Chapter One: A Game of Telephone

(Nanako)

"Big Bro," I whispered over the phone line.

"Yeah?" I hear his reply. "What is it Nanako-chan? Why the whispers?"

"Mmh." I kick into my shoes and head out the door, so happy to have gotten a cell phone last year. "Okay," I tell him more loudly. "I'm out of the house now, heading to the riverbank. I needed to talk to you." I chew my lip, considering how to break this next part to him.

He waits silently for me to go on.

I sigh. I need to say it aloud to someone. "It's finally happening. Dad got Adachi-san's sentence commuted to house arrest."

He's shocked into silence. He and the others never thought that Dad would get this far. The others visited Adachi once or twice but found closure and moved on, happy he was locked away.

Here's the part he'll really hate. "And you know it's going to be our house, right? Dad really never gave up."

"...Oh." I can hear that Yuu-kun's processing my words, wrestling with assuring me it's going to be okay, but needing to dive right into questions.

"Just ask," I shake my head.

I hear a short grunt of relief from him as the same old story spills from his lips. "It's been five years now, and you still can't remember? He was really always nice to you? I couldn't stand him. Last time I went to the prison, Adachi was as bad as usual. Have you—" He breaks off, probably worried how I'll feel. "Have you been with your dad to the prison?"

I guess I'll start from the beginning…

"No I don't remember, and I liked it when he came over and played with me. I never noticed anything was wrong." I can't recall any of it. Just blurry memories of dinners with Dad, Yuu-kun, and Adachi. "Then Teddie kept asking questions about jail, and I started questioning where Adachi-san went and why all of you didn't like him."

I tuck my hair behind my ear, filling in the usual answers. It has been so long, and since my literal kidnapper wasn't anyone I even knew, I've been soft on the man I do remember.

"It's because I only have the good memories," I conclude aloud. I stare at the river, stepping closer to watch the fish darting beneath the water's surface. "And you know how Dad's been through all of this. He took such a short time to process it, the details don't seem to matter to him."

"Yes," Yuu-kun agrees. "It seems Uncle thinks he can 'fix' him. That's part of what worries me."

"And I have been a few times. Adachi looks terrible. He's skinny like a skeleton and much quieter."

Then there was the thing—

The thing I can't explain...

How I fixed his broken finger.

I push the incident out of my mind, instead mentioning Adachi's smile. "He can't smile. He tried a few times, but it looked empty and sad. It wasn't like the easy, friendly ones he used to have so many of." Adachi had said a few quick words and then kept on smiling while he listened, hunched over in his chair. I could feel him looking at me through his long bangs, but couldn't see his eyes.

"I don't think the medications are right. Dad's only let me go recently, since the latest change, and he doesn't seem like himself at all." I can feel tears coming. I had never seen anyone who looked so broken before. "I expected it to be different, but not as much."

"I'm sorry, Nanako," Yuu-kun worries. "I thought he'd be out of our lives by now. He's not right..."

"Why can't the old him come back?" I could feel myself whine that part out.

"He... He has problems. Adachi's..." Yuu-kun hesitates again. "He isn't how you remember him." Big Bro finished college. Now he's working to become a doctor. After all the people he helped in Inaba, and watching the change in Adachi, he's been compelled to help more people in a visible way. I'm really proud of him.

"Can that be fixed?"

"...And he's always seemed sociopathic to me..." Yuu-kun mumbles this part more to himself. "If they've been treating his problems, it could be okay. It's not something you 'fix', though. It's more that you learn to live with it properly. It's a possibility." I can tell Big Bro is trying to convince himself more than me. "There's a continuing treatment plan, right?"

I pace around, trying to remember the details. "Dad came home with a lot of packets; I think one is about that. He told me that doctors would come over and he would make sure Adachi takes all his pills." I consider keeping the second part to myself, but I'm sure Big Bro will find out anyways.

"Were also supposed to start out acting really calm around him. We're not supposed to do anything that'll make him feel panicky or excited. That's when he has outbursts."

Yuu-kun chews it all over in a minute of silence. "When's he being released?"

"At the end of the month—The last Friday." I check my watch: a little over a week.

I can hear Yuu-kun rummaging around for his planner. "You want me to come down? I could at least stay for the weekend. I'm sure I could get Yukiko to save me a room."

That would be a relief. "Yes," I answer him confidently. "That'd be nice." I can feel his warm smile through the phone as we say our goodbyes.

#

It's the end of the week now, and I know Dad took the long trip to the prison after work. I told him I would come, but he said I didn't have to. He keeps saying he's asking enough already, that he doesn't want to drag me away from my free time and friends.

Walking back to our house through town, I notice Kanji is keeping the shop open late again. Kanji still stops by and hangs out with us often. I stayed closest with him and Teddie because they were always around. They didn't go to college—Teddie never went to school at all.

Teddie started living with Kanji and his mom when Yosuke went off to college. I think he's happier now. Kanji always praises his effort and Tatsumi-sama seems to adore the strange bear-boy. I don't really understand where he came from, but it doesn't matter as long as he's here.

Rise and her friends call me every few weeks. I like talking to them, too. They're really busy but I appreciate how they always make time. And Yukiko stops by with food. Her cooking's gotten really good over the years.

Naoto, Chie, and Yosuke all live away now, but Big Bro likes to get everyone together once a year. They're all so happy to see each other. Last I heard, they're still in Tokyo.

I walk up to the old style door of Tatsumi Textiles and call out as I push it open.

"Nana-chan!" Teddie chirps as he skips over, carrying a messy-looking shirt. "Look what I finished today! I can put it on this time!"

Kanji trudges out of the back room after him, shaking his head. "It ain't great, but at least he didn't keep tangling the thread into knots this time. I hate fixing that old machine!"

I smile widely at Teddie's latest project, happy to see him enjoying learning. "It looks great!"

"I know~!" Teddie shrieks, twirling around and bounding off to show Tatsumi-sama.

"So what's up Nanako?" Kanji asks, plopping down at the work table and motioning for me to join him. He pours us some iced tea and waits to see if I have anything on my mind. Ever since Kanji started accepting himself better, he's been a lot more relaxed. It's nice; it makes him easy to talk to.

I sip the cool tea and wish that Kanji would spring for an air conditioner this year. I don't know how he can handle physical work in the summer heat.

After I've drained the glass, I slide it towards him for seconds and start to work my way around explaining Adachi's release. "Have you talked to Big Bro lately?" I ask, crossing my fingers that Yuu-kun already broached the topic.

"No," Kanji shakes his head. "Why? He do something cool?"

Of course he doesn't know, I lament. He would've been banging our door down till Dad reconsidered. He'll probably be livid.

I shake my head. "It's about Adachi-san."

"Yeah?" Kanji snorts. "What'd that prick do now? Did someone finally get him?" Kanji mimes strangling. I wince and shrug, telling him no. "He has to be messing with people. We know he gets off on being manipulative..."

Kanji's voice fades away for a moment as I think back. "Oddly enough, I've heard no one's messed with Adachi. You'd think someone so skinny—and Dad says ex-cops have it worse—would've taken a few beatings, but nothing," I tell him. He's still going on, though. I guess it's out with it.

"It's about the commutation," I spit out.

"...I still think he killed that guy they found in the toilets from his block back in—" Kanji stops suddenly. "Wait, what? Why would they do that? That can't be right." He shakes his head, lost.

"It was Dad," I sigh. "I didn't tell you before because Big Bro said you'd get really angry, but he used some of Adachi-san's money to hire a lawyer to work on getting him out quicker."

Kanji brings his fist down hard, shaking the heavy table. "When?!" he breathes.

"Um," I reply, unsure which question to answer. "This was a couple years ago, and he's getting released in about a week."

Kanji's face glows red. "A week?! And you're telling me now? Aurgh!" he howls, banging the table a few more times. I shift in my seat, waiting until he calms down again.

When he seems receptive to talking, I drop the truth I didn't want to tell Yuu-kun. "I don't know how I should feel about this."

"Angry!" Kanji yells.

I roll my eyes. "You know all I can remember is him being nice to me." Kanji grunts and nods. "And Dad's so... Happy? I think it's happy. Not quite excited, but he seems better. Just let me sort my feelings. I think it'll be fine, really."

Kanji's already jumping subjects though, leaning back and tipping his chair to listen for the others. After a beat of nothing, confirming them to be somewhere in the attached house and out of earshot, Kanji confides in me his own secret. "I'm not surprised," he admits and immediately gulps some tea to bide for time. I stare expectantly while he fidgets. "I always got the feeling they were into each other."

"You're not the first one to tell me that. Don't worry," I reassure him. "I don't care about that. I don't know—I just liked having more people around." It was especially lonely right after Big Bro left. That's when Kanji became our new go-to friend.

Kanji waits while I gather the different strings of memory together. "Adachi-san sure was around a lot. He'd help me cook on weekends for a while. I liked that."

I stare out he window at the people walking home or picking up dinner. "He's so different now."

"Well yeah," Kanji blurts. "Now he's a murderer."

I grip my glass and bite back the catch in my throat. "He doesn't look good. I told Bro—He's so skinny, like he doesn't eat. His hair's all floppy in front of his face. And he's quiet and still...! I feel like he's not really looking at me. He talks, but he's just not himself."

Oh, I can feel the tears coming— I can't stop talking—

"Last time, they put us all at a table—on different sides. Dad was so animated and I could tell he was trying to act happy so me and Adachi-san felt more comfortable, but it only made it so much more obvious that Adachi is missing pieces of himself. When Dad clapped him on the shoulder on our way out, I was worried his arm would fall off or something—and I just don't know!" The last part was punctuated with a crack in my voice.

Tears are sliding down my face. "I'm worried a broken Adachi will be worse than starting over with no Adachi, even if it means Dad's so sad again." When I look up from my hands, I see Kanji kneeling next to me now. He silently rubs my back, letting me have my tantrum. "It's so selfish of me."

"No!" he barks, sounding really sure. Then tries again more gently. "Ah—no. It's not. It's your opinion and it matters. You've always been mature." He stands back up and rests on the wall. "You probably have the more level head, between you and your dad, y'know."

I lean over and hug Kanji. Everybody always used to act like he was dangerous, but Big Bro helped bring out his kind side. "I'm glad I got to talk to you," I whisper.

"Yeah, yeah," he shifts, patting my back. "Come and see my mom, it'll make you feel better. You can always come talk to us." Kanji places a guiding hand on my back, shuffling me into the main house with Tatsumi-sama, Teddie, laughter, and life.

Re-Edited 6/10/17