Tsubomi woke to the smell of breakfast and orange juice wafting in the air. She found herself in a room where the summer sun was peaking in from the lightly drawn curtains. The night before as blurry as it was, was still fresh in her mind and these thoughts stopped her from getting up and greeting her…family.
Could she even call them that? The man at the police station said that she belonged to the Tateyama household now but her name would stay as Kido. All relatives from her paternal family had died before she was born and only an elderly aunt remained on her maternal side. The woman had been contacted yet had said that she couldn't take care of the young girl but would like to meet her soon. So what was left of the Kido fortune would go to Tsubomi once she turned eighteen. But she didn't want to think about that; being the last Kido of once many.
A warm mass suddenly brushed her hand, distracting her from her worries. The little white kitten rubbed its head against her palm again and then jumped from the bed. He headed to the door and turned its head back towards the bed as if asking her to follow him. Tsubomi smiled softly as she got up and followed the kitten to the kitchen.
"Ohayo, Tusbomi-chan" said Ayaka from the stove as she took out another scoop of scrambled eggs from the pan.
"O-Ohayo" Tsubomi said shyly as she took the seat the kitten lead her to.
The kitchen was strangely empty and quiet with only Ayaka cooking breakfast and Tsubomi playing with the kitten that continued to run figure eights under her chair. There were four plates set out with a tall glass of orange juice next to each although one was already empty.
There was a click of a switch and the delicious smell was brought closer. Ayaka placed a plateful of toast and a bowl of scrambled eggs on the table. Seeing Tsubomi looking uneasily at the table arrangements, she decided to tell her the daily time table of the Tateyamas'.
"Everyone has a different schedule during Summer" she started while placing portions of food on each plate " That glass on the table is empty because Ayano-chan managed to slip through the kitchen and into the woods behind the house for her daily walk but she should be back in a few minutes. Shuuya-kun won't wake for another a few hours because he has the tendency to slip outside for a night stroll so he usually just has a big lunch to make up for breakfast. And Kenjirou woke up an hour ago to start planning for his classes at school or something like that. It wasn't really his choice of being a teacher and usually goes with me on my expeditions but we needed the money to fund for our trips. He gets really busy in the summer because by this time most of his students are just banging on the front door to teach them before the exams next month. He isn't the best teacher but he tries his best." She finishes with a fond smile on her face as she takes a seat then gestures for Tsubomi to start eating.
"Ittatakimasu" they say in chorus and dig in to the steaming food.
The door from the kitchen to the backyard suddenly bursts open and Ayano appears out of breath with leaves in her hair.
"Ohayo!" Ayano says and promptly sits down, leaves and hair dancing in the created wind, posing to scoop a spoonful of egg into her mouth when Ayaka coughs lightly and looks pointedly at the sink. Ayano pouts in retaliation but soon gets back up to wash her hands.
Well, at least all the kitchen needed was a sweep from the leaves, Ayaka thinks instead of through wash like when Ayano brought back a muddy puppy for a bath as a favour for a neighbour.
After Ayano returned to the table they started eating again and Ayaka, feeling a need to break the silence asks "So what have you been up to this morning Ayano-chan?"
With her mouth full of buttered toast she begins telling a long story of how she went back to the playground and was watching a bird take its first flight. During this time Tsubomi finishes and looks questioningly at what she should do. Ayaka then replies that she could feed the kitten telling her that the cat food is in the container on the counter. While Tsubomi pours the food into the little bowl Ayano stops her story as if to think.
"Kaa-san?" Ayano asked "I don't think Tou-san's going to make it to breakfast, should I take a tray up?"
"Mm hm" mummerd Ayaka in agreement as she takes away the empty plates to wash "Bring Tsubomi-chan with you too"
"…eh" Tsubomi looked up from petting the kitten as it devoured it's breakfast.
"Come on Tsubomi lets go give Otou-san his breakfast" said Ayano as she picked up a tray with breakfast then hurries along the corridor with Tsubomi hesitantly trailing behind her.
"Ok stop" commands Ayano and Tsubomi stumbles and bumps into the elder girl.
"Here you go Tsubomi-chan". She hands Tsubomi the tray and pushes her towards the door "knock first then say good morning ok?" Then she slips away to tell her mother the plan was on its way.
Mother and daughter had noticed that Tsubomi seemed wary of Kenjirou. Or perhaps it was adults in general with the exception of Ayaka. So while the pair was thinking of other plans to get Tsubomi to start reaching out the mentioned girl was deciding whether or not to enter with her hand poised to knock on the door. Someone else's hand suddenly jolts in front of her and beat her to it.
Tsubomi looked quickly at the direction of the hand and caught a head of pale blonde hair following Ayano's lead back to the kitchen but her attention was called back to the door when a voice from within called out to enter. Carefully balancing the tray, Tsubomi slowly nudged the door open and walked in.
The room was on the messy side with several apparatus in different corners of the room and piles of books stacked hazardously on shelves. Kenjirou was furiously writing and sighing at regular intervals while Tsubomi made her way around various piles of books, glancing at their titles.
"O-ohayo gozaimasu" Tsubomi said when she reached the desk "Ayaka-san asked me and Ayano-san to bring you your breakfast."
"Ah arigatou" Kenjirou shifted over some of the scribbles to make a somewhat clean space for the tray.
The young girl placed the tray on the desk and started to make her way towards the door when she heard Kenjirou call her back.
"Tsubomi-san, do you remember what we talked about last night at the police station, about our family?" Kenjirou enquired as he took a sip of juice and gestured for the girl to sit on the arm chair next to the desk.
Tsubomi sat with her legs hanging over the too large chair which made her look even smaller and younger then shook her head at the question.
"Well now that you'll be living here with us you're now a part of our family. Yes, Kido is still your name but now you will be part of the Tateyamas' just like Shuuya-kun,ne?"
Tsubomi nodded uncertainly with the feeling that she knew what point Kenjirou was leading onto. Also unknown to her, her eyes were slowly turning red.
"I know you're still adjusting but you can call us by more familiar names now can't you? It would make Aya-chan and Ayano-chan really happy you know?" Kenjirou said gently, noting the red sheen in Tsubomi's eyes, wondering what had caused it to appear and what power it had.
The girl nodded again with her eyes stinging slightly, from tears she thought, feeling a strange mixture of happiness yet guilt for it felt like she was really moving on from the family she was born into that although she already knew she lost was the one she would never ever forget.
"Jaa…do you want to try it out, Tsubomi-chan?" Kenjirou smiled encouragingly at the fading girl who looked at him with her voice catching in her throat.
"H-hai O-otou-san" The girl said softly while looking down slightly as if she wasn't sure if she should have done that. Then there was a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, eyes black again and no longer disappearing from sight.
"Yosh, good job Tsubomi-chan" Kenjirou congratulated "Now why don't you take the tray back to the kitchen and try doing that with the others, hm?" as he pulled her from the chair and handed her the empty tray, plate and glass that Tsubomi couldn't figure out how Kenjirou finished after such a short amount of time.
"H-hai" she stuttered as she left the room and closed the door behind her leaving Kenjirou back to his silent work.
"Alright two down one more to go" Kenjirou said as he picks up his pen "I wonder what Shuuya-kun and Tsubomi-chan will do?"
...GOMENASAI! I'm so sorry this chapter is like 6 months overdue. Have been busy with life...hehe anyway thanks for those who have picked this up again and to the new readers.
Sorry its shorter than normal...and for any mistakes.
- Wing :)