Proudly, the sun shines down upon the people of Tokyo, beaming brightly greeting the new day with a warm smile as it peers through the windows of those slumbering and those going about their daily lives. One small shy stream of sun sneakily makes its way into a certain room, where within lies a young girl, a lean girl with messy frazzled hair, normally looking brown with hints of blonde at the ends. She wears an oversized pink sweater with thin purple lines on as she curls in on herself, sweetly slumbering to her heart's desire. Her room wall shows small cracks which are swiftly covered by posters. On the other hand, on the floor are clothes scattered all over the place, energy drinks, books, notepads with papers tossed all over the place, some notes having messy chicken scratch littered all over while others are blank.
"Dad! Look! Look!" Excitedly, the sound of rapid footsteps echoes throughout the desolate house where a young boy with tangled brown locks tumbles towards the door, grabbing hold of the envelope before rushing over to the hunched over male, having set the table, the two plates set down with some toast in his mouth, ruby red smeared across his lips.
"Hikaru calm down you're going to trip!" Panicked, the man freaks out at the sight of the boy, the man wears a coal-black dress shirt matching his tie and trousers. He has ashy brown-black hair messy, tangled from the disarray of the kitchen with one bit of his dress shirt tucked in while the other half is messily stretched out but that's the least on the man's mind at the moment, frantically trying to serve food for the plates at the table.
"But look!" Happily, the boy grins revealing a letter making the older man turn, adjusting his thick-lensed glasses, his eyes dilating at the sight of the letter.
"Oh, would you look at that!" Shocked, he whispers, kneeling in awe at the single envelope, a strained smile on his lips as he entertains his little boy.
"I'mma show Sayako!" Pumped up, the little boy proclaims making the man's soft brown eyes expand at the thought.
"Hikaru hold on she may still be…Hikaru!" Worried, the man calls out but it falls to deaf ears as the boy jolts off, dashing up the stairs, the feeble man's cry falling to deaf ears.
"I'm a failure of a father…" Defeated, the man slumps his shoulder, bowing his head, tears freely falling crossing his freckled features. He curls in on himself, failing to be the parental figure the two need in his head, only then for those wandering haunting thoughts to be swiftly silenced by the roaring ring of his phone jolting alive.
"Shoot!" Anxiously, the man cries out in horror, clumsily catching his phone only to release a screech of shock when seeing flames beginning to consume his lab coat from the open flame of the cooker just as he feels the burning ache, his browns hues turn baby blue, lighting up. The sharp sound of the kettle screeching ceasing alongside the crisp crinkle of the flickering flames, the giggling of the girl above being muffled as a blue wave is emitted, engulfing him and the room. He bows his head, taking a shuddering shaky breath when as if he were in slow motion, calmly places his hand on the sink, downing the flames. He answers the call, waving his wet arm about, closing his eye as it twitches, the blue wave retracting back within him and his hues reverting to their brownish hazel hues.
"Uh….Y-Yes I'm on my way!" Swiftly, he ends the call, a shaky smile on his lips as he downs the orange juice in his glass before placing two empty glasses on the table, pouring in both apple and orange juice for either glass.
"Hikaru, Sayako I'm going now, love you, be sensible! Be safe!" Sweetly, he calls out to his children, shoving his phone into his pocket before turning on his heel and leaving, heading out for the day.
"I see there's a gremlin on my bed." Groaning, the low voice murmurs out being greeted by a giggle in return. Slowly, the female sat slumping in her bed, slowly opens her eyes. Her green hues look up into a pair of mischievous green giddily beaming down at her.
"Bah! Scared ya!" Cheekily, Hikaru pokes his tongue at her.
"You are as scary as a marshmallow!" Smirking, she lunges at the boy who releases a small squeak laughing. She manages to pin him to the bed beginning their tickle fight as one-sided as it.
"Stop! I surrender! I surrender!" Screaming, he gives in, tears cascading down his giggling features.
"You dare interrupt me during my beauty sleep you shall pay the tow with a thousand tickles!" Dramatically, she proclaims putting on a low voice continuing her attack.
"Nooooo! Come on please I'm sorry I surrender! I surrender!" Snickering, Hikaru places his hands up in surrender.
"Okay only if you tell me what you got there little goblin, going to threaten me with a papercut?" Teasingly, she smirks down at the little boy in her lap, clutching the envelope in her grasp. The little boy has coal-black hair with hints of brown with green hues. He has freckles. He wears a bright yellow hat with denim dungarees of sorts with a snow-white shirt underneath, thin lines of green on it with snow socks.
"It's for you." He passes the envelope to her.
"Is that right…UA?" Perplexed, her eyes narrow at the sight of the stamp, of the emblem.
"I didn't know you wanted to go." Shyly, Hikaru reveals to the frowning Rei.
"I didn't." She confirms confused furrowing her brow at the sight of the envelope, confusion etched into her facial features.
"Huh? Then how did…?" Lost, Hikaru whispers equally as baffled as his eldest sister.
"Like hell, I know." Softly, Sayako whispers to herself, confusion laced and marred into both her tone and facial features as she lies in his bed, staring down at the envelope in her grasp. But simply, she shrugs her shoulders, tossing it aside. She stands up and rushes to the bathroom, ready for the day to come, unaware of the small shy hand catching the letter before it fell to the dark depths of the tossed-over rubbish bin.
"Sayako you're taking forever!" Frustrated, my eye twitches from Hikaru's words groaning. I haven't even started on my daily routine yet…focusing, I attempt to drown out his words. I crouch down, taking out from the cracked tile floor, a rusted key, reaching out to the cabinet, and insert it into the lock. I hear the clink of the lock going limp making me slowly open it, beaming brightly bowing my head, a breath of relief flowing out at me at the sight of my beauty products.
All aligned, all okay, all of them present not one missing thanks to a certain someone. Bitterly, my eyes narrow at the door but I brush it aside, focusing on the main task of the task. I begin to apply my moisturizer, focusing on the task at hand and making sure the temperature is correct, right not too warm but not too cold either, perfect.
"Hikaru calm down." Tiredly, I sigh at my innocent little brother having no clue over the real world. I mean he looks amazing; he has the cute aesthetic going on but it never lasts forever, I've learned that, and now I have to do what I can to make this garbage look at least a bit like a human to look presentable.
"But I need the bathroom!" Whining, he pounds on the door making my eye twitch.
"Then you should have used it when I was sleeping." Firmly, I remind him making him whine as my ears perk up at the faint thud of the door, no doubt charging at the door.
"That isn't faaaaiir!" He argues, drawing it out as I hear the heavy sound of feet slamming against the floorboards, hearing their creaks, their groans of pain, pleading for him to stop. But of course, it falls to deaf ears, being muffled by his attempt at crying crocodile tears. Why can't he just be patient? Perfection takes patience, after all, even then you could hardly call this perfection. It's disgusting. He's lucky he will never have to face such a fate but me? My face is revolting, it's rubbish, it's the gum on someone's shoe, my face is the reason the saying seven years bad luck for breaking a mirror was born. I mean I'm lucky this mirror has been reinforced for it to deal with the horror that is my disgusting, grimy, ugly face. No one would love a face like this, no one. I'm doing a world a favor by trying to fix it.
"That's life now let me focus." Fuming, I try to be patient with him, my eye twitching at the child. I love him I do I just wish he would be more patient I mean honestly this is getting out of hand.
"We're just going out there's no real reason to put all that silly stuff on your face." Tiredly, he sighs making me exhale shakily at the cycle beginning once more. He isn't like me, he's gorgeous, he's beautiful, he's pretty. Then there's me. I'm human scum, I have the face of a pig, I have the face of a disgusting waste of space, I have his face…I don't want that, I don't want him to feel ashamed or embarrassed by the sheer sight of me.
I mean I can already imagine their looks; I know they try to look away when I see them, but I do and the whispers. They think the lower they speak I can't hear them, foolish morons, I can hear them loud and clear.
"Look at that girl what's wrong with her nose?"
"Look at her hair what a train wreck…"
"What an ugly girl…"
"That poor girl having to stand by such a wreck's side…"
They are right, all of them…I don't want to bring him down, I don't want him to feel shame, I don't want him to be bullied or left out or even embarrassed by the sheer sight of me. The least I can do is try to fix it, try to fix the issue that is my stupid, ugly, fat face.
"Oh, sweet naïve Hikaru you'll understand when you're older. Now leave your sister to focus this is a VERY important part of her day." Sternly, I tell him, shaking my head at my brother's naivety trying to ignore the shaky breath, sheepishly placing my hand on my chest, wincing at the sharp stab in my chest, feeling it tighten. Do what dad does…just…calm down. Shakily, I exhale my palm to my chest, feeling it tighten feeling my rib cage coil around my heart, confiding, constructing, choking it almost. I inhale and exhale counting trying to have a normal breathing pattern, ignoring my shaking, trembling, fidgeting fingertips, digging deep into the cracked porcelain sink.
"But why? You're fine the way you are." Meekly, my brother whispers to me making me wince pained by his kind words but it's a lie. I am not fine, this body, this face, all of it is wrong. I am the scum of the scum; this face shouldn't be seen to anyone. It will only cause people to recoil back, to repel to…
"Hikaru as lovely as that is coming from you. I really can't go out not with a face like this. Now, why don't you go downstairs I'm sure dad's left some food for us to eat." Exhausted, I sigh not wanting to repeat the cycle we have each day. So, what if I take longer than most in the bathroom? Not my fault I've got more to work on them most people. I'm doing them a favor by not letting them see such a grotesque face. I mean we have this talk all the time and it's just…tiring.
"Fiiinnne…" Huffing, Hikaru gives up as I hear the sound of footsteps fading much to my relief until…
"And don't even think of stealing my bacon!" Snidely, I bellow hearing his pained whine of defeat.
"URGGHH!" Groaning, he whines making me chuckle amused as I finish my routine, letting the water go and turn on my heel, heading down the steps to get some breakfast.
Right time to do damage con…oh dear god what the hell did he do!? Urgh…that man. Sighing, I shake my head at the kitchen, practically no man's land after he attempts breakfast, seeing the scorch marks, the stains, the wasted food all over the place making me sigh shakily. Eh, he tried, I got to give him that still…I told him to wake me up, so I could do breakfast. He knows he's busy. Frowning, I furrow my brow. Bravely, I enter the kitchen, hearing the sharp sound of glass breaking making me turn to look down, internally screaming, groaning at the now shattered shards of a plate.
"Do you want some help?" Weakly, Hikaru asks me noting his nervousness around the sight noting his look of pity making me sigh.
"No Hikaru you just stay there okay, eat your soldiers." Simply, I tell him placing my hand on his head as he looks up at me uncertain but after a moment of pause nods his head, shuffling over to his seat.
"Okay…urgh…right how do I about this?" Calmly, I roll up my pink sweater sleeves, taking out the bandy coiled around my wrist and putting my hair up in a loose ponytail of sorts, trying to get into the mindset of cleaning only to stop when hearing my sibling's sound of disgust.
"You okay over there gremlin?" Teasingly, I call out to him approaching the sink, staring down at the dirtied plates sighing as I turn the tap, pouring the hot water.
"My toast is burnt." Disgusted, he spits it out, poking his tongue out.
"Hikaru it's rude to spit." Sternly, I point out making him sigh.
"Sorry…" He bows her head apologetic while I furrow my brow, guess that means my toast is dead too…great. I told him though, I told him I'll cook, he already wakes up early as it is and comes home late. He barely had enough sleep as it is and still, he keeps pushing himself, tch. None of this would be happening if he…scowling, I feel my blood boil at the thought of him before sighing, getting mad won't solve anything besides I don't want to worry Hikaru, he's smart as it for a kid his age.
My ears perk up at the sound of grunting, of struggling of straining making me look over the kitchen counter. My eyes expand to see Hikaru tugging at the tablecloth, his sketchpad by his side, making my eyes expand in horror, lunging over. Quickly, I stop him, seeing the glass and plates threatening to fall from his attempt at reaching the jam.
"You could have just asked me." Tiredly, I sigh at him.
"You were busy. You should eat your food's getting cold." He furrows his brow at me as I note him practically stab his knife into the jar scooping out ruby red to splatter upon his toast.
"After I clean up." I place my hand on his head as he bows his head, my eyes softening to see his saddened expression.
"But it'll get cold…" Feebly, he whispers sadly making me furrow my brow.
"I'm fine with that," I assure him returning to my work, getting out a sponge to clean the counter.
"Who eats cold bacon?" He huffs placing her face on the table.
"If you want it to take it, take it." Tiredly, I give in letting him have this one win trying to focus on scrubbing, a certain stubborn spot on the counter.
"Yay!" Victorious, Hikaru happily smiles lunging over to my plate and taking the bacon. I smirk as I watch him pluck the burnt bits from the bacon then happily munch the bacon, a quirky way to eat bacon buy hey he's eating either way.
Quietly, I approach the fridge my eyes widening when spotting the whiteboard on the fridge, seeing the marker dangling down as I smile sweetly when seeing the message dad left, recognizing the chicken scratch anywhere.
"Love you guys, bringing back Sukiyaki tonight! XX"
Hmm…seems we've run out of beef, I should go to the store and get some I note to myself, plucking out the money left to us attached to the whiteboard. I begin counting the money…wait a minute, I need to contact my principal need to ask for those results of mine…once again I snap out of my thoughts when hearing the sound of metal, perplexing and alarming me making me turn on my heel, my eyes gaping at the sheer sight of my baby brother.
Stubbornly, he clutches the jam jar close to his chest, chewing at it making me chuckle, bowing my head, shaking my head at the comedic sight before me.
"Come on!" Grunting, my brother huffs, reaching out to use his knife making me sigh and once again intervening, swiftly stealing it and opening the jar for him making him gasp. His eyes turn starry as I watch his attempt to slather the burnt piece of toast with a tower of jam. How he never gets sick I will never know…I furrow my brow when seeing my own piece burnt to a cinder but simply shrug it off, reaching out and nibbling, grimacing at the pure taste of ash from it. I look over the table I have time to make two new ones…I think thoughtfully to myself hopeful only to sigh when seeing the bread long gone, nothing more than the empty skin of a missing bag…of course we run out. Guess I need to make a list, I furrow my brow at the thought.
"Right let's go shopping." Grumbling, I sigh as I turn to see my brother beam brightly at me as he finishes up his meal.
"Yay!" Giddily, he grins, attempting to drop down making me chuckle at his attempt, reaching down and helping him down, making him smile sheepish, staring down at the floor. A ruby red tint to his cheeks surfaces however I gently push him forward.
He rushes over to the door, taking off his indoor shoes and puts on his green laced up trainers, and joins my side. He places his hand in mine as we head out to do some shopping.