Hello everyone! I know that it's been a long while since I've written anything in here. But I figured that it would be nice to try writing again in the midst of this weird and somewhat uncertain time.
I usually write one-shots since it's hard for me to write stories with a sense of continuity and consistency. Maybe one day that will change, but it probably won't be today, haha.
Aishiteruze Baby is an old series that I enjoyed a lot when I was first reading getting into anime and manga before series like Gakuen Babysitters and Amaama to Inazuma. I hope you enjoy the story, and please let me know what ya think! :)
I know it's kinda short compared to some other things that I've written on here, but I guess I'm trying to ease myself back into writing again.
Kippei, wait… what are you doing? Kippei!
"Yuzuyu needs her shoes and bag," he muttered before he shut the door behind him, the burst of adrenaline clouding his mind from every other thought.
The calls and screams of both his mother and older sister were muffled as he burst out and shut the front door, heading towards the little girl and her mother.
What was he thinking? Was he in his right mind?
It was Yuzuyu's birthday, and her mom had suddenly come to take her back after suddenly abandoning her almost a year ago. She had begged for Kippei's family to allow her to take her only daughter back but was refused. Although everyone had tried to turn his aunt away as quickly as they could, Yuzuyu had caught sight of her and refused to let her disappear again. Before anyone could hold her back, she tiptoed and turned the doorknob, allowing herself to run out after her mother.
How could her mother just come back after all that time after selfishly leaving her daughter all alone? What kind of parent just leaves her kids and comes back for them on a whim?
Kids weren't like dogs or other pets that you could just leave at a hotel or a shelter if they were too much to deal with. Abandonment came with its deep scars for those left behind.
His mother and older sister were right- wanting to be alone was not enough of a reason for her to not be there for her daughter. She should have been there for her daughter when she was going through this difficult time. She should have been stronger to support her daughter instead of pushing her onto some relatives while she was working things out. Her responsibility as a mother was something that couldn't be discarded because of mere feelings.
They had decided that they would still allow his aunt to see Yuzuyu from time to time, but she needed to show that she was truly serious about being able to properly support her daughter this time around. That it wasn't a temporary stint because she had found herself a man to get over the loss of her first husband. They needed to know that she wouldn't repeat her mistakes of abandoning her daughter again. She had to prove her sincerity by coming for her daughter day after day.
Kippei wanted to desperately believe that his family was right, that Yuzuyu's life was meant to be with them now. That he could continue to care for her like he'd been doing these past few months. That he could be there for her when she was feeling lonely or was hurt so that he could drive all that pain as far away as he could. But even with this possibility, a pain in his chest made him unsure of this decision, this desperate fantasy.
Even if he tried his best to make Yuzuyu happy every day by cooking her good food and playing with her, he knew that no amount of love and affection could ever be a replacement for the longing and affection the six year-old had for her mother. And after all this time, he could clearly see that her mother continued to have a special place in his cousin's heart. He knew it was time to let her go.
"Yuzuyu!" Kippei called out, bringing her little cousin's attention back to him. She looked back at him with a start, standing defensively and maintaining her distance. She was unsure of Kippei's intention, of whether he would let her be or pull her back inside.
Calmly and slowly, Kippei went down on his knees to look at Yuzuyu at her eye level. With a somber face and sense of urgency, he told her, "Here, take your shoes," holding them up for her to grab and put on. In his other hand, he held out her small bag to her with her crayons and other small things. "Go to your mom. You wanna go, right? 'Cause you've been waiting so long."
Suddenly, the door burst open again and his older sister appeared. "Kippei!" she yelled after him. Yuzuyu moved back into a defensive stance, scared again that she would be pulled back inside. This time, she moved so that Kippei was directly in between the two girls.
With tears still in her eyes, Yuzuyu looked at her strong older brother Kippei-onii-chan. As her eyes continued to overflow with tears and spill over, Kippei's somber face softened into one of gentleness. Raising his right hand, he slowly brought it up to Yuzuyu's face, cupping her tear-stained cheek with a delicate touch. "I love you, Yuzuyu," he told her with a small smile.
"Kippei-onii-chan…" Yuzuyu called out.
"Bye-bye, Yuzuyu." And for the last time, she looked back at him before going to her mother. Without a second glance, he quickly turned away past his older sister and headed back inside the house.
He didn't need to witness the special reunion between mother and daughter- the way that they embraced each other and cried. He had already done his job by bringing the two of them back together, and that was enough.
The rest of the day was a blur for him. After stepping into the house, he made his way towards his room. Shutting the door swiftly behind him, he leaned back against the door's frame and slid down towards the wood floor. Both his mother and sister approached the door to his room and had called after him again several times. They demanded him to come out and explain why he allowed Yuzuyu's mom to take her daughter back again so easily, but he paid them no mind. He continued to sit back and stay consumed in his daze.
Eventually, Kokoro had been able to convince the two agitated women to step back and give Kippei some space. She had also called after him softly a few times but had gave up so that her love could have some time for himself.
The plates of food that his mother and sister had prepared grew cold and started to attract flies. The bright colorful and simple decorations now looked dull as the sun began to set as the shadow of night consumed the outside. The rest of the family dispersed to their own corners of the house, each grieving the loss of the small bundle of joy that made their household much more lively again.
The strawberry shortcake that Kippei had made for Yuzuyu stayed at the table, untouched with its frosting almost completed melted. After countless discouraging attempts, he had managed to bake a somewhat decent cake. Still, the birthday celebrant would never get to enjoy the results of his labor.
He did not know how long he had continued sitting there, but the warm glow of the sunset pouring through his window had told him it had been quite a while. As Kippei remained slumped against his door, he looked back at the teddy bear that had toppled over from his desk. Its body face up, and its expression almost sad. Abandoned and lonely in a similar fashion to Yuzuyu when she first arrived all those months ago. In his reverie, he snapped back to reality when he realized that she had left her treasured bear.
Yuzuyu's bear… should I bring it back to her? Will she want it back? Maybe I should bring it back to her. If I run, I could almost make it in time. He continued to struggle internally in this dilemma, but he paused and shook his head.
Wait… I can't do that. She's with her mom now, and I'll only make it harder on myself to go after her again. She doesn't need the bear, he convinced himself. She doesn't need me anymore…
After a little while, he reached for the stuffed animal, picking it up by one of its flimsy arms and pulling it over to him. Hugging it to his chest, he took in the scent of its soft fabric, reminiscent of the child who often held her arms open wide for a hug.
And there he stayed like that, reflecting on the past few months while dreaming of the things that would never be. The ways that he would be unable to watch her grow. The experiences that she would go through that he would have no part in. Anything that could distract himself from the numbing weight of losing the cousin he had come to love.
Would she forget about him with time? Would he ever be able to get over losing her? Would he ever be able to go back to how things were before? He hugged the bear even tighter, burying his face and bringing his knees to his chest.
Even if she forgets about the time that we were together, I'll always keep it close to my heart. And one day, maybe I'll be able to hold that little hand in my own again.
This one is quite short compared to other ones. I might add more, but that's if I have the time or just need to productively procrastinate again. While I can understand the opinions that the Kippei's older sister and mother had with regards to Yuzuyu's mother's reasoning for leaving her daughter so suddenly, I also understand why Kippei ultimately made the decision to let her go.
I felt like the ending was so abrupt in that way, and I would've liked to see more of Kippei's thoughts as well as a little more in the epilogue of the story. But I hope that everyone is doing as best as they can and staying as healthy as they can in the midst of this weird time.