Nomad, Shin's Story

by Dark Ryuu

Growing up, Shin (Toy) always wanted to do the right thing for everyone that he could, especially those in need. But can he keep from losing sight of himself, his family, and his friends, especially his elusive best friend, Lyla, and new partner in life, Komari? A prequel to Step Toward the Future and Legacy, an alternate universe crossover between all games.

1. Roots

Nomad, Shin's Story
Chapter 1: Roots

Author's Notes: Hello! No goals of wrapping up ENDGAME's Sidequests will be met this year because my immune system is on some new garbage XD Bronchitis to a sinus infection in like a month? Was never THIS bad, even with all my stupid immuno-deficient diseases. But, since we're about to enter our next decade, figure I'll release a throwback.

If you've followed any of the Legacy story, you may be familiar with Shin, the oldest brother of the Yagami Six. He is in the military and is also a cop, usually responsible for pulling some insider stuff for the family. This is sort of his origin story. Dirty (2016) is the very beginning but that's more about Yamada than Shin. Also, that one is in and out of the past. This one is going to chronologically move forward…sort of. You'll see.

I really wanted this to stay in only Shin's POV but I might occasionally jump out when it's like…super important to. Also, I am finally, a hundred percent, after sixteen years, going to move toward uncensored language. I know, it's been a long time coming but old habits, my friends.

So this one, it starts off slow. It's building up but it's going to get…aggressive. I won't say it ends sadly either (well, duh) but it's not the sparkliest of my settings. However, it gets better which is the motto, I suppose. Light content in this one. But the bad stuff is to come…

Happy Reading~

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Yagami Shin remembered it like it was yesterday.

The truth of the matter was, when he and papa first moved from Wasaba to the big house in Subami, he hated it. It was just too big. No one was around them either, not like in the apartments. He couldn't run next door quite as easily to play with the neighbor's kids, with his friend Joe, or get cookies from the aunties. Yes, he knew they had to do it, that they had to move for his brother Koji's sake but that didn't mean he didn't hate it.

One fateful day, he recalled he was going to try to run away to Wasaba for a while. A stupid six-year-old kid with no sense of direction and he pretty much made it to the backyard next door. It was weird, like he was going through a jungle at first. There were so many plants and flowers he'd never seen ever. It just kept getting thicker and thicker the further he went and Shin remembered panicking. In the movies, that was the part where the monster showed up.

"Papa! Papa?!" he called, freaking out.

He shouldn't have tried to run! Or go anywhere without mama or papa's permission! He'd never do it again if he could just make it out of the jungle! Sweating, he bit his lip and saw a break of light. This was where the monster was. Or the tiger. He was going to be eaten by a tiger.

Trembling, Shin reached out and pushed the last bit of vine out of the way and awaited his fate.

It was neither tiger nor monster but that moment changed his life forever. His eyes widened when he heard cheerful humming as a little girl swung on a wooden swing dangling from a big tree. Shin recalled watching to figure out if she were a fairy or an angel. Her eyes…were this pretty verdant color. And her hair was definitely pink! That was so wild!

Suddenly she looked up and gasped. Oh…oh no, he was going to scare her. However, she stared back at him for a long moment, seeming unfazed. "…Oh. Are you one of the boys from next door?"

"Eh? Next door?"

"Mm hmm. We're neighbors."

He just had to go through a jungle to get to his neighbor! He didn't like this at all! He blinked at her. Well…maybe. "Yea. My name's Yagami Shin."

She got down from her swing, dusting off that cute bouncy dress she used to wear that was covered in flower prints. "Hello. My name is Okamoto Lyla."

Lyla… "That's a really pretty name" Shin murmured.

"Really? Everyone at school thinks it's funny. Where do you go to school? I never see you."

"Subami Primary."

She nodded, "That's why. I go to private school."

Mama had said something about private school for him and his brothers but papa just looked kind of mean about it. Or not mean but like he didn't want to. Now Shin kind of wished he hadn't been. His eyes widened when she got closer. They used to be the same height back then. "Yagami Shin-san, why are you here?"

"O-Oh, I got lost. I was thinking about visiting where we used to live."

Lyla nodded, "Oh, okay. Next time, you should come play with me. I don't have many friends."

… "Well, I think it'd be a long walk to where we used to live anyway. I can play now."

She brightened and they scurried around, playing make believe that tigers and wild monsters were lurking in the forest. They'd dash to escape the chase and skitter around full of fearful glee. It was different than playing hide-and-seek in the apartments but he enjoyed it quite a bit.

Around four, the voice of a woman called out to Lyla from her mansion. She stopped running and pouted, calling back, "Coming!"

Oh, maybe someone was looking for him too. Lyla turned back to him, seeming hopeful, "You'll come back again, right?"

He nodded. "I might have to stay inside tomorrow but next day."

"Okay! Bye bye!"

Shin watched as she pranced for the deck of the home before making his way back the way he came through the lush forest. He took a deep breath when he was back in his backyard which actually mirrored Lyla's quite a bit with flowers and nature running wild. He actually…could see that now. It…it wasn't so bad.

For everything else that happened, Yagami Shin remembered that like it was yesterday.

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Yagami Shin watched as Okamoto Lyla aimed the white and gray gun at the screen of their big screen, watching tentatively before pulling the trigger. She pouted when the obnoxious dog snickered at her missed attempt. "Aww…"

She flopped dramatically beside him and handed the gun to him. He nodded and shot down the cartoon ducks at ease. Lyla gave him a pouty look and he handed it back, smiling, "Look at the pointer in the back, it helps."

Lyla tried it and improved significantly. "You're so smart, Shin. Have you ever held a real gun?"

"Well…dad doesn't like them" Shin explained.

Somehow he figured she approved of this. Lyla was such a peaceful being. She had been somewhat appalled by even the video game 'Duck Hunt' until he convinced her this was to keep people from hunting real ducks. She reluctantly played but told him irritably that now she had to shoot cartoon ducks because of that 'dumb dog snickering like a lunatic'.

Moving quickly, a young woman entered with a tray of snacks and set it on the coffee table some feet away from them. Shin recalled when Lyla first invited him inside and he saw her. She didn't look like Lyla so he asked if she were a sister or cousin. She seemed bewildered. "That's our maid."

A maid. As in, someone that got paid to take care of their stuff. His mama and papa didn't have maids or servants. Lyla had seemed perplexed so he invited her over.

It was weird introducing her to his siblings, to six-year-old Koji and Nerimaru, two year old Jill and Tony, and just one year old Shaun. Lyla had gasped. "You have so many siblings!"

Nerimaru was staring pensively at her hair but for once in his life kept his mouth closed. Koji didn't seem to mind, asking, "You don't have siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child" she sighed gravely, "I have cousins though."

That, they didn't have to their knowledge. Shin prepared them a snack and Lyla was delighted. "I want to make you a snack next time you're over!"

Well, she'd tried but that was met by the dismay of her father, Okamoto Bajiru.

Shin's papa used to be home a lot more, probably because Shin didn't have five siblings and a mama there full-time. That was something else he missed from Wasaba. Nowadays, papa would come home and immediately fall asleep before being summoned back to the hospital maybe an hour later. Nevertheless, his papa was the best and Shin was proud to have him as his father.

That said, Okamoto Bajiru was weird in Shin's book.

He spoke weird to Lyla's mama and her. Unlike Shin's papa who spoke like he was having a conversation, Lyla's papa spoke like he'd seen people speak to dogs. And meanly to dogs, at that. 'Don't speak that loudly, it's not woman-like'. 'Keep that dress pulled below your ankle, people will talk'. What did that mean? People will talk about their ankles? Who did that?

One day, when they were around ten, it redirected to him. He overheard when he came to look for Lyla in the backyard. The window was open and the man was speaking loudly enough that Shin could discern what was being said. 'It's unthinkable to let her hang around some boy! And did you hear about his family? A cheating mother that ran around with some half-bred Japanese man? Lyla is not to see him again!'.

Half-bred. Cheating mother. Shin had been privy to that knowledge early. Had to be because it shaped their circumstances. His mama and papa married first, just like Lyla's parents. They married and they had him but mama's family didn't want that. They made her marry Domo. The same monster that hurt his brother and, Nerimaru told him, hurt their mama. He swallowed hard and walked back to his house. He…

Lyla was his best friend. Four years. Despite her going to an all-girl school now and not seeing her all that often, she was his best friend. They would write letters to one another and hid them in their secret spot to plan adventures. He got a walky-talky set for his birthday and gave her one to speak to her at night. Lately she'd even sneak over at night and they would play until they fell asleep. She would leave early in the morning but that…that was his best friend. If her papa would separate them because of him being a boy and then because of what his family had been through though…

Shin would always remember going home and miserably watching his brothers play Street Fighter II. They…there was nothing wrong with them. Why…why would her papa think so? And what was so bad about a girl and a guy befriending one another, huh?

He recalled not looking up when the doorbell rang. Mama was probably getting a visitor. Koji was the one to pause and look back, his brows furrowed, "That's Lyla, go get it."

Koji and Nerimaru seemed impressed with Lyla. They liked her a lot and she was like…like one of their family. What…was so wrong with his family? Shin was going to say 'no, it's not. Something's wrong with us'. The wrong sort of wrong where they'd done what they had to do but people like her papa made them out to be bad. Instead, he wistfully wandered to the front door to tell whomever his mama would be right down.

"Hi, Shin!"

He had been confused as Lyla pushed past him, acceptable as she was one of them now. She still would kick off her shoes, saying she wasn't sure how to feel about shoes in the house though the Yagami clan didn't do that. Jill was playing with her dolls in the room with Koji and Nerimaru, squealing and imploring the closest thing their only sister had to a sister to play with her. Lyla obliged and sat on the floor with her while Shin watched her, befuddled. Taking a seat slowly, he could only nod dumbly when Nerimaru asked that he play next. Oh…okay.

The younger of them finally ran off to do something else while Lyla sat on the couch next to him, watching Dragon Quest. Why…? Shin slowly looked to Lyla. "…Lyla."

"Yes, Shin?"

"I…I accidentally overheard your dad. When I came over to get you, I-I heard him through the window. I mean, I went…went through the trees so I was in the backyard."

Lyla blinked, confused, as he swallowed. "…He-He said we shouldn't hang out together. Because of my family—because I'm a boy."

"Yea, papa doesn't believe in mixing genders until an arranged marriage is set up" she nodded, seeming unconcerned.

"Then…?" Why…was she here?

"Papa's always telling mama and me what isn't right and what a lady should be" Lyla yawned, grabbing the throw blanket from the arm of the couch, "I listen to him. I told him I listen to him—so he should just let me have my friend."

Shin's eyes widened as she threw the blanket over her legs, "He tried to fuss about it but I told him I don't ask for a whole lot either. He didn't seem to know what to say so I left and came over."

…Oh. Nodding, he played with a loose strand on his jeans, looking back at the television. "O-Oh, okay. You…you think you'll get in trouble?"

"I doubt it. He would have stopped me."

"Ah…"

He guessed he remembered that maybe some time after that, something may have changed. No, at ten, he didn't think anything like 'this is going to be my future anything'. Not the way Koji did about the girl he met in Mineral Town when he went to stay with their grandpa. But…something changed.

…He did.

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1992.

Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be. As a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy. Take your time, hurry up; the choice is yours, don't be late. Take a rest, as a friend, as an old memory-ah.

Yagami Shin munched on a bag of chips as he sat in his room on the floor with his stereo, listening to the song for the fifth time today. Koji was stretched out on his bed, reading a music magazine while Nerimaru played on the Gameboy they had all gotten for Christmas. It was kind of neat but Shin preferred the consoles.

"We should just ask dad to go, Shin. What could he even say? 'Nah, I don't think it's a good idea'?" Koji said after a long period of silence.

Shin sulked, "That's exactly what dad could say. You're just 11."

Koji rolled his eyes. Nerimaru, adapted nickname 'Nelly', didn't look up but retorted, "He can be there though. He might not like it but if he'd be that worried about something happening to us…"

Most of their radio was Japanese. They grew up on both Japanese and American music mostly from their mother. But it was old American music, stuff from when she was their age. It was okay, just…

Shin remembered a Japanese disc jockey going on excitably about this 'new sound' from the United States before playing it. It. It was so different from anything he'd heard that Shin had to look up from the studying he was doing and just completely stop to digest what he was hearing. His English was good, he felt, but he had to write down the song title to make sure he could comprehend its meaning: Smells Like Teen Spirit.

It was spectacular. He got Koji and Nelly in on it too. The younger kids were still passé about that stuff but they were so excited. They ventured off on their own to find the cassette, searching at least a dozen shops before finding the one eclectic one with the baby swimming in a pool. Nevermind.

Their papa seemed a little confused when he found them listening to it, questioning as casually as he could 'why are they yelling?'. Dunno, but it was awesome! Yagami Yamada just smiled and nodded before wandering off. Oh well, they got it. And so did she…

Okamoto Lyla peeked into the room before skipping in, wearing a long jean skirt and a blouse. At 12, she seemed to dress…a lot older than other girls he saw. Probably her dad. "Hey, Lyla."

"Hey, guys!"

Sitting on the bed, she made a face, probably because they had already worn out one cassette of Nevermind as is and were ready to wear out their second. "C'mon, guys, we should go find the other album—the Bleach one."

"We should" agreed Koji, "And what's that other band? Red Hot Chili Peppers?"

Lyla nodded, "I heard a rumor they're gonna be here in May."

Nelly leered, finally looking up from some weird game…Sonic the Hedgehog. Shin had never even known hedgehogs existed until that game. "See? We can go to all of those, Shin."

Shin pursed his lips, glancing off, as Lyla looked perplexed. "Go to all what?"

"Nirvana is going to be here next month too, in Tokyo."

Like him, the idea that they could possibly, oh, do something as grown up as go to a concert seemed to perplex Lyla. "I…I mean, we're kind of young, right? I mean—I want to see them, definitely…"

"Yea, but who knows if they'll even come back to Japan" Koji countered, "It's weird they're coming now."

True. Nelly snorted and stretched, pushing his legs over the side of the bed, "Shin should ask dad. He's his favorite anyway."

"I am not!" scowled Shin, glowering at Nelly.

Koji yawned, setting the magazine aside and cracking his neck as he also sat up, "If anything, he'll hear you out a bit more though. You're the oldest."

"W-Well, maybe…"

"And you, nee-san, will just have to sneak and go with us. Say you're over here and we went out for dinner" Koji nodded.

Lyla looked horrified by the idea of deceit. As she should be. Koji and Nelly were going to be such troublemakers—were? They already were but given a little more age, Shin could tell they were going to be really…free.

Except, when the twins convinced them to go to the local music store, Lyla was quite excited to do so. Generally it didn't seem like her dad wanted her to leave the house. They were next door so she got a little bit of area added to her barrier. Shin figured he didn't know they went outside. Okamoto Bajiru…never actually put his foot down on her being with them. Yet.

Lyla rode on the back of his bike as they made their way into downtown Subami. He, Koji, and Nelly had to teach Lyla how to ride a bike, a very whimsical experience. Her father found it distasteful so usually she would ride Jill's but she was getting a little bigger than their little sister. She instinctively held him as he hit a bump on occasion, squeezing his shoulders. He'd not thought a whole lot about it but Lyla expressed she had to wear a 'bra' now. 'Boobs' Koji had told him silently in secret. Yea…things were changing.

They came to a stop outside of the dark hole that was Baio. It was the only real store that imported music from all over the world, the others tending to have a small collection of 'international' but only what there was a demand for. Someone said it was different in Wasaba but papa…papa said not to ever go there. Shin never got 'why', there were times when he still missed it.

Pushing their bikes into the store and setting them near the entry, they wandered over to the 'grunge' area. Full blown teenagers were already loitering around, reading CDs and discussing. Koji and Nelly walked in at ease while Shin fought his small sense of trepidation of dealing with older kids. Lyla followed him awkwardly.

Koji flipped through the cassettes, in American alphabetical order, before looking at one in particular. "…Cypress Hill. I think I want to try them."

"Smashing Pumpkins too" droned Nelly, handing another to Koji.

Lyla's fears were quelled when Koji handed her Blood Sugar Sex Magik. "Oh, but papa wouldn't like me buying anything that says 'Sex'."

"You can just keep it at our house, nee-san" Nelly assured.

'Nee-san', Shin thought absently as he picked up Bleach, the real reason they were here. They called her that because she was the older sister they never had. He couldn't because he was older but imoto…sounded weird.

"Hey, kiddos! Picking up our weekly music adventure, I see?" gushed the guy behind the counter. He was pretty young. Gustafa or something odd.

They all nodded, pushing the cassettes onto the counter. Gustafa started bagging them, punching numbers on the register, "You guys should consider a CD player in the future. These cassettes go all zonky quick."

Shin had noticed that, that they would unravel for literally no reason. Maybe they could request a CD player for next Christmas. Thanking Gustafa and taking their leave, Koji suggested they get some milkshakes on their way home. Shin always got the chocolate flavor in a large despite the cross looks the owner gave him. Lyla didn't want her own but…she did want some so he always got enough to share his with her.

Trudging up their driveway, he put up the kickstand on his bike and helped Lyla off, the other two running into the mansion to listen to their new music. Usually they'd listen separately then convene to bring what they thought were the best songs like some great musical summit. Lyla sighed as they went to his room, plopping down on his bed and drinking the milkshake. "…It does sound like fun, Shin."

"What does?" he replied, taking the plastic off the cassette.

"The concert. I think I would like to go but I couldn't."

Shin frowned, taking the cup as she handed it to him for his turn, "Well, I mean, the lying part isn't great but your dad already doesn't know about some things we do—like go to the music store. It's not like we'll do it that much."

"Oh, I'm not too worried about that" she assured, turning onto her back, "But do you see the way they dress?"

Raising a brow, he smirked some. "Mama is the fashion one, Lyla."

"Oh pooh, Shin! It's not the way I dress. I dress like a frumpy old maid!"

Ah…the grunge fashion he had noted was pretty synonymous with the name: it was…grungy. Very dark, very layered, very…grungy. A whole lot of flannel. The girls were very complicated too but he had also noticed the skirts and dresses were far above the allowed ankle length of Okamoto Bajiru. He scowled thoughtfully, "…I dunno. I'll ask dad first and maybe you can dress up different for the concert. If we can go."

She nodded and they listened to Nirvana's first album, sharing the milkshake. Lyla would occasionally play with his longer hair, teasing him about how pretty and silky it was. Someone at school told him that 'gaijin shouldn't have hair that straight'.

Shin recollected that he didn't even care to know what that meant. That was kind of the problem with him, Koji, and Nelly: comments on their 'foreignness' got thrown around a lot and they weren't troubled. Nelly actually mentioned it very in passing to their dad and that was probably the second, or maybe third if he was stretching, time he saw his father incensed. They didn't get it. They thought the mixed heritage thing was kind of cool but Yagami Yamada advised that people meant it meanly, that they didn't think it was 'cool' at all.

People like Okamoto Bajiru who called them half-breeds.

"Lyla" he murmured, closing his eyes as she braided strings of his hair together before undoing it, her fingers dancing over his scalp, "Do you think we're half-breeds?"

"What does that mean?" she echoed, confused.

"Well, papa is half-American. I'm not pure Japanese."

She pouted, "I was just saying your hair was pretty, Shin, not making fun of you about anything like that."

"I know—but still."

Lyla fell quiet. He didn't know it then but her father was the abusive prick that told her she was a slut when her shirt slid off her shoulder or that he only married 'mutated freaks' because of the stature of the dead relatives her mom had. She'd sneak over to his house a lot then at night and to this day he wondered about that.

She hugged his shoulders, whispering, "I've never thought anything but how wonderful your family is, Shin. I really envy you. If I think anything about your 'Americanness', it's that you and your papa have the absolute most perfect eyes."

"Not by choice…"

"No. But they're yours."

He supposed with age that Shin and his brothers grew to have a problem with the comments. The offhand remarks from their peers didn't last considering the twins had a violent streak a mile long. If they said it anymore, they said it behind closed doors like Lyla's father did. Had Lyla said 'yes' that day, that she did, things would have become different between them.

Though…things were different between them regardless, he realized.

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Yagami Shin had walked down the stairs late in the night, having gone to get a glass of milk before bed. There was a light on in the living room and he wondered if one of the kids had accidentally left it on. Peeking into the room, instead, he'd found Yagami Yamada and Dana curled up together on the couch.

His mother was 'purely' Japanese so he figured if she wasn't offended by their father, why was Lyla's dad? Their mother was a little tough on their papa, Shin felt, but that didn't mean one bit she didn't praise and adore him. It was a little nauseating. The man in question looked up and smiled. "Hey, son. What are you doing up?"

"I just wanted some milk…"

"Don't forget to brush your teeth after."

"I won't" he made a face. Dad was always a doctor, even when he was off. "Papa?"

"Hmm?"

Shin hesitantly came in a bit further, uncertain if this was even appropriate to ask a parent but feeling the worst thing his father could say was 'no'. "U-Um, the band Koji, Nerimaru, and I like are coming in a few weeks to Tokyo and w-we would really like to see them in concert. Can we?"

His mama looked up, blinking languidly, "You mean 'Nirvana'?"

"Y-Yes."

Yamada had made a bit of a face. Later in life, his father admitted that he did 'like them' to some extent but the group wasn't exactly his 'aging cup of tea'. "Um, I…I guess? I mean, I…I suppose I need to go with you guys."

"I know papa is busy-"

"No, no" Yamada interjected, "I know you boys are getting to that age. I remember it myself. I'm glad you asked, at least…"

Eh? Dana smirked at him knowingly as Yamada cleared his throat, "Anyway, sure. It's just you and your brothers?"

Shin came and sat on the ottoman nearby, frowning, "Well, Lyla wants to come but she's embarrassed about her clothes. She said that she dresses like a 'frumpy old maid' and that she'd stick out too much."

His mother was from an even older version of what Lyla was in presently. She had to dress a certain way and behave a certain way to meet rich societal standards. Shin remembered how his mama's eyes narrowed at the reminder, apparently aware of Lyla's austere rules and how she, now the fashion queen, had to once live them herself. "Tell the poor dear not to worry about that. I'll get her something."

"O-Oh, okay. I'll tell her then. Thank you, mama, papa."

They both kissed his forehead, bidding him goodnight. He gleefully rushed up the steps and went to Koji's room, knocking on the door. "Come in?"

Entering, Shin gushed in a whisper, "Mom and dad said we can go."

Koji's eyes widened, sitting up in bed, "Really? That's awesome!"

"Don't tell Nelly until tomorrow, he'd be too wound up tonight" Shin warned.

"Lyla too?"

He nodded and Koji seemed pleased with this. "She's totally gonna be your wife one day, Shin."

"Don't be crazy, Koji" Shin scoffed, "Just because you found your 'wife'-"

"They're cousins, you know?"

Shin's brow rose, confused, "What now?"

"Lyla and Popuri—the girl I promised to marry. They're cousins."

What? Shin wandered to sit on the bed, confused, "How do you figure? Because they both have pink hair?"

Koji shook his head to the negative, scooting closer, "Lyla told me about her mama—her mama's mama was married to this rich guy, right? Lyla's grandpa. He died in an accident when Lyla's mama was a baby and her mom remarried and had Popuri's mama. They apparently don't talk at all and Lyla said she's not really even met Popuri before—she didn't even know her name! Crazy, right?"

"Very crazy" Shin echoed, "…That doesn't mean I'll marry Lyla though, Koji."

"They're gonna force nee-san to marry someone, Shin, just like they forced our mama" Koji glowered, "We can't let that happen to her."

…Oh yea. She…she did say her papa didn't believe in 'blending genders' until an arranged marriage was in place. Did…did that mean that, one day, he'd never get to speak to her again? Her dad would probably pick someone evil, just like Domo, their 'stepfather', and…

…What would he do to Lyla? This mystery figure not in existence yet. Shin…wasn't sure he wanted to marry Lyla, his best friend of six years now.

Just he'd known even before the moment everything changed entirely that he'd never let her get hurt, whatever it took.

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Yagami Shin sighed as he rolled the sleeves up on the red flannel shirt he'd secured, certain that was all the 'grunge' wear he would be allowed to don as the son of Yagada, the name of their mother's fashion company and also the woman's alias. Koji got a dark gray one to wear over a black t-shirt while Nelly simply wore a red shirt with jeans. Their dad had smiled some when they all broke out the Converses. Shin did recall his father wore them too, once upon a time.

It was so exciting leading up to today. They had been planning outfits and discussing where they might go to stand if it were allowed. Their father very reluctantly conceded to not come into the actual concert, stating he'd sit nearby and read. It seemed boring but even Shin didn't exactly want the man hovering over them. Now that it was the day of, Shin was splitting at the seams and ready to go. Just one more person though.

His mother had decided to make what Lyla was going to wear. Shin couldn't remember if he'd ever seen his mother make casual clothes but the woman assured that was where she started. Lyla was a bit nervous but he could tell by the twinkle in her eye she also couldn't wait. It…was going to be different to see her not in blouses or long dresses or skirts. It wouldn't make much of a difference, he had figured. She was Lyla at the end of the day, not matter what she wore.

"God, the whole style goes against everything I stand for!"

Shin looked up from where they were waiting in the kitchen, startled by his mother's exclamation as she came down the steps. She looked slightly aggravated. Yamada frowned, fixing himself a cup of coffee. "What's wrong, dear?"

"'Grunge'" she huffed, "The whole aesthetic is 'I don't care how I look'! You can wear flannel a-and floral together!"

Oh dear. "So…you didn't make Lyla an outfit" Koji replied.

"Of course I did. She's a little shy though."

Eh? Shin pouted, "Mama, you made something she's not comfortable in?"

"No, Shin…I guess I'm just afraid the wrong person will see me."

They all looked up as Lyla's voice came from somewhere. It sounded like she was clunking down the steps. She always wore really dainty shoes so it sounded like she was having a hard time picking up her feet. Nelly stood up straighter and Koji crossed his arms. They were probably going to make her nervous too, staring like this! About to tell them to 'calm down', she finally entered and…he also found himself staring.

She was wearing a yellow floral dress that was above her knees and opaque dark pantyhose. Her hair was down as usual but a black pork pie hat sat at a tilt on the back of her head. And…she was wearing the iconic military boots of the style. She smiled wearily. "Because if one of papa's business partners sees me…"

Dana scoffed. "Don't you worry about that, dear. We don't dress to appease the masses."

"Yea! You look awesome, nee-san" gushed Koji.

Nelly agreed and Lyla thanked them. Shin didn't know what to say. She was cute. She was always cute though. Right. "I-I wouldn't worry about them either, Lyla. I doubt the type of people your dad hangs out with would be there anyway."

Lyla nodded, "You're right, this wouldn't be their cup of tea."

Their dad smiled, having poured his coffee into a disposable cup. "All right, let's get you guys there so you can get good seating. Shin, you have the walky talky in case of emergency?"

Shin took the clunky thing from his deep pocket and nodded. Dana clapped her hands together, "Oh, my babies are going to their first concert! Here, let me take a picture before you go."

Lyla seemed horrified by the thought. Really, now that Shin thought about it, he wasn't sure he had any pictures with her. They coaxed her into the Polaroid picture and she stood stiffly beside him. Their mother showed it to them and Lyla seemed surprised. "O-Oh, it looks good."

"Yep!" Nelly proclaimed.

The twins ran toward the door, excited, and Shin started behind them. In the back, he heard Lyla ask if there was a way to make a copy of the picture.

…Maybe he'd buy a new camera too so he could take pictures of them when they were out. To make up for lost time anyway.

They climbed into their dad's vehicle, Shin sitting in the back with Lyla and Koji while Nelly rode shotgun. Yamada pulled down the long driveway, sipping his drink, before groaning. "…Okay. So, uh, rules?"

"Rules?" Koji droned in dismay.

"Yes, rules. No talking to strangers, no accepting…any beverages or other questionable things from people, and you stay together."

Seemed manageable enough though Shin knew his brothers were too excitable to not move around and he was not going to be doing that unless Lyla did. He had…side-discussed with the two that they meet up at whatever entrance they came through if they got separated.

Lyla, despite agreeing that it'd be insane that her father's cohorts would be here, looked around shakily when they exited the vehicle. No, they should be good. Shin smirked as their papa wandered behind them and people stared at the very tall man. No, their dad would draw more attention than her… they'd be good.

"Okay, you all, have fun. And just call me on the walky talky if anything goes wrong" Yamada warned.

"Fine, fine, dad" Nerimaru droned.

The man looked up at the Nakano Sunplaza, his brows raised before he nodded once as if he'd reached some firm resolution. "…I'm going to go have a meal here. I'll be in the restaurant when you're ready."

Hmm? "Okay, papa."

So the four of them proceeded into the concert hall, Lyla huddling close to them. He felt…strange about it but he nervously grazed his hand over her palm. He blushed, thankful the lights were already down as she gingerly grasped it. Okay. Just lucky Koji and Nelly were way ahead of them and not noticing…but it didn't mean anything. He just wanted her to feel safe.

They fit right in though there were a few more business men than he expected. They may have been amongst the youngest here and he wondered if they were supposed to even be allowed in here. All the same, they'd probably have to wrestle him from the arena. He…felt the energy. It was a little tame?

Their father informed them that Japanese concerts, the fans listened 'politely' so they weren't most likely going to jump around or scream a whole lot. The energy was going to be different than some of the concert videos they'd gotten of European and American concerts. Shin could already tell though there were some rowdy people present. They were definitely in the minority. Lyla looked around after they got to their seats, blinking. "…I guess it might take them a moment to prepare?"

Looking at his watch, he frowned, "We're a little early…maybe fifteen more minutes?"

He heard that American bands weren't the most punctual, however, so he was expecting them to be a little late. However, only some minutes after the suggested time, in what had to be peak grunge that would make his mother balk, Kurt Cobain emerged in striped pajamas, greeting them 'good morning' in English, despite it being almost seven o'clock at night.

Lyla squealed, delighted. It…did feel surreal, being in the presence of this person they only listened to. Koji and Nelly would never be anything but rambunctious, completely excited as the band started in on Negative Creep. He guessed he…felt he had to fall into the politeness and listen.

"I'm so happy because today I've found my friends: they're in my head. I'm so ugly but that's okay 'cause so are you: we've broken our mirrors. Sunday morning is everyday for all I care and I'm not scared. Light my candles in a daze 'cause I've found God. Hey, hey, hey."

Shin's brows furrowed, Lyla singing softly beside him. He had sang the lyric at least a couple times but…that seemed like a weird thing to think.

"I like it, I'm not gonna crack. I miss you, I'm not gonna crack. I love you, I'm not gonna crack. I killed you, I'm not gonna crack."

What did that mean exactly?

Shin smirked, confused, as Dave Grohl told Kurt a story about how he was sick with the flu and that someone gave him an elixir of 'cow sperm' and 'lizard penis scrapings'. Uh, what? Granted, it sounded pretty haughty of him and maybe he wasn't giving this crowd that much credit, but he wondered if the rest of the crowd understood what he said as they cheered. Lyla asked him to translate to make sure she got it and she squeaked, flustering in embarrassment. Yea…

He noticed Lyla was still holding his hand when Smells Like Teen Spirit started to play at the end of the show, generally everyone getting more excited about that one. Lyla hopped a bit more, singing just a bit more. Shin smiled. She was cute, wasn't she?

"Break the noose, kill your parents…! Don't take any of the security guard shit! Kill them, kill the security guards. Kill all security guards!"

Shin stared, alarmed by the sudden declaration. It…sounded like it may have come from Kurt? What the heck? Lyla was nonplussed for some reason as were the twins. When Koji and Nelly reemerged, completely psyched and ready to see them again, Shin nodded in vivid agreement. It was…everything. Just little bits of it kind of bugged him. "What…do you guys think that last part meant though?"

"I dunno, maybe they've cracked" Nelly shrugged, scowling as they were basically carried by the crowd toward the exit.

Maybe. Lyla giggled, "That was a lot of fun. I'm glad we got to see them. When they come back, let's do it again, okay?"

"Of course" Nelly grinned.

Next time. Shin was in full agreement. "We…we should see a lot of different people while we have the chance."

Lyla frowned at him, her hand still, after everything, in his, "What do you mean?"

"Well…you just never know, right?"

"Too deep, nii-san" Nelly droned.

Shin leered at him but Koji didn't say anything for or against the sentiment. He didn't say anything either when he was the sole one of the twin duo to notice Lyla and him holding hands. Koji and he processed things a little differently than the others, Shin realized later in life. There were inconsistencies in the way people acted and sometimes it raised question. Not to everyone though. Just…to people like them.

Their papa smiled when they came out, talking all over themselves about the experience. "I'm glad you all enjoyed yourselves. I remember that feeling…it means a lot."

Hmm? The man told them to pose for their 'after' pictures and Lyla was much more comfortable. Shin asked that she take a picture by herself because he was pretty sure they didn't have one picture of her. She was shy again but still managed to look chipper. That…was the thing about Lyla though. For all the things he recognized in other people, he never a hundred percent recognized the hole she felt she was in. She smiled at him when they got in the car, musing that maybe his mom could be hired out to make dresses like this one… but longer.

"Which song did you like the most, 'nee-san?" Koji asked.

"I always kind of liked Been a Son."

Shin stared at her as Nelly interjected with 'On a Plain', the trio avidly discussing it and musing over their next outing already.

She should have stayed away from friends. She should have had more time to spend. She should have died when she was born. She should have worn the crown of thorns. She should have been a son.

…What was it about people that made him wonder?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

April 5th, 1994.

Yagami Shin couldn't rightfully say what it was exactly about celebrities. They weren't family members, they weren't friends, they couldn't even be classified as acquaintances. He often found people that didn't understand why they got embraced as such, why…why things they did mattered. Maybe it didn't. Just those people created something that formed a place in follower's souls, be it a movie, be it a show, or…be it a song. Music especially cradled its way into his spirit and…and the creator came with it.

They were ahead in Japan, it was already the sixth by the time Shin heard over the radio: Kurt Cobain committed suicide.

Suicide. As in, Kurt Cobain felt the need to take his own life. From himself. He just…didn't feel a need to exist anymore. That's it. Nothing left.

Sitting on their broad porch, Shin folded his hands together and stared out into the setting sun. What…on Earth would make someone reach that point? He…he understood things about Koji that made that a concern but to seemingly have everything and just…blow off your own head?

It must mean…he didn't have everything. Or something…had been very muddied in his life.

Koji and Nelly had been sitting outside with him earlier as well, silent. Koji had said softly, "I guess there was always something wrong. I just…thought he was able to center that somewhere else. Dad always says…center your negative energy."

"Nirvana" Nelly had whispered.

Nirvana. To extinguish 'hate, passion, and delusion'. Koji snorted darkly, "…Yea, I guess death is one way to get that."

"It's not that easy" Shin had snarled.

"It shouldn't be."

The most delusional thought he'd ever heard in times like these, when you mourned someone that you never knew, was that you could have saved them. Shin had always been able to distance himself from that part. This once, however, though he didn't think he could have saved him, he had to wonder…was there something he could have done?

Could he have written a letter? Could he have cheered a little harder? Could he have…fully realized that he was suffering?

"Son?"

Shin looked up, fourteen years in and hurt, as his father appeared. The man looked weary and confused. "What's got you out here? What's the matter?"

"…Kurt Cobain—the guy from Nirvana—he killed himself, dad."

Yamada grimaced and sighed. Taking a seat beside him, the man patted his back. "It's tough, isn't it? I'm sorry."

"I just don't get it, dad. He had a wife and kid and music—its all gone now for him" Shin whispered.

His father was quiet for a moment before shaking his head, "You can have everything, son, but as long as you don't have peace of mind, none of that matters. If you're not enough for yourself, nothing on this Earth can keep you here."

His eyes widened, looking to his father in confusion. It sounded…like he knew. "…Have you ever felt like that, dad?"

"Mm. Everyone is different, son. Everyone has a different path to follow and everyone has a different interpretation of their situation. I…I had a different set of circumstances after you all came into my life."

…Right. Hugging his knees, he hissed. "…I want to save people, papa. I don't want to feel this helpless again."

"…I know exactly how that sentiment feels, Shin. That's one of the reasons I was able to keep going and become a doctor."

Made sense. Shin wasn't sure he…could do that though. "Papa, I…I know you probably would like me to become a doctor but I don't…don't think I have it in me."

"Nonsense" Yamada scoffed, "You can certainly be a doctor if that's what you want and endeavor to be. I started from absolutely no foundation, Shin, you know that."

"I know, dad. You've…you've done a lot of impressive things. And you've helped a lot of people. So-So I guess that's what I'll do: I'll be a doctor" Shin whispered.

It was such a big deal to his father when he said that. Shin couldn't even put into words the memory of his father as the man looked just downright delighted. "I'm proud of you, son. I'll see if I can get you into some of the junior groups at the hospital so you can get a feel."

Shin just nodded numbly. Yamada rose to his feet and patted his head, "Don't be out here too long. I promise, it…it hurts right now but it'll pass."

…For him it would. Not Kurt.

"S-Shin?"

Maybe ten minutes after his father left, he looked up to find Lyla wandering from the side, probably having cut through their secret passage. Her green eyes were red with tears and she looked visibly shaken. Shin sighed and held out an arm to her, "So you heard."

Sniveling, she hugged his arm and he patted her shoulder. "I-I don't get it, Shin. I-It's been a while but we once saw him alive! He was alive and now he's gone an-and taken his life!"

"I know. It's a shaky feeling" he murmured.

He blushed when she held his hand, sitting quietly in the Spring night. Ever since the concert, sometimes she would hold his hand at random. Luckily it was only observed by Koji, at most. 'Luckily' was still odd because Koji hadn't said a word and that was pretty out of character. He supposed…he'd never not held back.

"…I'll save people, Lyla. I'm going to be a doctor, just like my dad."

Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him. Kind of like how his favorite musician just killed them self, he…didn't really understand the hope that comment had cast into her and his father's eyes. "Really?"

"…Yea."

"Th-that's great, Shin! You're so kind and sweet, I bet you'll be a great doctor."

Really? He sat here now and wondered sometimes. Maybe he could have. He'd certainly had to treat a lot of wounds in his lifetime. 'Kind and sweet' though? Maybe once upon a time.

After some years, when things such as memorandum became more available, Shin had the opportunity to read the suicide letter Kurt Cobain wrote. The strange part was his handwriting changed midway and the entire tone shifted when it did. Koji had his skepticisms and Nelly admitted he had to wonder. Shin often thought that perhaps Kurt had to speed through his processes. Koji cryptically suggested that when the penmanship changed, maybe someone else took over Kurt's essence. The idea toyed with Shin some nights, the idea that another soul decided it should be over. Perhaps because sometimes it felt like there was something else present if he thought about it too long, about everything that had happened that he had and continued to have to face.

The last line before Kurt Cobain parted with 'peace' declared it would be 'better to burn out than to fade away'. Once the passion was gone. Yagami Shin would never call what he had had to do in his life 'passion'. It was necessary. He had meant it when he said he had to save people.

…He supposed, just like Kurt Cobain, he just hadn't suspected that he would have to give up so much of himself to answer that calling.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dinner time!"

Yagami Shin dished out bowls of rice and miso but set the pickled vegetables and gyudon in a large bowl. While he knew from Lyla's house that the proper way would be to have everyone's individual serving set, that doubled the amount of dishes they had to do and, well, he wasn't a big fan of that task and neither were his siblings. They agreed they could be 'untraditional' to save time.

Ten-year-old Jill and Tony came down first, nine-year-old Shaun behind them. He leered slightly as the other two took their sweet time meandering down the steps…only to find the 'other two' were Koji and Lyla. "Where is Nelly?"

"On the phone with his girlfriend" Koji yawned, taking a seat.

Of course. Rolling his eyes, he settled down at the chair he usually occupied, near the head of the table. Lyla sat and started passing the main dishes, gushing, "It looks yummy, Shin."

"Thank you" he smiled, pouring himself a glass of water from the pitcher.

"Nii-sans!" Shaun suddenly pouted, sitting next to Tony, "I need my uniform for kendo washed!"

"Oi, oi, wash your own uniform, punk" Koji scolded.

Shin smirked. "Koji, he literally flooded the laundry room last time. Mom had a fit."

"Yea, because he was trying to get out of doing it ever!"

Shaun grumbled petulantly, Shin able to make out, 'and it would'a worked if it wasn't for your big mouth'. Koji's eyes narrowed, "What was that now, brat?"

"Shaun, we all have responsibilities in the house" Shin expressed, picking up his chopsticks to dish his portion onto his plate, "Doing it wrong on purpose just means we're going to be having you do it until you get it right. You know we pull our weight around here."

"Bleh. I wish we were like nee-san's house and had people do all our chores for us" Shaun scoffed.

Lyla giggled, "Now Shaun, my house is way less fun than your house."

He muttered he had his doubts. Shaun was the quintessential 'baby' of the family, spoiled rotten and always looking for a way out of chores or any task he didn't consider desirable. Shin, Nelly, and Koji sat down to discuss it because, up until about a year or two ago, they pretty much let it fly and did his responsibilities for him but there was some concern this was rubbing off on his school behavior.

It sounded weird. Shin nor Nelly or Koji were Shaun's parents. They were his older siblings and these weren't things they probably should have been concerning themselves with. Alas, their dad was away doing cardiac training or something and their mom was in Italy for a fashion show. It was becoming more and more like that, where their parents were away for long stretches of time and they had to pick up the pieces. It amazed Lyla. "I don't think my dad would even trust me to do anything like that, even by myself."

Shin sipped his water, glancing to his childhood friend. If Bajiru was away for a prolonged amount of time with work, she would break out the clothes she wanted to wear. Today she was wearing a black flowered spaghetti strapped dress that buttoned down the front. It was funny her mom didn't seem to mind or even report these things back to her husband. When Bajiru was away, they would actually go over to her house like they used to before…well, Shin was deemed 'unfit'. Lillian was a nice woman but seemed meek and wary. Shin admittedly was not used to this given his mother was fiery and bold. He just…wondered what it was Bajiru did to them.

After about fifteen minutes of them chattering and eating, Nerimaru finally walked down the steps. Shin gave him a look, "Thanks for gracing us with your presence. You did click over if you had to, right?"

"Yea, yea, I know mom would call and cuss me out if I didn't" he rolled his eyes, sitting at the table next to Koji.

"How's your girlfriend, Nelly?" Lyla questioned, "When do we get to meet her?"

"You're funny, nee-san. We're not that serious."

"Aww, c'mon!"

Wiping his lips, Shin sighed. The twins were well liked in their last year of junior high and he knew the second they stepped into high school, it was a wrap. Koji was still a bit more reserved, surprisingly devoted to the girl he met four years ago. However, Shin couldn't say he didn't notice the guy was definitely bringing around some…cheeky magazines lately. Nelly was in 'experimentation' mode too.

Him? He…dabbled. Girls approached him and generally he thought he let them down gently but, on the rare occasion, he might have conversed or talked to them. While Koji didn't get into Nelly's business over it, he sure got into Shin's. "Don't be sneaking around just because nee-san doesn't go to the same school as you."

Dummy. Shin advised that he and Lyla were friends. That was it. Best friends. Koji wasn't matchmaking them. "Oh yea? Ask her then."

…Admittedly, that scared the hell out of Shin. He wouldn't even know what to say if Lyla said she considered them more than friends. He just knew he surely would feel obligated. It wasn't as if he were against her or anything. He thought she was amazingly cute and comfortable to be around after all this time. Just…

He was a half-breed to her father.

Five years later and he still remembered that taste of vitriol and hatred from her father. Lyla had only ever treated him well since he'd known her but there was no way her dad would approve.

Koji and Nelly cleaned up the dishes after ascertaining whether the kids were done with their homework. That was a daily battle with all three of the youngest as they moaned and belly-ached about the task. Koji scolded them and commanded they bring their work to the table so they could supervise. For as fun-loving as either of the twins were, they were pretty stern about school. Shin felt he wasn't closet level genius like their dad but he knew he wanted to do his best.

…Lately, he'd looked at all it would take to be a doctor, all he would be required to know and to say it was daunting was an understatement. His dad was pressing it though, insisting that he could do anything he set his mind to. Perhaps.

Shin sleepily settled on the couch with Lyla after all the chores were done. He could definitely stand to go to bed but it felt so geezerly to go to sleep at ten at night. Koji and Nelly had at least another two hours in them even having done chores. Lyla curled into his side, throwing a blanket over their laps, and essentially cuddled with him…

That…was the other problem. Lyla was going to treat him very casually and, frankly, he was going to do the same. They'd known each other for almost ten years, they were comfortable with one another. But the girls at school that did know of Lyla demanded to know what the deal was. He insisted they were friends but they didn't like that. Never was he going to abandon Lyla for someone else's insecurities but…

If Bajiru did make her marry some random man…?

"Mm, Lyla, I think I'm going to bed" Shin murmured after an hour, having been falling asleep while they watched a television drama she liked.

"Oh, okay. Good night" she smiled at him.

He scowled a bit, sitting up, "…I mean, let me walk you home, of course. I know you're only a few footsteps away but I'd feel better about it."

"I'll just go through our secret path. No one's back there."

Shin groaned, just slumping back into his original spot. "…I'll just wait for your show to finish."

"You're being overprotective, Shin" she said gravely.

Was he? He supposed. When they were far younger she would sneak over here by herself in the dead of night and he wasn't concerned then. Oh yea. "Why don't you just sleepover like we did when we were kids? I'll get you a nightshirt."

Lyla looked horrified. "We're not kids anymore, Shin! I can't sleep over now."

"Why not?" he pouted, "Have we done something wrong?"

This seemed to have startled her. "W-Well, no, of course not! Y-You all are like my family-"

She paused. "…I guess you're right. I shouldn't have any problem sleeping over but it's a little uncomfortable. I have parts now."

Shin smirked, "Oh?"

"Yep" she nodded firmly, "Big, round, parts."

"You're silly, Lyla" he grinned, "I'm sure they're…impressive parts but I assure you I will not be using any parts or observing any parts."

She groaned, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and turning the television off, "I guess I am sleepy too. I'll…I'll go home for now."

…What was wrong with staying over? She pet her dress down, sticking out her tongue at him, "I would consider staying over but it's Friday tomorrow. We have school and I'd have to get up early to get to my uniform."

Oh yea, that was true. Of course, that was only after hearing things were different now that she was a developing young woman. Did he make her uncomfortable or something? He…he really hoped not.

Going out together from the back deck, they crouched through the vined path and ended up in her back yard. Generally, her housekeepers kept the door open for her because they knew she'd most likely come from that direction. He walked her up to her door and she paused with her hand on the doorknob.

"…Shin."

"Mm?"

"…I trust you more than anyone, okay? I-I don't want you to think otherwise, okay?"

Eh? "Of…of course, Lyla."

She smiled warmly at him, kissing his cheek. "Good night."

"Good night, Lyla…"

…Weirdly, that was a little uncomfortable. What was going on?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So their dad did something a little surprising: he took them on vacation.

That wasn't to say they didn't go on small daytrips to the beach when they were younger but, when Shin was about to turn sixteen, his dad accrued enough time to take them all on a week long vacation. The man said somewhat dryly it only took him 25 years to get a legitimate rich people vacation.

Their mother was frantically trying to pack them up, her suitcase massive for a seven day journey under any standards. Koji and Nelly figured that they'd just need a few shirts, shorts, and swimming trunks. Yea, he wasn't trying to be too fashion forward on vacation…

Yagami Yamada did something else a little startling: he invited not only Lyla but her mother, Lillian.

Bajiru was doing some jungle botany exploration for three months and Lyla had definitely been having a ball wearing what she wanted and coming over to their house when she wanted. She still generally refused to stay over though once Dana assured she could have her own room, she was a little more open. He…guessed it was a little inappropriate for them to sleep together now.

Yamada insisted that they join them though, that they ought to have a little escape too. Lillian was a hundred percent against it, thanking Yamada for the invitation but turning it down. Shin was disappointed but he kind of figured it might have been a little much.

However, the next day, Lillian came back, still reluctant but relaying that they may like to stay for a few days with them. Not the whole week, possibly out of fear that Bajiru would mysteriously reappear and find neither of them there. Well, either way, that was better than nothing and they were thrilled.

Shin groaned, leering at Nelly who was sprawled across Koji and him. It would have been utterly ridiculous for their dad to get seven or eight rooms so they could all sleep individually so he was sharing a room with all of his siblings and sharing a bed with the twins while the youngest three shared the other. While the biggest mercy was not one of them snored, Nelly slept like an absolute jerk. Koji snorted. "Why do you think I stopped letting him sleep with me?"

Heck, Shin would have sworn up and down it was because Koji was over that type of thing. Sort of, the dark fellow explained, adding that their childhood habit of inadvertently cuddling was awkward. Koji assured that if Nelly managed to curl up with him, he'd have held still but Koji said he'd rather die. Also known as he made Shin sleep in the middle and now the asshole was stretched across both of them horizontally. Koji stared at the ceiling, his eyes half-open as Shin pinned him with a look. "You're gonna have to take the fall tonight, this is ridiculous."

"I guess I'm not sleeping either way" Koji droned, "I don't remember him sleeping this crazy."

Stood to reason he was probably used to having his own bed now. The last time they had to do anything like this was when Shin and his dad lived in Wasaba and the two came to visit. That was twelve years ago.

Sitting up, Shin scratched the back of his head as Shaun woke like the devil was at the door and ran to go 'pee'. Yea…he sometimes thought about if they had just stayed in Wasaba in the two bedroom apartment. It might be because he was bourgeois now but no, he'd take their life now tenfold before he had to share a room and bathroom with six other people.

"Nii-san…" Jill mumbled.

They all looked to her, even Nelly opening his eyes. Shin smiled at her, "Yes, sweetie?"

"I'm hungry. Is it too early?"

It was six in the morning. "Absolutely not, princess. People probably have been up for hours" Koji groaned.

To say that breakfast was nowhere on his mind at 6:04 in the morning was an understatement but when baby sister asked, generally baby sister got. They got up and trekked to the little buffet area downstairs. There were actually a few people already there, one of which being their father.

Yagami Yamada was sitting with a cup of coffee and an omelet, reading the paper. What kind of vacation was it for him to keep getting up this early? He looked up and seemed shocked. "Kids?"

"Morning, papa. I was hungry" Jill sighed.

He smiled and kissed her cheek, "My lady can have anything she likes."

They sat down drearily while the kids ran to order their dishes. Their dad raised a brow, "What time did you lot go to bed?"

"One. We were playing cards" yawned Koji.

Shin nodded miserably while Nelly just went back to sleep. Yamada sighed, "So you planned to sleep until 9 or 10 then start your day?"

More like…twelve. Shin smiled as Jill brought them dishes before she got her own. "You didn't have to do that, princess…"

She giggled, "Of course, nii-sans! I'll bring you something to drink too!"

"Such a cute lady" Koji mused sleepily, "If I have to fight twenty guys a day to keep them at bay, I'll do it."

Yamada smirked some toward Koji. It wasn't technically a lie, Koji often got into fights with males that thought to make untoward remarks about Jill as did Nelly. Shin usually didn't have to but he was more a strong threat sort of guy.

Lyla questioned why they felt it was necessary. "Your sister is going to be able to have a beau, right?"

A 'beau'. Shin rolled his eyes around. He hadn't been able to give her a direct answer, just that Jill was their precious only sister and only the best was acceptable for her. As was, they thought the same of Lyla too. That had made her laugh. "You guys do treat me pretty highly."

Of course. But…even all this time later, he couldn't really call her his sister like the others. It just wasn't quite…that.

It made him a bit queasy but he ate his sister appointed meal and they staggered back to their room. The kids were luckily up and raring to go so Koji and Shin sentenced Nelly to the other bed so they could get some rest. As he'd mentioned, it'd been twelve years since they had to share a sleeping space but Shin couldn't help notice Koji slept very lightly. Not so much that he was a trigger sleeper but he just…didn't seem to go in too deep.

It wasn't something he ought to have told her but he let Lyla in a little bit on what happened to Koji. However, the issue with Koji's ordeal was even a 'little bit' was way too much. She'd been disturbed. "…Koji's a sweetie, Shin, but he's always seemed like he was a little angry underneath it all."

Yes, that was also another spot where 'a little' wasn't appropriate; Koji was very angry underneath it all. Somewhat ironically, it was almost never directed toward his family but Koji had a fuse maybe a centimeter long at most. Before Shin went to high school, he found himself having to lure his younger brother out of fights pretty often and a majority of the time it simply did not work. Lyla wasn't as aware of it because Koji was fairly collected around her but, ho boy, she had not seen the inner workings of her itoto in full action before.

Koji was such an enigma. He was a super observant person and that's probably why their mother had such a short leash on them giving too much information. Koji only needed a smidge of it to start hunting for answers. Just…Shin wasn't exactly sure how fair that was. When it happened, after they saved Koji, he'd told Shin when he found Koji wide awake at four am for some reason that sometimes that monster would drag him out of bed at night.

Cringing, Shin buried his head under his pillow to will it away. That was going to be a battle for another time, he supposed. For now, he…just hoped Koji paced himself out of it.

"Shin?"

Maybe four hours later, he forced his eyes open, squinting at whomever called him. Oh. "Lyla…?"

Her blurry form started to focus, wearing a bright yellow sundress that was a bit blinding at this moment. She instantly pouted, "How long are you going to sleep? I want to go to the beach!"

He rubbed his eyes drearily, glancing back at Koji who had turned on his side. Well…he looked a little deeper asleep now. "I guess I'm ready to get up…"

Lyla smiled brightly as he sat up, scratching the back of his head. "It's so nice out and I want to get in as much time as possible before mama and I leave tomorrow."

"I agree" he nodded, yawning and stumbling to his feet, "Lemme brush my teeth and get my swimming trunks. You have a bathing suit?"

He made a face when he went into the bathroom. It was a disaster of toothbrushes and combs. Finding his out of the mix, he frowned when no response came. Dabbing toothpaste onto the bristles, he peeked out. Lyla was picking at her dress. Oh jeez. "You don't have one."

"It'd be highly inappropriate" she mumbled.

Sounded like something Bajiru would say. "There is nothing 'highly inappropriate' about having an article of clothing to swim in, Lai. Here, we'll get you a cheap one from one of the shops on the front. No one has to know."

She sulked. Yea, that was the problem with the Yagami Clan, they were all about rebellion, even the more conservative of them, considering their dad suggested this specifically when the 'patriarch' went away. Of course, going on vacation wasn't rebellion and just how life was actually supposed to function.

Shin dressed and shook Koji and Nelly to see if they'd be joining them. Nelly was dead to the world but Koji advised he was going to get up in a little while and catch up with them. "Enjoy your time together."

Always an ulterior motive with that one. They walked side by side, Lyla seeming to silently contemplate if she was actually going to go through with the dreaded task of obtaining a swimsuit. Shin shielded his eyes from the sun as they stepped out of the resort, closing them a bit. "You know I won't force you, Lyla. I just don't want that to be the reason you won't consider it, it being 'inappropriate'. Your body is your body."

She was quiet when he suggested they stop to get a coconut slushy. As usual, he got the most available to share with her as they walked up the sidewalks. Tons of other teenagers were on the walk, dressed in nothing but shorts and bikinis. Once they finished the beverage, he figured Lyla wasn't going to bother. She'd started talking about going to see a concert since they haven't been in a while.

"…Can we go to some really private part of the beach, Shin?"

Looking to her, he frowned, as they continued up the sidewalk. "Of course…why though?"

"I-I don't want anyone to see me when I get the bathing suit. J-Just you."

Oh. "O-Oh. Okay."

Not sure what to make of that, he followed her into one of the shops. She nervously looked through the racks of essentially scraps of cloth formed to make pseudo-clothing. He wasn't sure if his…support was exactly the most appropriate thing in this circumstance so he looked at some of the knick-knacks they had. He stared at some of the necklaces, wondering if Jill might like one, when he noticed one of the "chokers" that were popular. The concept seemed so uncomfortable. He blinked at one in particular with a black strap and a small golden amulet with some slight engravings and a sapphire in the center. Picking it up, he looked it over. It…might look good on her.

Lyla's fleeing visage caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. She'd fled into the dressing room like a bat out of hell. Raising a brow, he wandered to the counter and purchased the choker. Well, he figured she found something she at least liked.

When she returned, she was holding the tags and produced them to the cashier. She'd naturally put her dress back on but he figured she was wearing the bikini underneath. Lyla frantically stuffed the receipt into her bag. Shin smirked, patting her back, "It's not a heist, Lai."

"It feels like it!"

He chuckled and they trekked down the boardwalk by the beach until the people got sparse. It had to have been about six miles from the resort. Shin stripped off his shirt, setting it on top of the towel he'd brought. Walking to the ocean's edge, he smiled. One time his dad brought them for a day trip and he was so excited about the water, he almost got swept away when the tide got high. His dad had been such a wreck. His mom, she generally would freak out in the disaster portion but should everything turn out positively, she was relieved and relaxed with the outcome. His dad? He seemed to always get caught up on the 'what ifs'. Shin was honestly surprised the man was okay letting them wander around freely. God help them if something happened to Jilly.

Lyla strode up beside him shyly. He didn't want to make a spectacle of it, like this moment was worthy of all amazement. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't very curious though so he turned to her…and couldn't help be stunned.

It matched her dress, a light yellow bikini that tied at her neck and a teeny bottom. Lyla was only about 5'2" so she was pretty curvy. Those must be the 'shapes' she was talking about. Woah, Shin, no, not cool. "A-Ah, that looks cute, Lyla. I like it. How do you feel about it?"

"…Naked in public" she flushed.

Smiling, he took her hand and pulled her toward the ocean, "You'll feel way better about it once we're in the water. C'mon."

While Lyla was always fearful the wrong person would see her, once she was happy, she was happy, diving under water and splashing him on the way up. She giggled as she surfaced, her chin just above the edge. "It does make more sense to wear something like this for swimming. Clothes get so heavy wet, I'd probably just sink."

Shin nodded, floating on his back. She pouted at him before pretty much pilediving on top of him. "Oi!"

He snickered, submerging briefly before managing to stand with her in one arm. Lyla looked startled. "A-ah! S-Stop, I'm heavy!"

"Hardly" he snorted, walking toward their stuff, "C'mon, let's go get lunch and we can come back out here later."

"O-Oh no, how will I hide this? It'll get my dress wet" she whispered.

Considering it, Shin figured it was hot enough that he'd be comfortable to walk around shirtless. He gave her his shirt which almost reached her knees. Lyla giggled again, skipping up the sand. "This is turning out to be fun. I wish mama was okay with staying a bit longer."

"Me too" he agreed, following behind her. "Maybe your dad wouldn't be too bothered about it, even."

"That, I doubt."

He pursed his lips, falling into step beside her. As she had been doing since they were twelve, she held his hand as they walked up the beach. Man, his siblings were probably all over the place and while Koji didn't say anything about this, the younger crowd? He'd never hear the end of it. But he'd never pull away from Lyla.

"Shin, Nerimaru was telling me something."

They were sitting together outside of a restaurant, eating dango after having sashimi. Shin sipped his fruit juice as he looked up at Lyla. Her chin was rested in her hands as she gazed at him. "Hmm?"

"Nelly said you have a girlfriend. Do you?"

…That jerk. Shin had started dating a girl in his class named Hime just maybe three days ago. It wasn't even that serious. "U-Uh, I swear I was going to tell you, honest. S-She just asked three days ago a-and it seemed too early to start putting official names on it yet."

Lyla pouted, her green eyes narrowing some, "That's no good, Shin. You have to treat girls special."

He groaned and she gave him a look, "You treat me special. You should at least do that for someone that you're gonna marry."

Hold on now. "I'm going to what?"

"If you're dating her, you're considering her as a spouse, right?"

Shin was floored. Gawking some, he rapidly shook his head, "N-No! W-We're fifteen!"

Lyla didn't seem convinced, shaking her dango at him. "Koji said he's going to marry my cousin and he's known that since he was ten."

"Koji is spectacularly optimistic on that front. People change" Shin insisted, "She may not want to marry him in the future and vice versa. A lot can change. Like, your friend at school. Didn't you say she changed when you turned twelve?"

Frowning, she crossed her arms thoughtfully. "…Yea, she changed a lot. And that was only in three years. Ko hasn't seen my cousin in four…"

"Not to say it can't happen. My mom met my dad when she was fourteen and they're still together. But I-I'm not going to treat her passively or anything but, right now, we don't really have to date to be looking for something permanent. We have time for that."

Lyla raised a brow at him before rolling her eyes around. "…So you mean to say…dabble?"

"I guess that's one way of looking at it…I mean, nothing is wrong with getting a look at the landscape, Lai. Get to know different people, get to see different personalities—see what you're looking for when you do want to start looking for that one person if you want to."

She didn't say anything to that, sipping her chai in silence. He…guessed what he was suggesting did sound very flighty and fleeting. He knew Lyla preferred consistency.

"I guess I better stop holding your hand since you have a girlfriend. Or hanging around as much."

Um. Shin glowered, "You listen, Lyla: under absolutely no circumstances is me having a girlfriend going to be a pass to have someone keep you from being around me or being the same best friends like we've always been. If you need someone's hand to hold, mine will be there when you want it. You mean…you mean so much to me and I won't allow that to change."

Lyla gazed at him rather softly and he didn't know what to think. Maybe he said too much. Clearing his throat, he reached into his bag. "A-Anyway, I got you something. I know you've wanted one. I hope you like it."

She gasped softly at the choker, running her finger over the jewel. "Oh, it's so pretty, Shin. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to. I thought it'd suit you" he smiled some.

She bit her lip, reaching behind her neck and putting it on. Yea, it looked good on her. "Thank you, Shin. Y-You mean a lot to me too."

Hm? Once again she fell quiet, looking out of the window as he finished the last of his dango. He was about to suggest they go catch up with Koji and Nelly who were hopefully up at three in the afternoon now. Lyla never looked directly at him but she murmured: "…You'll be a doctor, right, Shin?"

…Huh? "…I…I guess that's the plan right now, Lai. I-I know my dad wants me to. I dunno for a hundred percent yet. I know I still want to help people and that's probably the best way…"

She gazed at him hopefully and he just did not get it back then. But, just like with Jill, his only baby sister, he wanted the absolute best for Lyla.

And he'd end up failing her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they were in Wasaba, sometimes Shin knew that they weren't completely well off. He was more aware of it as a toddler when he couldn't get the things he may have wanted from the supermarket. As he got older, his dad seemed to have a little extra money but had been doing the responsible thing of saving it. It never bothered Shin much though he knew they were somewhat on the skeevy side of town. It had been fine.

Alas, on his sixteenth birthday, he fully recognized they'd become rich kids.

His mom made him his favorite breakfast of omurice and bacon that morning. She gushed, 'My sweetie plum is sixteen! I can't believe it!'.

He smiled while she gave him kisses on his cheek, continuing to boast of him, before handing him a present. "Aww, mama, you didn't have to."

"Of course I did! This is a milestone" she huffed.

Perhaps. Shin set his chopsticks down to rip into the gift, wondering. Oh! "Oh wow, is this the not Nintendo gaming console? PlayStation?"

Koji was munching on a piece of bacon, blinking, "Oh yea. Keiba was telling me that the Final Fantasy on it is awesome. Seven, I think."

"Still dunno how to feel about using discs for games now though" Nelly droned.

They had just gotten the newest generation of Nintendo, the N64, which used cartridges like everything they'd owned prior. However, time would tell which would turn out better. "This is awesome, mama, thank you."

"It's just a starter gift. Your papa is planning something even bigger" she replied, almost like it was a warning.

"Yeesh, I hope my sixteenth birthday is this fancy" Nelly said sarcastically.

Dana tugged his ear, huffing that he better hope he's not grounded for the rest of his life by then to which Nelly grinned. Koji smirked some, sipping coffee. It was worth mentioning, honestly. The twins were getting pretty heinous with their behavior. He found out Koji and Nelly had picked up smoking somehow. Shin wasn't even certain how they were getting cigarettes or why. It wasn't anything he ever looked at and thought made any sense. And that wasn't to mention the wild house parties they started to throw in their parent's absence. He guessed he was supposed to be the older enforcer but…well, their parents were gone a lot.

He looked at his watch, finishing his toast, before standing. "Well, we better be getting to school, mama. Thank you again."

"Are you sure you don't want to take the day off, sweetie plum?" their mom asked, washing dishes.

"That's okay, I have an exam anyway" Shin replied, smirking when the younger kids rushed past them in a panic to eat breakfast, "I'll be home early though."

The great Yagada looked at her watch as well, making a face, "Okay. I'll probably go to the local shop for a bit to work on some orders but we'll go out to eat at 7, okay?"

"Sounds good, mama."

Koji slung his bag over his shoulder, blinking languidly at Dana who leered back at him. "Please don't get into any fights today. Please."

"Someone says the wrong shit, they're getting it."

She smacked his arm, glowering, "I mean it, young man!"

"Yea, yea."

Shin sighed as he, Nerimaru, and Koji walked to the door. Really, he had to say it was also pretty 'heinous' the things they'd say to Koji to get a reaction. He delivered over a hundred percent too so he was really just answering their provocations. Alas, it was warranted. No one should be saying the crap those bastards said about their sister or mother, especially given the former was just eleven and that was pedophilia at that point.

"Holy shit" Koji said in a startled voice.

Looking up, wondering how Koji picked up language like that and their parents didn't blink when he used it, Shin froze.

Yagami Yamada popped out of a shiny, brand new 1997 Toyota Supra with a big smile. No…way. Shin gaped as the man walked toward them. "Ah, I was hoping I could surprise you when you got home, son. Happy Birthday, Shin."

Oh no, 'holy shit' was pretty appropriate then. "Dad, there's no way that's for me."

"Well, of course it is!" Yamada insisted, wrapping his arm around Shin's shoulder, "Even I had someone give me a vehicle at your age, son. I'd be remiss to not get my own son something."

Nerimaru snorted, "We're not getting cars."

Yamada groaned, giving Nelly a look, "This is your brother's birthday. We'll address yours next year based on your behavior."

Koji smirked, "We're not getting cars."

Their father groaned again as Shin couldn't help snicker, rubbing his face, "I-I dunno how to feel about this, dad. Seriously, I know we've been here a while but we…came out of Wasaba."

The man fell quiet so Shin felt he must have said something hurtful. Alas, his father scruffled his hair, "…I do think that a lot too, son. But we made it out. And I can afford to get my kids things and…that's what I always wanted."

"…Thank you, dad."

Yamada gave him a hug, gushing about all the features and giving him the keys. "Okay, you boys get to school, I'll see you when you get home!"

"S—t, dad even took the day off for your birthday, favorite" heckled Nelly.

"Um, whatever" Shin scoffed, shocked as he slid into the driver's seat, "He said if you behaved you'd get a car next year."

"We're not getting cars" laughed Koji, getting in the back seat.

Shin couldn't even account for the feeling as he launched up their long driveway. Heck, they'd even adjusted for the long walk to get to the subway so they'd be hyper early. Technically, he did not have a license since he just turned sixteen today but he figured he could go after his exam. Nelly played with the radio, shocked, "Dude, it has a CD player and a cassette deck! Dad went all out!"

Seriously. He…he felt wrong to even accept this but this seemed to mean something interpersonal to their father. Shin was always aware Yagami Yamada only wanted the absolute best for them but…

Koji stretched across the seat, yawning, and tapping his knee as Nelly managed to find grunge. Surprisingly, grunge was sort of fleeting from existence and making way for some pretty wild stuff, in Shin's opinion. Koji was particularly fond of one really off-color band. Korn or something…he guessed it was hard to recover from the whole Kurt Cobain situation.

"Black hole sun, won't you come and wash away the rain? Black hole sun, won't you come? Won't you come…" Shin hummed.

He felt awkward when they pulled into the school. Granted, while some of their classmates came in their own limos, all eyes were on them when he parked. Climbing out with a sigh, he leered as Nelly's…harem seemed to be able to instantly track his existence. Koji smiled mischievously in his direction, his friends about to come over. "We're going out after dinner, right? I mean, it is Friday."

"…I'm not into it like you two miscreants" Shin snorted.

"So? Bring Lyla and show her a good time" Koji sighed.

Uh huh. His brows furrowed and he smirked as Koji started to dance away, Nelly and some of their cronies joining in, as they sang 'cotton candy, sweetie go, lemme see you Tootsie Roll'. Yea, another thing he wasn't a hundred percent on was how they were getting into clubs. They weren't even fifteen for another two months.

Shin went and caught up with some of his friends, few and far between as he was a little less…personable than the other two. They were shocked that he had a car, questioning how he even knew how to drive. Well, that was one thing their dad definitely took time to do: teaching each of them to drive around their huge lot. They were actually all proficient at it except, naturally, Shaun. He was only ten but it was just lucky they didn't really have trees in the front…

Admittedly, he almost wished he'd taken his mother's offer because he was completely distracted the whole day. He really didn't want his parents to think they owed him anything specifically. They kept a really nice house over their head and kept them fed. It…it was a lot when some kids didn't even have that. And they always kept them up to date with the latest technology as a perk. Getting a whole new console and car in the same day was just a bit insane to him. He was perfectly fine walking and taking the commuter train until he earned it.

…Of course, he'd be lying if one possibility didn't have him somewhat excited.

He left around two, checking with the twins to see if they did happen to want him to wait for them. Nelly wanted him to but leave it to Koji to know where his brain kind of was. "Nah, go get nee-san."

Without second guessing, he sped off toward the girl's school about three miles away. Usually a driver came and picked her up so he couldn't even really come walk her home. It was a little trivial thing but…

When he got there, the students were just starting to emerge. He pulled up against the curb and looked out for the pink hair. Taking a deep breath, he rolled down the window when he saw her. He had to go about this carefully. "Lai!"

She'd been looking down when she came out of school, holding a few of her books in her arms. She informed him gleefully that they were allowed one accent and she'd never had one but now she did because of him. They wore yellow uniforms with red accents so the choker he got her went perfectly. His eyes closed some as she looked up, appearing startled. Her eyes widened and she walked over. "Shin? Oh my God, what is this?"

"My dad got me a car for my birthday. Crazy, right?"

"Oh, it's so sporty and pretty!" she gasped, looking it over.

Shin smiled, tilting his head, "C'mon, ride home with me."

Of course, Lyla grew nervous, looking around for a second…before skipping around and jumping into the passenger seat. "Oh! It's so fancy!"

"It is" he agreed, easing out into traffic.

He smirked as she played with the radio, gleefully locating songs she liked. "Have you ever been close to tragedy or been close to folks who have? Have you ever felt a pain so powerful, so heavy you collapse? No. Well, I've never had to knock on wood. But I know someone who has, which makes me wonder if I could."

Shin raised a brow as Lyla sang along, rolling the window down. "…What does that actually mean though?"

"Hmm? Not sure" she blinked.

…Weird. "So, what are you doing tonight? Think you can come to dinner with us?" he asked.

"I think so! My dinner with papa and mama isn't until tomorrow. And papa is away so I can probably even stay out later tonight" she gushed.

For the last few weeks, she'd been addressing some dinner with her parents. It wasn't out of the ordinary that her father had them go to dinner parties with constituents or whatever but she kept kind of talking about it. It would be one thing if she were excited about the event but she seemed pretty passive about it. He kind of wondered what that was about…

"Koji and Nelly wanted to go somewhere tonight too, after the family dinner. Sounds like they want to go to a club" he sighed.

Lyla frowned, looking at her house as they pulled in, "…That should be fine too. Papa won't be back until tomorrow."

"O-Oh. Okay. Uh-"

She giggled, kissing his cheek, "I'll see you at 7, birthday boy."

He smiled some as she skipped out. The servant that she usually rode with appeared to be just about to leave to come get her but she caught them, speaking to them, and…got into the back to go out again? What? Why didn't she just ask him to stop?

Groaning, he made a circle, went down the long driveway, and drove the several yards home. She was probably going to get him a present, just so the day could be more overwhelming. Figured.

…She wanted to go to the club though? That was very strange for Lyla.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shin remembered he and his family went to a nice Italian restaurant. The twins ordered the steak and he decided on lasagna. Lyla had wanted to ONLY get a tossed salad. He'd said he'd share his lasagna with her, she took a little bite, and suddenly snickered. "Now, why did you do that? I'm ready to eat all of your lasagna."

He smirked, nodding when the waitress returned with another plate, "Exactly why I ordered two."

She pouted at him but sure didn't refuse, eating happily. It was mentioned at some point that her father felt she was too 'plump' and, well, Shin couldn't disagree more.

At dinner, Lyla had worn a long skirt and a blouse, the choker he got her adorning her neck. When they got home and redressed for the club, Lyla remained in the same outfit but had put on a pair of black heels. Okay, he was cool with that, just wearing a silk white dress shirt and jeans with a pair of boots. Koji and Nelly were dressed the same, just black and blue shirts respectively. They hopped into his new car and Lyla requested she sit in the back with Koji…okay.

It shocked him when she started undressing. Or… 'undressing' as she apparently had a dress on underneath. It was a black baby doll dress with no real back of note, just straps holding it up. O…okay.

She stepped out of his car when he parked and hugged herself, giving that look around she always did out of concern who would see her. He bashfully came beside her and held her hand. It was okay.

Once they got inside, Koji and Nelly were gone, whether by will or design. Shin groaned, already feeling like he didn't quite get why they were here. They couldn't drink or anything. Lyla actually gasped when that electronica song, 'Da Funk' or something, came on. He chuckled when she asked shyly if they could dance. Okay.

He was horrified that he was potentially going to be a foot taller than her, already 5'11". His dad was 6'2" and some inches so if he got THAT tall...however, with the three inch heels, she was a little closer to him. She teased that she couldn't wear heels everywhere. He smiled. She was always close to him, regardless.

They danced for hours, getting hot and sweaty. While he wasn't as in to dancing as his brothers, he kind of enjoyed the energy. Lyla giggled, her usually straight hair curling with the warmth, and asked if they could get something to drink. He agreed wholeheartedly and went to the bar. He felt a little awkward but looked at the non-alcoholic menu, ordering them two virgin pina colada. Seating themselves away from all the activity, Shin sipped heavily before sighing, "…Thanks for coming out tonight, Lai. As you can see, if I had to depend on those two, I'd be all by myself."

Lyla chuckled, stirring hers with the straw, looking up and beyond him, "Yea, they definitely seem to be enjoying themselves, even the 'engaged' one."

Shin raised a brow but glanced over his shoulder. Koji was currently very, very close to another young woman, whispering. She was touching his shoulder and Shin could almost tell his brother was torn from this distance about how far this was going to go. Must've been tough for a pretty hormonal guy…

Opening her bag, Lyla shyly handed him a little box. He groaned, "Lyla, I appreciate it but I was literally given a brand new car today. I literally can't deserve anything else."

"Don't be silly" she pouted, rubbing his hand, "You deserve a lot."

He sighed, taking the box, "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. I know you went right back out to get this for me."

"Oh, well, I-I already had what I was going to give you but I needed a box" she blushed.

Oh. Shin unwrapped the paper and tilted his head at the white nondescript box. Opening the lid, his eyes widened. Inside was a silver pocket watch with raised designs attached to a chain. He opened it up to look at the face, finding it was in Roman numerals. "I thought it may help with your doctoring. I mean, I remember seeing doctors carrying them around."

"This…this is nice, Lai, but…it looks like an antique. Is this a family heirloom?"

"Mm" she nodded, "It used to belong to my mom's dad, my grandfather, and his father before him and his before him. I'm supposed to give it to my husband but I…I would rather give it to you."

…Eh? His eyes widened as he looked up at her, shocked, "I-I mean, I-I appreciate that, Lyla. But, maybe you'll…you'll actually want to do that. Maybe you should keep it until you're sure."

Lyla shook her head, "I'm already sure, Shin. I…I don't want anyone to ever have it except you. You're the only one that will ever deserve it."

He flustered, clenching it tightly, "I-I thank you, Lyla."

"You're welcome" she smiled, eating the cherry from her drink before gasping, "Oh! Let's dance to this too!"

"Okay."

Yagami Shin sat on the sofa that following Saturday, staring at the watch pensively. 'This is supposed to be for my husband' but he was the only one that would ever 'deserve it'. How? She…she was only fifteen, it wasn't like she knew her husband wasn't going to 'deserve it'. Tapping his toes, he pressed the watch to his lips. Mm.

It was a little after seven when he started on dinner for the munchkins. Koji had said he was going to 'go off and see something' really fast but that had been way early this morning. Shin hadn't seen sight nor sound of him since. Same with Nelly but he had an idea of where that miscreant was: some girl's bed.

Shaking his head, he was fanning the rice when the doorbell rang. With a frown, Shin wandered up the corridor to answer. Oh, Lyla. She was all smiles, wearing a very simple blue long sleeved, long length dress, her hair pulled back. "Hi, Shin. Oh my gosh, I have something to tell you!"

"Hey. What's that?" he questioned, returning to the kitchen as she kicked off her shoes.

"So my papa has been finding suitors and I have been dreading this meeting for the last month. Just he found someone that is so nice, I'm shocked!"

…Okay. "…Suitors? Lyla, you're not even sixteen yet."

"I know" she groaned, sitting at the table, "But papa seems to think it'd be a good idea to get me married between sixteen and eighteen."

The hell? "Why?"

"He says that's a good marriageable age. That's when women are the most 'fertile' and it's the age the men he's around likes."

Shin glowered darkly, "…Pedophiles?"

Lyla rolled her eyes around, "I guess. It's legal to get married at sixteen though. And Parsley, the man my papa introduced, he's only twenty so just barely five years older than me."

Parsley. "And what does this 'Parsley' do?"

"He's enrolled in college for botany but he actually likes it! And he spoke to me with so much passion about it. It's just really shocking, Shin. Papa usually doesn't make happy decisions."

Pursing his lips, Shin fried tempura, turning it with chopsticks. "…Well, that's great, Lai. Are you sure he's the one?"

"'The one'? That's a little romantic and fantastical" her nose wrinkled.

He found himself smiling at that, recalling how he thought she was a fairy when he first met her. Lyla was always 'fantastical' to him. "Yea, maybe you're right. Maybe Koji rubbed off on me a little."

"One true love" she murmured, almost to herself, "…It's a nice thought."

Yea. It was just him, Lyla, and the youngest three that ate dinner that night. Nelly and Koji completely failed to show up. After he walked Lyla home, he found himself in the backyard, in their little 'jungle'. Idly rubbing his hand over a white blossom, Shin gazed off at the moon. Parsley, huh…? Okay.

Walking back toward the front door where he had walked out, he paused, finding Koji standing in the yard with his hands in his pockets. "Dude, where have you been all day?"

Koji didn't say anything, just kind of looking into the distance. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders and turned to him. For most of their lives, Shin wasn't always a hundred percent certain what his brother was thinking. Today was no different but he seemed…sad. "Out."

"Figured that."

True to Koji form, he didn't offer any more and started toward the house. Shin cleared his throat, "Parsley."

His brother stopped and looked back. Shin rubbed his arm, pressing his lips together. "A…suitor Lyla met today. She likes him. His name is Parsley."

"…I guess fairy tales are bullshit, huh?"

Eh? Koji looked disgruntled now, his brow furrowed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. However, after a moment, he looked calmer. "…Nah. They're bullshit for me. Lyla is going to end up different. Fuck Parsley."

Shin leered as Koji meandered into the house. Lyla seemed really excited about the prospect of this guy. Why was he so damn adamant? Like, Shin was okay with this.

…Okay?

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End Notes:

First, I am aware that Lyla has purple eyes in Save the Homeland/Hero of Leaf Valley. She's typically one of those characters that doesn't open their eyes for some reason so, early on in this series, I adapted that she had green eyes and she has always had green eyes. Then, lo and behold, someone got a screen of her opening them and it's not even close to green. Well, too bad, they're staying green.

Second, the setting for the Legacy series is Alternate Universe. It of course is in the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons/Rune Factory Universe but it's also sort of in our universe. It's also a different version of Japan? Like, sort of Americanized Japan, I guess? Not to say Japan doesn't sound like a neat place in reality but my boys would be banished if some stretches weren't made.

90s extravaganza! So Duck Hunt is a video game from 1984 that was released on the very original Nintendo. It came with a toy gun and you had to shoot down as many flying ducks as you could. However, should you miss, this dog would come up out of the bushes and snicker at you. You can actually find the dynamic duo of duck and dog in Super Smash Bros now for…some reason.

It doesn't really matter how old you are, where you shop be it Walmart or Nordstrom, if you're in the U.S., you've seen a Nirvana t-shirt with a smiley face. Nirvana is kind of like…The Beatles in that a lot of people are kind of divisive about them and their music. However, purely historically, they and many other bands kind of bridged into a new sound in music, leaving behind the hair metal and power ballads of the 80s. I personally still really love 90s grunge, it's like the dourness of my adolescent Emo without hammered metaphors of self-mutilation. But I digress. The lead singer of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, committed suicide. And Dave Grohl…Dave Grohl is everywhere. "Come As You Are", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Been a Son", and "On a Plain" are some of Nirvana's songs.

Nelly is playing the Gameboy. It was the handheld that first introduced us to Pokemon and saw multiple reiterations, namely the Gameboy Color and Advance. Of course Sonic the Hedgehog is the fast blue hedgehog wearing high top sneakers that for some reason is about to have a live action movie.

Cypress Hill is like a rap/sometimes rock group. Known best for "Insane in the Brain".

Smashing Pumpkins is similarly grunge royalty…I remember the lead singer used to terrify me as a kid JUST because he was bald and the shape of his head, lol.

Red Hot Chili Peppers…well, there's almost 40 years of music there so take your pick XP

So I managed to find the concert info on Nirvana's visit to Japan so that…really bizarre story about the lizard penis potion and killing security apparently happened for some reason?

Lyla's character design has a choker. Shin is gifting her about the same thing.

Believe it or not, the very first Playstation came out in 1994! It just celebrated 25 years. Shin is getting it about three years late but it sounds like the Yagami Fam is primarily Team Nintendo. Final Fantasy 7 with Cloud, Tifa, Aeris, Sephiroth and the gang came out in 1997.

Koji and Nelly temporarily dance to the 69 Boyz 'Tootsie Roll'.

'Da Funk' is classic Daft Punk, those two techno robot dudes.

See you soon.