CHAPTER FOUR
Almost everything else stays the same. One arena, one winner. The winner is the last one standing. Hikaru doubts the winner will get a life of riches and comfort like their victors had received, but maybe for them just being allowed to be alive is prize enough.
No explicit rules or prohibitions in the arena. Anything goes, then. Good. Hitachiins are famous for ingenuity and creativity. Hikaru wouldn't think twice about playing dirty, and he doesn't want to be penalised if he does.
"... And may the odds be ever in your favour," Kousaka finishes with the traditional greeting, and for some reason it makes Hikaru's blood boil. He hates them, all of them. All of Mori-senpai's morals and all of Kaoru's pity is useless. If these people are happy to do this to others, they deserved everything that happened to them.
"Now," Kousaka says, and the camera moves with her as she strides to the first bowl. Kaoru buries his face in Hikaru's shoulder briefly before resolutely lifting his head and pulling away to stand under his own steam. Hikaru sees the firm set of that delicate jaw, those fiercely glowing amber eyes, that abrupt and complete stillness, and he knows the two of them will fight it out as soon as it gets to their bowl.
The close-up on the big screen shows that there is only one piece of paper in it.
Richest of the rich, with an only child? It's got to be the, "Suou family," Kousaka announces, reaching in and taking out the tiny slip. "Suou Tamaki."
His father, Suou Yuzuru, attempts to climb out of the parents' box and the rebel forces intervene swiftly to pummel him into submission.
"Don't – !" the Suou boy yells pointlessly. "Don't!"
At first Hikaru thinks he is howling at the guards restraining his father... until his mind processes the fact that Blondie is caught up in a physical struggle with the youngest Ootori, trying to keep his hand over his friend's mouth. "Stop it, Kyouya!"
They are roughly the same height and same build though, and conventional wisdom in their society is that nobody keeps an Ootori down for long.
"I volunteer!" That trademark voice rings out, as striking and commanding as the person it belongs to. Ootori Kyouya determinedly wrests himself free of Blondie's grip. "I volunteer as tribute."
A moment of silence, then the shock nearly causes a riot.
"Silence! Order!" On the president's instructions, her troops move to subdue the unruly horde.
Kaoru's hands slap over the lower half of his face in disbelief. They all know each other, you see. That was an act of self-sacrifice by a member of the most closed-off and self-serving family. Did an Ootori seriously just do that? And knowing full well the doom and punishment that awaits, especially for one representing the Suous? Maybe the masses in their distinct prefectures forgot about this since their tributes are generally all strangers to each other, but they in the Capitol all know each other and all have reputations. Fine, not all, but at this level, the level of the highest, richest and most powerful, rumours abound and they mix together at parties and attend the same schools.
Hikaru thinks now that he should very much have liked to get to know Ootori Kyouya properly. Obviously someone worth knowing.
The rebels seem uniformly caught by surprise. It's like they didn't think anyone in the Capitol would be capable of an act as great as volunteering, like they'd classified all of them as totally heartless brutes.
"W-Well," Kousaka's assistant stammers, "You can't do that! Your own family isn't called yet! What if you are chosen to take part anyway?"
"No," President Kousaka cuts in, sending a warning glare to her assistant for speaking out of turn. Her eyes gleam with a keen intelligence. "No. Volunteering is not allowed. The results of the draw are final."
What?!
Outraged and uncomprehending, Hikaru joins in the public outcry. At least they left an out for the prefectures if they happened to want to save someone they cared about! Some people even trained for it and regarded volunteering as an honour!
He'd expected Ootori to be as upset, and he is, except he doesn't appear confused at all.
Neither is Kaoru, who in spite of his hysterical distress remains miles ahead of Hikaru in terms of social observation and emotional insight. Having puzzled it out with amazing speed, he whispers agitatedly to himself, "They don't want any acts of heroism."
Then Hikaru gets it.
The commoner girl who'd started it all and became the symbol of the revolution – she was a volunteer from a poor and godforsaken Prefecture. She was brave and strong and selfless. She had a goodness in her that even her enemies had to acknowledge, and she was so easy to love even from a distance, even across the chasm of screen to viewer. She was also only fourteen, same age as the twins, and already extraordinary. Fujioka Haruhi had power because she was capable of impressive magnanimity and true virtue despite her circumstances, and the rebels aren't dumb enough to let them use the power that won them the war.
Blondie flings himself at what must really be his best friend in the universe and hugs the stuffing out of him before pushing through the throng and walking up the stage. His steps are remarkably steady, each footfall careful and unrushed. He has in him the dignity that Suou had; she may not have recognised him as her grandson, but this boy is definitely recognisable as hers.
Man, does anyone have worse luck than this guy? Honestly. The gods, if they exist, must hate him. Lucky enough to have Suou blood, unlucky enough to be illegitimate. Lucky enough to be the grandson of the most powerful person around, unlucky enough to have her detest him for his parents' sins. Lucky enough to be born to privilege, unlucky enough to never have enjoyed it. Lucky enough to be a true Suou, unlucky enough to have people accept it only when it was most harmful to him. Lucky enough to have a loyal friend, unlucky enough to have the rules changed on him.
Ootori stands a much, much, much higher chance of survival in that arena. The two fifteen-year-olds are a year ahead of Hikaru in school, so he knows that Ootori predictably excels in everything. Blondie – Tamaki – lived under his illustrious grandmother's iron fist – if anything, he probably understands the rebels the most since they claim to have been oppressed by the late dragon lady. Anyway Ootori is intimidating and noticeably a strong opponent while everything about Blondie just advertises how much of a softie he is – the target on his back is so massive, he's so screwed, and why oh why is he crying for everyone to see, dear god.
Hikaru can see from Ootori's face that he wants Blondie to stop before he does even more damage.
At this point, Kaoru sways on the spot, urgently recapturing Hikaru's attention. "Hikaru, Hikaru," he begins stuttering deliriously, eyes too large and fingers like claws. "No volunteering, no volunteering. Hikaru, oh, no volun – no, how, no, what do I, Hikaru, god, volunteering, I, no – "
Don't crack, Hikaru thinks desperately, wishing, begging. Just hold on, he clutches his brother. Please just hold on, he tells him.
The uproar having subsided somewhat, Kousaka heads to the second bowl. "Ootori family."
At her words, the people in the know begin murmuring. There's no way the Ootoris are right behind the Suous in wealth. At the very least there should be the Hani – fuck. Yes. The Haninozukas should have been there. Military money. Defence of the realm was one of the top priorities and received the largest portion of the annual budget. They've managed to get the best of both worlds, huh? Hikaru feels a fresh wave of anger and revulsion. Traitors.
But where are the other families? Did so many people die in the bombings? Hikaru quickly glances around the square again, this time actually paying attention. Some of the prominent families are gone. Simple as that. So important in life, so trivial in death.
"Ootori Fuyumi."
A groan rises from the people, wrung out of them unwittingly. Fuyumi-san is gracious and generous and one week away from being nineteen and disqualified.
Her three brothers, two younger and one older, all react by jerking forward to volunteer, and this time a mini stampede occurs.
Hikaru grabs his twin and drags him to safety before trying to make sense of the chaos. It is as if everything they knew about the Ootori family is false! Built on misconceptions or based on lies, or what? No, they're too smart, they must be planning something. This must be some elaborate scheme. Ootori Yuuichi is twenty and has no business volunteering or taking part at all, Ootori Akito and Kyouya heard the ban loud and clear and Ootoris do not, as a rule, attempt futilities. What the hell is going on?!
"No volunteering!" the loudspeaker blasts at them, annoyance sharp in the voice.
Kaoru claps his hands over his ears, shaking his head frantically.
"Kaoru. Hey! Hey, it's okay! Stay with me, Kaoru." Hikaru clasps his cheeks, forcing him to stop. "Kaoru, come on. Stay with me."
Some scuffle happens elsewhere, and there are too many voices for any of them to be distinguishable.
"Nee-san!" somebody yells. "I said, I volunteer! I'm seventeen! My sister is nineteen, she isn't even eligible! You just need one of us, don't you?!"
Kaoru lets out a consistent whimper that escalates into a whine resembling a wounded animal.
"The next person to volunteer," Kousaka grits out, "will join their sibling or friend in the arena!"
People everywhere are still going nuts, and they need to shut up right now because the noise is doing terrible things to Hikaru's precious twin.
"I volunteer!" Kaoru screams out of nowhere and no reason at all. Hikaru damn near jumps on him to silence him.
Some explosive sound detonates. Everything gets worse as pandemonium reigns, but then Kousaka gets her technicians to make the microphone screech horrendously. When all the people freeze into place, Kousaka repeats herself. "Understand?" She glares at them, steely and uncompromising behind her wire-rimmed glasses. "Each time anyone says those words, you supply one more tribute from your family."
Ootori Akito has gone quiet, equally incensed behind his glasses. Both the oldest and youngest Ootori are nowhere in sight.
"I need hardly remind you that there will be only one winner," Kousaka says coolly. She adds a few more sentences, no doubt to hammer home the dire consequences of any rash actions, but Hikaru is preoccupied with his brother. Kaoru doesn't appear to be listening to anything at all except whatever it is haunting him in his mind.
It's really awful this time. Hikaru hasn't seen him get this bad before. Nothing seems to bring him back.
"...chiin family."
The fuck?! Hikaru gasps, barely avoiding snapping his neck from how violently he'd turned. There is no way on earth they are third in wealth! Exactly how many people perished?!
Kaoru abruptly becomes more stone than human. The transformation is freakish.
Please let it be me, Hikaru manages to send a prayer heavenward in the seconds before Kousaka speaks again.
But the prayer must not have reached any god, because, "Hitachiin Kaoru."
Kaoru sags in relief and breaks into a smile, on the verge of giddy laughter. Meanwhile, Hikaru is clearly reeling with anguish and dread. He can't let Kaoru go in! He can't. Kaoru as he is now will definitely die. He has virtually no will to live and neither his mind nor body are functioning at the necessary level for survival in this ruthless game!
At this critical moment, Hikaru suddenly remembers.
They'd been swept away by the reactions and difficulties of all these normal people. Kaoru's own breakdown had made the two of them blind and helpless with fear. But thank god for it and the way it dulls Kaoru's natural intelligence because he hasn't realized that they, the Hitachiin twins, can do what none of the Ootoris could.
Kaoru used to be Hikaru on a regular basis. But now Kaoru hates himself. He cannot forgive the twin who killed their sister, the twin who made that mistake, the twin he views as useless and deserving of death and suffering. As that twin bears the name 'Kaoru', since that day Kaoru has drawn very clean separating lines between them and never again has he tried to blend or blur them together. Kaoru must have decided never to be Hikaru again as he thinks he will taint Hikaru with that crime...
He's forgotten that he can still be Hikaru, and that Hikaru can be him.
Hikaru wraps himself around his brother for a hug goodbye, and Kaoru reciprocates easily. Kaoru accepts and returns the lingering kiss pressed intimately on the cheek as well. When Hikaru rests their foreheads together and smiles lovingly at him, he smiles back. "Take care of yourself," Hikaru breathes, and Kaoru nods with the solemnity of a warrior going into battle. Hikaru steps away from him, and he doesn't object.
But then, Hikaru begins to walk backwards until their fingertips slide off of each other's, swivels around and pushes his way though in the direction of the stage.
As he is ascending the steps, a familiar voice starts screaming.