AUTHOR'S NOTES: This fanfic is currently 2 chapters behind the AO3 one (you can search me up there as "thebirdofthechapel). I will continue posting updates here. It's just extra cumbersome to update in two places, and there seems to be less readers here.

CONTENT WARNING:

The chapter contains content that may be upsetting to readers, including: animal death, animal cruelty, and violence against animals. This is found at the end of the chapter in the very last scene, approximately 300 words.

Chapter 3: Ritsu-nii-san

KAGEYAMA RITSU

Mom is taking a while to pick her phone. I don't think something bad has happened to her, but it isn't like her to break away without telling us. When I hear her voice at the other end, well and all, I hold back a sigh. Everything's fine, so what can her excuse possibly be?

"Mom, where are you?"

"I'm at a cake shop. Do you want anything, Ritsu? Strawberry or peach?"

"Cake? Mom, you're the one who said we don't have enough space in the fridge."

"We can eat it tonight."

Well, Nii-san is going to be ecstatic. Mom and Dad can't enjoy too much sweets, and I'm not particularly fond of them either. It must be the festive season.

"Peach, then? I already had strawberry last week."

There's a long pause. Mom's voice is muffled as she moves away from the speaker. "Shige, Ritsu wants the peach flavor."

"Nii-san?" I say incredulously on my phone. Behind me, Dad has stood up and mouthed 'restroom.' "Is Nii-san there?"

"Shige," Mom's voice remains muffled, "Ritsu wants to talk to you."

"Mom, it's fine!" I interrupt. This Christmas shopping has already gone derailed. "But Nii-san is supposed to be at home. You didn't ask him to come, did you?"

"I thought you did. I found him here while I was heading back."

An impromptu cake shopping. Nii-san can't stand crowded places like shopping malls, especially during this month, but he will brave through the immense headache for his sweet tooth. This explains it. "Can you leave the cake to him then? The mall is going to get more crowded in the evening."

Mom hums in thought. "Why don't you and your dad go on ahead? I'm sure he'll appreciate being able to spend a rare day-off with his youngest son."

"Will you be okay on your own?" I clearly sound like I'm not very on-board with this idea.

"My goodness! I'm not a child," reminds Mom, laughing lightly. "Anyway, I'll be with your brother. He looks like he's feeling better, so maybe we'll look for clothes."

Nii-san does need new clothes. I noticed his pajamas have gotten tighter around the sleeves, and he mistook his socks for mine. "Nii-san is too nice to say no. Don't force him to go out in crowded places."

"Yes, yes, I hear you, Ritsu-nii-san. Enjoy the day with your dad."

I grunt, not liking the cheeky giggle I heard. "Bye."

When Dad returns, I update him of the change of plans.

"Two guys bonding over shopping? I think your mom has the wrong idea," says Dad after mulling a bit.

There are probably men out there who enjoy that but it definitely isn't for me nor do I think it's Dad's.

"Should we join up with them, Ritsu?" he suggests, smiling. "You'll have more fun being with Shigeo."

It's tempting. I'm worried Mom will be pushy. Nii-san is way too good at looking like he's okay. "No, it's fine… There are things I need to get done. It will take too much time shopping together."

Which leaves Dad… I'm not sure what I can do for him. Wouldn't it be better for him to sit by the food court than to follow me around? I don't need him to chaperon me.

He puts his hand on my back, more eager to head out than I thought. "Let's get to it then! Where to first?"

"Uh, well… How about you, Dad? Is there something you wanted to buy?"

He pauses awkwardly. "Actually, mm, I think so… I'm not sure what to get though."

I'm surprised. "Is it for Mom?"

"No, not for her. Your mom will scold me if I get her anything. She thinks it's a waste of money."

"She can't complain if it's already there. She's sure to appreciate flowers."

"That's what I'm saying. She complains anyway!"

He should definitely buy her flowers at some point. I'll write that down for next time. "Then who is it for?"

"My co-worker. He's been a big help to me even though I'm his senpai. I wanted to give him a token of my thanks."

"How about a pen?"

"A pen? Can't he buy that himself?"

"A luxury pen, Dad. They're better than an ordinary pen in every way and holds a more significant sentimental value. Fitting as commemorative gifts. Naturally, they're more expensive too." When Dad is disheartened, I add, "There are really expensive pens and affordable ones too. I saved up enough to get Nii-san one for his tenth birthday."

"Shigeo's tenth birthday… You would be in the third grade," remarks Dad, somewhat disbelieving. "How much was it?"

I try not to look guilty. "I guess… it was almost six thousand yen?"

"Six thousand? How? Don't tell me, you saved your New Year money that long?"

No way that would be enough with Christmas gifts to think about yearly too. Mom and Dad definitely can't know I borrowed money from a teacher. "I had friends that…pitched in. Don't worry, I paid them back."

This seems to do more than satisfy Dad as he looks downright impressed. "I was worried you didn't get along with kids your age besides your brother. Are you considering becoming a CEO or something?" asks Dad with a grin.

"Haha… I prefer being in a position I've earned with my skills, not by nomination for the sake of the majority."

Dad rubs his chin, confused. "Is that so…?"

A sudden thought comes to my mind. I don't want to make things awkward all of a sudden, but I need progress. In less than five months, I'll be a sixth grader.

"Have you and Mom talked about it privately?" I inquire meaningfully. When Dad doesn't get it, I try to tone down my frustration. "I'm serious about it. I really want to study in Tokyo. Haven't I done more than enough to prove myself?"

I half-expect for Dad to sigh and evenly suggest we talk about this some other time. It would be the right response. A sinking feeling in my stomach makes me ill. Regret, and some embarrassment. Vaguely, I remember how trauma in animals causes their toxicity level to increase. It's the same in humans. Emotions are more than fleeting sensations. They're chemicals that alters the state of the body permanently and incrementally.

"Ritsu… You can study in Tokyo. Mom and I expected that when we moved to Uenohara. There are very good schools there. But don't you think it's too sudden to look for a new school?" he points out, being diplomatic.

"That's why I brought it up months ago," I say quietly. It's not the suddenness that's the true issue, I know, but Dad is trying to discourage me by bringing up the time constraints. "Considering it's Tokyo, schools there must experience a lot of late enrollees. I have an excellent record and there's an entire year left. It's not sudden."

Dad tries to say something but cuts himself short, instead saying, "Mom and I just don't understand, Ritsu. Do you not like your school?"

I purse my lips. "It's too easy." Dad briefly appears like he saw a breakthrough with my answer.

"It will get harder, I promise you that. Come high school, you won't have time to goof around anymore and you'll miss the good, old days!"

"I'll regret the wasted time," I mutter, curt. I don't notice myself sighing or how I cross my arms. "…If it's about money, just say so instead of making me think I have a chance."

Maybe bringing up money during Christmas shopping isn't one of the tactful things I've done. Right on time, the stationary shop appears before us in lush, verdant garlands, popping with red and gold decors to really dig in how I ruined the mood. I really screwed up.

"Are you thinking of going to a private school?" he asks, his tone not belying any hint of affront.

I blink, caught by surprise. They have yet to prod me on anything related to studying in Tokyo. "No. I mean, I looked into them but only out of curiosity."

I feel the weight of his big hand gently bobbing my head. "It's not the money then. Though the train fees aren't going to come cheap. I'll talk about it with Mom."

I don't dare to believe what I heard. It's not a yes, but I can't help but hang onto the chance. "You'll do that?" What made him change his mind all of a sudden? I have been anything but convincing.

"We'll listen to what you have to say, but you'll have to accept our decision no matter what."

I nod. "Thank you. I'm sorry for the way I acted."

Dad nods in approval. "Having high test scores doesn't mean you know what's best for yourself. I hope you trust us, your parents, more. You might think we don't know what we're doing, but this sort thing is our real job."

I nod again, stiffer this time. It's like Dad has actually gone through my diary. My parents are okay, but it always seem like they never take what I say seriously. Their concerns have always been ordinary, like eating our vegetables, doing chores, and being respectful to ohters. They always tell us to study hard and have fun in school.

But since I'm the youngest in the family, I'll always be naive and in need of protection in their eyes. Nii-san… he's the same as them. He thinks too little of me.

"…We better start looking for a pen for your colleague," I tell to Dad, offering him a reconciling smile.

I have to grow up as fast as I can. I have to catch up to my brother.

There are two possible reasons why a child would want to stay out of the house as much as possible. One is boredom. It's a highly mundane, average reason that plagues extroverts. The second is a bigger cause, but it's not something anyone would wish to have - domestic troubles. No one would want to stay in an environment they feel unsafe in. It can be easy to assume it's the uncommon reason between the two, but who knows exactly? Statistics can be incomplete, especially in this culture where the ugly must be hidden in plain sight. And if they were out in the open, then they must be ignored in one's best ability.

I'm no extrovert and I get bored for entirely different reasons. There's no trouble at home, except for the couple times my brother sleepwalks and we find strange, new items around the house. Like cat food under the sofa cushions, or training weights in drawers. I keep out of the house whenever possible for neither reasons.

It's to get away from Nii-san.

Surprising as it may be, it's not because he hears my thoughts. Since my mind being read by my older brother was the norm for me, it never really bothered me. There are things I'd rather he not know about, but what's there to do about it? I'm used to it. He's used to it. We are very much used to each other's company… and that's the problem.

In the middle of a biology worksheet, Nii-san's voice will pop in my head.

"It's a lot like what a vac-uum does." He'll give out hints. When I told him to not help me…

"It's a mouthful, so don't feel too bad not remembering it. If anything, we should blame the scientist who gave it a mouthful name." He gives a very roundabout way to encourage me.

I already told him to leave me be when I'm studying. It's not like he wouldn't already know the effect he has on me, and his response says a lot on the kind of person that he is.

"You'll be fine."

A very relaxed, carefree kind.

I can't put all the blame on him though. Nii-san is my idol, but he's also my weakness.

"There are a lot of places named after Alexander the Great because he really went and decided to name them after himself."

"If you take over the world, you can name things after you but in different kanji."

"We need a name for us both. Shigetsu? Rigeo?"

"What's that? A fusion name?"

"Kage-bros."

"The shadow brothers."

"Oniitsu."

"That makes no sense without context."

I can't help but banter back.

I'm not a genius like Nii-san who can memorize a book in one sitting. Studying isn't hard, but I don't want to risk losing my edge on basic skills. We may be brothers, but we're heading to two, very different paths. To that end, I have to avoid distractions and be productive.

It's just like what Dad said last month though. Test scores don't make me wiser. I need other kinds of exposure.

"Where's my sandwich?"

"Just dropping by whenever you want to take food from me. If someone hears about this, you'll be a bully."

"I'll stop coming then. See you…or not. I forgot we don't go to the same school anymore."

I set down my pencil, and reach for my backpack, methodical. The wooden table shifts slightly as the seat across me is occupied. "How can you forget after what happened to make us transfer?"

"It's not like I was involved. Everyone is still talking about it though. It gets annoying."

I hand the sandwich over and to my dismay, it's immediately stowed away in the bag for another time. "You're not even eating it?"

"I didn't bring a juice. You don't have to give me yours."

"I wasn't going to," I grumble. This is the kind of attitude I have to put up with. I'm relieved Nii-san has already lost interest in Takane-san. I still don't know what he ever saw in her when we were kids. "Anyway… Are they talking about it outside of school?"

"Hmm, probably not. But that might change soon," says Takane-san, staring down at the table with her posture perfect. Her hair is the same length as it always has, but her face shows more reservedness than before. "It was getting talked about so much the teachers asked us to stop."

"Which will only do the opposite and cause even more stir," I finish with a defeated sigh. "Who's doing it?"

Takane-san's attention is taken by a crow harassing a duck and her ducklings. "Doing what?"

"Talking badly about Nii-san."

"No one's talking badly about Mob," answers Takane-san, leaning back to stretch her arms forward.

I hate these vague, short responses, but dealing with things you hate is part of growing up. "Can you explain it to me? I was under the impression Nii-san was still being called a liar."

"Mob doesn't care about that, so I don't see why you're so hung up about it."

"Can you blame me for being a little worried?"

"No, not really," admits Takane-san, catching me off-guard. "I get it. Turns out Mitsuba-kun really was being bullied and Kasumi-chan's exam paper was eaten by a dog."

That order sounds like it's reversed. "How did they find out about the exam paper?"

"It happened again. Though this time, the teacher saw it."

"With another student?"

"With Kasumi-chan again."

So the things Nii-san told everyone are resurfacing with evidence. That's good… right? "Do they believe that Nii-san has powers?"

Takane-san shrugs. "Unless you mentioned that before."

Right. This is why an outside perspective is important. Ordinary people aren't going to automatically assume magic powers are at work. "What about you?"

Takane-san takes out my sandwich and breaks a piece of it, tossing it over the crow. The crow maneuvers with ease and its interest successfully taken. However, the duck, lacking the intelligence, does not use this opportunity to escape. She remains alert, and her ducklings confused.

Her response is neutral. "What does that have to do with me? Mob's been doing well. Kudos to him." With that, Takane-san scoots out of the bench and leaves, abandoning my sandwich that is missing a corner.

"Does she want to catch up with him or something?" I mutter to myself. Since settling on this park to study, Takane-san have been swinging by for a free snack. She was reasonably pleasant the first time we saw each other again. After a couple of meetings, however, it seemed as if she lost interest in trying.

I don't take pleasure in her company, but she has unintentionally provided me some things to mull about. Takane-san is still as popular as ever. In the past, she and Nii-san were completely different by nature but that's no longer true. Nii-san today has every desirable quality Takane-san has and more. From a shy, star-struck follower, he's become easygoing and self-assured. At least that's what Takane-san tells me. Before - as Takane-san puts it - Nii-san stopped being like "Mob."

When a six-year-old's head is imploding with thousands of voices at once, who wouldn't change? She doesn't understand the extent of his troubles. I don't either. What he's going through, I will never understand and I may never will.

Not unless I develop the same abilities.

"Man, that's lame," an older man's rugged voice moans.

When I look over, a large, hooded figure in a violet jacket is looming over to where the birds have their standoff. The crow has stepped back from the duck to nibble on the piece of sandwich Takane-san tossed. The duck have recognized the retreat and has stepped out to lead her ducklings into the river.

The hooded man turns and saunters to the ducklings. "Nature needs to take its course."

Is he serious? Well, he may be a grown man, but size doesn't make a person fast enough to grab a prey hardwired to avoid predators. He will only make a fool of himself. The ducklings burst in a discord of chirps. When I stand up with my backpack, I see them hurrying after the man, who's laughing at the trail of small birds behind him. The man displays a bright, yellow cloth in the air. I stop in my tracks. It's no cloth.

"Hey now, don't let Mom's sacrifice be in vain!" The man takes notice of me. I can make out a grin, sharp as a knife, under the hood. "Ha! Nice hair, kid. You make sure to double the favor to the jackasses who did that to you."

"You're the only jackass here! Drop that right now!" I stand in front of him to block his path. The man's shoulders are broad and muscles are popping out of his form. I won't be able to do anything to physically stop him, but as if I'm going to let a sicko walk away feeling proud.

The man doesn't hesitate. Like passing car keys, he tosses the limp body of the duck my way. I catch it, my hands trembling below at the weight of faded life.

In the next moment, he's walking away, his hands in his jacket's pockets, and shaking his head in amusement. "Kids are so dumb."