
Tragic Love
When Yuki was a child, he made the mistake of
inviting outside children (children who aren't of the Sohma family and
don't know of the secret curse) into the yard to play. While playing
Yuki accidentally bumped in a little girl and transformed in the rat, in
front of the outside children. So, Hatori was called to erase the
memories of Yuki's friends. Yuki had pleaded with Hatori not do it,
but Hatori was under orders and did as he told. "You're cold." sneered
Akito, "You're cold like snow."
So, it was then that Hatori's heart became frozen,
like the snow. Besides Shigure and Ayame, he kept his heart closed to
all. Until a woman named Kana showed up in his office one day. She was
to be his new intern, she explained with a huge smile and cheery
attitude. Yet, Hatori didn't pay any attention. Kana headed for the
window of his office and gasped, "Ahh! It's snowing! I knew it would
snow today!"
She then turned to Hatori and asked, "When the
snow melts, what does it become?" Hatori annoyed, thinking that
she was making fun of him, answered "It becomes water." Kana
buzzed, "Nope! It becomes Spring!" And from that point on, Hatori
and Kana became close friends. Hatori could feel his frozen heart
began to melt, little by little. It was just a matter of time before
they embraced.
Hatori turned into a seahorse (Dragon) the first
time Kana and him hugged. It is the curse of the Sohma family. Kana
panicked, trying to figure out what to do. "Water?!" she gasped, "Or is
it seawater?! Which one?! Hatori!" She threw Hatori in a hot bathtub
and he changed back. "You know," teased Hatori, "If you did that to
a real seahorse, you would have killed it." They laughed. Kana said
that she now understood why Hatori never hugged her, because he was
afraid. That he no longer had to be, because she loved him and
accepted him, curse and all. Hatori wept, finally the ice around his
heart was melting away. He was free to be happy with Kana.
So one day, he and Kana went before the head of
the family, Akito, to ask for his blessings for their marriage. Akito
became angry, smashing a glass bowl against Hatori's left eye, and
damaging it. He was never going to let Kana have Hatori, never!
Hatori lay bleeding on the floor, holding his eye, as Shigure rushed
in to hold Akito back. Akito pointed towards Kana, screaming that if
Hatori loses his eyesight it's all her fault! Kana fell into deep
despair. She blamed herself for Hatori's injuries. Hatori tried to
assure her that wasn't her fault, but nothing he said or did could
reach her.
Kana became a shell of herself, ever suffering.
It was then that Akito suggested that Hatori should erase her memories.
He said it would be the best thing to do, a testament of Hatori's love
for Kana. So, Hatori asked Kana if she would like her memory erased
and she said yes. As Hatori held her hand, she said that her greatest
regret wasn't knowing Hatori, but that it was she couldn't stop him
from getting hurt. With tears, Hatori erased her memory.
The next day, a cheery Kana bows to Hatori.
"Thank you. I'm sorry it didn't work out. But with the things I've
learned from you, I'm sure I'll become a great doctor someday." Kana
left and Hatori cried. She later became engaged to someone else and
got married. Although Hatori is content that Kana is now happy in her life,
he still misses her from time to time.