Chapter 8
Hiten had grown, mentally, over just two weeks, into his own age. Yet he had grown into the wrong person. He was caring, nurturing, and anything but what the old Hiten used to be. He has become a house wife of some sort. Hiten cooked and cleaned for me, even after I had told him that he didn't have to. He was sensitive but did not cry. He was no longer Jakotsu's interest either.
"He's not butch any more" He told me. Not that Hiten was butch after the accident.
Marching band went on. I performed every Friday night at football games no one went to and started to learn how to play my saxophone as practice and games took more of my time. Competition was in view now, two more weeks ahead, and Renkotsu was becoming more and more strict on us.
I had started to visit the Indrashi's home more and more as guilt tightened on my conscience. Ms. Indrashi treated me as if I was her own, and Souten grew on me. In some ways I felt like she was my little sister. I started to take her to places her mother didn't have enough time to bring her to. Her smile appeared frequently during these trips.
It was getting close to winter, and a festival was set to happen the weekend of the first day of it. I was taking Souten to this and maybe a friend of my own. I told Hiten.
He was chopping up carrots. "Who else are you bringing? Besides my sister." He had grown more defiant to my choices than when he was mentally 12 years old. Not to mention he really wanted to meet Souten.
"I haven't decided." I answered. He turned to me, his lips turned to a frown.
"Well you should bring someone who wants to go. And someone who likes kids at that."
That took out Jakotsu, Suikotsu, and Renkotsu. "Ban-Kun."
"Yes Hiten?"
He placed the knife on the counter. "Can I go? I'd like to meet my sister and I haven't been outside in forever! Oh please!" He wasn't down on his knees when he said this, but he was just standing there.
"You know I can't let you, especially with your face on every milk carton and TV in Japan!" I sighed. He stepped a little closer.
"Well I'll just put on a costume or something!"
I squinted my eyes. "Will you promise to keep your mouth shut and to not draw attention to yourself?" He nodded furiously.
"I guess you can come." He smiled. "I can't wait! Thank you!" He then continued to his carrots.
Jakotsu came over the next day with bags in both hands. "You called?" He said once I opened the door. He had on his cocky smile, the smile he wore when he was about to break the law in someway. He rushed to my room taking Hiten with him. I went to go pick up Souten from her home. The wind was cold that day and the sky was a light grey. I used Jakotsu's car. It was a small and red average car, with a rather tacky interior. The car smelled but I didn't mind it. Once it turned on, 80's pop filled the stereo, disgusted I changed it.
The short drive let me think about current events and the future. I pulled into the Indrashi's driveway, Souten sat on the stairs and Ms.Indrashi stood behind her.
"Banaka-kun!" The girl said. She was wearing a pastel colored kimono, her hair tied back into pig tails. Her mother walked over and handed me a paper bag.
"Be back by 5, alright?" I nodded.
Souten and I climbed into the car, strapping ourselves in and bidding our goodbyes. We departed back onto the highway.
"I'm bringing a friend of mine; they're very excited to meet you." I said.
"That's nice, so are there games at this festival?" She asked anxiously.
"Yes there is."
"Good!" She adjusted her kimono.
There we parked into my driveway, walking out into the grass and unto the houses porch. Waiting inside was Jakotsu, who opened the door for us.
"What took you so long? You left her waiting." So that is what Jakotsu had disguised Hiten as, I thought.
"Come down Hitina!" He shouted up the stairway.
Descending the stairs I swore I saw an angel fall from heaven. In a red and black kimono that hugged false curves, and a white powdered face Hitens identity was will hidden. He had a fan packed into his obi, and a folded red and white umbrella. His hair was up, with combs giving it a more traditional look.
"Hello!" He said once he stopped in front of us, bowing slightly.
"Wow! You're beautiful, Ms. Hitina." Souten bowed back. The light in the shining eyes of the angelic person before us brightened.
"Oh and as do you!" He knelt down and hugged her.
"You smell nice." The little girl said. Jakotsu stood proudly. I mouthed a 'good job' to him and he stood even prouder.
"Where is this festival?" Hitina asked.
"The Higurashi Shrine." Jakotsu then looked alert.
"The Higurashi Shrine! Do you know who lives there?" I nodded.
"Don't worry about it. They wont try to do anything mean in the presence of such lovely ladies." I laughed, Hiten faked a womanly giggle and Souten smiled.
All three of us left the house quarter after 12, driving up the hill to the shrine at the top. A sweet smell took over the original scent of the car. Now I knew what the girl was talking about. At the top of the hill, guarded by trees, stood the stone stairs leading to the festival above. I smelled food then.
"Alright here we are." I opened the doors for both Indrashi's and closed the doors once they exited. We climbed the stairs with the temperature dropping as we ascended. An old man stood at the top with a large smile on his face. He wore a blue kimono with a darker pair of pants.
"Hello! And welcome! Oh what lovely faces!" He bowed to us. Souten was holding both Hiten and my hands.
The Higurashi's home was large as shrines usually were. It was a little crowded but good enough to prevent claustrophobia. Souten rushed to a table where they had a game of ball and bottles, or whatever you called it. Hiten went with her. I continued to look around, keeping an eye out for people I hated. A silver blob caught my eye.
"Kotsu. What the hell are you doing here?" A rough voice growled. There stood Inu Yasha, in a red kimono that would scare any fashion critic.
"A little friend of mine wanted to come." I acknowlaged Souten.
"Cute." He said sarcastically. "I heard your in band, you always were that dorky, and it's no surprise…"
"What about band?" Hiten ran over to us. The very word triggered his interest, as it always did around that time. Inu Yasha looked shocked.
"Who're you?" His voice softened a bit.
"Hitina, you?"
"Inu." He turned to me. "Is this your friend?" I suppressed a laugh and nodded. He was reaching for Hitens hand, perhaps to kiss it.
"INUYASHA!" rang in my ears. Stomping her way from the porch of the main house all the way to us, Kagome Higurashi grabbed him by the ear. "Where you just doing what I thought you were doing?" She asked. Her victim passed Hiten a worried glance and then looked to me, something twinkling in his eye. It was evil.
"Oh no, this is Bankotsu's girlfriend, Hitina, Hitina this is Kagome." Both looked at each other, raising brows. Kagome grabbed Inu Yasha by the arm and pulled him away from us.
Hiten would have been blushing had it not been for the tons of makeup. "I'm not really… you girlfriend alright?" He reassured with a grieving tone. Souten joined us with a big stuffed bear in her arms. "Here!" She handed it to the amnesiac.
"Come on lets go play the three legged races!" Both left me behind, leaving me to go grab a box of popcorn and a seat under a naked tree. I sat there thinking to myself.
Even after he lost his memory, he still loves his little sister. He doesn't remember anything about her besides her name and her face, yet he knows that he is supposed to be there for her. It doesn't make sense! Is it a human instinct? Does he find these feelings new but in the long run he had felt them all along?
A drop of freezing cold fell on to my nose. It wasn't too noticeable like rain, but a soft tickle. White flakes were covering my shoulders by now.
Would anyone ever feel that way about me? Even if they forgot their whole being would they somehow remember that they loved me?
I shook myself and rid my mind of that thought. Of course not! I don't have a sibling, much less anyone who actually wanted to protect me.
"Ban-Chan, why are you all alone. And you have no coat!" Hiten stepped into my conscience, holding a quilt in his arms. Souten was behind him holding yet another bear.
"Where did you get that?" I asked him. He told me he and Souten had won it in the race.
Sitting beside me, the amnesiac placed the thick fabric over my freezing shoulders, I thanked him. He opened his umbrella over the three of us and looked up to the sky.
"Wow, its snowing." He held out his hand and let a few flakes fall in into his equally pale hands. Souten was balling a pile of it together, constructing a mini snowman.
We sat there for an hour, together under that tree, thinking about what ever it was that we normally thought about. The subject of music was brought up as soon as the moment of silence passed.
"Why don't you like punks?" Hiten asked out of no where.
"Because they play their bass too loud." I replied pulling the blanket tightly over my shoulders.
"And Emos?"
"They play bass too quietly."
"Hiten and Manten used to like punk" Souten mumbled. Around us we watched as the world went on as her world seemed to slow down to the memory.
"Used to?" Hiten asked curiously.
Souten bit her lip but told him what I prayed never to pass his ears. "They were my brothers, Manten is dead and Hiten is missing."