"Yuuto…"
A sterile, white hospital room is filled with the colors of that early evening's sunset, the open window letting in a warm summer breeze.
"Yuuto, wake up sweetheart."
A young mother holds her infant son, her third child and second boy. To her right is her middle child and first son, Yuuto, who is sleeping soundly on the edge of the bed beside her. Her husband waits patiently with her eldest and only daughter Mayumi while she attempts to wake him.
"Come on now, it's time for us to go home. It's time to show the house to Yukio."
Yuuto stirs as his mother runs a hand through his short hair. His eyes part open slowly, his sleepiness blurring his view of his beloved mother.
"…Mom?"
Sakaeguchi Yuuto awoke from his dream with a slight headache. Sitting up in bed, he glanced around the room. It was early morning on a Sunday, the sun's rays peeking through his curtains and giving his room some light. He ran a hand through his hair as he remembered just what he was dreaming about.
"…Shit."
-o-
Sakaeguchi stumbled downstairs for breakfast as his father was running out the door, late for work. He rubbed his forehead softly as he joined his siblings in the kitchen.
"Good Morning Yuuto nii-chan!" his younger brother Yukio grinned. Sakaeguchi smiled.
"Morning Yuki." He said. His older sister Mayumi was at the stove whipping up some pancakes as the second baseman went to the fridge for some orange juice.
"Yuu, I have to go to work today, so you're in charge of Yuki." She said. "He has baseball practice after lunch, so ask Yui-san next door to drive you to the field. Remember to pack him a snack since he won't be back 'til after dinner, and I already have his Coach dropping him off when practice is over."
"Got it." Sakaeguchi nodded, chugging down his juice as she served him and his brother their breakfast. "Say, did Dad run out without eating again?"
"He needs a new alarm clock, his current one won't ring when it should." Mayumi answered, washing the pan of any batter sticking to the bottom. "But to answer your question, yeah, though I made him swear that he'd at least buy something to eat for lunch. He can't keep skipping meals like this."
"Yeah, I should probably pull something together for him since I'm up so early for practice these days." Sakaeguchi said.
"That'd save me the trouble of scolding him when he gets home every night." Mayumi said, rinsing the now clean pan. "Oh, and don't forget we'll be on our own for a week when Dad goes out of town with his job tomorrow."
"Yeah… didn't he mention something about a babysitter?" Sakaeguchi asked.
"I told him that I'd be just fine taking care of you two while he's gone." Mayumi grumbled. "But he still says we need someone older to keep an eye on us."
"Well, you're not exactly… our mom, you know." Sakaeguchi scratched the back of his neck absent-mindedly, avoiding his sister's immediately concerned gaze. She could tell something was up.
"All done!" Yukio proclaimed, startling his siblings somewhat and bringing his dishes to the sink. "Thank you for the food!"
"You're welcome, Yuki." Mayumi smiled, adding them to the soapy water already in the sink. "Now go get changed out of your pajamas and make sure your bag has all your baseball stuff in it, okay?"
"Okay!" Yukio grinned and ran upstairs, leaving his two older siblings to talk freely.
"What happened now?" Mayumi asked.
"What do you mean?" Sakaeguchi asked in return, sitting down at the table.
"You never mention Mom in that tone unless something's eating at you." She answered.
"It's nothing…" he muttered, stuffing his mouth with a piece of pancake. "I just dreamt about her this morning, that's all."
"…It's been nine years, hasn't it?" Mayumi let Yukio's dishes soak in the murky water as she pondered that fact. Their mother had passed away not long after Yukio's birth due to an illness. Mayumi had been 10 at the time, Yuuto, 6. They were now 19 and 15 years old, and it broke her heart to know Yukio has never seen his mother except through pictures and home movies.
"I'd rather not think about it." Sakaeguchi said, albeit bitterly. "We don't have time to mull over the fact she's gone. We have to focus on raising Yukio and keeping Dad in check, okay?"
"Right…" Mayumi understood the reason for the bitter tone of her brother's voice. Their mother's death definitely affected him negatively, though he continually kept that fact to himself on a regular basis. He didn't want Yukio to get upset just because he wasn't in control of his own emotions.
Once his breakfast was finished, Sakaeguchi headed upstairs himself to change. It may be a Sunday, but he wasn't allowed to just sit in his pajamas, which were really just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, all day long. His neighbors came by frequently to see how they were doing, so he had to at least look somewhat presentable. Plus, because his sister would be working all day, it was his turn to do some of the shopping, but that would be after lunch.
Upstairs in his room, Sakaeguchi flopped onto his bed with a sigh, burying his face in his pillow. What a way to start a Sunday morning… Looking over to his nightstand, he focused on the picture frame that contained a single photo of his mother, taken the day she brought Yukio home. She had long light brown hair that matched his own, and smiled warmly to her father who was taking the photo. Little Yukio was in her arms while Mayumi and himself were situated on either side of her, smiling happily with the arrival of their new baby brother.
If only they had known they would know such grief only a few months later…
Punching his pillow a few times, the second baseman tore open his closet to look for something to wear. Normal sweatpants and t-shirt would be fine until he had to accompany Yukio to baseball practice and then do some grocery shopping.
Figuring to vent out his pent-up bitterness so as to not be in such a sour mood all day, Sakaeguchi powered on his X-Box and plugged in his controller. Using the Live feature, he joined a regular first-person shooter game and went to work. It was only when his phone started buzzing with a few texts that he stopped playing.
There were three texts from Tajima and one text from Suyama. He opened the one from Suyama first, since it was probably about what Tajima was saying anyway.
We were all thinking about hanging out today. The text read. It was mainly Tajima's idea though. Are you free?
Not really. I have to drop my brother off at baseball practice after lunch. Sakaeguchi replied. And my sister's working all day today, so I have to watch him until then. Plus, I have to do the shopping today, which won't free me up 'til at least 2:30. So I think I'll pass.
Sakaeguchi knew he could just join up with them once he was done grocery shopping, but being in the crappiest mood at the time, he didn't feel like going anywhere. He didn't want his friends to notice and ask him what was wrong, because he didn't want to explain it to them.
Sakaeguchi's phone buzzed a good seven more times before he even bothered to open it. They were all from Tajima, save an 'Ok' text from Suyama, all nagging him to come. Sakaeguchi sent the same response he sent to Suyama and left it at that. He just wanted to be alone for the time being…
Lying down on his back atop his now made bed after turning off his TV set, Sakaeguchi rested his hands on his chest, one folded into the other. He stared up at his ceiling before his gaze fell to his hands. Squinting at the memory long past, he could still see the light mark that it left behind. It was invisible along the creases of his wrist, but he could still remember the panic and fear, as well as the droplet of relief, that the red line had brought him.
