Chapter 1: Kiin Hall
Hikaru has some realizations and, as usual, kicks up a fuss.
"Come on! Come on! Let's go already!" Shindo Mitsuko tried to muster as much motherliness as possible, despite the mounting irritation her daughter was causing her. Hikaru was already on her third trip between the house and car, loading all of their luggage into the trunk. Usually, Mitsuko would be happy for the help, but Hikaru was acting like they needed to get out of the country before another atomic bomb came, and it was driving her to distraction.
"Hikaru!" A firm hand to the forearm stopped her blazing daughter for a bit. "There's no rush! The flight isn't for another six hours! Aren't you sad to leave this house and all your friends behind? You've been here since you were born!"
But Hikaru had gone off again, with that expression that Mitsuko thought she'd never be able to understand. Her little girl was getting more and more of those, expressions Mitsuko couldn't recognize at all, like she was growing an entirely new face. When she played go, when she talked about it, when she read those old poems; sometimes even when she would just sit quietly in her room, staring into space or at the ceiling, or playing go all by herself. Mitsuko worried, but she couldn't get Hikaru interested in anything normal girls (or even normal children) liked. She didn't know how this Hikaru suddenly appeared.
And then there was that time, right after Golden Week, when she'd disappeared for three days and barely spoke a word after she came back. She was often out of the house after that, but she never seemed to go anywhere, except perhaps her grandfather's house. That only happened a few times, but Hikaru only went in once, early on, and after that she would only ever hover around the yard, sometimes entering the house, pacing around the attic entrance but never going in.
It was a relief when Masao mentioned a transfer offer at work and suddenly Hikaru was all energy again. Not the same happy kind, maybe, more restless and frantic, but anything was better than the ghost she'd been for nearly a month. They could make this work. She was sure of it. Hikaru even left her go set unpacked and didn't say anything when Mitsuko had asked after it. Maybe Hikaru would find new hobbies when they landed in their new home. Better hobbies for a teenage girl. She would be back to the way she was, and everything would work out. Shindo Mitsuko held on to this hope as she watched her daughter hound Masao from the back seat, demanding they start off for the airport right now.
'…aru…'
Hikaru opened her eyes slowly, blinking in the last threads of sleep. 'Huh?'
Everything was so bright, but it didn't hurt her eyes. It was soft and warm, like the smile of someone she really didn't want to think about. But the pain didn't seem so acute here, wherever here was. She thought she felt the brush of white silk near her face, but let her eyes droop again.
'…Hikaru…'
Her heart gave a heaving pound and she was more awake than she'd ever been awake before. 'Sai? Sai!' And there he was, sitting serenely, without ceremony or dramatics (which seemed a little unlike him, but no way Hikaru was going to complain).
'Sai.' And he smiled at her, and oh, how it hurt and didn't he know how much she missed him and how horribly, agonizingly sorry she was and a million other far too overwhelming things. She wondered how much of that she was able to express with that one call of his name, but it seemed to be enough.
He unfolded his hand from his sleeve, and offered his fan to her.
"Sorry, Mom! Can't wait! Gotta go!" Hikaru hugged her mother as fully as she dared, just in case she got caught and physically wrangled on board. At this point, she was pretty sure her mother would institutionalize her to get her on that plane. She flashed at smile to the man behind her mom, who already half turned towards the gate. "Bye, Dad!"
Maybe she'd gained some secret ability to translate smiles today, but Hikaru thought that her dad seemed almost wryly amused by the situation. Not nearly as angry as a father should be at a daughter running off right before an international flight where the whole family planned to uproot and settle in another country entirely. He seemed relieved somehow, maybe glad even.
She didn't think much on it. She needed to get to Kiin Hall.
So, here it is. It's been some years now, but I think I've actually figured out a story I'm satisfied with, instead of just randomly typing. To those of you who like the old story better, I'm sorry. But don't worry, the premise has not changed, just undergone some deeper thought.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it; please leave some thoughts!