Finally an update! *trumpet sounds* This one was definitely fun to write : - )

Note: To a Guest Reviewer, if written a certain way, the kanji for 'touketsu' or 'toketsu' can be interpreted as 'freeze' or 'frozen'. So 'Touketsu Daze' can be translated as 'Freeze Daze' or 'Frozen Daze', the same way 'Kagerou Daze' means 'Heat Haze Daze'. Just that I couldn't really find a good word for 'Freeze Haze Daze' :p

Hope that makes things clearer!

Read and review please~


Looking back on all his happy memories, Shintaro could probably pinpoint the exact moment everything went to hell and the sadness started to seep in.


February 15, years ago.

Momo: 7

Shintaro: 8


"A-A-ACHOO!"

Kaa-san tsked at the thermometer. "There's no other explanation, dear: you have a fever. Probably because of all the snowballs you and Momo threw at each other yesterday. I'm afraid this is just what you get."

Shintaro sniffled miserably and tried to pull a pillow over his head, only to sneeze again and drop it. "Hnnn..."

"How come I'm not sick then, kaa-san?" Momo asked and watched her brother with wide eyes, looking guilty.

Tou-san tussled her orange hair. "I'm afraid you're a bit stronger than your frail big brother."

"H-hey! I'm not frail!" Shintaro protested, looking like a very indignant, sick kitten under the blankets. "I can still come skating with you guys."

"Not a chance, Shintaro," kaa-san reprimanded. "You're much too ill. You're staying home so I can take care of you."

Momo jumped up, winter boots thumping on the floorboards in alarm. "But you said all of us would go skating today, kaa-san! Because there wasn't enough time to go yesterday. You said so remember?"

"Yes, Momo, I know. But can't you see that your brother isn't well right now?"

"Well, yeah but-!"

"Exactly, and he needs rest in order to get well again."

"Hmm..." Momo's expression dimmered. Shintaro could only look at her apologetically from his bed.

"Don't be so disappointed sweetie, you and your father can still go skating by yourselves."

"Sure, but it won't be the same..." Momo trailed off. "Hmmm, maybe we should all stay home then? If onii-chan and kaa-san can't come with us, what's the point..."

"No, you two should still go," Shintaro said, trying not to strain his voice. "You said that you wanted to skate yesterday, and you were pretty bummed when we had to go home before we could get to it. You should go and do it if you want to. Want to?"

Momo nodded. "Yup, of course. But what about you guys?"

"I'm fine with not going. Shintaro needs me here," their mother assured, already preparing medicine for Shintaro to swallow. Based on the thick, dark purple coloring of the bottle, Shintaro could already tell that it would taste terrible. He pushed it out of his mind before he could gag. "I don't mind if you go or not, but it's getting warmer every day; this might be the last time this winter that the ice will be solid enough to go skating at all. Just something to consider."

"I don't mind either!" Tou-san quipped up. "Whether you want to stay home or not, Mo, I'm good. Although I wouldn't mind going for one last spin on the ice."

"See? So you should go," said Shintaro.

Momo turned back and forth at all three of her family members, looking very conflicted. She finally stopped in front of her brother. "But, but! What about you?"

Shintaro smiled and straightened up as best as he could, resting against the bedframe. "It was your birthday yesterday, not mine. I can tell you really want to go."

"But I-"

"It's not your fault I'm sick. I'd want you to go have fun in my place. For some weird reason, you're a better skater than me anyway," he teased.

"Hmph. I have to be better than you with at least one thing, onii-chan," Momo pouted. "Sure, though?"

"Yeah, don't feel guilty about it. I'm fi - achoo! - I'm gonna be fine."

"Super sure?"

"Uhn."

Momo let out a breath in defeat. "Okay then, onii-chan. I'll tell you about it later. You better get better soon."

Their father beamed at them. "That's the spirit Mo! And looky here~" he started unwrapping the red scarf around his neck. With a quick swish in the air, it was suddenly re-wrapped it around Shintaro. "My lucky scarf will keep Shin extra warm. Now he'll definitely be all better by the time we get back."

Their mother scoffed, hands crossed over. "If he miraculously gets better in a mere day it'll be because of rest and medicine. Luck plays no part."

Tou-san feigned a look of offense. "What? Of course, it does," he wrapped a hand across his wife's waist. "It gives you the morale to become strong and healthy. Meds are only half the battle; you need a strong mind to pull you over the other half. Luck's a good source of it. Make good use of it, 'kay Shin?"

"Sure, thank you, tou-san," muffled Shintaro from under his newly given 'luck'.

Momo giggled at their father's antics while kaa-san rolled her eyes, though they all knew this meant she was amused on the inside. Shintaro laughed under his scarf. It was like their father had enough cheer to fill a stadium, which was just about the amount needed to make his stoic, serious-minded wife smile. They're really different from each other but still come together. I hope all couples are like this, he often thought when he looked at his parents.

Their mom sighed and started adjusting her husband's coat to better cover his now bare neck. "You two should get going," she said while securing Momo's hat. "Come home after a few hours only, not when it's already dark. I won't have you getting lost in the woods."

"Yes, dear," Father chuckled, kissing her lips and then Shintaro's forehead. "We'll be back by dinner. See you, Shin. Let's go, Mo!"

"Bye, kaa-san! Bye, onii-chan!" Momo waved from their tou-san's arms, carrying her out the door of her brother's bedroom. She was still waving when Shintaro looked out at them from his window as they walked away from the house.

He kept looking until their dad turned around to wave goodbye himself, and just like that, he and Momo had disappeared over the hill that led to the nearby pond.

"Bye..." he mouthed and slipped back into bed, feeling colder already.

"I'll be right back, Shintaro," kaa-san called from outside the room, already down the hall in search of things to help him. "Just sit tight."

"'Kay."

Shintaro pawed at the red fabric tangled around his shoulders. It was warm, soft, and didn't fit him at all. It was too big. Too bright. Too red. Not him. It looked much better on his father and his loud, happy personality, Shintaro decided.

Shintaro hoped he'd be feeling better soon so he could give it back when they returned.


After eagerly eating two bowls of red-bean soup, reading several not girly and completely manly manga and generally being doted on by his mother for the entire day, Shintaro was left feeling quite content and sleepy. He almost felt less sick too and his coughing/sneezing had definitely decreased. He was feeling well enough that tou-san and Momo were no longer the only things on his mind.

They were for Kaa-san's mind, however. "Where are those two? They've been gone much too long. It's already past dinnertime!"

"Mmmmaybe they had so much fun they forgot the time," Shintaro offered, struggling to keep his eyelids up.

"That's not an excuse," she insisted, worry leaking into her strict tone. "Momo's going to catch a cold too at this point and your father isn't answering his phone. Honestly, that man..!" She turned and left the living room, coming back in just a moment.

"Kaa-san? Why are you putting on your jacket and boots?" Shintaro was barely awake at this point - otherwise, the answer would've been obvious.

"Going down to the pond to bring them home, and to give your father a serious lecture. Go ahead and sleep Shintaro, I won't be out for long."

Quickly pecking her son's cheek and pulling her husband's scarf a bit snugger around his neck, Mrs. Kisaragi left the house and started on her trek with determination.

Hearing the door click shut, Shintaro laid down on the couch and buried himself under the cushions. Finally, he let his eyes close. With one last thought, Shintaro drifted off into the world of sleep without a second one.

I hope I wake up by the time they come back.


Shintaro didn't wake up until much later. Stirring slowly, his eyes opened to see that the house had turned pitch black, a stark contrast to the pretty sunset the sky had been when his mother left. He turned his head side to side leisurely as he adjusted to the darkness. His family hadn't returned yet, he guessed. If they had then the lights would be on and Momo would have shaken him awake instead.

"What time is it?" Shintaro muttered to himself in the dark, rubbing his eyes and not-as-snotty nose. Kaa-san's medicine and the nap he just took seemed to have sped up his recovery even more. At this rate, maybe he would get better by tomorrow and make this one of the few times tou-san proved kaa-san wrong about something.

"Should I go back to sleep or-"

Suddenly, the knob of the front door rattled and turned, and footsteps could be heard outside. Shintaro snapped his head towards the sounds. Ah, they were back now! He had woken up just in time after all, what luck.

The door opened before Shintaro could get off the couch and open it. Nevertheless, he got up to go greet them, breezy red fabric trailing behind him. "Welcome back! You're a bit late though." Shintaro smiled in the darkness. He got no response from the people at the door.

Odd. Shintaro quickened his pace over to them. He could make out only one silhouette and as he got closer he saw that it was kaa-san. She looked to be carrying Momo in her arms. There was no other shadow, though, and a quick glance behind his mom told Shintaro that there was no one standing behind her either.

That beginnings of a bad feeling churned in Shintaro's belly. He switched on the lights. "Kaa-san, where's tou-"

Now able to see clearly, the boy's eyes widened and the words left his throat. His mother and his sister... they were completely soaked wet. So much that a puddle of pond water was pooling at his mom's feet. She hung her head low and didn't seem to be looking at him; her eyes had disappeared behind her wet, dark hair.

"K-Kaa-san...?"

Still no answer from the woman. Averting his panicking stare to the little girl being carried in her arms, Shintaro swore his heart stopped when he realized that Momo was unconscious. For a few seconds, he felt close to fainting himself until he saw that she was breathing. Breathing and shivering in her dripping clothes.

Shivers crawling up his own back, Shintaro bolted as fast as a sickly, nonathletic almost nine-year-old boy could sprint.

"KAA-SAN! Kaa-san, tell me! What happened? Where's tou-san? Is Momo okay?!" He raced his mouth off with question after question, trying to grip at his mother's wet jacket. She was freezing, and it only fueled her son's fear. A terrible thought had popped into his mind. A logical, but terrifying answer. He rejected it immediately.

"Okaa-san, please! Tell me what happened! Please!" He begged and begged. Her silence was deafening. It was as if she couldn't hear him, see him, or even knew he was there. Tears were streaming done the boy's cheeks when his mother finally decided to move from her standstill at the door. Still clutching her small daughter, Mrs. Kisaragi walked calmly into the house, ignoring the dirty footprints she left and ignoring the son she left at the doorframe as well.

Shintaro followed her footsteps anxiously. Distressed, he watched as his emotionless mother drew a warm bath, washed and then clothed his little sister who was only starting to wake up. Kaa-san didn't draw a bath or bring out new clothes for herself. She just kept staring into empty space, at her children as if they themselves were empty space.

Shintaro's smart mind kept whirling and twirling with possibilities, excuses, anything that could explain the wet clothes and his mother's withdrawal. And it always, always ended up at that one awful rotten, scary answer...

Is, is tou-san...?

He continued to ignore it, desperate even and resigned himself to watch his mother lay Momo (who seemed to be falling into a proper sleep) down onto her bed from a creak in the door.

He backed away when she came out, still dripping wet and apathetic. He could almost see her eyes. They would be dead-looking, probably. Shintaro couldn't bring himself to speak even with his brain shouting at him to keep asking questions until he got an answer, instead bracing himself for more silence.

"Shintaro," she said suddenly, ironically, in a voice he could barely hear. He jolted up and forced himself to look her in the eyes. He could actually see them clearly. They were dead-looking.

"Watch your sister for me, please," Mrs. Kisaragi said, voice hollow and robotic-like. Again, Shintaro's mouth failed him and he could only squeak out an "okay." She seemed to have no more words to say, and Shintaro found himself actually welcoming the silence.

Taking a step away from him, his mother abruptly turned back around to him as if realizing something. Her dead eyes locked with his shaking ones and traveled downwards, falling onto the red scarf around his neck.

No.

Kaa-san's dead eyes didn't look so dead anymore.

No way.

Dead eyes didn't cry.

There's no way, there's no way!

Dead-eyed people didn't begin sobbing and then run to their bedroom and lock the door and crumple to the floor so they could cry even louder.

No, no no no nono...

Shintaro's blood flowed cold and his hands started shaking.

Please... no...

Now it was Shintaro who was staring into space. The answer swirled freely around his mind, free of any restraints besides his own weakening denial. His insides began to get colder and colder.

Tou-san, t-tou-san's... he's- he can't be!

"Onii-chan? What's going on?"

Shintaro whipped around and came face-to-face with the Momo's eyes, which still seemed a bit dozy from her short-lived nap and long-lived unconsciousness. She yawned and rubbed them. "Why is kaa-san crying?"

Shintaro surged forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Momo! Are you feeling better?! Hurry, tell me everything! Exactly what happened when you were out," Shintaro urged, shaking her a little bit.

"Oh, well! Tou-san and I had a lot of fun. We skated for hours and hours. I didn't want to leave," Momo smiled.

"Yes and?"

"And what?"

"What happened after that?! When you guys were supposed to come home? Tell me the truth. Something must have happened! " he cried, frustrated at her obliviousness.

A faint shadow crept over Momo's face. "Hmm, well tou-san said it was time to go home, but I still wanted to skate to the middle of the pond just once. Tou-san said it wasn't safe, but I thought it would be okay since it was only me."

The sweat beaded at Shintaro's forehead chilled and he could feel his stomach begin to freeze over as well. Oh. No.

"But when I went to the middle, I think.. the ice started cracking a little..." The memory made her voice waver a bit. "I think I heard tou-san yelling, probably because he was mad I went to the middle..." Momo looked positively pale now as if she was remembering something she had tried hard to forget. "Then, I had a nightmare."

"..w-what was it?" Shintaro managed to squeak out. The answer was glaringly clear, but he would rather deny it for as long as forever.

"It was so scary, onii-chan! I dreamed I was under the water and drowning. It was so cold and dark and I couldn't swim up for air!" Momo gestured wildly, trying to recreate it. "Even though it wasn't real, I thought I'd drown for sure. But then, out of nowhere, there was tou-san! He gave me a push up to the surface and then I could breathe! But then... when I was swimming up, I looked back down and I saw tou-san sinking underneath until I couldn't see him..."

Shintaro's breath hitched, his heart stopped, and all of the hope he had left died in his chest.

"Hmm, I don't really know why; it was a weird nightmare. I think I even saw a snake or something, but at least by that I know it was just a dream."

It felt as if his entire body was encased in ice and starting to crack, just as Momo had described the pond. He felt his hands go limp on her shoulders. A dream...

"After that, though, I felt someone carry me from the water and now I'm back home here. I'm sure it was tou-san, so don't worry about my scary nightmare onii-chan! Where is tou-san anyway?"

Shintaro sank to his knees, trying and doing anything to steady himself. This wasn't happening. This was not happening. This. Was. Not. Happening.

"Onii-chan?"

Only it was happening. He brought his hands to his temples, his chest heaving back and forth.

"Onii-chan?! What's wrong?!" Momo asked terrified, much like her brother himself had done. And now like kaa-san to him, he ignored his younger sister's cries. He understood her stoicism now. He wondered if he looked into a mirror, would his eyes look dead too?

He definitely didn't feel dead, though, only a spiraling, dark pain that only seemed to be growing. Whatever denial or shock he had tried to shield himself with had flung off, allowing the reality and despair of the situation to hit him full force. If anything, he felt more alive than he had ever before and hated it immensely.

The endless stream of tears had finally unlatched his eyes and he crumpled completely to the floor and clutched his heart, like his mother had- no, still was doing a few rooms over. Her wailing seemed to get quieter, but only because he himself was sobbing.

Momo could only stare and hug his crumpled form in hopelessness. "Onii-chan.. please, I don't understand. T-tell me... why are you and kaa-san crying?" she pleaded while starting to cry as well. "Tell me: where's tou-san?"

Shintaro shakingly looked up and blinked at her through all the water. His nose ran snottily again, the medicine and extra sleep failing within an instant. His eyes settled on Momo's confused, frightened face, locks of her hair starting to spring up again as it dried.

Her hair's orange. Like his.

With less than a shout as warning, Shintaro leaped up and tackled her, crushing his sister in a hug as he finally said what his mother's eyes had been trying to tell him the moment she walked in.

"T-tou..."

His eyes and smile.

"...s-s-san..."

His smile and hugs.

"...he's..."

His red scarf that shouldn't be around my neck.

"...gone."

We're never going to see him again.