a new type of conflict
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Prelude // Japanese Language Used Within
Tencho-san - Boss
Onee-chan - Sister
Ojii-san - Grandfather
Okaa-san - Mother
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Session 07 - Kisa - Silenced
Living in this house sometimes gives me the creeps, but I can't tell anyone that. I wouldn't want to offend anyone living here, especially Akito. The weather was so dreary adding to the sombre atmosphere. I sat in one of the gathering rooms with my work spread out on the table. The television was on, but the volume was muted. Every five minutes or so a red screen with large words rolling across it would appear with a warning about the storm getting worse.
I didn't work for very long, I was interrupted by the sound of the sliding door. I looked up to see Haru come into the room. There was a bowl in his hands, which he placed beside my homework as he sat down beside me. He gave me a slight smile and then focussed on his meal. I continued working hard, but after writing a few sentences, I looked up to study the black and white haired boy beside me. His face was always difficult to read as it usually carried a blank expression. It looked like he was deep and thought. His expression changed slightly as he stared into the bowl as he ate; between bites he was wearing a loose frown.
He didn't notice me looking at him, so I said his name softly. Then he glanced at me from under his bangs and his blank expression reappeared. I was worried, but I didn't know whether I should voice my worry or not. I was scared that he might get angry at me - everyone always hated when I spoke at school. Things have changed for the better there, but I'm still afraid. But this was Haru, he would want me to speak....
I asked him what was wrong, and he seemed surprised. Maybe he didn't think that anyone would be able to see the conflicted emotions within him. I could see it. He let out a slow sigh, and after a few seconds of silence, he explained what he had overheard in the kitchen.
I wasn't quite sure what to say; Kyou was going to transform into something that I had never heard of. I knew that there was more to the curse that I had ever known, but something like that was... frightening. And what about the people around him? I started to worry even more.
I asked him a question about Onee-chan, Yuki, and Shigure-ojiisan, about what they could do to help and if they were in any danger. He told me that he didn't know what would happen, but he tried to assure me that everything would be alright. I'm sure he said that to try to get me to feel better, but I tried to believe him.
Finally, I asked him if he would be okay. He stared at me for some time without saying a word. He leaned towards me and wrapped me in a gentle hug, his eyes closed.
Then he thanked me.
Session 08 - Hiro - Jealousy
I've been seeing Kisa happy a lot more lately. I'm trying to be a good prince to her, just like Tohru recommended. But if I can't become this prince, Tohru will owe me something. I'm not quite sure what yet, but I'll think of something.
I can't help but think that it's not me who is making her happy. I always see her smiling when she's with her 'big sister' so it's hard to tell. She's always around when I want to be with her alone, it's so aggravating. I bet that she thinks that we need supervision like children! But I can't find it in my heart to yell at her to go away, because I know that Kisa loves her. This is so hard, but I want to make Kisa happy badly.
I'll do anything for her, that's what a prince does. And this time around, I won't be a stupid child, like when I went and talked to Akito back then about Kisa. What I mistake I made.
Sometimes I watch Yuki to study the way he acts - he's considered to be a prince at school, I've heard from Haru. Though he does seem refined and elegant like a prince, I don't think I could ever live like him. He seems too kind for my liking, although him and Kyou argue just about everyday with childish insults.
I decided that I wanted to talk to her, so I picked up my homework for the night. We could work on it together since she had transferred into my class. I walked to the room that she normally worked in, and I noticed that she must have left the sliding door open.
I peered into the room, and saw, to my horror, Kisa and Haru in an embrace. My face burned in flushed anger. On a normal day, I would have run into the room and yelled at Haru with one of my famous speeches even if I were to invoke his Black side; I would have given him many things to think about like, how Kisa was three years younger than him and he was 'robbing the cradle', that it would be his fault if Kisa got a lousy mark on the work which had been left abandoned on the table, and that he was a disgrace to have even thought that he could come into the same room as her.
But I couldn't do it. Haru was facing away from me, and I could see Kisa's face which was leaning against his shoulder. With her eyes closed, she looked very peaceful. I had yelled at people who got too close to her before, and she always seemed disappointed with me. I clenched my fists at my sides, then slid the door closed without making a sound.
Session 09 - Momiji - Forgotten
I bounded down the stairs, looking for anyone to talk to. I was so bored, everyone seemed to have disappeared! Now that I thought about it, the house seemed a lot quieter than normal. I shrugged it off, and continued down to the kitchen. I peeked into the doorway, but I didn't stick around. Hatori was in there on the phone, and I didn't want to interrupt him. He doesn't really like it when I'm bothering him when he's trying to work. Oh, well.
I kept going on with my journey through the house. I decided to look for my cousin Haru, hoping that he was in a good mood.
Although I had the intention of finding Haru, I spotted Hiro first. He was staring inside a room, and then he walked away angrily. Half walking, half skipping, I ran up to meet him.
"Heya, Hiro!" I called out, ignoring the bothered look on his face.
"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy here? It'll be your fault if I don't get my homework done now." Hiro crossed his arms over his chest.
"Homework?" I asked, and he looked down to his hands, apparently thinking about something. He ran back to the door where several loose pieces of paper lay. He must have dropped them earlier.
"Yeah, leave me alone, I have things to do." He brushed by me, attempting to go up the stairs. I stopped him by grabbing onto the back of his shirt. I could tell that something was bugging him, and I wanted to help if I could. I asked what was wrong in my most serious of voices. He turned around and glared at me. His face softened in thought, and it almost looked like he was going to tell me. But then he laughed, the harsh frown reappearing; it was a laugh that clearly said 'why would I tell you?'.
"What makes you think that you know when something is wrong with me? And if there was, you couldn't do anything about it anyway, making this entire conversation useless. Let go of my shirt." His face looked more foul now.
I stared at him, and then told him that I just wanted to help.
He pulled himself away, freeing his shirt. "Just forget about it, Momiji." His tone was sharp.
I watched him walk off, but I wasn't going to forget. I didn't want to forget anything, even the most painful of memories.
"Mommy doesn't remember me, no matter how much I love her. She just thinks that I'm someone else's kid."
"My only regret is having that creature come out of my body. Let me forget!"
"If you let mommy forget about you, she'll be better. But daddy will love you twice as much, okay? Let's let her forget."
No matter what, I want to remember. The sadness in your life becomes apart of you. When you remember the sadness, in comparison, the happy days will be even more wonderful. Lush green grass looks refreshingly beautiful after the rain has darkened the soil, creating contrast.
No matter what. I will always remember.
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Author Notes:
Chapter 3, Sessions 07 - 09; Uploaded June 25th 2003.
I do not own the rights to any of the characters mentioned in this fan fiction.