Chapter 3 : Love
4 year old Hiro sat at the park playing with his toys while waiting for Tadashi to come back with ice cream. He looked at up from his spot under the shade to see a couple pass by, holding hands. The girl was all cuddled up with the boy and they were giggling about something. Now for any 4 year old, it is weird and maybe disgusting. ' Girls has cooties. Girls are weird... etc', that always comes to mind for a child but not Hiro. Hiro was curious. Very curious. A sudden squeal made him avert his gaze to the source of the sound. A father happily threw his kid up in the air. The child squeal in laughter and the mother laugh at the two's antics. A dog started to bark, wagging its tail for the owner to throw the ball.
All of these sounds and sight made Hiro curious about these things that are happening in the park. "Maybe Tadashi knows", he thought. Shrugging he went back to playing his robots. "Hiro". Hiro looked up to see 10 year old Tadashi walking to him with ice cream in his hands. A huge grin was plastered on Hiro's face at the sight of the sugary treats.
Today, they were at the park as always. But this time, Tadashi has a book with him and was planning to read it while Hiro played with his toys. Tadashi leaned against the tree that they were underneath and started to read his book, determine to finish it before going back to the cafe. Laughter caught Hiro's attention to which he abandon playing his toys to watch the people at the park. Since it was the beginning of autumn, leaves were falling around them with their different shades of orange and red. A picture of romance, one might say with its colours of orange, yellow, brown and red. A couple was playing in one of the leaf piles.
Throwing leaves at each other and running around was their game. Hiro turned to look at Tadashi who seem really absorbed in his reading. Hiro pouted. Another set of couples pass by them and he caught the last few words said to each other. " I love you". And then they kissed. Hiro scrunched up his nose when they kissed. " Tadashi doesn't kiss me on the lips. Why would the guy want to do that?", thought Hiro. " Hey Dashi", said Hiro, looking at Tadashi. " Hmm?", was his response. " Why do people kiss?". " Hmm... because they want to".
Hiro's eyes dropped into a bored look. " Really, Dashi? Because they want to? Why?". " Because they love each other. I don't know. It's a grown up thing". " Kissing is a grown up thing? But you always kiss me on the head. Are you a grown up?". " Yeah...I am...You're my little brother so I have every right to kiss you", said Tadashi, not bothering to look up from his book. " Even on the lips?", asked Hiro. " Even on the lips", replied Tadashi. A few silence before, " EH!?". Tadashi immediately looked up from his book to stare at Hiro. " Wait...what?".
Hiro blinked at Tadashi. " You said you can kiss me on the lips". Tadashi flushed a bright red. " No!", he yelled, " Only couples do that. Not brothers". " Even Aunt Cass?". " Even Aunt Cass". Hiro stared at Tadashi, unsure. " Why?". Tadashi hesitated before answering Hiro, " Because she is family". "So family don't kiss each other on the lips?". Tadashi nodded, still bright red. " Dashi, are you ok? You're all red". Tadashi nodded furiously, " Yeah. Come on knucklehead, let's go home".
Hiro stomped his way up to his room, angry. He threw his bag unto the floor and flung himself unto his bed. Angry tears welled up in his brown eyes. Furiously wiping them, he sniffed and that only caused more tears to spill from his eyes. " Stupid school", muttered Hiro, angry. " HIRO!", yelled Tadashi. " COME DOWN HERE NOW!". "NO!", shouted Hiro. " HIRO!", yelled Tadashi, a tone of anger can be heard in his voice. " NOOO", yelled Hiro.
Angry footsteps trudge up the staircase and Tadashi furiously crossed over to Hiro's bed. " Why would you slam the cafe door like that!? You know how Aunt Cass doesn't like it. And you shouldn't ignore Aunt Cass by not greeting her. Hiro, are you listening?", said Tadashi, angry and annoyed. Hiro continued to ignore his brother's scolding. " Hiro", Tadashi grabbed Hiro by his arm and yanked him up, " Answer me". " No". " No what?". " No", said Hiro, trying to pull his arm away from Tadashi. " No what? No, that you shouldn't slam the door or ignore Aunt Cass or no, that you aren't listening to me and answering me".
" No", another failed attempt to pull his arm away. " HIRO! ENOUGH AND JUST ANSWER ME!", yelled Tadashi, annoyed and angry with Hiro's attitude. " NOOO!", yelled Hiro, tears spilling from his eyes. " Let go", was Hiro's answer. Tadashi shook Hiro before shoving him away. " Fine, be like that. Apologize to Aunt Cass now". Hiro didn't move or look at Tadashi. " Hiro, I'm sick and tired of this attitude! Just go and apologize to Aunt Cass NOW!", shouted Tadashi. Hiro finally turned to look at Tadashi, tears sliding down his face.
Tadashi was taken aback for awhile. His brother looked so hurt and lost. " Hiro?", he asked quietly. Hiro sniffed and started to rubbed at his eyes. " Hiro, what's wrong?", asked Tadashi, sitting next to Hiro. " Why doesn't mummy and daddy come back? Why?", asked Hiro, sniffing. Tadashi froze for awhile before he started to blink away tears. " They're gone, that's why". " They don't love me?". Tadashi's head shot up so fast to stare at Hiro. " What? Of course not. Hiro", Tadashi grabbed Hiro's shoulders, " Mummy and daddy loved you very much. They loved you so much that ...", he choked on his words. " Dashi?". Hiro blinked.
The next thing he knew, his face was buried into Tadashi's chest. " Mummy and daddy loves you", Tadashi muttered. Tears spilled from Hiro's eyes again. " Why would you think that?", asked Tadashi. " Some boys in my class said that the reason I don't have a mummy and daddy was that they didn't love me". Tadashi felt anger boiled in his chest. How dare these kids tell his baby brother that. " Dashi...". Tadashi tighten his hold unto Hiro. " Yeah?". " You love me, right?".
He tighten his hug. " I love you , baby brother". Pulling back, Tadashi cupped Hiro's cheek. " Remember this, I'll always love you no matter what. No matter if we were far apart from each other, or if we are in school or if we have nightmares and I'm not there to comfort you. I'll always love you". Hiro nodded and started to cry. That's what he needed. Reassurance. So for the next 10 years, Hiro made it his job to say ' I love you' to Tadashi and Aunt Cass. Little did they know, that Hiro's ' I love you' would be the last one to Tadashi on the day of the showcase.
Footsteps stopped at a certain tombstone. Hiro kneeled down only to trace the name craved in the stone. ' Tadashi Hamada'. Hiro felt tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. Sniffing, he rubbed his eyes only for more to spill out. He couldn't take it anymore. He choked back a sob but it soon escaped from his mouth. "Tadashi...Nii san", said Hiro, resting his forehead unto the tombstone. Cold, was what he was feeling. A hole that cannot be filled. " I never got to say ' I love you'". He broke down sobbing. " Nii san... nii san, I love you... I love you... I love you, Nii san...Nii san". He repeated it again and again as tears kept on flowing.
Hiro didn't sense anybody creeping up behind him nor did he see Baymax's arms coming around him. Baymax didn't say anything but to let Hiro cry out. He clutched unto the robot's soft arms and buried his face into Baymax's chest. " Nii san.. nii san...". A soft warm breeze ruffled his hair. Hiro felt a certain stroke on his cheek as if someone was stroking it. He looked up just in time to hear a soft ' I love you, little brother'.
It's what some people would say. Love is really powerful and you can't forget it. No matter how, who, when or why, Love is really something that cannot be broken no matter how old you get or lost.