CHAPTER 40
Kagami Hiiragi's eyes could hardly fathom what she was looking at. Certainly after what she had turned her life into since Matsuri's and Misao's deaths, what she was seeing was a hallucination. The tug by Mama Sanae on her long hair however sent the mild amount of discomfort she needed to conclude she wasn't dreaming. Still, Kagami was still awe-struck at the beauty that was herself as she stared at herself in the full mirror. Mama Sanae was finishing braiding Kagami's long hair into a single braid that stretched to her lower back, but it wasn't her new hairstyle that held Kagami's attention.
The middle Hiiragi daughter was wearing makeup for the first time and her eyes sparkled at her reflection. Her cheeks were brought to life with blush and the mascara she applied to her eyelashes earlier made them look like the wings of a black swan. The red lipstick brought out the color in both her lips and her eyes and Kagami's jaw hung slightly unhinged in surprise. After all she had done to herself. After all the drugs, sex, violence, and endless debauchery, she didn't think there was any beauty left in her.
As Mama Sanae finished the final braid, Kagami lowered her eyes to examine her wardrobe, truly hoping she wasn't dreaming. She was never one for dresses, but then again she had to admit in retrospect she had never truly given herself a chance to see herself in one. This one however matched her perfectly. The soft blue fabric constructing the dress brought out both her makeup and her sparkling eyes, making her into a living portrait of the hidden beauty she once was before she destroyed it. The light blue dress hugged her slim figure and she blushed a bit when she could see it showed off her hips, as well as did her chest more justice (something she was secretly grateful for).
"Okay, honey, that should do it." Mama Sanae said. "Let's see everything."
Kagami slowly stood, her eyes still fixed on the glass window to her hidden side. Her long hair, now bound in a single woven braid, dangled to her lower back and she slowly spun, letting the hem of the dress twirl with her and it sparkled in the light. The oldest Hiiragi twin's cheeks flushed a bit and Mama Sanae grinned at her.
"I was right. You are the same size my daughter was when she was your age." She said.
"That dress looks marvelous on you, darling."
Kagami giggled nervously. "I…I never knew that I could look so…so…"
"Beautiful?"
She froze when she heard the word. With a lamenting sigh, she said, "I thought any part of me that could be like that was long gone. This is the first time in a while I've looked in a mirror and didn't see a monster."
Mama Sanae's smile softened to a more conservative deadpan expression as she stood and gently palmed Kagami's shoulders. "Honey, we've all made mistakes. The beauty of not only the world, but also this neighborhood, is that the sun will always rise again and give us all a fresh start."
Kagami gently held Mama Sanae's hand and turned to her. "I want to change and redeem myself, but I'm scared moving forward. I'm scared of my friends and family never accepting my apologies, I'm scared of becoming a mother…and I'm especially scared of Junichi."
Mama Sane tilted her head, slightly confused as to why she was scared of him. She was getting all dressed up for him after all. Tonight was the night of their highly anticipated date. Though they couldn't go out in public, Junichi bent over backwards to make some time for them tonight, as well as taking the liberty to cook the dinner for them so Kagami was in a great sense looking forward to tonight. Being the wise woman she was though, Mama Sanae was able to piece it together.
"You're falling in love with him, aren't you baby?" She asked.
Kagami stiffened and began to tremble a bit. "I…I don't know. I…I like him as a person and am grateful for his hospitality and understanding…and I never felt like he ever judged me for my mistakes. Not to mention the miracle he pulled off for me in getting my family heirlooms back. I…I just don't know what I'm feeling. I will admit that I am feeling something…but I don't know what it is…and I'm too scared to find out what it is."
Mama Sanae smiled and stood. Taking Kagami by slight surprise, she gently pulled her into a hug. "Honey, no matter what you're feeling and no matter where you go from here, all that matters to us is that you're clean and that you can move on with your life. No one will want that more than Junichi. That's one of his best attributes. He only wants the best for everyone."
She let go of Kagami and the twin-tailed Hiiragi smiled. She nodded, feeling reassured about her date tonight. In the beginning, she did have some reluctance when it came to the idea of dating a gangster, especially one who she witness execute Ryuji, though not even a shrine maiden like Kagami could argue that he didn't have it coming. He definitely wasn't the type of guy her family would approve of, but their opinion on this issue didn't matter to her. After all he had done for her, even Kagami took a lesson from the old saying about judging a book by its cover.
Kagami left the house and stepped into the night. The children had stopped playing in the yards and street a while ago with dinner time now upon the neighborhood. A few of Junichi's armed guards continued to patrol the neighborhood on foot and Kagami looked right past them and their military style weapons they carried. It was all second nature to her at this point.
As she approached Junichi's house, she could see the lights inside and she knew it was real. Her heart started to beat faster and she had to quickly wipe the small bits of accumulating sweat on her palms. Despite her nerves, she cleared her throat and walked up to his door. She knocked.
The lump in her throat bounced when she heard Junichi on the other side until he opened the door. He was dressed in a shiny buttoned shirt with a complementing tie around his neck, pressed pants, and shiny shoes. His hair was done neatly and his face was clean shaven. The shirt was a little smaller and it showed off his muscular form, something Kagami didn't mind and she had to admit that he was very handsome.
"Good evening, Kagami." He said softly with a smile.
Her ability to return the smile was easy this time around with her nerves relaxed. "Good evening."
"Please come in," he said and stepped aside.
Kagami proceeded to enter and felt her lips tug again when she saw the setup. Junichi's house was small, but that didn't stop him from utilizing every square inch of free space he had. Within his small living room, he had setup a dining table with a nice cloth draped over it, allowing the exquisite plate and glass setting to sparkle in the overhead light. Kagami's mouth flooded when she could smell freshly baked chicken and curry dishes and, while not getting her hopes up just yet, her keen radar detected the hint of a cake in the oven as well.
"Wow, everything looks great." Kagami said.
"I should hope so. My intent was to make the dinette set look so good it would distract you from my horrid cooking skills." Junichi replied.
Kagami giggled and approached her chair. She was taken by surprise when Junichi stepped in front of her and pulled the chair out from the table and turned it to her, allowing her to sit in it. It was a simple gesture, yet one she had never experienced for herself by a man. As much as a tsundere as she was, she had to admit that it was nice to be treated both with respect and as a real woman ever since she left her old profession in the Aku District. She gratefully sat in it and allowed Junichi to scoot her to the table. He then joined her across the table.
"Thank you for having me tonight." Kagami said.
Junichi smirked and nodded. "Well don't be thankful just yet. You haven't eaten my cooking yet."
Kagami laughed again. "I'm sure it's going to be great."
He smiled back to her. "So how have you been feeling? How's the baby?"
"Very well. He's sleeping right now." Kagami joked while rubbing her still flat stomach. "And I'm sure he'll enjoy your cooking as well."
"Convinced it's a boy? Are you thinking of any names?"
Kagami held her smirk and her palm on her stomach. "Well, if you've ever met my family, chances are you'd be convinced I would be having a girl. Still, I have a feeling about this one. Call it a mother's intuition, but I think it's going to be a boy. I really hope so too."
"Why's that? Every woman I've ever met was obsessed about having a daughter." Junichi replied and took a sip of water.
Kagami's cheery face melted slightly to a more somber expression. She glanced away before replying, "I just…I just want to teach him right. I want to teach him how to respect and appreciate women. I don't want him to grow up to see women as, well, meat. I also wouldn't mind if it's a girl, either. To teach her respect for herself, and show her love and support so that maybe girls like…Yuka…won't exist one day. My own interpretation of paying it forward I guess."
Junichi sat back and nodded. "I understand how you feel and can appreciate that. That's a very noble way to look at raising a child, Kagami, and it's no secret why your family is proud of you."
"You mean was proud of me." She corrected.
Junichi shook his head. "No, I didn't."
"Well, if you saw our last encounter, I don't think you'd believe that. I mean, after what I let Yuka do to Tsukasa…"
"Kagami, Kagami, Kagami," Junichi cooed and Kagami couldn't deny the bumps his voice rendered to her flesh. "I've told you this before. Mistakes were made. We're all only human and we're all imperfect creatures. I can tell you that better than anyone else."
Kagami looked up at him and couldn't help but huff. "I doubt that. I mean, I look around here and everyone looks to you like you're God himself."
Junichi folded his hands and leaned forward. "All by trial and error. Besides, even before I thought of the idea to build this neighborhood, I've made mistakes like you wouldn't believe, especially when I was in the military. In fact, I sometimes think that was my biggest mistake. Looking back on it, I think I joined as a way to escape and run from my own problems and when I finally did return home, not only were my problems still waiting for me, they had evolved tenfold."
Kagami nodded, telling him she understood his point. "So you think one day I will inevitably have to face my family again, as well as Yuka Miyakawa?"
A ding from the kitchen caught their attention. Junichi smiled and stood and walked to the kitchen. A few seconds later, he returned with a pottery casserole dish and he sat it down in the middle of the table. Whipping the lid off, Kagami's mouth flooded when she saw the baked chicken dish.
"I don't know about you, but I can't discuss the deep topics on an empty stomach, plus I don't think subjects like Yuka Miyakawa have a place at such a table, especially in good company." Junichi said as he took Kagami's plate and filled it with the food. "I think the conversations should stay on us."
He placed the food before Kagami, who waited anxiously for Junichi to fill his own plate and return to his seat so they could dig in. As she watched him, she couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief, that such a man of his age regarded both himself and his surroundings with such class. Especially her. Whenever he looked at Kagami, he didn't see what she saw. He didn't see the dirty, repulsing street rat that Kagami identified since she left the Aku District and hindsight became the reprehensible asshole it usually proves to be.
"I…I am curious about you, Junichi." Kagami said when he sat down. "I've been here for about a month now and I don't think I ever, well, figured out why you are the way you are."
Junichi tilted his head. "I'm not sure I'm following."
"Well…to put it simply, you seem to be somewhat of a paradox. For example, I was always taught that the derelicts, vagabonds, and criminals had tattoos, but you're so well-read and so refined. And how you talk to others…it's like you're a professional speaker." Kagami noted.
Junichi chuckled. "You're bold,"
Kagami suddenly realized how comfortable she had become in the neighborhood and it clicked how what she said could easily be misinterpreted. She was quick to apologize.
"Not at all. I like it when people are bold and straightforward like that." Junichi replied calmly with a smile. "My tattoos are souvenirs from my time in the military and each one means something very close and dear to me, whether it had to do with the lessons I learned or the brothers I met, you name it. I understand why your family would bring you up on those values though. But I don't wear my intellect or existence on my skin. It's ultimately who you are and what you do with yourself that inevitably becomes your real tattoo. But of course, what makes that said tattoo the better one is that it never has to be permanent. That's a lesson I learned in the service and needless to say that it was a good one."
Kagami smiled at him and began to eat. The rest of their date went better than even Kagami could've predicted. The more they talked, the closer they felt together and by the date's end, Kagami couldn't deny it anymore. She was falling in love with him, which was also reinforced for her when he walked her back to Mama Sanae's house. As they walked, they couldn't help but converse about the starry summer night.
When they arrived at the front door, Kagami stopped and turned to him, smiling. The two stood in awkward silence for a bit until Junichi cleared his throat.
"Um…well, thank you. For being my guest tonight." He said.
"Thank you for having me. Everything was wonderful, and, Junichi?"
"Yes?"
Kagami closed her eyes and, with her cheeks burning bright, she moved forward and scrunched her lips together. She kissed him on the cheek. When she pulled away, she opened her soft eyes and asked, "Is that offer to stay here permanently still on the table?"
Junichi was surprised by the kiss as his perplexed face (which amused Kagami) illustrated, but he was eventually able to snap himself back to reality and chuckle.
"I think I can make that arrangement. Though it might cost you."
Kagami tilted her head.
"Another date."
She giggled. "It's a date."
Kagami slowly turned and entered the house, leaving Junichi with a deeply satisfied smile on his face.
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The same night Kagami Hiiragi accepted that she was in love with an educated gangster, Tsukasa had learned of another love story that had been developing between two of her friends. She was elated to hear that Konata's recent mental funk had been snapped by her newfound relationship with Hiyori Tamura. Tsukasa eagerly sat on the sofa in the Hiiragi family living room texting back Yutaka, who was giving her the play-by-play of how it all transpired.
While she texted, Tsukasa contemplated her entertainment options for that evening. Her parents had a dinner date in an hour and Inori made plans to go out with some of her college friends so it was just going to be her home alone tonight. Tsukasa didn't think much of it despite the fact that only a short time ago the idea of being inside the family home by herself at night would've scared her to pieces. Her maturity had been shining through more in recent days and the family silently agreed that it was the visits with Dr. Kishimoto that was helping her. She had finished the book the psychologist had given her and it had given her a more transparent outlook on her situation with Kagami.
Inori sat next to Tsukasa on the sofa, flipping through the channels on the TV and counted down until it was time for her to leave to meet with her friends. After seeing the same rerun of that mediocre sitcom she couldn't remember the title of, Inori turned the TV off and sighed.
"Well, looks like your TV options for tonight are going to be pretty dismal, Tsukasa." Inori sighed.
Tsukasa looked up from her phone and giggled. "That's okay, sis. I'm more interested in what's been going on with my friends lately anyway. Kona-chan found love."
Inori tilted her head as she remembered the blue-haired friend of Tsukasa. She still didn't know her well, but got a real good caricature of her character at Kagami's intervention and Inori couldn't help but smile. She asked, "Oh? With who?"
"Another one of my friends. I think you met her. Her name is Tamura-san." Tsukasa replied.
Inori was surprised at first as she wasn't expecting that but nonetheless agreed that that was a good thing for Konata.
Miki and Tadao came downstairs, each one dressed conservatively. The two Hiiragi daughters turned their heads as Tadao said, "Well, we're heading out."
"Okay." Inori and Tsukasa said together.
"Are you going to be okay by yourself, Tsukasa?" Miki asked.
Tsukasa, still smiling nodded. "Don't worry, mom. I'll be fine."
Miki smiled back. "That's my big girl."
"Have a safe trip." The sisters said and their parents left.
Inori stretched and looked at her watch. She still had some time left before she would have to get ready and leave for the restaurant where she was going to meet her friends, but the boredom was becoming too much for her. She decided there was no harm in getting ready early as Tsukasa insisted her evening was going to be fine. Inori went to her room and got herself ready. She had already showered an hour earlier so all she had left to do was make sure her hair was still together, sprits a bit of perfume on herself, and grab her purse.
Inori barely had time to say goodbye to Tsukasa and to stay safe but that still didn't stop the latter from wishing her big sister a safe and good time. When the front door closed, the Hiiragi house was engulfed in an ominous quiet as Tsukasa curled her legs under herself on the sofa and continued to text Yutaka and Patty.
After another few minutes of texting, the conversation went mute. It was getting late and Tsukasa assumed Yutaka was heading to bed soon while Patty mentioned something about taking a night shift at another cosplay café to keep pushing that bizarre CD she and Konata made together. Tsukasa placed her cell phone on the coffee table in front of her and reached for the remote.
Turning on the TV, it didn't take her long to see what Inori was talking about when she said the digital entertainment was on the bland side tonight. She had seen every episode of ever sitcom being aired tonight so many times that she couldn't even give the episodes a pity chuckle. Still, she watched the episode untill the end, killing half an hour. The news came on next and given her more mature nature, Tsukasa gave it a chance. It too was pretty boring though, until something came on that nearly caused Tsukasa to panic and for the first time she realized how truly quiet it was in her home.
Yuka Miyakawa's mugshot was on the screen while the narrator's voice said, "Police still have no leads in finding and apprehending wanted criminal, Yuka Miyakawa, who is accused of playing a large part in the recent crime wave in the Aku District. Police raided the adult club Teasers last month where Miyakawa was working as a dancer and prostitute, where her involvement in drug smuggling also—"
Tsukasa quickly turned the TV off, the remote shaking in her sweaty grip. She swallowed a large gulp as sweat began to form across her forehead and she felt her heart pound in her chest. Tsukasa slowly sat back into the sofa and breathed deeply. It was upon seeing the devil's face again that made Tsukasa realize how truly alone she was in her own house and she didn't like it.
She quickly reached forward and juggled her cell phone and called Inori.
"Ee…ei…Inori…!" She stammered. "Ka-could you ca-ca-come home pa-pwease?!"
"What's wrong, Tsukasa?" She asked.
"I…I just saw something and I got really scared and I don't want to be alone anymore," she panted. "Could you just please come home?"
"Okay, okay." Inori replied. "Give me about twenty minutes and I'll be home, okay?"
"Okay."
Tsukasa hung up and continued to pant. She whispered to herself that it was all okay and that she was going to be fine. Even though she saw the devil's face, it was still just a picture. Yuka wasn't here and best of all, Tsukasa wasn't trapped in Teasers being tortured and tattooed again. She repeated this over and over again and she was almost completely calm again.
BANG
Tsukasa shrieked with terror when the terrible sound rattled the front door of the house. She felt her sinuses clear as her heart raced and she shook uncontrollably. She utilized her inner voice again to tell herself that it was just a visitor and nothing more. Pulling herself up from the sofa, she walked towards the door and froze when she looked at the door.
Just by looking at the wooden barrier separating her from the sanctity of her house and the unknown made her think. Who would be visiting her at this hour? Even if she was expecting company, why would they announce themselves with a single, violent strike on the door? It was as if someone struck the door with a baseball bat.
Tsukasa gulped again and slowly stepped forward to the door. When she was close enough, she wheezed, "Who is it?"
Nothing.
Her nerves were starting to get the better of her now. She felt like her feet were cemented to the floor and her throat was like cotton as she struggled to back away from the silent door. As she uprooted her feet, the creak of the floorboards beneath her made her tremble in fear. What came next only furthered her growing dismay. A sound came from behind her. It was a familiar and harmonious sound that normally soothed her ears but now, it only made her shake. The gentle rings of the windchimes hanging from the backyard deck gently drifted through the night.
There wasn't a single breath of wind on this night to make them sing.
Tsukasa slowly turned and stared down the empty hallway leading to the kitchen, where the sliding glass door to the backyard stood. The blinds had been drawn since the end of dinner and Tsukasa couldn't see what was on the other side of the door. With each deep breath, she took another step closer to the glass door.
When she stood before the blinds, her trembling hand reached for the cord until she found it and she slowly pulled it. The blinds opened and Tsukasa stared into the darkness. She swatted at the wall for the light switch and turned the outside lights on. The orange light came on, bringing life to the empty yard where nothing resided. The only resident of the backyard was the clothes line, which also stood empty.
Tsukasa breathed another deep breath of relief and turned off the light and closed the blinds again. She took a step back and feeling parched, she quickly moved for the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. She drank it quickly and stood in the silent kitchen, not noticing the moving shadow behind her and the dark figure that stood in the hallway, watching Tsukasa. Tsukasa kept her back to the hallway as the figure watched her until her lips curled into a malicious smile, bearing her shiny, salivating teeth. The figure moved into the light and closer to Tsukasa.
Tsukasa finished the water bottle and turned around. Her breathing had normalized now as her eyes scanned the empty house. Without a doubt, she was the only person in her house and she kept repeating to herself that everything was all in her head. The bang on the door was probably just the house settling and maybe there was just a quick breeze that gave brief life to the wind chimes. That had to be it. No matter what she was still alone.
When Tsukasa took another relaxing breath, a new sound came from the porch. It sounded like a continuous, low-pitch screech. With her reputable history in housekeeping, Tsukasa recognized the sound to be one of the metal patio chairs slowly being dragged across the porch. Her heart once again began to pound yet her newfound maturity prompted her to move back to the door. She once again found herself standing before the closed blinds just as the screeching stopped.
Tsukasa gulped and opened the blinds and awoke from reality into her nightmare.
Yuka Miyakawa stood before her on the other side of the glass and no sooner did the two girls make eye contact, Yuka pressed her face against the glass and screeched, "HI TSUKASA WANNA PLAY?!"
Tsukasa screamed. She screamed so loud and so hard that she coughed a bit of blood from her once again dried throat as she stumbled backward. Tripping over a few chairs, she scrambled on the floor for her cell phone. She felt on the coffee table as Yuka continued to pound on the glass door but to Tsukasa's horror, her phone was gone.
"Hey Tsukasa, looking for this?!" Yuka screeched again, grabbing Tsukasa's panicked attention.
Tsukasa felt her bladder go limp and all hope turned to dust when Yuka held up her cell phone, the device broken in two pieces and she waved them tauntingly as she dragged her tongue on the glass door. She pulled her face back and yelled, "That's funny. Your phone looks just like how your neck is going to look in a few minutes!"
Screaming again, Tsukasa sprinted down the hallway to the landline phone and pulled it off the receiver. She pulled so hard that her socked feet slipped from under her and she fell to her buttocks and in the limited light provided, Tsukasa wailed when she saw the cord had been cut. Left with no other options, she pulled herself up and decided to make a run for it to the neighbor's house and ripped the front door open.
"OLLY OLLY OXEN FREE!" Yuka's screaming and laughing figure cackled as she came running up the walkway to the open door.
Tsukasa quickly shut the door and locked it. That still didn't stop the shining silver blade of Yuka's prized dagger from crashing through the wooden door, missing Tsukasa's nose by an inch.
"LEAVE ME ALONE YOU PSYCHO!" Tsukasa screamed with all her might and turned to run up the stairs to her room, just as she heard the lock of her front door coming undone and the door slowly opening.
Tsukasa ran into her room, where she had no door to close behind her. Her family still hadn't had the chance to replace the one Kagami destroyed in her drug addicted rage so she was once again at the mercy of Yuka Miyakawa. Curling into a ball in the same corner from when Kagami attacked her with the axe, Tsukasa trembled and cried as she waited to hear Yuka's footsteps ascend the staircase.
Instead, she heard the TV click on and the static rifts of channels being changed. It continued until Yuka's voice yelled, "There's nothing on tonight! How about some music?!"
Silence followed until a song that terrified Tsukasa ripped through the house. It was in English so she didn't understand it but that still didn't make the lyrics any less terrifying as the loud rock song rattled the walls.
Hey you, hey you, this won't hurt a bit! This won't hurt a bit, this won't hurt! Says who? Says who? Anesthetize this bitch, anesthetize this bitch, anesthetize!
Tsukasa held her head and rocked back and forth, fighting off insanity. The song continued until suddenly, it went silent. The house was now quiet again, except for one sound. Footsteps. Footsteps were walking through the house and made their way to the staircase. Tsukasa held her breath as her tears dripped from her eyes. She felt sick to her stomach and was ready to puke as the footsteps got louder and louder until they reached the top of the landing. The footsteps got closer and Tsukasa had no choice but to accept that her time had come. Trying to justify herself in her final moments, Tsukasa took some solace in the fact that she had forgiven her sister for bringing this devil and cause of her death into her life. She just wished she had the opportunity to say goodbye to her mother and father, as well as her biggest sister before Yuka's icy dagger blade would open her throat.
"Tsukasa?"
Tsukasa quickly looked up from her protective ball. Inori stood in her doorway with a perplexed look on her face, as if she walked into some bizarre puzzle.
"What's going on? Are you okay?" Inori asked.
Tsukasa's meltdown intensified as she shuffled on the floor to her big sister. Inori quickly dropped to her knees and hugged her sister and tried to calm her down. Tsukasa stuttered and squealed, paralyzed by fear as she cried and tried to tell her sister what happened. As Tsukasa tried to force it out, she was able to glance down the hallway to the top of the stairs, where Yuka Miyakawa stood with a sinister smile on her face as she slowly ran the dagger blade across her tongue.
Tsukasa screamed again and squirmed in Inori's hug as the oldest tried to calm her down again. Inori was scared and confused by her sister's meltdown and her words weren't sinking in. It was as if Tsukasa was a child again and would run to Kagami's bed after having a bad dream or saw a creepy shadow created by one of her toys in the moonlight. Inori turned around to see the source of Tsukasa's distress, only to see that there was no one else at the stairs or anywhere else in the house for that matter. However, when Miki and Tadao would return in another twenty minutes after Inori would call them, they would see the evidence that they were visited by someone who only wanted to bring them pain and fear.
