Kohaku checks her appearance again for the umpteenth time. Her usually disheveled navy hair is now mostly hidden from view by a white cap. Despite her mother's attempts to sway her into wearing a dress, Kohaku has remained firm on donning a pair of black denim shorts. She wants to be able to go on the rides without having to worry about the wind. Pulling a little self-consciously at her large black-and-white striped shirt, Kohaku finally decides she's satisfied with how she looks. The sporty style has always suited her more, after all.
The three of them rendezvous at the convenience store near Kohaku's house, seeing as they live in the same direction (albeit at different distances). The train ride to the amusement park is a little silent, only punctuated by Murasakibara's rhythmic munching. Kohaku herself feels too drowsy to begin any conversation, though Himuro does not take any offense - even when she ends up falling asleep on his shoulder on the way there.
When they finally reach the amusement park, the amiable silence breaks. Murasakibara raises a large arm and points in the direction of the nearest chocolate store.
"I want to go to that store."
"Ah, it's begun..."
As Murasakibara pilfers through the racks of chocolate in the store, Kohaku finds herself making conversation with Himuro as they wait outside patiently. The sky is a calm azure and dotted with wispy streaks of white. Even though it is summer, the sun is still hiding behind the clouds, making the weather pleasantly warm and nowhere as hot as it usually would be. It has a profound effect on Kohaku, effectively chasing her lethargy away.
"Yosen will be participating in Winter High, right?"
"Yea, we're already training hard for it now."
"The basketball team's defense is strong, isn't it?" Rather than voicing that question, Kohaku is mumbling to herself. "You'll be going up against many strong rivals..."
"Kohaku-chan really likes basketball, doesn't she?" Even now, her childish enthusiasm is still as prominent. Himuro's eyes crinkle in amusement (not affection, Kohaku corrects herself mid-thought).
"Of course!" Kohaku declares. "My father was the one who taught me after all. I promised him I would become a basketball player in the future, back then." When she notices the flash of worry in Himuro's eyes, Kohaku smiles to ease it away. Only this time, the smile is no longer forced. "Don't worry. I don't like basketball just because I wanted to relive my days with my father. I love it because he was the one who taught me, and because it's fun to play. I'm better now. I'll continue living, for both him and Oka-san. It's been hard on her too, after all." Saying those words aloud are a relief. After pondering over the whole matter for so long, the conclusion still hadn't been easy to draw. But it is true that the sheer enjoyment she garners from basketball is what has spurred her on to pursue the sport - not guilt over the promise she was never able to fulfill.
When Murasakibara exits the store, the three of them continue walking to look for rides of interest. Though as Kohaku has initially predicted, Murasakibara is far more interested in the amount of snacks he can get, as they are only exclusive to this amusement park.
"How about that one?" At Himuro's suggestion, they approach a haunted house. Kohaku has her misgivings. She finds the idea of ghosts and spirits alarming. Murasakibara seems to mirror her reluctance in entering the ride - though this hails from the fact that his forehead bangs into the door frame the moment he tries.
"Muro-chin, the house is too small,"
"I think you're the one that's too tall, Atsushi..."
"You and Haku-chin can go instead. I'll wait for you here," There is no swaying Murasakibara now, especially when he has firmly planted his feet onto the ground and is currently shoveling chocolate into his mouth. Himuro and Kohaku have no choice but to proceed on their own.
"I've never been in a haunted house before..." Kohaku whispers, clutching onto the sleeve of Himuro's shirt instinctively. Himuro does not seem to mind the contact. He tries to reassure her in his placid and calm demeanor as always.
"Don't worry, Kohaku-chan. I've been to haunted houses a lot before - they're not that scary."
"Easy for you to say," Kohaku mumbles. "You've probably seen way scarier stuff in America." Though when she thinks about it, Coach Araki in a bad mood can contest that assumption. She's no stranger to the middle-aged woman's P.E classes, though she has to sit them out more often than not.
The first few tentative steps bring about nothing to cement her fear. It merely feels like they are walking through a darkened corridor. Little by little, Kohaku relaxes more, trying to keep herself from holding her breath. She eventually abandons her grip on Himuro's shirt as well.
"Oh, there's a door. Is that the exit?" Kohaku steps forward when she sees an ebony door in front of them, prepared to push it open. But the door moves open on its own. Something emerges from it and jumps out at her in a split second. All Kohaku sees is a twisted, grotesque face with one hollow eye socket and bloody locks
Kohaku screams in horror, startled, backing away from the figure in front of her. She ends up stumbling into Himuro in her confusion, nearly losing her balance in the tangle of limbs - until Himuro grabs on to her shoulders and steadies her again. In hindsight, it was rather foolish of her to assume that a door in the middle of nowhere would be the way out. It should be suspicious even if she has not seen the interior of a haunted house before.
"It's okay, it was just a-" Himuro lifts his head for a quick glance, "Zombie."
"That doesn't make me feel any better..." Kohaku whispers, trying to gather her bearings. It takes her a while to realise that she is uncomfortably close to Himuro, who is nearly hugging her in an attempt to calm her down. Kohaku gently shrugs his hands away from her shoulders, wearing an apologetic look on her face. It feels like she has only succeeded in bringing him trouble throughout the whole experience - which is ironic, really, when this is supposed to he her method of thanking him and showing her gratitude.
Kohaku soon gets used to the people that jump out on them from unseen corners. Granted, now that she is more or less expectant of it, the jumps are nowhere nearly as scary nor effective. She feels a good deal braver when the darkness starts to recede. They should be nearing the exit by now.
That is, until the wailing starts.
"Tatsuya-senpai, do you hear something?" It is a little hard to pinpoint, but Kohaku swears she hears the sound of crying. The mournful echoes makes the back of her neck prickle.
"Hm?" Himuro pricks up his ears, tilting his head slightly as he assesses the situation. "Ah, I think I do hear it."
"... Is it supposed to be a banshee this time?"
When they near the sound - which is buzzing out from behind yet another door, Kohaku gulps, tempted to turn back. But if they do not advance, they will never be able to leave the place. The cries sound unnaturally realistic, certainly beyond the skills of a random person working at the haunted house attraction. Her fingers are shaking a little as she reaches for the doorknob.
"Are you scared?"
"… Yes." There is no use in hiding it when her fingers are trembling so obviously.
"Don't worry about it. I'm here with you, aren't I? Besides, you've faced your demons and worries before. Something like this shouldn't be a problem to you." Himuro seems confident that she will see this through. Kohaku concedes that he has a point. She has already acknowledged and faced up to her traumas and fears. Something like this shouldn't impede her. Taking a deep breath, Kohaku pushes the door open slowly, nearly jumping back when she catches a wisp of a shadow inside the room.
Then she realises it's a little boy. Gauging roughly from his height, he is about six or seven years old. But the tears streaming down his face makes him seem far younger and vulnerable.
"Are... Are you all right? Did something happen to you?" Kohaku asks, her voice little more than a hushed whisper. For a while, she suspects it is a part of the haunted house attraction. But the way the little boy is sobbing so heartbrokenly makes it unlikely. Handing him a tissue paper from her bag, Kohaku's eyes soften a little when he scrubs hard at the tears on his face and blows his nose. She has never had any siblings before. This is the closest she has ever been to a young child.
Once the child is more or less a little more composed than before, he starts to mumble haltingly. "A- a while ago, I brought my little brother here with me. I told him it'll be all right, even though he was really scared. But in the middle of the haunted house, I was the one starting to lose my nerve. Then a ghost jumped out on us and I ran and-" he is starting to tear up again. "And we got separated! It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought him here in the first place. Satoshi was always better than me. He's faster, stronger, smarter and nearly taller than me. So for once I just wanted to show that- that I was better and braver..." The little boy's lower lip quivers slightly as he tries to get the words out.
"But you got lost in the haunted house and now you're separated?" Himuro confirms gently. It may have been the trick of light, but the expression on his face seems to have turned a little forlorn.
"Yes..."
"What's your name?" Kohaku bends down so that she is almost eye level with the young child.
"Sa... Satoru," he manages to sniffle.
"Satoru-kun, we'll look for your younger brother with you. So don't cry anymore, alright? Older brothers have to be strong - to support and teach their younger ones." Himuro opens his mouth to say something then, but he simply pauses and looks away when Kohaku offers him a questioning glance.
When it soon comes to light that Satoru's younger brother, Satoshi, is no longer in the haunted house, Himuro and Kohaku end up heading in the direction of the exit.
"Ah, before that, let's look for Atsushi." Himuro suggests. Kohaku nods hurriedly. She feels guilty, having been so caught up in looking for Satoru's younger brother that the fact that Murasakibara is still patiently waiting for them outside has almost slipped her mind.
"Yea, let's go." But when they make one big round back to the haunted house's entrance, their tall purple-haired companion is nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that he is nearly impossible to miss him - even out of one's peripheral vision.
"Maybe he went to buy snacks." Himuro suggests at Kohaku's bewildered expression. That does seem to be the only plausible cause. The two of them start heading in the direction of the nearby candy stores, until they realise Satoru is lagging behind significantly.
"What's wrong, Satoru? Are you alright?" Kohaku feels concerned when she addresses the abruptly quiet child.
"I... I'm really sorry for causing you trouble. But, please don't leave me behind." Satoru is unable to meet her eyes even as he utters that plea. Yet, Kohaku only feels her heart warming indescribably to the boy. Maybe it is because she knows what it feels like - to share your problems with others, but subsequently fear that they will abandon you because of it.
"I won't leave you behind. I promise to do my best to find your younger brother for you." It is a reckless promise, given the size of the amusement park and the fact that she has not even consulted Himuro yet before offering her help. But even though she will probably have to hand Satoru over to the relevant authorities for help, a part of her is still desperate to offer whatever assistance she can.
"R- really?" Satoru glances up at her hopefully, his eyes enormously relieved.
"Really." Kohaku reaches out her hand as a gesture of warmth. Satoru clings onto it anxiously - his left hand latching onto Himuro's as well. The surprise in Himuro's eyes, as the seven year old wraps his small and clumsy fingers around his hand, elicits a laugh from Kohaku.
When they start walking again, it catches the attention of some passers-by.
"Ah, look at that young family. They look so happy together!"
The words are loud enough for them to hear. Kohaku flushes a little pink, Himuro maintains a poker face as usual - though an amused smile plays on his lips - while Satoru simply marches forward, anxiously keeping his eyes peeled for his brother.