Thy Father's Sins
Chapter 2. Doll with a Child
Tsuzuki found himself following the boy through the ominously large gate, trying not to seethe all the way as he was led through a well-kept garden and into the house. Still, it was hard not to stare at anything he saw; he had been to a lot of places in his 70 years as a shinigami but he had rarely seen a house that showed such…antiquity. He was almost afraid to touch anything.
When they entered, Tsuzuki hastily removed his shoes and was given slippers. Miya, the servant girl who had followed them from outside, was quick to act as she prepared slippers for them.
I should have known, Tsuzuki thought, scratching his head a little. Kamakura is the home of old lineages. Families here must not be broken from the 13th century or something. They must be descendants of shogunates…even emperors. This last thought made him chuckle but he quickly smothered it. From the looks of this house, it felt like such an act would be forbidden.
"Miya will show you to your room, Sensei," Kurosaki-san told him, finally turning to face him once more. "She will also arrange the room for you, which I hope they have kept arranged."
Miya nodded although the master did not turn to her.
"...You may also dine at your leisure. Your food will be served at your room. Please do not wander the house alone; its enormous state has caused some guests, even servants, to lose their way. Some rooms are also private."
The hostility Tsuzuki felt against the boy started to build once more. He's acting all grown-up! he thought to himself.
The boy seemed to pause and Tsuzuki felt a momentary alarm that he had somehow shown his resentment but the boy only swayed a little before stepping back, his face turned away. "Please, I hope you will rest first before attending to your patient."
"Patient?" Tsuzuki asked in alarm.
Kurosaki-san paused before frowning. "You were not told? Your patient is my mother, Kurosaki Rui."
"Oh." Tsuzuki felt the insane need to laugh, which he swallowed and turned into a cough. "Of course. I had thought there was…I mean…"
"Never mind." The boy started to draw back. "I will have servants bring your bags…but you have no bags." For the first time, he seemed to note this and turned suspiciously to Tsuzuki.
Tsuzuki shrugged. "Uh…I travel light?" He grinned.
The master only continued to stare.
"Um." Tsuzuki cleared his throat. "I brought this along," and he patted his laptop bag, "which will be okay for now. I didn't really expect I'd stay long here so I didn't bring anything."
For the first time, Kurosaki-san seemed to be at a loss for words. Tsuzuki was wondering how he could ask Watari to run to his apartment and get clothes for him and somehow sneak it into Kamakura when Miya piped up from behind Tsuzuki: "Master, how about the old master's clothes?"
"Old master?" Tsuzuki repeated dumbly, still trying to think up excuses for new clothes that might magically appear over the night.
Kurosaki-san frowned. "I thought I said to give them away."
"Oh, but we have been busy, Master," Miya-san bubbled, blushing and bowing again. "Forgive us. We planned to have them given this week but Ayumi-san said that we should tend the garden first—"
Kurosaki-san interrupted with a wave of his hand. "Never mind, it is already done. In any case, it is a good idea. Give those clothes to the doctor along with food. He must be famished from the long journey."
"Yeah," Tsuzuki said enthusiastically, all the while thinking: food! Then, he remembered something. "Oh, yeah, before I forget! I work with a partner."
"A fellow doctor?" Kurosaki-san blinked.
"Uh…yeah. My assistant is coming in a few days or something. A professional doctor really needs an assistant to help with the check-up and…stuff. You know. Yeah." That's it! Tsuzuki fumed. They must have somehow figured everything out by now!
The boy seemed to be studying him. "Very well. Perhaps you will be more comfortable to only begin only when your assistant has arrived?"
Tsuzuki almost gave a loud sigh of relief. "Can I?" he asked eagerly. "Because, you know, I'm not really comfortable if I don't have someone to consult with."
"By all means. However, please consider giving my mother a look, probably after Miya has shown you to your room." Kurosaki-san turned to Miya, who bowed once more. With this, the young head of the house turned to Tsuzuki. "I shall leave you now, Sensei." He turned to go.
'Tsuzuki.'"
The boy stopped walking and turned to him, wearing a confused expression. "Huh?"
Tsuzuki hefted the bag, which was now beginning to feel kind of heavy, in his arms, and grinned at Kurosaki-san. "Please don't call me 'sensei', it's very uncomfortable for me. I prefer to have a casual relationship with my patients' families."
Miya made a small sound behind Tsuzuki which sounded very suspiciously like a giggle.
Kurosaki-san blinked at him. "I…see…well then, Tsuzuki-san…" He began to turn away, only to be stopped once more by a question.
"…so can I call you 'Kurosaki-kun'?" Tsuzuki called after him.
Again, the boy stopped and turned to him, giving him an icy glare that Tsuzuki knew Tatsumi would be jealous of. "Please, Tsuzuki-san. Don't push your luck." With that, he gave a final turn and disappeared around one corner of the hallway.
Tsuzuki smiled to himself and followed Miya through another hallway.
===
Upon showing him the room, Miya-san quickly bowed and apologized for leaving but she must get some clothes for him and attend to some household matters; she would however be back as soon as she could. Tsuzuki assured he would be alright and began to set the small satellite Watari-san had packed for him in case of emergency. He tried to remember where the wires should go, before realizing that his friend had painstakingly labeled each wire and put little codes on where they should go. He set the satellite near the window and, after figuring out which wire goes into which…holes, he finally managed to turn the laptop on.
Tsuzuki began humming a small tune while he waited for the OS to boot. What an old village; they don't even have electricity, he thought to himself, looking around. The sun was beginning to set and had already disappeared into the trees, painting the sky red and orange. He sighed and turned over to his back. It was getting lonely.
"OS start-up!" the voice from the laptop said cheerfully. "You are connected to the Mother System—welcome to Meifu!"
Wrinkling his nose, Tsuzuki rolled over to his stomach once more, catching little owls dancing on his computer screen as the OS started up. "Watari, you ego-maniac," he muttered to himself. The OS had Watari's name stamped all over it.
Quickly, he typed an email to Tatsumi to send him some documents that will help his cover, as well as an email to Watari for help in first-aid. Just in case, he thought a little guiltily.
He was finishing up when there was a call from behind the screen: "Sensei, I have brought you some things."
"Ah." Tsuzuki shut down the computer and sat up. "Come in, please."
Miya-san appeared at the shoji door, then looked startled. "Sensei, there is electricity in this house," she told him, smiling.
"R-really?" Tsuzuki scratched his head. "I couldn't find a plug."
Miya giggled again and pointed to the table where the laptop was resting, next to the window. "It's hidden, but it's there. This house is old, however, so most of the parts do not have electricity. This room is one of the most recently refurnished so you may plug anything here. However, you will need this," And here she brandished a lamp that she had brought, "in case you need to find your way during at night. I hope it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience."
"No." Tsuzuki grinned, nearing her and admiring the lamp. "Wow, I haven't used this for a long time. My village didn't have electricity, too."
The girl blinked. "Oh, is Sensei from a remote province as well?" she asked.
Tsuzuki suddenly realized what he said and began to bustle with the lamp. "A little far…yeah, far enough. But I think there's electricity now…it was a long time ago." He grinned.
His smile seemed to have a positive effect in Miya. Tsuzuki knew well enough that servants practically knew everything in the house and the village, so he was pleased when the girl told him, "I'm really thankful you came here to help us. Mistress Rui hasn't been too well."
Tsuzuki blinked as he received the pile of kimono from Miya's outstretched arms. "You mean the boy's mother?"
"Yes, the master's mother," Miya affirmed. "Please don't be offended with the master. Master Hisoka is very strict, although he can also be very kind. I believe it must be because of his father's training. He died a couple of years ago."
"Oh." Tsuzuki began to feel bad for his earlier callousness. "I'm sorry to hear that." And because he was a shinigami who had a taste for morbidity, he asked, "How did he die?"
Miya shook her head, rearranging the folds of the clothes, fingers tracing the sleeves of yukatas. "We do not know. Master Hisoka was the one who found him." She hesitated, looking away, and Tsuzuki thought she would continue, yet instead she said brightly, "I forgot. The master has asked for you to see the mistress tonight after you have dined."
"Me?" Tsuzuki all but squawked. "But I…" He tried to rack his brains for an excuse. "I'm a little tired, and I'm not sure if I can do something without light…incorrect diagnosis and all that." He gave a forced laugh.
But Miya only smiled. "I don't think the master expects a diagnosis tonight. He just wishes for you to see the mistress. She has been ill for quite some time and he's very worried."
"Was there another doctor?" Tsuzuki asked, mind working fast. "Was there another diagnosis?"
"There was," the girl told him primly. "Hazama-sensei was with us for some time but she had a hospital practice so she had to go back."
"Didn't she leave any records?"
"She used to leave her records in the old elementary school house," Miya told him, looking thoughtful. "Perhaps they may still be there. The rest of the records were brought back to the hospital. I'm sorry."
"I see." Tsuzuki gave a sigh. It seemed that this investigation would really start from scratch. "Well, then. I guess I'll fix up here."
"I shall have the food brought up immediately," Miya said, making her way for the shoji, still on bent knees. She bowed her head. "Thank you, sensei."
"Don't thank me yet," Tsuzuki muttered under his breath just as the screen gave a silent swish before it closed. 'Doctor'. He fell on the floor, stretching his body. Who wanted to be a doctor anyway?
===
True enough, the food was brought almost immediately and despite Tsuzuki's attempts to make the time last, he was famished enough to eat the delicious delicacy presented before him in less than 10 minutes. Moreover, he was not one to pass up free food. Pleased with the arrangement that will probably also delight Tatsumi, he felt his appetite return and before long, not even a grain of rice could be found in the bowl.
Not long after he finished, Miya's shadow appeared behind the paper door, murmuring if he had finished dinner and would he please follow her to the Mistress's room.
Tsuzuki momentarily froze. All right, it's just a primary diagnosis, he thought to himself, forcing himself to unclench his fists and to take a few relaxing breaths. He took a notepad, just in case, and moved to follow Miya through the hallway.
The sun had already set and darkness hid almost all hallway ends. The candle in Miya's lamp flickered unsteadily upon passing a window. Outside was an enormous plot of land, painstakingly kept according to tradition. Further on, a lake murkily reflected the night sky.
"The land is really big," Tsuzuki whispered, afraid to speak aloud.
Miya turned to him briefly. "The Kurosaki lineage is a very old and respected one. The villagers here all revere the Kurosaki, especially with their loyalty to the previous governments. Many of the lands in this village is also owned by the family, since many used to give tithes to them." She, too, spoke in a whisper and the shadows cast eerie hues on her complexion.
"I see." He was about to shut up when he noticed they were passing by a room with the screen doors thrown partly open. He peeked in and was surprised that one lit candle was standing on a kind of altar. The room's walls were filled with shelves that held… "Dolls?" he said aloud.
Miya stopped and turned back. A hand went to her mouth. "Oh-oh, I forgot Master Hisoka had ordered that room to be locked." She looked apologetic as she stood next to Tsuzuki to hold up the lamp for better scrutiny. "The family has always been great makers of traditional dolls. They have skills in making different kinds from different materials or even wood." She watched as Tsuzuki slid into the room, still staring in awe at the walls.
There were different kinds of Japanese dolls, either made of wood or stuffed cloths, making up some kokeshi, hakata, hina, multitudes of other dolls with their clothes either simply painted or elaborately woven and sewn. They either stood or sat, and the shinigami could not help but marvel at the different expressions on each of the dolls, all casting different faces at things no humans could see.
"Some of these dolls look really old," Tsuzuki remarked, voice still hushed.
"They have been making it for almost a thousand years," Miya admitted. "They have already perfected the art."
"Wow." He was about to turn away when a particular doll on one corner shelf caught Tsuzuki's eye and he felt himself gravitate towards it to take a closer look. It was a hina doll, partly hidden behind two older kokeshi dolls. At first glance, it seemed old and too traditional but he had been forced to take doll lessons during one case before and he could tell that it was made within this century. The eyes of the particular hina doll were, against tradition, partly open to show the green paint depicting their color. The thread-like hair changed color with the uncertain flickering of light but Tsuzuki could swear that it was, unlike all other dolls, light-colored…
"—sei. Tsuzuki-sensei."
"Huh?" He snapped out of his thoughts to see Miya holding up the lamp and looking apologetic.
"Forgive me but the master is sill waiting,"
Tsuzuki wondered how many times he had already embarrassed himself today. "Yeah, I almost forgot." He gave a small laugh and turned, then quickly cast a last glance behind him. It had felt like…someone from the shadows of the frail light was observing them.
But there was nothing in the room except the candle and the dolls.
It wouldn't be the first time, Tsuzuki told himself and stepped into the hallway as Miya closed the door behind him. Again, he was led through another set of hallways before the young girl stopped in front of another screen door. She hesitated, then said, "The Master has forbidden us to step inside this room; only he can enter. He is waiting inside."
Tsuzuki bit his lip. He wasn't excited about the prospect of acting like a doctor who knew absolutely nothing, but whatever was ailing Kurosaki Rui was probably rooted on the reason why he was called to investigate this in the first place. I know a lot about souls and spiritual ailments, he thought to himself in an attempt to be comforting. Squaring his shoulders, he took the candle that Miya offered and pulled the door open to step inside.
As soon as the door slid close behind him, he had to adjust his eyes once more into the dark setting of the room. It was a large room, larger than the one he was given and the room with the dolls. He looked around, trying to discern anything but the light was limited and it only covered a few space in the room.
"Sensei," came a hushed tone over his shoulder.
"Gyah!" Tsuzuki almost dropped the lamp and almost spun with his haste in moving. Kurosaki Hisoka was staring at him with what seemed a combination of irritation and amusement. He sighed in relief. "Oh, wow, I'm sorry. I thought you were—I mean, I don't mean to imply it, but—" He gave an embarrassed laugh and scratched his head. "Uh…I thought you were a ghost…"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sensei," Kurosaki-kun told him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
Tsuzuki grinned. "I thought I told you to call me 'Tsuzuki'…and did you just smile?"
The boy quickly turned away but Tsuzuki had already caught a slight pink tinge his cheeks, making his smile widen. "My mother is there." He pointed to the corner of the room where the light did not reach.
Tsuzuki waited for him to lead but it seemed the boy would not step any further, so he moved towards the figure. He almost tripped; he didn't know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.
"Oh, no," he murmured, feeling some of his hope drain.
It was obvious that something was wrong with the woman who was lying on the futon. Tsuzuki did not need to raise the lamp higher to see that her skin was pale, paler than her son's. Her eyes were dilated, chin raised slightly to the ceiling as if she was staring at something that continued to stare back and would strike if she blinked. Her mouth moved although Tsuzuki could hear no sound coming out. Her hair, long and black, fell in rich waves over her face, neck, body, and even draped over the futon and unto the floor. She wore a kimono loosely draped over her body. Her arms spread at her sides unmoving, except for the occasional twitch. She did not even blink when Tsuzuki hovered over her.
His fingers pushed back some of the hair from her face and he was surprised to find that the long strands were clean and untangled. Kurosaki-kun must be taking care of her constantly, he thought, letting a sad smile on his lips. Since he doesn't let any of the servants enter.
There were light footsteps behind him and Tsuzuki knew Kurosaki-kun was behind him, also staring at his mother. Tsuzuki felt a sudden stab of pain for him. It must be upsetting, knowing that your mother lay catatonic, day in and day out, having to take care of her alone and sharing nothing with anybody. No wonder…
"I do not need your pity!" the boy suddenly said harshly.
Tsuzuki blinked and turned to him. "I…didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to," Kurosaki-kun's told him sullenly. "I know."
Tsuzuki grimaced. I take it back. No. There was no excuse for the young boy's rudeness, not even this woman. He saw the lines on the boy's mouth tightened and forced himself to once more run his eyes over the Kurosaki Rui's form. It was then that he discovered something about the woman he had missed before. "She's pregnant?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes." Kurosaki-kun's voice was strained. "It…none of the servants knows this so I am expecting your word to keep this a secret."
"Why?" Tsuzuki demanded, glaring at him. "If she's pregnant, some of them must know so they can assist with the birthing." He glanced at the stomach and continued thoughtfully, "Especially since it looks like the pregnancy is already in the latter stages."
"No one must know!" Kurosaki-kun told him, hands clenched.
Unbidden, voices speaking different words filtered into Tsuzuki's brain.
…he died a few years before…
…Master Hisoka was the one who found him…
…expecting your word to keep this a secret…
"It isn't your father's child, isn't it?" Tsuzuki asked gently.
Kurosaki-kun, if it was possible, further tensed and would not meet his eyes. "No. No, it isn't."
A growing idea, a more horrifying one, began to seep into Tsuzuki's thoughts and his eyes widened. "It's not—I mean…for medical needs, I need to ask—"
"It's not mine either!" the boy all but shouted, eyes as wide as Tsuzuki's. His face flushed lightly. "No, it's not mine. My mother has been in this state for almost two years, ever since her pregnancy."
Again, Tsuzuki almost fell over as he turned once more to the immobile woman. "T-two years?!" he sputtered. This case is nuts, the family is nuts! he fumed to himself, trying to stop himself from trembling. This was no ordinary issue; what on earth possessed the chief to give him this case?! "It's impossible!"
"I know," the boy told him, apparently already calmed. "Nevertheless, she has been pregnant for a long time and…the child is still alive." He hesitated, then put his hand over Tsuzuki's to slip inside Rui's kimono over her stomach.
Tsuzuki's hand twitched briefly. The boy's hand was cool over his and he almost flushed—he had touched a lot of people but somehow, the boy's seemed different, almost forced but gentle. However, all thoughts about this disappeared when, under the silky skin beneath his palms, something gently nudged. He blinked. "Are you sure it's two years?" he could not help ask.
"I told you so, didn't I?" The sullenness in the boy's voice was back.
"I…I need some time to think this over," Tsuzuki told the young master faintly. This pregnancy meant that the possession was of a different kind. There was no forceful taking over the body and putting the soul into sanctuary while the stronger spirit controlled the body. The possession must be in form of rape…but who was the demon and how did he assume the form of a human to be able to commit this?
Furthermore, assuming it had been rape, then for what purpose? Despite what legends say, demonsrarely pick a human for bedding because of lust; most likely there was a deeper reason for the event that happened. If the demon would be reborn in a human body, then it will still have the power of a human child, which means it would have to wait for another few years to be able to regain its full powers and…take over the world, or something that was almost its equivalent.
He turned to Kurosaki-kun and was surprised that the boy's face was flushed and he was sweating lightly. "Kurosaki-kun. Kurosaki-kun?" The boy did not answer and Tsuzuki realized that he was breathing harshly. "Kurosaki-kun…Hisoka. Hisoka!"
The boy snapped up and turned to him. "Y-yes?"
"Are you okay? Do you have a fever?" Tsuzuki held up his hand to touch the boy's forehead but he quickly swatted it away.
"I'm okay," he told him, pulling back. "I was…I'm sorry, but I'm tired and…" He shook his head.
Tsuzuki bit his lip and tried hard not to pity him. "I understand," he said gently.
"Do you, I wonder?" the boy murmured under his breath, as if he thought Tsuzuki would not hear. However, he composed himself quickly and said, still not facing Tsuzuki, "Thank you for your time, sen—Tsuzuki-san. Tomorrow, I hope you will have a clearer understanding concerning my mother's predicament."
"How about you?" Tsuzuki asked softly.
There was a pause. "I'm fine," Kurosaki-kun said tersely. "Come."
Tsuzuki hesitated, casting a final glance at the woman who continued to stare at nothing, and followed the boy out of the room. No servant was waiting for them in the hallway. Kurosaki-kun bowed to him slightly. "I hope you will sleep well," he said formally before turning away.
"Wait!" Tsuzuki held out a hand nervously.
Kurosaki-kun turned to him. "Yes?"
"Uh…" Tsuzuki gave an embarrassed laugh and scratched his head. "I can't remember the way back to my room."
The boy gave an irritated sigh which he did not quite manage to suppress. "Very well, I will take you." He led him through the hallways, some of which Tsuzuki finally was able to recognize.
Curiously, however, Tsuzuki managed to remember the doll room he and Miya-san entered. Kurosaki-kun spared it no glance and when Tsuzuki glanced at the shoji screen, he noticed that there was already no candle burning in the room.
===
Tatsumi Seiichiro was always one of the last people to leave the building. Chief Konoe, who was another one, had left before him for a business meeting with someone from the other department and he had tasked Tatsumi to finish up with the reports to be handed in the next morning.
So Tatsumi was satisfied when he finally finished the reports a little before midnight and was about to lock up the room when a heard steps in the hallway.
"Oh, Tatsumi!" came the cheerful voice, echoing in the empty hall. "I knew you were still here!"
Tatsumi finished checking the office doorknob before turning to the speaker. "I should have expected you, too, would be late in going home, Watari-san," he replied cordially.
"I just came from Chijou," Watari Yutaka told him, grinning. "From that case this morning."
"I see. It's a good thing I brought this along." Tatsumi handed him a sheet of paper and watched with a slightly cruel satisfaction Watari-san's face fall.
"Another case in Kyoto when I haven't even written a report yet for today's case yet! You're so mean, just when I came back." Watari gave a slight "humph" before saying, "Oh, by the way, I got an email from Tsuzuki earlier. It seems the case is more difficult than he thought."
"I know." Tatsumi began to walk, checking the other office doors to see if they were also locked. "He emailed me as well."
"If this is hard, you know he should have a partner," Watari told him.
"Are you volunteering, Watari-san?" The secretary of EnmaCho gave him an amused look.
"I would've, if you didn't give me this case," the scientist retorted.
Tatsumi repressed a chuckle. Watari and Tsuzuki were so alike in trying but failing to hide their deep concerns for their co-workers, so unlike him. "You have no need to be troubled. A partner was earlier assigned to him."
"Oh." Watari, Tatsumi noted with some surprise, was easily able to keep up with his long strides despite the thoughtful look on his face. "I'm also worried if he'll get along with this partner."
"I am sure he will," Tatsumi assured him.
Watari fell silent, already satisfied. When it came to Tsuzuki's welfare, he knew he could trust Tatsumi. This thought warmed him until he remembered something and came to a sudden stop. "Oh…wait, Tatsumi! Tsuzuki also e-mailed to send him some of his clothes with his partner!"
Tatsumi stopped and turned to him, frowning. "Oh, yes, he did mention that." He shrugged. "I must have forgotten."
Watari sweatdropped.
-end chapter 2-
=========================
Thanks to those who reviewed! I'm not going to reply to each since I think you'd rather read more of the story than the replies, but please know that I am entirely grateful. I forgot to mention that this fic is supposed to be dark and creepy, but it came out a bit flat as compared to Matsushita-sensei powerful way of storytelling. Urgh
pptty : Please tell me my mistakes so I can correct them as soon as possible. Thanks very much!
Notes:
Tsuzuki and Hisoka's way of conversing are not the way they usually speak since I'm trying to convey how Japanese usually speak politely to each other, so more emphasis is given to how Tsuzuki calls Hisoka as "Kurosaki-kun" (he should be calling him 'master', but Tsuzuki doesn't do that because he thinks Hisoka is still a boy, and you know how impolite Tsuzuki can be). Hisoka, being Hisoka, is more alert when it comes to those kinds of things so more emphasis on the -san and -sensei, except when he forgets of course. I wanted to remove some fangirlish words but thought that some might help anyway.
Tatsumi also speaks so formally to Watari, but Watari uses shortcuts when talking to Tatsumi, since Tatsumi-san speaks very politely to everyone while Watari, to put it bluntly, doesn't.
Coming up next!
Preview:
"…I am the partner and assistant of Tsuzuki Asato-sensei. Nice to meet you."