A Few Months Later
Koushiro was sitting on the grass during recess, engrossed in his computer. Eimi had spent the last few months trying to engage him in conversation at the beginning of each day's break, but he steadfastly ignored her, until she only paused long enough to say hello. Her cousin, Taichi, was starting to give him dark looks. That meant Eimi was upset enough that her somewhat dim family member was catching on. Koushiro didn't like knowing that he was hurting her, so he put more and more energy into his laptop, trying to ignore his guilt and loneliness. He knew he required less social interaction that most children, but he had hardly spoken to anyone for so long, he was beginning to forget the sound of his own voice. He was beginning to forget what it was like to have people around who were genuinely happy to see him.
Darkness passed briefly over him whenever someone walked by, and he began to notice that this shadow was lingering. He glanced up, steeling himself to nod politely at Eimi and ignore the pain on her face. But the person standing over him was a boy, one of the biggest and least pleasant of his grade.
"Um, hello?" Koushiro said, tilting his screen down. Masa normally ignored him, except to make the occasional mean-spirited remark about his height. He watched Masa's face warily, trying to decipher his intent.
"Look at you," Masa said, shaking his head. "Now you're a nerd and a shrimp." Koushiro opened his mouth, but closed it when he could think of nothing to say. He really had no problem with being short or nerdy, so he didn't see a reason to get worked up. He shrugged, put his screen back up, and got back to what he had been doing.
"Hey! Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" Masa tore the laptop from his hands, closed it violently, and began to make a throwing motion. Koushiro jumped to his feet, but he was too short to reach his computer.
"Leave him alone!" The violence and rage in that voice made both boys freeze where they stood, with Koushiro reaching up and Masa mid-toss. Koushiro scanned the crowd of children on the grass, searching for the speaker. His jaw dropped when he noticed Eimi coming closer. Had she really been the one who screamed like that?
Eimi ignored him and walked up to Masa. "He's not hurting you, Masa-kun. Just leave him alone." She didn't seem to notice how big the boy was, despite the fact that she was tilting her head back to look him in the eye. She plucked the laptop from his hands and tucked it under her arm.
"What's it matter to you?" Masa asked sullenly. "He doesn't even like you anymore."
A muscle in Eimi's cheek twitched. It took her a moment to compose herself enough to answer. "It doesn't matter. Bullying is bad. Just ignore him if you don't like him." Eimi stomped her foot and squared her shoulders. She stood like that, still and challenging, until Masa threw his hands up and stalked off. Koushiro watched with wonder as her body relaxed and that sharp, predator gleam left her eyes. She thrust the computer into his arms and started walking away. Taichi ran up to her, and Koushiro realized that he had been keeping watch nearby, no doubt waiting to intercede if things went wrong.
Koushiro knew he should call her back, but his emotions felt too raw. He sat back down and opened the laptop, staring at the blank display for the rest of recess.
That Night
Koushiro didn't say a word for the rest of the school day, nor did he speak much at dinner. He could see his mother's worry all over her, but his mind was too busy to really process it. He went to his room afterward, intensely grateful for the solitude. He lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and tried to work out the events of the day.
Eimi still cared about him, even after all of his attempts to drive her off. At least, he thought that was the case. She was the type who would always try to help someone in trouble, but the emotion in her voice had been so extreme... He was sure it was because he was the one who needed her help.
And if she cared for him after how he had treated her, then she would still care about him despite what he had overheard his parents discussing. There was no way around that logic, but, more importantly, no way to ignore his desire to reconnect with her. Slowly, deliberately, Koushiro stood and left his room.
"Where are you going, sweetheart?" his mother asked as he headed towards the front door of their apartment. His parents were cleaning up the kitchen.
"I need to talk to Eimi-san." He felt a prick of fear as he wondered if she would try to forbid him.
His parents stared at him for a moment, then turned to each other in unison. His father tilted his head towards him, and his mother nodded. The corners of her mouth began to rise. "Have fun, sweetheart. You can stay as long as you'd like. I can even ask Umeko-san if you can spend the night, if you'd like."
Koushiro's eyes widened. He had no idea if Eimi would even let him into the apartment. "I suppose I'll call you if I want to stay over, but I think a shorter visit will be sufficient." His mother deflated a little, but still looked hopeful. Koushiro felt his discomfort rising. He was beginning to realize that the damage he had caused was more wide-spread than he had suspected.
He let himself out and walked down the hallway, seeing the Heightenview Terrace markings on the walls without really noticing them. He came to a stop a few doors down and hesitantly knocked on the door.
"Umeko, get the door!" Koushiro could hear Eiji shouting from beyond the portal. A few moments later, the door opened, and Eimi's mother was staring down at him.
"Koushiro-kun?" she said, leaning against the frame. "It's been a while. Did you forget where we live?" She smiled half-heartedly. Koushiro swallowed the wrong way and started coughing. Even Eimi's mother was mad at him.
"That sounds like Koushirou-kun," Eimi's voice commented from somewhere inside the apartment. She appeared in the doorway, staring at him with disbelief. Then she squished herself between the frame and her mother, rushing to get to him. "Are you okay? Are you choking? Do you need help?"
"F-fine," he coughed. He tried to pull himself together, fearing that Eimi would start hyperventilating if she thought something was wrong with him. It wouldn't be the first time.
"I'll get you water," she said, smushing herself past her mother again. Umeko smiled ruefully and let him in.
"I'm fine, really. Thanks." Koushiro shifted his weight awkwardly from foot to foot, feeling the eyes of the entire Anami family on him. Her father and brother were watching television on the couch, and her mother was clearly in the middle of cleaning up after a meal. The spray of bubbles on Eimi's long, dark hair indicated that she had been helping.
"Oh." Eimi stood still and watched him quietly, clearly unsure of what to do. She began to worry her lower lip, pressing the flesh into the gap left by the two missing teeth.
"Why don't you two go talk in your room, and I'll finish up here," Umeko said at last. Eimi nodded slowly, looking strangely defeated. She made a 'follow me' motion with her hand and led Koushiro to her room, as if he had never been there before.
She shut the door behind them, then sat on her bed. Her arms closed around the stuffed dolphin waiting by her pillow. "What do you want, Koushiro-kun?" she asked, her tone hollow.
"I... What did you call me?" Eimi raised an eyebrow at him imperiously. He used to find that expression either a little annoying or endearing, depending on his mood, but now it had him feeling incredibly vulnerable.
"You always used to ask me to call you what everyone else calls you." Her lower lip protruded into something that was half pout and half accusation. Koushiro felt his stomach begin to churn, and he was suddenly glad he hadn't eaten much at dinner.
"I... I see." Koushiro crept closer cautiously, trying to watch for any sudden changes in expression. He sat beside her on the bed, but she didn't come closer the way she would have before. She didn't pull away, either, but she did scrunch her body up and press the dolphin against her face, blocking his view.
"I wanted to thank you for today. You didn't have to do that." He tried to reach a hand towards her, but she shrank away infinitesimally. He was so deeply stung and surprised that he slowly withdrew his arm. Eimi had never denied affection from him, had always craved it. But now she seemed afraid, wary, resentful. It was clear by her twitching and staring at the door that she was struggling to stay this close to him.
"No one has to do anything, not really," she said at last. She shifted so she was facing away from him. "I would have helped anyone. ...But you're welcome."
"Yes, I know." Koushiro sighed and stared into his lap. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for the last few months. The way I've been treating you, it's... It was bad. I'm really sorry."
Whatever Eimi had expected, it wasn't that. The dolphin dropped out of her hands and hit the floor with a dull smacking sound. "Why did you do it?" she asked. Koushiro realized with horror that she was tearing up. Her chin began to quiver slightly.
"Don't cry, Eimi-san, please. I did it because I was afraid you wouldn't like me anymore."
"You made me not like you because you were afraid I wouldn't like you?" Eimi tilted her head and frowned, so confused that the signs of imminent tears diminished.
"Eimi, please promise me you won't tell anyone this," Koushiro said, putting his face in his hands. He could feel his shoulders shaking, and he realized that even he hadn't known how deeply this was affecting him. He took a deep breath and looked at Eimi. She was visibly torn between wanting to be mad at him and wanting to help him.
Her head lowered in a slight nod. "Okay. I promise." Koushiro tried to think of a way to phrase it gently, to make it sound like it wasn't as big a deal as it was, but hurt bubbled over as he thought about it, and the words popped right out.
"I'm adopted." He inched away from Eimi, trying to convince himself that he was ready for her rejection.
Her eyes and mouth flew open. "Adopted?!" she cried. "What does it mean?"
Koushiro would have laughed if he could have. "What does adopted mean? You don't know?"
"I knooooow what it means," Eimi said, half groaning. "I mean, if you're adopted, how come you don't remember having other parents?" She gave him an accusing look. "Why didn't you tell me you had other parents?"
"Eimi-san," Koushiro sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "I wasn't hiding other parents from you! I was a baby when I lost my parents. The Izumi family is the only one I remember." He felt heat and pain growing behind his eyes as tears began to form. "But I'm not really an Izumi."
Eimi scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him. "Your parents, I mean the Izumis, because they are your parents... They love you more than anything in the world. To them, you're the most important Izumi." She looked sad, and Koushiro somehow suspected that it didn't stem entirely from compassion.
"Then why didn't they tell me?" he asked, leaning into her. He didn't mind that she was seeing the silent tears streaming down his face. He fought to keep himself from sobbing, as he needed to have this conversation with her.
"If they didn't tell you, then how do you know?" She tilted her head, as she often did when curious, and it bonked into his. He managed a watery smile.
"I heard them talking about it one night." He pressed his face into her shoulder, and she shuddered and pulled him closer when she felt his tears. "They won't even tell me about it. They must be ashamed of me." Eimi rocked both of them back and forth, clearly lost in thought. She didn't say anything for a long time.
"You should maybe ask them about it. Sometimes adults are silly and think we can't deal with things just because we're little. Maybe they think they're protecting you or trying not to hurt your feelings."
Koushiro sighed. Sometimes Eimi made the world seem far more complicated than it was, and sometimes she made it seem far simpler. "I'm not brave enough to talk to them about it."
"You told me about it," Eimi pointed out. Apparently she was going to be stubborn about this.
"What do you think?" he asked, looking away.
"I told you what I think." That bossy edge was creeping into her voice. Koushiro clung to it like a lifeline. Unless someone's safety was involved, she only bossed people around if she really liked them.
"I mean, do you like me less because I'm not really an Izumi?"
"You are an Izumi. I'm sad you lost your first mom and dad, but I'm glad you came to live with the parents you have now. Otherwise they wouldn't get to have you as a son, and I maybe wouldn't know you at all." She snorted, and it fluffed her bangs upward. "I am mad about how you treated me. I'm also kind of mad that you thought I wouldn't like you anymore because you're adopted. And probably you're making your parents sad. I like them, so that makes me mad, too."
Koushiro pulled away from her, surprised by her vehemence. "You don't hold back."
She gave him a hesitant half-smile. "You asked me what I think. That's what I think."
Koushiro sighed. "I apologize. I'm really sorry. Can you forgive me?"
He could see Eimi trying to look angry, but she wasn't capable of holding onto a grudge. Her body relaxed in a matter of seconds. "I can forgive you, but I want you do to something for me, too."
"Anything," Koushiro said, going limp with relief. Eimi sagged under the weight of his body, and he quickly put enough force into his muscles to keep himself upright without her help.
Eimi uncoiled an arm from around him and held her pinky out. "Promise me that you'll never avoid me because something is wrong without telling me what it is first." Koushiro almost laughed at how simple her desire was.
"Deal," he said, wrapping his pinky around hers.
"You do know what happens if you break yubikiri, right?" Eimi asked, staring into his eyes.
"Well, yes," Koushiro said. "Uh, you can cut my finger off if I break it. But you wouldn't do that, right?"
"Of course not." Eimi rolled her eyes. "But I may not be able to forgive you."
"I understand," Koushiro said solemnly. Eimi could only promise him one second chance.
"Okay, then. In that case..." Eimi tightened her pinky around his and raised and lowered their connected hands, as if they were shaking them. "With this promise, I forgive you."
"Thank you, Eimi-chan." He rested his forehead against hers, grateful to have repaired their relationship. It took him a few seconds before he realized what he had said.
"Did you just call me Eimi-chan?" She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back so she could see his face.
"I... I guess I did." Koushiro laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. Eimi stared at him for a long moment before pinning him down with a hug.
He didn't bother trying to bat her off.