Archive of Our Own ^beta

Adachi's breath was hot against Yu's ear, "You should really be more careful. There's still a killer on the loose, you know." Adachi's grasp on Yu's forearm was firm, familiar and uncharacteristic. Yu’s inhale caught within his chest, momentarily wondering if he had misunderstood something by the time Adachi drew away and took his leave. 

Surely, he was just showing some concern. 

That was what Yu rationalized to himself at that time, but at present he bit back any irrational sounds that might have escaped him as his fist pumped along flesh in the quiet of the evening, after lights out but before dawn's signaling light. 

Something about Adachi's lips so close to Yu's ear had kept him tossing and turning until Yu acknowledged an earnest truth to himself. 

He liked Tohru Adachi . 

Which wasn't saying much. Yu found himself going through similar cycles with all his friends. Momentarily dazed by the potentials of what could be. Evening walks with Chie and her dog. Leaning against Yosuke as they played video games. Sneaking off with Yukiko when enough of the inn's duties had been fulfilled. Taking a nap amongst the yarn Kanji was sewing with. Inevitably being crowded by Teddie or Rise and teasing them at a moment of indulgence. Making Naoto fluster by simply treating them as an equal. Yu had successfully done it all, and he wanted them all but… 

Yu panted as he thought about Adachi pressing into his personal space. There was something daring about how it had been approached. Cold, calculated, and callous yet entirely too alluring to Yu. His words didn't match actions.

Yu's thoughts didn't match his actions either. Wrapped up in solving a mystery while his hand moved back and forth as he sought to discover something more. 

Intention. 

"I still can't believe Adachi was responsible but… It adds up," Dojima sighed, pinching his hand to the bridge of his nose, "He has no alibi either. I can't believe how mixed up in all of this you got either." Yu's uncle sighed again, shaking his head, "I'm not sure my sister is going to let me hear the end of it." 

"I'm still a minor," Yu pointed out, "so there won't be any documentation about my involvement." Yu said it to be reassuring, but as the words escaped his lips he realized that wasn't the outcome he wanted either. "...I would like to be the one to tell my parents about it, if that's okay. When I'm ready. "

"..Yeah, yeah sure," Dojima agreed quietly. "That's… It's probably better coming from you anyways." 

There was a more pressing concern at the front of Yu's mind, "Uncle, will I ever…" 

It wasn't often that Yu felt like he had to hide himself from his friends. It was more like he could let specific attributes of himself come to the forefront and be indulged. They all knew he could be deadpan and held something of a callous wit, but they also knew him to be a respecter of boundaries and sometimes formal to a fault. 

Which is what made writing the first letter so daunting. 

There was so much he wanted to say, but it wasn't as if he could just call Yosuke about something like this–Well, he could but that conversation had at least a 79% chance of getting off topic within the first three minutes. 

No, Yu needed to climb this mountain himself. Like folding envelopes.

At first glance, the challenge appeared insurmountable, but with dedication and diligence, Yu began to climb that hill. 

Adachi-san , 

With your assistance, we were able to discover the true culprit behind the fog in Inaba and the one who granted us the ability to enter the television. 

It was the gas station attendant. Nanako mentioned how I didn't look too good the day I arrived. I wonder if something like that might have happened to you? It seemed so insignificant that without you and Nanako's guidance, I might not have resolved things. 

Yu paused as he realized. 

I suppose you might have some recollection of this fact should my dreams ever become reality. 

Yu scratched out the line as soon as he wrote it, and wrote something else instead.

Did you figure it out since I received your last letter? 

Yu figured Adachi would get some entertainment out of the condescending tone those words could possess. 

I suppose you must have since you stood with me then too and lent me your strength. 

Yu fought a flush on his cheek and decided he had written enough for the time being. 

Yu's mind couldn't imagine Adachi's face. Yu had a difficult time imagining anyone beneath or beside him as he relieved his own pent up desire. In his move, he could hold the sensation, the characteristic but never the face. If he focused too much on it, rather than any distinguishing form blanketed by darkness, Yu would find void and shadow before two yellow eyes peeled open to look directly through him. 

Yu's body jerked, caught between the height of orgasm and fear for his life as he found himself back in the present of his apartment bedroom in Tokyo. 

The distant rumble of traffic below, regardless of the hour. Lights that never turned off and peaked through the corners of windows where the blackout curtains failed to lay their defenses. Yu stared at the mess in his hand and across the towel he had laid on his bed. 

Yu let out a sigh and dragged himself up to clean himself off and turn on his desk light. 

Dear Tohru Adachi,  

Are you well? Uncle tells me you're putting on weight. That's good, assuming it's in the right places. Even dispersal is best, sort of like what you'd want for marbled beef. You probably know that though. 

Yu frowned at his own words but pushed on. 

I've started college. If my uncle hasn't already told you. I bet you'll never guess what I'm studying. I promise I'll let you know so long as you make a guess. 

Yu drew in a breath and read the letter over, his mind eager to provide points of discussion that would surely be seen as more reason for inquiry. A reason for response.

Or, I'd be curious to know what career I should pursue. I think Adachi-san could be an amazing performer. You have a great stage presence. Or an actor maybe. Have you ever done theater? Improv? You strike me as more of a visual arts student even if you went into the Police Academy.

Do you like sweets? What kinds? Maybe we can decorate a cake some time in the future. 

Yu felt hot under his skin again, all from imagining such sweet simple pleasures. Casually pursued in safety, and the potential of how doing simple chores could turn to something like pinned wrists and whipped cream or icing used to decorate something other than a cake. 

With a couple of cherries. 

Yu dropped his head against the desk with a groan. He had it bad, but to let Adachi know would certainly be a mistake. So Yu filled the remainder of his letter with small details about how he spent his time lately and set the paper aside to review and rewrite again in the morning. 

Once it was sent, Yu wondered if he would ever get a response or if Adachi would even be allowed to receive it. 

It wasn't as if he included any contraband. Just words. (But sometimes words felt like contraband to Yu. Words held ideas and concepts with strength beyond a single glance. ) 

He's calling to you , was a statement that haunted Yu when he was alone at night. A burden of certain knowledge, a human failing shared with someone he couldn't reach out to or talk with directly. A response had yet to arrive and Yu wondered if that was because Adachi wanted to try living a quieter and purposefully secluded life, but Yu still couldn't get Adachi out of his head. 

Or heart. 

So, on the impulse of a restless night, Yu got up, turned on his desk light and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. 

This was not a letter he intended to send ever in his life, only an indulgence. To work the more distracting thoughts out of his head. 

Three months passed and Yu still hadn't received any response from Adachi, so he coined another letter. 

Dear Tohru Adachi, 

Are you well? Yesterday I found myself in Ikebukuro and Akihabara to pick up gifts for everyone and it made me wonder if there was ever a gift you looked forward to receiving some day? 

If you have some time, I'd appreciate hearing from you. 

Best wishes,

Yu Narukami

It was shorter than his first by far but perhaps all that it contained had become overwhelming for Adachi. Yu supposed playing with the length of his letters would tell him in time, and this time he dropped the letter in the mailbox without much of a second thought. 

This one received a response. It took over a week and the contents vaguely alluded to Yu’s previous letters, implying Adachi had read through and received them all. 

Yu took his time, digesting each word before putting them together. He finished the letter and started over from the top while laying on his bed.

It read:

To Yu Narukami, 

You focus on far too many frivolous things. What good are gifts if I'm not allowed any personal items? Besides, I've heard minimalism is popular. Maybe you should try it. Also you write too formally. Are you trying to be a journalist or something? I definitely would lose my mind at one of those art schools. Everyone’s so pretentious.

Well, whatever.

Hope you’re doing well and not slacking on your studies.

-Tohru Adachi

P.S. Who would have thought shaking hands with a gas station attendant would have landed me here?

Yu was not slacking on his studies and decided it could be fun to share what he was learning with Adachi since the man hadn’t taken the time to guess.

To Tohru Adachi, 

To any your questions, I have decided to reiterate them below:

• Who would have thought shaking hands with a gas station attendant would have landed me here?

•  What good are gifts if I'm not allowed any personal items?

I believe the handshake may constitute as a type of intangible gift. Perhaps not the best intentioned in retrospect, but something that could be treasured in some sense. 

Words too can be a gift without necessarily being a personal item. If those words were a compliment, could they be worn?

Do these words come across as pretentious, Adachi-san?

Yu stared at the page and decided to sign it there. An odd and abrupt end but his mind was wandering into dangerous territory.

"...I want to see you," Yu uttered softly to himself and after a moment hoped those feelings would soak into the page where they had not been written.

Yu rarely had any issues meeting with everyone else; in fact, he had struck a new balance with his friends from Inaba and new ones he had made coming back. Even some relationships Yu thought he had lost had come back up with the exception of one. 

Yu checked in about the mail daily, making it a point of conversation on the rare evenings where his parents were home. 

He didn't sit around for it, he just knew to check and sometimes even inquired with his uncle regarding whether Adachi had mentioned anything intended for his ears. 

Nothing. 

By the fifth week, Yu followed up with another letter. 

To Tohru Adachi,

Discard this letter at your discretion. 

This is either extremely relevant or completely unintelligible but in either case, I hope you will appreciate the effort pulled from my discomfort.  

Yu held his pen with an anxious feeling growing in his gut. This letter would hopefully get a response on the basis of the opening alone but if that didn't he hoped the following segment might. 

I am a shadow, the true self. 

Everyone will leave me. It is an inevitability. My parents regularly prioritize their lives over mine, therefore it is inevitable that this will occur time and time again with all relations. If others do not depart, then I surely will, regardless of intention.

So I will use them. I will hold onto them as long as possible, in order to distract myself from that loneliness.

Yu hesitated, wanting to pour out his desperation, to let Adachi know just how much he was included amongst those he called his friends. How desperate he was to hold out his hand regardless of how long it would take.

Yu thought better of such a blunt omission and opted to degrade the image he might have presented in Adachi’s mind instead.

I spend the time I have alone trying to be better. Look better, be smarter, stronger, and wiser than anyone else. To make myself so valuable that others feel enriched to have me around. They won’t realize it’s a trap, they won’t see my shadow.

“But you will,” echoed in Yu’s mind, urging him to pull himself out of the letter before he conveyed something that might scare Adachi away. Yu gave himself a moment to breathe and reflect on the words. Unsure how deep he wanted to go or how deep Adachi might appreciate, Yu analyzed himself. There was often a fine line between too little and too much and Yu wasn't certain his admissions would be taken in the correct light, so he concluded. 

Thou art I, I art thou. The fear of rejection emboldens me while pushing you further away. 

-Yu Narukami 

A reply arrived within a week. 

To Yu Narukami, 

So you've got to be going to college at some arts school for computer sciences, right? Counseling? Or maybe you’re going for a literacy degree with that prose you sent me. Not sure what that was all about but is that really how you think?
Idiot.

Yu couldn’t be certain whether that was a critique or intended to be genuinely affectionate. Perhaps both. Adachi had a way of folding compliment and critique into one. A subtle trait of the older jailed man which Yu held onto with endearment.

Things have been pretty much the same here. Lots of questions but no real resolution yet. They’re still stumped on how the bodies got where they did without any traceable cause of death or evidence left on the bodies. Because of my confession they’re eager to hold me accountable and have me serve the time, but getting the courts to process an exact sentence continues to be drawn out. I keep telling them it should be two murder convictions at least, but one of the psychologists keeps pushing for manslaughter and homicide. It’s so annoying.

Anyways, I hope that last letter wasn’t just you having some kind of mental breakdown. You’re still talking to all your friends in Inaba right? Is Tokyo really that lonely for you?

Regards, 

Tohru Adachi

Yu smiled to himself as the letter concluded. In his own way, Adachi was trying to maintain this bond of theirs.That fact alone brought a smile to Yu’s face as he reviewed the letter a second time before formulating his own response.

To Tohru Adachi,

The degree I’m pursuing includes some computer sciences but not specifically. You’re welcome to keep guessing if you’d like and if not, I’ll let you know by my next letter.

The contents of the letter extended into a long form explanation of what he had been doing lately, dropping subtle hints of what he was studying to keep the former detective sharp. He still wanted to keep him guessing after all. Adachi seemed to enjoy that type of chase. 

Yu signed his name and leaned back with a yawn. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Yu decided it was late enough with the letter earnest enough to fold and seal before shoving into the drawer for the following day. 

Yu sat up in bed with the distinct realization that he had overslept. The sun was already in the sky and he hadn't had breakfast. Crap. 

Yu tripped over his own feet as he clambered out of bed, skillfully untangling his blanket before it toppled him, Yu raced to get dressed and prepared for the day ahead while glancing at the clock to find out just how much of class he would inevitably miss. 

8:13am.

Not as bad as it could be. Yu rushed through his routines, grabbing some leftovers and stuffing his lunch in his bag. Gobbling up what he could and brushing his teeth almost before he had even stopped chewing, then it was out the door! 

Or like five feet out the door before he remembered he was going to mail the letter then rushed back inside to slam open the drawer and speed walk his way back out of the apartment complex. 

The letter was dropped in the mailbox on Yu's way to class and the contents and prospect of a response faded into lecture for the remainder of the day. Schoolwork and other conversations occupied the space where Yu's anticipation for a response might develop. 

He hadn't thought about the letter much at all for eight days. 

The phone in his pocket buzzed during class. Someone was calling. Yu peeped down to see the caller ID 'Uncle'. 

Yu apologetically excused himself past his classmates to a secluded space in the hall. Missing the first series of rings, Yu called back. 

"Uncle?" 

"Yu, hey," Yu could hear a toothpick shift across his uncle's lips. He had been trying to quit lately, "Uhm, sorry to call you out of the blue like this but I just met with Adachi and, well, he was sort of insistent I ask you something." 

Yu fell still. Quiet. His mind started working overtime to understand what could have been so urgent for Adachi to insist that his uncle do his bidding. 

"Did you, uhm, mean those things you wrote in the letter? Is what I think he means to say but it came out a lot more like Is this a joke? And I want to know if this is just some kind of joke to him but I insisted that's not really how you do things. Well, not always , but you're a pretty straightforward kid. "

Yu's mind was kicking into overdrive as he tried to figure out the contents of his letter that would have caused such a response. "It's not… It's not a joke," Yu stated assuredly, "Uhm, is that all? I'm not allowed to speak with him directly, is that correct?" 

"Not right now. Sorry for interrupting your class, Yu, I'll let you get back to it. We can talk this evening," Ryotaro reassured him gently. Like a firm hand in the shoulder. 

"Yeah, of course. Thank you Uncle. I'll talk to you later." 

Yu slipped back into class and tried to extrapolate what he had missed. 

"So did Adachi-san say anything more about the letter?" Yu asked with some confusion as he worked on dinner. 

"Ahh… Not really. He just had this disgruntled look on his face. Like a moody kid, I almost thought he was going to cross his arms and pout. You know how he can get sometimes."

Yu tried to imagine it. He felt like he'd probably seen it before but any nuances in his expression were missing from not being physically present. Yu wanted to see it with his own eyes. But then, maybe he would just have to wait for another letter, or prompt Adachi with a follow up. 

" Daad! The food is getting cold! " Yu could hear Nanako distantly through the receiver. 

Ryotaro cut back in, "Gotta go Yu, Nanako's calling for me?" Then as if muffled behind his hand, "You want to say anything?" 

"Just Hi! He's coming by again soon right?" 

Clearly through the phone's microphone Ryotaro asks, "When are you dropping in next?" 

"The 18th, after exams are finished," Yu recited with ease. 

Ryotaro reiterated this information to Nanako who leaned nearer to speak, "Hi Big Bro! We'll see you soon!" 

"Good luck on your exams," Ryotaro chimed in, "Goodnight Yu!" 

"Goodnight!" Nanako chimed in affectionately. 

"Have a wonderful evening you two," Yu smiled to himself as the call ended. With a small sigh, he resumed cooking dinner.

Yu stared at the letter in the locked mailbox for his parent's apartment. The familiar envelope, cheap industrial paper. Yu collected the flyers and letters and ran them back up to the suite. 

The pile for his parents grew gradually, there were a few good sales deals Yu might keep in mind but the letter of importance was set squarely on his desk once his evening chores were concluded. 

Yu was cautious with his impatience, cutting along the fold delicately to ensure the letter wouldn't be torn in the process. 

The contents were revealed with a familiar form of handwriting, but on Yu's initial scan of the letter, he couldn't help but notice how Adachi's meticulous handwriting gradually frayed into something loose and impassioned. 

The choice of language grew more accusatory with it. 

Yu's eyes widened as he digested bits and pieces of the letter, contextualized by Adachi's changing scrawl. 

Yu's hand fumbled, pulling open the drawer where he usually stashed his letters and dug around until he found another. Sealed. It should have been on the bottom of the pile. Yu hadn't thought about his late night omissions until the phrase ‘dampness of my breath’  crossed Yu’s sight and all the accusatory language that followed after it.

Yu was not as careful with his own letter, impatiently opening it to review the contents which were not the erratic looking characters he had hoped to see there. The letter before him was polite if a touch dull, mundane but in a relaxed and peaceful way. Serene perhaps even. This fact sent a burning sensation sinking down to the pit of his stomach. 

Somehow… 

Some way… 

Yu Narukami had mailed the wrong letter to Adachi. 

Yu checked the envelope, certain that he almost certainly hadn't written the address on the other, which somehow ended up in Adachi’s possession. His conversational hand scrawled note had somehow ended up in an unmarked envelope instead. But how? He had been so careful to secure the obnoxious omission between other sealed boxes of stationary paper to avoid this exact situation from happening. 

Embarrassment clouded his senses and Yu buried his face in his hands as even by solving this mystery, the mix up had still happened. 

There was no way he was going to be able to repair his relationship with Adachi after this. 

Still, Yu would try, not that he had the confidence to in the moment, nor the fortitude to endure the entirety of Adachi’s letter beyond the point where Yu had clued in to what Adachi was talking about. Yu barely even recalled the letter. He was fairly certain he had written it in part while fantasizing, letting raw urges dictate the contents over any intellectual thought.

Yu slunk away from his desk, determined to be proactive so he didn’t just settle into a fit of self loathing. Chores were good for that.

Yu did a lot of chores, and a workout, anything that might distract his brain from the looming letter on his desk though ultimately during every task it buzzed about his mind like an infernal nightmare.

Yu was in the shower when he determined he had put off the inevitable long enough.

The letter began familiarly enough.

To Yu Narukami,

Since your last letter wasn’t a joke, I’m assuming it’s more of ‘I am a shadow, the true self’ type of thing. You really just get into it don’t you? It’s weird. It doesn’t feel like it was meant for me. Are you sure you didn’t send it to the wrong person?

Your letter was weirdly intense. I don’t even really know how to respond to it so some clarification would be helpful. Like why are you paying attention to the dampness of my breath? That’s sort of creepy coming from a guy. Or even half the things you say in there. Are you gay? Is that Hanamura kid not satisfying you? What do you mean by salvation?

I’m actually kind of worried about you since you didn’t answer any of the questions from my last letter. You’re usually pretty good about that kind of thing, I’m the one who avoids it.

Should I mail it back to you?

Send me a normal letter soon or I might just ask your uncle to check in on you in Tokyo.

From,
Tohru Adachi

Yu wanted to bury himself in the earth. Not an ounce of his yearning appeared to be reciprocated, only that Adachi had assumed to some degree or another that Yu may have had a romantic relationship with Yosuke instead. Yu also had to supply some kind of response or this would get out of hand, but the way the letter closed… From ,  as if Adachi was distancing himself from Yu. He was doomed. He had messed up in a multitude of ways almost certainly.

After the numerous chores and distractions, Yu didn’t have the energy to write a reply and so flopped into bed with his newfound self loathing.

In a jail cell many miles away, Tohru Adachi woke with a yawn and a stretch. Lazily he scratched his stomach and rolled over onto his side as he picked out a letter from his gradually growing stack.

I want you, the letter started. 

I want you so much it hurts. I know I can't have you, not like this but my thoughts keep coming back to you. I cling to memories because they’re all I have. Like the faint fragrance of sandalwood that wafts around the weight of your presence. The supple density of your fingers and how tentative they are to touch. The dampness of your breath when you lean to close. The vibration of your voice when you speak, or laugh. All the cadences you carry when you talk and how it changes from topic to topic, I want to memorize it all. The way your shoes scuff against the ground you cover in all its variations is something I cling to. I want to learn them all. Every sense I’ve yet to discover.

More than that, I want to feel the weight of you pressed against me. Where you like to be touched, and kissed. Are you ticklish anywhere? Do you have fantasies? I want to know these too. I think about the time you whispered in my ear a lot. It makes me desire something I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fulfill with you. I fantasize about you pinning my arms above my head and against a wall. About rutting against me, using me, using my mouth. About grabbing my hair, coming on my face, my chest, pinching my nipples and pressing your foot against my groin. Would you mock me if you knew how much I desired you? I want to save you. I want to worship you. Maybe then you might start to care for yourself. Maybe then you can finally achieve salvation.

Being able to sleep with Adachi-san would be good too. I can imagine doing it gently, though it might be difficult to stop since he looks so attractive while being bullied. Nanako once said Adachi-san was afraid of worms, I wonder if he would be afraid of mine. 

There was a strange break on the page. 

16cm.

I really want to make him come and watch his face. I can't imagine it. I want to see it. I want to see Adachi-san . 

Then, in the tiniest legible writing near the edge of paper was I miss you.

The bottom of the page looked stained, textured. Tears, sweat or a mysterious third thing Tohru was a bit more hesitant to discern based on the options at hand. Clearly the letter had been an emotional endeavor either way and was rife with what felt like an honest expression.

Tohru wasn’t as alarmed as he had been during his first dozen reads. The strange use of Adachi’s name in third person implied Yu had not really been prepared to share the letter with him. Or maybe Yu had used some kind of intoxicant before writing it. That would make some sense. The line weight of his pen strokes seemed to change periodically throughout though that could also be attributed to whatever caused the stains.

As much as Tohru had been cut and dry with his response, in the privacy of his cell, he indulgently pursued the implication that Yu Narukami, Inaba’s Goldenest boy, wanted him out of all the dazzling and far more attractive denizens which populated his life. That Tohru somehow made the young man so primal that he distractedly thought to measure his dick size mid prose. Tohru stretched his hand to vaguely identify the size. It wasn’t that intimidating but that wasn’t taking into account any possible girth. The fact Yu seemed to indulge in ideas of getting fucked and fucking him was equally as amusing. Shouldn’t a man have a preference? Tohru’s gaze trailed up and down the page in the dim morning light as his hand wandered down to his waistband.

“Delivery,” a voice from beyond the iron bars called. A moment later and a letter gracefully danced down to the floor away from where Tohru was lazing. It took Tohru a bit to gather the motivation to drag himself over and pick it up.

The letter opened with relative ease.

Dear Adachi-san,

Firstly, I would like to apologize. You are correct, that letter was, while intended for you, not meant to be received by you. I fear I have shared something deeply personal that cannot be taken back so I hope you will accept my apology with sincerity, not because I am ashamed of the contents, but rather for any unwanted discomfort it may have brought you.

Secondly, I have enclosed the letter I originally had intended to mail to you. This should include answers to the questions proposed in the letter previous. I will address the questions you proposed in your most recent letter below. Again, I apologize in advance for any discomfort my answers may provide. I would prefer if my uncle remained ignorant of our exchange.

Narukami’s formulaic responses were something of a breath of fresh air. Blunt, to the point but at the same time aggressively minimal. It was all a reassurance that things hadn’t gotten wickedly off track from their previous exchanges, but it opened a new avenue for discussion as well.

“You really just get into it don’t you?”  Yes.

“Why are you paying attention to the dampness of my breath?” It’s attractive.

“Are you gay?” Probably.

“Is that Hanamura kid not satisfying you?” Yosuke and I are not a couple.

“What do you mean by salvation?” I don’t remember the original context. I imagine it has something to do with why you close yourself off from others.

“Should I mail it back to you?” I will leave that decision up to you since it has left my possession. I have no desire to review its contents.

Lastly, in the other letter enclosed there is a thorough list of my current activities. These have not changed much besides passing my exams with close to perfect marks.

Kind regards,
Yu Narukami

Tohru set the pragmatic letter down and flipped through to the other sheet of paper enclosed, which appeared to be dated around the time he had received the smutty letter. This was what Yu had apparently intended to send in the first place. So how did that little mix up occur? Tohru wondered as he reviewed the secondary letter’s contents.

By the afternoon, Tohru had crafted a response and opted to keep the raw testimonial. It was amusing and unhinged in a way he couldn’t imagine Narukami ever being, given his stoic disposition. The words were unmistakably written by Narukami's hand and that fact burned impressions into Tohru's mind. Inevitably, Tohru pondered about the type of expressions Yu Narukami might make in response if those brief fantasies were made a reality. To imagine them seemed impossible as his own assumptions seemed to be only reductive projections. So cryptically, Tohru concluded his letter with " I think we share the same curse" before signing his name. 

“Would you consider this a satisfactory outcome?” Igor asked calmly.

“Yes,” Margaret answered firmly, “This trial of his heart's desire appears to have been overcome. Though it is not indicative of how either may handle the challenges yet to come, I am optimistic. I appreciate the opportunity to present them with this trial.”

“Good. …Good.” Igor folded his hands under his lengthy nose, "I believe they will appreciate it as well."