Chapter 2: The photo

A couple of nights after Koushiro's return from the Digital World, Yoshie and Masami sat him down on the sofa and told him about his other parents. Yoshie took the chance to show him a photo of their wedding, the only one they had. Ame and Shunsui were in ceremonial clothes. They were standing next to a placard with their names written on it.

"Her family's name was Fuyokawa, then..." Koushiro muttered, "... his family name being Yukimura... 'Winter River and Snowy Town?'"

"We also found it funny how they both had Winter-related last names," Masami chuckled.

"I joked at the time that they were going to have Winter children," Yoshie remembered.

"But now I have Izumi as a last name. It's like I became a child of the Spring." Koushiro commented, bemused.

Koushiro didn't take his eyes away from the picture, taking in as many details as he could. He found his mother's silky red hair very beautiful. His father had inquisitive eyes that were just like his. It was strange to see himself in other people like that, but he liked the sensation.

"Were they traditional people?" Koushiro asked. "To have a wedding like this..."

"Ame's sister-in-law organized the wedding, so she was the one who..."

Masami's panicked look made her stop talking. It took a few seconds for Yoshie to realize what she had said.

They looked at Koushiro with apprehension. The boy didn't lift his eyes from the photo, which he kept holding with trembling hands.

"A sister-in-law...?" Koushiro repeated in low voice. "Then, she had... I have..."

"Sorry for keeping this a secret from you." Yoshie apologized.

"We wanted to spare you from knowing about that man," Masami explained. "Please, understand. We didn't want you to suffer."

"My uncle..." Koushiro murmured. "He was a closer relative, right? Before you two were asked to adopt me... he was asked first, wasn't he?"

"He was very sad because he had just lost his sister-" Yoshie began to explain.

"Don't make excuses for him!" Masami interrupted. "That man doesn't deserve this kind of consideration!"

"He didn't want me..." Koushiro said.

"But we wanted you! We love you so much!" Yoshie stated. "We never wanted to make you sad... I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay," Koushiro told her, lifting his face and showing his parents a sad smile. "I have you two. I'm very grateful for having you two."

"Your uncle has a daughter..."

"Yoshie!"

"If I already started, I could very well end the subject!" She told her husband, turning to her son next. "She's around your age and attends the same school as you... she's..."

"I don't want to know," Koushiro interrupted, coldly.

"But if you just knew who she is-" Yoshie insisted.

"I doubt she knows about me," Koushiro said. "I doubt her father told her anything about me at all... maybe he doesn't even remember I exist..."

"Don't concern yourself with that man," Masami told him.

"I'm not concerned. I'm fine..." Koushiro said. "It's okay... he doesn't care about me, why should I know things about him and his family, right? I already have a family... I don't need anything else," Koushiro stood up, "I'd like to keep this picture, if you don't mind."

"Of course you can keep it, it's yours," Masami said.

"Koushiro, you don't have to act as if you're not sad," Youshie let him know. "You can talk to us about what you're feeling."

"I'm not sad, I already said that," Koushiro insisted, avoiding his parents' gaze. "I just remembered I still have homework to do... I should get started..."

Yoshie was about to protest, but Masami gently held her hand and balanced his head. After the boy had closed himself in his room, Yoshie let go of her husband and covered her face with both her hands.

"I feel so awful!" She said. "Why did I bring that up? I didn't want to... I didn't mean to..."

"I know..." Masami comforted her. "We need to give him some space now. He's going to talk to us if he needs."

"Do you really think so?"

"I... I just hope he will..."

"I thought he'd at least get happier if he knew about Sora-chan..."

"He said that he doesn't want to know. We have to respect that."

The next day, Koushiro woke up very early, before his parents were up. He left a note for them on the kitchen's table, which said that Taichi had asked his help for something.

"Did he at least have breakfast?" Yoshie asked, after reading the note.

"There must be food in Taichi-kun's place, don't worry," Masami replied, before leaving for work.

Alone in the apartment, Yoshie went to her son's bedroom. She wondered where he had put the picture of his parents and found it on his desk.

Then, she noticed that his pillow had stains that seemed to be from drops of water.