Yep! I'm back with the next chap!
Thank you sooooo much for the reviews you guys! I was so happy whenever I saw one popped up! XD
Oh, and quite a number of people wondered about how much did Shizuka know. So I'm here to tell you she knew that Kirino had a wife who died of a disease and that he was living with their daughter. That's all! So that was all our Raimon company learned about their friend alright. They didn't know that it was Akane whom Kirino married nor Utau is biologically Shindou's daughter! (Didn't want to spoil the real fun yet… -grin-)
Anyway, there's the next chap! Have fun!
Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)
Chap 3: Truth
That morning, the defender woke up quite late. It had been a while since he the last time slept in her small bed, so falling asleep wasn't at all easy last night.
The first thing he did was checking Utau's temperature to see if it had gone down. Even though her forehead was still a bit warm, her fever had indeed lowered over the night. So he sighed in relief and got up from the bed. The defender adjusted the blanket so that it would fully cover his daughter's body and did some stretching before going to the bathroom.
A while later, he got out with a towel around his neck. The boy walked to the kitchen and started to make some breakfast for both of them. As he sliced some of the vegetables, Kirino recalled the conversation with his child yesterday.
Now that I think about it, she barely tells me anything anymore recently. Was she afraid that I would be mad…? Maybe daycare wasn't a really good choice after all…
What would Akane do in times like these…? But then again, the manager was never that fond of kindergarten or daycare and always preferred to take care of their daughter on her own. Utau just started going just a few months ago. Maybe she just needed some time to get used to the class.
Yeah right… like anyone can get used to being bullied…
Kirino sighed as the thought went through his mind.
Maybe I should just take her to soccer field? After all, she likes it there. And everyone seems to love her too…
However, before he could even consider the option more carefully, the boy let out a yelp the very next moment when he accidentally cut his finger with the knife. He slipped the towel down from his neck and squeezed it around his finger. Before the boy could remember where the hell he put the first aid kit though, his door bell rang.
"Oh great, what perfect timing…" Kirino grumbled as he spent one moment to debate between his guest and the bleeding finger.
In the end, the boy decided to open the door first. He didn't know how long it would take him to find the damn box, and it would be just rude to keep someone waiting outside his home. Besides, he was pretty sure that it was just the delivery guy bringing some mails. It wouldn't take that long to sign some papers before going back to treating his injure again, that is if he could sign them…
The bell rang again. So he walked to the door and took some time to undo the locks. However, the moment the boy opened the door, his finger started to bleed again, distracting him from his guest whom he still thought was the normal delivery guy.
"Sorry Haku, I don't think I can sign-"
"Kirino…"
The boy widened his eyes when he heard the familiar voice. He finally looked up to see someone he would never imagine standing in front of his house.
"Shin... dou..?"
Yes, his best friend whom he had avoided for the last 8 years was standing right in front of him, at the door of his home…
The pink hair male stared at his friend in complete awe. Was he having a hallucination from bleeding too much…? Maybe he was still half asleep…? Or this is just simply a bad dream… There was no way the boy could be here of all places…
…
Right…?
The brunet hesitated to make a move when he saw how shock the former defender was to see him here. He was starting to take back his decision to come. What the hell was he thinking anyway, coming here like this without even telling the boy first… Well, he wasn't really thinking to be exact. He was just worried about his friend too much to actually use his genius mind clearly. And thanks to that idiotic part of him, they were now standing in complete awkward…
"I…"
Shindou was about to open his mouth to apologize, but the playmaker halted when his eyes fell on a horrifying sight.
"You're hurt…!"
The playmaker let out loud, making the pink hair male flinch back to the reality at the same time.
"A-Ah… This… This is no-"
However, before Kirino could hide his hand away, the brunet had already grabbed his arm and quickly pulled him into the house.
"Where's the bathroom…?" The playmaker asked as he looked around.
"S-Shindou! I'm fine…!"
It didn't take the genius long to locate the place he was looking for. He was about to lead the boy to the room when his friend yanked his hand away.
"I'm fine…!"
Shindou sighed…
"Kirino, your hand is still bleeding… You need to wash the injury before it gets infected, and then find a way to stop the blood before you pass-"
"I-I am not going to faint…!" The pink hair male immediately protested, turning his face away in slight embarrassment.
"You are! If you just let it be like this…"
"I can take care of myself…!"
"Kirino…"
The tone in his friend's voice finally managed to hush the boy from objecting any further. He looked up when he felt Shindou's hand holding his arm, gently this time.
"Please… just trust me…"
His best friend's pleading looks led Kirino to just sighing in defeat, so he just looked down and relaxed against the touch.
When the brunet was sure the boy wasn't going to fight back, he led him into the bathroom again. He turned on the water and washed the messy blood away from the other's hand. Kirino only winced slightly when his injure came into contact with the cold flowing, but the playmaker held his hand still. After that, Shindou opened the closet above their head to look for some bandages and found the first aid kit instead.
So that's where I put it…
The former defender silently thought as the other led him out again, carrying the medical box with him.
When they were sitting on the floor of the living room and the brunet was treating his hand, the pink hair boy had wanted to tell Shindou that he could take it from here now, but then decided against it, knowing that his best friend would just do it anyway.
After the playmaker managed to stop the bleeding, Kirino whispered a small thank you, too embarrassed to actually look into the other's face. The boy just smiled at him.
"It's no problem… "
A quiet moment passed between them until the pink hair male spoke again.
"How… did you know… well..."
"Shizuka san told me the address... You didn't come this morning so I was worried…"
"I-I see…"
Well, you could always count on the blonde woman to send someone here to make sure he was alright. And even though her feelings made him happy, he really needed to have a talk to her about her choice of selection… sending the brunet of all people here…
The boy sighed.
"Kirino…"
The defender looked up again at his friend. "H-huh? What is it?"
"…well… yesterday-"
"Daddy...?"
Kirino's body froze when he heard his daughter's voice. The boy turned back to see the curly hair girl standing at the opened door in her pajama with her eyes half-open.
"I'm hungry…" Utau said as she walked to her father. The girl was halfway through when her eyes finally fell on Shindou. Immediately, she dashed to the defender's side and held on tight to his arms with her face hid away. Only now, did Kirino suddenly remember something that made his heart dropped…
God… How could I forget….?
The boy stretched out his eyes in realization.
"Utau-chan… right…?" Shindou gently called the little girl who was looking at him timidly from behind his best friend.
He smiled at her before bending his body a bit forward and holding out his hand. "I'm Shindou Takuto. I'm your father's friend... Nice to finally meet you, Utau-chan..."
The little girl stared at the brown hair male for a while, still not willing to come out of her safe zone with the former defender. However, seconds later, she realized something and widened her eyes in awe. The little girl left her father's side slowly, very slowly, and inched her way towards the guest. She walked pass his welcoming hand, and came even closer to the male himself. Her lavender eyes still had that amazed look in them when she stopped a few inches in front of him.
When Shindou looked into those eyes, he suddenly had a familiar feeling that he couldn't really make out. However, the playmaker let out surprised sound the very next moment when the little girl suddenly yanked at his hairs. Kirino practically jumped at his daughter's sudden rude behavior.
"U-Utau…! Why did you do that?"
Nevertheless, before the pink hair male could say anything further, the two boys were caught off guard by Utau's innocent laugh. She ran her fingers through the other's wavy locks, touching her own curly hair with the other hand happily. The prodigy sat there in astound as she hugged him cheerfully with her tiny arms.
… How could I forget…?
Kirino slumped silently back into his seat as he watched the scene.
She… is his daughter…
The little girl just went on laughing and touching the other's locks, feeling so happy that she finally met a person with hairs like hers. Even though Shindou was a little clueless at the beginning, he could guess why she opened up to him so fast. And obviously, the boy was happy... very happy for some reasons that she liked him. So he stayed still and let the little child play with his hair as he watched her with a genuine smile. When the prodigy looked up at his best friend, however, his smile toned down as he saw the troubled expression on the boy's face.
He's her real father…
Kirino stared at the floor with sad eyes. Even though he always told himself that he was enough for Utau, the truth was he was quietly praying that he could be enough. It was not a fact, but merely a wishing thought that he fantasized in his mind, or worse, an excuse to keep his daughter with him. And that, was also the very problem, the reason why she could never share with him things about her hair, or the color of her eyes, or laugh the way she just did… He's not her real father. She will never be able to feel compassion from him no matter how much he loved her. And she will never be able to relate herself with him when she needed someone who can understand…
How can I claim that I can take care of her when she can't even count on me on those tiny things…?
"Kirino?"
Utau is… she is…
"Kirino, what's wrong…?"
…
"Daddy… Are you ok…?"
The pink hair boy finally looked up to see both of them looking at him with worried eyes. The little girl immediately walked back to him to hold her father comfortingly.
"Don't be sad daddy… Mommy won't be happy if you are sad…"
Azure eyes widened in surprise at these words… But they softened the very next minute...
The former defender smiled softly as he whispered into her ears. "Silly girl, I'm fine… You said you were hungry right? I think we still have a piece of apple pie in the fridge, can you be a good girl and get it by yourself…? Daddy has to talk to his friend a bit..."
The wavy hair girl's face brightened up. "Ok!" She instantly ran her way to the fridge and did just as he said, happily eating her pie on the table from a distance.
Kirino smiled again at her. However, the boy turned back when he felt a hand touching his face softly.
"Stop saying that you are alright all the time. You are not…"
…
What she needs…
The brunet was a little taken aback when there was no further reaction or protest from the other. Instead the pink hair male just stared at him without saying anything. His eyes looked so deep in thoughts that it was almost like the boy was evaluating something in his head… something very important.
"Shindou…" The boy finally called out with an almost inaudible voice. "What I'm about to say… is probably going to freak you out…"
The prodigy widened his eyes at this.
"Kirino, what are yo-"
"But… of all people, you have the right to know…"
Shindou looked at his friend in complete baffle. Just what is the boy talking about…?
"And I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier… I made a promise with somebody that I wouldn't… But now…" Kirino looked at his daughter again with sadness in his deep eyes.
What Utau needs…
"… It's no longer about me anymore… no... this has never been about me…"
"Kirino…" As the playmaker looked into his friend's azure eyes, he could see pain flashing through them. The stubborn male who refused his help only moments ago vanished into thin air, leaving behind a vulnerable boy who couldn't even look at him when he spoke.
The defender looked so helpless with what he was about to say that Shindou wanted nothing more than to pull him into his arms and hold him tightly against his chests, so that he could chase away whatever was eating the boy up from the inside. But the taller male held himself back, knowing that the other would never forgive such inappropriate acts. And he couldn't bear losing his best friends again… Eight years were already too much. Another day without the boy would leave him devastated, he just knew…
"Shindou…"
The brunet was brought back from his thoughts when he heard his best friend calling him again. The boy watched in surprise when he saw the pink hair male looking directly at him. And the boy's eyes never showed more strength and sincerity.
Just what is going on..?
"Utau…"
Finally realizing that this thing was more important than he had imagined, the prodigy waited patiently for the other to continue. Kirino took in a deep breath before releasing the very sentence that changed their lives forever.
"Utau… she is your daughter Shindou…"
Complete silence embraced the room as the playmaker stared at his friend in shock. His eyes widened. And the boy himself was completely speechless. The pink hair male though, still looked at him with such composure in his eyes.
"K-Kirino… W-what are you talking about…? She is... Utau chan is your-"
The brunet finally managed to let out. However, before he could say anything further, Kirino stood up from his spot and headed to a nearby closet to take out a photograph. He jogged back to the prodigy and sat down in front of the boy again.
"This is my wedding picture…"
The boy put the photo down and pushed it over to his best friend. The playmaker reluctantly took a look at the picture, not understanding his friend's intention and what did this have to do with what he just said… But the moment his eyes fell onto the image of the beautiful bride in the photo who was holding a little wavy hair child in her arms lovingly, they widened in shock once again…
"This is…" The brunet whispered silently and that was all he managed to let out. So the defender decided to finish his thoughts for him.
"Akane… was the one I married… She was my wife." The pink hair boy closed his eyes as he fell into silence for a while before he could carry on. "And… Utau was born right after you went away… She is your daughter Shindou…"
Baffling thoughts clouded the playmaker's mind. He just couldn't believe in what he was just told or even the sight in front of him. His eyes went from the picture in the frame to the little girl who was humming cheerfully at the kitchen not so far away. This… How could this be…?
The pink hair male only looked at his friend sadly before he slowly explained the detail to the completely stunned boy. From when he found out about Akane's pregnancy, how the manager made him promise to keep everything a secret... how they fell in love and made a family, to the day when the lavender eyes girl passed away and left their daughter to him… Everything was finally brought into light. And for the first time in many years, Shindou felt like he had been living a complete lie.
The brunet sat quietly on his laps with his hair covered his expressions... Not a single word left the boy's mouth after his friend let out the last word. They just sat there in complete silence until the playmaker finally stood up, silently excused himself and walked away…
And that was the last time Kirino saw his best friend in the next three days.
...
...
Two days later, not a word was heard from Shindou.
The pink hair male was standing in the middle of the playground, giving Utau push after push on her swinging chair. The little girl laughed out loud every time she went up into the air, carefreely enjoyed her time with her father. Kirino, however, couldn't be as lighthearted as the little one…
Every time the defender thought back to that morning with the playmaker, his heart was weighted down by guilt and his chest felt so heavy that it became hard to breath.
I did a terrible thing…
Because of his lack of consideration, he just changed his best friend's entire life. And not in a better way... He shouldn't have been so weak and selfish. The boy was a player for the National Team, he just became a team captain again, his life was turning out to be perfect like he had always dreamt… and yet, the defender just had to crush all of his hopes and accomplishments with one moment of weakness.
I'm such an idiot…
The boy thought with a sigh as he gave the little girl another push.
"Daddy daddy! It's grandpa and grandma! They are finally here!"
Utau cheered happily as she jumped out of her sit and ran towards her grandparents. It was a custom that he and his daughter visited Akane's parents every Friday. The girl loved them very much, so she was always happy when they finally met.
The defender usually just took her to the older couple's house, but for some reasons, Akane's parents wanted them to all go out together this time. Not that he had any objections, but the tone of his father-in-law's voice when they spoke over the phone the previous night somehow gave him a strange feeling.
Kirino stood there for a while as he watched his daughter welcomed the couple with many hugs and kisses before gradually walking there himself. After some greetings, they all decided to go to an ice cream shop that the little girl loved. Utau, of course, was jumping up and down happily as she skipped ahead with her grandma. The two men walked a bit more calmly behind as they watched the cheerful scene.
When they reached the shop, the little girl pulled the older woman over the store immediately for some ice creams. The defender was about to follow them when an arm was held out to stop him in his track…
"We need to talk…"
The older man said quietly without even looking at him. The defender widened his eyes a bit before he finally nodded.
I guess my instinct was right after all…
He followed after Akane's father as the man led him to a quieter place. After a while of complete silence, the boy finally stopped and asked when he couldn't wait any longer for the other to begin.
"What do you want to talk about…?"
However, the tension between them only rose when the man refused to let even a word come out of his mouth. Kirino tried to stay patient as he stared at his father in law's back. Moments later, the man sighed as he finally turned around and looked at him.
"I'm going to cut to the chase, so this can be as clear as possible..."
This…?
The boy's azure eyes became serious too when he started to realize that this discussion probably wouldn't end well.
"We will be taking Utau."
…
What…?
Kirino's eyes widened in shock at the statement.
"What do you mean by that…?" The former defender asked, trying to keep his voice calm, but his anxiety could already be spotted behind his mask.
"Utau needs a family…"
"I am her family…"
The boy stressed, looking straight at the man in front of him. sighed heavily as he shifted his eyes away from him.
"Kirino… how long do you think you can last at this rate… she needs a real family Ranmaru. One that can always support her with everything she needs… more importantly, she needs someone she can relate to… someone of her own blood…"
"I can't just-"
"You are not her father…!"
The last statement left the pink hair male stopped in shock. His eyes stretched out. The boy was speechless that he didn't know how to reply. And even though the older man felt guilty about what he just said, he had no choice but to continue with another sigh.
"I know how you feel Ranmaru… but if you truly love Utau, than do what best for her…"
The man said, walking passed the completely stunned boy.
"We'll come for her on Sunday."
"Daddy… what's wrong…?" The little girl asked innocently, looking at her father as he carried her home after spending a day with her grandparents. Kirino opened the door silently and walked into the house. The boy let the wavy hair girl down on her feet and closed the door.
You are not her father…!
The conversation with the older man kept echoing in his head, bouncing against his mind. They wanted to take her… They wanted to take her away from him… How could he accept that? How could it be that he was even considering such idea? She's everything he had left…
But then again, it was never his choice from the beginning... Whether it was Akane, Utau... or Shindou. Eventually, he had to let them all go without being able to do anything…
"Daddy…?"
He saw what being someone who wasn't related to her did to the little girl… There would always be things, that no matter how much he tried, he could never give her like a real parent could…
If you truly love Utau… than do what best for her…
…
"Daddy, are you hurt…?"
"Utau…"
The wavy hair child was a bit startled when her father finally called quietly. He looked at her with a smile.
"Do you want to go out again tomorrow… with just the two of us this time."
Utau's face brightened up immediately after she heard the idea. The little girl jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly with her hands.
"Ok!"
His daughter's innocent voice made pain flash through azure eyes. The defender squeezed his arms around the tiny body clinging onto him. He softly pressed her warmth against him and almost didn't want to take his hand off again.
God…Why... Why is it so hard to let her go…?
Completely oblivious to her father's pain, Utau also gripped her fingers closely around his shirt, enjoying the pink hair male's affection with a happy smile. "I love you daddy…" The little girl said into his ears. But her words could no longer reach the traumatized male as a single tear quietly ran across his face…
Ok… I'm going to give you a head start and reveal that our next chap will be the final one. (Finally, I manage to finish at least one of my multi-chapter stories… =.=")
So I hope that you guys will continue to follow this fic of mine until the end. ^^-
Thank you so much and please leave your comments ok! I'm dying to read them! XD
See you guys next time! ;)