A/N: I'd first like to apologize for not updating anything in such a long time. SORRY! I know it's been a while, but it's hard to find time to write when you're in college!
A/N: I will be making reference to culture, so before anyone calls me out on anything, I'd like to inform everyone have no knowledge of many traditions in Japan, and I realize most of these traditions are originally Chinese. This story was just for fun, so it's NOT going to be completely factual.
A/N: I put links of Chiyo and her avatar on my profile if anyone wants to see them.
Happy Turkey Day and Enjoy!
Old Habits
"Twenty, nineteen, eighteen…"
"Are you still counting?"
"Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve…"
The wearied ninja sighed, balancing her katana by its tip in complete boredom. She watched her friend's bunny ears twitch in anticipation. The game was almost over but they had so little time; what were they waiting for? "You know, we still have to plan our last summer trip. School starts in a few short weeks."
"Izumi, I can't concentrate." Izumi sighed again. She didn't see the point in her friend's method; it was a strange habit she picked up, but it always worked for some reason. She figured it was a family trait.
"Five, four, three, two…"
Izumi couldn't wait another second. "Just go!"
In a flash, both warriors jumped out of their hiding spots and summoned their weapons. The blue-haired, keen-eyed katana expert sliced the frontline in one swipe, her cerulean tresses matching the fluid motion as well as the color of her yukata. The raven-haired she-bunny in the pink sailor suit put her two guns together, forming her weapons into one giant bazooka. Turning to the contingent, she blasted all the ninjas out of the sky and flew to the buzzer, reaching it in record time.
WINNER: Team KAWAII!
The victorious avatars stood on their pedestal proudly, waving to those who were entertained by the spectacle. As a grand finale, the girls posed, exclaiming their famous slogan, "Never underestimate the power of cute!"
When the excitement was over, the two avatars left with their reward and went on their way. The mall was their favorite hangout, the arcade being their most visited rendezvous point. Summer gave the girls plenty of time to enjoy themselves online, but that still didn't seem enough for the ninja. "Seriously, Kawa-chii, what are we going to do? We can't keep playing games for the rest of the summer. We should do something when Akari and her family come back from America this weekend—"
The she-bunny Kawa-chii groaned. "Don't get me started on the weekend, Izumi. My brother's coming over with his family."
"Your brother?" Suddenly, Izumi's face flushed deep red. "Well, if push comes to shove, I can just spend this weekend with your family…"
"Izumi, ew! He's my brother!"
"It's not my fault he's so…" Izumi giggled when she heard her friend gag. "And anyway, I thought you liked it when your brother's family came over. You never stop talking about them."
"Yeah, well, I like it when they come over, but when he comes over it's a different story." Kawa-chii suddenly stopped in her wake, and her friend tilted her head to the side curiously. "I have to go," she said. "I'll talk to you later tonight." Kawa-chii waved her friend goodbye before she signed off and was rendered to nothing but pixel dust.
O.O
"Chiyo! Come help us in the kitchen!"
"Be right there!" Turning off her laptop, Chiyo Ikezawa couldn't help smiling. The preteen enjoyed going online and posing as the adorably rambunctious she-bunny and reigning champion, Kawa-chii. She had to admit it was really fun competing with her friends against people who were so driven to win virtual competitions, and there was always a sorry bunch of sore losers in the mix. The way they took these games so seriously was probably the reason why they lost so often. That was all they were, after all—games.
Running into the kitchen, Chiyo saw a buffet of delicacies that made her mouth water. Seeing her daughter reach out for the dango, Kiyomi swatted her hand away. "Sweets are for later," she chastised. "Now help me and your aunts set up the table. Kazuma and Yuri will be here any minute."
With a pout, the 13-year-old took the plate of onigiri and went into the dining room to help her family.
Despite her grievances, Chiyo was actually excited to have her brother and his wife stay at the Jinnouchi manor, though she would've preferred to stay at their place. She liked the dojo. It was fun to watch the students practice kung fu, and since it was smaller than the Jinnouchi manor, it was easier to find her way around. Her favorite part was hanging out with Yuri, who she always looked up to as an older sister. She had always been kind, strong, encouraging, and loving since Chiyo had known her. In fact, Yuri treated her more like a sibling than Kazuma did.
"They're here!"
Chiyo almost dropped the platter when she heard the announcement. After carefully placing the delicacies on the table, she ran to catch up with her family to greet the new arrivals.
A Toyota Prius drove up to the entrance of the Jinnouchi estate. It came to a slow stop before the driver came out. Kiyomi went over to hug her son as Chiyo's uncles went to get the bags. Kazuma looked no different from their last visit. His hair was a little longer, tied back in a minute ponytail with the exception of his bangs, which covered a majority of his right visage. Wriggling out of his mother's taut embrace, Kazuma went to get the last of the bags before joining her on the other side of the car where the passenger was waiting. The passenger, Yuri, was elegant as always. Her hair fell over her shoulders and down her back, her bangs were held back by a lovely lily hairband, and she was wearing a lovely yellow summer dress. Once she was out of the car, she made her way around the car with two baby carriers, each holding a slumbering infant.
Kazuma and Yuri got married as soon as they got out of college. Several months later, they opened up the dojo. But throughout their three years of marriage, having kids never crossed their minds… until they found out Yuri was two months pregnant. The family wasn't told for another month due to Yuri's hesitance (she still hadn't outgrown her bashfulness even in her adult age, but at least she wasn't a hikikomori anymore) and Kazuma was still trying to register there was a living being growing inside of his wife. As soon as they told the family, they threw a celebration for the soon-to-be parents. As the months passed, the family did everything they could to assist the expecting couple until the birth of their two surprises, Ichiro and Tomiko, who was named after Yuri's late mother.
According to the eldest members of the Jinnouchi clan, the twins were a blessing, being the first set of twins to be born into the Jinnouchi clan in generations. Apparently it was a sign of good luck for the new parents and their growing family. Kazuma was just shocked that they ended up with two kids at the same time instead of only one. But as soon as his newborns were set in his arms, he never wanted to let them go. It was one of the happiest days in the young couple's life.
Chiyo was the first to go up and greet Yuri and the twins, and, despite her unremitting zeal, took considerable strides before giving Yuri a hug. "Nee-chan!"
Yuri smiled at her little sister-in-law and gently set down her babies' carriers to return the hug. "It's great to see you, Chiyo!"
"It's great to see you, too!" Chiyo quickly released her to greet her niece and nephew, who were now awake. Both twins gained their mother's light complexion and their father's dark brown eyes, but while Ichiro acquired Kazuma's raven hair, Tomiko head was cropped with snowy-white tresses. "Hey, you two!" The first born Ichiro responded by gurgling happily while his younger sister Tomiko yawned sleepily.
"My grandbabies have gotten so big!" Kiyomi gushed. "I can't believe they're only three months old! It feels like just yesterday Kazuma was this small, and I was giving him baths in the sink, lulling him to sleep, changing his diapers…"
An audible groan came from behind the girls. "Mom, you promised you'd stop telling stories."
"But you were such a cute baby! With your chubby cheeks and the birthmark on your—"
"Mom!" Kazuma face turned red as his wife and sister giggled at his expense.
"Alright, alright. I'm done," Kiyomi said. "Now let's all go inside. Everybody's waiting." Chiyo hastened to join Yuri's side, but her mother grabbed her arm before she could take another step. "I don't believe I heard you greet your brother."
Chiyo shrugged. "He saw me, didn't he?" Kiyomi gave her a look that made her groan. "Fine." As soon as the two older women walked off, Chiyo faced her brother.
Needless to say, Kazuma and Chiyo weren't too close. In fact, if it wasn't for her other relatives, Chiyo probably wouldn't have known her brother that well. Her grandfather constantly regaled the time their family had to deal with Love Machine, a lethal AI that was developed by one of her older relatives, Wabisuke. He helped stop the AI, but Kenji Koiso and Kazuma's avatar King Kazma did most of the work. And with the help of Usagi, who later became Hatsusagi, they were able to defeat Love Machine's replica, Love Machine 2.0. Chiyo wasn't even born when the first Love Machine came into their lives and she was only a toddler during the second event, so she couldn't remember a thing. She didn't really get to see Kazuma's true awesomeness until she started visiting the dojo.
Drilling through this fighting style since the tender age of three, Kazuma proved to be a true master of the art of Shaolin Kung fu. Yuri was just as adept having also practiced the skill since she was a toddler, and she even offered to give Chiyo lessons which she kindly refused. She wondered why Kazuma hadn't asked her, though. She wondered why her brother was so bent on not spending any time with her, family gatherings exempt. But she chose not to let it get to her, even though seeing her brother standing over her made her want to punch him in a very tender area.
"Hey, Chiyo," he said.
"Hey," she greeted dismissively. She sensed he felt as awkward as she did at the moment, and she almost felt inclined to leave.
"So, what've you been up to lately?" he asked.
"Not much," was her blatant reply.
"Wanna just go inside?"
"Thought you'd never ask."
Kazuma nodded for her to go ahead, and she ran to catch up with her mother and Yuri.
This is going to be a long nine days.
"Well, that was an interesting… meal," Kazuma said sarcastically. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his PC.
"I thought it was fun," Yuri said. She was currently getting the tired twins ready for bed.
"Of course you had fun. Everyone was catering to you hand and foot. Meanwhile, my mom was telling embarrassing stories from my childhood. Yeah, it was a blast."
Yuri giggled at his cynicism. She really did enjoy the homecoming dinner everyone prepared for them. For the past three months, she and Kazuma had been so busy with the twins they hadn't really had any time to be with the family. So with the fast approach of Ichiro and Tomiko's hundredth day blessing, Yuri thought it would good for them to take a break and celebrate with the Jinnouchi clan. And even though it looked like Kazuma was having a miserable time at the dinner party, she sometimes caught a hint of a smile on his lips whenever he looked over at his kids.
"Chi also seemed to have a fun time," she pointed out. "Speaking of which, you two didn't really talk tonight. Actually, you didn't talk to each other all day. She seemed a little… afraid to talk to you."
"What?" Kazuma scoffed. "That's crazy. Chiyo's not afraid of me, and even if she was, don't you think I'd notice?"
"… Not really. Did you say anything to her today?"
"We said hi at the entrance." Yuri shook her head. "What? It counts."
She replied with another shake of the head when little Tomiko began to whimper. After putting Ichiro in his cot, Yuri went to tend to her distraught daughter. "Shhhh. It's alright, Tomiko. Mommy's here." But even her mother's soothing voice wasn't enough to quiet the little girl down.
Hearing the cry of one of his kids, Kazuma looked up from his work and held out his arms. "Here, let me hold her." As soon as Yuri handed Tomiko over, Kazuma began to cradle the whimpering little girl. Yuri smiled as she watched her husband interact with their daughter. The pregnancy was difficult for both of them and things got especially tough after the twins were born, but one of the things she really enjoyed during this endeavor into parenthood was seeing Kazuma's affectionate side. A few years ago, no one would've pictured someone so cool, cocky, and reserved to settle down let alone be a father. Looking at him now as he rocked their child to sleep, Yuri knew he was already a terrific one.
Yuri wasn't surprised when daddy's little girl immediately calmed down once she was in her father's arm, but she grew concerned when she saw Tomiko shiver. Having already noticed this, Kazuma put a hand on her forehead and frowned. "She's still warm. I knew that party would be too much for her."
"Everything was fine, Kazuma," Yuri assured him. "She was having a great time."
"She's just getting over a fever, Yuri. The last thing she needed was all that commotion."
"You mean your family." Kazuma grunted in reply.
Once he heard Tomiko snore, Kazuma took the liberty to put her in her cot. After making sure she was fully asleep, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead before moving back to his PC on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Yuri asked curiously.
"Checking up on our site."
Yuri rolled her eyes. "Kazuma, when I wanted us to get away from work, I meant by all means. Get off the computer."
"I'll just be a sec." His wife shook her head at him regardless and left to wash up for bed. As soon as she was out the room, Kazuma took the opportunity to take out his headphones and eagerly logged into OZ.
It seemed that no matter how old they got, OZ would be always be a part of the young couple's life. Once the two got to college, they stopped competing in MMA competitions and no longer had a need to go on, but as soon as they attained the dojo, OZ once again gained purpose. With permission from Kenta Takeuchi, Yuri's long lost cousin and the CEO of OZ, they were able to conduct business online like most associations did. Named after Yuri's late father, the Hideo Shaolin Kung Fu dojo became well-known throughout the region of Ueda. By using King Kazma as the mascot, it attracted not only grade school kids, but a majority of Kazuma and Yuri's students consisted of teenagers and even a few adults. They used the site on OZ to put up practice schedules and promote special events, courtesy of the Jinnouchi clan.
As soon as Kazuma opened the account, a ping! came from the computer, indicating a new message. It was a notice for a competition. Kazuma couldn't help rolling his eyes. He hadn't competed in years, but it was probably protocol to send these ads to all OZ citizens. And since his retirement, King Kazma had started getting replaced by other champions, but none of them could ever compare to their former king. So when the former MMA champion of OZ saw who was sporting the cover of the promotion poster, he couldn't help gawking. "Chiyo?!"
There were two girls posing together, their backs against each other as they winked at Kazuma. Although the girl on the right wasn't actually his little sister, the avatar bared an incredible resemblance to her. She had the same raven locks, the same peachy olive skin tone, and even the silly smile on her face was cognizant to Chiyo's. The only exceptions were the bunny ears popping out of her sailor hat, her hair going past her waist, and the bazooka in her hands. But there was no doubt that avatar was his sister's creation.
Yuri stormed in when she heard his outburst and went to check on the children. When she saw they were both still fast asleep, she sighed in relief and then sent a glare to her awfully stagnant husband. "Kazuma, why are you shouting when you know it'll take hours to get the twins back to sleep?" she scolded angrily.
Kazuma didn't respond. He still couldn't believe his eyes. "My sister… has an OZ account."
"What?" Yuri walked over to see what made her husband so speechless. She read the message carefully. "Who's Kawa-chii? Is that why you're upset? You know you haven't competed in years. What's the big deal?"
Slowly, Kazuma closed his PC, a haunting look crossing his face. With the same sluggishly calm pace, he stood from his spot and began towards the door. "I'll be right back," he said just as carefully. Before Yuri could even ask where he was headed, Kazuma had closed the door. By the time she had opened the door, he was already gone.
O.O
On a normal night, 13-year-old Chiyo would be chatting with friends and browsing for new games in the arcades of OZ. So far, nothing had piqued her interest, but she had the whole night ahead of her. That was what she loved about nighttime; with everybody sound asleep, there was no one to bother her. That was what usually happened, anyway.
When she saw her older brother barge through the door, Chiyo was a mix of surprised and angry—surprised to see her brother decided to visit her, and angry because he barged in so late at night—during her free time, nonetheless. With a grunt of irritation, Chiyo grudgingly took off her headphones and turned to Kazuma. "Ever heard of knocking? It's, like, midnight."
"How long have you been on OZ?"
She blinked quizzically at the question before looking away in careful thought. "… A year, I think?"
A year?! "When were you going to tell anyone?"
Chiyo shrugged. "I didn't think I had to. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong. I mean, I'm just playing games; it's not a big deal."
Games? Kazuma couldn't decide whether to laugh cynically or punch the wall, so he just stood there and his sister stared at him, wondering what exactly she said to make him freeze up like that. Was he angry with her? Why should he be? She knew she wasn't doing anything wrong. So then why did he care if she had an OZ account? Funny how he didn't seem too interested in her life until OZ was suddenly brought up.
"That's beside the point," he said quickly.
"Then what is the point?" she rejoined. "And how'd you even find out I had an account?"
"I saw a notice for some competition. This 'Kawa-chii' was sporting the cover, looked exactly like you. But that doesn't matter. You're still too young to be a part of it."
Chiyo laughed at the lame excuse. "Oh puh-leez. There are kids younger than me who play these games all the time. How old were you when you got an OZ account?"
"…" Truthfully, Kazuma had never told anyone how long OZ had been in his life, which was a lot longer than anyone thought, so he decided not to give his sister a straight answer. "I was… more mature than you."
"What does that have to do with…?" Chiyo stopped when she saw the spiteful look on her brother's face and smirked. "Oh my God this is so excellent. You're jealous."
"Excuse me?"
"You're just jealous that I'm number one. I'm the reigning champion and you're not. Not anymore."
Kazuma refused to give his sister the satisfaction by responding, but even in his adult age it was hard for Kazuma to hold back his temper. He crossed his arms and glared at her in vexation as she continued to smirk knowingly.
"Shut it down," he demanded.
"No," she immediately replied. "Just because you're older doesn't mean you can boss me around."
"Yes, is does. Now shut it down or—"
"Or what? You'll tell Mom?" Kazuma smirked at the suggestion, and Chiyo's confidence faltered. His eyes scanned the room until they spotted their mark: the blank math workbook.
It was a familiar sight. Summer had always been an opportunity for kids of all ages to slack off on their summer assignments. However, Kazuma had never been one of those kids. In fact, he was usually one of the very few students to finish homework at the beginning summer so he'd have much more time to slack off for the rest of it. It was so clever, he wondered why none of the other kids used this method instead of stressing themselves out the day before school started. From what he could see, Chiyo was no different from the slackers, and with middle school approaching, she didn't have a lot of time.
And Kiyomi was none the wiser.
"You wouldn't dare," Chiyo said as her brother's lingering eye went towards the door.
"I won't," he said, "if…"
"If…?" she reiterated.
"… If you beat me in an OZ MMA match."
Chiyo wanted to laugh, but her brother was so straight-faced she found she couldn't. "You're serious?" His silence was her answer. She smirked. That would be interesting, seeing how she matched up to the great King Kazma. Then again, he hadn't competed in so long who knew how well he'd actually do? Not very well. "Alright, I accept. What are the stakes?"
"If you beat me tomorrow, you can keep your account. But if I win, you get rid of if, and you have to tell Mom you've been slacking off."
"That's not fair!" Chiyo cried. "I still have plenty of time to do the work, and school doesn't start for another two weeks!"
"Would you rather have me tell her?"
She crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine. Tomorrow after breakfast."
Kazuma left with the smirk on his face, and Chiyo fought the urge to scream.
Save the anger for the match, Chiyo, she thought to herself. King Kazma has no idea what's coming to him.
When Kazuma went back to room, he swept past Yuri and immediately headed towards his laptop. "What are you doing now?"
"Match—Chiyo—OZ—tomorrow."
His bout was a puzzle, but it only took a second for his wife to put the pieces together. "You're going to fight your 13-year-old sister in a stupid online MMA match? Are you insane?" He remained silent as he logged back into OZ.
Yuri watched him closely as he prepped King Kazma for tomorrow's match by entering into a private sparring room. She recognized the fire in his eyes, the fluid yet rough motions of his fingers as they dexterously flew across the keyboard, King Kazma following each command flawlessly and subordinately. He wasn't out of touch, not even by a bit. It disturbed her. "Kazuma, you're scaring me. I thought you moved past this."
"I have."
"Then why are you so determined to kick your sister off the site? Why can't she have an OZ account? You had one when you were her age."
"That was before she was even born. Besides, Chiyo isn't as interested in that kind of stuff as we were. She's more naïve."
Yuri rolled her eyes. "She's not as not as naïve as you think, Kazuma." He was too enthralled with the sparring match to give her a reply this time, making Yuri sigh.
There was no getting through to Kazuma, not when it came to OZ. She knew he was probably doing this to protect Chiyo, even though he would never admit it, but another part of him, the dangerously competitive spirit he held whenever he went into one of these matches, made him completely blind to his surroundings—the people around him, their feelings, they were all disregarded while he himself was enraptured in the virtual reality before him. And what was worse was that Kazuma didn't realize that this stupid rivalry would only strain the already slight relationship he had with his sister.
The next day right after breakfast, the two rivals prepared to face each other, getting in as much spar time as they could before it was time. Once Kazuma felt he was ready to go against his sister, he met her in his old secret sanctum: his room.
The room, which was now filled with boxes, was the perfect place to have the match. It was quiet and located in the most private area of the house.
Chiyo looked at the old, dusty room in disgust. "You sure you want to do this here?"
"You can always back out," he replied with a smirk.
She scowled. "Whatever. I can take you on anywhere. Let's do this."
After setting up their laptops, the two siblings quickly logged into OZ and simultaneously entered into the chosen arena: Bloody Rivalry.
"Whenever you're ready," said Kazuma.
Chiyo smirked. "I'm always ready." The preteen watched the clock tick-tock until up to its last second.
"Five, four, three, two…"
O.O
"ONE!" As soon as the time clock chimed, Kawa-chii did not hesitate to bring out the big guns, literally. However, as soon as she did, the twin handguns she was so accustomed to using during battle dissipated to digital dust. "W-What…?"
"This is an MMA fight, Chi," King Kazma said with a smirk. "No weapons allowed."
Kawa-chii cursed. She had forgotten MMA was hands-on. But her surprise shortly went away and she once again faced the white rabbit with a smirk. "Whatever. I can take you one without my guns!" Or my bazooka. My really awesome bazooka. "It wouldn't be real fair to you if I did have them, anyway, would it? I'm sure we can both agree this will be the shortest match ever." The she-bunny lunged at the legend with all her might, but the white rabbit swiftly moved out of the way.
"Wrong move," Kazma said. She flew at him again, and once again he moved out of the way effortlessly. "Predictable." His arms were crossed cockily and the smirk on his face grew. "Miss your guns yet?"
"Shut up, and stop moving!" Kazma could see the frustration in her eyes grow each second, and the amusement he felt seconds before was starting to grow into concern. It didn't surprise him that his sister's method of attack was sloppy—her lack of gun power being the obvious cause—but not only was she disorganized, but she was also becoming compulsively impatient and weary.
"Ready to give up yet?" With her curled fist in his hand, King Kazma easily throw her to the ground, a crater forming under the force. Besides a few cuts and scrapes, Kawa-chii looked perfectly fine. It wouldn't be long until she got too exhausted to continue. "You were right; this was the shortest match ever."
King Kazma was suddenly thrown back by an unsuspected blow to the face. Kawa-chii had actually managed to hit him. But that wasn't what shocked him. Seeing his sister's face red with blinding, hot rage was what put him off.
"You're so full of it!" she cried.
Kazma wiped the blood off the corner of his lip. "You should talk. You assumed you could beat me just because you got a bunch of fancy upgrades. There's more to these battles than just having a weapon. You need to have the skills in order to use them, and it looks like you haven't learned enough."
"Don't lecture me!" Kawa-chii fist aimed for Kazma's chin, but he quickly blocked it. The she-bunny was relentless. "The one time you want to mentor me it's over some stupid game! But I shouldn't be surprised, Mr. I-defeated-Love-Machine-twice! I'm not going to take that crap! You can't ignore me for ten years and then barge into my life like it was nothing!"
"What?" King Kazma could already tell Kawa-chii was getting tired, but it didn't look like she planned on stopping any time soon. To cut her a break, he grabbed her fists. She struggled to get free, but she was out of breath. "I didn't ignore you."
The she-bunny was given her hands back, but she didn't attack. "Oh, please. When it wasn't OZ, it was the dojo. You never even bothered to ask if I wanted any lessons. Most of what I learned came from Yuri. She's the only one who cared enough to ask me about anything! You've always only cared about one thing, and it sure as hell wasn't me! But I don't need you! I hate you!"
It was awfully silent for a moment. If there were any insignificant sounds, it would be the haggard breathing of Kawa-chii, but even that was mute. King Kazma floated down to the floor of the fighting area, his fists clenching and unclenching in uncertainty. Normally, insults would only make him angrier, but hearing these words from Kawa-chii—coming from his sister—King Kazma just… stopped. He had nothing to say—there was no way to express how he felt at the moment, mostly because he didn't know how to feel. It was the first time anyone said they hated him, and the animosity came from his own sister.
Chiyo… hates me.
"Kazuma! Kazuma, where are you?!"
O.O
"What is it?" Kazuma asked and grew concerned when he saw his mother standing in the doorframe, her face in complete panic. Chiyo didn't bother to turn around seeing as she was still upset with her brother.
"It's Tomiko."
In a matter of seconds, Kazuma was out the door, the unfinished challenge completely forgotten. Chiyo, piqued by her older brother's reaction, looked up at her mother for an answer. "What's going on?" she asked precariously.
"Tomiko's gained another fever. She could barely breathe."
The preteen stood. "Is she going to be okay? What about Ichiro?"
"Ichiro's fine. Natsuki went with Yuri to take Tomiko to the hospital. We're going with them." Chiyo didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing her mother's hand, the two ran to catch up with the rest of the family as they headed to the hospital.
It was a long day for the Jinnouchi clan, especially for Chiyo—at least it seemed that way. It was a little in the afternoon when she, her mother, and half of the family were all waiting outside the room where the doctor was checking up on Tomiko. Kazuma and Yuri were also in there, seeing as they were the parents. The other members who couldn't come were back at the manor watching little Ichiro.
Chiyo didn't know how long they'd been waiting, but it seemed too long. How long did it take for a doctor to check on a 3-month-old infant? Tomiko couldn't be that sick… could she? The more she thought about it, the more it worried her, so Chiyo started thinking about the match to take her mind off the current situation.
Despite her earlier claim, their match didn't last as long as she had anticipated, and it was more emotional than she wanted it to be. It was also strange how Kazuma reacted when she chewed him out, as if he were surprised she felt this way. Then again, Kazuma had always been blissfully unaware of a lot of things whenever it came to OZ and stuff like that, especially the consideration of others. It was different when Yuri came into the picture, and even then all that Kazuma seemed to care about was online games and Kung Fu. She had to wonder how Yuri could still put up with him after all these years. But after she yelled at him, Kazuma went into an utter state of… devastation, like her words hit him in a place that had never been touched, and all of a sudden he was vulnerable. It was a side of Kazuma she had never seen.
After what felt like hours, the pediatrician, Dr. Mori, came out, followed by a very relieved, very tired Kazuma. Everyone stood in anticipation and began asking questions:
"How's Tomiko?"
"Is she going to be alright?"
"When can we see her?"
Dr. Mori was very patient. "Everybody calm down," the doctor said evenly. "Tomiko's going to be fine."
"What's wrong with her?" Chiyo asked shyly.
"She has RSV—Respiratory Syncytial Virus. It's not uncommon in newborns, and it can easily spread to other infants she's interacted with."
Chiyo grimaced. "Tomiko has a twin. Is he…?"
"If he's not showing signs now, I doubt he has it, but you should bring him in just in case."
Kazuma looked to his mother, who nodded in understanding. "I'll call the house and have Nana bring him here." Kiyomi went off to do so.
"Tomiko's going to make a nice recovery," Dr. Mori continued. "But she needs rest. I wouldn't advise seeing her at this moment, but…" Looking at the pleading faces of the Jinnouchi clan, she sighed. "If you really want to see her, then only a few at a time should go in. Just be sure to be quiet so she won't disturb her."
The family started going in three at a time, and for once Chiyo didn't jump up to be first. She looked at Kazuma, who looked about ready to collapse. She was not the only one who noticed his weariness. Her uncles led him to a chair at the end of the hall so he could be alone and they patted his back hearteningly before going in to see Tomiko. Once he was alone, Chiyo went over to him. "Are you okay?" she asked in concern. He didn't answer, instead running his hand through his hair and taking slow, deep breaths. "Are you… are you mad at me?" He shook his head. "You should be. I said a lot of terrible stuff to you."
"… I deserved it. I deserved every word." Chiyo's eyes widened at this response. Kazuma had a glassy, faraway look in his eyes, as if he were merely talking to air. "I've never been good with people. I guess I'm still not good with people. It's hard, even with a family. After all those years of isolation it's hard to communicate with people who don't understand you. Yuri's the only one who's ever been ever to reach me—no, not only me. Yuri's always had this way of affecting the people around her, even you.
"You probably don't remember, but you used to be really shy when you were a toddler. You didn't talk to anyone outside the family. You didn't even like getting held by anyone except me or Mom. But when you first met Yuri, you immediately opened up." Chiyo couldn't help smiling as Kazuma went on about Yuri. Finding the Jinnouchi clan was probably the best thing to ever happen to her, and to them. "Eventually, you both were able to get out of your shells. You grew so attached to her. And that's when I realized, eventually… you wouldn't need me anymore."
Chiyo frowned. "But… you're my brother. Why would you assume that?"
Kazuma shook his head, a sad smile crossing his face. "We grew so far apart from each other. I know it's hard when you're the youngest in the family, and it's probably even harder when your brother is thirteen years older than you. It's hard to find a common ground when the age difference is so large. I saw how much easier it was for you to be with Yuri, to go to her with your problems, to ask for help with homework or for Kung Fu lessons. You're growing up without me, Chiyo."
It quiet for a moment, as if he were giving her time to reflect. Then Kazuma continued, "When they brought Tomiko here, I never felt so helpless. She's so small, so fragile. If I lost her…" He bit his lip to stifle a sob and Chiyo felt the urge to her hug her brother. She felt ashamed for hesitating. "When I first saw her in there, I remembered when you were that small. You got sick once, only you just had a cold. But I remembered back then I was still scared. I just got you, and then I was losing you. I helped Mom take care of you and nurse you back to health, and after that I didn't stop taking care of you. Sure, you got on my nerves sometimes, but you were my baby sister; that was what you were supposed to do." She smiled a bit at that part. "Now, you're going on OZ, doing all these things I used to do; it's as if you don't need me. Eventually, Ichiro and Tomiko won't need me, either, and… that kind of scares me."
She pondered on this, pondered on the fears her brother outpoured, and all of a sudden she saw him in a new light. Chiyo knew Kazuma was capable of fear, but she had never truly embraced it until today. Knowing she was a part of this anxiety that tore at his heart made her feel even guiltier for berating him.
"Of course I'm going to need you, Kazuma," she said. "You're my big brother. And Ichiro and Tomiko will still need you, too. You're their dad. They'll always need you, no matter how old they get." Chiyo felt Kazuma's gaze on her, but she didn't look up at him. "I guess it wasn't fair of me to expect you to know what I wanted, and I guess, in a way, I've been neglecting you, too. I love Yuri a lot, but that doesn't mean I love you any less." Chiyo felt his gaze on her, but she found it hard to say those words to his face without crying. "I'm sorry I hurt you. In the arena, I didn't mean it… I'm so sorry…"
As her body shuddered with sobs, Chiyo felt her brother's arm around her, and she clung to him, welcoming his warm embrace.
"I'm sorry, too," he murmured softly. "And I will always love you. Don't ever forget that."
Chiyo pulled back a little to wipe her eyes and smiled up at her brother. "I won't."
They sat like that for a while, embracing each other. It was the first time they really spent time together as siblings and felt like it, too. "So," Chiyo said, disrupting the moment, "is that why you wanted me to get rid of my OZ account?"
"There's a lot of stuff online I guess I wasn't ready for you to see," Kazuma admitted. "You're my little sister, after all."
"You were totally jealous." Kazuma let go of her and scoffed, but she could still detect to grin on his face. "So, since we technically didn't finish the match, does this mean I don't have to tell Mom about my homework?"
"… You know what, how about we forget about the match and I help you with your homework. Deal?"
Chiyo nodded eagerly. "Let's go see how Tomiko's doing." As soon as they stood, Kazuma wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulder and Chiyo put her head against his arm as he led her into the hospital room.
A few days later…
"Make a wish, Ichiro! Tomiko!"
"Chi, that's not how it works. Besides, they're not old enough to make wishes."
"They could try. Come on, guys! What do you wish for?"
The two infants were too oblivious and distracted by the pretty red ribbons hanging from the shrine bells to pay attention to the petty conversation that went on. Tomiko was now a healthy, bubbly baby giggling happily in the arms of her father. Ichiro, who was now in his mother's arms, joined his sister in the laughter as if they both knew this was a joyous day:
August 8th, the 100th day anniversary of the twins' birth.
The twins were brought to the temple in Ueda so they could be blessed on their special day with their parents and Chiyo, who stubbornly insisted on coming along until her mother let her. Traditionally, the parents would do this alone, but neither of them minded breaking tradition so the twins' favorite aunt could bless them as well. Once they were, a momentous feast would be awaiting them all at home.
"Come on! Make a wish!" Chiyo chanted on. "I know you guys want something! Money? Clothes? …Teeth?" Ichiro and Tomiko continued to ignore their aunt, and the preteen sighed in exasperation. "Well, it was worth a shot."
"I told you, that's not how it works," Kazuma persisted. The little brunette responded by sticking out her tongue. Yuri smiled as she watched the Ikezawa siblings interact. She noticed they had finally started warming up to each other, and they got closer each day. Kazuma also helped Chiyo finish her summer work, which really surprised her. She didn't know what happened between them while she was with Tomiko that day in the hospital, but she was glad they had finally worked things out.
"Well, I just want my family to remain happy and healthy," Yuri said.
"Yeah," Kazuma agreed as he down at his little girl. "Me too." He poked her belly, making her giggle louder. "Chi, do us the honors."
Chiyo went up to give the offering and receive a fortune before ringing the bell, clapping her hands twice and bowing in front of the shrine. Kazuma and Yuri bowed slightly, and the twins did most of the clapping for them. They were very delighted by the bell's ringing. Once they were done, the family headed back to the Jinnouchi manor.
"You know, we never got to finish our match," Chiyo spoke up. "I know you said it didn't matter anymore, but leaving it as is doesn't seem… satisfying, does it?"
Kazuma smirked. "I guess not." Chiyo grinned. Yuri watched this exchange curiously. "Hmm… Alright, I'll take you on again… after we practice in the dojo."
"You mean… you're going to give me lessons?"
"On the house. You are family, after all." The preteen gazed up at her brother, still slightly bewildered by his generous offer. Seeing her expression made him chuckle. "How else are you supposed to learn how to fight without using weapons? Playing those games online is nothing like the real thing. You'll gain more experience and do a better job when you enter matches."
"But if you do want to learn how to use weapons I'm always willing to teach you," Yuri added.
Chiyo smiled tenfold. There was no doubt she was elated. "Wait! We didn't read the twins' fortune!" Chiyo took the paper out and read it aloud. "'Your family shall grow in strength as it does in numbers.'" Kazuma couldn't help grinning. The fortune was more of their way of living—the motto of the Jinnouchi clan, you might say. And Kazuma came to realize as he looked upon his family, no matter what disaster fell upon them or how many falling outs they would have, that this value would always remain true.
The End
Once again, I apologize for taking so long. I will continue to write, but I won't be making any promises when it comes to updating. I like to have fun when I write, and though it took a while, I really enjoyed writing this. It really fits the occasion, doesn't it?
Happy Thanksgiving!
R&R!