"Miki-niichan, O-occhan left..." I turned to see Aika sniffling by the doorway. I smiled at her and sat up. Just as I was about to try to comfort her, Amaya-san ran over to her and grabbed her hand.
"Don't worry, Aika-chan, he just went out to get dinner. He promised to be back soon. Until then, do you want to play a game?" Aika wiped her nose with her pink sleeve and nodded.
"W-what g-g-game?" She asked, her voice still shaking with her tears, but she was smiling a little.
"It's an imagination game," She spoke so sweetly, like there wasn't a problem in the world. I just stared at her, a bit lost to begin with. She was...good with Aika. I wouldn't have been able to stop her crying so quickly, and I've lived with her for years. Amaya-san hardly knew her. "In this game, anything and everything can happen. Close your eyes."
Aika did so obediently. Amaya-San nodded. "Good, good." She looked at me expectantly. I stared at her, unsure what she was waiting for. "Well, close your eyes Miki-san." I smiled uncertainly and closed my eyes.
"All aboard!" Amaya-san cried out in a funny voice. Aika giggled. "Train leaves in five! Young madame and mister, where are we headed? Anywhere you want!"
"The jungle!" Aika giggled. I was glad she was happy again. Amaya-san really was someone special.
"Alright, to the jungle then!" She made the sounds of the train moving. She murmured what the other passengers where saying. It felt almost real, but it was because of one thing.
She was going with her whole heart.
"Alright, Madame and mister, you may open your eyes. Behold the lush emerald trees and the splashes of rainbow from the exotic plants and animals!" We opened our eyes and Aika squealed. "Can you see it?"
She nodded excitedly. "How did you do that?!"
"Belief! That's all it takes! If you believe, you can do anything!" Amaya-san cheered.
I ruffled Aika's hair and got up. "I'm going to go check on the twins."
"Uh, but Minoru-san told you to, uh, stay here," Amaya-san mumbled. I ruffled her hair too and her face turned scarlet. Why did she keep turning red? Was she ill or something?
"Don't worry. You just keep playing with the dumb rabbit, got it?" I winked at her, and when she turned red this time, I blushed a little too. She was kind of pretty, I decided.
"Stupid seahorse! Don't call me dumb, you baby dragon!"
I stepped outside the room and let out a breath. I saw Daisuke's door open when I was taking Amaya-san up to her room. I needed to know what was happening. It was up to me once Minoru leaves to take care of things. I curled my hands into fists to stop them from shaking. I couldn't push away the fear though.
Every time I thought of Daisuke, I thought of the past.
"My little pet," The head sang out as he strolled by where I was hiding in the cabinet. "Come out and play with me. You know I'm lonely." He stopped. His voice grew annoyed. "Fine. If you won't come out, I'll make you. Daisuke, drag him out."
After a moment of searching, he'd pull me out by the legs. "No! No, no, no!" I yelled tears rolling down my face. I'd kick and kick, but Daisuke was strong. When I was out, the head would yank me up, holding me in the air by the neck.
"You're not good at hide and seek, my little pet. You should try hiding again." He'd throw me back to the ground and suggest a new game.
I shuddered away the memory. I tightened my fist, digging my nails into my skin. I didn't want to think about it. I couldn't just stand here trembling over the way things were...
But I kept going back to how Daisuke used to look compared to now.
He used to have two legs. He used to have the strength to sit up straight without help. He used to...
I felt my eyes get watery. It wasn't fair. It was never fair.
"Hi there, kid. What's your name?" The coughing man asked kindly.
"M-miki. Miki."
"I like that name. It's a good name. Oh, I'm Minoru. My name isn't that good. I want a name like Miki." He laughed, but it was riddled with coughs. "Sorry, you'll have to excuse me. I'm real sick, Miki. Real sick. I'm gonna die Miki. And I'm scared of that. That makes me a coward, I suppose."
"Everyone's got to die." I whispered. "To be scared doesn't make you a coward. To not be scared would make you a fool."
He laughed again. "Well, look at me, gettin' a life lesson from a seven-year-old. I like you Miki let's spend some time together again." His fingers laced in between mine. I nodded. "Soon. Real soon. Before I die."
We were together for another two years before it happened.
"Hello again, Miki. Nice to see you."
"What took you so long, Minoru? It's been over a month since we last had fun! Oh," I ran up to him. "You look better. Do you feel better? Last time I saw you you were feeling pretty bad."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm feeling pretty good today. Maybe it's because I have good news." he smiled slyly at me and sat down. I could almost hear his bones creak as they bent in their underused joints.
"What is it?"
"My father left me the present of freedom in his will. I can move away, Miki. And I can take you with me." I didn't believe my ears. He had to repeat it seven times. "I'm also taking the twins."
"They're sort of creepy."
He laughed. I had grown to love his laugh. "And Aika. You know her, the rabbit?"
"That mean toddler? She's a stupid jerk! Why'd you want her?" He bent over in his chair to be at eye level with me and laughed.
"Yep, things are going to be different. Better. Just you wait and see, Miki."
That was my last time being at the Sohma residence.
I crept down the stairs to try and see what was happening. I could see Haruka-san facing Daisuke. Daisuke was leaning on two crutches. I forced my eyes to stay open. I tried to keep them off Daisuke.
"So you finally ready to face me, eh rat?" She sneered. He smiled his cruel smile. He was the only person I ever met who looked worse smiling then they did frowning. "Ready to get what's coming to you?"
I knew that the cat and the rat of the zodiac were supposed to hate each other, but other than that I had no idea what kind of relationship Daisuke had with Haruka-san. Aki and Taki had told me about how the cat had tricked the rat in the story, and because of that the cursed two always had hated each other.
What if they were going to physically fight? What if she was going to kill him? What if...I cursed Minoru in my head as I watched, hating him because he left when he did. I knew he did it on purpose. I thought back on it. He seemed to act a little strange when he was talking to Amaya-san. It was like he was afraid of her.
"Alright, rat, come here. You're gonna deserve this," And then she did the last thing I expected.
She hugged him.
She buried her face into his hair as he stood perfectly still. "I've missed you."
