Title: Kazama Shōyō
Author: Ri-Ryn
Genre: Family/Angst
Word Count: 1287
Rating: +T (Content suitable for Mature Teens)
Disclaimer: World Trigger belongs to Ashihara Daisuke.
Summary: Kazama Sōya hated few things in life. The death of his brother Shin, the Kazama family, Rindō Takumi, and the loss of his nephew Shōyō to the alias Rindō Yōtarō just happened to be part of this list. (Speculative fic where Yōtarō is the son of Kazama's brother Shin)
Warnings: Language. Family Issues. Guilt. OOC!Kazama. Light OC mention.
A/N: Personally, I think Yōtarō is the son of Mogami or an orphan (neighbor or otherwise) that Rindō adopted. This is just for the hell of it. Kazama is so out of character.
The grave isn't anywhere near the Kazama family home. It wasn't allowed to be.
'Kazama Shin' was crudely etched into a home's ruined pillar.
Sōya unconsciously huddled Shōyō closer, fiddling needlessly with his blankets as the newborn drifted off again-this presence similar enough to his father's if not a bit colder.
"...Sōya," Rindō began.
"I'll take care of Shōyō," the seventeen year old hissed, angry. Aniki just had to be stupid, never mind it was his decision to have a child at such a young age, unofficially married. He had to have a child with a neighbor. The Kazama family was strict as was, never mind them disowning his dead brother.
Sōya hated them, but couldn't even sneer at the deceased woman Shin had loved much less Shōyō.
Rindō smiled, troubled. "At seventeen? Without finishing high school? What," the older man took a cigarette between his lips and left it unlit, "did you want to follow Shin that badly?"
Sōya took a shuttering breath, not used to the grip-less hold he had on his emotions right now. "Or what? They won't even acknowledge him, they disowned a corpse, their own son." He smiled a little, letting his finger be wrapped into the baby's tiny hand. Pale skin, a tuft of black cotton on its head, and eyes unknown, shrouded by new life's blue.
Her family hadn't taken the idea of Shin as a son in law well either, the Kazama family beating them only in that they weren't what killed Shin.
"Even if I need to work myself to the bone, don't make light of my integrity, Rindō-san."
The attacker held his hands up in surrender, acknowledging the land mine he tread on. "It's too early to be a martyr, yet."
Sōya ignored him, humming to Shōyō, a 'stupid Shin' escaping under his breath.
"Sōya...let me raise him, for you and Shin both." Of course, this was all Rindō Takumi's fault.
Everything stilled, the chill of winter biting at everyone's cheeks and the high schooler clutched his family closer.
Rindō tried again, more gently. "Just until he's older, after you've graduated college. Shōyō will be, what, six? If you join Border, you can also support him." He smiled. "Then you can be a family again."
Sōya's mouth tightened. "You will let me pay for everything. And you'll no doubt change his name to protect him."
Rindō shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, most likely."
Sōya also hated Rindō Takumi, this man who took away not only his elder brother but his nephew. This man would take away Shōyō's name, his father, his mother, his uncle. "Alright."
The boy on the cusp of adulthood fell to the ground, tears quiet as Shōyō fussed at being jostled, Sōya's arms rocking him immediately.
Rindō Takumi would become Shōyō's everything. Sōya's voice was full of venom. "But don't you ever lie to me again that we'll be a family."
"I'm so sorry, Sōya."
Sōya knocked at Tamakoma, now twenty one, twenty two soon and graduating in December.
Jin had seen him coming but was surprised as ever without Kazama-san's reason to back his precognition.
"Is Rindō-san in, Jin?"
Jin nodded, stunned "Ah, let me-"
"Thank-you." Kazama brushed past him in an unusually rude manner, already up half way up the stairs towards the office.
The power elite dazedly went to fetch Yōtarō, not knowing why Rindō would call for him in five minutes much less how Kazama-san knew where his office was.
"Rindō."
"Sōya."
Both men stared at each other, Kazama breaking the silence. "I'm going to be taking Shōyō, today."
Takumi knew this would happen, knew Sōya would come take his son...no, his nephew back. "I see," he said quietly.
The door busting open to a five year old on a capybara before Rindō could even call for him caught both their attention.
Takumi smothered instinct. "Sho-"
Kazama interrupted him. "Yōtarō."
"Hrm?" The five year old scrutinized the man...boy...teenager? "Hoho! You admire the great Yōtarō and even look like me!"
Kazama's mouth quirked up, faintly. "Perhaps," he conceded. Shōyō was much livelier a child than Shin or Sōya had ever been, no doubt the tainted flavor of Tamakoma branch.
"Will you come with me?"
The boy considered it. "Can Raijinmaru come too?"
Kazama paused. Why a capybara, anyway? Damn Rindō. "I suppose, yes."
"Then anything for my kouhai! Where to?"
Shōyō had black eyes like his mother, no doubt. But the hair had only filled to a carbon copy of his aniki and himself.
"How about cake, first."
"Sōya, about Yōtarō's things..."
Kazama glared at him, Rindō having no place right now. "I'll take care of everything."
Rindō couldn't even bring himself to say goodbye to his son.
"Eat slower, Yōtarō." Kazama sipped his latte on the terrace of the cafe, Yōtarō eating the small piece of chocolate matcha cake Sōya had cut into pieces for him. The twenty one year old wiped the five year old's mouth with a napkin, amused at the child's complaints.
"Yōtarō," he started. "Have you ever heard the name Shōyō...or Shin?"
Yōtarō shook his head. "Nope, is that your name, my kouhai?"
Kazama set his latte down. "No, I'm Kazama Sōya. Shin was my elder brother and Shōyō...doesn't matter right now."
"My kohai, Kazama, then!" This was the only thing the primary school student took from it.
Kazama took the lapse of respect in stride. "You may call me Sōya." But never Sōya-oji.
"Do you like Tamakoma, Yōtarō, and your Father?"
"Ah! Reiji made this for me," Yōtarō pointed to his helmet. "And Konami's really funny! Torimaru plays games with me. Kuga is good at fighting and I'll marry Chika someday, though Jin says it's unlikely." Yōtarō pouted.
Sōya couldn't help his puff of laughter at that.
"Osamu still has a lot to learn from me and Hyuse is my best friend! Oyaji..."
Kazama leaned in, nodding. "Your Father?
"He's really busy. But! He always tucks me in, and reads me a bed time story...and tells me that he loves me!" Yōtarō puffed out. "He also got me my partner, Raijinmaru. You may pet his stomach, my precious Kouhai!"
Kazama ruffled his hair instead, questions answered, "Thank-you but no, but will you come two more places with me?"
Yōtarō carried a bundle of flowers larger than himself, heaving them onto the grave. Kazama had told him to get any that he liked.
Yōtarō looked at him and Sōya nodded. "Well done. And now we pray."
If Yōtarō clapped his hands four times, nearly hitting his head on the engraving to bow his head while muttering his prayer aloud for Salt, Sōya could only smirk. (He read Shin wrong-served his dead brother right- not even bothering to try and read 'Kazama'. Sōya would send Rindō a nasty email about that later, along with his deposit for Shōyō's living expenses and college fund.)
Sōya brought Yōtarōu to Tamakoma branch not ten minutes later, just before six in the evening.
"Go inside, Yōtarō." He said his goodbyes to Shōyō internally.
Yōtarō looked at him. "Sōya-nii?"
It caught him off guard. Sōya crouched, flicking the boy's forehead who squawked. "I said Sōya, did I not?"
Yōtarō huffed. "No dinner?"
Kazama shook his head. "No, go eat with your family and I mine." It was pretty lie, he thought.
"Next time?"
Sōya only flicked his head twice now, Yōtarō scowling as he trudged inside.
"No, never next time Rindō Yōtarō." He whispered.
The young man walked back in the direction of Shin's grave.
Sōya didn't have to tell Rindō Takumi that Yōtarō would be returned this evening.
It would take an hour and a half to engrave Kazama Shōyō below his father's name. And while he's at it, another stone for his sister-in-law, Sylva.
風間真
風間翔陽
風間シルバ