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Kureno Sohma (草摩 紅野 Sōma Kureno) is a fictional character in the manga series Fruits Basket. He is possessed by the rooster of the Chinese Zodiac. Whenever a Sohma is hugged by the opposite gender or his or her body comes under a great deal of stress, they transform
into one of the twelve zodiac animals. Kureno is a quiet, obedient man. He only appears in the Fruits Basket manga.
Role in the story
Relationship with Akito
Akito Sohma keeps Kureno close and isolated from others, even from the other cursed members of the Sohma clan, dominating nearly every
aspect of his life. Kureno is rarely permitted to leave the house. Of the Sohma clan, Kureno knows the least about the outside
world.
Kureno is the first to be freed from the curse; he was around 16 at the time this occurred (approximately 10 years before
Fruits Basket takes place). Akito begged him to stay by her side, and Kureno, seeing Akito as a crying young girl, agreed.
Thus he stays with her despite her possessiveness and fear of losing him. Kureno was the one who revealed to Tohru that Akito
was a woman. He also revealed that the person she thought was Akito the day she had visited him at the main house was, in
fact, Akito's mother, Ren Sohma.
Kureno was also stabbed in the back by Akito. It was hinted that he died or was severely injured when Arisa discovered
a fallen bird (possibly a sparrow) outside one of her part time jobs. After Akito confronts Tohru at Shigure's house, she
confesses to Shigure that she stabbed Kureno. Shigure, hoping to clear things up, calls the main house to discover that Kureno
is recovering at the hospital.
According to an interview with Natsuki Takaya, though Kureno was posessed by the spirit of the Rooster, he, in fact, transformed into a sparrow. This was officially revealed
in the Fruits Basket fanbook entitled "Neko". Takaya stated herself when asked a question what bird Kureno would
have transformed into before he was freed from the curse that she originally thought of him transforming into a rooster, but
decided that his transform would rather be that of a sparrow, believing it fitted his character more.
Relationship with Arisa
His first visit to a convenience store was at the age of 26. Since he didn't know how to find a basket, he consequently dropped all of his items on the floor as
he was bowing, sending Arisa Uotani, who worked at that store, into laughter, because she thought it was something Tohru Honda would do (In fact, that was what Tohru had actually done when they first met in middle school). Later, they met again, and he bought her lunch, resulting in a meal in which they talked more than they ate. After lunch, Kureno stroked Arisa's hair and almost kissed
her and, to her, it felt like it was his own way of saying "I love you" (Chapter 50). Arisa's crush on Kureno continued to
develop, constantly thinking of and talking about him, but she did not know he was a Sohma. She believes that his sudden departure
after lunch was because of their nine-year age difference, but in reality, Kureno feels it is for the better if he does not
love her back due to the will of Akito, who does not wish for Kureno to associate himself with outsiders, possibly thinking
that Arisa would get hurt if Kureno were to admit his love to her.
However, Tohru knows that Kureno belongs to the Sohma clan, and she secretly talked to him, telling him that Arisa wished
to see him again. Kureno feels the same way, but he remains wholly loyal to Akito.
In Chapter 127, the indication of boxes seems likely that Kureno will be moving out of the "main house". Also, Kureno and
Arisa see each other again in the hospital where Tohru is staying. Kureno doesn't know what to do now that Akito doesn't need
him anymore. Arisa, in response, says that she was and still is waiting for him and needs him. At the end of the chapter,
it seems that he has left the hospital (and the main house) and gone to be near Arisa.
