So Surreal – So Real
Chapter Eight
Kouga Horikawa had always felt slightly put-off from other people. And not because there was anything wrong with him. In fact, he was perfectly healthy and very amiable towards other people. He had always felt this way because of his younger brother Shojiro.
Shojiro Horikawa was Kouga's younger brother. He was a sweet, handsome little boy that was a joy to the Horikawa household. But ever since he was born, Kouga couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of resentment towards his younger sibling. Not only had he taken his place as the family's main focus because he was the baby, Shojiro was also severely autistic.
Because of his disorder, Shojiro needed even more attention growing up than a normal child. Kouga couldn't help but feel neglect when all of his parents' energy was put into working double shifts at work to keep the family's head above water and taking care of his special brother. It felt like everywhere he went it was always 'Shojiro this' and 'Shojiro that' while he was pushed aside. Sure, he loved his little brother and constantly found himself taking care of him over the years for his parents, but the younger Kouga needed to be loved by his parents too.
Like the dutiful, mature older brother, Kouga put up a carefully constructed mask, learning to just grin and bear it. His family didn't have that much money and because of his brother's special needs, more and more money was siphoned into new treatments and medications. Kouga had to basically raise himself and his brother in his parents' absence. It wasn't so much of a problem as they both got older and Kouga grew to love and even appreciate his brother. But old scars still remain, even if the bearer manages to block them out.
He'd taken up guitar as a way to vent his anger and other emotions. And music seemed to calm Shojiro, too. So at night, when his parents were working the late shifts, and Shojiro had a fit, Kouga would gently pluck at the strings of the second-hand guitar in random melodies until the younger boy fell asleep. Through music, the two brothers bonded, even through hardships.
At school, Kouga fought for his little brother. When older kids would tease and make fun of Shojiro, Kouga was right there to make sure they didn't ever again. He built up a reputation defending his brother. That's how he met Miroku and Inuyasha. It had started with a fight for Shojiro that they became friends, even if the two were on the receiving end of his fists.
And then their band became well known and their record sales started to bring in more money. He didn't have as much time to spend with his brother, but he was able to contribute to his brother's treatments and keep his family out of debt. At every concert, there was a spot backstage for his family and anything he could send back for his brother music wise, he did. The money and the fame didn't really mean anything to him. He played music to play music and because it brought him closer to his younger brother when nothing else did.
X
The band arrived back home for their next albums launch a few weeks before all of the festivities were scheduled to start. Shippou's parents greeted him with warm hugs and big smiles. Miroku's godfather stood silently off to the side, signs of drinking earlier that day clearly evident, but broke out into a wide grin when the young, dark-haired adult came into view. Inuyasha's brother stood amidst the crowd of family members impassively. Kouga's parents stood beaming with Shippou's keeping a close eye on Shojiro just in case. Said boy stood off by himself at the terminal window, staring blankly out the glass pane in his own world.
All in all, it was a very happy welcoming committee for the four boys, even if a little rag-tag at first glance. They were family, every single one of them, and in their own way held a special place in each of their hearts, even if they refused to admit it. And the next few weeks before the launch were scheduled just for these people they'd left at home for what they loved to do most. So even if they were a bit strained and tense for a few of the party members, it would be exactly what they needed.
X
"Kouga, dear, could you watch Shojiro while we're out? Dad and I have to go to work. We'll be back later tonight."
Kouga just smiled at his mom and waved her out the door.
"Don't worry about it, Ma. We'll be fine."
"Alright. Be good. And if you need anything, the numbers are on the fridge." She said with a sigh before slinging her purse over her shoulder and walking out to the driveway.
Kouga shrugged easily and closed the front door. He'd been home for a few days, just lounging around. His parents had taken a few days off to spend with their eldest son but they had to go back to work eventually. They were a bit worried since Kouga hadn't been home much for two years and hadn't had a first hand experience with the new developments in his brother's condition. But Kouga wasn't too worried, so they had reluctantly gone to work and tried not to worry so much. Shojiro was their baby boy and they'd always worry over his wellbeing, even if he weren't disabled.
Kouga turned to face his younger brother who was just sitting on the couch, staring at the flashing TV screen. Plopping down next to him, he turned his attention to the cartoon Shojiro was watching. If the rest of the day went like this, the rest of the week was going to be a piece of cake.
X
Shippou woke up to the savory smells of his mother's cooking. Following his nose down the hall, he stood in the kitchen doorway, head tipped back and eyes closed, basking in the homey ambience. After a few minutes, his mother turned around and chuckled softly as she gently directed her son to a chair. Setting a plate piled high with pancakes, waffles, sausage and bacon, eggs, fruit, biscuits, and toast, she leaned against the counter and watched him inhale all of it with an intensity that only he possessed with a soft smile.
When he was done, Shippou stood up and enveloped her in a huge hug. She only laughed and wrapped her arms around his back in return.
"I love you, Mom," he mumbled into her hair. "I missed you so much."
"Me or my cooking," she joked lightly as she released him and set about making a plate for his father.
"Uh… both?"
"I'll accept that answer this time. You'll have to come up with a new one next time though."
"What're you doing today?" he asked with a wide yawn, slumping back into his chair.
His mother just shrugged. "I don't know. Work?"
"But I just got back! Take the day off, please?"
He clasped his hands together and stuck his bottom lip out in a childish pout. His mother just laughed and sipped her coffee. Over the years, she'd grown immune to the infamous Matsumura Pout after both her husband and Shippou pulled it on her for almost everything.
"The company doesn't run itself, you know."
"But Mom! I'm only home for a few weeks before we go back to LA! You can't work the whole time I'm here! That's like neglect!"
His mother sighed and shook her head. "Shippou."
The seventeen-year-old just left the room to sulk. His father came in, passing him at the door. He looked between his son and wife in puzzlement. His wife just turned back to finish his breakfast. Shrugging, he kissed her on the cheek and sat at the table.
"So, what's for breakfast?"
X
"Mushin!" Miroku called from the front hall of his godfather's house. "I'm going out! I'll be back soon!"
A grunt from the dimly lit living room was the only reply he received. Shrugging it off, Miroku headed out the door. Outside, he strolled casually down the street, fists jammed in his pockets and whistling softly to himself.
As he walked into the busier parts of town, buildings grew taller and taller, stretching their glassy panes and sturdy metal beams up to the sky. But what he was looking for wasn't a tall, state-of-the-art corporation building. Among the skyscrapers, church spires appeared further in the distance and Miroku grinned. He hadn't been here in a while and he'd subconsciously started to miss it over the years.
Slipping into the cold sanctuary through a side door and performing the customary ablutions, he reverently sat in a back pew. The alter in the front was draped in reds and golds and purples for the upcoming Christmas celebration. Behind him stood the wooden confessionals and off to the side stood the rows and rows of candles. The whole scene had always calmed his nerves ever since he was little and today was no different.
Ducking his head, he fingered the prayer beads and silently moved his lips over his prayers. When he was finished, he stood and walked slowly to the candles up front. He lit his candles and left, feeling a wave of relief wash over him as he walked back home.
It was a well-known fact that he was a devout Catholic. His band mates sometimes made cracks at him for it, but after a while it grew easier to ignore them. The habits came from his father and his godfather. Mushin was a retired priest and his father, when he was alive, was very serious about his religion (he'd been in training to become a priest himself). He'd never known his mother since she died during childbirth (though he was told she was Catholic as well) and he'd grown up in a Catholic home, so it was obvious that he'd pick up on the religious streak. Personally, he loved being what he was. It was part of what defined him, and his friends accepted him.
Grinning up at the grey sky, he noted with some satisfaction that it would snow soon. He'd missed the weather of his hometown. Down in LA it never snowed and the air was so polluted. And he had more than a few days to spend at his first and true home. He had three weeks before the album launch, so they'd probably still be in town for Christmas, too. He couldn't wait. Mushin would love his present this year; it was perfect. He just knew – this was going to be a good year.
X
Inuyasha grabbed his coat from the coat rack as he ran out the door, hollering a goodbye at his brother on the way. Sesshomaru just waved him off, not even looking up from his newspaper. The younger Taisho brother was in a big rush. If he didn't hurry, he was going to be late.
His long time girlfriend, Kikyou, had just arrived in town and he was anxious to meet her at the airport. They'd been going out for a few years, ever since he arrived in LA to begin his music career. She was Kaede's niece and had been in the music business ever since she was little. She knew all of the inner workings of the business, and after she had graduated from college the year before, she had come on as their manager and image consultant. It hadn't taken long for the two to develop feelings for each other and their romance had progressed into a full-blown relationship.
Kikyou was coming up from LA to confirm all of the launch party plans and spend some quality time with Inuyasha. It was their one-year anniversary and Inuyasha had a special surprise planned. But it involved Kikyou being present and if he didn't get to the airport in fifteen minutes, his plans were going to be ruined.
I
He arrived in record time while managing to avoid any tickets or traffic. But still, there was his girlfriend, standing gracefully beside her bags and leaning against a concrete pillar out in front of her terminal. The sun glinted off of her sleek black hair and large sunglasses as she tilted her head back as she blew smoke from her cigarette into the clear afternoon air. And as he sat there in his brother's car in the queue of cars, he marveled at her beauty and the fact that she'd chosen him.
He pulled up to the curb and helped her with her bags, still in a sort of trance. But when she pulled him into a kiss, he snapped right out of it. He loved the taste of her; it was something he just couldn't describe, but it radiated Kikyou and he never grew tired of it. When they broke apart, Kikyou simply got in the car as if nothing happened and Inuyasha simply followed her lead with a shrug. After a year of this, he'd grown used to it.
"Let's go to the hotel," she said as they left the airport.
"But-"
"I have a lot to do, Inuyasha. I know you said you had a surprise for me, but I have a job to do. I can't just go gallivanting around with you. This is important."
"I should think this is important too, Kikyou."
"I'm sure it is, but this has to be done now."
She turned to face out the window, ending the conversation. Inuyasha just sighed and kept his eyes on the road. He'd just reschedule for later that week. It'd be a little hard since he'd been planning this for months, but it was fine. Everything would be fine. It had to be.
X
The rest of the week, everyone had different things going on. Kouga was busy with Shojiro. Miroku lounged around Mushin's house and caught up on video games he hadn't had a chance to play. Shippou convinced his parents to do stuff with him, which involved window shopping down town and visiting museums. And Inuyasha worried about completing his surprise and followed Kikyou around like a puppy in hopes of dragging her away at some point in time.
The time finally rolled around for the launch party and celebrities and record execs started to pour into the airport along with eager paparazzi. The boys' stylists and personal pit crews attacked each with enough clothes and accessories to clothe King Tutankhamen's whole royal court and they were followed around at all times by at least a dozen cameras. Public appearances were arranged and Inuyasha and the rest of the band found themselves once again living the life of celebrities in their own town where they had gone to relax.
The day before the party, Inuyasha managed to set everything back up for Kikyou's surprise. But he didn't tell her and had decided to just show up at her hotel. He had cleaned up and bought flowers and was ready to give her the surprise of her life. The hotel staff was in on the whole thing so he didn't have to page the young manager for access to her suite.
"Kikyou?" he called as he let himself in with the spare key the receptionist had slipped him. "You here?"
There was shuffling and muffled voices coming from her bedroom that became clearer as he moved down the hall. In the back of his mind, he figured it was just the TV.
"Kik? Everything okay?" he gently pushed thee door open and poked his head inside. "I just came to apologize for… earlier…"
Instead of the scene he'd expected, Kikyou, his Kikyou was sitting up in her bed, sheets gathered up to her chest and hair disheveled. The TV was turned off and the bathroom door was closed but there was a light seeping in from underneath. Glancing suspiciously at his obviously naked girlfriend, Inuyasha moved over to the door and wrenched it open, ignoring Kikyou's warnings and complaints.
He stood at the door for a moment, just staring at the immaculate white and blue tiled washroom. Not saying a word, he turned away, his face emotionless and his ears deaf to the words of the pop superstar. Instead he just walked out of the hotel and got back in his car. He drove off, his emotionless mask still perfectly in place.
X
"Hey, Yash, c'mon, we gotta go."
Inuyasha just shrugged Miroku's hand off and returned to staring at the TV. He didn't want to go anywhere, even if it was for the record company and their upcoming album. Over the years, they'd been to so many that they all started to blur together because they were all the same. Besides, Kikyou was going to be there, and he didn't want to even go to the grocery store because of her, much less a launch party.
"Jeeze, Inuyasha, she's just some dumb, cheating girl. This is your career we're talking about here. Do you want to let her know she won?" Shippou said from across the room, hanging from the doorframe idly.
Inuyasha just sent him a glare from the couch. The younger boy sneered right back at him.
"Leave him if he's not ready in two minutes," Kouga said from the other room.
"Thank you."
"The record label can get mad at him that way when we tell them we did all we could, but he wouldn't budge," he finished as he came into Inuyasha's living room, knotting his tie.
"Hey!"
"That's fair, Inuyasha," Miroku commented. "Now either come now or stay here. It's your choice, and you're not dragging us down with you. That's final."
Inuyasha grumbled but stood up from the couch. He trudged into his room to get ready and the other three grinned at each other. It was too easy sometimes!
In his room, Inuyasha was muttering curses under his breath. Why did they always pull this shit on him? What did he do to deserve this? It was Kikyou's fault anyway. If she hadn't cheated on him, none of this would've happened.
He absently pulled on the shirt his stylist had picked out for the party. He honestly hated the fact that the record label didn't trust him enough to dress himself and had to hire a stylist. Just because he showed up to a huge black and white gala in baggy jeans and a grease-stained t-shirt didn't mean he didn't know how to dress. Now the woman had him wearing gay ass pussy clothes! There was something seriously wrong with the whole picture to him.
He glanced down at the button-up shirt and blanched. It was the shirt Kikyou had bought for him for Christmas the past year after they'd started going out and she'd still been faithful. The shirt was a light blue and very simple, but it still held memories that were too painful for the twenty-year-old. She'd gotten it at some little-known boutique and had ordered him to put it on the minute he opened it. He'd worn it on special occasions that were just between the two of them and had worn it the day before for her surprise. He'd probably left it lying on the floor when he ripped it off when he got back.
Shaking his head to clear it, he was just about to rip it off when Miroku called from the hall.
"Inuyasha! Let's go! We're going to be late!"
"Give me another minute! I… Can't find my shoes!" he hollered back.
Throwing his shoes on the bed, he hurriedly dove for his closet to find something else to wear. But as soon as he threw the doors open, two things happened: Miroku walked in and noticed his shoes on the bed and Inuyasha realized that he had nothing else that he was willing to wear.
"Dude, you're shoes are lying on your bed in plain sight – hey, nice shirt. Come on, we gotta go."
"No, Miroku, you don't understand – I have to find something else to wear!" Inuyasha said frantically, digging through his closet in vain.
"Why? It looks like it fits pretty well."
"That's not it." Inuyasha had resorted to chucking pants and shirts behind him as he went deeper and deeper into his closet.
"Dude, it looks great, now come on." Miroku tugged on his shoulder, but Inuyasha just shrugged him off and continued his search.
"No, I need another shirt. But that stupid stylist lady didn't leave me anything!" was his muffled reply.
Miroku sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. This might take a while…
"Okay, I'll bite. Why do you need a new shirt when that one looks good and is already on your person?"
"Kikyou gave it to me."
"Oh, well, I think I've got a few shirts at my place if you'd like to raid my closet."
"Yours are worse than what the stylist gives me. And I think I found one…"
Miroku frowned at his friend's words as he tried to figure out what Inuyasha meant by that. He thought the stylist brought Inuyasha great clothes…
"Hey! I resent that comment!" he cried, leaping from the bed just as Inuyasha emerged from the dark depths of his closet, a new shirt in hand.
"Yeah, whatever."
Inuyasha tore the Kikyou shirt from his person and quickly buttoned the new shirt; not bothering with the fact that it was a wrinkled mess and a little out of style. Slipping on his shoes, he grabbed up his favorite jacket and headed out of the room. Miroku followed after him in a huff, sulking at the insult directed towards his fashion sense.
X
"Ah, Inuyasha! It's so nice to see you again!" the blond exclaimed as she threw her arms around the young man's neck and noisily kissed his cheek.
"Mmhmm," he replied absently as he continued on through the crowd.
This wasn't social hour… Okay, so it was, but he was not in the mood to socialize. He was too busy trying to avoid Kikyou and anyone from the record label. Spotting a fairly dark and secluded corner that was obstructed by a tall potted plant, he made a beeline for it and plunked himself in a seat. Now no one could see him and he could have a moment alone. He never really liked these parties anyway.
After a few minutes of tense sulking, a familiar head of black hair came into view. His already stiff shoulders hunched up even more and his proverbial hackles rose. She seemed to be conversing with some decaying exec and flirting with her usual reckless abandon. Just watching her from a few yards off made him sick.
"Kikyou."
I
He hadn't really broken up with her the day before after finding her in bed with some guy. But that didn't really matter; in his mind, it was already over between them. No matter how much it hurt him to realize that fact, he couldn't bear to think that he wasn't good enough for her.
After he'd stormed out, he'd spent the whole night just driving around and trying to figure the whole thing out. He'd eventually stopped and hid out in his 'secret spot.' But Miroku being the best friend that he was somehow tracked him down that morning and dragged him back to his brother's house. The other guys had been out all morning looking for him when he couldn't be found for some press conference. On the drive back, he'd spilled his guts, gaining him the sympathy of his best friend and confidant, but not permission to skip out on the party.
"Can't we take her off the list at least?" Inuyasha pleaded in desperation.
"Inuyasha, I sympathize with you, I really do, but she'd our manager! We can't just take her off the guest list because you two broke up yesterday."
"But-"
"There's nothing we can do about it, Yash. Besides, even if she wasn't our manager, she's still Kaede's niece," Miroku cut him off.
Inuyasha slouched further into his seat and pouted. Why did this always seem to happen to him recently? Did the world really hate him that much?
"I can't face her Miroku," he mumbled, facing the window.
"What do you want me to do, Inuyasha? Rewind time so this doesn't happen and you can go to the launch without a care?"
"Would you?"
"Look, just go and try to avoid her. We'll be there to watch your back too. And I highly doubt that she's going to act like nothing's wrong. You caught her in the act. It's her fault."
"Well, I know, but how do I know she hasn't been acting this whole time? She's pretty good at acting, Miroku, if it's been going on so long without me noticing. I don't know what she might try to pull," he cried desperately, turning back around in his seat.
"That's lame and you know it," Miroku pointed out.
Inuyasha just returned to staring out the window. Miroku sighed and shook his head. They arrived as Inuyasha's brother's house to the relief of everyone and they all set about getting ready… Well, all except Inuyasha who refused to go and sat on the couch watching TV.
"Watch my back, huh," he muttered darkly, glaring at the surging and pulsing crowd.
As soon as they arrived, the other three had split, leaving him all alone. And now that he had no one to talk to, he was bored out of his mind. His twenty-first birthday wasn't for a few more months, so he couldn't sit at the bar and drink away his problem. The other partygoers were bloodthirsty kiss-up celebrity killers that he preferred to avoid at all costs, so conversation was out of the question, too. God, why the hell did he come here in the first place?
X
"No, no. It's not that he chooses to be in his own world. He just is. That's part of what autism is. He can't help it."
No one was paying attention to him. Sure, they were listening, but they didn't care about his brother, or even him. Sighing, Kouga downed the rest of his drink and walked off. Sometimes the world was just too depressing.
He'd spent the whole of his 'vacation' with his brother. Most of the time was spent on the couch, but he didn't care. It was actually quite relaxing for the twenty-one-year-old. He didn't have to do anything or worry about doing anything. All he had to do was watch his younger brother and try to keep him occupied.
Sure, there were the times when they went to visit his plethora of doctors and go through therapy sessions. But it allowed Kouga to catch up on everything he'd missed for the past two years. And it was great. He hadn't had that much fun or been so happy for a long time.
And now he was trying to make conversation with a bunch of people who didn't care. He'd hit an all-time low in a matter of hours. That must have been a new record. And the whole time he couldn't stop thinking about his brother.
"So, your brother's autistic?"
Kouga spun around to find a red-haired girl in a green dress. And she actually looked interested in what he had to say. There was a god!
"Uh, yeah."
"Okay," she said, coming to stand beside him, nodding her head. "That must be hard on you."
Kouga shrugged. "Not really. I mean, when I was little, yeah, but not any more. It's probably harder on my parents than either of us."
"How severe is it?"
"It's pretty bad, but he's getting better every day. When we were little, I was practically invisible because everyone had to watch him at all times."
"The invisible child syndrome. Fun."
"Not really."
"But having all the attention all the time isn't much fun either. Not that I would know."
"What do you mean?"
"When the parents are out for most of the year, it's just me in an empty house. But when they're home, I can't get away from their ever-watching eyes."
"So you've got busy parents. No big deal."
"Yeah, I've got parents that choose when they want to be parents. Like they can just turn the parents dial to 'off' whenever they want. Those aren't parents."
"Well, maybe they don't know how to be."
"Oh, they know how. In front of friends and colleagues, we're the perfect family. When I've done something wrong and need to be 'disciplined' they're model parents. Every other time, they're off in Prague or New York or wherever the heck they go, being a celebrity and the owner of a multi-billion dollar corporation. Oh, I'm Ayame by the way."
"Kouga."
"Um, look. This has been a very interesting conversation, but I should get going. I promised I'd come to be the prize daughter as part of my 'punishment,' but I have somewhere else to be."
"Where's that?"
"If you want to know, you'd have to come and find out."
And with that, the mysterious Ayame slipped into the crowd and disappeared. Kouga stood there for a moment in a daze. After a moment, he caught a glimpse of her red hair towards the emergency exit and ran after her. She was the only one who had acted like a real person the whole night and there was no way he was just going to let her slip away.
When he burst out of the emergency exit, there was no sign of anyone in the back alley. Whipping around, he noticed her leaning against the wall waiting for him. Grinning, she jerked her head to the side and headed off down the alley where a blue mustang was waiting.
E
Erm… I think I'm gonna stop there. I know it was sort of uneventful (like all of my other chapters seem to be…), but I had a hard time with this one. I had, like, three drafts and this was the best one. So there you have it, the previous chapters for the boys were all kinda prologues, or what have you. I hope that explains it. Sorry it took so long. I don't know when the next one will be out. School starts in a little over a week, so updates will most likely be very irregular depending on the workload. Until next time! – Hope Swings