Chapter 10: A Matter of Aesthetics, Part I
(See notes below)
It was like Ryuji said: Ann was back. Not in the best of spirits, for obvious reasons. But she was back, sitting in front of Akira.
Akira rubbed his eyes another time to make sure. I had crust in my eyes anyway.
The rest of homeroom poured in, with Kawakami following suit. Five minutes to go before the start of the day.
A small pang of guilt plucked at his heartstrings.
…Did I overdo it, back there?
I mean...I was near apoplectic. I…I wasn't on top of it.
That's not the real me….I wasn't showing her the real me…was I?
He grunted to himself.
No…you WERE.
He pressed down on his jaw.
It's only natural to be that way when you suppress THAT side of you. You had it coming. It is Mother's Day today, after all. If you pray to your dead Sister, then why wouldn't you toil over your absent mother? And lastly, you would hate the type of people that would book you for doing the right thing. The 'unlawful' thing...but the right thing.
If anything, Prez made the mistake of pressing the wrong button back there, goose-stepping all over Mishima.
Then again...you WERE leaving something open for her, Renren.
That's how things are with her.
Still...where was Prez hiding that side of her? I never figured her as that type...
Akira sighed.
What am I kidding? This is coming from ME, from all people. If anything, I should be glad I'm not alone; I should take the perverse pleasure in seeing her sadistic side. It would make...talking to her about my past a bit...easier.
She at least deserves that.
Akira darted his eyes down.
"Kurusu."
Sadly...I don't get redos.
"Kurusu!"
He heard the sound of a slightly-annoyed, professional sounding woman droning into his ear.
"Are you getting enough sleep?" Kawakami said, the facemask off. "Kazuma complained yesterday about you sleeping in class."
"I didn't forget about the lab, if he's complaining about that."
Her eyes narrowed. "I'm being kind. You look terrible."
At this point, yelling at Makoto had taken the will to lie out of him.
"Rough night before...hitting your head does that. And well...other stuff."
Her face, taut with exhaustion, softened for him. "Somehow...I believe you. To be fair, though, you're not the only one here hit by what happened." She turned to Ann. "Sorry for dragging you in, but...I just wanted to offer my condolences. I didn't know Suzui-san personally, but I know about what kept you away from school. I think she'd appreciate it."
"It's fine." She then smiled, albeit weakly. "Thanks for acknowledging."
Kawakami then walked away, tending to a few prep booklets she laid open and propped on the side of the chalkboard. No doubt planning to talk about more of the Man'yoshu, Akira postulated. He then looked at his notes. In between the "useful" notes were the following scribbles:
"Revision 2.0. Smaller? More amperage?" Accompanying his scribbles: an outline of something to wrap a transformer in.
I suppose...I should cover my bases. Worst comes to worst...
His news alert buzzed. "Nikkei plunges 200 points further in response to investor worries about bank defaults." I bet that'll make the adults happy.
He noticed Ann staring out of the window, a pleading look on her face. She probably would rather stay with Shiho...
He poked at her left shoulder. "Hey. Welcome back."
"Hey. I heard about everything from Ryuji..."
"...How much?"
She frowned. "Kamoshida and what he did. What you tried to do on the roof...it seems you're doing ok. You've healed up. That's good."
"I hope the same for you."
She sighed. "Honestly, I'm on pins and needles."
"Well, I wouldn't blame you."
"I also heard about the stuff with the Principal. At this rate, you should be worried about yourself more so about me."
He twiddled his fingers. "I'll be fine. It is what it is."
"Sorry, but that's bullshit. Tell the truth."
Akira bit the inside of his cheek. "Well, it isn't ideal. I feel though, things can come out fine in the end."
"You're rather cheery, under the surface." Ann then scanned around, checking to see if anyone around her within hearing distance. "Are you still plotting with Ryuji against Kamoshida?"
Akira feigned laughing. "Well, I'll tell you that, while I wish he gets run over, the answer is no."
She aimed her azure eyes on him for the longest time in some attempt to break him. "Ok then. Though...if you were, then I would be ok with it. It's the least I can do." She pouted slightly as she stared out the window once more.
"You should be careful," Morgana warned in Akira's table cubby. "Hell hath no fury..."
"Tell me about it."
As Ann continued to stare out the window, Akira's eyes were on something else.
The trio of thieves had sneaked their way past another set of guards, their discretion leading them out of an open window and onto the castle roof. Poking out of the castle roof was the main Castle tower, whose spire was pulsating the higher it went up.
"The distortions are strongest at the top there," Morgana commented. "I'll bet a million dollars the Treasure is up there."
"Getting up there, though, is another story," Skull said. He began to straddle his leg in secrecy.
"Look at the tower base," Morgana replied. It pointed to an array of thick, protruding ledges on the tower wall that led up to an opening on the castle wall. "We're Thieves. We can scale it easily."
Joker scratched the back of his head. "I don't think the two of us are-"
"I said we're Thieves. Try it and stop complaining."
Joker shrugged. "My funeral, then." He ran up the ledge, surprised at how much traction he had against the ledge. And like a whizzing bullet, he quickly climbed himself up, poised to have a go at the next ledge.
"See? Simple." With similar speed and nimbleness, Morgana rejoined Joker. "Skull, don't fall behind now!"
23 ledges later, they made their way to the opening. On the other side was a spiral staircase, with the space above them graduating into a vibrating, crimson red space.
Skull was the last person to enter the staircase. He didn't bother to hide the aching in his leg.
Joker took note and pulled out one of Takemi's vial. "I'm not going to take chances with my energy, considering we have Distortion Land up there to deal with."
Skull grabbed the vial and rubbed the medicine on his leg. "I really need to get back to running."
Running can only help your leg so much Ryuji..."We'll take a minute for that to act."
"I...In-tru-"
Akira drew his pistol at the stairs above him. It was a Shadow Knight, but with all of the professionalism and duty of the others gone. It quickly fizzled into a blue, puerile demon, poking its head slightly out of an ornate, black and gold urn.
"Mi-mister, please don't hurt me..."
"Huh. Look at that. Seems Kamoshida might be shaken a little, now that we're so close," Morgana mused.
Joker's expression softened. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"
The blue demon put his head back into a jar. "...Agathion."
Joker lowered himself to the level of the urn. "I'm sorry. I'm a bit on edge. Forgive me. I'm Joker."
"Hi, Joker," Agathion said, his voice echoing off the urn. "You're such a grown-looking dude. You think...I'm being lame, hiding like this? "
Joker laughed. "Of course not. I'll say this. I was a quiet kid, growing up. I liked to tinker with electronics and chemicals in my room. I wasn't really a talker, and doing that made me happy. In a way...my room is like your urn there. And well...I think I turned out alright."
"REALLY?!" he said excitedly.
"Well...a bit of that remains. But I evened out. I think."
"You think...I can tag along in the meantime. Maybe...take some notes? Will your friends mind?"
Akira shook his head from side to side. "Don't worry about it. We have plenty of room."
Agathion joined Akira's mask.
Agathion got comfortable. Mister...you're weren't lying about being a shy kid. That's nice to know...though, I didn't expect your family to be in that state. You must be quite sad. I don't really have family around me, either.
"Another one bites the dust."
"How many does that make, Joker?" Ryuji wondered.
"Well, Pixie, one of those horses, a Succubus...I'll count later. Upwards, then."
A climb up the stairs later, they found themselves in a room, littered with stacks of gold bullion and chests worth of jewels scattered in the corners. In the middle was a scintillating ethereal blob floating in the air.
"There! That blob is the treasure!" Morgana said, jumping giddily.
"Seriously!?" Skull said. "I was hoping for a big ass diamond!"
"That's what the second step is for. We now need to announce our intent to steal his Treasure using a Calling Card?"
"Why are we telling him NOW we're going to steal it?" Akira said with disbelief. "This seems dumb."
"The true Treasure won't appear unless he perceives it to be stealable," Morgana explained. "We don't have to announce it personally. We can create a Calling Card and slip it to where he'll see it. That'll be enough!"
"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" Skull said, raising a finger.
The other two stared at him with disapproval.
"What!? Cmon, I feel like I got to stick it to him personally!"
Akira sighed. "Skull...if we fail, or if we slip out we're the ones who did it-"
"Please!" Skull said pleadingly as he began to shake Joker by the shoulders.
"OK OK! Don't use your handwriting. Just...type it at the very least!"
"Awesome! I will go all out! Just gimme the word when you're ready, and I'll whip up something nice!"
Morgana shook his head. "This is not going to turn out good."
Skull's stomach began to grumble. "Let's call it a break for today. I'm hungry."
It was after-school, and Makoto couldn't help but draw blanks in response to what Akira bashed into her brain.
Still, part of her wanted to explain herself to Akira one more time before he left for home today. But the more she dwelled on it, the more she felt inadequate to approach him.
The library couldn't aid her in her rationale either.
She had a whole stack of books that she glanced through, the stack gradually getting bigger out of cognitive dissonance.
Mishima...
Am I...truly part of the problem?
I mean...what the hell does the 'right way' even mean?!
A vein on her head began to pop up. "Since when do books give such open-ended conclusions like this!?" she said as she slammed it onto her desk table. The sound made the students next to her jump from her notebooks.
"...Sorry," she weakly replied.
A student walked up to her. "Uhh...are you alright Nijima-san? I was hoping to ask about the forms for the chemistry club. They're busy shuffling due to the sudden lack of chemistry-"
She snarled. "Quiet. I'm busy."
"But Nijima-san, I-"
"Don't 'Nijima-san' me." She looked in her bag, scrounging for a small paper booklet. "Page 2: Bottom Page. Addendum's there for last-minute corrections. Follow the rule, fill out the necessary documents, and then drop it by Tohou-sensei."
"Uhh, Nijima-senpai, also, the Newspaper Club President has been sneaking around the Student Council Room again. She's been looking for stories about Kobaya-"
"Not important. Leave."
"But, Kobayakawa's been complaining of harass-"
"Oh, quit it already! Don't bother me with something you can't do on your own!"
"...Ok." Wakabayashi scurried off.
"...Sorry," she whispered.
Part of her wished, against all logic, that Akira could hear that.
She felt it was her time to head out, considering the ruckus she caused.
She had to catch the train early, after all.
Reaching the school steps, she opened her phone to check for any updates from Sae.
Sae: I need to wrap up some paperwork very quick.
Sae: Petty crime cases.
Sae: Shouldn't take too long.
Sae: I'll be there in an hour.
School ended, and Ryuji was beaming. "C'mon, it's not too far!"
Akira couldn't help but imagine Ryuji as one of those giddy, Pavlovian dogs. "Don't drool now. You think I can take back leftovers?"
"I wouldn't judge you if you did."
"Just kidding, I didn't bring any containers."
Ryuji continued to walk on, shrugging with his hands in his pockets. "Your stomach, dude. Just hit me up later if you want to gun runnin' off the 'Mother's Day Five' you'll get after."
They arrived at where Ryuji was staying: a modest apartment complex, with a rice dispensary located out in front. The walkway to Ryuji's flat was narrow, made narrower by a small family moving boxes out of it into a small truck.
And Ann, by the door, leaning forward on the railing.
"Wait," Akira said in disbelief. "Did you invite her along?"
"It's secondhand for her. I've brought her so many times in the past whenever my mom made so much food she has a sixth sense for this shit. Wouldn't have made a difference."
Ann smiled, hands flatly pressed. "I brought containers, so I don't have to eat a cup of noodles tonight."
Ryuji looked peeved. "Why can't you get delivery like-"
In a snap, she walked over and slapped Ryuji in the blink of an eye, tears at the cracks of her eyelids. "Don't be an idiot."
"But-"
"But nothing! You know, I just want something nice tonight before I drop back at the hospital...can't you at least gimme that, Ryuji?"
"Uhh..I..."
Her tears were stacking.
"Oh fine, don't cry. Look, I'm sorry. I'm having a bad day like yours. Just...look, come in. My mom will enjoy seeing you, so I guess that cool."
Ann then snapped back to smiling, hugging Ryuji, who now had a confused look on her face.
Morgana saw everything from a crack in Akira's bag. "Geez...I know I said what I said back in the classroom...but she's something else. A natural manipulator."
Akira smirked. "And a stubborn one. Ryuji has his hands full indeed."
Ryuji then let go of Ann. "Well, Akira, here it is," Ryuji said. "Umm…word of warning: she's going to be real…friendly?"
"What does that mean?"
Ann suddenly had a guilty look on her face.
"It's just her and me. Dad bailed a long time ago. Any guests I bring her…ehh, I guess she's a lonely lady."
"I'll add too that she can be a bit...spacey."
Despite Ryuji's lack of articulation, Akira nodded in understanding. "I got it; I'll show the greatest form of flattery by using my second stomach. Well…shall we?"
Ryuji then opened the door. They were greeted by a bare living room with cheap matting and white walls. Inside was a small futon, a small TV on the floor, and a decently sized, plastic, foldable table with foldable chairs.
The highlight was the food: a portable oven, lit, and heating a large pot of shabu-shabu along with large platters of beef.
"Hey, Ryuji," Akira whispered. "You think the table's going to hold with all of that food?"
"If this table she got last year is new...I'll say...50 percent chance?" Ann replied.
Ryuji sunk his head in his shoulders. "Oh cmon, it's not going to bust like in our middle school days."
An elated cry came from the small kitchen in the back corner. "Oh my god! Takamaki-san!" She began to smother Ann in a firm embrace. "I missed you last year!"
Ann blushed. "Uhh..yeah, it's been a while," she replied, straining for air.
She then switched from hugging Ann to grabbing Akira's face. "Oh my, is this a new track team member? He seems thin enough."
"I'm Akira Kurusu," he responded, air barely escaping his pressed-up cheeks.
"The name's Chihiro Sakamoto, by the way. You running hard for Shujin?"
Ryuji stammered. "Umm...mom, the track team broke up a while back. He's just normal."
She stared blankly at Ryuji. "Oh. Right." She then walked to a hole-in-the-wall that served as a kitchen to grab a pot from the stove. "Forgive me...I took a lot of knocks on the head when Ryuji was young. Don't mind me!"
Ann sighed heavily. "Knocks. Right."
She brought back a large clay pot. "I decided to add a Chinese dish this year. Braised pork belly! You gotta keep your body fed, what you still running on your own and all!"
"Uhh...yeah mom, right," Ryuji said nervously.
There's spacey...and there's this, Akira thought. And she said "knocks on the head" as well?
Ryuji then gave a brief, but uneasy chuckle. "Well guys, let's eat!"
Sae had finished texting Makoto.
She was hunched over her work desk, not bothering to hide her personal flask.
Petty crime, eh? Real lame excuse, Sae.
Today is a special occasion, after all. You need all the time in the world, Sae.
She doesn't need me to be a mess. I could care less about Dad, but Mom...she really doesn't need to see me like that.
She took a long swig. That'll help.
She then overheard the pats on the back her peers were giving to each other. Another robbery case to add to their tallies.
"Tallies," she grumbled. "If I knew I'd sign up for this...I'd gain the habit for the sauce when I was in college."
She heard more from the band of male officers:
"Real luck of the draw back there?"
"Since when is it ever? Shit always puts me on edge."
"Izakaya tonight?"
"But of course. Drinks on me."
Sae sighed.
She started to feel numb again.
She opened her desk drawer. She had her carnations, but buried deep them was a chrysanthemum, instead of her first choice, a sunflower.
She stared at them for a long while.
She smiled sadly. "I just picked these out on the way to work," she muttered. "It's funny; a grieving flower buried in a bunch of carnations."
Her soul was starting to throb. She took another swig.
"It's almost...poetic." She sighed once more, as she stared at the "tallies" kept on a board across from her cubicle space, obsessing over the few slashes she's garnered.
She put the flask to her mouth again.
Her eyes widened. "It's empty." She then ran her hand through her hair. "Shit."
The trio only covered half of what was plated on the table, and the three were bursting at the seams.
Akira could feel his stomach about to tear the surrounding skin. "Ann, is this how it always feels like?"
Ann was about to open her mouth, but she briefly winced and held her belly. "Pretty much. The leftovers feel like this too."
Ryuji was face first on the table. "And yet, not an inch of fat on her," he said, muffled.
Ann leaned in closer. "Were you calling me fat right now?" she said, with creeping malice.
Ryuji, his sense of danger dulled from a food-induced daze, waved Ann off.
"I swear, Ryuji, you utter pig! You should treat women better" she said, grasping at Ryuji's collar. "I've been starting a diet regimen, you know?"
"A diet with less cake? Like that would make a difference, you bottomless pit."
"Urgh! You can be so annoying! I will never know why Shiho says these things about you, you have the consideration of a rock!"
The last comment flew over Ryuji's head, as he was fighting to keep his food down. He didn't fight for too long, as he rushed to the bathroom.
His retching wasn't helping Akira's constitution. "I guess that's why he invited me along, then."
"He always forgets to control himself. This happens EVERY single time." Ann sported the guilty look from before they entered. "But I'm pretty sure that's not the only reason he brought you along."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
She lowered her voice. "Dealing with his mom, it takes a lot out of him. He's not the best with words, so I'll just be straightforward. His dad used to slap him and her around."
"Jeez..."
He then looked at Ryuji's mom, who was busy putting excess food in Ann's containers. "I always overdo it," she said quietly. "Can never make too much. Silly me."
Akira redirected himself back to Ann. "And that thing back there about track?"
"I don't know. I'd almost think it IS because of what his father did to her. I tried to ask exactly how, in an indirect way, but Ryuji didn't want to say anything further." She frowned. "Kamoshida didn't help things. She apologized to Ryuji when he got into trouble with Kamoshida. Probably got messed up from it. So much that she wishes every day Ryuji were still in track, bringing guys from the track team over."
Akira wasn't sure at this point whose mother he should be guilty about: his or Ryuji's.
Ann continued. "He may not act like it all the time, but he beats himself up about it quite a bit, y'know. Mother's Day is always the worst, since she acts the nicest towards him, giving him all of this food when she probably could save time and money by downsizing. I think he feels less awkward if you're with him."
Indeed, the universe has a cruel sense of humor it likes to tell to Ryuji. And to me. "I would assume having you here would be enough."
"You say that, but I can only do so much. Kamoshida didn't help matters either, with Ryuji wondering for the longest while what I was actually doing."
Akira grinned slightly. "He catches up to things slowly."
"An understatement if I ever heard one. In the end, though, I'll get my way."
"So I can see..." He took another look at Ryuji's mom, toiling away still in the kitchen. "I guess I'll help her with packing, then."
Despite wanting to nap, Akira picked himself up and waddled to the kitchen. "I'll help with some of that stuff, if you don't mind."
"Oh, there's no need," she responded. "But, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth." The two then went on divvying the leftovers between Ryuji and Ann.
After a while, Chihiro opened her mouth.
"You know, Ryuji can be such a handful. You, on the other hand, seem quite nice and unassuming. Don't you have a mother waiting on you?"
Akira gave a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, my mom isn't usually available around this time of the year."
Her overbearingly joyous expression dampened for the first time. "You poor thing. You at least talk to her?"
"...Here and there."
"Well, that's better than nothing." She dampened even further. "Ryuji, my boy...he had such a hard time growing up. His dad wasn't the nicest of people. A real brash, cruel fellow. It's terrible for me to say, but I think at times some of that rubs off on him. Always arguing with his coach...picking fights." She then sniffled. "I wish I could be around him more, but I can't. At this rate, he'll...be off..." She sobbed slightly.
For a moment, there was a part of him that wished it was her mom saying this in person.
In the end, something made him want to speak, ignoring whose mom he was talking to.
Something from the heart.
"I think, deep down, your son is trying to be the best person he can be. Although he..."
Akira choked slightly. I can be a bother indeed...
"He can be a bother, believe me. But, at the end of the day...he won't be doing it for a bad reason. You know, when I'm at school, I see it happen. Sometimes, you just have to be a decent kid over being a nice boy. And well..."
We can always be more.
"He is a decent kid who has my back. He's more than meets the eye."
She cleared her nose. "Well...coming from a nice-looking man like you, that's means something. You do well in school?"
"I manage."
She smiled. "I'm glad. Maybe you can help him study and he can help you run. Now that I am looking at you up close, you could get a bit toned."
Ryuji came out of the bathroom, gasping for air. "God, that much food fit into my stomach?"
"Hey Ryuji, why don't you go running with this kid? He might keep you out of trouble, young man!"
He collapsed on the floor next to the futon, staring upwards blearily at Ann. "Another time...Ma. I think we're both stuffed."
Akira's phone began to ring. He recognized the number. "Sojiro? What you need?"
"Not to rush, but someone wants to see you. Says he likes to twirl his phone around like you."
Akira beamed. "Hope I didn't keep him waiting too long."
"Well, he insists on seeing you today. Says he got to tell you something important."
He sighed. "Gimme an hour."
"He'll wait. His gift of gab will prick at my mind until then."
Definitely him. "Sorry, I should get going."
"But of course," Chihiro replied. "Seemed like someone special on the end. Here, take some containers on my end. You can have Ryuji take them back when you're done."
"...You're too much."
"PLEASE!" Ann and Ryuji cried in unison.
"Oh fine, I'll take some."
A few minutes passed, and Akira was carrying three containers full of food, strapped together with rubber bands.
Chihiro led him out. "Well, thanks for coming with Ryuji today. It makes me happy, knowing he's still able to make friends." She bowed slightly in front of Akira. "Please...take care of him...where I can't."
"...I'll try."
Back in Ryuji's apartment, outside Akira's hearing range:
Ann and Ryuji still lazily laid themselves around the general area of the futon.
"Hey...Ryuji...have you been getting a weird app on your phone? I...can't delete it."
Ryuji began to snore.
Ann pouted. "I'll harass you later when you're not drooling."
As Akira walked down the stairs, Akira couldn't help but remember that night by the butsudan.
He imagined his sister was lending an ear from beyond. You know...I promised a while back, Sis, that I would watch over the people that cared for me. I wished it was out of humility...given what happened. But it took me a while to realize it was just a defensive mechanism.
'Not letting anyone die from my selfishness?' Bah. I was just shifting to a different selfishness.
I realize now that such care is a heavy weight that's worth bearing.
But if I get out of this safe and sound...what after that?
I was hardy enough to bear the weight of Mishima, the pitiful sack. After Kamoshida (alive, preferably) and his sick, twisted system of sadism is dealt with, I wonder whether there'll be a need to bear a weight past that.
Then...
He pulled out more of Takemi's empty vials.
There's the question is how heavy of a weight you want to carry. Assuming...I can do that.
I hope when I face Kamoshida...I'll be able to decide that, then and there.
"Well, tonight we feast! Aren't we, Morgana?"
"But of course!"
Akira awkwardly fumbled with his containers through the door to LeBlanc.
"Does the fridge have space?" Akira said.
Sojiro turned around, his eyes wide for a brief moment. He then snorted. "Yeah sure. Not like I wanted to keep other things in the fridge. Just hand them to me, and I'll find some room."
"Ahh…I've finally caught up with you."
His eyes lightened a bit, and his hands loosened up. "Uncle? What are you doing here?"
"To torture me," Sojiro replied snappily. "Seriously, who did you panhandle to get this much food?!"
"What do you think, boy? To see you, of course!" he replied, raising his glass of coffee. He was dressed up in a white and black kannushi, the tall black hat accompanying it placed to his side. "Forgive me, I'm probably not supposed to present myself without my hat on, but please sit!"
At the base of the stool on which his uncle sat was a red-eyed, white dog, wearing an orange vest.
Akira raised his eyebrows. "I wouldn't expect someone like Sojiro to let pets in."
"Pfft," Sojiro replied. "I don't. But, it's empty today, so I don't care."
Ryuzaki chortled. "He is SUCH a liar. He loves pets. He used to feed strays when we grew up together as children."
"Childhood friends, eh?" Akira replied. That DOES make sense. Mom…..mom would probably have more stories about this.
Suddenly, the dog stood up and pawed upward.
"Hmm, he seems more enthusiastic than usual," Ryuzaki commented.
The dog then nudged at Akira's school bag and then barked.
"Shit! Is that a dog out there?!" Morgana yelped.
Ryuzaki then had a toothy grin. "Oh my, I might have spoken too soon! Ren, my boy, what DO you have stored in your bag?"
Akira scowled. "I HATE it when you sport that devilish grin." I also can't let him see all of the equipment in my bag . "Sorry, Morgana, play along, or otherwise he'll just drag you out of the bag."
Akira opened his bag, and Morgana jumped out onto the floor and meowed. Koromaru, in response, leaned forward playfully, its tail waggling.
Ryuzaki leaned forward to pet him. "I think your feline friend made him into a puppy again!" He then walked over and stared at the black cat that appeared
Sojiro stormed over to see. "No wonder I heard meowing. Why?!"
Akira shrugged. "He had no home. Wouldn't stop harassing me, so I brought him home."
"This is a restaurant though!" Sojiro replied.
Koromaru then barked.
"I believe the dog said 'But what about me?'" Ryuzaki said while simpering.
Sojiro sighed. "Well, I suppose it'll be good for him to channel his energies into something positive."
Akira became toothy. "You said that last time when she was here though!"
Sojiro grimaced, red hot and with a canine brandished. "You ass; just keep him upstairs when I'm open." He pivoted to Ryuzaki. "I'm sorry for ever doubting you. You are INDEED his uncle. Or at the very least, related."
"I heard a 'she' though. " Ryuzaki quipped.
Sojiro then had a self-amused look on his face. "Yes, a very fine, respectable lady known as Makoto. The student council president no less, and he bags her for a study date within his first week."
"And we'll leave it at that, thank you very much," Akira interjected.
Ryuzaki beamed, his voice lighter. "Such a carnivore! Though I don't understand why you're so se-cre-tive about it. Seems like you still have some grass-eating parts left in you, you wallflower!"
"….I am not a wallflower. Nor am I a herbivore."
His uncle continued. "…You know, I think I see pink petals growing out your ears…"
"Sadist."
Sojiro shook his head. "This schmaltz of you guys. Seriously, go outside if you're going to be like this."
Ryuzaki finished his cup. "You know, I will do that. The boy has to catch up to speed on a lot of things. Come, Ren. You can leave your cat here."
"I'll stay," Morgana said, leaping from a stool to Akira's shoulder. "Your uncle though is giving me a weird look."
"I guess the feline wants to tag along. Fine, he can listen, the eavesdropper."
"Wait," Sojiro said. "...You name it already?"
"It's Morgana," Akira responded.
Sojiro's head tilted down slightly.
"Told you he was a cat person," Ryuzaki said, still simpering as he opened LeBlanc's door.
"SHUT UP!"
Ryuzaki and company were now in the alleyway, the sun still golden. "I love that man. He isn't giving you a hard time, is he?"
"I guess not. He tried to in the beginning. But he loosened up."
"Good. Now...I have things to tend to. You hear of the Meiji Shrine?"
Koromaru barked happily.
Akira gave a half-smile. "Everyone does."
Ryuzaki then caught the attention of a blue butterfly, which rested on his right shoulder. "Care to join me? We can walk and talk on the way."
"I suppose that's fine."
Makoto opened her eyes. She found herself at the graveyard, located in an enclave of trees not too far from the Meiji shrine. Its tombstones greeted her, casting their deep, dark shadows on each other. She was already in front of the right row. Now...she just had to wait, carnations hoisted on her arm.
A breeze started to roll in, loosening the petals and separating Makoto's hair by the strands. A quick walk later, and she found the pair of the hour: the ashes of Kazuhito Nijima, laid next to those of his wife, Hinata, "Sunflower".
For the first time, since forever, she felt tired enough to get on her knees. Thanks to Kurusu...
She sat on the gravel between the two gravestones, the setting sun straight in her face so that everything else around her washed out.
She felt like saying something in the meantime.
"I...don't really do this. Talking as if you'd hear me...it's...silly. Doesn't make sense to do it. I've been trying to keep it at just looking at your stuff in the box, from time to time..."
She paused again.
"But I am."
She bowed her head.
"You know, I've been trying my best as of late."
The wind, picking up, whistled through the pair.
"I really thought I was taking control of things. I thought, for the longest while after you joined Mom, I would grow up like Sae. Handle everything my own way."
Whispers.
"I realized I haven't been honest with myself. I've been just going along, doing what I've been told is...appropriate. And even then...I can't help but think..."
She paused, straining to find her next words.
"No. I can't help but start to feel good and appropriate are not the same. Which is a shame since...I don't know where you and Sae fit in anymore. Which camp you fit in. Whether...there's anything worth keeping."
Her throat started to hurt.
"It's especially worse since...everything related to you guys just feels so cold now. Sae is lifeless. And you're not here. And now...there's this boy. An odd boy; unlikely Sis would enjoy his company. And yet...after just a week, I can't help but feel a warmth I haven't felt since...before you joined Mom."
She bit her bottom lip, fidgeting about.
"This is all so embarrassing. I'm just a stupid, immature kid."
She then heard an eerily familiar voice:
"Seeing your sister as of late, that probably isn't a bad thing."
She looked up. A figure, darkened by the exposure of the sun and having a billowy, curly outline around its head, approached her. The figure got sharper...revealing...
Herself.
But with some noticeable differences: Yellow eyes; dark, gray shirt, the shirt having tears sealed with silver bangs, ripped leggings; and a lock and chain wrapped tightly around her neck.
Makoto grimaced. "I haven't had this vivid of a dream since-"
"Dad died? Shame, you should dream more."
"I doubt I'll be having this dream long," Makoto replied curtly.
"But, then again, you're a walking, talking calculator. Driven by logic and repression. You'd never let yourself open to the vision of your mind unless prodded to your limits."
Makoto looked down. "Nijimas are hot-blooded. You saw how I was today. Some self-limitation seems prudent."
"That?" her other self replied. "You wouldn't be exploding like that if you didn't pretend you were someone you were not."
"Pray tell what you mean," she said, scowling.
Her other self crossed her dreams. "Pretending to be like Sis? Like 'Dad'? You could be so much more than that. To pursue righteousness over lawfulness?"
"I'm already trying to be more than that!" she yelled.
"What, snapping out at people? Telling them to do something they couldn't do on your own? Sounds like Sis to me. Perhaps you'll acquire a taste for alcohol that'll rival your thirst for water."
Makoto choked on her own words.
"There you go. Suppression again." She then reached for the cremation urn placed at the patriarch's grave. "Refusing to get enough courage to take the first step on your own. You're only good at following orders, scooping through the ashes of adults superior to you." She then poured it on the ground.
"BASTARD!"
Makoto charged at her specter, ready to take her down and then some. She reached out for her hand, in an attempt to twist her around. Her other self, though, straightened her arm out and clotheslined her.
Her other self flipped Makoto over, leaned her entire weight on Makoto's arm, pinning her down with her knee.
"Do you feel it? This is how I felt. You just never bothered to feel anything to register it. Because THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS when you aspire for results! What happens to Sae when she aspires for results!"
"I...I...that's..."
"And now, my dear, you've overextended yourself. Something has to give. What is it? Your precious case against Kobayakawa and Kamoshida...or something else? Look ahead and maybe you'll reach the enlightenment I ask of you."
Makoto put her head up and saw a pink, lotus flower sprout from the washed out ground.
"...A lotus flower?"
"The OTHER name for it, Honor Student!"
She thought about it for a brief moment.
Then...it hit her heart. Hard.
"...'Ren'..."
"Yes. You remember what he said? That he was basically going to do it 'the right way.' What does it mean, I wonder? You remember him on the rooftop. The outbursts. The implication's there. Would you let him be, knowing he might do something reckless? Reckless...something you promised against. Promised, for his sake so emptily, when you are currently so disconnected from everyone, you can't even back up those words with anything substantial. It's a shame, since that would be the only significantly righteous gesture you've done in a while. Kindness, my dear, can add up...if you tried to not be concerned about everything fitting in place."
Makoto voice was wavering. "I...there has to be a way..."
Her other self grunted and let go. "Fine. Have it your way for now. You'll see soon enough. With the trajectory Sae's been going down, with all her self-loathing...you'll decide soon enough on one or the either. You don't have the luxury to dither." She leaned into Makoto's ear. "You can wake up now. Your destination's here."
Makoto's eyes shot open. The train she was on was empty, except for the carnations she had gotten for today.
Walking over to the cemetery, she couldn't help but wonder...if perhaps her heart was screaming something true.
Like always, the gravestones were located in an enclave of trees not too far from the Meiji shrine.
They cast their deep, dark shadows on each other. She was already in front of the right set of gravestones.
Now...she just had to wait, carnations hoisted on her arm.
Waiting to be proven wrong by the 'darkness' inside of her.
A breeze started to roll in, loosening the petals and separating Makoto's hair by the strands.
A few minutes later, she saw Sae in the distance, holding her flowers.
She noticed her stumbling.
The horror she was witnessing, and the shame of not seeing her sister's destitution, made Makoto stare longingly for her sister to come back.
Notes: Existential crises for 500, please.
Anyways, despite how slow this story might be going, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter part, especially after the doozy that was the last update. Hope to get the last part of this chapter out next week, so I can get working on the finale to this arc.
Stay tuned...