The Mask Shatters
Gaiden
Himura Arinori
"Behold… The life of another through their eyes…"
Author's Note
I'm late, I'm late! I know, I know! Lotta stuff went down last month, and it is my fault.
Talking with the editors, we decided to do a Gaiden early and let you guys in on some more of the ever developing lore. Especially behind Himura, since he's probably the least developed important OC rn. Kae is a close second, but don't worry about her.
Chapter 13 is coming along well, but it's so big that we've had to split it into two parts. Might be 3 if our cards fall that way. But it'll be worth the wait.
Without further adieu, enjoy the chapter!
Truly, his days weren't ever so quiet.
But the stress? The anxiety and the mental anguish? That remained an absolute constant.
His footsteps echoed within the halls of Shujin Academy. Thudding with a keen, knackered sense of presence that only a man of his particular life experience could ever possibly hope to make.
Such a prestigious high school, full of students from so many different walks of hierarchical life.
Children, as it were, of politicians, businessmen, detectives, lawyers, and much, much more.
And they were all huddled together into one building.
But so empty were the hallways that Himura almost forgot that school was in session.
He could hear, on his passing, the teachers lecturing their assigned classes into utter mental oblivion.
Topics ranged from basic and obscure historical facts to puzzling mathematical conundrums, from epic scientific discoveries to greater societal issues. Some teachers spoke with a friendly, upbeat inflection. Others, however, bitterly talked down to their students - almost like they were worthless objects spewed out by society itself. Teachers who were both young, old, and somewhere in between: All of which hailed from different backgrounds themselves.
And, for a short moment, he even thought he saw a teacher who was indescribably foreign. Like she was from America, but soon found herself in a far-east country.
Just from glancing at her, a young black haired, tan skinned woman who was an obvious fan of makeup, Himura quickly understood what "Prep school" meant to the children of this generation.
It was a weird experience, to be sure, walking through these unfamiliar halls. Having grown up during a time and place where school was just a few nascent corridors and anti-American sentiment was still relatively strong amongst the wider known populace of Japan, seeing an obvious foreigner - an American woman at that - teaching Japanese students in a distinctively Japanese high school was truly an alien sight. Something entirely new to Himura.
Even though he was a man in his very late thirties, someone who had, unequivocally, survived the many tumultuous measures of life and continued to persist ever onwards in spite of them, it was these scurried personal insights that reminded him that times were indeed changing.
And from his experience, not for the better.
But observing the students and teachers was not his goal today.
Instead, it was to contact a doctor that he had heard about.
A one Dr. Takuto Maruki.
He had left Arthur at home, alone once more.
It had been three days since the assault.
Himura hoped that, with time, Arthur would have recovered from the damage done to him by the now-waylaid thug.
Life, cruel and wondrous as it always is, did not care for his wishes.
Nor for the wellbeing of others.
Arthur was still not well.
He was now bedridden.
The contusion to his head deepened in longevity.
And his mind had spiraled into a concussion that, as Kiwa had hypothesized, would last for several days at best. At worst…
Himura shook his head. He didn't even want to think about it. Not now.
Arthur could barely stand, nor remember topics or occurrences that took place relatively recently. His mind was jumbled, and he couldn't even hold a proper conversation without immediately dropping it in personal favor of staring into general space or, as if he had ADHD, focus on something else entirely. Occasionally, he would blather on about the supernatural and occult. Topics like the Phantom Thieves and how "he must find them" for "salvation". That a man named "Igor" had told him such, and so on and so forth.
It was all nonsense, obviously. Even Kiwa, having treated many concussions for her eldest sibling in her past, had alerted Himura that fabrications based on false memories can and/or could occur with concussions. They would gradually fade in time, with hope at any rate, as Arthur slowly recovered.
Kiwa, having a small background in medicine herself, managed to do what she could to assist Himura - who was oftentimes ignorant, if not downright naive, of the medical treatments needed for situations like this. She even went out of her way to procure medications to ease Arthur's headaches. Stuff that Himura, with his current rate of pay, could only ever hope to financially afford.
There was no doubt about it in his mind: She had been an utter angel for Himura, and he could not ever hope to repay her for her kindness. Not in a million years.
She even went so far as to try and keep the higher ups at work at bay; however, Himura knew that Kiwa was fighting a losing battle. They never liked it when their staff were away from work for too long, even for situations such as this.
But Arthur was, in no way shape or form, ready to return to school in his current state. Himura had to remain at home and keep an eye on him, even if it meant forfeiting his pay.
After all, it wasn't just the concussion he was worried about…
He stopped himself, shaking his head as he tried to push those thoughts away. The stress he was feeling, the fear of losing his job and angering the wrong people, the pain Arthur was suffering as a result of his actions, already tore enough at his soul. He didn't need another worry entering his mind.
After all, if all went well today, he stood to at least ease some of that emotional weight.
Having arrived earlier at Shujin, the front desk told him where he could find this fabled Doctor.
The nurse's office in the practice building.
After a brief period of wandering and confusion, receiving odd looks from both the janitors and the students alike, Himura eventually found his destination.
He stood there, in a casual t-shirt and black denim shorts, in front of the nurse's office. The sign was there, as was a plaque declaring that this was indeed Dr. Maruki's office. He loitered for a moment, hands on his hips in an idleness that probably raised red flags to the faculty.
It wasn't nerves that stopped him, however, but rather it was the fact that he could hear two people inside. One, a young-sounding man, and the other - evidently - a young woman. What they were saying was beyond him though, as all he could hear was their muffled back and forths.
"Doctor-Patient confidentiality must be no issue, huh?" Himura thought to himself, scratching his chin as he waited.
The minutes passed as he stood there, waiting for the duo inside to finally conclude their private session. At first he was just idling around, staring at the door like a man dispossessed of the setting currently around him. After a few moments, he leaned against a cold locker behind him, hands buried in his pockets. More minutes passed and he promptly found himself sitting on his rear, back remaining against the metallic edifice as he flipped a coin over and over, entertaining himself with a childish game of "Heads or Tails".
He flipped his coin, and the winner was heads.
"Damn…" Himura murmured, preparing to flip the coin once more. "Alright… How about this… Heads, Kanikazu is a hentai fanfiction writer, tails he burns history books…"
He flipped the coin, a loud clink sounding off and echoing through the vacant hallway as it flew upwards. It reached its peak, before quickly descending back into his grasp.
He caught it, slamming it down onto his free wrist and stared - eagerly - at his fated answer.
It was tails.
"Aha! I knew it!" Himura chuckled, pumping his fist at his victory that was prophesied by fate. He prepared to flip the coin again, quickly imagining a new question. "OK, OK… Uh… Heads….that… Uh… Oh! Oh! Heads that I'm next in line for a promotion, tails…"
Meanwhile, further down the hallway, the Vice Principal stood there wide-eyed and confused, watching the middle-aged man as he flipped the coin. He was on his way to the nurse's office to speak with Dr. Maruki, and instead now he watched as the unfamiliar man caught and slapped the coin against his free wrist. His sudden giddiness quickly faltered as he got tails. He cursed silently, preparing once more to flip the coin.
The Vice Principal, without saying a word, pivoted and began walking away.
Himura hadn't even noticed.
The stress Himura had felt was, albeit temporarily, a thing of the past. His mind refocused on his little game. Himura knew it was nothing more than a momentary distraction, a brief lapse in his daily agitation. But it was one he welcomed, even if it looked odd to others. The games he played when he was bored, his toy soldiers and miniatures, all of it. They were genuine efforts to remove himself from the pain that reality often brought with existence.
Some may call him childish. A fool, even. He simply counters that argument with a philosophy he's long since learned to be personally true: "You're never too old to have fun."
As he prepared to flip the coin once more, the door before him opened, and out stepped a young girl. He glanced up at her, pocketing his coin and standing to his feet as he did so. She was definitely younger than Arthur, and was quite possibly no older than fifteen years. An intriguing creature to be sure: Thin as a pencil and her hair a unique dark auburn color that was tied up in a bright red bow and eyes to match. Hers was a character that practically screamed "special" to anyone with working eyes.
Behind her was a man wearing a casually worn lab coat and rolled up khakis, coupled with casual sandals. This man was, no doubt, "Dr. Maruki".
"Your acting never ceases to amaze me, Doctor." She said, giggling as she stepped out of his way. "You should definitely ask the drama teacher if you could help out!"
Dr. Maruki chuckled, rubbing the back of his skull as he looked down at her. "Heheh, for your sake I really hope you're not being serious." He told her, to which she only giggled further.
"Well, I do suppose it could use some work. Either way, thank you for seeing me, Doctor. Talking with you always puts me back in my spirits." She positively beamed, to which Dr. Maruki offered her a toothy smile.
"Always happy to help, Yoshizawa-san… Oh! Before you go, how's it going with that special guy you've told me about?" He asked her, hands on his hips as the young woman blushed ever so slightly. "I still don't know the lucky man's name, y'know…."
The young woman, evidently named "Yoshizawa", clasped her hands by her stomach, her smile drooping slightly as she looked away from the doctor - seemingly upset at him for bringing it up. Dr. Maruki, noticing the sudden change in her attitude, matched hers with a calm and curious frown. After a few seconds of silence, she answered him slowly.
"I… haven't asked him out yet… He doesn't really seem to be returning my signals…" She murmured, to which the kind doctor nodded in understanding. "And… I'll be honest, Doctor… I'm a little frightened to try my luck…"
The doctor shook his head at that last part, crossing his arms as he spoke. "We've talked about this, Yoshizawa-san. You're never gonna get out of this funk you're in until you conquer those fears."
He then placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, meeting her eyes with a kind and compassionate smile. "Remember, I'll be with you every step of the way."
Yoshizawa's smile returned. Himura was amazed, the sheer charisma of this doctor was evident.
"Thank you, Doctor." She offered him a respectful bow as he retracted his hand. The kind doctor nodded, telling her that she should return to class as quickly as possible before it ends. She agreed, and that was when they both spotted Himura.
Standing there idly, his hands in his pockets and mesmerized by how quickly he spun her sudden mood-swing around to a more positive light.
Yoshizawa seemed slightly embarrassed.
"Oh! A-are you here to see the good doctor?" She asked him, to which Himura nodded quietly. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait so long!"
"You're fine, kid. Completely fine." Himura waved her off, she offered him the same gesture she gave Dr. Maruki. "But, if you want my advice, don't rush headfirst into a relationship. It'll end in disaster. Let it flow naturally, like a river. Stay friends, and he'll discover if he likes you too. But don't be disheartened if it isn't meant to be." Himura offered her, to which Dr. Maruki's smile grew in measure as a result. "Relationships are more ironclad that way, and more magical too."
Dr. Maruki turned to Yoshizawa. "He's right."
Himura then chuckled, quickly adding, "I've been alive long enough to understand that better than anyone."
The advice given made Yoshizawa's smile glow with an intensity that Himura had seen only one other time, a month ago. She bowed once more to him, before thanking the both of them and quickly, silently, striding off down the corridor towards wherever she had to be.
The two watched her depart, with Dr. Maruki looking somewhat pleased with himself. Almost as equally so as with her and whatever their discussion happened to be about. When she turned to enter the school's courtyard, Dr. Maruki finally saw fit to address Himura.
"Sound advice." Dr. Maruki grinned, looking back towards Himura with a respectful nod. "You would make a decent marriage counselor."
Himura shook his head, chuckling lightheartedly at the assessment. "No, friend. That right there was just experience in a complete nutshell." He told Dr. Maruki, to which the latter raised a brow with an unspoken sense of personal interest. Himura noticed, raising a hand to explain himself. "I was what you would've called a "lady's man", heheh… I think I've had more girlfriends than I can count."
"Well, I suppose it's important to enjoy your youth while you can. As long as you don't hurt anyone in the end." The doctor nodded once more. Himura, with that said, curled his grin into a sheepish smirk while he rubbed the back of his head nervously. This told Dr. Maruki all he needed to know.
Without pressing further, the doctor crossed his arms as he noted the casual appearance Himura was sporting. "You're not faculty, though. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Ah, yes actually. I had heard about you after a quick phone call with the principal. He said you were a decent counselor… err… Among other things, of course."
"Nothing pleasant, those "other things", I assume." Dr. Maruki responded, frowning in disappointment as he cast his gaze to the floor. Himura looked at him quietly for a moment, unsure of what that even meant. The doctor then exhaled, glancing back up at Himura with an expectant eye. "Well, nonetheless, please continue."
"Oh, uh, right…" Himura stuttered. "Well, uh. So, I'm taking care of this kid… I'm his legal guardian, good friend of his parents in the good Ole' U.S. of A… You might know him. A one Arthur Williams?"
Dr. Maruki's eyes suddenly beamed to life with the mention of Arthur, and his frown swiftly faded into obscurity as this man's identity came to be known. Placing a hand in his lab coat, he listened further with a newly arrived interest, remaining quiet all the while. Himura took this silence as his cue to continue.
"Well… I… I've recently found out that the kid isn't doing so well upstairs… I was kinda hoping you could do something for him…?" Himura asked as Dr. Maruki brought his free hand up to scratch his chin in thought.
"Oh, yeah. I know Williams-kun. From the select few who dare even mention his name, I hear he's a fair kid." Dr. Maruki said. Himura then cocked his head, furrowing his brows at what the good doctor had just mentioned. "But… wait… You… You're just recently finding out about his instability? And you're his guardian, correct?" He continued, ignoring Himura's sudden curiosity.
"Uh, right! Right!" Himura confirmed, suddenly wary of the questionable look Dr. Maruki was giving him. "But.. Well… He's dropped hints here and there, but I'm never around as much as I could be so I didn't know how bad it was… I work constantly, after all…"
Dr. Maruki, his curiosity satisfied, slowly nodded his head in understanding of the situation. He could empathize well with where Himura was coming from, considering the nature of his own work was one of near-endless taxation. But unlike Himura, he had no one to return home to. His work, therefore, could run on unimpeded.
However, what still irked Dr. Maruki was the fact that Himura had just plainly admitted without much in the way of personal shame that he didn't pick up on the clear and obvious signs of Arthur's inherent mental disturbance - or, for that matter, held an otherwise ignorant perspective towards the young American's overall situation. According to the files Dr. Maruki had purveyed over, at the insistence of one Kobayakawa, these issues shouldn't be so easily overlooked, especially by a legal guardian.
Dr. Maruki 's eyes then narrowed, wondering exactly where Arthur stood on Himura's list of priorities.
He didn't ask, however. Instead, he opted to voice his concerns over what exactly it was that Himura was speaking of. The reports weren't in depth, but something told the good doctor that the situation was severe enough. "Well. I suppose, since you're here instead of at work, whatever happened must've been bad. Can you give me the rundown?"
Himura nodded, briefly glancing around so as to not speak where others could hear him. He knew not how bad the rumors circulating his charge were at the school, however. Stepping forward, and with a quieter tone, he spoke. "Well… Arthur just hasn't been himself for the past week or so… He's usually kinda… I guess…. Ergh…" He scratched his head, unsure of how to word it. Dr. Maruki meanwhile listened patiently, crossing his arms as Himura tried to figure out what best to describe it all. "Wellspoken? Not chatty, but friendly enough? Err…"
"Well-mannered, you mean?" Dr. Maruki slowly corrected him, to which Himura chuckled and agreed.
"Aha! Yes! That! Well-mannered! Exactly!" Himura grinned widely, impressed with Dr. Maruki's quick mind.
Dr. Maruki nodded, humming as he processed the information given. "And he's been the opposite lately, I am assuming?"
"Well, not just that, doctor." Himura mimicked his pose, his giddy attitude suddenly vanishing as his mind swiftly returned to the situation at hand. "He's been… Quiet… Kind of a smart-ass... And… Well… A few days ago… Er…" Himura stopped himself short, casting a wary gaze around once more to ensure they truly were alone in the hallway.
Satisfied that it was just the two of them, he turned to look Dr. Maruki in the eye.
A dead serious expression was now plastered on his face.
Himura began to explain, as best he could at any rate, what had happened. What he was doing at the time, where he had thought Arthur to have been at, and the phone call that precipitated it all for the young American's guardian.
He had described the storm that was pounding Tokyo that day. No one, not even the weather service, could've predicted how bad it was going to get. He told him how the power had gone out at his place of work, and from there described what the phone call was like.
"It was some police officer. He had Arthur in his car... The kid was attacked by the yakuza. He was beaten and out cold and… Well. The cop wanted me to come pick him up." Himura explained, pausing to let Dr. Maruki catch up. The good doctor processed the information given as best he could, surprised that Arthur had been targeted by such nasty elements of society.
Stroking his chin in thought, Dr. Maruki nodded, giving Himura the cue to continue.
From there, he explained all he knew about the attack and the effects it had on Arthur. The details, such as the thug in question being gunned down by a passing P.I., were relayed to the good doctor with grim certainty. Dr. Maruki's eyes went wide at that, quickly recognizing the scenario from a news report he had watched not too long ago.
"Ah, yes. I had heard about that… But I hadn't realized Williams-kun was involved." He said, casting his eyes to the floor in nothing but pity for the young American. "Goodness…"
Himura nodded, crossing his arms as he continued with his story. From there, he described Arthur's breakdown in such detail that Dr. Maruki was stunned. After allowing the good doctor to briefly recover from this revelation, Himura did his best to describe how he handled it.
His approach was simple: With peace and quiet, he allowed Arthur the time to collect his thoughts in an environment free of distraction and stress. It was a familiar strategy to the guardian. After all, he handled it almost exactly the same way back in the United States, when Arthur himself was more actively prone to such turbulent breakdowns.
"And that's how you solved it?" Dr. Maruki asked, with Himura nodding his confirmation.
"Yes. Allowing a moment for Arthur's mind to catch up is the best way for him to calm down. I've handled it like that for the longest time and his parents-" Himura tried explaining, only stopping himself short upon the mention of Patrick and Ciara Williams. Biting his tongue, he inhaled a deep breath before sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Well. Yeah."
Dr. Maruki nodded, understanding well how useful this information could be.
"Well, I appreciate the heads-up and instructions." Dr. Maruki said as he crossed his arms, "But unfortunately, I cannot counsel the kid. I had already approached him some few weeks ago, and he refused. Apparently I don't look qualified to do such work, heheh…" Dr. Maruki laughed nervously.
Himura didn't laugh, however. He just deadpanned at the good doctor, surprised that Arthur would refuse such sage advice.
"He refused." Himura flatout said, almost as if it wasn't a question. The doctor nodded, an act that caused his glasses to slide from their perch.
The doctor sighed, correcting his glasses all the while. "Well. I cannot force treatment on someone if they do not wish it. It's unethical." Dr. Maruki tried explaining.
But this answer didn't seem to satisfy Himura. In fact, if anything, it seemed to only upset him further judging by the dim glint in his eyes.
The hopeful, giddy feeling he had when he thought he was gonna get Arthur some help only found itself dashed and evaporating faster and faster by the second. The good, warm sensation he felt mere moments prior was now deftly replaced by a cold, visceral disappointment in, not Dr. Maruki, but himself.
Nothing needed to be said, nothing needed to be tried. Dr. Maruki gave his answer, and Himura knew that there wasn't any point in pushing the matter further.
He simply nodded, and the bell rang.
"Well. I, er… I'm sorry for disturbing you, doctor." Himura said, the school buzzing to life with the sudden call to arms. "I just figured I'd try is all. Y'know how it is, I hope…" He said quietly, placing his hands in his pockets as he turned to leave.
But Dr. Maruki stopped him, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as Himura turned to face him, curious as to what more Dr. Maruki had to say.
"OK, listen. I can't force him." Dr. Maruki said, waving his hand off in dismissal of the idea entirely. "But why don't you talk to him when you can? You're his guardian, correct?" He asked, and Himura nodded as a response. "OK. Talk to him. Try to convince him that talking to someone who "isn't qualified" might be a good idea." The good doctor said, to which Himura's eyes brightened, if only slightly.
The doctor paused, looking past him to witness the students filing out of their classrooms. Talking and laughing amongst themselves like no one's business. Some turned and looked in Himura's direction. Perhaps surprised by the presence of an unknown adult, or perhaps just interested in seeing what the good doctor was doing.
But no one chose to interrupt the two.
"I can step up my efforts to speak with him as well." Dr. Maruki spoke further, placing his hands on his hips as he cut his gaze back at Himura. "But unless he comes to me willingly, counseling is a no-go."
Himura nodded, deciding that was the best he was going to get.
"Alright, doctor. I'll try. Thank you, at least, for hearing me out." He thanked him. Dr. Maruki returned the nod with a smile of his own.
"No problem." The doctor responded, slipping a hand in his pocket as he spoke. "I wish you luck."
Himura smiled and nodded once more, before quietly and - with the brief window of despair fading to a decent degree - decided it was high time to go home.
Himura's stroll back to his car was very uneventful for the most part.
The students of Shujin Academy had been released for the day. And like prisoners so wantonly deprived of their well-needed time in the sun, the hallways were flooded with the youth of Tokyo, laughing and joking amongst one another as teenagers often do.
And what truly amazed Himura, in spite of his own casual observations thus far, was how quickly life flew by. Looking at today's youth only further solidified this idea. A profound personal realization. It felt just like yesterday that this was all he had to worry about in life - all he had to think and ponder about. And now he worked inside a major quasi-international conglomerate as a Middle-Manager.
Certainly not where he thought he would go.
Quietly, Himura moved through the hallways like an adult of his stature naturally would - weaving and bobbing his figure between groups of students as he advanced ever-towards the main entrance of the school. Surprisingly enough, however, no one paid him any real mind. No one cared that Himura was among their number: That a complete and total stranger, someone who should have rightly been reported to the faculty by now, was even there to begin with. It was almost as if they had bigger fish to fry than an unknown, middle-aged man walking through their school unguided.
Yet, even without the otherwise obtuse awkwardness of the situation, he squeezed past who he could and apologized whenever he needed to if he accidentally bumped into someone - all in an honest effort to avoid creating a scene.
"Apologies." He offered one young student, with him almost running into her as he tried crossing the courtyard to the main school building.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! H-here, let me help you with that!" Himura offered another young man as he jostled him unexpectedly after a sudden bump from another student.
"Oh, goodness, forgive me! I'm just trying to find my way outta here is all, hahah." He told another student as he entered the main building, bumping into them as he swung the door open.
Everywhere he went, however, he embarrassed himself with his clumsiness in a school so crowded.
As he rounded the corner to the entrance of the school, he noticed, as he made for the doors, the auburn-haired girl from earlier, standing idly by as she vigorously chatted away c on her phone. Judging from her expression, whoever she seemed to be talking to was very enjoyable.
Something about her slightly reminded him of Arthur.
Whether it be her obvious youth, her friendly personality, or even her stand-outish looks, she gave Himura a distinct vision of Arthur in his entirety.
That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, either. Whenever he looked at the kid, he often reminded himself that this was the same brat he sometimes babysat for when he was much, much younger during his life in the United States. The boy had grown into a fine young man, with the intelligence and looks to rival Himura when he was younger and more carefree.
His green eyes, his light brown hair. The perspicacity that gave him nothing but great grades, and the tenacity to even learn such dangerous sports like fencing. He remembered attending one of Arthur's matches once, and was amazed at how lightning fast the boy could move with the blade. The parries, the thrusts, the backsteps. It was all an amazing, dazzling dance of lethal elegance that Himura, until that point, never realized the young man known as Arthur Williams could pull off.
He grinned, shaking his head as a slight tinge of green envy rose within him.
A crude jealousy that he felt even when sometimes glancing in Arthur's general direction.
"Ah, if I could go back and redo high school…" He murmured, pushing on the door in front of him and exiting the school quietly. "Maybe I would've stayed away from the fleshpots and the what-have-you… Maybe I'd be somewhere better in life…"
He glanced around, noticing how crowded Shujin's front entrance looked compared to before. Students abound, faculty standing to and fro discussing with one another the recent politics of their own social circles and classes; however, curiously enough, some of the school's staff were busy chatting up the students as if they were best friends outside of school. In addition, he also noticed one man with a broom standing off by the garbage cans, gathering what he could into a steadily growing pile of soda cans and miscellanea in order to make sure everything was tidy for the return tomorrow.
It was amazing what the sound of a bell could do to revive a quiet campus.
Whistling his surprise, Himura continued on his way to his car.
"But Arthur? He's got his whole future ahead of him... And a bright one at that, with his skills…" He quietly added.
The walk to his car was the same as his walk through the school. Except much quieter. The further he got from the school, the more distant everything became. The loud laughter and frivolity of today's youth, the afternoon announcements, all of it.
Rather, it was instead replaced with the steady city static that Himura had become so accustomed to in his life.
The quiet became so deafening that the Middle-Manager could actually hear his thoughts within his own head, and that alone made him smile. He had forgotten how loud the schools could be.
And in this day and age, where the youth were getting more and more restless and brusque, Himura shuddered to imagine how bad it was in the classroom.
After all, he wouldn't have been able to get away with such behavior in his golden years - his playboy days were already pushing it to the extreme.
To occupy his walk, Himura began to hum a little tune. And with that humbled melody, he eventually began to allow a spring in his step. Almost a little dance to entertain himself as he walked such a boring street. Some of the passersby gave him weird looks in passing when they noticed his foolishness, but no one said a word.
Eventually, he arrived at his car. A broad smile on his face, and the noise of the city deafening his ears as his humming died down alongside his boisterous step. He stopped himself just short of his door, kicking his feet together as he finished it all off with one loud note spoiling his lips as he fumbled for the keys in his pocket.
They jingled and rattled as he fought to snake them out of his pants, but he took his time. He really had no other place to be today, and Arthur was no doubt awake at home, lost in the foggy, hazy trail that was a concussion.
He paused, snickering slightly at what exactly he was in for on the return home.
Pulling his keys free from their tenure in the prison that was his pocket, he glanced up briefly to spy the traffic passing by him. There wasn't much, with him having parked near the subway station. The station which, coincidently, most of the students from Shujin took to return to their homes in areas like Shibuya, Yongen-Jaya, and other such regions of Tokyo.
The station wasn't far, but he could already tell - with the students trailing by him at an alarming rate - that the subway was going to be crowded beyond all imagination today. He scoffed, pressing the key into the car's lock.
"Arthur's gotta go through that everyday?" Himura shook his head. "Talk about a headache."
Glancing back to the road, he kept a wary eye on the oncoming traffic, but much to his relief he spotted only a stark few cars some distance away. He would be able to pull out and be on his way in no time, at least with some level of care.
Satisfied with the left, he panned his eyes to the right, and then he stopped himself.
"Oh!" He went wide-eyed, suddenly spotting a face he'd recognize anywhere, just walking alone silently on the other side of the small street. A soft, pink thermos in one hand and a compacted, indistinct duffel bag in the other.
Even if he hadn't recognized her, she was hard to miss within a crowd at even a kilometer's distance. With curly, light auburn hair and wearing a sleeveless pink turtleneck over a Shujin-approved skirt, she was a young woman who, albeit with little effort on her part, executed the status of her family's name with keen adorable precision: An appearance which, if Himura had to be completely honest with himself, was only further solidified by the pure white socks she wore and the doll-like shoes she was so often seen wearing even during the most casual of company-wide business-related events.
This, in due turn, all but set her apart from the rest of the students attending Shujin Academy - and, more than certainly, the faculty working there as well - as undoubtedly the most wealthy coeval among their number.
Her walk was slow, her stature unimposing. Her shoulders were slumped to her side, as if what she carried burdened her extensively. She had kept her eyes visibly glued to the sidewalk below her, and just high enough so she could see where she was going. With one foot in front of the other and an idle sip of whatever she held within her travel cup, she didn't seem to notice Himura, despite their relatively short distance from one another.
He smiled, calling out to her with a warm voice. "Okumura-san!"
She jumped, as if startled awake by the sudden and unexpected mention of her name. Some of the students stopped themselves, quickly sussing out that the loud-voice was calling for her. They didn't say anything, however, as she glanced over her shoulder - blinking and confused - in an attempt to spy whoever had called for her. This alone amused Himura.
"Good Lord, she's as bad as Arthur…" Himura snickered as he raised a hand to gain her attention. "Over here, look to your left!"
She did so, albeit with a glimmer of unease in her eyes. However, that unease quickly faded into surprise, and from there a sudden joy that sparked a similar reaction from Himura when their eyes finally met. He waved at her and, with a warm giggle, she waved back at him.
A car passed between them, and as it slowly trailed past them and further down the road she opted to cast a wary eye to both lanes before quickly jogging across to meet with Himura on the other side.
As her shoes crunched and scraped over the pavement, Himura kept his eyes on oncoming traffic, wary of negligent drivers. But only moments later, he could hear her voice clearly within the static of the bustling city.
The voice of Haru Okumura, daughter of Kunikazu Okumura, Himura Arinori's boss.
"Arinori-san!" She said, smiling as she slowed herself to a brisk walk. Her voice was as soft as ever, and almost a stark contrast to her demanding father. "It's so good to see you!" She said, her breathing slighted by the sudden exercise she gave herself.
Himura then bowed, chuckling as he replied to her in his most respectful tone. "As with you, Okumura-san. I haven't seen you since the last affiliate meeting."
"Has it been that long?" She asked, arching a brow at the question. "My, that was only a year ago..."
"It has. Some of the fellows in the department are no longer employed, either." Himura confirmed for her, maintaining his bow as he spoke. This was the daughter of his boss, after all. "I see you're growing your hair out. It was much shorter when last I saw you, heheh…"
"It was a simple venture that Father needed me for. You understand. After all, I was on the cover with him on-" She then paused, letting her eyes widen when she realized Himura was awaiting her word on when to rise. She blinked, and then giggled when she saw her own error. "Oh, you can stand back up, Arinori-san."
He nodded, thanking her as he rose up. A slight pop in his back sounded off without Himura acknowledging it. Haru, on the other hand, jumped at the sudden discrepancy. But when Himura didn't react, she rolled her head askew in confusion, surprised that Himura didn't feel the pain from that obvious abnormality.
"Uh, d-didn't that hurt?" She asked slowly, which only amused Himura further than he already was. He shook his head in return, giving out a quiet laugh at her concern.
"When you get to be my age, Okumura-san, you learn to deal with it." He tried to ease her worries with an honest truth, to which she seemed to accept - albeit with an unsure eye that glazed him over as he spoke.
It was the kind of look Himura had known her for for quite some time. As the daughter of the CEO, and indeed, as the only child of Kunikazu Okumura, she was often by his side at any event or gala of notable import ceremoniously held at the office or abroad. Himura, with his official status as a Middle-Manager, predictably was required to attend such work-related festivities throughout the unusually-long few years that he had personally endured for the company known as Okumura Foods - even if, on occasion, they generally felt more like extended work seminars than actual periods of organized jubilation.
It was an amazing feat, really: Turning what classically should have been an event, or more accurately, a series of events meant to inspire motivation and a greater sense of cooperation among one's higher staff into an otherwise constant precession about the company's need for increased productivity. It was a type of menial drudgery that Himura himself had become all too personally accustomed to. And it was, no doubt, one of the many reasons why the few staff members who had individually interacted with the familial scions of Okumura Foods generally prefered the daughter to the man whom they called their boss, as she cared for them in a way that Kunikazu Okumura never could.
One need only observe the heiress' current expression, the taut, momentarily sullen look which inevitably gave way to thinned lips and a softly-felt focused gaze to understand that.
She first gave him such a countenance when they first officially met at a takeover event held in Sapporo some time ago. Himura, being a thirty-seven year old and relatively fresh off the boat from his return from the United States, and Haru a young fourteen year old going on fifteen, was accompanying the then-Chief Clerk through a small hallway that she and her father happened to have entered at the right time.
They had been discussing Himura's decision to join the Okumura Foods conglomerate, and with his experience in the U.S., were even discussing how lucky he was to get the position of a Middle-Manager. It was then Himura had slipped, the then-Chief Clerk having stumbled himself and spilled his drink all over the floor beneath them. Himura had fallen, but had not sustained anything serious aside from a sprained ankle. It was there they both first met, and it was there he first saw the worried look in her eye.
She even ran to his side to ensure he was alright, much to his surprise.
Himura often used this memory to remind himself that the Okumura name wasn't so bad as most in the company saw it. "She hasn't changed a bit." He thought.
She then shot a glance at his car, surprised to see him parked so near the school she attended. And with the obvious question hanging silently, Himura sought to answer for her.
"Ah, I was just here to speak to the good doctor you guys have in the school." Himura said, going quiet suddenly when trying to remember his name. He then cut his eyes to the sidewalk below, squinting and scratching his head as he tried to remember the name. "Dr… Marsbar or whatever?" Himura thought up, unsure if even that was right. Haru's smile curled in amusement for a moment as she tried stifling a giggle. But the audacity of such a name even existing in the first place for such a good man was too much even for her polite mind to bear.
She started laughing, if only less than overtly, holding her thermos over her lips to hide the fact from Himura, who simply glanced back up at her suspiciously - blinking with caution in his eyes as he tried to suss out the cause for her merriment.
Then, suddenly he realized what exactly got her, and his cheeks turned cherry red as he privately acknowledged that he more than likely just completely butchered the good doctor's name.
"Ah, well." Himura stammered, unsure of how to proceed as she let out her soft laughter. "At any rate, I just needed to talk to him. I'm on my way home now."
"My, and I'm sure Dr. Marsbar enjoyed chatting with you, Arinori-san." She giggled, giving Himura cause to roll his eyes.
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up." He deadpanned, crossing his arms as he jokingly glared at her. Haru met his gaze through squinted eyes, her stifled laughter simmering down to nothing more than a giggle.
"Heheh, apologies Arinori-san." She giggled further, lowering her thermos back to her side as she spoke. "But you can just be so silly sometimes. Even two years ago, you were a very amusing person."
He waved her words off, in a quite literal sense, as he turned towards his car. "Yeah, well. Anyways." He said, taking a step forward towards his car. "The subway looks crowded today. I wanted to see if you needed a ride to Station Square?"
She looked at him quizzically, her amused expression transitioning quickly into a curious one as he placed a hand upon his rear passenger door-handle. "Oh." She hummed, surprised completely by his offer. "Uh, I wouldn't impose, Arinori-san." She said before quietly glancing past him, and her eyes almost seemed to bug out of her head when she spotted the unusually large crowd further down the street. Students, adults, policemen all were crowded by the entrance. Some were idle, others trying to get in with passive-aggressiveness alone.
It seems even some taxicabs now sought to profit from the rush hour, as some yellow cabs had begun to park before the crowd and more were pulling up from behind to cash in.
She blinked, and shook her head softly as she turned her eyes back to meet with Himura. "Uh… I mean, a-are you sure?"
Himura gave her a wry smirk. Even her well-mannered persona was not adverse to saving herself time. Pulling on the handle, he swung the door open for Haru and gestured for her to enter. "Of course, Okumura-san! After you." He said, to which she nodded.
With a small smile, and a quiet thank you, she took her seat - setting her thermos and duffle bag down on the floorboards by her feet. Himura promptly shut the door behind her before getting in the driver's seat.
As they both fastened their seat belts, Himura quickly stopped himself as he looked back at her in his rearview.
"B-but I can only take you to Station Square." He stammered, almost embarrassed at that fact. But Haru didn't seem to mind, judging from her grateful expression. "I have to get home to someone, and I live right near the square."
Haru nodded once more, finding herself completely understanding of his situation. "No worries. Home is only a short drive from there, in the Shōtō neighborhood." She said, easing Himura's sudden and well-founded worries.
"I can call Father and have him send someone."
The drive was less than quiet, unlike Himura's day.
The two occupied themselves through their short journey with conversation.
Conversation the likes of which could only be held by friends.
While it was true they hadn't seen one another in a year, prior they had seen each other often. With Haru at first seeing him as nothing more than an employee in a business empire she would one day inherit, before realizing he was nothing like the rest of the drones and gluttonous businessmen she was forced to associate with day in and day out. As a customer service employee, Himura's status as a Middle-Manager often had him set near the CEO, on the insistence of the Chief Clerk.
Himura had secretly believed to be laziness on his part, as did Haru, but neither said anything. Both were enormously glad that such events did indeed transpire, for it stood, in the end, as a nice change of pace to the duo's otherwise rather droll lives.
When Himura last saw Haru, her hair was much shorter and less puffy though still just as curly - if not more so. It was auburn even then, and reached to just her ears. The goal, according to her, was to make her look more professional due to a bunch of tabloid articles she and her father found themselves covering. Such examples of stalwart and heavy-hitting acts of modern journalism being "The Heiress of Okumura Foods" and "The Okumura Family, From Humble Beginnings". According to her, it dominated much of her life last year, and from the sound of her voice, she was beyond relieved.
"Did you like your hair that way?" Himura asked.
Yet, for Haru, her answer was as simple as it one could.
"No."
Himura nodded, understanding that such short hair was not the preference for every woman. He had known one to go for pixie and buzz cuts back in his heyday; whatever she fancied at that particular time in the month, really.
From there, their conversations flowed from various topics such as the recent inter-political and social waves Himura's been making in the company as a Middle-Manager - like when he somehow managed to cover the costs of an embezzlement scandal, saving both his job and, more importantly, countless others.
Haru commended him for his selfless act, but Himura shook his head as he refused to acknowledge if what he did was right.
"After all, Arthur wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't…"
He quickly changed the subject, not wanting any potential gloom to damper the otherwise pleasant meeting he's had thus far. And it seemed Haru was enjoying herself as well. They laughed and bantered with one another, with Himura being the main culprit behind the jokes that were told, and swapped stories of what the two of them had been up to since their last meeting one year ago.
As it turned out, not a whole lot. For Himura, business was usual. And for Haru, well, just living the life of a child of a powerful businessman. If not one of the most in all of Japan.
What surprised Himura, however, was that she attended Shujin Academy - a fact absent to Himura for a very long time. It even became the main focus of their conversation when the car came to a stop at a busy intersection, watched over by a set of bright traffic lights.
The one given to him was red.
With cars honking and the sounds of nearby engines rumbling, he smiled as he glanced at her from his rearview. "So you attend Shujin, huh? How long has that been a thing?"
Haru, who was busy watching the various people stroll by their vehicle, idly nodded as she answered him. "Mmmhm… I've been attending ever since I was old enough to attend, Arinori-san."
"Huh…" He hummed, surprised by such a fact. Even further that he, as a member of the management team, had no clue. "You'd think everyone would know that at the office…"
"Oh, I doubt they would. Especially a Middle-Manager." She said, almost without thinking. Himura scoffed, glancing at her over his shoulder with a wry smirk. His gaze lingered, until moments later Haru realized that Himura was staring at her. Her eyes widened as she mentally registered what she had just said. "Oh! I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to-" She meekly stammered, covering her mouth out of embarrassment.
"Hahah!" Himura laughed, watching as her cheeks flushed with red. "What are you apologizing for? I know you didn't mean it. I just wanted to see if you would catch what you said." He turned back in his seat, just in time to catch up with the rest of traffic as they moved a mere two car lengths ahead. Haru's embarrassment remained as Himura chortled and snorted. It was clear to her that his sense of humor could be stretched quite far.
Exactly as she remembered him.
As he laughed, she simply lowered her head, trying to hide her embarrassment from him further. Her face only got more crimson with each amused breath Himura let out, and only finally began to subside when he started to calm down. His cackling degenerated into mild laughter, and from there to giggles and chuckles before he finally sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I will say, though." Himura managed to say in spite of his breathless lungs. "You certainly think like a rich girl."
"I'll take that as a compliment, good sir." She shook her head in return, rising from behind her hiding place to grin ever so meekly towards Himura.
"Heheh…" Himura chuckled once more before deciding to move the conversation forward. "Ah, well. At any rate, I happen to know someone who goes to Shujin as well. You might know him."
"Oh?" Haru hummed, raising a brow at his choice of words while the car lurched forward some more. From her seat in the back, it looked as if they had almost reached the intersection that was causing such a backup in traffic. "Who might he be?"
Distantly, they could hear sirens. Whether police or ambulance, neither could tell. But it didn't disturb them to any real extent.
"Ah, a good fellow. Known him for quite some time." Himura told her, resting an arm on his window as the car halted to a stop once more. He could see the stoplight where he was now. One car length ahead. "Him and his family. Good Ole' Arthur Williams." He then cut his brown eyes to his rearview, meeting Haru's. "Can't miss 'im. The lightest shade of brown hair I've ever seen. Got a sharp pair of green eyes, too. American… He can even do the most Irish accent I've ever heard! Er… although I'm not sure if it's his native accent…"
Haru's eyes positively beamed to life at the description, realizing exactly who he was talking about. "Oh!" She called out, smiling so brightly. "Yes! I know him! He's a very kind boy! You're his father?"
"Father?" Himura asked, bemused by the prospect. "Hah! Don't look nothing like me. No, no. I'm his guardian. Taking care of him for his family in the states during his transfer."
She giggled, and Himura couldn't help but maintain his smile at what she had said. "He did you a good turn, I assume?" He asked.
The car ahead of him began to move, and Himura followed suit. Slowly but surely.
"Oh, yes! Quite!" Haru confirmed, nodding quickly to confirm Himura words. "He's a kind gentleman. Very much unlike most of the students at Shujin, to be sure…"
As the car crossed the threshold under the streetlight, Haru shifted her gaze out of the window, somewhat curious as to what had caused their traffic jam.
It turned out to just be a minor fender bender, with the two people involved arguing and shouting at one another like it was the end of the world.
Nearby, a police officer stood with an extended baton by her side in the event the altercation got hostile. But she was not interfering. She simply stood idle, awaiting for the distant sirens to join her. Her face was a combination of annoyed, afraid, and false bravado.
The two concluded she must've been a rookie.
"Although, a very quiet one as well." Haru noted further about Arthur, to which Himura agreed with her with a solemn tone.
"Yeah, he's not the most social of butterflies." He told her, scoffing as he did so. "But, don't let his silent attitude put you off. He can be a decent fellow, if… if a little arrogant."
"We've only talked a stark few times, but he has a big heart." She said, as if that was an absolute certainty in her mind. "After all, when we first met, he had helped me out of a puddle and even gave me his umbrella so I could get home dry."
Himura's smile widened drastically. "Really?" He asked, glancing briefly over his shoulder to her. "He hadn't told me about that. In fact, he hadn't told me that he knew you at all!"
She mimicked his smile, and that alone told Himura all he needed to know about the truth of the matter. "He's a very humble person. I've gauged that much about his character." She admitted, before putting an idle finger to her chin in disappointed thought. "Ah… I still need to repay him for his kindness…"
Himura chuckled yet again, amused at the fact that Arthur was getting around.
Even more so that the young American was getting on well with so many girls his age at Shujin. First it was the student council president, and now it was Haru Okumura, the actual daughter of his boss, of all people. The idea was a complete contrast to what he remembered of the young man in the states, and to have heard from Haru's own mouth that Arthur had, at some point in the recent past, aided her to such a grand degree - well, it really put Himura's spirits back in the green.
After all, with everything that's happened as of late, Himura couldn't have been any more proud of the kid.
"I'll have to remember to rib him about this… Kid's gonna squirm so much it'll be the joke of the century, hahah!" He grinned deeply. All of this information was prime real estate for him.
"Oh, and I am super sorry about what's happened to him… I do hope he is alright…" Haru suddenly spoke up all apologetic-like, catching Himura slightly off guard.
"Huh…?" Himura hummed, furrowing his brows. "What do you mean?" He asked, finding himself slightly confused.
"Oh… Is it not true?" She then asked, sharing in Himura's confusion. "Word has it around the school that he was attacked by the yakuza." She informed him, to which Himura sighed deeply in disappointment and equal confusion. "Some say even shot."
"Shot. Really?" He asked with a voice dripping with obvious agitation. "That's news to me."
Haru looked up at him, but as he was driving - a more steady pace than before due to the newly-introduced motion of lax traffic - he did not look back at her. However, from his rearview, she could see the budding annoyance plastered on his eyes.
"Things pass through the grapevine all the time, I suppose…" He sighed once more, taking a hand off the wheel to scratch a sudden itch under his chin. He stayed silent for a moment, rounding a corner onto a street that led straight to Station Square. By now, they were only a stone's throw away from their destination.
As he steadied the direction of the vehicle, he let out a guttural noise that spoke only of frustration, opting to go ahead and confirm Haru's worries. "It is true that some bad people had accosted him. But he wasn't shot. I can go ahead and tell you that right now." He told her, his voice growing in sternness with each second that passed by.
But to Haru, this was understandable. This was the kid he was taking care of, after all. After speaking with Himura and knowing him for quite some time, she wouldn't put it past the Middle-Manager to feel a lot of personal responsibility for Arthur Williams.
Nodding, Haru simply did her best to ease Himura as they came to a stop right at Station Square.
"It's none of my business, I shouldn't have pried..." She said, glancing out of her window to the crowded square beyond.
"You're fine, Okumura-san." Himura told her, placing the vehicle in park as he opened his door to the outside. He raised his voice to combat the disrupting noises of Station Square. "I just suppose I shouldn't be surprised that such nonsense is going down. It is high school, after all."
He stepped out of the car, reaching for Haru's door handle and, with a loud click, he pulled it open for her to join him.
"For what it's worth, I am truly, deeply sorry Arinori-san." Haru conveyed to him as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She had her voice raised, just like Himura. "I feel a personal debt to him, and I feel your pain equally. Such a nice kid doesn't deserve what was given to him." She added as she took ahold of her thermos and duffle bag.
She stepped out from inside the car, shielding her eyes for a moment as the incandescent sun above the two of them greeted her. The door shut behind her, and she turned to face Himura through a pair of narrowed eyes. Himura seemed equally as disturbed the sudden bright light, but that didn't stop him from bowing to her.
"Well, it was a pleasure, Okumura-san." Himura told her, ignoring the sudden frustration he had felt earlier. It wasn't his place to show such agitation, especially in front of one of his betters and he knew it well. But Haru was always a sweet child, if a bit prissy and thoughtless at times.
"Thank you, Arinori-san." She responded, allowing him to rise back up. "We really should find the time to catch up, however. You're one of the few of the management team I actually enjoy speaking with."
"You as well, Okumura-san. I'm sorry I couldn't take you any further, though." Himura then apologized. Haru simply giggled in response to his unnecessary apology.
"No. Don't apologize. I wouldn't expect you to not have a busy schedule outside of work, after all." She told him, smiling and unknowingly showing off some of the prissiness common to the wealthy. Himura let it slide, however. It wasn't her fault, after all. "I'll call my father and have him send someone."
Himura nodded, and with that being said, he bowed once more to bid her goodbye. As he turned towards his open car, Haru stopped him one more time as she began dialing, what Himura assumed to be, her father up on her phone. Placing the device to her ear, she laid forth a request for Himura.
"Convey my well wishes to Williams-kun, will you?" She asked him, and Himura assured her he would.
He stepped into his car, closing the door behind him and slowly merging back onto the road.
Leaving Haru alone at Station Square.
She turned around to face the large crowd, some of whom were gathering around a well-dressed man on a soapbox, her phone buzzing within her ear as she waited for the man she called "father" to pick up.
Some of the people turned to look at her. Either mesmerized by her standoutish hair or her rather blue-blooded appearance. But most of those she attracted attention from turned away rather quickly once their curiosity was satiated.
Only one man stood to watch her longer than most.
A blue-hoodied young man, bearing piercing yellow eyes and standing far off by a pair of payphones. For a second, they exchanged glances, but eventually he backed off and returned to whatever business beheld him by the phones: Obviously uninterested further in such an unimportant person.
Haru paid him no greater attention, either.
Then, her phone buzzed to life, the voice of another picking up on the other end.
"Oh, hi Father… I'm at Station Square… Could you please send someone to pick me up?" She asked, her voice going quiet as she spoke.
Her father responded, with a quick sternness in his voice.
Her shoulders slumped from the polite venom she was listening to.
"Oh.. OK. I understand… I'll wait…"
Post-Chapter Author's Note
Edited by Frozen Foe and Kabuto S. Inferno.