Disclaimer: Not mine
Notes: Post series, spoilers apply. Filler fic for 'Children of Tomorrow' (spoilers also apply). This, like the previous chapter, is a prequel of sorts. The title is gacked from Paranoia Agent, IIRC.
--
It had been a year ago today.A year since he had woken up to the phone ringing. A year since he lost the one thing that had kept him sane after he lost his wife. A year that seemed to stretch on forever, without so much as a hint of relief.
Or, as the local newspaper had put it, a year since Kijima Kenji and his wife had died in an automobile accident.
It just wasn't fair, damn it. Kenji had been his world. He had taken care of him as a child, watched him as he grew up, cried like a baby at his wedding, loved him more than anything in the world... and now all he had left of his son were memories and a clipping of the obituary.
Koji tried to remind himself that there was nothing anyone-- Kenji, himself, even the other driver who had lost control of the wheel-- could have done. It had been an unhappy twist of fate, nothing else.
Fate wasn't much of a condolence as he finished his dinner for one, cleaned up, and went to bed. But it was the truth.
There was nothing he could do to get his family back.
--
Koji's morning was similar to his evening: he ate and did his housework alone. But for whatever reason, his heart wasn't as heavy as it was last night. And while he was glad about that it also perplexed him to some degree. There had to be some reason as to why he was feeling better than he had all year...
... And then, as the young man entered his home, Koji had all the reason he needed.
"Hey, Grandpa!" Daichi paused only to take off his shoes before making his way to the kitchen. "Please tell me you've got breakfast ready. Oh, I think I did okay on that Algebra test yesterday. At least I hope I did."
The reason, of course, being that his grandson was home from college for the weekend.