Chapter 8- The Bonds Between Family
If there is one thing worse than being 5 years old and waiting for a younger sibling to come, it is being 7 years old (almost 8!) and waiting for a younger sibling to come.
Seriously, Amane did her waiting once. Now she has to do it again?!
Still, it's fun watching her mommy's belly grow again, and listening to her talk to the new baby. And now she's got Nata-chan to share the experience with! She doesn't have to feel so lonely anymore, and she'll still have someone to play with while her new baby brother or sister grows to a fun age!
Mommy's been more calm. She hums more, sings even. Amane likes it, she's got such a pretty voice.
Mommy and Nata-chan are even getting along better! It makes her so happy! Cause mommy's happy and Nata's happy! Now if only daddy would be happy and not look at mommy and Nata like they're strange.
Daddy's been frightening her a bit lately, honestly. He looks so blank and empty when he thinks nobody's looking. He spends more time at work, too, and she's heard him muttering about not having a choice in getting "this one". And the way he sometimes looks at Nata-chan… it's scary and makes her feel funny, like her heart gets heavy and goes super fast like when she runs.
She misses her daddy. The person her was before Nata-chan got sick. He smiled more, laughed, brought mommy flowers now and then. Played with her.
He doesn't do that anymore.
Not that she blames Nata-chan. Never! She's loves Nata-chan and mommy and all of her new aunties and uncles and cousins, even if there's no blood between them!
But she worries. Daddy is so different now. He doesn't tell her bedtime stories anymore, or ask her about school, or help her with her schoolwork! And sometimes he comes home with a funny smell lingering on his clothes, like smoke and something sticky-sweet. A bit like those shops mommy says not to enter because "it's all tricks and mirrors in there".
Mommy doesn't notice. She doesn't act like she notices. But Amane does, and she thinks Nata-chan does, too. 'Cause Nata-chan gives daddy these sad looks and like she knows what daddy's doing. And then daddy looks scared and leaves the room for a bit.
So yeah. Her home is weird. Her family is weird, in all honesty. But she still loves them.
In the end, she decides not to worry and focuses on the coming sibling instead.
She tries to be there for everything she can. Measuring the growing bump on her mommy's and Aunt Yume's stomachs, teaching all her little siblings how to be proper big siblings and how they can help the mommies out.
She's even begun helping out around the house! Little things, like dusting and watering the houseplants and cleaning her room. But every little bit counts, and Mommy looks so happy when she does.
Now if she could just find a way to make daddy happy, then everything would be perfect!
Yakumo has never quite been the best with children. Not like his wife and certainly not like his father, who is willing to and already has adopted at least five other grandchildren while eagerly awaiting two more additions.
Don't get him wrong, he likes children well enough, so long as they're decently well-behaved and not deliberately cruel to anyone. But he's not good with them. He's not sure how to interact with them and their tiny bodies and loud voices and unpredictable thought-patterns. Adults he can handle, because there's all sorts of small-talk to do with them. The weather, the news, politics, business… those sorts of things.
Ironically, the most mature and adult-like child he's ever known is also the one he has the most trouble connecting with.
And that child is his own daughter, Youko.
Little Ko-chan is one of the oddest, and possibly smartest child he has ever met. She can read, do semi-advanced math and she's got a thirst for history and legends that rivals that of his father's. She's also got a weak immune system and has spent more times in the hospital than he has in his entire life. She loves sweets, and has a strong dislike for anything sour.
Or so he's been told, anyways, by his wife and father. For the most part, he's mostly never been around to witness a lot of these things.
Mutou Yakumo doesn't know his own daughter. He knows her, of course, and he played a pretty important part in the creation of her. But he doesn't know her. And he has a hard time figuring out whether that should hurt or not.
He observes her as she runs around the park with Joey, one of her best friends, playing catch or something similar. His wife had insisted that he watch them at the park, maybe play with them even. She had also warned him that he needed to keep a close eye on Youko, because she comes up with crazy schemes when she got bored, and Joey will go along with anything she can think of.
He wonders, sometimes… will his daughter do great things for the world, or will she become a criminal mastermind before the age of 16? She's certainly got the brains for both. And with how she acts at times, it is difficult figuring out whether or not she's just mischievous or something else. Then again, some criminal masterminds break the law just for the fun of it…
He's a busy man. He knows that. Yume tells him all the time that she'd wish he was home more, would spent more time with her and Youko in particular. And yeah, he knows that his own father is probably more of a father to his daughter than he is, and he would love nothing more than to change that.
The problem is that he's just not sure where to even begin to fix the damage he's already caused in the relationship between him and this tiny girl who looks so much like his family that there's no doubting who she's related to. (Definitely his face-shape, Yume's nose and fair skin, his father's eyes and the straight, iridescent black hair of his mother and the red sheen and blonde bangs coming from both himself and his father).
All of her needs are mostly taken care of. Yume handles her clothing and knows her preferences, so he can't really buy her anything exciting on his trips abroad. He has a feeling dresses won't be appreciated, and he has no in-depth understanding of her size anyways. His father handles her mental stimulation and access to toys (puzzles and games, mostly), and he has no idea what to even get her on that front other than books. He knows she's already an advanced reader, but how to even start discussing book preferences with a toddler? Most kids her age would love picture books, but they won't be appreciated either. All the dolls and little trinkets he buys her on his trips just end up on her shelves to gather dust, or is otherwise donated to children in need.
(He's half tempted to ask Yume if they should just buy her a piano and books with basic pieces in, since she seems so eager to learn. They might have to take a minor loan or cut down on something, but it could be doable… maybe a keyboard instead…)
"Mr. Mutou look out!"
He blinks, returning from his musings to look in the direction of the kids. Then there's a flash of intense pain as the ball bounces off of his head and back onto the grass.
He winces. "Well, that hurt. Good throw, whoever threw that," he says, rubbing at the sore spot.
"Oops. Sorry father." Youko says with a sheepish grin.
He waves his hand around. "No harm done, I'm fine, I'm fine. Nicely done, Youko-chan. You should go into baseball with a throwing arm like that".
(Getting her a baseball glove and a proper bat would probably be cheaper than the piano… decisions, decisions).
He glances at his watch. They've been in the park for a few hours, and they're bound to be tired or hungry by now. "Say, why don't we head back home? I'm sure you can bully Mama into letting you have a cookie or an apple or something before dinner".
They nod enthusiastically and immediately rush towards the exit of the park. Yakumo has to run to catch up to them and secures the children, one in each hand. Joey is chatting away rapidly, while Youko has gone quiet in his near presence.
He feels a weight settle in his stomach, feels it grow as they walk and Youko remains silent. Is he really that much of a stranger to his own daughter that she doesn't feel comfortable or safe around him?
He wants to fix it. He really does. He might even come to actually care more for her than just because she's his daughter. He wants to desperately to know and love this tiny human.
He may not know how to or what he's doing but he can at least try.
"Say, Youko-chan…" he tries to break the the silence. She turns big eyes on him and squeezes his hand in response, but still doesn't say anything.
"Yume and Suzuki tell me you're really interested in the piano. Is that true?" He asks, and her eyes light up, nodding eagerly.
"It's so beautiful!" She exclaims. "It's as if… I think if colours had sounds, they'd come from a piano. Blue in particular".
He blinks down at her. "Blue sounds like a piano?" She nods eagerly again. "What does the other colours sound like, then?"
And that was, apparently, the way to go, because now it's Youko who talk a mile a minute with Joey adding things now and then, giving them his opinions.
Flutes are light green and a pale yellow.
Violins are a royal purple and crimson red.
Guitars are orange and a light sky blue.
Drums are brown, deep green and the colour of the sky before a thunderstorm.
Trumpets are bright red, too, and gold.
Clarinets are grey and black.
And singing, voices themselves… are rainbows. All the colors. Each person has a main color of course and their range is different, but they can reach many colors. Besides, she reasons, voices can also mimic a lot of instruments if used in the right way.
He learns a lot about his daughter and her friend that afternoon, and for once, he feels like a father.
The next time he goes away on a long trip, he returns with a child-sized violin and a stack of basic sheet music, instead of the usual doll or toy.
The joy that brightens her face at the sight of the gifts he's brought, and the shrieks of her happiness, warm him straight to his soul.
And in that moment, he truly feels like a father.
Yume smiles at him for weeks for it and Suzuki thanks him profusely for taking the first official steps towards giving his daughter a future in music.
And his own father…...well, hearing "I'm proud of you", and the happy look he receives for weeks after make him feel so happy. He's pretty sure those were the best weeks ever. (Next to his wedding and Youko's birth of course.)
Hinata has to admit that as crazy as her mother can be, she's kind of… she won't call it nice, not quite yet, but… pleasant. Tolerable.
She had come to a realization that she was being…..awful really. She was never like this in her first life, and to be like it now is scary. So Hinata took a step back from everything and really looked at not only herself but more at everyone else too. Their actions and how they talk, and seeing the motives and intentions behind everything.
Marie is crazy from something, somehow. But she's a loving, caring mother, and has the best intentions at heart. So with this discovery and others, along with the very high chance that her second mother could die soon, Hinata decided to start over. Bond with her family, get to actually know them better and be kind and loving, like they deserve.
Of course it would be a tad bit easier if her new daddy-dearest was also in on the "hey, I've decided to get to know you and love you" idea, because he's out of the house so much lately and becomes more withdrawn each and every day…
He worries her really. He comes home more tired and more on edge. When he looks and even talks to her, it's like he's scared and mad at the same time but trying to hide it and act as if everything is okay.
She knows that things between her parents are strained, she's been able to see that all isn't well and how they act to each other. (Which isn't healthy and would lead to divorce in most couples, but for some reason they're still together.) So with cowardly lion father Osamu even more….moody and withdrawn, its a cause of concern. Especially with how he reacts, or doesn't, about the new baby.
She's not sure that there's anything she can do really. She'll try of course, but she's concerned that she will only make things worse.
Right now though, that's neither here nor there. She has something important to do currently. Like help decorate her new siblings room.
"What colors do you think we should use, girls?" Marie asks them, holding out a booklet that has several pallets circled.
The two little girls join forces and ooh and aah over various colour-schemes and suggested combinations.
"How about a light blue with white and some gold coloring? They're gender neutral so we don't have to worry about needing to change it later if we guess the wrong gender." Hinata suggests, thinking of an outfit she remembers vaguely the canon Ryou wore. The colors were nice and went well together.
"And some sand-colour!" Amane adds excitedly. "We could make an ocean room. Or one with pirates!"
"I better not suggest anything that has to do with the occult." Hinata thinks in amusement. "Mother would freak. Besides, only Youko would get the reference. And with no way of knowing if the baby is actually a younger Ryou or not….."
Amane then flips the pages and gets to one that has a lot of purples and oranges. "Mama, isn't the baby going to be born in fall? We could make a Halloween room, too".
Marie's smile is a little stiff at the sound of that idea. "Maybe, sweetheart. Though I do like the idea of something a little more neutral".
They go back and forth forever. A room themed after the starry sky and sun with music notes, (like Youko's room) a room with stars and the moon and snowflakes, (like Hinata's room) a room inspired by flowers (like Tea's), a room with animals, (like Amane's) one centered around teddybears, cars and trucks…
In the end they decide not to copy any already existing "ideas" in their close friend group and family.
After all, this baby is going to be its own person and deserves to choose what they would like. Just like all the kids had done once old enough to.
"Let's do a light color and white. That way when they can choose what they want, it'll be easy to paint over. Plus lighter colors make the room look bigger and it's really comforting for a baby." Hinata says with a thoughtful face.
Marie nods and looks to Amane who is smiling brightly, nodding too. "Alright," their mother says. "That's decided then. Now, do you want to go shop for paints or look through possible names with me?"
"Yeah! Let's make cookies too while we look for names!" Hinata exclaims excitedly.
"Cookies!" Amane yells happily as soon as she hears the magic word. "Let's make those sugar ones with nuts in them".
"Can we please make cookies, mother?" Hinata asks politely, looking hopefully up at Marie.
Of course Marie just smiles and nods. Another thing Hinata has realized after actually spending time with her mother is that she will let them do anything and everything they want with little to no consequences. As long as they ask politely and behave properly. (And don't accidentally cause property damage, though Osamu has scolded them the most for that).
It should be and is slightly alarming, but she's a 3 year old in pursuit of cookies in that moment. She's got a free-pass on this. (Plus she's still used to being an adult and having more freedoms, so she's not going to do something that takes it away from her.)
Both girls cheer at their mother's approval and race out of the room towards the kitchen.
"Hurry up mama!" Amane yells back to her, "I want cookies!...please!"
"Maybe once the baby is here, they can learn to bake with us and get to have cookies too! I can't wait!" Hinata says giddily. She really can't wait for her new sibling to get here. Be it Ryou or someone else. It's going to be their baby sibling and she will love and protect them, no matter what.
Marie gets up slowly, her stomach already showing quite a bit. She smiles and laughs at their enthusiasm and fondly kisses their cheeks. "My sweet, little girls," she whispers to them, while they help her get ingredients and stirring equipment. Then they proceed to make a mess of the kitchen while glancing in the book full of names for both boys and girls.
"How about Sayuri, if it's a girl?" Amane asks, looking up from the books as Marie starts cracking eggs. "Little Lily".
"We could go with an English name instead maybe? To match mother." Hinata suggests, "like Matthew or Victoria."
"Well, my grandfather was called Jonathan. I always thought it was such a nice name… though most people called him John, and that wasn't as nice," Marie tells them. "We could name one for a king or a queen… it'd be nice and traditional. Ooooh! If it's a girl and we name them Elizabeth, we could have a little Ellie".
Hinata hesitates a little. Should she or should she not…? "How about Ryou? Or Ryuu?"
Marie blinks. Then she gets a considering look in her eyes. "Hmm… dragon? The name Ryou in itself have many different meanings to choose from… refreshing, maybe? Or reality? Of course, we could name him Ryouichi and then have Ryou be a nickname…" she smiles down at Hinata and strokes her hair away. "Good suggestion, little snowdrop".
Hinata smiles at her mother while internally wondering if she did the right thing in suggesting the name.
Hindsight is 20/20, and she knows it's selfish, but… if she gets a brother and he isn't named Ryou-something, she doesn't think she'd be able to bear it.
She would truly feel like when'd taken his place or even killed the poor boy. And that would be too much for her to take.
She's pretty sure Youko feels the same about her maybe-brother.
Younger than in canon or not, Yugi and Ryou deserved all of the adventures and friends they'd go on. Not the danger and life-threatening situations - they never deserved any of that - but that's what older sisters are for. To protect the younger generation.
Eventually they settle on a couple of names they like, both Japanese and English, for each gender.
Sayuri or Elizabeth "Ellie" for a little girl. "Ryou" Ryouichi or Arthur (like in the storybooks, Amane had insisted) for a little boy. There were backups, as well, if Osamu didn't like a particular name. (Hinata doesn't think his opinion will come up really or matter all that much to her mother.)
They eventually settle down around the table with way too many cookies and milk for just the three of them, but they don't really want to include anyone else, even if Yume and Youko had been available. (Hinata knows Youko is gonna be so mad that they didn't invite them over, that girl has the biggest sweet tooth ever.)
And for the first time in quite a long time… Hinata feels at peace. Like everything is perfect and will work out just right, possibly-future catastrophes or not.
Youko knows her mother isn't the most ambitious woman. She's heard the stories of how she'd gone to culinary school before she met her father and then dropped out, ready to devote herself to a life as a housewife.
She may not understand the reasons behind this choice, not completely, but… for all that it's worth, Yume is content and happy with her life. And so Youko has decided to be happy for her mom.
They are in the living room. Youko is on the floor, sitting on a little mat as she tries her best to imitate her mother's yoga-stretches. Yume is in a strange pose that is supposed to calm and ease tension, to make the coming birth easier… or something like that. She's not too sure she believes in it, but well… there might be a few pressure points that get pushed or relaxed that help her get through labor.
And well… Youko has her own stretches to do, but it's more fun to copy Yume at the moment.
"Didn't Mihara-sensei give you your own stretches to do?" Yume asks, amusement clear on her face, even as she grimaces with effort.
Youko tries to shrug, but the attempted motion only results in her toppling over in a strange, one-person mess of limbs and wild hair. She grumbles something into the floor, prompting Yume to let out a short laugh.
"Now now, dearie. You were the one who wanted to do gymnastics and dancing in the first place - at the same time, too. You need to be flexible for both".
"But I already known my stretches mom! I wanna learn yours now!" She whines, scrambling to get back up and try again. She will succeed at this!
"You have to do more than just know them, chibi," Yume gently scolds, moving into a new position. "You need to practice, practice and practice until you can do them smoothly. Until they become second nature. Until you can do them without breaking a sweat".
"How do you know so much about gymnastics mom? Did you learn it when you were a kid?"
Her mother laughs. "Heavens, no! I was terrible at sports," she turns her head to smile at Youko. "But your aunt Shizukana did, and I learned a lot about technique from her, just by watching".
Youko blinks slowly before whipping her head around, thus toppling over again, to stare at Yume. "I have an aunt, mommy!?"
"Where is she? What's she like? Do you look alike? Do I have cousins? Why haven't I met her yet?" She shoots questions off rapid fire, eager to learn more about her family.
Yume sighs and uncurls from her position, most likely realizing that she won't get anymore stretching done. Instead she leans against the couch and holds her arms out in invitation. Youko happily complies and makes herself comfy in her mom's arms. "Yeah, you have an aunt. My sister, Shizukana or Kana-chan," the woman rests her chin on Youko's head. "To picture her, just imagine me, but with long hair. She was the older one by 10 minutes only, and she was my best friend for a long as I can remember, even if we were vastly different in personality".
"Where is she now mommy? If you're best friends…..why haven't we seen her?" She asks hesitantly, not to wanting to ask something that'll make her mom sad.
Another long sigh. Melancholy. "When we were around 19, while she was at a gymnastics tournament, she met… some guy," there's bitterness in her voice. "I think his name was Kaname. I don't remember his last name. And well… she fell in love with him. Almost frighteningly quickly".
Yume goes off into a tale that is both horrifying and tragic, and while Youko is sure a lot of it has been made child-friendly for her, she's not spared any details, either. She has a feeling there's going to be a very telling moral to this tale.
"Kaname's family was well-off," she says. "Not the biggest sharks in the water, but still pretty influential. Claiming to have roots in the old clans of the feudal era. And they did not like Kana-chan. The fact that she was an olympic medalist in gymnastics didn't matter to them. It mattered more that she was from a middle class family and not as traditional as they wanted her to be. And, well… between the two of us?" Yume looks into Youko's eyes, dead serious. "I don't think Kaname cared all that much for Shizukana the person, and more for Shizukana the trophy wife. A little doll to brag about and display".
Youko shivers as her mother just holds her closer, cuddling up under her chin. Yeah… this isn't a fun tale. "I watched my sister change, ever so slowly, from a fun-loving and outgoing champion to… to someone that wasn't her. Until she became someone who fit the ideals of Kaname's family and lived to please them. Until she wasn't my Kana-chan anymore".
Silence fills the air as the two just sit there, taking everything in and finding comfort in each other. Youko tries to process the situation, tries to understand it, but even with her adult mind, it's a difficult concept to grasp.
"I'm sorry Mommy." She says finally and gives Yume a hug. "I'm sorry that you had to watch and go through that."
"My sweet, compassionate, little girl," Yume gives her a watery smile. "Don't worry about me. Besides… I have a bit more to tell you. You see… you do have at least one cousin".
"Really!? I do! What's their name? How old are they!?" Youko asks excitedly, thrilled with the thought of more family.
"Well, it's a boy… but I don't know his name," Yume bows her head, as if ashamed at this reveal. "The last thing I ever heard from her was that she had given birth to a son, but that was it. And the last thing I ever told her about was being pregnant with you. Never got a response".
Youko's face falls as quickly as the dread in her stomach. "What happened?"
Yume's voice is bitter when she next says: "Kaname's family, most likely. See, in the end, they - particularly his parents - gave her an ultimatum. Them or… us," she sighs. "They didn't like having so much contact with us mere commoners, and she was so blinded by her supposed love for Kaname that in the end… she chose them".
"...oh…..I'm sorry….." Youko says quietly, feeling a deep sadness for her mother and the loss of her family that she'll never get to know most likely.
Yume shrugs and runs her hands through Youko's hair, calmly petting it. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about, honey. I guess…" another sigh "I could've done more to contact her. Kept calling, kept sending letters… but I just got tired of yelling at a wall and getting no answers. If anything, it's her loss - she's never gotten to meet her little copy, personality wise".
The last is meant as light-hearted teasing, but Youko can't help but be sad for her mother. 4-5 years… that's a lot of time with no contact, when you think about it.
She can't imagine what it's like but…..she can of she thinks too much about it. It's been that long since she was in contact with…..anyone from before. She shakes her head roughly and shoves the thoughts away.
"Maybe we can try to find them again! Try to get back in touch! It wouldn't hurt to try right mom?"
Silence falls between them. Then, much to Youko's surprise, Yume shakes her head. "No… maybe… I don't know anymore. I'm tired, sweetheart".
"Well…..I'll still try!" Youko says with strong determination. "Family is family. And I wanna know mine."
"As is your right. You deserve to know them, and I have been thinking of giving it another try… I just don't know if their address or phone number is even still the same," her mother agrees.
"It's a start though."
A kiss falls on Youko's head, before she is finally nudged off Yume's lap. "Come on, Youko-chan. Let's see what we can find".
She grins brightly. "Yeah!"
Grandpa later finds them in the back of his shop in a corner that had been used for storage of Yume's personal papers. It's a mess of dust and piles of papers and old books and much more.
"And what are my two favorite ladies doing back here in this dirty place?" He asks with a jovial grin and cleaning supplies in one arm and snacks in the other.
"Looking for things about Aunt Kana!" Youko says cheerfully.
"And learning about all the shenanigans and things the children have been up to and learning." Yume adds with a small smile while carefully extracting the cleaning supplies from Solomon's arms. "I didn't know you'd been teaching them ancient Egyptian and Latin".
"It's just a little something," he grabs a cloth and starts dusting off one of the shelves. "They were curious, and well… what harm can it do?" He chuckles in amusement. "I will make archaeologists out of them sooner or later, just you wait!"
"Grandpa was also telling us all about Egypt and its history! All the rituals, and beliefs, and how they lived! It's so cool!" Youko chimes in from somewhere behind a mountain of boxes and items.
Yume's smile is warm. "Yeah, that's certainly Shizukana's enthusiasm right there. That or your grandfather's".
"Maybe it's both mama."
It's such a nice, warm moment. It makes her feel all fuzzy and happy inside. Emotions Youko had been close to forgetting how to feel, lost as she was in her own apathy and bitterness.
But then… then her friends had come into her life, slowly teaching her how to warm up again. And now… even as she knows what her destiny has become and what lies ahead of her… she feels so much love and happiness that she's about ready to burst.
Attending dancing classes with Tea and Hinata on Wednesday afternoons and gymnastics on Fridays where Tristan joins in. (Joey isn't allowed, much to their collective disappointment. His father, apparently, doesn't think boys should do gymnastics. But they still show him all they've learned each day so he can practice and learn himself.) Then there are the free swimming lessons in Domino City Sports Centre every Sunday morning, which they all attend - they're learning everything from the breaststroke and crawling to basic diving jumps.
And finally, she has basic violin lessons with Suzuki every Tuesday morning before she opens for her regular students. She also receives voice lessons along with her friends, but the violin is the one thing she does all on her own. Her "specialty", as they've come to call the things they learn a little extra of on their own. (Tea has flower arrangement and language, Hinata has baking, Tristan has baseball and Joey… Joey's fallen in love with martial arts. Both the ones relying on hand-to-hand, like Aikido and Karate, but also Kendo and other types relying on melee weapons).
Where it's possible, they each teach the others about their specialties. It's more difficult for Youko to teach the other about violins when they don't play themselves, but she can teach them how to read sheet music and add to their voice lessons. And they all have voice lessons and are each getting interested in their own instruments.
Add to that the lessons on history, archaeology and language they get with Solomon… they're all shaping up to be a bunch of well-educated kids, even before hitting primary school.
Youko tells her mom about all of this throughout that one incredibly fun afternoon. Tells her of all of their little adventures, funny stories she might have forgotten to tell and the like. In return, Yume tells Youko all sorts of tales from when she was young. Of her sister Shizukana, of how awkward her early relationship with Yakumo was, of the day she was born…. Now and then Grandpa adds in with his own anecdotes and stories of his journeys across the globe.
The icing on the cake is Yakumo coming home early and joining them with exaggerated tales of his work at the office. Of their pranks on each other and the like.
It's a good day. A wonderful day.
Youko falls asleep that night with a smile on her lip and a frail hope that everything is going to be alright in the end.
"Uhm… Bakura-san?"
Osamu looks up from where he's been lighting a cigarette, only to see one of his fellow professors staring at him with a strange look on his face. He takes a drawn of the thing and slowly lets the smoke out. "What is it, Uzu?"
"You're smoking," is the answer he gets, the man sounding like it's the strangest thing he's ever seen.
Osamu snorts. "Yeah? So?"
Uzu keeps staring at him.
"...You don't smoke though. You've always fought for no-smoking policies ever since you entered the staff".
Taking another draw, Osamu just stares at him.
"Shit happens Uzu. Things change. It was either this or drinking."
There's an awkward silence between them. Uzu staring, Osamu smoking.
"...are you okay Bakura-san? Has something happened?"
"No, I'm not okay. My wife is a mom-zilla, I'm getting a child I don't want and my youngest daughter is fucking creepy!" He thinks, wanting to scream it, but knows it won't do him any good.
"It's not any of your business, Uzu," he says instead, throwing the finished roll of tobacco and paper to the ground and stepping on it.
"Well….is there anything I can do for you? You know we're all here for you. We're all colleagues..."
Osamu allows a faint growl to escape him. "I said it's not any of your damn business, Uzu. That means you leave it alone".
He looks at his watch, irritable and irrationally angry. "I've got to go. Got a class to teach in 15 minutes. Don't you have a job to do, too, Uzu?"
"Er….yes. I do. I- my apologies for bothering you."
He doesn't respond. He just keeps walking.
He knows his behavior is unhealthy. He knows he's slowly going to a place he can't return from.
The part of him that cared about any of that has already gone there. He's in too deep on that front.
But he'll be good so long as he can keep up appearances. Go to work, teach, research broken pots, write reports… go home, kiss the wife on the cheek, interact a bit with his kids… sleep.
Between all of that, go to the library in secret and read up on spirits and demons…
Look at him. He sounds like a madman. Like a man having a secret hobby. Like….like his priestess grandmother. Maybe he should take off during the holiday that's coming up, go visit one of the temples….
Say he's got an out-of-town thing to go to… yeah, that could work.
If he does a it of research on the buildings while he's at it, well… that wouldn't make it a totally useless trip, either.
Afterall, demons don't exist. Nope. He's just examining a few things to be on the safe side.
And Marie would probably love a few wards for the house. She's willing to believe anything these days, so far gone in her baby-mania.
She already believed his lie about Uzu being the one starting smoking and the smell transferring to him, because they're working on some big project together… why wouldn't she believe another little lie about a work-related trip and any wards he may or may not buy to protect hi-themselves against demons?
Not that he-they have anything to fear. Not at all. Hinata isn't a demon, the thought is absurd.
They don't exist, they don't.
Yume feels sick, feels weak. Her heart is racing and her mind is blank.
"I'm sorry…..what…..can you repeat that please?"
The doctor sighs, looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mutou-san, but… I'm afraid that we've discovered a bit of an… issue".
A/N:
And after so long, welcome back my duckies to Caught in the Game!
Sorry for being away for so long and not telling you. Nordic and I both had family vacations that we went on. Then I've had work to do, (those student loans and other bills aren't going to pay themselves after all), plus some family issues that have been going on. Luckily things are looking better and dying down it seems.
So this chapter we have family bonding times. Getting to know and get closer each other. Happy mother-daughter bonding! Yay! And even better! Yakumo making an effort to learn about Youko and bond with her! We also see Osamu slowly losing it and spiraling out of control.
And what's this!? Bad news for Yume! What is it!? What's going to happen!? You'll all have to wait to find out! *cackles maniacally*
Not much else to say or that I can think of really….
Shoutout to all of the people who viewed and all of our current followers and faves and our new followers and favorites (Stuffed Piggy, usagi-no-usotsuki, chibichibi98, Reina Cleroux, robertastarcris11, Spiteful Elegance, amazingturtle, selen123, utubeforway, TiamatisObscure, and goddessa39.)
And EXTRA thank yous to usagi-no-usotsuki for the review!
Please, PLEASEleave us comments and reviews, especially if you have any questions or are confused! We love them so much and are more than happy to explain things to you guys. They give us motivation and such happiness. :3
Thanks again to the amazingly talented and lovely Moirei for Beta-ing for us, as always :)
That's it for this time, so thanks again for reading my duckies and we'll see you all next time on Caught in the Game!
Counting Sinful Stars
A/N: And we're back! After a little more than a month, "Caught in the Game" is back in business!
In short, what happened was that we both went away on trips or vacation throughout the entirety of July, and I was without a stable internet connection for two weeks - only got back a few days ago - so there was little time or option for me to write. (It was horrible in that I couldn't really talk to CSS or my other online friends, but wonderful because it was so relaxing to go off the grid for a bit).
So! This chapter was originally going to be from the dads' POV, but we got stuck on that and changed the idea. Instead we get mother-daughter bonding and more on what the kids are up to, Osamu's sinking further into madness and… what's this with Yume, now? What is that nasty cliffhanger doing there?!
Guess you'll just have to find out next time~
NordicTwin
Edited/Beta by Moirei
Finished & Published August 3, 2017