Chapter 8 – Enter Natsuru Senou
Natsuru couldn't believe it himself, that he would be called 'Dad' at his age. It was all surreal to him, like he missed an entire section of life. He did lose his memories after all and the last seven years was jumping from city to city looking for his family. Well he sure found what he was looking for, and then some. He walked down the street with two children walking beside him, one holding his hand. Ayame's hand was so little, so fragile, so adorable. He wanted to pick her up and hug her, but the smile she gave Natsuru as she looked up would suffice.
"Thanks for walking us to school!" said Takashi.
"Of course," said Natsuru as he smiled at him. The school was coming into view as they approached it. It was a small grade school with only a couple buildings that were surrounded by a concrete perimeter with a gate. Natsuru was getting a nostalgic feeling as he neared the gates. "Alright you two, will you be okay walking back?" he asked, patting both of their heads.
"Yeah, we usually walk by ourselves when mom's busy," said Takashi. "See you later…Dad. Come on Ayame."
The little girl turned to Natsuru and outstretched her arms to him with a big smile.
Natsuru lifted her up and gave her the big warm hug. "Have fun at school, okay?" She nodded at him and pecked his cheek before running off towards Takashi. He watched as she ran through the school gates along with the other children. He took a deep breath. He's missed out on a lot of time with them, but he'll definitely make it up it somehow.
The restaurant was closed today, so he didn't have to worry about going to work. They were moving the rest of his belongings back to the house today, so he figured he'd go help out. Natsuru never would have thought that he came from a Yakuza family though. It was quite a surprise to him, he just hoped that he wouldn't need to be involved in anything of the sort.
"I'm back," he said as he took his shoes off. Natsume came walking from the living room and greeted him.
"Hey, how was it?" she asked.
Natsuru chuckled. "I've got a lot of catching up to do," he said.
She nodded and smiled at them, "They're really happy to see you," she said. "Come on, your stuff is upstairs. I didn't want to start unpacking everything so I waited for you."
The two started up the stairs. In the hallway were several boxes stacked up on both sides of the walls. Natsume walked up to them and placed her hand on one of the nearby boxes. "I told them to leave the boxes here because I figured you might not want to move your stuff into my room," she said with a deflated voice.
Natsuru scratched his head. "Now you're making me feel guilty," he said. Natsume shrugged, dismissing his dense nature. He chuckled nervously, "Let's just open them up and see what we have first shall we?"
"Alright then."
Natsuru didn't have much, he was usually always on the move so he couldn't keep a lot of things. He picked up one of the stacked boxes and set it down to the side. He tore open the tape and opened it. The box was filled with assorted clothes and the Disemboweled Tiger doll at the very top. He picked it up and examined it for a moment before setting it aside on the floor. He noticed a shining object wedged in the side of box between the clothes. He fished it out with little effort and held it up in the light. Its black glossy finish reflected in the light of the hallway.
A bracelet. He had totally forgotten about this thing. It was with Disemboweled Tiger a while back. He played with it before measuring it with his fingers and then his hand as he tried to squeeze it through. It slipped in easily. Natsuru held his arm out in front of him, checking out his old bracelet. His body suddenly started to feel warm. Maybe the heater was on a little too strong. But that wasn't it, his pores began to sweat as his body temperature was steadily increasing, his muscles were burning up. Unable to support his weight, he dropped down to the ground on all fours.
"Natsuru! Natsuru, what's wrong?!"
Natsume's voice was drowned out by the searing pain that wrung throughout his entire body. Before he knew it, he was lying on his back. He could see Natsume, her face ridden with worry, as she tried to communicate with him in vain. But it wasn't over. Soon after, a pain shot in his head as if his brain was being stabbed by a needle. It grew in intensity and he was rendered helpless as he clutched his head desperately with his hands. The pain was unbearable and he was beginning to lose consciousness. He began to see things in his head. Things that he didn't remember before, things he had never exerperienced.
But just as it came, the agonizing pain left him. He lay there panting, his heart race, his body covered in sweat. He could see Natsume on her phone, no doubt calling for an ambulance. He reached up and grabbed her hand, startling her. He stared at her as he tried to find the words to explain his revelation, only to find himself in laughter.
"You sure you're okay?" asked Natsume. She placed a hand over his forehead to check his temperature, brushing away his hair as she did so.
"I told you, I'm fine!" he said.
Natsume gave him a worried look before walking away from the couch where Natsuru sat and towards the kitchen. He looked down at his wrist where the black bracelet hangs loose. It seems as if putting on the Bracelet of Oath has returned Natsuru's memories to him. He tested it out, trying to create a fireball from his palm. A flame lit up, it was weak, but he was satisfied that he was still able to use Zauber magic. He closed his hand and tried to remove it. It came out rather quickly, using too much force in anticipation that it wouldn't come off. He slipped it back on and walked towards Natsume.
She was at the counter heating up some water for tea when she saw Natsuru approach her. She turned to him and gave him both a smile and a curious expression. He continued his approached, pushing himself onto her as she was pressed into the counter. He wrapped his arms around her and said, "I've missed you so much."
"Natsuru?" Her arms lay at her sides with her body pinned against the kitchen counter and the man that was holding her. She was surprised to see him do this but it felt right at the same time.
He pulled away to look at her confused face before placing his forehead onto hers. Natsuru's hands cupped her cheeks, his thumbs rubbing against her soft skin. "I'm sorry," his voice choked. "I'm sorry I left you alone."
"Natsuru…?" she stared into his watery eyes. She realized that it was a different Natsuru who stood before her, a totally different man. "How do you remember?" she asked.
"This damn thing," he said as he showed her the bracelet on his wrist. Natsume grabbed his wrist, touching the bracelet as she examined it. Was it a coincidence that Natsuru still had his Bracelet of Oath? She didn't care. But it seemed too good to be true; that Natsuru has come back and now with his old memories as well. There were no words to describe her joy, but actions always speak louder than words. She hugged him tight, clutching onto him for dear life as she buried her face in his chest. The Natsuru she knew was finally back.
She stepped back and looked at Natsuru. Their blue eyes mirroring each other as tears welled up in them. Natsume closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Before Natsuru even realized it, he heard a loud smack along with a stinging pain on his face, followed by a sharp pain in his gut. He doubled over and held his stomach, looking up to see Natsume standing above him shaking her hand from the slap. "What was that for!? You slapped and kicked me!" he grunted.
"That was for leaving me without my permission," she hissed at him. "No one asked you to sacrifice yourself you know?"
Natsuru grunted. "That's not fair! I did it for your sake! Geez, that hurt…" he whined.
"Don't be such a baby," she said. Grabbing Natsuru's face, she pulled him close and perched her lips onto his. Their tongues danced with one another, with Natsume taking the lead. She backed away, feeling a sense of satisfaction and dominance as she saw Natsuru's dumbfounded expression.
"…What was that for?" asked Natsuru.
"Hmm, who knows?" she giggled. "Welcome back, Natsuru."
"We're home," said Takashi and Ayame. The two children walked into the house leisurely, taking off their shoes before stepping onto the hardwood floor.
"Welcome back!" said Natsuru as he popped out from the doorway to the kitchen. The two younglings jumped in surprise and were immediately attacked by Natsuru. He grabbed the two, lifting them up and kissing them. The two groaned with protest as their hands pushed his face away before escaping his grasp.
"Run away, Dad's acting weird!" laughed Takashi. They escaped through the stairs, laughing as they ran from Natsuru.
Natsuru looked at them as they ran and felt a sense of warmth.
"What happened?" asked Natsume from the doorway.
"Ah…nothing," he sighed. "It still hasn't hit me yet, are those really my kids?" he asked.
Natsume crossed her arms and leaned on the doorframe. "You know, I'm not really sure actually. I visited Los Angeles a while ago and I met this guy. Let's just say that we had some drinks and I forgot what happened after that. Then after several months, I ended up with those two." She tried her best not to laugh, seeing Natsuru's reaction.
"…I…I can't tell if you're being serious or not…" he said.
Natsume snickered. "They both have blue hair and eyes. And Takashi looks like you!"
"Well maybe this guy's genes were recessive!"
Nastume couldn't contain her laughter, so she bursted out, leaving our male protagonist confused as hell. "Of course they're ours, silly!"
"That was mean, don't joke with me like that!" he whined.
"Sorry sorry," she said. "You've changed a lot, Nasturu. You're not the same person you were back in high school."
"Is that a good thing?"
"I think it's a great thing. But there's that one part of you that probably won't change."
"Huh, what is it?"
Natsume giggled. "You're as dense as ever."
"I still don't quite understand," he scratched his head. "But I'd say you've changed a lot more than I have, Natsume. You've become quite the independent woman." Natsuru leaned on the wall nearby, reminiscing the times when he would always have to take care of her. Those were good times, fun times, and he'd never forget about them.
"I couldn't have gotten this far without your parents. They've helped me in so many ways that I don't think I could possibly repay them." It was a fact. That without Natsuru's parents, she'd have remained lost and scared. What was she to do when Natsuru died and was expecting children? But they snapped her out of that pathetic state and helped her find her own confidence.
"They did always want another child, a daughter actually. But there were some complications along the way. And I know they see you as their own daughter," said Natsuru. She smiled at him and he smiled back. "It must've been hard," he said. The tone of his voice was somber, almost guilty.
"Of course it was hard, but I never gave up. I wasn't going to waste the life you gave me, and I wasn't go to leave them either. But now that I look back, my situation wasn't hopeless. I had good people taking care of me and had no financial problems. I guess I got lucky."
Natsuru pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and walked to Natsume. He grabbed her hand gingerly. "Even so, you did a great job raising those two by yourself, you even have your own restaurant! I couldn't be any more proud."
"I've done my best, but it all starts here. It's our job now. There are some things that only a father could teach to his kids. That is your punishment!" she giggled.
The title of dad. Natsuru still couldn't believe it himself. But as a man, he take on the role of the father of his new family. Not out of responsibility, obligation, or guilt. But out of love. Easier said than done.