Under His Umbrella
"Keikoku, are you awaken yet?"
The not-so-gentle tap on his shoulder made him opened his eyes. Not more than half. He grunted then reaching his alarm-clock on the table. "It's dead…" he put it down again and pulled up his blanket.
"It is turned off!" the person who tapped his shoulder corrected impatiently.
"… so it doesn't die?" there came an answer.
His half brother made a "D'oh!" pose before yelling out loud, "Keikoku, why you… ahhh forget it, you won't even understand what I mean. It's three o'clock already, don't you dare to say good morning, you useless bastard!!"
"… good afternoon, Shinrei."
"Jesus! Were you even listening?!" Shinrei smacked his half brother's head with his clenched fist. The beautiful silver-haired man grabbed his coat and fastened his belt, all in not more than ten seconds since he was always a busy man. Shinrei worked at X University. He taught physics—something Keikoku would never understand. Okay, everyone in the family sure knew Shinrei was a nerd. He graduated with excellent records, got his summa cum laude from college, but…
A professor. My brother is a professor, Keikoku thought.
Yawn…
"I'm sleepy," Keikoku replied Shinrei after few moments of pause. "If you're going somewhere, don't forget to close the door."
"I won't be home for dinner," Shinrei answered. "I have some babies to take care of."
"… Babies? You have some? Finally?"
"Good gracious. I mean business," Shinrei made his out-of-dated "D'oh!" pose again. "That means you have to make your dinner yourself if you don't want to starve to death. Well, you can depend on delivery service but you pay it yourself too. Keikoku, seriously, go find a serious job."
"… call me Hotaru."
"Whatever. Dad always call you that way."
"Call me Hotaru. You are not him. I don't like him and neither do you."
"Okay, Hotaru. Now you are dismissed. Look at the time, I lost my precious five minutes just because to listen to you drabbling! This is a serious meeting, everyone from Mensa is waiting for me at the café—"
"What?! You? Mensa?!" Hotaru jumped over his mattress and successfully landed on the floor. "Ouch!"
"I've told you, I am dead serious about this," Shinrei grinned.
"… you are always serious," Hotaru mumbled.
"While you're not. That's why I told you to get a serious job. And I mean it. Seriously mean it," Shinrei took off the keys from his pocket, waving not-so-dearly and climbed down the stairs. He didn't close the door. He exactly knew that he would be enjoying Hotaru's unpleasant demeanor, including his grunts about how annoying this so-called half brother could be.
And Hotaru just loved to say, "do your worst, I want to sleep again," in order to add more fuels to the flames.
Shirei's aftershave scent filled his room.
"Darn it," Hotaru cursed, knowing how his bloody brother had taken away his freedom by forcing him to go out of his own sanctuary. Shinrei would have to pay for exiling him.
Hotaru took a shower. He looked at his window, seeing the water dripping to the ground. Pearly afternoon with whitey sky, cold wind blew his curtain softly and he could feel the chill air poked his skin. Rather cold…
Keikoku, go find a serious job.
—Don't call me that way, you stupid bookworm.
Ring, ring!
"Hi, there, Keikoku, we are waiting for you. Our client wants the design to be done this afternoon… and I told him you could deliver the sketch by five."
"I'm working at it."
"Ah, that's great! He wants a lot of crimson red shade with unique, cool, graffiti written on the board. Oh yeah, some light orange shades to balance the dark colors. Perhaps we can add some sense of creativity and let him decide?"
"Sure."
"Thank you! I know we can always depend on you. See you by five!"
Hotaru hanged the phone up. He suddenly remembered his time at the college—he was majoring graphic designing, drawing a lot of graffiti, a lot of font styles, 150 mannequins, 30 man and woman bodies, 100 heads…
He didn't need to think. He drew. And drew. And liked it.
He had a job. Why couldn't Shinrei see that? He had a job. He didn't ask Shinrei for his daily needs—his brother fussed around, left some money on the top of the fridge and then went out working.
He was working when Shinrei slept.
Hotaru lazily got off his chair, put the sketch into a large, brown envelope, put on his sneakers and slowly wore his jacket. His slender muscular body fit the jacket as if the jacket was his second skin.
The sky was still covered in white color, hazy, waters dripping from the roof top. The cold air gave him an untold sensation which made him tighten his jacket. He reached for his umbrella beside him, went out walking, and…
So fresh…
He hated water.
It's nice to see the water dripping from the top of this orange umbrella. Somehow I feel superior. I make the water bow down. Somehow I see Shinrei's face on the ground…
"Oh, there you are!" three guys waved behind the café's window. Akira, Benitora and Bontenmaru seemed to be in a very good mood, maybe because of this project. Hotaru had no idea why would a son of a very wealthy businessman hire him and his mates for this project. Finding the best studio in the world would be very easy for Kyo Mibu, but only Heaven knew what brought him here.
"I believe you are the one they called as Keikoku. Well, I am Kyo Mibu, pleased to meet you, Mr. Goyousei." The long-haired guy, dressed in black, smirked. Hotaru could feel his dominating power when they shook hand. "I seek for quality. Names are not important. I heard that you were pretty good at graphic designing, so here I am, proving the legend."
There was a faint smile on Hotaru's lips. Kyo Mibu was sure a dominating type of man but somehow that guy successfully amused him with his ungallant words. "Don't you think you're knocking on the wrong door? I am not a legend."
"You will be, if you win me," Kyo Mibu replied and burst out his laughter. "So, Keikoku… oh, wait. You're that young, genius, physics professor's sibling?"
"Well… half."
Akira, Bon and Benitora paused. It was very unlikely for their Keikoku to speak personal matters before a client. And this is not an ordinary client—the famous, rich and devilish Muramasa Mibu's eldest son, Kyo. Gosh. What on earth was he thinking about?
Even Kyo Mibu looked surprised. There were some seconds of silence before the heir to the Mibu business kingdom uttered an "oh, I see."
"Yes. And, oh, Mibu, Sir, Hotaru if you don't mind," that was Hotaru speaking.
"Very well," Kyo Mibu couldn't erase the devilish smirk on his parted lips. "So, Hotaru, what will you do next?"
"I am planning to add some light orange shades as you requested us—well, me—before. First you said that you wanted the background to be black, but I think a dark blue will do better. You want some red touching, I think crimson red will make a good shade—"
"No, wait. I thought I told your friends to tell you that I want the graffiti in crimson."
"Well, yes, but—" Hotaru took a deep breathe, "I am picturing a dawning time. The graffiti will be white—no, maybe white with light yellow border. Maybe light grey. It's dawning time, okay. Or, if you hardly see it you may want to think of a storm."
"Hey," Bon smacked Akira's back, "that's the first time he speaks that long…"
"And he appears to be alive," Benitora replied. "Okay, okay, he's actually alive!"
Akira looked at Hotaru with a great curiosity, and gave him the Hotaru-what-has-gotten-into-you look. But Hotaru didn't stop or saying something stupid like before. He stared at Kyo Mibu, their eyes met, and everybody was silenced—they realize this was a Goyousei's eyes… with Hotaru's soul.
"Interesting," Kyo Mibu took another sip of his coffee. The smirk grew wide.
"I actually have drawn it," Hotaru took the envelope out of his jacket and showed his work to the guys.
"I daresay it's perfect," Kyo Mibu said this after spending some minutes watching Hotaru's design. "But it is too feminine. Hotaru, I do things confidently. I don't like anything stupid disturbs my employer's work performance. I need something to lighten the room—that will bring the mood back—but not that beautiful so that people will be no longer paying attention to their job."
"Mr. Mibu, you don't mean to…" Benitora asked worriedly.
"No, I don't cancel this. Did I say so? No?"
Everyone was waiting anxiously.
"This project will be continued, sure, but do it my way." There was no coffee left and Kyo seemed to be not interested in having more of it. That was his final answer.
"Oh," Akira said with a relieved tone, "That's very wise of you, Mr. Mibu. We won't let you down, you have my words."
"You have one week," Kyo Mibu rose to his feet. He shook their hands. "Nice to sit here with you, gentlemen, but my old fart is calling. Bye now."
"Oh my God!" said Benitora, "I thought he would cancel it, darn! Thank Lord he's actually that kind."
"It's like he is testing us…" Akira thought for a second.
"So what! He only wants to do it himself… there goes. We are designers—we work based on the client's picture of something. Well… we help them picture it," said Bon.
"Hotaru, seriously, what were you thinking? You don't usually look like this. I thought we were ok with his selection?"
"Well… the idea came out of the blue," Hotaru replied. Even he could feel the unbalanced tone of his voice. What had happened to him? What had…
What had actually happen?
Hotaru rose. The others turned their head. Hotaru took his envelop back. The others asked what he was going to do with that 'cursed' design. Hotaru said nothing. The others asked anything. Hotaru simply walked away. The others didn't try to stop him.
So here was our Hotaru again, back on the street, walking alone like a stray wolf. The sky turned grey again. And then suddenly the rain. Hotaru opened his umbrella. Hotaru used his umbrella. It was like a solitude orange shade from above. When the sky turned grey. When the sun shyly shone the earth with its weak light yellowish ray. Hotaru was alone again…
"Eeeeeek!" there came a loud, feminine voice shrieking. And a sound as if something hitting the ground.
"Ah…" the stray wolf came back to real world. "You are… okay?"
A pretty girl with her sparkling emerald eyes lied on the ground, massaging her bruised knee. "Well, it hurts, but… no, no problem…" the girl forced herself to smile as if assuring him that this wasn't really something. "By the way, my envelope... hey, do you have it with you?"
"Nah, this is mine. Do you even have one?"
"Yes! A big, brown, envelope… oh, no, oh my God!!" she screams as if seeing something so violent—that was her envelope lying on the ground, almost fell to the sewer under. "My life…"
"… I'll go get it…"
The girl gave him that puzzled look. This guy walks as if he is the last person to be alive on this Earth, bumps me, injured my knee—that time I even didn't know that he knew he had bumped into someone—and his eyes, it's like piercing through everything, anything that has gotten into his way; the burst of a tamed fire inside seems to break out of its shell—
Wait. He is helping me…
Helping me! For real?!
"Sir, that's too kind of you—no, no, the road over there is quite slippery, you know, don't go—"
But he already went there.
The blond-haired pretty girl quickly tugged his sleeve. Then…
SPLASH!
"Ouch…"
"Oh, I… I'm soooooooorry!!" the pretty blond-haired girl bowed countless time. "I… I didn't mean to… I thought you could fell down as well, but… oh, forgive me! Stupid, am I not, to think about it, you don't look likely to be fallen down there… oh! Oh no, your envelope… it's dripping wet!"
Hotaru paused. His not-serious, feminine, crazy, cursed design was dripping wet. All this drama on a rainy stage. Such fuss, in a full-day with water…
But he already worked with that cursed design for two weeks. That, with sleeping late included. That, with Shinrei yelling at him everyday because he was such a lazy dude who got up at twelve, one, now three since he had stay up for two nights straight, included. That, with constant people's mocking his solitude solitary. That, with constantly being teased about serious job, real job, and his—well, Shinrei's—mother whining about why he had to be such trouble. That, with a father who loved to tell every business partner that came for dinner about the perfect, genius Shinrei and his job. That, together with trapped by a society who seek for comparison—Shinrei, the perfect picture of an eldest son of a respectful family, and he, the unwanted one from the very beginning.
"Sir, I'm sorry… You… you don't need to kill me…"
Silent. "… by devil's sake why should I…?"
"Your eyes… it's like igniting me into ashes…"
Ignite.
"… Sir?"
"… no problem. I'm quite skillful in martial arts," he replied stoically.
"Oh… glad to hear that!" the girl suddenly smiled.
So radiant…
Hotaru incidentally took a fine peep into the girls' envelope, finding a hundred or more papers inside with the line of words— "… oh, you are a writer. I guess… I'm destroying your masterpiece."
"The fictional writer, yes," the girl said, blushing red.
"… you mean you write fiction?"
The red shade on her cheek grew darker as she answered, "fictional. Not real. Well I… I am a writer-wannabe."
"And I destroyed your first try?"
"No… yes… well, I mean, you're not the first," she glanced up to the sky, "they did it before you. Such useless, they say, keep dreaming—this is only a joke. They told me to give up my dreams and to be a nice girl instead."
Hotaru didn't say a word.
"I… I must be stupid, am I. I believe in myself. I want to do something different, something my way. I want to add some more colors to this colorful world. Sigh… I thought I could get something today. I guess I have to give up living alone. Big cities simply can't love a girl like me."
"… what are you going to do next?"
Hotaru, what will you do next?—said Kyo.
"Maybe I'm going home," the girl gave him a weary smile. "I live near here, you know. And about that... never mind. I have some more on my laptop. The ones I don't dare to show to."
"… can you walk?"
"Ah… I guess so…" although she tried to hide the pain inflicted by the bruise, Hotaru still be able to see her flinching. "It's dark already… I think you'd better to go home too."
No.
"No."
"If that's the case… then would you mind having a cup of tea with me? I think I am the one who destroyed your masterpiece…"
"I can easily fix it."
"Oh, yes…" the girl nodded. Was he trying to reassure me that it's okay?
"Oh, the umbrella…"
"Yes?" the girl suddenly felt his grip on her arms. Surprised, she tried to break loose. "Wh… what are you going to do?!" she squirmed. But, to no avail. Nobody knew thist man's slender muscular body would have such steel grip.
"You too, come here…"
She stopped struggling. So he's saying that both of us can use his umbrella… together?
They walked again. Hotaru's absent mind suddenly filled with thoughts. Were she scared? That grip, am I hurting her? Girl. Such soft, non-muscular body I have to handle with care. I don't mean anything bad. She… wait a minute. She speaks to me, oh, Lord. From the first, bowing her heads a hundred times, asking an apology. Hey. Nobody ever asked me that. Nobody listen to what I say.
"Oh, here we are!" the girl smiled. They climbed up the stairs together in order to reach her room. A small apartment, nothing special but its wooden stairs. Oh, as if wooden stairs are special!
She reached her pocket and took the key out. "Come in!"
Hotaru came in. What am I thinking. I don't even understand…
What takes the girl so long, he grunted. Then he cared it less. The later he came home the little he heard Shinrei's yell. And lectures.
"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting!" she was back. With a cup of tea and a clean, white towel. She handed him both. "Oh, by the way, I tried to dry your painting…"
"No, it isn't a painting."
"Ah, I see… a drawing, for sure."
"Hmmm. Not precisely. I am a graphic designer." Where the hell Keikoku gone? I am being Hotaru in front of her.
"Oh, that's great! You must be so talented… I can tell!" she glanced to his cursed—yes, cursed—design. "Very pretty, isn't it. The dawning time is a sign of a brand-new day. Full of hope, spirit and energy. And the orange shades here… the earth is still sleeping but the sun isn't; I feel it's like, if personated, someone who dare to be different but brings back the ray of hope, joy and happiness to the others… that person doesn't need to look good… the sun's awakening starts from light orange shades. Then it becomes brighter, brighter, brighter… oh, forgive me, I'm drabbling!"
A wider faint smile than before on Hotaru's lips. "Can't help, you're a writer."
"Uh-huh. And you're a graphic designer as well… can't help!" the girl laughed in such melodic tone. "Oh, by the way, I am Yuya Shiina… may I know your name?"
"… Goyousei. Keikoku."
"Good Lord! You're that Shinrei's—"
"Brother? Yeah."
"Wow! You're great!"
Great?
"So, Keikoku—"
"Hotaru will do."
"Hotaru?" she said it once more.
Such pure…
"Well, my mother used to call me that."
"Ah! You must love her so much. Very well, Hotaru… nice to meet you!" she giggled. "Funny enough, isn't it. We are talking, walking together without knowing each other."
"… I guess so."
"Oh, I make you some tea. The weather… well, it is quite a cold day, right. It has been raining since morning…"
"I hate water."
"Well, I'm making you some tea," she giggled again. "So? How does it taste?"
Hotaru took a sip. He felt her touch, as if her energy was transformed to the cup. He took another sip. He suddenly recalled how they walked here together, under his orange umbrella.
"… warm," he answered, she smiled, both of them stared to the window. Some dews said hello for the rain had stopped.
A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated. Ummm... tell me, do you like it? Do you think Hotaru and Yuya is OOC? Thank you kindly!