Is Akira Okay?

by AutomneLoup

In 2018, Akira Kurusu returns to Tokyo in order to start university. However, the thieves notice that something is different about him. He seems a lot more hostile towards others, even his friends and loved ones. When Akira's troubled past is revealed to them, the race is on. With help from his family, including a famous idol, can they save him before he is lost, possibly forever?

33. Blood Is Thicker Than Water

*You have returned to the real world. Thank you for all of your hard work.*

As the Phantom Thieves exited Akira Kurusu's Palace for the evening, they found themselves getting chills down their spines as they stood outside of the cemetery in the dead of night. Most of them were still wearing the outfits they had worn to the wedding, which weren't exactly suited for cooler weather. The rain had lowered the temperature, and the lingering sounds of crickets and thunder gave a haunting, Silent Hill-esque atmosphere, minus the fog.

"Okay, is anyone else getting creepy vibes, or is it just me?" Ryuji asked as he looked around.

"Ryuji, it's just a cemetery," Futaba reminded him.

"Dude! A cemetery at night is still creepy!" Ryuji retorted. "Look at Makoto! She's freakin' creeped out by this place." Everyone looked at Makoto, who was quite clearly shivering with fear. She tried her best to hide it, but it wasn't working.

"Wh-What? N-No, I'm not! I-I'm just-uh, cold! Yeah, I'm just freezing."

"Here, Mako-chan…" Haru took off her jacket and put it on Makoto's back. "Feel better?"

"No—I mean, YES! I-I mean-uh…"

"You're not fooling anyone, Makoto. You're as pale as a ghost," Yusuke commented.

"GHOST!?" Makoto shouted.

*CRACK!*

"GAAAHHHHH!" As the thunder crackled, Makoto clung to Haru.

"SHHH! Makoto, calm down, it's just a bit of thunder. Have some respect for the dead, will you?" Morgana quietly scolded.

"Wow," Kairi began as she looked at Morgana, "so, the cat is talking in the real world too, huh?"

"Hey! I thought we went over this! Don't call me a cat!" Morgana frowned.

"Oh, right, sorry," Kairi said before clearing her throat. "So, what's the plan?" she asked, turning to Yu.

"Let's go home and get some sleep. When do you all want to meet back here?" he asked around.

"Honestly, I'd feel better getting it done as soon as possible," Ann said as Sumire checked the time on her phone.

"I agree; the sooner, the better," Rise added.

"It's almost eleven-thirty. How does meeting back here at eight a.m. sound? Not too early?" Sumire proposed.

"That sounds good to me. I doubt I'm going to get any sleep tonight, anyway…" Kairi said, rubbing her forehead, thinking back to what she saw in that theater.

"I know how you feel, Obasan," Rise said.

"We all do," Sumire added.

"I don't want to know any more than I already do, but I'll assume what you guys saw was just as bad?" Kairi asked. Everyone looked down in silence; she took that as confirmation. "So…eight a.m.?" she proposed, breaking the silence.

"That works," Yu nodded. "Everyone else okay with that?" Everyone nodded as well. "All right, see you all tomorrow morning then, and of course, Kairi-san, let us know if you hear from Dojima about Akira, and I'll do the same."

"Of course. Good night, everyone," Kairi nodded back, and everyone said their goodbyes. It started to rain once again as everyone drove off in their own directions. Yu and Rise took Yu's car and drove home, while Sumire and Morgana rode with Kairi back to the Kurusu house, and the Phantom Thieves went back to the Amagi Inn.

---

For the original Phantom Thieves, the drive back to the inn was mostly quiet. Everyone was exhausted from their trek through the Metaverse. After defeating the God of Control, they never thought they would set foot in another Palace ever again, let alone the Palace of one of their own. Yet, here they were; having gone through their leader and best friend's Palace, and witnessed some of his most painful and traumatic memories. They were close to their goal, closer than even they expected to get, mostly thanks to Kairi, but the fact that they still had one more to go didn't do much to rejuvenate their spirits; not to mention, Akira was still missing.

"I can't believe it…" Futaba began before trailing off. She spoke quietly, but it felt like she was talking through a microphone and speaker as her words echoed all throughout the van.

"Believe what?" Ryuji asked.

"All of it."

"You mean, what we saw back there?" Futaba silently nodded. "Yeah, same…"

"Me neither," Ann added.

"It's feels strange," Yusuke began. "Aside from Futaba, we never understood why or witnessed how our targets' developed Palaces."

"Akira harbored so much grief and trauma that his desires became so distorted to the point of him forming a Palace," Haru continued as she anxiously massaged her hands. "I feel so awful for him, for everything he's gone through."

"And I can only imagine what Kairi-san had to sit through," Ann added.

"I don't think it's just those moments…" Makoto trailed off.

"What do you mean, Makoto?"

"Ann, think about it; what did those two memories have in common?" Futaba asked. No one knew how to answer any other way than, "they were painful to watch," but that probably wasn't what Futaba meant. Likely still being a bit rattled, everyone drew a blank. "Except for the start of the first movie, Akira was alone in all of them."

"Huh? No, he wasn't," Ryuji furrowed his brow.

"Well, not literally alone."

"I see what you mean," Yusuke took over. "Whenever he was being…attacked…" he stumbled slightly in his words."There was no one to help him. He, unfortunately, suffered alone."

"Oh, yeah, that's right…" Ryuji realized. "Y'know, I think I get what he meant when he was goin' off on us at the wedding. It wasn't just about no phone calls or texts; Akira prolly always felt like he was alone."

"But the fact that he also distanced himself from us likely means that he prefers to be alone," Haru added.

"That's bullshit! After all we went through together?"

"I'm not saying that you're wrong, Ryuji. I'm just saying that, maybe, even Akira doesn't know what he wants. Probably because of his heart being distorted."

"So, you really believe that Akira's strange behavior is exclusively due to his desires being distorted?" Yusuke asked.

"I-I…" Haru thought about it, but couldn't come up with a definitive answer. "I-I'm not sure…"

It wasn't an easy question to answer; saying either, 'yes' or 'no' was plausible, but both adverbs had so many asterisks next to them, they looked like constellation maps. Akira had been through a lot, yes, and unbeknownst to the Thieves, he didn't mind being alone or not having any of his own friends when he was younger, and not just because of nearly always having his brother and cousin at his side. It was unclear how far the influence of the distortions went and how close they got to Akira's true feelings. Whether they would find out the truth or not, they didn't know either. The only thing that the Phantom Thieves were certain off was that the Palace had to go.

"I wish we could have been there for him more…" Futaba sharply exhaled.

"To be honest, it doubt that would have made that much of a difference," Makoto began, not taking her eyes off the dimly lit road. Everyone turned to her in confusion. "Don't misunderstand, I agree with Futaba, I wish we could've been there for him as well. But from what it sounds like, Akira has had this Palace since he was child. We all know that Palaces don't just go away on their own. Even if we had been there for Akira, it would have done little-to-nothing to change the fact that his desires were distorted."

"You have a point, Makoto," Yusuke admitted. "We don't have the power to change the past. But what we can do is focus on the future, and in that future, Akira is safe and sound at home, surrounded by the people who love and care about him."

"You mean us?" Ryuji asked.

"No, the conquistadors—yes, us, you moron!" Futaba rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to get snippy with me!"

"Guys, calm down!" Ann demanded. Ryuji and Futaba quieted down and silently gave each other apology glances. "Makoto and Haru are right. We didn't do much to help Akira before, but we're making up for it now. We're gonna wipe that Palace from his heart and bring him back home safe."

"Well said, Ann," Haru softly smiled before frowning once again. "I just hope, wherever Akira is, that he's okay…" The rest of the drive was sat out in silence as the rain began to fall once again.

---

Back at Yu and Rise's home, Rise took the first shower and got changed into a multicolored nightgown. Yu took the second shower as Rise sat on their bed, thinking about everything she went through today. She got married, discovered her cousin was a Persona user and the leader of the infamous Phantom Thieves. He had a seizure in front of her and everyone at her wedding and then disappeared. She and her new husband re-entered the cognitive world with her cousin's friends, including a talking cat. And, to top it all off, she sat through and watched Akira suffer before her very eyes as two of his darkest, most profound, and most painful memories played on a big screen. To say this was a heavy day would be like having two of your arms cut off and calling it a flesh wound, a gigantic understatement.

"Why the hell am I thinking of Monty Python right now?" Rise thought aloud as she rubbed her forehead.

"Did you say something!?" Yu asked from the bathroom as he stepped out of the shower.

"Nothing!" she yelled back. Her bare feet swayed back and forth as she listened to the rain pouring hard outside their window. She looked at the alarm clock as it displayed [11:59]. Suddenly, she had a thought. Rise got up and walked over to the TV she and Yu had in their room. She looked back at the clock as it struck midnight before then looking back and staring at the TV screen. To her relief, nothing came on. She didn't see Akira on the Midnight Channel. Rise didn't know what she was doing or what she was expecting, but she just wanted to be certain. As she reached out to the television, Yu came back into the room.

"Rise?" Yu asked. Rise's attention snapped to him; he was in boxers and a white undershirt. "What are you doing?"

"I-I-uh…" She looked back at the still turned off TV and looked back at Yu. "S-Sorry, it's nothing…" she said, before going over into her husband's arms and burying her face into his chest, exhaling deeply and on the verge of crying.

"Hey, it's okay," Yu comforted her by rubbing her back. He felt her nod in his chest.

"I know…" she sniffed, holding back tears. "It's just…today was a lot, you know? It totally slipped my mind that we're even married right now, ha-haha…" she awkwardly chuckled; her voice cracking.

"Look, I know tonight was rough, but we're almost done. I'm sure by this time tomorrow; this will all seem like a bad dream."

"Bad dream!?" Rise snapped her head back and looked up at her husband. "Yu, I'm probably going to have nightmares about what I saw back there. Plus, Akira's still missing! He's out there somewhere, lost in the rain, and we have no idea where he is! Where is my cousin, Yu!?" she raised her voice as she pounded on his chest. "WHERE IS HE!?"

"Honey, honey, calm down," he calmly said.

"DON'T FUCKING TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" she snapped before finally breaking down in tears and sobbing loudly. Yu gently hugged her.

"Let it all out…" he quietly said as she sobbed in his arms.

"I-I'm s-so sorry…"

"Shhh, shh. You have nothing to be sorry about, hon'. You're worried about your family; it's perfectly understandable that you're feeling this way."

"I-I-I-I…" She was sobbing so much she couldn't talk.

"Rise, it's okay. Take your time, let it all out," he said as he held her tightly. "I'm here for you." After about twenty minutes, Rise was all cried out. She sat on her bed beside Yu, going through tissue after tissue, blowing her nose, and wiping tears.

"Thanks, ah…" she sniffed. "I felt like I had been holding all of that in forever, but I feel a bit better now…"

"Hey, I get it. I'd probably feel the same way if Akira was my cousin," Yu sympathized. "He really means a lot to you, huh?"

"I just… I love that kid, you know? I mean, he's more than just my cousin; Akira and Tetsuya were, honestly, the only friends I had before I met you and the others," she sniffed some more. "And now…knowing what Akira's going through, and what he went through before… I-I mean… I thought him getting framed for assault was horrible enough… I thought him getting…" Rise thought about when she first found out about Akira being abused. "…n-no, I don't want to think about that right now…but, what I'm trying to say is… I don't want Akira to hurt anymore…he doesn't deserve it."

"I get it. I really do. I don't think he deserves any of that either," Yu rubbed her shoulder. Rise turned to her husband.

"Yu, promise me, he'll be okay… I just need to hear it…" Yu felt terrible about making promises he wasn't sure he could keep. True, they were confident that they could steal the treasure and make the Palace disappear, but about the real Akira? He was still lost, somewhere out in the cool, dark night, and they had no clue where he could be. Rather than saying all of that, however, he chose the more comforting route.

"I swear on my life; Akira will be okay," Yu softly smiled at her. Rise hugged him tightly before pulling back and laying a deep passionate kiss on his lips.

"I love you so much," she said.

"I love you too," he responded before embracing her tightly. "Come on, let's get some sleep." Rise nodded, and the two got under the covers.

"You know, this isn't how I imagined our wedding night would go…" she said before chuckling.

"Heh, I'm sure," Yu chuckled as he felt her leg brush against his.

"Once this is all done, I'm tearing those clothes off your body, you know that, right?" she said seductively. Yu couldn't see her face, but he could imagine the devilish grin she had on her face.

---

As she, Kairi, and Morgana entered the Kurusu home, Sumire got a text from Makoto, letting them know that the Thieves got back to the Amagi Inn safely and wished them all a good night. Yeah, like that was going to happen after what they all saw, tonight.

"I'm going to grab a quick bite. Sumire, do you want something to eat before bed?" Kairi asked.

"Um, yes, please, if you wouldn't mind, Kairi," Sumire responded.

"Not at all! What do you want?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll have whatever you're having."

"Hey, what about me? You didn't consider asking me if I was hungry?" Morgana asked.

"Oh! Uh…sorry, I'm still getting used to you talking, Morgana," Kairi said, flustered. "D-Do you want something to eat?"

"No, thanks. I'm good," he deadpanned.

"You just said that to screw with me, didn't you?" Kairi smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, pretty much, mwehehe," Morgana chuckled; Kairi scoffed and couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"Can't believe I got toyed with by a cat," she muttered as she shook her head.

"I am NOT-"

"Yeah, yeah, you're not a cat, I know. I did that one on purpose," Kairi waved as she walked to the kitchen. Morgana and Sumire looked at each other and chuckled before Morgana went upstairs. Kairi opened her fridge.

*CRASH*

"WHAT THE F—oh right…" she felt embarrassed as she remembered kicking it not two hours ago. Kairi had not only broken the shelf on the door but knocked the middle shelf off as well. Items like eggs, milk, the leftover potato salad, and God knows what else spilled across her kitchen floor. Thankfully, the floor was not carpeted…like that was any better.

"Are you all right? I heard a loud noise and—oh…" Sumire ran into the kitchen and noticed the mess. "What happened?"

"Oh, uh…it's an old fridge, hehe," Kairi joked as she began trying to fix the shelf. "Don't worry; I got it."

"Okay, um, is it okay if I take a shower?" Sumire asked; Kairi looked up from the fridge.

"Of course!" Kairi insisted. "You don't need to ask, you know?"

"I just don't want to seem impolite."

"Sumi, it's okay. Make yourself at home. Mi casa es tu casa."

"How many languages do you know?" Sumire chuckled.

"Hehe…" Kairi chuckled before looking down and looking lost in her thoughts.

"Kairi? Are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. You just reminded me of something my husband once said," Kairi somberly said.

"Ah, I see… I hope I didn't say anything wrong," Sumire quietly said, feeling like she had inadvertently touched on a sensitive subject.

"Oh, no, no. Not at all. You're fine," Kairi assured her before turning her attention back to the refrigerator door. "…and there. Got it!" she said as she put the shelf back on before it immediately fell off again. "Damn it…" she muttered and sighed.

"Here, would you like me to help?" Sumire offered.

"No, no, I got it, haha…" Kairi embarrassingly chuckled. "Although, you wouldn't mind cleaning the floor while I take care of the shelf, would you?"

"Not at all!" Sumire smiled as she grabbed a roll of paper towels from the counter before kneeling down next to her and taking care of the mess on the floor, while Kairi tried the shelf again. "So, how did you and your husband meet?" Sumire asked, launching a conversation.

"Oh, wow, uh…" Kairi exhaled and brushed aside her hair. "Minoru and I met in the third grade in April of '87." Sumire's eyes went wide.

"Wow, really? That long ago?"

"Yep, it was the first day of class too… or, well, technically, the second day. The first day, we just kind of stared at each other without saying a word, haha," Kairi chuckled.

"And you became friends right away?"

"Mm-hm, pretty much," Kairi nodded. "My family and I had just moved here from Osaka. I didn't know anyone, but Minoru became my first and only friend…" she paused before continuing. "Like I kind of told you earlier, except for my sister, my family never really cared for me. But Minoru and his father, Hiroki, they did. They practically took me in, and I'm pretty sure I spent more time in this house than my own home after we moved."

"You two were best friends?"

"Oh yeah," Kairi nodded. "The best of friends."

"When did you fall in love?" Sumire asked; Kairi glanced at her and just smiled.

"You're a curious cat, aren't you?" They shared a chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I hope you don't mind me asking so many questions…"

"No, not at all. You're just making me feel really nostalgic right now. Oh, but-uh, don't tell Morgana I said the word, 'cat,' haha," Kairi cleared her throat. "Anyway, Minoru and I didn't become a couple until about five years after we first met. I still remember it, clear as day. It was a week before his fifteenth birthday…" Kairi trailed off as she found herself thinking of their first kiss. "Even though it took us five years to actually become a couple, I think it's safe to say I fell in love with him the moment I first laid eyes on him," Kairi softly smiled.

"To be honest, that's how it was for me with Akira, love at first sight," Sumire smiled back as she threw away used paper towels in the garbage can. "I got on the subway train, one morning, took a seat and looked up just as Akira got on. There was something about him that attracted me to him right away. I got excited when I noticed that he was wearing a Shujin uniform like me. I thought about how I would approach him, but he was actually the one who said the first word to me."

"That's not what I heard. He told me you approached him."

"Well, technically yes, after we got off the train. But the first words we shared were on the train, and he spoke to me first. I was a bit flustered when he spoke to me, but, from then on, though I didn't realize it at the time, I was in love with him. Although I don't know if it was the same for him."

"Oh, I'm sure it was," Kairi smirked. She was right; it was.

"So, if you don't mind me asking-"

"Sumire, stop saying that," Kairi chuckled. "I'm an open book. Even if it's about my family or otherwise, don't be afraid to ask."

"O-Okay, um, I-uh wanted to know about more Akira's brother…"

"Ah…" The jovial atmosphere was gone; somberness took its place. It wasn't a feeling of nostalgia Kairi was experiencing, it was melancholy.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to ask?"

"Y-Yeah, of course. It's just… I haven't talked about Tetsuya to anyone in a while…"

---

**November 1997 — Kurusu Home**

---

It was a pleasant Sunday morning. Twenty-year-old newlywed, Kairi Kurusu, was in the kitchen, wearing pink pajamas, making breakfast, when she found herself receiving a hug from behind, courtesy of her new husband. Now that both she and Minoru were twenty years of age, him having turned twenty back in June and her in October, they wasted no time tying the knot. The previous day, they had a small ceremony in a church attended by Hiroki, their son, Tetsuya, Maki and Shinsuke Kujikawa, and their two-year-old daughter, Rise. Five years as a couple, ten as best friends, and their love was just as strong as the day Minoru metaphorically drooled all over his desk when he first laid eyes on her.

"Good morning~," Minoru said as he kissed her neck from behind, causing her to giggle.

"It's getting there, heehee… S-Stop it, haha. You know I'm ticklish there."

"I know, but if you think that's going to stop me," he said but continued to kiss her neck until she playfully pushed him off. As she did, the song "Easy" by the Commodores started playing on the radio. "Ooh, perfect!" Minoru said as he asked for her hand. "May I have this dance?"

"Not if you want breakfast, cowboy, so take your pick," she chuckled, but Minoru silently insisted. Kairi found herself unable to resist his debonair charm, with his dark-silver eyes and slick black hair. She took his hand, and he began to lead as Lionel Richie started singing the first verse.

(Know it sounds funny but I just can't stand the pain)

"Why'd you cut it? I liked it messy," Kairi asked as she ran her hand through Minoru's hair.

(Girl, I'm leaving you tomorrow)

"Haha, well, I liked your glasses," he retorted; she had stopped wearing her faux glasses a while ago.

(Seems to me girl you know I've done all I can)

"Touché," Kairi smirked.

(You see I begged, stole and I borrowed, yeah)

Despite the lyrics, it was still a romantic song to dance to. Kairi began singing the chorus.

(Ooh, that's why I'm easy) (Aaaahhhhh)

(I'm easy like Sunday morning) (Aaaahhhhh)

Or, at least, she tried to sing the chorus. Instead, she burst out in laughter by Minoru suddenly singing the background "aaahhhs."

(That's why I'm easy) (Aaaahhhhh)

"What? I thought we were doing a duet?" he joked, and Kairi kept laughing.

(I'm easy like Sunday morning!)

The song continued, but their dance came to an end after the first chorus. However, Minoru did manage to make Kairi laugh again when he scatted the bass lick that came right before the second verse. As breakfast was close to ready, Minoru and Kairi heard soft cries from the dining room.

"Here, can you feed him?" Kairi handed Minoru a tray with their son's breakfast on it. "I'll be there in just a second."

"Of course," Minoru smiled back and nodded before planting a quick kiss on her cheek and leaving the kitchen. As Minoru entered the dining room, he saw his two-year-old son squirming in his feeding chair. "Hey, buddy. You okay?" he asked.

"Mwa-mwa…"

"Haha, Mama will be here in just a second. Are you hungry?" Tetsuya didn't react to the question, but did start giggling when his father started making silly faces. "Come on, Tetsuya. Open wide~." Minoru sang as he gave Tetsuya a small spoonful of rice. Tetsuya was not a fussy eater. He ate whatever Minoru and Kairi fed him without whining. "That's my boy!" Minoru beamed. "Good job!" he said as he clapped his hands. Tetsuya tried mimicking his hands and slapped his hands together like a tiny caveman. Minoru laughed.

"Aww, isn't that adorable?" Minoru looked behind him to see his own father walking into the room.

"Oh! Hey, Dad." Minoru said. "Say 'hello,' Tetsuya."

"O-Oggiisaaan!" Hiroki walked over to Tetsuya and rubbed his head.

"Morning, little baby," he smiled. "And I'm talking to you, by the way," he said, turning to Minoru.

"Oh, well, good morning to you too…" Minoru rolled his eyes. "You haven't even had your morning coffee yet, and you're already busting my chops."

"It's never too early to start teasing you, hehe…" Hiroki said before he started coughing. It had been over three years since his lung cancer diagnosis. He'd been doing his best to fight it, undergoing a couple of surgeries and chemotherapy. He was only fifty-seven years old, but he looked about a hundred years older than that. He was completely bald, had lost a lot of weight, and had a voice so raspy, he could give Al Pacino a run for his money. Frankly, it was a miracle that his grandson wasn't scared of him from how he looked. "Hand me a napkin or something, will you, please?" Hiroki asked.

"You okay, Dad?" Minoru worriedly asked as he handed him a tissue. "You need some water or something?"

"Nah, I'm good," Hiroki shook his head. He coughed into the tissue and found a mixture of rust-colored spit and blood. "It's just same shit, different day," he added, pocketing the tissue.

"Dad, come on. Not in front of my kid," Minoru said as Tetsuya turned towards his grandfather.

"Ah, come on. He didn't understand, hehe," Hiroki chuckled; Minoru scoffed.

"Weren't you the one who always told me not to swear? You AND Kairi, come to think of it."

"Times change, kid," Hiroki shrugged. "Speaking of, where is the blushing bride?"

"Kitchen." Hiroki started chuckling. "What is it?" Minoru smirked.

"Ah, it's nothing…" Hiroki was feeling pensive as he smiled at his son and grandson. Kairi walked in shortly after.

"Good morning, Hiroki!" Kairi kindly greeted.

"He-hey, there she is!" Hiroki exclaimed.

"Don't think I didn't catch that swear, by the way," Kairi glared at him.

"Oh…" Hiroki rubbed the back of his head while Minoru snickered.

"Feels good not to be on the receiving end for once, haha," he said.

"Hiroki, I love you, but if my son starts swearing before he even enters school, I'm blaming you," Kairi said as she put another tray of food down on the dining room table.

"All right, all right. I'll watch my tongue, hehe," Hiroki chuckled and smiled on the outside, but on the inside, he doubted he would even live to see his grandson start school. As it turned out, he was right.

The year 1999 saw mixed blessings for the Kurusu family. On the upside, that summer, Kairi announced that she and Minoru were expecting another child, and they couldn't be happier. Hiroki, especially, was happy and proud. Though he loved Kairi like a daughter, he still regretted not having the opportunity to have multiple children with his wife, Tatsuo, whom, sadly, he would be joining very soon. In the last year and a half or so, Hiroki's health kept deteriorating, and in the latter half of the year, he found himself on his deathbed. Minoru, Kairi, and Tetsuya visited him in the hospital pretty much every day for almost a month. Kairi was utterly heartbroken. The man who had practically raised her from the age of ten onward and had taught her so much was about to leave forever. Tetsuya, by contrast, didn't know how to react. At the age of four, he didn't understand the concept of death yet but did understand that his grandfather, who earlier in the spring had taught him to ride a bike and began teaching him how to read, was in poor health. He was still hoping he would be okay.

On November 8th, 1999, Minoru and Kairi shared one last moment with their father and guardian respectively.

"Kai, I want you to listen to me," Hiroki weakly began as Kairi, being six months pregnant, was sobbing near-uncontrollably. "I may not have been your father, but I want you to know that I always saw you as my daughter."

"Hiroki…" Kairi sobbed.

"I did the best I could, I hope you know that. It was joy watching you grow up from being my son's first friend, to you becoming my daughter-in-law. Knowing you was a privilege, and that's straight from the heart. I couldn't be more proud of you, or the wonderful mother you've become and about to be again."

"I-I… I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me… You've taught me so much; you took me in, gave me a real home… You gave me somewhere where I could belong… You were my guardian angel… I… I-I love you… Dad…" The lung cancer was killing him, but Hiroki was about one second away from his cause of death being labeled "heart failure."

"I love you too, kiddo. You don't mind if I have a quick chat with Minoru, do you?"

"Not at all," Kairi forcefully smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow," she sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Say, 'goodbye' to your grandpa, Tetsuya."

"B-Bye, Ogiisan," the four-year-old waved at his grandfather for the last time before Kairi and he left the room, leaving Hiroki alone with his son. Minoru didn't want to cry in front of his wife and son; he figured someone had to be strong for Tetsuya, who still didn't fully understand what was happening. But as soon as he and Kairi were gone, it all came pouring out. Minoru sobbed for a few minutes; Hiroki patiently waited while his son let go of all the tears he had built up over the last twenty minutes or so.

"I'm proud of you, Minoru."

"…h-huh?"

"I got to see my son find his soulmate, get married, and have a kid of his own. Granted, I would've preferred if two of those things happened when you were a little older, but hey, that's life. What are you gonna do?" Hiroki weakly chuckled. "My point is, I love you, son. I'm so proud of the man you've become, and I'm proud to have you as a son." Minoru, sitting by his dad's hospital bed, was wiping his eyes as he looked up at his father. "Say, do you and Kairi know the gender yet?" Minoru sniffed a few times before answering.

"Uh… yeah. Yeah, we do. We're going to have another boy," he softly smiled.

"Ah, isn't that nice…" Hiroki paused before continuing. "You got a name picked out for him yet?"

"Uh…no, not yet…" Minoru shook his head. "We haven't had time to think about it that much, you know?"

"Mind if I suggest one?"

"Please."

"… Akira."

"Akira?"

"We preferred not to find out what you were going to be until you arrived…but your mother and I each picked out two names for you before you were born. A boy's name and a girl's name. Her pick for a boy's name was Minoru…after her grandfather. Mine was Akira."

"Why Akira?"

"No reason… I just liked the name: Akira Kurusu. Sounds good…don't you think?"

"Y-Yeah, I agree," Minoru nodded. "So, how'd you decide what name to go with?"

"We flipped a coin," Minoru laughed for the first time in a while.

"So, my choice of name was left in the hands of a coin?"

"Basically, hehe…" Hiroki smiled and nodded. "We couldn't agree, so we just flipped for it. I was sure I was going to win."

"But Mom won instead, huh?"

"Mm-mm…" Hiroki shook his head. "I did."

"What? But then…"

"Your mother died so that you could live. It seemed only fitting that you should carry the name she wanted for you." Minoru started tearing up again. "I loved your mother. Hell, I loved her so much, I took her name when we got married."

Minoru looked back up. "H-Huh? Y-You never told me that…"

"It's true, though… My parents weren't the best… They never supported me when I told them I wanted to build things. My mother, especially, wanted me to be a dentist. She never forgave me for not going to medical school, hehe…" Hiroki coughed a couple of times before continuing. "…I wasn't happy when they passed away, not at all, but I was relieved that I wouldn't have to take the crap they always gave me about my life choices anymore. So, I took your mother's maiden name when we got married to show that my choices were mine and mine alone. Plus, I really did love her…"

"So, you were still a rebel in your thirties?" Minoru softly chuckled through tears.

"…with a cause, hehe…but anyway, in the end, you got to carry both your mother's name and the name she picked out for you, and I wouldn't have had it any other way…but, if I'm honest, I think Akira's a better name than Minoru, hehe…oh, your mother's probably going to kick my ass for that one when I see her." Despite his dad cracking jokes, Minoru couldn't keep himself from crying some more.

"Dad…" Minoru cried.

"Listen, Minoru… I don't want to force your hand. I'm not asking you to name him 'Akira' just for me. That boy's going to be great, no matter what name you give him. You understand me?" Minoru silently nodded before wiping more tears and giving his father a soft smile.

"…I think Akira's a great name…" Hiroki and Minoru chatted for a little while longer before a nurse came in and informed them that visiting hours were over.

"Now get out of here. You got a wife and kid to take care off, big man, hehe," Hiroki chuckled. "I love you, Minoru."

"I love you too, Dad. So… I'll see you tomorrow then?" Minoru asked.

"You know it…" Hiroki weakly smiled. Both had said these exact words to each other for the past few weeks. This time it would be the last. However, Minoru was about to exit the room before he turned back.

"Oh, forgot to ask…what was your name? Before you took Mom's name, I mean?"

"Amamiya…"

That was the last time Minoru saw his father. He, Kairi, and Tetsuya went home later that night, expecting that they would see him again the next day, as they had for the past few weeks. As they left the hospital, Minoru realized he didn't ask him what the girl's names were that they had picked out. He made a mental note to ask him when they went back to see him the next day. As the Kurusu's were having breakfast the following morning, however, the phone rang. Minoru and Kairi looked at each other; they both somehow knew what it was. Neither of them picked it up right away, opting instead to let it ring a few times as they silently looked at each other and tried their hardest not to start crying in front of Tetsuya. After fighting lung cancer for almost five years, Hiroki Kurusu passed away on November 9th, 1999. Per his wishes, Minoru had his father buried next to the woman he loved.

A wake was held at the Kurusu house. The Kujikawas came to pay their respects, as well as many of the townspeople, since Hiroki was well-liked and respected by the people of Inaba for all the work he had done for them for the past thirty-five years. Kairi sat on the couch, going through multiple tissues. Multiple people came to give their sincere condolences to her and Minoru. She appreciated their gestures, but none of them made her feel any better. After a while, Tetsuya, in his small suit, walked up to her and, without saying a word, wiped the tears from her eyes with his sleeve. She smiled for the first time that day and hugged him tightly.

The following months were a bit hard. The holidays came and went without much fanfare, as the Kurusus were still grieving. After the new year, they began an odd transition period as Minoru and Kairi moved into Hiroki's room. Even after redoing pretty much everything, it still felt strange for them at first to sleep in there. It took some time, but they eventually adjusted. Tetsuya had Kairi's old room from the moment he was born, so Minoru prepped his old room for the new baby's arrival. Kairi didn't have the same worries as she did with Tetsuya. She was more confident in her parenting abilities and was ready to welcome this new baby into her family.

On February 10th, 2000, at precisely ten-fourteen in the morning, Kairi brought a new life into the world. Due to a slight complication, the doctors had to deliver him through a c-section, but it was painless and over before it even began. The only real pain Kairi felt was when the baby threw up on his father the first time he held him. She had to practically yell at Minoru to leave the room as the look of shock and confusion on his face made Kairi laugh so hard, she thought the stitches were going to burst. Maki Kujikawa picked Tetsuya and Rise up from daycare and brought them over to the hospital. The godmother let Tetsuya go into the room first. He walked into his mother's hospital room to see her holding a sleeping newborn in her arms.

"Tetsuya, meet your new baby brother, Akira," Kairi smiled.

"H-Hewwo, Akiva…" Tetsuya said before softly putting his hand on his cheek. He took a shine to him right away. Maki came in not long after.

"NEW BABY!" Little Rise excitedly exclaimed. She also immediately took a liking to the kid.

"SHHHH! He's sleeping, honey," her mother quietly scolded her. "But wow…he's beautiful! Way to go, Little Sis!" Maki beamed.

"This one's his spitting image," Kairi gestured her head toward Minoru, who still had a puke stain on his shirt.

"Speaking of spitting," he grumbled. Everyone chuckled. While Hiroki's absence was felt, it did nothing to tarnish this day for Minoru and Kairi. They were so happy together, and now, they had someone else to share their love with. They looked to the future with nothing but pride and joy.

---

**April 2002**

---

One bright and sunny Monday morning, Minoru quietly entered Tetsuya's room and softly woke him up.

"Tetsuya? Come on, bud. Time to get up."

"Mmmmmm…" Tetsuya whined.

"Come on, today's an exciting day! Your first day of school!"

"I don't wanna go…"

"What? Why not?" Minoru chuckled. "Don't worry; it's nothing to be scared of."

"I'm not scared; I just wanna sleep…" Tetsuya rolled over.

"Haha, you know, if you wanna sleep, school is a great place for that," Minoru joked.

"Minoru!" His head snapped behind him to see Kairi standing in the doorway with a disapproving look on her face.

"I-I-uh, I mean, get up, now!" He tried to save face while Kairi shook her head and went to get Akira.

"You're in trouble," Tetsuya said as he got out of bed, still half asleep. Minoru clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Just go take a shower, ya clown," he said, embarrassed. Meanwhile, Kairi gently picked Akira up out of his crib.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she quietly said. She brushed aside some of his dark hair and softly kissed his forehead. His response was simply to yawn. She thought it was the cutest thing ever and smiled profusely. The Kurusu family enjoyed breakfast together. Kairi fed Akira, who, like his older brother, wasn't a picky eater. She looked over and noticed Tetsuya wasn't looking all that happy. He wasn't touching his rolled omelet.

"Tetsuya?" she began. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah…"

"You don't sound okay, and you've barely touched your breakfast. You're not feeling sick, are you?"

"No…"

"Well, then, what's wrong?"

"He's probably just nervous about his first day of school," Minoru interjected, sipping his coffee.

"Honey, there's nothing to be nervous about. School is going to be great; you'll see!" Kairi smiled.

"I don't want it to be too hard," Tetsuya said.

"Haha, it's not going to be hard," Kairi laughed.

"Wait until you start high school, then talk to me about school being hard, haha," Minoru joked. Kairi shot him a look.

"Don't listen to him. Your father wasn't a great student," she grinned.

"Yes, I was! I just wasn't great at English," Minoru insisted. Kairi smiled and rolled her eyes before Minoru turned back to Tetsuya. "Besides, mommy and I met in school, you know? Maybe you'll meet someone special, too?"

"Minoru, He's only six-" Kairi began before getting cut off.

"Almost seven!" Tetsuya interjected.

"Right, almost seven. Point is, he doesn't know what love is," Kairi said.

"So? Neither did we, and you and I weren't that much older," Minoru shrugged; Kairi shook her head and smiled. "Speaking of, your birthday is this Sunday, and you haven't told us what you wanted yet. You better think of something, otherwise, we'll have no choice but to get you socks, haha."

"And underwear," Kairi added.

"I don't want socks and underwear!" Tetsuya whined.

"Well, think about what you do want and tell us later, okay?" Minoru asked; Tetsuya nodded. "Good! Oh, but-uh, don't worry about finding a girlfriend right now. Take your time, you got your whole life ahead of you."

"Girls are yucky!" Tetsuya deadpanned; Minoru and Kairi looked at each other and snorted.

"See? What did I tell you? Not a clue," Kairi chuckled, Minoru nudged Tetsuya.

"Don't let your cousin hear you say that; she might take offense."

"What fence?" Tetsuya asked, looking confused.

"Off-ense, buddy, not a fence," Minoru chuckled; Kairi checked the time.

"Oh! You two better get going, or you'll both be late. I'll get your lunches," She got up out of her seat. Her two-year-old stuck his hands out to her and started making whimpering noises. "I'll be back in just a second, Akira," she said before kissing the top of his head and disappearing into the kitchen.

"Come on, Tetsuya, eat up. You don't want to sit through school on an empty stomach," Minoru said.

"Okay."

Tetsuya and Minoru finished their plates. Kairi came back out into the dining room and handed both of them their lunches. She hugged and kissed them both goodbye as she wished them a great day. Soon, it was just her and Akira alone in the house… well, them and an unpleasant smell. Her husband got lucky and left at the right time. Minoru dropped Tetsuya off at school while he headed to his father's shop, which he still ran, building things pretty much by himself. Work was steady enough, but not enough to support a wife and two kids. He thought about his father, and how he managed to get by taking care of him and Kairi. There wasn't as much demand as there was ten or even two years ago. Hiroki had left them a pretty hefty nest egg, but they wanted to avoid living off it, which they practically were currently. Minoru and Kairi wanted to save that money for their kids' futures. For a while, Minoru thought about closing the shop and joining the construction industry. Hiroki had pretty much taught him everything he knew about building and construction, so he'd have no trouble getting a job. Then again, the shop was one of the things he had left from his father, apart from the house, car, knowledge, and the Kurusu family dog tag, which he still wore all the time. After Akira was born, Minoru engraved his name and birthday on the back, right under his and Tetsuya's. It wasn't as clean as his or Tetsuya's, but it was still nicely done. Despite being an artist, he wasn't great at engraving. Minoru didn't worry too much about financials right now. They were living perfectly fine and far from the verge of bankruptcy. He would figure something out.

At the end of the day, he went to pick up Tetsuya at school. As they got in the car, Minoru noticed that Tetsuya was happier than in the morning.

"So? Did you have a good first day at school?" Minoru asked.

"Yeah!" he beamed.

"Well, good! Did you make any friends?"

"Uh-huh, but he's not in my class. He's one grade up."

"Oh, so he's your Senpai, huh? What's his name?"

"Naito."

"Well, hopefully, we'll get to meet him soon," Minoru smiled. The entire car ride home, Tetsuya gushed about his new friend. A few months later, at the start of summer break, Tetsuya brought home his friend for the first time.

"Hello there!" Kairi greeted the young boy, who was thirteen months older than Tetsuya. "You must be Naito?"

"Yes, I am. Hello, Kurusu-sama," Naito bowed.

"Ooh, so polite!" Kairi said, impressed. "You can just call me Kairi, Naito-kun."

"Mom, can I go grab something for my room?" Tetsuya asked.

"Okay, but don't make too much noise. Your brother is still napping."

"Okay, thanks, Mom!"

Tetsuya went upstairs while Kairi and Naito sat in the living room and got to know each other. She learned that his parents were, unfortunately, divorced. He lived with his father, a police officer in the next town over, and aspired to follow in his footsteps. Like her and Minoru, he was a big fan of older music, and he even taught himself how to play guitar. On top of all that, he was extremely kind, funny, and very polite.

Upstairs, Tetsuya was digging through his room, trying to find squirt guns. The sun was out, and the heat was intense, so he figured he and Naito could have a super-soaker fight in the garden. He finally found them and was about to head downstairs when he heard noises coming from Akira's room. He set the squirt guns on the floor and quietly entered his room. Tetsuya saw his little brother squirming and softly crying in his sleep.

"Akira?" Tetsuya whispered. "Are you okay?" Akira made more whimpering noises before he opened his eyes and started fully crying. Tetsuya picked him up out of his crib and held him in the shoulder hold. He gently tapped him on the back and bounced him. "It's okay, Akira. Don't be scared," Tetsuya whispered. Somehow, he managed to get Akira to stop crying all by himself. Kairi watched all this happen, peeking in from the doorway, and her heart melted. From the moment Tetsuya was introduced to his baby brother, Kairi could feel the strong bond they had with one another, and this moment, to her, cemented that bond even further.

---

**December 2006**

---

"Go ahead, boys!" Kairi said, holding a video camera and filming. "Open up!"

It was Christmas morning, and the Kurusus were exchanging gifts. Tetsuya got a skateboard, a choice Minoru and Kairi would come to regret as Tetsuya would injure himself multiple times on it, and they would accumulate numerous hospital bills. The previous summer, he had broken his right arm trying to jump a handmade ramp with his bicycle. Why he asked for a skateboard after that was beyond them, but oh well. As long as it made him happy. Akira, on the other hand, got a guitar. Akira mostly resembled his father in terms of looks, but he was his mother's son regarding personal interests, with one exception, that being music. Although Minoru and Kairi loved music equally, Minoru was the one with the collection and the varied tastes, all of which he passed on down to Akira. Over the past few months or so, Naito, Tetsuya's best friend, had been giving Akira guitar lessons. He was getting quite good, so Minoru and Kairi figured, why not buy him his own, so he wouldn't have to keep borrowing one of Naito's.

"So, what do you think, buddy?" Minoru asked Akira, sitting in the recliner. It was a Yamaha JR1. A 3/4 inch-scale small acoustic guitar with a spruce top and rosewood fretboard. It was small and designed for young children.

"It's awesome!" Akira shot up and ran to hug his father. "Thanks, Dad! You're the best!"

"Hey! What about me?" Kairi asked; Akira went to hug his mother as well.

"Thank you, Mom! You're the best, too!"

"Hey, Akira?" Tetsuya called out. "When's your first concert?" he joked. Akira stuck his tongue out at him. "Come on, I can't wait to see you play, haha."

"I don't—I don't even know how to play a song…" Akira said shyly.

"Well, get to learning!"

"Tetsuya…be nice," Kairi said in a slightly reprimanding tone.

"I was kidding!"

"Besides, I should be telling you that. I saw your last report card, Mister," Kairi glared at him.

"I got a three out of five, that's not so bad."

"Haha, don't forget, your mom's a teacher now, buddy. She won't accept anything but the best," Minoru chuckled, himself earning a glare from his wife. Kairi had begun her career as a high school English teacher the previous April. She enjoyed it a lot, but having a teacher for a mom did put added pressure on Tetsuya to succeed academically. His grades weren't bad, they were fine enough, but that wasn't enough for Kairi.

"Not even the second best?" Tetsuya asked. Kairi shook her head and smiled. All things considered, she was mostly pulling his leg. As long as he wasn't failing, she was okay with whatever grade he got.

"Still, it is Christmas. Akira, can't you give us a bit of a show?" Kairi asked Akira, giving him puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah, come on, buddy!" Minoru added.

"O-Okay…" Akira sat down on the floor and began playing random stuff. It didn't sound very good, but only because the guitar wasn't in tune.

"Oooh," Minoru cringed. Akira tried tuning the guitar as Naito had taught him. "You need some help there, Akira?"

"I-I got it," Akira said, but he was still struggling. Eventually, the guitar was in tune, and he played some basic power chords and easy riffs, like "Seven Nation Army" or "Smoke on The Water." He was still quite a novice, but enjoyed it, nonetheless.

"That sounds nice, sweetie!" Kairi said, still filming.

"Do you want to try, Tetsuya?" Akira went to hand the guitar to his older brother.

"Uh, no, thanks, haha. I don't have any rhythm."

"Aw, come on, pal," Minoru began. "Anyone can play guitar."

"Well, I can't."

"Yeah, me neither, haha," Kairi chuckled. "The only musical bones in my body are in my ears, not my hands."

"Well, I'd like to try. Do you mind, Akira?" Minoru asked. Akira nodded and handed his father the guitar. Minoru didn't know how to hold it properly and quickly gave up. "Yeah…on second thought, I can't play either."

"I guess Radiohead was wrong, haha," Kairi joked. Tetsuya and Akira looked at each other, confused. "Actually, I'll give it a shot, why not? Trade you, cowboy." Kairi handed Minoru the video camera and she took the guitar. She, too, couldn't get a handle on it, but at least tried harder than her husband. After a while, there was a knock at the door. Akira went to open it.

"Rise! Obasan!" he exclaimed as he let them in.

"There's my nephew!" Maki went in and hugged Akira. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Akira~!" Rise exclaimed as she went in and hugged Akira. She let go and went into the living room. "Hi Obasan, Ojisan! Hey, dude! OOO! CAMERA!" she greeted the rest of the Kurusu family before mugging and grimacing into the lens.

"Wow, someone's hyper, this morning, haha," Tetsuya casually waved at her as Akira and Maki entered the living room.

"Well, duh! It's Christmas, ya big dope! Rise giggled.

"What? Don't we get hugs?" Kairi asked, holding her arms out.

"I got the camera; I'm good," Minoru joked. Rise walked over to her aunt, hugged her, and then gave a small squeeze to her uncle before taking a seat next to Tetsuya.

"So, what's new?" Tetsuya asked Rise as she sat down next to him.

"Nada, we just wanted to drop by and wish you guys a Merry Christmas!" she said before she noticed their gifts. "Sweet skateboard!" she nudged Tetsuya.

"Thanks! Can't wait for the snow to melt, so I can try it out, hehe."

"Knowing you, you'll probably try and use it on the ice anyway, heehee."

"Well, duh, how else am I gonna go ice-skating?" Tetsuya joked; the two cousins shared a laugh.

"Tetsuya, your mother and I would appreciate it if we didn't have to take you to the hospital every month," Minoru exaggerated, but not by much.

"Don't worry, I'm not really gonna do it," Tetsuya assured him before winking to Rise, who giggled.

"Woah! Nice guitar!" Maki exclaimed as Rise picked it up for herself.

"You guys missed Akira's first concert, haha," Kairi joked.

"Awww…" Maki frowned. "Hopefully, we get V.I.P tickets for the next one, haha."

"Obasan…" Akira whined in embarrassment.

"How was it?" Rise asked; Tetsuya gave a thumbs down and chuckled.

"Hey!" Akira protested.

"What? I'm not saying it was horrible, just that it could be better," Tetsuya joked.

"That's what our teacher said about your last test score, hahaha," Rise chuckled.

"Oh, Shuddup! Not you too!"

"Guys, play nice…" Minoru warned them, but the two ignored him.

"I'm sure Akira was great. Betcha he can play better than you," Rise joked before nudging Tetsuya's arm.

"But I can't play at all."

"Well, then I guess we know who's the talented one in the family."

"Well, it's not you, that's for sure, hehe."

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

"MAKE ME!"

*Smack*

Rise smacked him in the arm. Tetsuya smacked hers in retaliation. Suddenly, the two cousins were involved in a slap fight. Ever since Tetsuya and Rise could walk and talk, every time they were together, it was almost a guarantee they would get into at least one argument over nothing. They would grow out of it eventually, but kids at that age, especially a pair as close as they were, they'll find anything to bicker about; cartoons, snacks, how clocks work, soup, the weird list goes on. Tetsuya was the same with Akira, though not as often, mostly because, he could take his little brother down easy-peasy.

"Kids! Behave yourselves!" Kairi scolded them; Tetsuya and Rise began to pout. "Come on, you two, shake hands and make up."

"Hmph," Rise and Tetsuya went in unison; Akira played the peacemaker.

"Don't fight on Christmas," he said in a sad, puppy-dog tone of voice. Tetsuya and Rise looked at him then each other before relenting.

"Fine… I'm sorry…" Tetsuya said first, sighing.

"Me too…friends?" Rise asked.

"We're cousins, so no." Tetsuya smirked.

"Aw, you don't consider me a friend?" Rise pretended to be hurt.

"It's not up to me. You're my cousin, I'm stuck with you either way, hehe," It took a lot for Rise not to smack his arm once again. She instead rolled her eyes, smiled at him, and the two shook hands.

"Well, now that that's over, Maki-san, would you like some coffee or something?" Minoru offered.

"No, thank you, though," she replied with a smile.

"Where's Shinsuke-san?" Kairi asked.

"Work trip, unfortunately…" Maki sighed. "I'll be leaving to join him in a few days, but I wanted to propose an idea for today. What do you all have going on?"

"Uh, not much, honestly," Kairi scratched her head. "Just staying in, maybe watch a Christmas movie or two. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Rise began with a grin. "Mom and I were gonna take a trip to the mountains and go skiing for the day. Do you guys wanna tag along?"

"Really!?" Tetsuya asked; Rise nodded. "That sounds awesome!"

"Yeah! Can we, Mom? Can we, Dad? Can we?" Akira pleaded with his parents.

"Well, you two could go with your Obasan, but I don't know if I want to…" Minoru hesitated.

"I'm not sure either…" Kairi added. The three cousins idly conversed with each other while the adults discussed the plan for the day.

"Oh, come on, Sis! Do you and Minoru-san really want to spend Christmas day all by yourselves?" Kairi and Minoru looked and smiled seductively at each other. Maki noticed.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Kairi smirked.

"It could be fun…" Minoru smirked back.

"Oh, you guys are gross!" Maki grimaced; Minoru and Kairi laughed. "Come on; it's Christmas! Let's spend it together, as a family!" Minoru and Kairi thought a bit longer and gave in.

"Oh, all right…" Kairi sighed. "Boys, go get your ski pants on." Akira and Tetsuya were ecstatic.

"YAY!"

"All right!"

Up at the mountain, Akira and Rise were on skis, while Tetsuya was a snowboarder. Being the daredevil that he was, if he saw even the slightest bump in the slope, he would jump it, and Akira was usually right behind him. Rise, on the other hand, would stick to the smooth surfaces.

"IT'S SHOWTIME!" Tetsuya would yell. "WOO!"

"SHOWTIME!" Akira would follow. "WOAH!" Except this time when Akira found himself flopping face-down in the snow after hitting a bump. Rise slid up next to him, laughing.

"Hahaha, a-are you okay, kiddo? Haha." Akira got up and dusted himself like it was nothing.

"Yeah, I-I'm okay…" Akira was, nevertheless, embarrassed. Rise patted him on the back.

"You're just like Tetsuya; a daredevil, heehee," she giggled. "Come on! Race ya to the bottom!"

"Okay!" Akira smiled and the two of them schussed down to the bottom of the slope, where Tetsuya was waiting for them.

"About time! Where were you guys?" he asked.

"Akira fell down after you hit that bump," Rise answered.

"Oh, no. You okay, buddy?" Tetsuya asked his brother, who nodded.

"If we go again, I won't fall," Akira said confidently with a smile.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Tetsuya and Akira fist-bumped each other.

"You guys are crazy!" Rise scoffed. "Why do you always yell, 'it's showtime' anyway?" Akira and Tetsuya looked at each other.

"I dunno. We think it's cool," Tetsuya shrugged.

"Yeah!" Akira added.

"But where does it come from?" Rise asked.

"Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! BEETLEJUICE!" Akira excitedly yelled.

"Huh…?" Rise was confused.

"It's a movie Mom showed me once, I showed it to Akira," Tetsuya explained.

"Ah, is it good?"

"Yeah, it's awesome! Aw, man, I can't believe we haven't watched it together yet," Tetsuya lamented. "Maybe tonight if Obasan lets you stay overnight?"

"Maybe. Either that or she'll ship me off to stay with my grandmother again…" Rise sighed and shrugged.

"That's cool, you get free tofu," Tetsuya pointed out.

"Don't remind me. I've eaten so much of it, I can barely stand to be around the stuff anymore," Rise responded. "I wish Mom and Dad didn't have to work so much…"

"Hey, at least your mom took you skiing. That was nice of her," Tetsuya pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess…where are they anyway?" Rise looked back up the slope. Kairi came skiing down with ease and caught up to them. "Where's Mom and Ojisan?"

"They're coming…oof." Kairi replied as she removed her goggles for a minute and caught her breath. "See? There they are." She pointed to Minoru and Maki coming down. As they got closer, it sounded like Maki was shouting expletives at Minoru.

"I AM NEVER GOING SKIING WITH YOU EVER AGAIN!" she shouted at Minoru, who remained silent but had a mischievous smirk on his face.

"What's going on?" Rise asked.

"Your Ojisan is a jerk! Why did he think I could make it down this slope!?" Maki was never a great skier, nor a good one, really, but she always made an effort. It seems Minoru decided to pull a prank at her expense by making her go on a slope she thought was for beginners but was actually for experts.

"Maki-san, my six-year-old could make it down without a problem. What's your excuse?" Minoru chuckled.

"Well, actually…" Rise was about to snitch, but saved her breath when Tetsuya bumped her with his elbow. Snitches get stitches, after all.

"Hmph," Maki gave him the cold shoulder; fitting, considering where they were.

"All right, why don't we take a break and get some food?" Kairi suggested. "Are you kids hungry?" They all nodded.

"And then, we'll hit the Merciless slopes. Right, Maki-san?" Minoru playfully nudged his sister-in-law.

"I will knock your goggles through your eyeballs! I will do it!" she threateningly replied, glaring at him with murderous intent before walking ahead. Minoru and Kairi looked at each other and snickered. "I HEAR YOU, BACK THERE!"

---

**August 2008**

---

Akira, Tetsuya, and his best friend, Naito, were all hanging out in Tetsuya's room one hot and sunny afternoon. Tetsuya was bored out of his mind as Naito was busy teaching Akira how to play a song on guitar.

"Okay, first do an E flat triad chord."

"Like this?" Akira strummed a chord.

"Not quite, since we're tuned a half-step down, it's on the ninth fret…good, now B flat triad…C minor triad on the eleventh fret…and finally, do A flat over C." Akira looked up from his guitar, confused.

"A flat over C?"

"It's just that C minor triad, but you put your middle finger on the tenth fret of the B string."

"Ah, like this?" Akira strummed the chord.

"Yep, just like that. So, now put it all together," Naito said before Akira strummed the chord progression once. "So that's the first riff, and I already taught you the verses and chorus chords, so why don't you put 'em all together?" Akira nodded and started playing.

"What song is that?" Tetsuya asked, lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"It's called 'Move Along,' it's by an American band called, ironically, the All-American Rejects, hehe."

"Huh, wonder if Mom knows 'em?" Tetsuya thought aloud as Akira began singing in his best English. Tetsuya's attention piqued, and he sat up and watched intently as Akira got to the chorus.

(When all you got to keep is strong)

(Move along, move along like I know you do)

(And even when your hope is gone)

(Move along, move along just to make it through)

(Move along)

"Nice song," Tetsuya nodded. "You'll have to show me the original, all right?" he said to Naito, who nodded.

"Nice one, man!" Naito and Akira fist-bumped.

"All right, not that I didn't enjoy that, but are you guys done yet? It's hot as hell, and we should be at the beach right now." Tetsuya whined.

"Hey, you swore!" Akira exclaimed.

"What did I say?"

"Hell."

"'Hell' isn't a swear, Akira. No matter what Mom tells you," Tetsuya retorted.

"Ya-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"YA-HUH!"

"SHUT UP!" Naito calmed them down. "And yeah, Kohai. We're done."

"Why do you still call me that, man?" Tetsuya huffed.

"Um, because I'm your Senpai? Duh."

"Still, it's embarrassing. Especially in front of my brother."

"Hehe, Kohai…" Akira chuckled.

"Dude, of the two of us, you're the Kohai, not me," Tetsuya fired back.

"Nuh-uh."

"Why are you debating? It's a fact!"

"NUH-UH!"

"AKIRA!"

"That's it. I'm leaving." Naito got up and headed for the door.

"Wha-No, no, come on, Naito! We're just playing around. We always rib each other like that," Tetsuya explained.

"Yeah, come on, Naito! Don't go, please!" Akira pleaded; Naito sighed.

"All right, let's go already. You're right, Tetsuya; it is hot as hell in here."

"Sweet! Beach time!" Akira exclaimed as he followed Naito out the door.

"Oh, so he can say it, but I can't!?" Tetsuya yelled out and huffed before exiting his room. The three of them went to Shichiri beach and had a great time, splashing around in the water and playing volleyball. Tetsuya and Naito were sitting under a beach umbrella while Akira was building sandcastles.

"Ahh, this feels good, don't it?" Naito asked. "No school, no homework…"

"No more pencils~! No more books~!" Tetsuya was singing Alice Cooper's "School's Out." Naito joined in.

"Hehe… No more teacher's~…" he paused before the two of them sang the last part together.

"DIRTY LOOKS~!" The two for laughed for a moment.

"Yeah, hehe, it sure does," Tetsuya exhaled. "Say, you thirsty?"

"Yeah, pass the water." Tetsuya tossed him the water bottle they had packed, and he took a giant swig. "Ahhhh, thanks. I needed that." He handed the bottle back to Tetsuya, but accidentally dropped it. "Oh, crap, sorry."

"Oh, no worries—ow…" Both Tetsuya and Naito tried to pick it up, but ended bumping heads. "Sorry 'bout that. You good?" Tetsuya asked.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Here, lemme see."

"Dude, I said I'm-"

"Just lemme see," Tetsuya insisted.

"Fine…" Naito lifted his dark-colored strands of hair and showed him his forehead. "So, what's the word, Doc? Am I dying?" he deadpanned. Tetsuya didn't respond right away; he just stared into Naito's eyes for a bit. "Yo, Kohai?"

"…huh? Oh, sorry…for a minute there, I lost myself, hehe."

"Did you seriously just quote Radiohead?" Naito rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, I've had 'Karma Police' stuck in my head all day…" Tetsuya shrugged, and Naito chuckled.

"Tetsuya!" Akira came rushing over. "Can I get some ice cream?"

"Sure. You got money?"

"N-No, but…"

"Akira, I'm not giving you-"

"Oh, come on, please!?"

"Come on, let him get some ice cream," Naito said.

"Hey, I thought you were on my side, Naito."

"Woah, Woah, I'm not picking sides. I want to get some ice cream, too, actually."

"Well, then you pay for it!"

"…I don't have any money on me." Tetsuya facepalmed and sighed.

"All right, fine…" He got his wallet out of the bag and handed Akira some money. Naito told Akira what to get him, and Akira ran off. "Bring back change, okay!?" he called out. Naito chuckled. "What are you laughing at?"

"Hehe, you sound like a mom sending their kid to the grocery store."

"I can't help it. I'm trying to save up as much money as possible."

"Why, you gonna start paying for your own hospital bills?" Naito joked.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha." Tetsuya feigned laughter. "Bite me." He smacked Naito's shoulder and smiled.

"Okay, but for real, what are you saving up for?"

"There's this new bike I want to get."

"Another one? What's so special about it?"

"It's got a motor," Tetsuya said with a smirk.

"You want a dirt bike?" Naito's eyes went wide.

"Yep!"

"You don't even have a license. You can't even get a license yet."

"I know, but I'm starting to save up now, for both."

"You think your folks will be all right with that?"

"Doesn't matter; they won't be the ones paying."

*cough* "Hospital bills…" *cough* Naito pretended to cough; Tetsuya blew a raspberry. "No, seriously, dude. You're a human crash test dummy. All you do is perform stunts, break something, get patched up, rinse, and repeat. At this rate, you'll be friends with Arthur before you even hit forty."

"Arthur?" Tetsuya looked confused.

"Yeah, arthritis, haha."

"Oh, shuddup. I'm careful, sometimes." Naito rolled his eyes at that. "And anyway, I…aw shit…"

"What?" Naito looked toward where Tetsuya was looking and noticed Akira getting harassed by some kids. "Wait, aren't they-?"

"Yeah…" Tetsuya nodded and sighed. "Come on, let's go."

"I got your back." Tetsuya got up, and Naito followed. They went over to Akira, who was crying over dropped ice cream in front of three other kids who looked his age.

"Quit crying, you little baby!" the one in the middle said. "You're so weak!"

"N-No, I-I'm not!" Akira sobbed.

"Yeah, tell him, Raden!" one of the other kids said.

"What's going on here?" Tetsuya asked as he and Naito walked up behind Akira.

"Who the heck are you?" Raden asked.

"You don't know me?" The trio shook their heads. "Well, I know all about you three. What the hell's your problem with my brother, huh?"

"He's weak and pathetic!" Raden shouted.

"'Weak and pathetic,' my ass. Says the three assholes picking on a kid smaller than them," Naito scoffed.

"You know, I bet he could take all of you on in a fight. But, right now, I'm here. You got a problem with him; you got a problem with me." Tetsuya stepped forward, causing the trio to take a step back, intimidated by the older boy. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"We just some wanted ice cream," Raden said. Tetsuya picked the dropped ice cream cone off the sand.

"You want ice cream? Here's your friggin' ice cream," he said before shoving the cone in Raden's face. The young bully's reaction was priceless. "Now get lost."

"Dude, that was my cone…" Naito said somberly.

"Naito, I swear to God, when I'm done with them, you're next," Tetsuya playfully said with a chuckle.

"Asshole! You're just as weak and pathetic as he is!" Raden yelled as the trio left. Tetsuya kneeled in front of Akira, who was still crying.

"Hey, hey, don't cry, buddy. It's over."

"I-I'm sorry…" Akira sobbed.

"Don't be sorry, Akira. Those guys are weak, not you. I mean, three on one? Come on, hehe," Tetsuya chuckled.

"Yeah, what the hell do they know? Screw those guys." Naito crossed his arms.

"Hey, look at me." Akira stopped crying and looked at his brother. "Why don't I get you another cone, huh?" Tetsuya smiled. Akira began to smile as well and nodded his head. "C'mon, let's go."

"What about me? Can I get one too?" Naito asked; Tetsuya glared at him.

"What, don't like chocolate and sand?" Tetsuya pointed at the cone on the ground. "Get your own, haha." He and Akira began walking away.

"Why ya gotta be an asshole!?" Naito chuckled.

"What am I, ice cream welfare!?" Tetsuya chuckled; Naito clicked his tongue as he watched the brothers go back to the ice cream stand.

---

**February 10th, 2009**

---

For Akira's ninth birthday, the family had a small party at the Kurusu home. Kairi invited the Kujikawas and Naito. Unfortunately, Akira didn't have any friends of his own he could invite since he was more of a loner at school, but that was just fine with him. At the dining room table sat Akira, Rise, the Kujikawas, and Kairi, with three empty seats. One of them was soon filled when Minoru came walking through the front door with a gift-wrapped present.

"Sorry, I'm late. He-Hey, there's my little genius!" Minoru walked in and kissed Akira on the forehead. By this point, Akira had found his mother's old faux glasses and started wearing them. His father called him his little genius.

"Hey, Dad!" Akira was happy to see his father, but the rest of the table was less than pleased, except for Rise.

"Happy birthday, pal!" he said as he handed Akira his present. Akira unwrapped it, and his eyes went wide.

"The Nintendo Wii!? Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Dad!" Akira jumped out of his seat and hugged his father. "I love you!"

"Haha, I love you, too, Akira," Minoru responded. "I'll be right back," he said before going to the kitchen. Kairi followed him. Maki and Shinsuke watched them go in and close the door behind them.

"I can't believe he almost missed his son's birthday party," Shinsuke muttered.

"Says the guy who's always away on business…" Rise quietly whispered out of earshot.

"He's just been busy, okay?" Maki retorted. "Cut him some slack." Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Minoru was digging through the fridge while Kairi stood by the sink, leaning against the counter.

"You missed dinner…" Kairi said, looking cross. Minoru sighed.

"I know…" he said without looking back, keeping his attention on the inside of the fridge.

"You promised me you'd be home on time."

"Yeah, well, you said you'd take care of his birthday present, and you forgot it."

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not, we're still on the same subject. I'm explaining why I was late. I had to go and buy Akira's birthday present."

"You finished work four hours ago. Don't tell me it took you that long to buy a stupid video game console." Kairi was getting more and more frustrated. Minoru brought his head out of the fridge and looked at her from across the kitchen.

"I also had to work late, all right? What do you want from me, Kai!?" Minoru's voice got louder.

"Don't raise your voice at me!"

"I'm not!"

"YES, YOU ARE!" The kitchen went silent for a moment. They both paused before switching to a quieter tone of voice. "You promised me you'd be home on time for dinner. What happened to 'I always keep my promises?'" Minoru sighed.

"I'm sorry, okay? Sometimes, things happen that are just out of our control." Unfortunately, that would soon turn out to be truer than either of them could possibly imagine. Minoru sighed as he got a beer out of the fridge. "Look, I don't want to fight. I had a bad day at work, and I'm sorry I raised my voice." Kairi took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

"I'm sorry too. You're right, now's not the time to fight. And I'm sorry I forgot to get Akira's present."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that now, do you?" Minoru cracked a smile.

"Hm, I guess not…" Kairi softly smiled back. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"So, work was that bad, huh?" she asked. The smile from Minoru's face disappeared.

"Bad? Try horrible. This job sucks."

"Do you mean this particular job, building the movie theater, or just the job as a whole?"

"Both," Minoru said as he cracked open the can and took a swig. He grimaced as if it wasn't very good. "I miss the shop, Kai…"

"I know, me too." Kairi walked over and put a hand on his back. "Again, I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. I admire the sacrifices that you're making for your family," she smiled. "I love you; the boys love you; your family loves you."

"I caught what Shinsuke-san said out there…"

"Oh, ignore him, Minoru. Like he's one to talk. Never missing one of our kids' birthday parties doesn't excuse him not being around for most of the year."

"Come on, Kairi, he's busy too, we all are. That's how life works. We're not teenagers anymore, we're in our thirties," Minoru chuckled.

"Don't remind me…" Kairi sighed before looking down. She sounded exhausted.

"Hey, are you okay?" she silently nodded. Minoru thought for a moment and decided to ask her a question that had been on his mind as of late. "Hey, look at me…" She raised her head and looked him in the eye. "I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to be entirely honest with me, okay?"

"When have I not been?"

"Right…" Minoru sighed. "Kai, do you…have any regrets?"

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked before raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, not going to school in California, not getting that screenwriting degree, not writing movies for a living…do you regret how your life turned out?"

"D-Do you?"

"I asked you first…" Kairi thought for a moment. "Well…?"

*Smack*

"Ow!" Kairi's response was to smack Minoru in the cheek. It was soft, and Minoru muffled his reaction, but the sudden nature of it made it sting, nonetheless. "Why'd you do that?"

"I can't believe you'd ask me that," she said.

"I didn't mean it in a way that sounded cold, I just… I wanted to be sure that you weren't feeling trapped."

"Are you?"

"No! Not at all! But to be honest, the question of whether or not you were feeling that way has lingered in the back of my mind, lately…"

"Minoru…when I got pregnant with Tetsuya, I was scared. I had a dream, a goal, and I thought I had everything planned out. Next thing I knew, I was a mother before I even finished high school." Her answer thus far made Minoru feel guilty. The pain from the slap seemed to be radiating and spreading. "You wanted an honest answer, well, here it is. If I was given the opportunity to go back and change things, you know what I'd change?"

"No…?" he tentatively asked. Kairi's stone-faced expression was replaced with a smile.

"Not a damn thing." Minoru's eyes widened. He wasn't sure what surprised him more, her answer itself, or the fact that she swore. "My life didn't turn out how I expected it would, but that doesn't mean I have regrets, or that I'm not happy. On the contrary, I'm very happy." She wrapped her arms around him. "Minoru, you and the boys are my entire world. I wouldn't change anything about you three in the slightest. I'd give up anything for you." Minoru smiled back at her.

"I'm not going to lie, you had me worried in the first half there, hehe." Kairi scoffed.

"Me not being happy…" she muttered in disbelief. "Is that really what you think?"

"I'll tell you what I think; you could've gotten your point across without slapping me in the face. That's what I think, haha."

"Well, serves you right for even asking such a stupid question," she smirked.

"Hey, there is no such thing as a stupid question. You're a teacher, you should know that."

"Well, leave it to you to find the one, haha." They chuckled and kissed for a moment. "Now, back to telling me about your day…" She let go and they stood beside each other. Minoru sighed.

"I swear, most of the crew are amateurs." He took another swig of his beer. "I really hate working there."

"So, what? Are you going to quit?" she asked. He gave her a look.

"Kai, have I ever quit anything?" he smirked; Kairi smiled and shook her head.

"No, you have not. Not even me."

"I can't quit you," Minoru winked.

"Okay, we are so close to quoting 'Brokeback Mountain,'" Kairi chuckled. "Let's stop there, otherwise, I'm gonna start crying."

"I wish I knew how to quit you…" Minoru said in his best English with twang in his voice, smirking.

"Minoru! Stop! No!" Kairi began tearing up. "You know that movie gets me every time…" she said as she wiped her eyes and chuckled. "Great, now my makeup is ruined."

"You put makeup on for our nine-year-old's birthday party?" Minoru smirked.

"We had guests! Plus, nothing wrong with wanting to look nice. Don't you think I look pretty~?" Kairi teased him.

"As beautiful as the day I met you," he suavely said, grabbing her from around the waist. Kairi laughed.

"God, you're a cheeseball, haha."

"Sorry, right, I forgot you prefer the rugged adventurer-types."

"You know it, cowboy," she winked before planting a kiss on him. Minoru chuckled as he let her go and took another swig of beer.

"Ugh, God, this tastes like ass. Why did we buy these?" he grimaced.

"Well, why do you keep drinking it?" Kairi scoffed.

"Two reasons: one, I don't want to waste it. Two, when you've had a shitty day, even the worst beers go down like water."

"Pfft… Hahaha." Kairi burst out laughing; she laughed for a good while. "That is the dumbest I have ever heard you say. And considering your repertoire of 'Minoru-isms,' that's saying something."

"Minoru-isms? Is that really a thing?"

"In my mind, it is," she chuckled.

"Whatever. Please, let that phrase be part of my legacy," he joked. Kairi went to the notepad on the fridge. "What are you doing?"

"Writing it down to remember."

"I was kidding…" Minoru blinked. "Ah, screw it, it's yours now, you own it."

"Nope, you own it." She walked back and kissed him deeply on the lips. "Oh, but, uh, watch the language, 'kay?"

"Heh… I love you, Kairi," he said.

"I love you, too, cowboy," she smiled. "Now, go sit down. I'm about to bring the cake out."

"Oooh, goody, I didn't miss the cake." Minoru did a bell kick as he exited the kitchen and sat down at the dining room table.

"Everything okay between you two?" Maki asked Minoru, who went slightly pale.

"How much did you guys hear?"

"About everything…sorry." Maki winced.

"Even the 'beer' line?"

"Even the 'beer' line, hehe," Shinsuke chuckled.

"Oh, that's gonna keep me up at night," Minoru thought. "Don't worry. Everything's just fine," he assured them, smiling.

"Why were you and mommy fighting?" Akira asked.

"Hahaha, we weren't fighting, Akira." Minoru rubbed and kissed his son's head. "We were just sorting a few things out, don't you worry. We're all aces." He looked around the table and noticed there were still two empty chairs. "Where's Tetsuya?"

"Oh, he and Naito went upstairs. Tetsuya had something he wanted to show him," Akira answered.

"Huh, well, someone should tell them the cake is about to come out."

"I'll go! Be right back!" Rise volunteered and left the table. She went upstairs and saw that Tetsuya's door was closed. She entered without knocking. "Hey, Tetsuya? Come on; it's time—WOAH!" Her eyes went wide, and she covered her mouth in shock. She found Tetsuya and Naito sitting on his bed, kissing on the mouth, probably with tongue as well. She really should've knocked. The two boys stared at her like deer in the headlights. No one knew what to say.

"Uh-um…" Naito cleared his throat. "I-I'm just gonna… um…" he trailed off as he awkwardly squeezed past Rise and headed downstairs. She and Tetsuya, meanwhile, stayed for a little bit longer.

"Soooo, what was that?" Rise asked.

"D'you really have to ask?" Tetsuya didn't make eye contact. Rise paused as she took a seat next to him on the bed.

"You two were…kissing."

"If you knew the answer, why'd you ask the question?"

"Sorry, it's just…wow, I didn't expect to see that, today…" Rise took a deep breath, still trying to process what she just saw. "So, you're…?"

"Yep…" Tetsuya nodded. "I'm gay."

"How long have you known?"

"I-uh…" Tetsuya paused. "…since last summer. We had a moment at the beach, one day; you weren't around. I stared into his eyes, and that's when I knew…" Tetsuya didn't look at Rise once, meanwhile, she couldn't take her eyes off her cousin. "But to be honest, I've kinda had a thing for him since I first met him…"

"Wow, really? I had no idea…"

"I didn't know what it was either, at first. It took me a while. You know how it is, when you meet someone, and you have feelings for them but you're not sure what they mean, sometimes?"

"Um, no, I don't, actually."

"Oh, right…"

"You know, I just realized: of the two of us, you've kissed more boys than me, haha," Rise cracked a joke to break the ice. It didn't quite work; Tetsuya was still looking down at the floor. "So, how long have you two, uh…"

"Pretty much since the end of summer. We had our first kiss the day before school started up again. We've been keeping it a secret ever since."

"Why's that?"

"Why do you think?"

"Oh, bigotry crap aside, why haven't you, at least, told your parents?"

"Well…the thing is… Naito's dad…let's just say, he's a bit old-fashioned, if you know what I mean."

"Ah. Gotcha..." Rise nodded in understanding.

"If he found out, it would probably screw things up between him and Naito. And, because of that, I'm kinda worried about Mom and Dad's reaction."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. Trust me on this," Rise smiled as she thought about what she overheard her aunt say. Tetsuya looked at her for the first time since she entered the room.

"You sound sure of yourself," he said, noticing her smile. "I mean, I would like to tell them, at some point. But I am still worried about how they're going to react."

"Dude, you got nothing to worry about. Your parents are super loving and caring. They're not like Mom and Obasan's parents."

"I wouldn't know; I've never met them… I bet they don't even know I exist, or Akira for that matter."

"They do. Mom and I talk about you guys to them."

"Do they ask?"

"Ummm, no, not really…b-but they do listen."

"Heh, yeah, right… And I'll bet they zap it out of their memory as soon as you guys walk out the door…"

"Y-Yeah… I'll be honest, they're kinda assholes." Rise switched to a whisper. "Don't tell Mom I said that, heehee." Tetsuya snorted and cracked a smile before Rise switched back to normal speaking volume. "But seriously, you have nothing to worry about, Tetsuya. You're my cousin, and I love you for who you are, and so will your parents and Akira." Tetsuya looked to Rise and smiled.

"And you know this for a fact?"

"I've got my sources~," she smirked.

"Hehe, well, good for you. I don't have a clue, these days."

"Considering your grades, do you ever?"

"Shuddup! My grades are fine!" The two cousins shared a laugh.

"Guys!? What's the hold-up!? Come on already!" They heard Minoru yelling from downstairs.

"Guess we'd better get going. But, seriously, thanks for the pep talk, Rise; I needed that."

"Anytime, cuz!" she smiled back and gave him a quick hug before hopping off the bed. "Now, come on. It's time for cake. Plus, Akira got the new Nintendo for his birthday~."

"For real!?" Tetsuya hopped off the bed as well. Rise nodded and opened the bedroom door before closing it again and turning back to Tetsuya.

"Though I gotta say, I am a bit disappointed."

"Why's that?" Tetsuya raised an eyebrow; Rise bit her lip before answering.

"I always thought Naito was kinda cute, heehee. I gotta hand it to you, Tetsuya; you've got good taste."

"Thank you…?" Tetsuya awkwardly chuckled as he didn't quite know how to respond to that. Rise giggled before exiting the bedroom. Tetsuya clicked his tongue and shook his head before following her out.

They rejoined the dinner table just in time for the lights to go down and for Kairi to come out with the birthday cake. Everybody sang "Happy Birthday" to Akira and applauded as he blew out all nine candles. Afterward, they all went to the living room, hooked up the new console, and enjoyed some Wii Sports Bowling for a couple of hours. As much fun as everyone was having, however, the party had to come to an end. After Naito and the Kujikawas went home, Tetsuya grabbed the camera and snapped a picture of Akira on the couch with his parents on either side. A final moment of happiness was captured before things would take another turn for the worst for the Kurusu family.

The next day after school, Akira, Tetsuya, and Rise enjoyed some more Wii Sports Bowling in the living room. They were so into their game that they didn't even notice the home phone ringing in the office.

"Boom! Another strike!" Tetsuya exclaimed.

"How are you so good!?" Rise asked in disbelief.

"It's all in the wrist, cuz…" Tetsuya grinned before he realized what he said. "W-Wait…that came out wrong…" Rise laughed.

"What's funny?" Akira asked; Tetsuya and Rise looked at each other and snickered.

"Uh, don't worry, you'll get it in a few years, hehe…" Tetsuya awkwardly chuckled. They all took a seat on the couch. "Phew, that was a good game. So, what do you-"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The three of them were startled by Kairi suddenly screaming from the office. Tetsuya shot up from the couch and ran to the office to find his mother crying on the floor and the phone dangling from the chord. He kneeled down and asked her what happened. She told him that it was the hospital that called. His father was in a coma.

And, just like that, the Kurusu family was ripped apart in a single minute.

---

**Present Day — Kurusu House**

---

"…Minoru passed away ten days later," Kairi sighed and took a drink of water. She and Sumire were sitting on the couch in the living room. Kairi took Sumire on a trip down memory lane, one that Kairi herself hadn't taken in a long while. Whenever she did, it was hard to find her way back. Luckily, this time, she wasn't alone with her grief; she had a support system in Sumire.

"I'm so sorry, Kairi…" Sumire put her hand on Kairi's in an attempt to comfort her. She thought she had it hard when Kasumi died, but here was this poor woman who had to bury her guardian, her husband, and one of her own children, all within a twelve-year stretch of time.

"A lot changed after that…" Kairi continued. "Maki and Shinsuke-san began working overseas more and more. Rise became an idol, so we saw less of her. Naito moved to Tokyo for college not long after Tetsuya passed away, and I haven't heard from him since. And Akira…well, I saw him smile less after that… I, on the other hand, went down a downward spiral for a while, drinking a lot in bars, that sort of thing. T-Tetsuya kept me sane and from hitting bottom for the two years after I lost Minoru and before I lost him…" On the verge of tears, Kairi exhaled before she then told Sumire about her barhopping and her mistakes. She even told her about what she saw in the Theater of Pain. "I don't know how I would've survived without Tetsuya at myself side… to be honest; I don't know how I survived after he passed. Then again, after what I saw in that theater, maybe I didn't…"

"Well, I think you did; you just didn't realize it."

"Sumire, you don't even know how bad I was after Tetsuya passed. I was the worst mother you could imagine."

"I really think you're exaggerating, but, either way, that's not you now." Despite Sumire's best attempts to comfort her, Kairi broke down.

"I-I abandoned A-Akira…when he needed me the most and-"

"Kairi, stop it! Right now!" Sumire raised her voice. "I said this in the Palace not too long ago, but you can't save Akira if you keep dwelling on the past. Akira's been doing the same, and it's been eating him up inside. But that's not your fault. You were in a dark place after suffering two tragic losses in such a short period of time. I don't blame you for the mistakes you made, and you shouldn't blame yourself anymore, either. You've lost so much, yet you've always kept moving forward and tried to be better, and that's what matters." Sumire put her hand on Kairi's shoulder. "You're strong, Kairi, and you're a great mother to Akira. He may have lost sight of that, but that's not his fault, nor is it yours."

"He's…" Kairi sniffed and wiped her eyes. "He's…all I have left."

"You're not going to lose him. I refuse to let that happen." At that moment, Sumire wanted to save Akira more for Kairi than herself. Kairi grabbed Sumire and held her tight. Sumire reciprocated the hug.

"Th-Thank you, Sumire."

"Of course," Sumire softly smiled.

"Akira is lucky to have you in his life."

"We're both lucky." After a few minutes, Kairi was all cried out and ready for bed.

"Oh, wow," Kairi said, checking the time. It was almost one a.m. "Didn't realize it was that late…uh…" Kairi cleared her throat. "You can have Akira's room, obviously. Knowing Rise, I'm fairly certain she didn't change the sheets in the guest room, let alone make the bed, haha," Kairi chuckled. Sumire was glad that she was feeling better.

"Thank you, Kairi."

"Good night, Sumire, and thank you again."

"Of course. Good night."

Kairi went upstairs, and Sumire followed shortly thereafter. She quietly took her shower and got ready for bed. She walked into Akira's room and found Morgana asleep on the bed. Despite it being late, Sumire still couldn't sleep. Whether it was the stories she had just heard, or just worrying about the boy she loved, she didn't know. After tossing and turning for almost an hour, Sumire got an idea. She quietly got out of bed and went to Akira's desk. She imagined him sitting at this very spot, writing that note, trying to imagine what was going through his mind. She pulled out another piece of paper and began writing a message of her own for Akira, but not just any old message…

A calling card.