Authors Note: Hey there! If you're reading this, it probably means you read chapter 1 already! Thank you for that. Sorry about the slowness of the chapters so far, (this ones no different), but I mean to pick it up during or after chapter 3. Setting up Souji and Yu is important, as I'm playing their personalities to be a bit different, so the recap of the story we all know and love needs to be done to achieve this, I think. Again, sorry about the pace of the chapters so far, and thank you for reading!
The twins stepped off the train alone, the train behind them empty of all occupants. Yasoinaba had been the last stop. Giving each other a look of mild impassiveness, they made their way forward. "Another year, another place to get dumped off at". Souji sighed inwardly, already disliking his current position. Looking to his left, he saw Yu looking around.
"The message said to be here at 4, but…" Yu trailed off, appearing as if he had expected to be forgotten again, like many times before when their parents had gone overseas to work. This had been the standard for the boy's lives since they'd been old enough to walk. For his part, Souji hadn't been expecting anyone to show up. Family or not, people rarely appreciated having the two boys dumped on them, despite having any reason for disliking them. Everywhere they went, the boys had maintained an aloof position from their surroundings, trying to not create any attachment to the people and places they visited for their stays. This city would be no different. A voice brought Souji out of his deprecative reverie, a voice that somehow brought on a sense of nostalgia.
"Hey! Over here!" The twins turned to the source of the voice, a man standing off to their left. He wore a collared gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a red tie around his neck, brown-grey pants and brown shoes toning down his image. A brown leather jacket was slung over his shoulder, and Souji noticed a silver watch on his left wrist. Standing behind the man was a young girl, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, with three large stripes of white, pink, and purple, starting at her collar and going down to the bottom of the shirt. She wore a deep purple skirt, or maybe it was brown…hard to tell.
The man seemed familiar, though Souji couldn't figure out exactly why. He knew the man was his uncle, but couldn't recall meeting him before. Yu grinned inwardly, not allowing his facial expression to change from the stoic face it had come to hold, seeing the shyness of the young girl he assumed was his uncle's daughter, making her the twins' cousin. He too felt a sense of familiarity from his uncle, but couldn't place why it had surfaced. While Souji continued to wrestle with it, Yu discarded the thought and made his way over to his two relatives. Souji followed after, giving up on collecting memories from far back.
"Well, you two are more handsome in person than in photo." The man smiled, attempting to break the ice. "Welcome to Inaba. I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'll be looking after you." Dojima cocked his head to one side slightly as he continued. "Let's see… I'm your mother's younger brother…and that about sums it up."
Yu nodded, greeting his uncle. "Nice to meet you, Uncle Dojima." He looked to his brother, expecting a follow-up greeting. What he saw caused him to raise his eyebrows in mild surprise instead. Souji was grinning genuinely, something Yu hadn't seen in a while, and the infectious effect it had caused him to smile as well. Souji had remembered why Dojima had seen so familiar.
"It's been a long time, Uncle Dojima. Weren't you changing our diapers the last time we saw you?" This statement completely disarmed Dojima, who chuckled as Souji's smile widened.
"Yeah, that was a long time ago. The two of you have really grown, huh? So, you must be Souji, then. Your mother told me you had a good memory, but I didn't think it was that good. Must be that Seta bloodline. My sister always could remember the smallest of facts. I guess I got more of my mother than she did. And that makes you Yu, right? Named after my brother-in-laws family."
The twins nodded, the disdain they had felt moments ago slowly slipping away as they reconnected with their uncle. Dojima looked down at the young girl, pushing her forward a bit. "This here's my daughter. Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousins." The young girl, Nanako, looked down, and mumbled a small "'Lo" before blushing and quickly walking back behind her father. Dojima chuckled. "What are you so shy for?" Nanako promptly slapped her father's back, eliciting a remark of pain and small laugh at the response to his teasing.
Dojima turned back to the two boys. "Well then, let's get going. My car's over there." Turning toward the parking lot, Dojima and Nanako walked off, with Yu following close behind. Breathing deeply, Souji started forward as well, not noticing the piece of paper that slipped out of his back pocket, nor the unfriendly-looking girl that walked past him.
"Hey…you dropped this."
The girl picked up the paper after catching Souji's attention, handing it back to him. "Thank you" Souji said as he took the paper back, looking to see exactly what it was he had dropped. It turned out to be the note he had made for himself about Dojima's address.
"Whatever, all I did was pick it up" said the girl, looking uncomfortable and…confused? The girl turned on her heel and walked off, leaving Souji standing there.
"Souji, what's wrong?" yelled Dojima. Souji quickly stowed the note and headed for the car, taking the seat next to Nanako.
Dojima stopped at the only gas station the twins had seen on the ride to the house to fill up. They heard the attendant call out, running over to the car, leaving the delivery truck they had been attending as it drove off.
"Welcome to Moel!"
The boys got out of the car to stretch as Nanako went to find the restroom. Dojima and the attendant were discussing what Dojima needed for the car, and as Dojima walked off to smoke, the attendant walked up to the twins. "Are you two in high school? Does it surprise a couple of city boys to see how little there is out there?" The attendant grinned as the twins looked around. Apparently, Dojima had mentioned their reason for being in Inaba. "There's so little to do, I'm sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs. Speaking of which, we're actually looking for part-time help right now. Give it some thought, why don't you? We don't mind if you're students." The attendant smiled, offering their hand to the twins to shake. Souji and Yu took the hand the attendant offered in turn, not really paying attention to the invitation for work. As Nanako came back, the attendant realized the neglected car still sat there, and ran to fill it up.
As Nanako stared at the twins, Souji saw a bright flash, and felt his head ache suddenly. He stumbled a little, bumping Yu, who looked as if he too was feeling poorly. Nanako came over, somewhat concerned for their well-being. "Are you okay? Did you get carsick?" she asked. "You don't look too good."
Dojima walked back over, finishing his cigarette. "What's wrong? You okay?" Yu nodded as Souji spoke up. "I just felt lightheaded." Dojima smiled warmly. "That's understandable. It must have been a long trip for you two. Why not take a little walk get some fresh air. Let me know when you're ready to go."
"Alright, let's have a toast." The four were sitting on tatami mats around a small table, an array of take out and juices in front of them. Dojima turned to the two boys. "So, your mom and dad are busy as always…they're working overseas, was it?" The twins nodded, silver eyes slightly narrowing at the thought of their parents. "I know it's only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents…its rough being a kid." Souji nodded, thinking about the past "homes" they'd been stuck in whenever their parents had work, which was often enough that it was odder when they were actually home than out at some family friends place, or home alone. "Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll nice having the two of you around. As long as you're here, you're family. So make yourself at home." Dojima smiled as he finished.
Souji looked down, mumbling his thanks. Yu spoke more loudly, addressing his uncle. "Thank you for your kindness." Once again, Dojima looked shocked, and laughed as he responded. "C'mon, there's no need to be so formal. Look, you're making Nanako all tense." Nanako looked down, embarrassed. "Well, anyway, let's eat."
As Dojima reached for his food, a ringing came from the cell phone in his pocket. Dojima sighed. "Ugh, who's calling at this hour?" He took out his phone an answered. "Dojima speaking." Dojima got up and walked away from the table, speaking to the other person on the line. As he finished, Dojima turned around, looking worn and tired. "Sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business. Go ahead and eat without me. I don't know how late I'll be out. Nanako, you help them out, okay?"
He made his way to the door as Nanako gave a half-hearted "Okay" in response. Dojima yelled back as he opened the door, asking Nanako about the Laundry.
"I already brought it in." replied Nanako, looking towards the door.
"Alright. Well, I'm off." And with that, Dojima was gone.
Nanako sat down and turned on the T.V, the weather report coming on, reporting rainfall for the next day. "Let's eat." Said Nanako, reaching for her chopsticks. The boys looked at each other. Souji wondered if he should try to strike up a conversation when Yu spoke up again.
"Beat me to the punch" Souji thought wryly as Yu asked about Nanako's dad.
"He…investigates stuff, like crime scenes. My dad's a detective." Souji's head snapped up, interested in the answer Yu had received. Souji loved anything to do with the world of crime scenes and criminal justice. He hoped he could get to know his uncle better, maybe even get some pointers on becoming a detective someday. Yu smiled, noting his brothers reaction at the word "detective", but was more interested in how Nanako dealt with the absence of her father. This seemed to happen often. As the local news came and went, a Junes commercial came on, the telltale jingle playing.
"Every day's great at your Junes"
Nanako sang along, amusing the twins as they watched her enjoy herself. As Nanako turned around, she noticed the untouched food on her cousin's plates. "Are you going to eat?" she asked, sparking the boys into eating.
After the meal was finished and the dishes cleaned, the twins went up to their room. The furnishings were simple, a couch against the wall with enough room for two people. A metal shelf sat against the door-side wall, next to a clock and calendar for the year. A dresser sat facing the couch wall, a T.V stand with a T.V next to it, and a small set of drawers sat next to that. Behind the couch were two large windows, covered by some grey curtains. A desk sat next to the couch, with a small chair for working or studying. A worktable had been placed in front of the couch, small and low to the floor. A pair of futons were lain out lengthwise towards the table, meant for the pair to sleep on. It was a comfortable looking room, at least. The twins dressed for bed, laying out their new uniforms in preparation for school the next day, an unusual occurrence as the boys usually were able to take a day off after moving before starting their new school each year. Souji laid down as Yu turned off the lights, thinking about what the next day would bring.