?
You're right.
I don't know what he and others expect of me,
but they've got the wrong idea about me. It bothers me.
The real me is more...
More what?
Nothing. Never mind.
Okay...
The rain seems to be tapering off, Yuki-kun!
Oh, it's Yuki.
Haru!
Hatsuharu-san?!
What are you doing in the rain?
What are you doing? You're soaked.
Are you lost again?
Looking for something.
I was looking for this one.
What a cute cat!
Knew she'd say that.
--Honda-san, she's a tiger. --Huh?
Kisa Soma, a tiger.
Her bites hurt.
Oh, really? S-So she must be the zodiac tiger.
N-Nice to meet you! Um, I'm Tohru Honda.
Honda-san!
Eh...
"Fruits Basket"
Oh, no, you got bitten.
Y-Yes...
I-I-It surprised me.
Kisa, come here and apologize.
U-Um, I'm fine, really.
Kisa!
Yuki-kun, Satchan doesn't talk.
--Huh? --She can't talk.
She stopped talking altogether shortly after entering middle school.
According to Tori-nii, it's a psychological issue.
It made her lock away all her words.
Stuff happened that made her stop talking.
and stopped going to school.
Then today, she ran away from home.
What?!
That's why I was looking for her.
I was surprised to find her as a tiger.
Found ya.
Did she bump into someone of the opposite gender?
It seemed like she was just exhausted.
So, what actually happened to cause this?
You know.
What?
Bullying.
That hurts. What, are you mad?
Telling me not to shoot my mouth off?
Yeah, right.
You know how worried I've been?
Your parents are looking all over for you right now.
O-Oh, what should I--
--Oh, you're bleeding, Hatsuharu-san!
--Calm down, Tohru-kun. She won't go far. --Oh, you're bleeding, Hatsuharu-san!
--Calm down, Tohru-kun. She won't go far. --We need to stop Kisa-san's bleeding!
I'll go stop Kisa-san's bleeding!
Calm down!
You're too calm, Sensei.
Haa-kun, did you quietly turn Dark?
Uh-uh. Just grumpy from the pain.
Don't know what to do with Kisa.
You seem pretty worried.
I didn't know you were so close.
--Jealous? --No!
--He's no fun. --Nope.
These guys...
I just feel like I have to help her, because she reminds me...
...of you, when you stopped talking for a while.
You curled up in a corner and went silent.
That was the only way you could protect yourself.
She's doing the same.
Shut up!
Do you have to get so worked up?
Yes, I do!
Are you ashamed?
You always like to rub salt into the wound.
It's a bad habit of yours.
It's my nature, I'm afraid.
Kisa-san!
So this is where you were, Kisa-sa--
It doesn't hurt. Not at all!
N-Not one teeny tiny bit! Nope!
Anyway, will you come inside, Kisa-san?
Kisa.
U-Um...
Kisa, my daughter. I've been looking for you.
Shigure-san took the trouble to call me.
Tell me, what are you doing?
Why are you doing this and causing trouble for everybody?
What are you thinking?
Do you enjoy making trouble for me?
Most mothers of children possessed by zodiac spirits
are either excessively overprotective or reject their children.
So, why didn't you tell me about the bullying?
Why did you run away from home?
Why won't you speak?
I'm so tired.
I can't take this anymore.
She couldn't tell you.
It's hard to tell someone
that you're being bullied.
I couldn't tell my mom, either.
She found out after a while, though.
For some reason, I started apologizing like crazy.
I felt so ashamed.
I started to feel ashamed of myself for being bullied.
And I was embarrassed to let my mom find out.
I was scared she wouldn't love me anymore.
I was scared...
...to let people know about this part of myself.
I desperately tried to hide it by pretending I was okay.
That made me feel even more ashamed...
...and embarrassed.
So
when my mom said, "It's okay,"
I was so relieved.
She said that there was nothing to be embarrassed about,
and I cried again, this time in relief.
Kisa-san might also feel this way.
She didn't want you to hate her.
She couldn't tell you because she loves you.
Stay here? Kisa will?
Some things happened today,
and I decided to take her in for a while.
What "things"?
Probably can't hurt.
"Mogeta and Art"
It looked like her mom was nearing her limits, too.
Might as well give them time apart to heal.
I have no idea what's going on.
So where's Kisa?
Satchan is stuck to Tohru like a burr.
Huh?
Did she fall asleep?
Yes.
She stayed close to you the whole time, huh?
She isn't too heavy?
No.
I envy Kisa.
Oh! Wh-Wh--
Just for a bit.
Let me do this for bit.
I was always ashamed of my weakness.
But I wanted someone to tell me, "It's okay."
To be my support and give me the courage...
...to want to be strong.
It's been three days since Kisa started living with us.
Thanks for waiting.
It's a little embarrassing that you wait for me even at the bathroom.
Sh-She's so adorable!
Strangely enough, Kisa-san hasn't left my side
these past three days.
Which must mean that she likes me.
She's like a duckling. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Doesn't she find that annoying?
I love you!
She looks happy about it.
I don't really get it.
Oi, I'm hungry.
Oh, okay!
Kisa-san, what should we eat tonight?
Kisa, you can't even say what you want to eat?
Now, now.
Ignore everything this idiotic and weak-willed fool says.
Que será será, Satchan.
Oi, get off! Don't touch me! It's creepy!
Come on, no need to be shy.
--I'm not! --As you can see, Kisa-san still has not spoken.
--Aw, really? --As you can see, Kisa-san still has not spoken.
--Oi, get off! You're heavy! --As you can see, Kisa-san still has not spoken.
Oh, yeah? Make me. --As you can see, Kisa-san still has not spoken.
Ta-da! Let's use this!
Oh, gotcha. You'll leave it to chance.
Yes.
Kisa-san, point to the one you like.
You want that one?
Here we go!
♪ Cha-la-cha-la-la. ♪
--♪ Cha-la-cha-la-la. ♪
--What are you singing? --♪ Cha-la-cha-la-la. ♪
And we have a winner!
"Garbage Collection Notice"
Tonight, we'll have...
"Scrambled Eggs with Chives"
...scrambled eggs with chives!
Someone's getting comfortable here.
"Garbage Collection Notice"
--Huh? Oh, no, that's not what I meant!
--Go ahead. Make it. --Huh? Oh, no, that's not what I meant!
--Go ahead. Make it. --Um, I'm so sorry!
--No, I didn't it mean it that way. I'm sorry!
--I'm sure she'll speak to me in an adorable voice one day. --No, I didn't it mean it that way. I'm sorry!
--I'm sure she'll speak to me in an adorable voice one day. --Kyo and Tohru, sitting in a tree--
--Shut up! --Kyo-kun, you actually understood that jibe? No way!
But...
...she can't stay at Shii-chan's house forever, right?
What will Kisa do?
She's probably thinking that through right now.
She seems like the type to overthink things, since she's a naturally serious girl.
It's probably how she pushed herself to this point.
And there's her mom, too.
Momiji-kun.
Kisa-san's mom is okay.
Yesterday...
Is Kisa doing well?
Yes.
Kisa doesn't really like drier foods.
She loves scrambled eggs with chives.
Does that mean that Kisa's Mutti is thinking of her?
Otherwise, she wouldn't have called, right?
Exactly!
Yeah.
Still, why was she being bullied?
I forget.
--Come on. --I know.
I heard my aunts gossiping about it.
Kisa would have never told me this.
They said it was because of her looks at first.
Like her hair, eyes, and that kind of thing.
They said it offended the other students.
It's the fate of those possessed by an animal with unnatural hair color.
People made fun of me a lot, too.
But you just turned Dark and knocked them out.
I'm better than Kyo.
He half-killed them.
He was a real problem child.
But the aunts said Kisa tried hard, too.
She told the others she couldn't help what her hair and eye color.
After that, everybody started ignoring her instead.
And even though they ignored her,
they'd laugh when she said something.
They'd snicker at her.
My... My classmates have never done that to me.
So I could only imagine what it'd be like.
I imagined how I'd feel if people snickered every time I said something.
That would... That would make me so sad.
All people do is laugh at you.
You become timider.
Then, you stop speaking,
even though you know it'll annoy people.
Everything becomes dark,
and you suffocate.
Your heart... and words die off.
Come on, class is starting.
Yuki.
I'm going to Sensei's house today.
I wanna see Kisa. And I have something for her.
Something for her?
A letter.
From her homeroom teacher.
It'll probably make us wanna puke.
See you.
I don't think being weak is a good thing...
...but I also don't think "stronger" necessarily means "better."
You sometimes hear that it's survival of the fittest.
But we're humans, not animals.
Even those of the zodiac are human.
Yes.
Yes!
I feel a little braver.
What's it say?
"Soma-san, how are you?
Will you come back to school soon?
The rest of the class is also waiting for your return.
You can always talk to me,
so why not try a little harder to make friends with everybody?"
"The most important thing is to learn to love yourself.
Find something good about yourself,
so you can love yourself.
If you hate yourself,
how can others love you?"
Yep, makes me wanna puke.
I... I also...
I also had a time when I stopped speaking.
For slightly different reasons.
But, like you,
I felt embarrassed and hated myself.
"Learn to learn to love yourself"?
What does that mean?
How are we supposed to find something good about ourselves?
The whole reason we hate ourselves...
...is because we can only see the parts we hate.
So forcing ourselves to find "good points" feels hollow, like we're making things up.
It's not like that.
That's not how it works.
I think that it's only when someone says they love you
that you're able to start loving yourself.
I think when someone accepts you,
that's when you start feeling like you can forgive yourself a little
and start to love yourself.
Yeah...
Yeah.
It made me happy...
--Kisa... --Kisa.
Kisa, what do you plan to do?
Do you want to stay like this?
No...
I can't.
I need to try harder.
Or... Or else I'll turn into an even worse person.
Even if we can't be friends again...
Even if they keep ignoring me...
...I have to make sure to try a little harder...
...or else.
You're right.
Let's try.
I'll try, too.
And, if you get sad again or if it's too painful,
come here again.
She'll be here for you.
It's been a long time...
I finally got to hear your voice again.
Big Sister...
Big Sister.
Kisa-san!
I can't keep running away forever.
Even if my heart is still overshadowed now,
there will come a day when I need to confront my weakness.
So that all those tears shed...
...are worth something.
And so, Kisa, despite her still-wavering speech,
said she would go to school.
Yuki should've come, too.
He said that he has something he has to do, too.
Truthfully, I'm sad that Kisa won't be by my side anymore,
but I have to bear it.
Because Kisa-san mustered up her courage and is fighting.
You can do it.
You can do it, Kisa-san!
Yuki-kun. What did you just say?
I accept your offer to be your successor.
I apologize for trying to avoid this.
I want to repay you for the trouble by fulfilling my duties as a reliable president.
I hope you will advise me in the process.
Yuki-kun!
--You accepted the role for me-- --No, that's not it.
It's not like I suddenly became stronger,
nor did anything change.
My body still trembles,
but I'll keep facing my fears.
What's important is...
...the desire to improve...
...which stems from weakness.
"I'm So Sorry!"
I'm so sorry!