A few days had passed since the car accident. Yuna had to be medicated from what doctors assumed to be chronic headaches from her head injury. The heavy duty pills dulled the shrill voices in her head, making them buzz in her mind. Atsuko, her mother, had just paid her a visit with big news.
Silence fell around the two women. A bright smile on the mother while a sullen and faraway look on the young girl. "He's coming back? But Yusuke's dead... The dead can't come back Mom." A bright smile came over her mother's face, "That's just the thing! His heart is still beating and he's breathing! It's a miracle."
A miracle, the thought of it had her inwardly scoffing. As much as she wanted to talk some sense int her mother, the blissful smile on the woman's face stopped her. Giving Atsuko a small, kind smile, Yuna held her hand and squeezed. "I'm glad Mom, I can't wait to see him wake up."
The two of them were interrupted by the on site doctor. A small smile lit his face, "Urameshi Yuna, you're free to go and check out. We will be prescribing you some headache medicine." He spoke sternly, "Please be advised however, these are very strong, so take them only when necessary. Is there any questions that concern you?"
A quiet moment passed through the room before Yuna spoke, "Is this the same medicine that you've been giving me while I've been staying here?" It did not take long for him to answer, "It isn't. What we have been giving you here has been known to be addictive, so its usage must be monitored at all times." He took a breath before continuing, "The dosage we are giving you is much lower as per medical regulations and more importantly, better for your health." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, keeping his smile.
Nodding to show the man that she understood, she felt dread fill her body. She did not care if the medicine was addictive, even now the voices were a dull roar in the back of her head. She could barely hear herself and others speak. If they gave her a lower dosage, what would happen? Even more alarming, if she told them what she was hearing, would they think she was going crazy?
Then again... Her mother literally just told her that her brother- Wait no, her Dead brother, with a capital D, was going to come back to life. If Yusuke does come back to life, I will visit a hundred shrines and accept these voices as a gift from the gods. Yuna had been focused on her own thoughts, she did not realize that another person entered the room.
"Excuse me, is this Urameshi Yuna's room?" the three occupants looked over towards the door. A slightly tall boy with curly, black hair and and black bespectacled eyes stood wearing Meiou's school uniform. He was so plain and underwhelming to look at, completely unremarkable that Yuna struggled to recall his name. Yu something.. Kaiba? No that's a card.. Kainu.. No, that sounds like some kind of pirate. Kiba? No, that's the name of that guy from that one anime with the weird flower girl. What was his name?
"Sorry for the intrusion, but I'm a classmate of Urameshi-san, I came to drop off her school work and her cram work." Now she remembered who he was, Kaito Yu. He was the second highest scoring student in their class, before Yuna tied with Minamino Shuichi and dropped him to third best. She remembered that heated glare she received when their scores were posted. He bowed to everyone before walking forward to politely hand her a large stack of papers.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Kaito-san." She thanked him politely only to receive an impassive glare. "Hn. It's no issue. The school wouldn't want one of their top scorers to fall behind in her academics" Kaito's snobbish attitude rubbed her the wrong way. "I'll be taking my leave." The boy spoke before walking out the room. "Yuna do me a favor," She looked to her mother, "What is it Mother?" "Don't ever date a boy like him unless he's rich." The girl blinked, looking at her mother incredulously, "O-Oh. Uhm, yes Mom."
Quickly gathering their stuff, the two women walked down to the hospital lobby to check out, "Now Yuna be good, I have to go and get ready for Yusuke to come back, be safe and don't play in the street again." The woman smiled and waved before absconding out the hospital doors. Mother of the year... Yuna thought, before walking out the hospital.
Yuna made her way to the small convenience store that she had gone to before the funeral. Quietly she made her way through the isles, picking out some basic ingredients and food. I should probably hurry, this homework isn't going to do itself. Bowing her head to the clerk, she placed the items on the counter.
Such a demure teenager, I should introduce her to my grandson. She'd make a perfect wife.
Yuna snapped herhead up quickly, making eye contact with the old man behind the counter. "Will that be all young miss?" His voice was raspy from age, yet her brain matched it to the whisper from the back of her head. "No thank-you sir, have a nice day" She bowed once more to him before paying and exiting the store. I don't want to be anyone's wife. A frown fell on her face. "Demure?" She whispered to herself.
The walk home was quiet and uneventful, though her heart jumped a bit in her chest upon seeing a light blue car in the drive way of her home. Her brown eyes widened catching sight of an imposing man with light grey hair, and hard steel eyes. He stood tall on the porch in a a dark blue suit, hands behind his back, his gaze trained on her the entire time.
Keeping her eyes down, she made her way to him slowly. Once she was a short distance away from him, she stopped to bow. "Welcome home Father, did your business go well?" Her voice was quiet, keeping her bow till he spoke to her. "I got the outcome I wanted there. Which I cannot say the same for you." Yuna flinched, she was in trouble, more than likely for being in the hospital. "Stand up, we will speak of this inside." her hands trembled, causing the plastic bag she was carrying to make a crinkling sound.
"I heard from the headmaster of your school that you only tied with the top student to help some worthless club. You then go to see that whore." His words were harsh as they stood in the home. His steel eyes getting harder with each sentence. "Then I find out that you stupidly got admitted to the hospital. Letting yourself get hit by a car, like that worthless half brother of yours." Everything he said cut her heart like a knife. Stop it... Stop insulting them! She screamed in her head, even though she knew it did nothing. "I think I've been far to kind to you, Daughter." His voice was grim and guttural.
Fear filled her body, "I was kind enough to let you keep some link to that whore and her boy, but its time you accept the family name and forget about those pieces of trash." His steel eyes were piercing, "I've already informed Meiou, you will no longer be held back by those lesser beings. Watanabe Yuna."
yuna bowed her head in shame at her father's declaration, tears filling her eyes. Every fiber of her being wanted to fight against him, scream in anger, yet as soon as she thought it she deflated. She could not do it, I'm too much of a coward, nothing like Yusuke... The sound of a fist pounding on a table tore her from her self deprecating thoughts. Quickly raising her head she met her father's frigid glare.
"Were you so lost in your worthless thoughts that you neglected to hear me?" There was a warning edge to his tone that made her wary. "N-No Father, I was simply acclimating myself to our family name." She carefully responded, so as not to aggrivate him further. "I should never have to repeat myself, I will not stand for your impudence any longer. I expect you to overcome everyone in that school. You're superior to all of those students in every way."
The look he gave her was hard, leaving no room for arguments, "Did they give you anything at the hospital?" His tone was quieter, almost soft. Keeping her head down, she nodded. "What for?" "Severe headaches." The was a somewhat flicker in his eyes. "When did they start, the headaches?" Apprehension filled Yuna's head, she was already in trouble for being with her mother, how much more would she get in if she told that she was at Yusuke's wake?
"A-After His wake Father..." She whispered, she didn't chance looking up at him, in fear of the scary look in his eyes. When she was met with silence, her curiosity got the best of her. Her normally taut jawed father was looking down at the table in contemplation.
"After His wake huh..? Interesting. Daughter, I will be going on another business trip. You will maintain your spot at the top of the class and continue your cram while I am away. Understand?" His tone held a finality to it, before he headed up to the second floor of the home to pack his belongings for another extended trip.
Yuna finally sat down at the table in the kitchen, the strength she to keep her standing had left her. Tears flowed freely down her pale cheeks, "And Daughter." Her head lifted abruptly, "I will be taking that medicine. It'll only be detrimental to your growth." Holding in a sob all she could do was nod as the bag was taken from her.
How was she going too deal with those voices now?